The 18th-century novelist Samuel Richardson once described himself as a “poor pruner.” It amazes me that the author of a 1500-page novel could also be the king of understatement, but so it goes. (By the way, if you enjoy totally immersive, psychologically harrowing reading experiences, Clarissa is well worth your time.) I too am a… Read More What I Brought to England
I rely on drugstore beauty brands for colors I feel ambivalent about, which means that I’ve amassed quite a few orange and warm red lipsticks from Revlon, Milani, and Maybelline. And, surprise, I’m still ambivalent about oranges and warm reds on my complexion. Is this because they really don’t suit me, or because I never… Read More Mandarin Lips and Mannequin Hands
I came early to my calling (pedantry). In that spirit, I’m joining with another doctoral student, Sylirael of The Painted Rogue, for a collaboration post on makeup in graduate school! (Or, I suppose, a pair of collaboration posts: this is mine, and you can find hers here.) Despite our disciplinary divide–I’m in the humanities, she’s… Read More The Character of a Painted Woman: Makeup in Graduate School
Name: Maybelline Color Statement Lipstick in Ruby Star Date Purchased: February 2013 Grade: B Notes: Ruby Star was a gift from my mom, who included it in her annual Valentine’s package (aww). She thought she was sending me an unremarkable berry-red lipstick, not a berry-red lipstick with a raging case of disco fever. How wrong… Read More Lipstick Chronology #21: Maybelline Ruby Star
Yeah, you try coming up with a synonym for “nail polish” that begins with “S.” Also, please note that this post contains way too many photos. After an especially brutal winter, spring toyed with us for weeks and weeks before settling in. Throughout March and early April, we suffered through alternating two-day periods of “hmm,… Read More Seven Splendid Spring Shellacs (Plus a Topcoat)
(Three questions of balance, actually.) In my review of NARS Lhasa, I mentioned that I have several under-the-radar beauty staples, products I use so often I’ve stopped thinking about them. I thought I’d follow up on that post with a review of another product I use almost every day: NARS blush in Mata Hari, a… Read More A Question of Balance: NARS Mata Hari
Name: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire and Ice Date Purchased: December 2012 Grade: A Notes: I’d like to believe that Fire and Ice, released in 1953, was a tribute to Robert Frost’s 1920 poem of the same name: Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted… Read More Lipstick Chronology #20: Revlon Fire and Ice, a Red for the Apocalypse
Name: YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain #11 (Rouge Gouache) (TL;DR) Date Purchased: November 2012 Grade: A Notes: This, my friends, is the business. This is my favorite red of all time. It’s not the most wearable or versatile or low-maintenance red, but I still feel that thrill of shiny newness every… Read More Lipstick Chronology #19: YSL Glossy Stain in #11 Rouge Gouache
If you’ve viewed any other post on my blog, you’ve probably seen NARS Single Eyeshadow in Lhasa. Since buying it last November, I’ve worn it almost every day, which means that it’s found its way into the vast majority of my FOTDs. I use it so much, in fact, that I’ve almost stopped thinking about… Read More Taupe of the Heap: The Congeniality of NARS Lhasa
This month I took an important step toward beauty-blogging legitimacy and bought my first NARS eyeshadow duo: Habanera, an unexpected pairing of mint and plum. I wouldn’t mind that pairing in a cocktail, either; I’m sure I could find artisanal plum bitters somewhere in Brooklyn. Habanera is part of the NARS permanent collection. Its name… Read More Review (and Cocktail Idea): NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Habanera
Auxiliary Beauty 