In the late 1970s, young actress Vera Moore, signed a contract becoming the first recurring black character on the soap opera Another World. But the attractive visage which helped get her the part was tarnished by the television studio's poor make-up, which did not match her skin tone.

With no cosmetic company accommodating the market for black women, make-up artists were literally mixing cocoa and chocolate into light-colored foundations for use on Moore's skin. Sometimes the make-up was too dark, making Moore appear ash-colored.

And if that weren't bad enough, the make-up Moore had to use smudged very easily. "If you touched it, it was all over the place," said Moore, who played nurse Linda Metcalf on the long-running show. "I had a white uniform that I had to wear on television...and I didn't want to have make-up all over my clothes."

"I figured, oh my God, I can't be the only one experiencing this," said Moore. Recognizing this giant gap in the make-up marketplace, Moore wondered...could she provide products that could fill this niche? Certainly there were many people of color who struggled to find cosmetics that matched their skin shade.

In the last two decades, Moore's idea has burgeoned into a remarkably successful business. For nearly 18 years, Moore, a Woodbury resident, has been CEO and president of Vera Moore Cosmetics. The company's office headquarters are located in Woodbury as well and her flagship boutique is located in Green Acres Mall. Though some of her products are for white customers, Moore specifically caters to people of color - blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans.

"I targeted...the ethnic market. When you're in business, you have to target a need. I looked to fill the void," said Moore. "I wanted to level the playing field a bit."

Just last week, Moore had a featured display at the Baronner Brothers show, a world-famous black make-up and hair-product trade show. And within this past month, she has been honored by both American Women's Economic Development (AWED), a Manhattan-based organization which helps women launch new businesses; and the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls, a Bethpage-based women's issues organization.

Moore enrolled in the AWED program in the 1970s when she first came up with her business idea - her first step toward launching Vera Moore Cosmetics. Still a member of the organization, she was honored this year as an AWED Achiever. "We honor...women who have been through our program and have been successful in business," explained AWED CEO Suzanne Tufts.

"Vera, for us, represents the best that comes from our program. She came with a good idea, basically stuck to her guns and created a successful business," Tufts continued.

The LI Fund for Women and Girls recently named Moore one of the businesswomen it will honor at its annual November luncheon. "We're trying to highlight women who have achieved against great odds in their field," said Sherry Radowitz, president of the organization.

There were many odds against Moore. Like so many other successful businesses, Moore's started very humbly, in her home kitchen, where she would mix colors and shades to come up with combinations that worked. While large cosmetic corporations offered only several basic shades for people of color, Moore knew that there were lots of in-betweens who could never find their exact shade.

"Black people range from white to black," explained Moore. "So you need a beautiful bouquet and array of colors."

After she and husband Billy mortgaged their home to start Moore's business, Moore became the first black tenant to own a business in the Green Acres Mall in its 40-year existence. Despite expensive rents, sales quotas and ownership's reluctance to bring in a fledgling company, Moore persevered.

Today, Moore is distributing her products nationally and internationally through boutiques and other retail outlets.

Moore is the co-founder and vice-chair of Black Women Enterprises BWE, an organization similar in goals to AWED. Currently, Moore and co-founders Phyllis Hill-Slater, chair; Vicki Wacksman, president; and Vila J. Newton, treasurer, are organizing a September conference on savings and investment opportunities for minorities.

Still involved in the entertainment industry, Moore is a board member of WLIW, Channel 21. Her contributions to television and theater over the years have included appearances on such soap operas as Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow and A World Apart , and in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Purlie Victorious.

Moore is a board member of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry; a charter member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and One Hundred Black Women; and a member of the National Minority Business Council.

To view Vera Moore Cosmetics' products, visit web site www.veramoore.com.