"The most beautiful makeup for a woman is passion, but cosmetics are easier to buy."
—Yves Saint Laurent
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Dear reader, I am seriously behind on posts. Here is some catch-up: The Beauty Primer: The Canvas, Beauty Notes: Vichy, Perfume Notes: Tauer L'Air du Désert Marocain, Consumer Diaries: June 2009.
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I was pleased to read this recent interview with Louise Wilson on Cathy Horyn's On the Runway blog. I enjoy Cathy's interviews, and I found this interview particularly engaging as it touched on cultural themes that are very personally familiar, primarily the enormous amount of cultural stagnation we are facing:
"Did the industry plan that everyone would travel to the same countries, that everyone would have disposable means of income, that everybody would be quite bland? I recently interviewed someone coming to the MA program and they said the last film they had seen was “Valkyrie,” with Tom Cruise. I said, “You’re joking, aren’t you?” ...There are immensely talented people around but I feel huge vortexes of them are sucked into this mediocre world where nobody criticizes and it’s all terribly politically correct." [cite]
Despite the unprecedented level of access our culture at large now has to information, communication, material goods, and luxury replicas, I don't think it's making us any smarter, more critical, more thoughtful, or more imaginative. Instead, we're facing the Tumblr effect, in which all information gets virtually posted and re-posted without end, both in the sense that it never stops being posted and in that the information never reaches a culmination. Really cool pictures of audacious styling, inspiring quotes, viral videos - it's all shared endlessly. But what do people do with it? This is my question. I don't see a real response to various media or a progression of ideas. I only see replication of the idea, literally (that cool picture on every blog) and passively (one hundred different people on one hundred different days taking the same photo of a tea set with the light bouncing off the saucer). I never see any real action take place - a rebellion against stylized realism, an incisive satire of "edgy" fashion, anything that doesn't feed directly into the trends, thoughts, and assumptions of our times.
Years ago, Marc Jacobs gave an interview in which he shared that the role of designer was drastically different from even a generation before. In addition to designing, there was so much information the designer was expected to know, so much culture the designer had to engage in. Designers were now expected to read the same books as everyone else, keep up with pop culture, basically maintain the same references. At the time, I thought these very notions were ridiculous and the observations were mere complaints, the symptom of some anxiety. And I was right, though I didn't realize the anxiety was both cultural and personal. At times when less and less seems stable and controllable, when self-definitions crumble, the notion of safety in numbers can appeal, and I think it's this conceit that's partly responsible for the navalgazing the culture at large is currently engaged in. We may not know what it is to be American anymore or what the future will bring, but by God, we can all know and share in our experiences with the Kardashians/Rihanna/Octomom. Maybe no one looks good in Margiela's shredded jeans because they're ugly, but they're cool, so we'll all wear them. It boils down to safety, and it's all the more vicious and virulent a notion of safety not just because it's ultimately based in fear, but, more potently, because we're choosing to do it to ourselves.
I am not part of the fashion industry, but I enjoy reading my favorite fashion/style blogs daily. It has become a chore. I'm only an amateur, and yet it seems there's so much information you need to know just to keep up and be relevant. It's a daunting task just to keep up and nearly completely absorbing to get ahead, and this isn't even a description of skill, merely of retaining information. I cannot imagine the intense amount of pressure I'd feel if I were in the field, or the boredom, because all the information's the same. In a culture in which knowing and demonstrating the right information determines safety/competence/relevance, information itself quickly stagnates and discernment takes a vacation. It's less important to dress oneself well and appropriately for one's body type and lifestyle than it is to keep up and do as the Romans, a fact Wilson speaks to when she mentions the decline of style. As much technological innovation we have now and sheer possibility, never before witnessed, to create our own movements, speak for ourselves, and express our individual potentials, the effort is wasted on perfectionism and bleating to the beat of one collective drum. And while sharing the same information is crucial to a culture's survival - this is how culture gets transmitted - so is updating that information and infusing it with new life. Otherwise, you have a closed system in which nothing can get in or out. And as any systems analyst can tell you, without the exchange of (in this case) information, systems will fail.
"It might be very good for fashion if fashion goes out of fashion, and maybe nothing does happen for awhile and a few companies shut down. When the light turns away that’s when the new work will be done." [cite]
Labels: culture notes
7/16/2009 [1]
* All model shots courtesy of Patzzi.
I've never been interested in being pretty, strictly speaking: I've always been interested in art and music and beautiful things in general, and it seems that an interest in self-adornment and cosmetics should be the next logical development of that impulse. So it seems strange that I never ventured to wear anything remotely resembling makeup as a teen. It's true that, at the time, I never felt the need and I figured there would be plenty of time for those frivolous kinds of things later on, but I suspect it was really because I was bewildered by the sheer number of products out there, and all the conflicting advice circulating on the topic. It got so baffling that at one time, I figured that it would be better for my peace of mind to live in a communist state with limited goods distribution and little room for choice.
Eventually, it came to the point where I couldn't ignore it anymore. I decided I had to take the plunge, if only to figure out what sectors of the market I could eliminate and forget worrying about for the rest of my life. These are the results of my muddled efforts so far. To note, I've been following Dain's writing pretty closely ever since she wrote for the Lipstick Page, and my introductory forays were in a large part shaped by her observations and recommendations.
Even before I began wearing "makeup," I liked to emphasize my lips by giving them a soft red tint. My lips are by far my most distinctive—and possibly best—feature. They're nicely shaped, not too small or too wide, and I'll never come to grief over their plumpness (rather, their lack thereof). They're also fairly pigmented naturally, which means that lighter lipsticks are either invisible (if sheer) or opaque and pasty (if more substantial) and create a disjunct with the yellow overtones and ruddy undertones in my skin. I'm not familiar with lipstick, and refuse point-blank to wear gloss, so I rely instead on balms—sometimes with a strong tint—to keep them from becoming chapped, even in the summer.
I find that where lip gloss gives lips a "glassy" shellacked finish, balm gives a "polished" feeling̬reminiscent of freshly waxed and polish wooden surfaces—that I find far more appealing. Blistex is cool and soothing, with a slight tingle on application and exfoliative properties, but looks frosty. Nivea's is the best cheap balm I've found. I use the "moisture" formulation in the lighter blue tube, but I find this solidifies far too readily in cold weather and switch to the softer "essential" version in the darker blue tube. Nivea's tinted balms, however, aren't good for my coloring: the strawberry is far too orange on me, though it smells heavenly (like eating strawberries on a dozy sunny day), and the cherry I'm not inclined to wear because I detest artificial cherry flavors. I'm currently using The Face Shop's pomegranate lip balm, whose sheer red tint is just the thing to echo and build on my natural lip color, and whose texture is not unlike that of the Moisture Nivea. Paired with a groomed brow (I pluck the hairs from the outermost part of the browbone, which creates a natural arch), it's a look that places emphasis on the bare framework, with the lips as a point of interest, which is basically the look I wore throughout high school and the early years of college.
picture of "Heavenly Peaches" courtesy of www.millerorchards.com
I also bought a lip stain from Missha in their cooler-toned shade a few months ago, but found the tint to be too strong a fuschia for my already highly pigmented lips. It works much better as a cheek stain, applied with a cotton swab or with my fingers... fingers work better by far for application since their use is intuitive, but I end up with red-stained hands by the end. At first, I began using it towards the sides of my cheekbones in a effort to create more bone structure, but soon figured out that it made me look much older, or as if I was trying to be "sexy," a makeup style that I personally dislike.
