Friday, January 8, 2010

Makeup Is Easy: Is Barbie Still Relevant?

I bought a couple of Illamasqua lipsticks a while ago and was happy with the intense color and staying power, so I picked up one of their Intense lip glosses in Frenzy, which is neon Barbie pink. The first time I tried it, I didn't like the application that much because I didn't apply evenly, so I shelved it for a while. When something neon pink is staring you in the face, though, you tend to pay attention, so one day I picked it up and slathered it on. The slathering was the key. I hit some kind of critical mass that let it apply smoothly and the results were dramatic and fab...though still very bright.
I figured I would have to pair it with something light on the eyes, so I just popped some Broken Rules, one of my standbys from The She Space, onto my lids with Givenchy Phenomen'Eyes mascara. Even though the situation didn't call for vibrant eye color, not using the more dramatic Givenchy mascara would have left the look a little flat.
Overall I was happy with the look and I got a ton of compliments on the lipcolor. I will be honest with you - it takes relatively little to excite people with makeup, because I don't think people like playing with it or taking risks. People tend to understand their faces as portals for communicating with the world, so changes on their faces can be hard to adjust to. This is why we spend billions on haircolor and wrinkle creams - our faces are some of the most unique parts of us and we want to preserve how they look (plus lots of wrangling with mortality, but that's a separate issue). If you've ever made a major change to your hair color you know that it often takes a couple days to even be able to tell if you like it; hair frames your face and affects your look, and color matters. Makeup is just as affecting, but it's for an even shorter term. My advice is to play frequently, take risks, and give makeup a chance. I love rich colors and I love wearing them on my face. I find that the more dramatic or unusual the color, the more people compliment me on my makeup, so really...what's the risk? The VERY WORST POSSIBLE THING that could happen to you would be looking funky for one day. I have that happen to me on a biannual basis for a week - it's called EXAMS. Certain periods of shady-looking-ness are inevitable in life, so you may as well direct the action, no? You are the master of your fate, you are the captain of your soul.

Or at least of your makeup stash.

2 comments:

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  2. I absolutely love this lipcolor on you, and I'm tempted to try it myself. I was never a lip color girl, but lately I've been dabbling in all sorts of colors. I've been wearing the hell out of Buxom St. Barth balm. It's a pretty lilac color.

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