So instead I swirled the stain on the apples of my cheeks, which works much better for me. The resulting touch of pure effusive pink somewhere between rose and cotton candy (as fuschia sheered out becomes) seems to focus the gaze on its color, taking the spotlight away from acne or the perenial ruddiness of the rest of my face, which gives the illusion of smoother-toned skin. When used in conjunction with mascara—which I began to wear just last April#8212rosy cheeks also seems to bring a certain moist sparkle to my eyes which Koreans find very appealing (more on this in another post). Mascara only on the top lashes looks a little artificial and incomplete, so I apply a little on bottom lashes too—no small feat for my wispy, barely present lower lashes. It took me ages to figure out how to apply it on both bottom and top lashes without getting it on the neighboring skin, but it was worth it: it's a much more balanced look, and it somehow looks more natural.
About a month ago, I decided I wanted a highlighter for those days when I want to appear more intellectual and less dewy-eyed baby girl pretty. Most Korean highlighters are practically pure frost or glitter, which is a look that I personally detest, even more so than fake bake. Recently, however, I found a powder "concealer" at The Face Shop that's actually a highlighter in its lightest tone: a peachy powder, very shimmery, but the shimmer is milled so fine that at first, you think it's simply the texture of the powder itself. It traps the light and holds it where you want it to stay, giving the illusions of a raised surface that is reflecting the light you see (I'm currently experimenting with application, trying to figure out which spots maximize the effect). The emphasis is therefore placed on the tone of the skin and its contours—whereas blush depends on color to add interest to the face—rather like a black-and-white photo of a Brancusi or Rodin in marble.
As for coverage, I don't wear the stuff, simply because I don't feel that I need to. I've been using Vichy Normateint foundation (I recieved a sample with a purchase of Capital Soleil sunscreen) as a spot concealer for my acne (before I began noticing that it wasn't going away and that it would be therefore futile to attempt to hide it) and my enlarged pores in the T-zone. Now that I've run out of the Vichy, it's been replaced by The Face Shop Eye Proud Brightening & Hiding Balm: technically a night treatment, but it also works as a concealer for day, giving a blurring effect for some light coverage (too much tends to look chalky, however).
I've also used the Vichy for its advertised purpose as a foundation, and Normateint gives a nice airbrushed finish without compromising the look of skin too much. I don't do it often, though. Girls my age in Korea may or may not wear foundation, but it's far more common to wear BB cream (a product somewhere between tinted moisturizer and foundation), which I believe to be a phenomenon exclusive to Asia, as I've never heard of it in the States. Strangely enough, wearing BB cream doesn't seem to count as wearing "makeup" over here. However, foundation or anything remotely similar to it is not something I like to wear: it feels odd, and though I love the photoshopped powdered mochi rice-cake look on others, I find it looks aging on myself, possibly because I'm not used to seeing myself in makeup.
I am, however, considering the use of a translucent powder to control shine, especially in hot damp Korean summers, or to use in place of a sunscreen—the powder format being far more conducive to repeated applications. I'm currently lusting after Jurliqe Silk Finishing Dust, but I will probably settle for Innisfree Mint No Sebum Powder or some similar product.
As for my eyes, they're standard Asian eyes with the addition of a double-lid, though the fold is much closer to the lashline and a bit more droopy than the ones celebrities aim for when getting their eyelids done. My double eyelid fold acts like the small roof (rooflet?) above a gable window, creating regions of shadow around it. In this respect, I am luckier than most Asians, whose main complaint with their eyes is that they lack dimension to work with. Most looks that work on my eyes should, therefore, emphasize already-existing shadows (contouring with darker shades is less overwhelming when limited to the small area around my eye) and possibly highlight for dimension as an alternative to excessive contouring.
Eyeliner is the "bread-and-butter" staple of any look for the eyes, but putting a sharpened object anywhere near my eyes scares me, and I can't figure out how to stop blinking long enough to do a foolproof application. I usually wear eyeliner in black lightened with a touch of brown, smudged around the lashline—not because I intend it that way, but more because I can't draw a fine straight line without wobbling, which is something I'd like to master before the year is out. As luck would have it, the "look" that I came by through my own incompetence seems to work very well for me: the darkness of the line deepens the shadows around my eye and melds with the pupils of my eyes(irises? the two are virtually indistinguishable in Asian eyes anyway), making them appear larger and giving the effect that Renaissance Italian belles were striving for when they put nightshade drops in their eyes. A touch of highlighter on the inner corner and dotted along the underline of my eye finishes off the look. Also, when I wear the smokier, more made-up eye, I do not wear bright blush, opting instead to go with highlighter. Lips, because of their comparative distance from the eye, get a little more leeway, though I tend to go for a stain or a tint because its natural and weightless appearance is a good counterpoint to deeply shadowed eyes.
An array of looks for deeper eyes—all of which would work with my eyes and coloring—different mainly in the degree to which each feature is emphasized: you'll notice that stronger eyes are paired with softer lips and cheeks, and vice versa. An exercise in balance, which is really what a good look is all about.
I've also used eyeliner to tightline, but the pencils usually drag on my skin and the act of thrusting an object between my lashes usually leaves me feeling as if I have something in my eye for the rest of the day. My eyes are on the sensitive side and easily irritated, so on a daily basis I simply settle for mascara, which never actually touches the skin. I am currently using 4D mascara from Missha: one coat thickens my lashes without looking like mascara, and two or three coats lengthens my eyelashes as advertised, though I have to be careful with clumping. The stuff also holds a curl quite well, even without the use of eyelash curlers, and best of all, it's dirt cheap.
As for eyeshadow, I find this a territory that may be worth exploring, but find too intimidating. So far, I've had some success with matte shades in darker hues (royal blue, dark brown) to deepen and accentuate those areas of dimness—the same principle as smudgy eyeliner—with maybe a sheer shimmer applied where the crease fans out as a highlight to further emphasize the depth of the shadows(a sheer teal shimmer over dark brown is one of the looks I've most successfully tried). Most shadows, however, seem to ball up and get tucked inside my eyelid fold within a few hours... for this, a primer for eyeshadows may be in order. I also avoid thick opaque pastels, as they tend to go on chalky on yellow-toned skin and flatten the dimension around my eyes, resulting in eyes that look like:
For most eye products, I have the most difficulty in application: making up eyes is as fastidious a task as painting one of those eighteenth century miniature portraits to put in a locket. I hope to get better with (judicious) practice: I began wearing mascara only last April, and so far I've not only learned to apply it without getting it on my eyelids, but to apply it on my wispy lower eyelashes as well. I hope to progress soon to the point where I can draw eyeliner in a fine line follows the lashline as closely as possible.
So far, I'm not loyal to any products, simply because I haven't found any products that inspire true devotion (though The Face Shop is offering a few good contenders). At this time in my life, perhaps this is the best approach: I have plenty of time to "play the field," so to speak, before I begin to commit. Freedom to try out different brands and different formulations is part of this, but more important, I think, is the process of thinking out of the box&#whose bounds are usually prescribed by marketers—and approaching cosmetics with an open mind... not just tossing a product because it's not what one expected or because it doesn't do what the manufacturer claimed it would do, but figuring out how to use the characteristics of any product to one's advantage.
Part of the reason I had so much difficulty with makeup before was because of my pessimistic outlook: my focus was on singling out the faults of each and every product in order to come to an assessment of its comparative worth, and single out every possible contender until I narrowed it down to one that would work for me. What I did not realize is that there are few things in the world that work for me, as it is, and what a blessing it is to finally find one of these. The key thing is to keep a positive outlook and look for things that do work, in whatever fashion, and not waste time looking for things that don't work.
Labels: beauty notes, missha, nivea, the face shop, vichy
7/13/2009 [1]
Comparisons were made, at one time.
My experiences with cosmetics have been largely determined by my "non-standard" colouring and facial features. I don't wish to overstate this: obviously, the North American beauty market caters to white women like me far, far more than it does to other women. However, I was a redhead as a child, and even though my hair has darkened, I still have freckles, green eyes, and a very pale, peach-toned complexion. The advice doled out in magazines often does not apply to me. I didn't find a red lipstick I could wear until I was 25, and that required going to a MAC counter and watching one sales associate's frustration mount as tester after tester turned fuchsia or purple on my skin. She finally handed me off to another SA, who tried another five or six before finding two that worked (Rage and Chili, if you're curious). I continue to spend much of my life avoiding the dreaded fuchsia.
Exciting to some, horrifying to others.
I am, in other words, not a blank canvas. I have fairly definite, high-contrast colouring and defined features: a high forehead, a long nose, high cheekbones, a slight figure, and wavy, cowlicky hair. I feel generally more comfortable with retro-influenced styles than wholly modern ones: anything blingy, beachy, sporty or vampy makes me look ridiculous.
SKIN
It's a shame Besame's Soufflé Foundation was discontinued, because it makes a great concealer.
I distinctly remember being five years old, looking in the bathroom mirror and appreciating the pretty mauve colour of my undereye circles. They are permanent, hereditary fixtures on my face. I put on undereye concealer before applying any other makeup. I follow that up with eyebrow pencil; my eyebrows are naturally quite well shaped, but a bit sparse.
I don't own a foundation. I don't really know how to use one, and anyway, I don't think most women need it for every day. I do have very shiny skin, exacerbated by my near-daily application of sunscreen (it should be daily, but I get lazy), so I use translucent powder, which blurs the imperfections on my face without looking too much like paint.
I've grown to appreciate the value of bright (not sparkly!) blush, probably because my skin is less naturally rosy at 27 than it was at 17. Pink blush looks like rosacea on me; peaches and corals are much more flattering. I don't know how to contour, but then I don't particularly need to.
P.S. Sparkly blush looks stupid.
EYES
I'm in a bit of a rut, I admit, but I love the look of gel eyeliner; I'm also wary of heavy eye makeup, since nothing telegraphs PARTY TIME to the same extent. I usually stick to a wash of neutral shadow (my favourite is NARS Cairo, a taupe with a hint of rose) and gel liner in brown or plum.
Women with green eyes are frequently advised to wear purple shadow. This isn't foolproof; any colour that is too dark will look like a smudgy grey-black on my skin, and any colour with red in it has to be chosen carefully so I don't end up emphasizing my dark circles or giving myself the "pinkeye" look. I have to experiment. I find that I keep accumulating turquoise and green shadows, even though I generally don't wear them because I'm afraid of looking frivolous. (I am frivolous, but must everyone know?)
LIPSTICK
I am obsessed. It is kind of ridiculous, and clearly a left-over hangup from my adolescence, when I discovered that most "universal" shades, as touted by magazines, looked terrible on me. Pinks look sickly on me; "true" reds and berries turn neon fuchsia; even bright oranges, like Shiseido Day Lily, head straight for Day-Glo peach. I used to try to counteract this trend by buying drugstore lipstick that looked very, very orange or very, very brown in the tube; these days I tend to buy higher-quality lipstick that turns less dramatically.
I am picky about lip products: I usually want them full-coverage and nearly matte. I love red lipstick and would wear it every day if I had the guts. It saddens me that red lipstick is ever considered trampy or garish; when my grandmother was my age, this was not the case at all. I probably look best in deeper, browner shades -- MAC Chili, Lipstick Queen Rust, YSL Opium Red -- but I love intense, balls-out orangey reds: Besame Carmine, Julie Hewett Belle Noir, MAC Lady Danger.
I have a number of medium-toned and sheer lipsticks, but have yet to figure out how to wear nude. I have a feeling that with colouring as high-contrast as mine, truly nude lips will never quite work.
Above, fairly standard makeup for me: darkened brows, eyes lined on top lids only, minimal eyeshadow, bright lips.
Labels: beauty notes, besame, mac
7/12/2009 [3]
SKIN
Just as Dain has worked out her theory of coloring, I have a theory of facial structure, in that facial structure determines what type of makeup best suits women, as well as how to best wear it. Women with strong bone structure, such as Angelina Jolie, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Sarah Jessica Parker, look their best highlighting and defining what they have, in this case literally, using highlighters and contouring to bring out their features. Typically, women with strong features need to avoid wearing too much color, as this can easily make them look overdone, hard, or, in the vein of Angelina and Megan Fox, a mix of sexy and astoundingly beautiful to the point of aggressiveness.*
Conversely, women with weaker bone structure (think Nicole Richie, Britney Spears, and Drew Barrymore) can acheive a greater effect with blush than with simply highlighting and contouring, as their strength is in being able to work with (or change) their bone structure through color (and makeup in general) rather than light. These women can wear more color than those with stronger bone structure without overwhelming their features.
This is not to say that women with weaker bone structure can't contour and women with strong bone structure can't wear blush. This is simply a guide to maximize the effect of makeup. Women who have strong bone structure have more facial planes to play with light and shadow than women who don't. Likewise, women with weaker bone structure can play with more overall color without being overwhelmed by it than women with a stronger structure. Think of it this way: Gwen Stefani can wear a ton of makeup, basically carving her face structure out of it, and look great. Were Angelina Jolie to wear that much makeup, she would look very hard, overdone, and mannish. The more defined your features are, the more easily they can be overwhelmed. The less defined they are, the more room you have to use color and makeup in general to define them without overwhelming.
All this to say that I can go from zero to drag queen in a second. I really don't take makeup well beyond very minimal amounts. Too much foundation and I look like I'm wearing spackle, too much lipstick and you'd have to ask, "Who is she trying to fool?" I am definitely of the strong bone structure camp and rely on making the most of my good skin and bone structure rather than on color. When I wear foundation, I rely on powders rather over other formulas, specifically MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light. I like the sheer coverage, the hint of color, the lasting power, and best of all, that it only takes three swipes and ten seconds in the morning. This feature alone has kept me from returning to liquids. For highlighting, I either use Nars The Multiple in Copacabana or MAC Studio Stick Foundation in NC15 on cheekbones, the center of my forehead, my nose, and chin. Copacabana is more of a traditional highlighter, in that it has a bit of shimmer and brings light directly to where I apply it. Studio Stick acts like light itself radiating from my skin, adding radiance, brightness, and a softer light that looks like it comes from within. Both layer well under the Skinfinish. If I want to further contour, I use the lightest shade in Cover Girl's Trucheeks blush palette in number 1 (I think the color is Snow Plum). It's so light that it doesn't really add color, just shadow. On the rare occasions that I wear blush, the only color that consistently performs is the middle color in this palette, a mid-tone plummy pink. Every other blush color fails me: pinks are too pink and either look like a rash or too jarring against my yellow undertones, pinky-peaches look good until they oxidize and turn orange, and brown tones absolutely don't work.
EYES
As I have a mix of warm and cool undertones, as well as hazel eyes, it's perhaps no surprise that my eyes can take the warm tones that my skin can't. In fact, I prefer my eyes in warm tones, though they can take cool, as well. Again, I have to be careful with coloring. Anything too warm looks great against my eyes, but looks jarring against my skin, and anything too cool just looks awful overall. Generally, warm sunset colors (golds, oranges, reds, warm browns) best suit my eyes, so long as they aren't very bright, which is harsh against pale skin. On the cool end of the spectrum, violets such as MAC's Parfait Amour make my eyes green (which is a pity, because I hate violet). I can also wear both warm and cool blues, which again bring out their contrasting color, orange. I've had success wearing both MAC's Technakohl liner in Auto-de-Blu, a warm, bright blue, and MAC's Pearlglide liner in Black Russian, which is a deep cool blue with silvery highlights. Auto-de-Blu makes my eyes pop, bringing out the warmth and slightly blurring it with the other colors to create a slightly muddy, sultry intensity (sounds paradoxical, but really works). When sheered out slightly, the silver and light blue in Black Russian brings light to my eyes and makes their hazel hue stand out.
Generally, my eye routine consists of tightlining my eyes with either a warm brown (MAC Technakohl in Brownborder) or carbon black. The warm brown brings out the warm topaz in my eyes and brings soft definition to the shape, while black brings out the shape itself and brings intensity and light to my eyes. It can be a harsher color against my skin, but sultrier. Other than that, I wear liner on my top lid and mascara. Typically, I wear warm, red-based brown liners, such as Jane's Browny Points, Stila's Twig or NARS's Galapagos. These colors work well to further define and shape my eyes, as well as to bring out the orange and gold in them. Since my lashes are very long, occasionally I curl them to get more pop out of my eye makeup, but usually I'm too lazy and just swipe mascara on them as is. I'm not loyal to any particular mascara, although I really like Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe (the brush deposits mascara perfectly). Were I to wear shadow washes, I'd exclusively wear Stila's Summer, an orangey-bronze, and Tarte's dusky golden shade in the Kalalua duo, as these both make my eye color warmer and more intense. I've given up shadow washes, though, because I think I look better just wearing liner.
LIPS
I absolutely rely on sheer colors on my lips. Opaque colors overpower them and make them look smaller, which creates an imbalance in the proportions of my face. I avoid dark colors for the same reasons, and brights are, again, too jarring against my skin. There are basically three colors I return to repeatedly: sheer plum, pinky-peach, and neutral. Sheer plum with a touch of pink (no red, no brown) is probably the best color for me. Not only is it the blush color I use, it adds a touch of depth and color to my makeup without being overwhelming, and the cool tone flatters my cool lips. Pinky-peach, when heavier on the pink side, also does a great job of flattering my skin by adding brightness and color, but I have to be careful of the peach tones. Too much peach turns orange against my skin.
Since my lips have a lot of pigment (depending on if I'm cold, if I've just eaten, etc., they're a cool light-to-medium cool pink), my best bet for an understated look is neutral lips. This is not the same as nude lips, which really only look good on women of medium skin tones. My version of neutral lips is to basically neutralize the coolness of them so that they're just pink. I can do this by using a gold gloss on top or by filling them in with a brown-based neutral liner and using a pale pink gloss on top. Either way, I maintain my essential lip shape and facial proportions.
I'm in a state of flux with my lip products. I had used MAC Tendertones exclusively as my gloss, but using them so much aggravated my fragrance allergy and I've had to discontinue their use. This isn't too much of a shame, because I'm mostly over the stickiness and general goopy mess of glosses. I loved Clinique's Colour Surge Bare Brilliance lipsticks in Waterviolet and Pink Beach for plum and peachy-pink lip colors, respectively, but they're now only offered in the more opaque, drying Butter Shine formula, which I hate. I'm going to have to shop around for lip products that suit my needs and will stay on the shelves more than two minutes.
*(I have often wondered to myself, If I were a man waking up next to either them, would it not be too much to see that day in, day out? I think rather than being a male sexual fantasy, it would be rather harsh and intimidating, a blunt beauty that's blatently, boldly there that leaves no room for gazing and slowly taking it all in. Really, that leaves no room at all for a relationship with it, because it the end, beauty is partly what we something we interact with and stake claim to ourselves, whether it's our beauty to claim or not.
I still haven't found an answer to the question in terms of being a woman waking up with them. Somehow, I think it would be easier to bear.)
Labels: beauty notes, cover girl, j.a.n.e., mac, nars
7/11/2009 [3]
O, everyone should own Powersurge. It is like... the potato. Before you murmur at my stupidity, I totally mean it pretentious-literary-like. In M.F.K. Fisher's first book, Serve It Forth (which is a great book, so read it!), my favorite chapter is dedicated to the potato. The whole premise of the chapter is that she attacks the American (and European, for that matter) aesthetic of meat-and-potatoes, where the potato is totally unappreciated, but simply "expected", as a given and a prerogative.
Instead, she suggests that it be eaten with true appreciation. Of course, for its own innate goodness:
- A potato is good when it is cooked correctly. Baked slowly, with its skin rubbed first in a buttery hand. or boiled in its jacket and then 'shook', it is delicious. Salt and pepper are almost always necessary to its hot moist-dusty flavour. Alone, or with a fat jug of rich cool milk or a chunk of French Gruyère, it fills the stomach and the soul with a satisfaction not too easy to attain.
- If, French fried, they make a grilled sirloin taste richer; if, mashed and whipped with fresh cream and salty butter, they bridge the deadly gap between a ragoût and a salad; if, baked and pinched open and bulging with mealy snowiness, they offset the fat spiced flavour of sausages—then and then alone should they be served. Then they are dignified. Then they are worthy of a high place, not debased to the deadly rank of daily acceptance. Then they are a gastronomic pleasure, not merely "tubers used for food".
It looks particularly smashing against oceanic colors as a general rule... periwinkle, sea blue, mermaid green, lavender, sand. All the colors one would find at the sea, basically (including at sunset).
A picture of Powersurge and what it looks like:
Labels: beauty notes, mac, mfk fisher
7/06/2009 [1]
Truly, the internet is a wonderful place. I've been watching classic movies uploaded on Youtube. The faces! The clothes! The witty dialogue!
Now, this version of A Star Is Born was released in 1954. This means two things. One, it is not weird that it is a musical, today it is a practically a genre for effete audiences only (like tourists to Broadway), not for "serious films". Two, though it meditates unflinchingly on the dark side of celebrity, it is not as dark as it could be. The first is a golden opportunity for Garland's golden voice, and if it is a little silly at times, the film pokes fun at it. I particularly enjoyed this number, early on in the film when she's just scraping by, perhaps because I'm real fond of jazz (not that a jazz singer would so diva-like):
But what makes the film really striking is its exploration of celebrity, which is perhaps why this film has been remade so many times. So long as film endures, so will the issues it brings to the table. The troubles of the unknown, the sheer machinery aspect of Hollywood, the pressures of publicity, and the deep, deep dependency on fame. There is one really terrible scene when Garland is leaving a funeral and a fan screams at her and rips her veil off.
At first, I intended this article to present the flavor of contrition. I felt ashamed that I bitch about celebrities. I don't know these people. Why are they fair game? I would not like people to pass judgment on me in such a manner.
But then, I thought, I am not a celebrity. In fact, I can think of nothing more horrifying than a whole lot of people looking at me. Hollywood is the myth-making instinct of humanity turned into a business. It is not that celebrities are "not people", but they sought public attention on a grand scale, a goal so very, very difficult to obtain that it cannot be anything but deliberate. I've heard many a time that Paris Hilton (the only celebrity I truly despise) is a nice girl, that people give her a hard time, but those who would seek attention should be prepared for negative attention, or quit it as Dave Chappelle did. People who value privacy first and foremost do not seek to be a public figure. If you are lucky enough to attain the fulfillment of your desires and do not, as did Macbeth, find them to your liking, that is not other people's fault. For chrissakes, I don't care about your problems; entertainers are not victims of society, by my book.
Labels: culture notes, judy garland
7/01/2009 [1]
A couple of jobs ago, one of my new coworkers told me that, from the way I dressed, she assumed I was "an actor. No offense." She then backpedeled to tell me it was just that I "dressed very dramatically" and then, hopelessly, gave up.
At this same job, a different coworker at an unrelated time that I reminded her of "Denise Huxtable. No offense." Again, she mentioned that I dressed very dramatically, etc.
I am unsure what is so offensive about thespians in general and Lisa Bonet in particular, but whatever. When I'm over being baffled by the statements themselves, I look back at what I wore then and think, "How did they ever get 'dramatic' from that?" I wore black, flowy skirts (this was the neo-boho phase of 2004-2005), flats, and sweatshirts, sometimes all together. The other alternate was jeans with a t-shirt that had an owl on the front and read "Night Owl." I simply don't see what the drama in that could be. Did I walk regally? Did I drape scarfs around me just so? I don't know.
To their credit, they clearly picked up on something, because the first time I saw this jewelry, I knew it was something I'd wear. From Alexander McQueen's Fall 2008 show, these headdresses are the only jewelry I've ever seen that stopped me in my tracks and made me stare. As with handbags, I don't pay a lot of attention to jewelry on the runway or, really, anywhere else. These pieces transfixed me, though, both because they are obviously beautiful and because I can't think of any better way to wear jewelry than to ornament and frame one's face.
Though I'm generally uninterested in jewelry, I am particularly uninterested in its overreliance on femininity and good taste (or, conversely, bad taste) as its selling points. I'm uncomfortable in overtly feminine or "nice" dress and ultimately feel more comfortable encased in "drama" than in kitten heels. It may be armor, but it is no less armor than Vera Bradley bags and a sunny disposition.
While I loved all the jewelry in this show, my favorite pieces were undoubtedly the red ones. The color really pops and brings nice contrast to the gold, and I love no jewel more than red one.
Labels: alexander mcqueen, fashion notes
6/30/2009 [3]
READING
Oh, not much. Just the stuff I've been teaching, much of which I've read before. For an advanced class, I've pulled out some selected poems from Stevens. O, I had forgotten how much I adore Stevens. I will have to attend to Auroras of Autumn again, which I hadn't read carefully at the time, when the summer session ends and I have my life back.
SNIFFING
Sometimes the inclination we harbor towards particular notes is pretty arbitrary. I love tuberose in most any form, and yet avoid jasmine like the plague (the jasmin de Grasse in No. 5 parfum being the sole exception)—they're closely related aromatics, so the discrepancy is strange. In a similar fashion, I've never been able to warm myself towards rose soliflores and sandalwood scents; they just weren't me, understand? But somehow, the atmosphere of Seoul, for reasons I cannot quite fathom, with its aromas of fishy salt and car exhaust, seems perfectly in counterpoint with rose. I've left my Montale Crystal Flowers at home, but I've really enjoyed my decant of Parfums MCDI Un Coeur de Mai. As for sandalwood, I'm on the search for a good one. It's not a note I've explored; I've already tried and failed at Bois des Îles, but it may be time to revisit it again.
If sandalwood doesn't work out, then I wouldn't object to a bottle of Tauer L'Air du Désert Marocain. What was wrong with my nose the first time I sniffed this stuff? It's bloody fantastic.
But among the notes on which I've done a complete turnabout since my move to east, perhaps the most dramatic is tropical flowers. My skin HATES tropical perfumes. I can't wear them, no matter how critically acclaimed and popular, from Estée Lauder's Beyond Paradise to Annick Goutal's Songes. Enter: LesNez Manoumalia. It may be a testament to Sandrine Videault, but I want a bottle of this stuff to replace my Tubéreuse Criminelle (love it, but too much trouble to acquire), just as I'm planning to replace Mitsouko with 31 Rue Cambon.
LISTENING
WEARING
I've grown adept at navigating my body in heels; certain muscles develop, your stride changes. I am really, really glad I got those Manolos when I did. I dress very colorfully, but I seem to fit in, for the most part, when it comes to my clothes. I was initially worried about the conservatism of Koreans, but I never dressed casually or sluttily to begin with, so it hasn't been a problem.
EATING
I often don't have time to eat, unless it's to grab a quick sandwich, so I go often without meals. I've lost weight; some of pants no longer fit well. My favorite restaurant near work, if I've got the time and money, is a tangsuyuk (fried battered beef) / jajangmyeon (noodles in a black bean paste) restaurant. I've grown up with Korean food all my life, so none of the cuisine is particularly strange to me with the exception of soon dae. What I find objectionable is second-rate Western food that costs a fortune, especially the Italian restaurants on Garusogil. The Kraze Burger down the street has very decent fries and burgers, but it's rather more expensive than I think it ought to be. Still haven't found decent pizza. For pastries, I like Paris Croissant (YES. I know.), but it can be touch and go depending on what you buy.
In the morning, I eat rice and fried spam, a very Korean kind of meal. Bizarre, isn't it? But somehow, spam goes really well with the flavor of rice. If I don't have time, I live on coffee and a cheese bun I grab at a bakery on my way to work.
DAUBING
I've been loving MAC Pearlglide Eyeliner in Wolf (waves to The Kindly One), a beautiful soft medium grey with a lavender-gold sheen, made extra exciting through flecks of pink and green. I've been pairing it with the sheer blues from Paula Dorf. Other days, I wear Powersurge (also MAC) and Lavander (Chanel Soft Touch). I'm fond of this combination: soft-toned liner smudged thickly around the eyes and a wash of sheer pastel.
Chanel Attitude Rouge Allure, by the way, is fast becoming my favorite lipcolor.
WATCHING
Poo. I have NO time. I just watch episodes of Daria or Blackadder to have something to listen to.
WISHLIST
Still need posters and lamps. MAC Blot.
Labels: chanel, consumer diaries, lesnez, mac, parfums mcdi, rolling stones, tauer, wallace stevens
6/29/2009 [1]
I have incredibly oily eyelids, enough so that I basically gave up on wearing shadow washes several months ago. I simply couldn't find any product that would keep shadow on all day, much less past a few hours. MAC Paint was alright, but unreliable. I found it bulletproof maybe 50% of the time, and the thick formalation made it difficult to disperse and spread an even layer on each lid. Urban Decay Primer Potion was even less reliable, creasing within 4-6 hours.
Trying Too Faced Shadow Insurance as a last resort, I was very, very surprised to find that it worked for me. It keeps shadow from creasing for twelve hours (probably even longer on normal-to-dry lids), and the formula is thin enough that it spreads easily and evenly without effort. It's a very easy, intuitive product to use, and I appreciate that, unless you really try to, it's impossible to glob too much on. I also like that this doesn't have much of a tint. If you're Caucasion or light-skinned Asian, this is nearly flesh-colored and, as you only need a small amount, won't provide enough coverage to correct or cover your lid color. Unfortunately, the color is light enough that it would stand out on deeper skin tones.
As good as this product is, I've found that I still have to be careful with which eye shadow formulation I use. I can really only wear very dry shadows. Shadows that have a finely milled texture (NARS) simply don't last on my lids, along with shadows with a creamy or satiny texture. Obviously, cream shadows are out. The most enduring shadows I've found have been Stila, hands down, whether in the old or new formulation (honestly, I think the new formulation lasts even better than the old one). Certain drier MAC formulations, such as their Vellux shadows, also work well.
A last note: when capping the product, do so firmly. Once Shadow Insurance starts to dry out, the product becomes much thicker and more difficult to use. It doesn't layer evenly without effort, it's difficult to get out of the tube, and the thickened formula doesn't prevent creasing as well.
Labels: beauty notes, too faced
6/27/2009 [2]
J.M.W. Turner, Sunrise with Sea Monsters, (1845).
Unlike the sumptuous velvet of another cedar-based fragrance, Féminité du Bois, L'Air du Désert Marocain is utterly crisp, like fine linens. Indeed, when I first encountered L'Air du Désert Marocain, my impressions were primarily of an effervescent lemony sillage, largely the bitterness of petitgrain, not so far removed from your typical citrus-based cologne. Nice enough, but why the fuss?
Though technically an oriental, with a sweet, resinous ambery warmth in the drydown, L'Air du Désert Marocain has been thoroughly desaturated. It lacks the heavy bone structure of Shalimar—and therefore the traditional gravitas of the genre—as if the skeleton has been hollowed out, like a bird's wing. On this pared-down frame, like the sculptural designs of Balenciaga on a pencil-thin model, the sandy, balsamic woods and whiffs from the rose garden beyond are elevated into prominence. It may be the influence of the heat and humidity, which burns off the hesperidic top more readily, but I find myself startled by L'Air du Désert Marocain. Whatever did I sniff before? How could I miss such utter splendour? Suddenly, I can access the curls of dry, balsamic cedarwood, the aromatic nutty-herbal coriander (a note I adore), and lushly feminine roses lurking in the background. L'Air du Désert Marocain is suave, unusually arid, and masterfully coherent, not a single jarring or unnecessary note within its meticulously worked-out whole. Furthermore, this is the rare unisex that is substantive rather than apologetic, which demands an instinct for balanced composition unlike no other. If your taste goes for rich, heady perfumes during the cooler months, this makes a brilliant warm-weather alternative, especially in the way it blooms on the skin and surrounds its wearer with an aura of benediction. OTHER REVIEWS
Luca Turin
Perfume Shrine
Nathan Branch
Perfume-Smellin' Things
Pere de Pierre
Sakecat
Olfactarama
Would Smell As Sweet
Savvy Thinker
Sweet Diva
The Non-Blonde
Basenotes
Makeupalley
Fragrantica
Labels: amber, andy tauer, bergamot, cedar, coriander, jmw turner, joel mccrea, perfume notes, veronica lake
6/26/2009 [2]
Julie Hewett is a Hollywood makeup artist, best remembered, in my mind, for doing the gorgeous makeup in 2001's Pearl Harbor and setting off waves of envy in every makeup junkie who spotted Kate Beckinsale's lipstick. Hewett's makeup line is arguably best known for its lip products: the Noir line is well known among red lipstick fans, the Icon of Beauty lipsticks are named after individual Hollywood actresses, and the Camellia lip balm gets frequent mentions in magazines.
Up until doing this Beauty Notebook, I had only tried Julie Hewett's full-pigment Noir lipsticks, which are so superb that I was eager to explore more offerings from the brand.
(For a larger version of the above image, click here.
Julie Hewett's Noir lipsticks and Camellia Balm are probably the best known of their products. The Camellia balm deserves all the accolades it gets: it has little scent or taste, is light and comfortable on the lips, but is significantly more emollient than similarly textured balms like Nivea's. Since I have the balm in lipstick-tube form, I tested it only as a lip balm, but it is also available in a pot for use on face, hands, etc.
I tend to shy away from pink makeup, but though the cream colours in Julie Hewett's Poppy palette (Jami, a rose-toned cream blush/lip gloss, and Mimi, a shimmery sugarplum/lavender gloss) are on the cool side for me, I love the powder shadow/blush shades: Flora is a soft, slightly shimmery, lavender-inflected pink that works surprisingly well with green eyes, and Clementine a bright matte peach that is a near-perfect dupe for Stila Blush.* Both are smooth and well pigmented. Above, Flora and Clementine on lids, Clementine on cheeks, Jami and Mimi on lips. There's little drama here, but it's a pretty look, and well worth trying if you're pale with fairly neutral colouring; I could have punched it up with eyeliner, but I enjoyed the delicacy of mascara alone.
Below, a more colourful look: Flora and Emmy shadows on lids, Fig eye pencil to line, Clementine on cheeks, Gem Noir lipstick and liner.
Julie Hewett has recently released eyeshadow singles, which can be purchased individually or loaded into a custom palette. The shades, alas, are only visible on the order page, and then only in rather tiny computer-generated swatches without accompanying descriptions. The shades included in the Poppy palette are of very high quality, and the prices are quite reasonable ($10 per shadow or $48 for a palette containing four), but for customers without a Julie Hewett counter nearby, online swatches and descriptions are the only way to figure out what a shadow looks like, and these aren't that helpful.
The Emmy shadow is an object lesson in choosing the right tools. A true, matte kelly green, it appealed to me immediately, but alas, its pigmentation and staying power are not the best, which is surprising given the excellent consistency of Flora. It requires primer (I used Urban Decay Primer Potion) and a small, dense eyeshadow brush. With these accessories, it went on and blended well; this is not the shadow you should choose for full-on Hedwig and the Angry Inch pride parade makeup, but that doesn't appear to be Julie Hewett's aesthetic, anyway.I expected Fig eye pencil to be dark green; it's more of a teal-inflected charcoal. It applies smoothly, smudges easily but not too easily, and makes a good anchor for shadow; alas, the staying power is only average.
As I mentioned, it was Julie Hewett's full-pigment, semi-matte Noir lipsticks that first drew me to the brand. These are exceptional lipsticks, in every way: creamy, highly pigmented, not prone to bleeding, with colours that stay remarkably true on lips (at least on mine, and I can turn almost anything fuchsia), pretty, retro-chic packaging, and no discernible scent. In particular, Coco Noir, a deep, dramatic brick red, is widely loved and flattering to many skintones (see The Non-Blonde's review for more details). Gem Noir is the first sheer Noir lipstick I've tried, and being sheer, it does not have the intensely creamy texture of the semi-mattes. Instead, it feels light and balmlike. The colour is described on the Julie Hewett website as "rosy cheeks in the snow", which, despite being a bit fanciful, is accurate. It is a sheer rose-red, slightly warm, a flush of colour rather than a Proper Lipstick. It is simply pretty. It should be noted that the matching liner (which, like the eye pencil, is smooth and of high quality) does not, in fact, match, but is a muted pink/red/brown in the same colour family as MAC Spice. The combination of lipstick and liner is consequently warmer-toned than the lipstick alone.
*Yes, Stila makes a blush in a shade called Blush. Oy.
Labels: beauty notebook, julie hewett
6/25/2009 [3]
Seoul in summer is extraordinarily hot and humid, and the rich moisturizers I normally use have been too much for my skin, so I went on the search for something less emollient.
- INGREDIENTS water, glycerin, cyclohexasiloxane, propylene glycol, serine, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, carbomer, dimethicone, dimethiconol, methylparaben, sodium chloride, sodium hyaluronate, cellulose acetate butyrate, phenoxyethanol, ammonium polyacryldimethyltauramide /ammonium polyacryldimethyltaurate, disodium EDTA, biosaccharide gum-1, polyphosphorylcholine glycol acrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, butylene glycol, isobutylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, parfum.
Finally, a few samples of the UV Activ Daily Protective Anti-Pigmentation Fluid SPF 50, which I believe is new as I cannot find much information about it. If you're looking for an ultralight, invisible texture to your sunscreen, this is probably not it, as Mexoryl SX is by nature somewhat emollient. If you're looking for a thoroughly protective daily sunscreen with a moderate, reasonable texture for normal skin, UV Activ is a good option, since it is far less greasy than La Roche-Posay.
Labels: beauty notes, vichy
6/24/2009 [1]
Before traversing into territories rich and strange, let us first address the basics, the fundamental parameters that exist no matter how natural or dramatic you like your look, unless of course you wear no makeup at all. This is your unmakeup: base, brows, lashline. There are certainly variations within unmakeup, and these in fact can encompass some of the most difficult and complex techniques, and yet, since they make up for the unkindnesses of nature, there is not much that you can do. These are not easily faked, especially if the situation is extreme. If you've got cystic acne, for example, slapping on ten layers of greasepaint looks worse, not better, since you fool no one. Since unmakeup is theoretically supposed to correct nature's imperfections, any sign of artifice entirely defeats its purpose. That does not stop people from trying, all the same, which is why cosmetic companies make the bulk of their profit on mascaras and foundations (as opposed to, say, red lipsticks and purple glitter), and also why these products are launched with such alarming frequency, each and every one claiming some new angle, some improvement on the old, though the savvy consumer quickly penetrates the hype.
Caveats aside, the basic canvas consists of creating the appearance of good skin, symmetrical features, and lush lashes. As you can imagine, it depends a great deal on what you already possess, and especially in the case of the skin, is subject to much variation.
Almost everyone benefits from undereye concealer, as the inner corners of the eyes are the weakest part of the face. Even if the discoloration is but slight, just a touch brightens the entire face. The darkness beneath the eyes, because it tends towards a bluish or brownish undertone, is best counteracted by a hint of pinkish-peachy tone, in the manner of YSL's fabled Touche Eclat, though considering Touche Eclat's major design flaws, I would recommend instead Bobbi Brown's Eye Brightener. If you've got rather more discoloration, a creamy, easily blended concealer like Clé de Peau will do, about one shade lighter than your natural skin tone. Since the skin under the eyes is rather dry, a dab of eye cream or moisturizer may be required to spread pigment with ease. Should more coverage be required, the two concealers (one is sheer and more "corrective", the other provides coverage) may be layered. And if you're worried about the concealer staying put, because of fine lines or oily skin, dust a layer of translucent powder on top.
Another reason to turn to powder is shine. Not everyone needs to blot oil, and indeed, those with dry skin may find that an oil-control powder may accentuate flakes, but quite a few people do find it necessary to combat midday shine. Perhaps the best product out there, with an absolute minimum of pigment, is MAC Blot, which is especially nice because it does not turn when reapplied throughout the day, on bare skin or over foundation.
If your complexion is only mildly discolored, largely even in tone, or you want to affect an air of formality while still seeming natural, a hint of coverage, just enough to blur over imperfections but not enough to mask the skin's inner glow entirely, makes a good addition. Tinted moisturizer or sheer foundation are good options, especially if you prefer a dewy finish. I am particularly fond of Pixi Illuminating Tint and Conceal SPF 20, with a broad-spectrum sunscreen and a reasonable price point (not to mention a superb undereye concealer), but a sheer foundation like Make Up For Ever Face & Body, MAC Face & Body, Chantecaille Real Skin, and Vincent Longo Water Canvas are also nice options. If you're worried about shine, a tinted powder makes an equally viable alternative. Even with mineral makeup and powder foundation, coverage tends to be lower than with their liquid or cream counterparts, closer to that of tinted moisturizer than your average liquid foundation. Somehow, I find that powders are less corrosive on the skin, so they suit sensitive skins well, and they have the added benefit of improving the texture of the skin (the appearance of it at least). Jane Iredale is probably the best mineral makeup out there, and for powder foundations I am fond of Kanebo Lunasol SkinFusion, though I feel it is strictly for drier skin types. Some powders have unusual color effects, such as T. LeClerc or the rather exotic Guerlain Les Météorites, but the best, in my opinion, is Caron Poudre Peau Fine for its beautifully diffused coverage.
Beyond these measures, base no longer resembles real skin. With proper techniques, good products, and perhaps a little exfoliation, a passable job is possible. But it never looks quite true. There is a glow, a depth, to the appearance of real skin that is impossible to replicate with pigment alone. And yet, there are so many concerns to consider: should one use a primer? are fingers, sponges, or brushes better? how should one find the perfect shade? how to make it last? And yet it never looks like the real thing. This difficulty explains in part why base can sometimes take on a ritualistic aspect, so much effort to so little effect. Indeed, that is entirely the point: you should look as if you came by your good skin honestly and not through subterfuge. Truly one of the worst makeup faux pas, if not THE worst, is a thick layer of spackle.
Serious discoloration, such as cystic acne or scarring, is almost impossible to hide. See a dermatologist.
As to finding your perfect color match, a stripe across your jawline is the best place to test, in natural sunlight.
Labels: the beauty primer
6/22/2009 [2]
Revlon ad, circa 1958.
It's appropriate that this Lookbook post follows Dain's post on fuchsia lips, since coral and orange are the warm equivalent. While a well-chosen red lipstick exaggerates the natural flush of the lips, fuchsia and coral are boldly, proudly unnatural. "Coral" is something of an imprecise term: it's generally applied to bright orange-tinted pinks and reds, from the slightly warmed-up pink of NARS Niagara and the terra cotta of Lipstick Queen Coral, all the way to pink-grapefruit shades like MAC Vegas Volt, orange-reds like Cargo Evangeline and Besame Carmine, and straight-up oranges like MAC Morange. The constant is the presence of bright orange, which, even more than red, is a bright, energetic, attention-getting colour; hence its use in traffic cones, safety vests, etc. While red lipstick can be deep and vampy, coral and orange are always bright and youthful.
If fuchsia lipstick harks back to the 1980s, coral and orange lips call us to the middle of the 20th century, roughly the 1940s through the 1960s. I would guess that coral's "old lady" associations are the result of too many women who grew accustomed to coral lipstick (often frosted) in the 1960s and continued to wear it long after the trend had passed.
If fuchsia lipstick harks back to the 1980s, coral and orange lips call us to the middle of the 20th century, roughly the 1940s through the 1960s. I would guess that coral's "old lady" associations are the result of too many women who grew accustomed to coral lipstick (often frosted) in the 1960s and continued to wear it long after the trend had passed.
Because of coral's "old lady" associations, it is important not to apply it too thickly; it looks especially modern as a matte stain or a sheer gloss. Conventional wisdom is that coral and orange lipstick looks best on tanned or deep skintones, and certainly orange shades glow against bronzed skin, but coral looks charmingly retro on a pale face. The combination of blue shadow and orangey lipstick is striking and, in its way, classic, but it is so intensely unnatural that it is probably best reserved for special occasions, and on most of us, a softened version (a deep blue smoky eye with peachy lipstick, for example) is easier to wear. Coral also combines beautifully with shadows in all forms of bronze and gold, lavenders, and soft greens.
Clockwise from top left: matte coral lipstick brings out lightly bronzed eyelids and cheeks; Gene Tierney with bronzed skin, orange lipstick and smoky eye makeup, in an early-1940s take on the exotic; Christina Hendricks in Mad Men, displaying the beauty of coral-rose shades against milky skin; soft peach-pink gloss in a Korean fashion ad; a juicy tangerine red emphasizes the bronze tones in Ashanti's skin; an ethereal look in softened secondary colours -- mauve, mint, coral -- in an ad for YSL's Spring 2009 makeup collection.
Labels: besame, cargo, christian dior, lipstick queen, lookbook, mac, nars
6/22/2009 [6]
"The thing I have realized," said my friend Mirko our senior year, "is that Yale has made me judgemental. I don't think I was that way before." Vigorously, guiltily, we all nodded our assent.God knows, I wish I were less judgemental. But it is a habit that surfaces in one's consciousness so naturally, so automatically, that one must exercise constant vigilance—and constant it most certainly is—against it. Everywhere I go, I think how stupid, how vulgar, how boring, how pretentious, how shallow, how selfish, how silly, how disgusting, how pathetic, how clumsy, how undignified, how... Well, as you can imagine, vocabulary does not fail. It never does; language springs most readily to the cause of interest, and nothing interests more than the insults against our senses, whereas approbation equally strong more often claims a dreary, sick sweet sentimentality.
Bitching satisfies the soul much the same way that fast food satisfies the body. Sometimes, you crave it. If you indulge too frequently, however, your conversation grows dull and flabby, and people may pretend to ignore you. No one really likes a whiner.
Some people are really good at it. They bring querulousness into the realms of high art, lambasting the unfortunate subject with the choicest expressions and modulating the pitch of the argument with unerring dramatic precision. Jane Austen is brilliant at it, as is Charlie Chaplin (and it is a skill most frequently observed in comedians; witness Shakespeare's clowns: "... what fools these mortals be!")
Do we snark overmuch? What do you think?
Labels: charlie chaplin, culture notes, the women
6/20/2009 [2]
Sketchbook
Dain
Dorothy
The Kindly One
Anne
Features
The Mnemonic Sense
Desert Island
Most Wanted
Lookbook
The Beauty Primer
Closet Confidential
Color Me In
Designer Index
The Library
Beauty Notebook
The Hit List
Globe Trotter
Glossies
Wedding Bells
Consumer Diaries
perfume notes
beauty notes
fashion notes
culture notes
minimalism
philosophy
chypre arc
floral arc
fresh arc
masculines arc
Archives
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September 2008
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January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
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June 2009
July 2009
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