Makeup – Jupiter Gimlet

Vintage Makeup Recreation: Lauren Bacall

“Most women use more brains picking a horse in the third at Belmont than they do picking a husband.” – Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall), How to Marry a Millionaire

There’s a lot of old school movies that I love, but How to Marry a Millionaire is easily in my top three. There’s something about the writing, the cast (Monroe! Grable!), the clothes, and most of all: Lauren Bacall. As much as I love a good classic film noir, there was something about Bacall in a comedy that really hit all the right notes–between her dry delivery and superb timing, there’s a lot of reasons I always come back to this movie as one of my favorites.

In one of the ways to better marry (Eh? EEEH? Get it?) the makeup and vintage portion of this blog together, I’ve decided to try and make it a monthly challenge going into 2018 to do a makeup look similar to that of a particular starlet. I’ll do my best to also recreate the hair, but given that mine is feral, I’m not going to get worked up over it. Starting off, this series, I’m going to go off this movie to start and go with my favorite lady, Lauren Bacall.

Bacall, prior to being a leading lady was a model. She had gotten her start in 1944 with her future husband, Humphrey Bogart, in To Have and Have Not. From there, she worked on several other films with him (primarily in the film noir genre) before How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953 with Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable. The movie itself is about three bachelorettes in New York attempting to find millionaires to marry before stumbling on love with men they least expected.

Though Bacall’s makeup is not particularly noteworthy in the movie, I’ve found an ad for her makeup I particularly like. This ad emphasizes a lot of blush–which is something I struggle with in terms of placement and amount (and exactly why I got for sheerer formulas). As this is something I want to get better at, this is why I focused on this particular one for a recreation look.

Looking at the picture, there’s some evident things right off the bat: this was likely something done in the very late 1940’s, early 1950’s. The eyes are generally clean (albeit, hooded) with a small, winged liner. It was all done in black. Blush was strong and on the outside of the apples of the cheek, but laid on thick. The lips were stereotypical red, but with a hint of shine.

The skin was very clean; Bacall had defined cheekbones so there wouldn’t be as much need for contouring and there was likely none of that present in this look for this advertisement. If I squint, I can pick up on maybe a very slight amount on her nose, but that’s only if I squint. Another observation is that her brows were very thick with a defined arch. This is definitely something that is within my skill set, but would force me to be cognizant of application, which is the name of the game here.

I always start with a normal skincare routine, but after having let it settle, I always go to the priming steps. In this particular case, I wound up using MUFE Step 1 Primer in Redness Reduction, BITE Beauty Agave Lip Mask, and the Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eye Primer. These products lay the foundation for a smooth, vibrant canvas.

Once they were set, I started with the eyes. The MUFE Artist Shadow in M500 as a base (this has since been discontinued, but has a sister shade in M500 in the new Artist Color Shadow in M500 which is slightly more yellow-undertoned.) After extending that up to the brow bone, I used MAC Omega in the crease. After that, a bit of MAC Nylon in the tearducts and inner eye to make it appear larger. (A trick Marilyn Monroe used to use!) From there, tightlined with the Marc Jacobs gel pencil eyeliner and the Physician’s Formula liquid eyeliner to get the smaller cat eye shape.

Once the eyes were complete, I moved onto my face. I started with the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch for a color corrector for my under-eyes. After that was done, I used about 3 pumps of the MUFE Water Blend (my beloved) to even out my skin tone. From there, a healthy amount of MAC Blushbaby for a natural looking blush with a bit of the MUFE Artist Face Shadow in S112 for sculpting under my cheeks to give the appearance of a more chiseled cheekbone.

The finishing touches were Benefit Roller Lash in dark brown (used in upper and lower lashes). Then, the last little touch: BITE Beauty’s lip pencil in 076 to outline the lips and MAC Chili on the lips, with a patting of MAC Nylon in the center to make it look more “glossy.”

And below is the outcome from several angles:

And that concludes this month’s attempt. Each month will be a different Hollywood starlet, and I haven’t picked February’s, but I’ll be working on something I can replicate. Let me know if you have any ideas or thoughts.

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,
Jupiter Gimlet

MAC Omega: The Bette Midler of Eyeshadows

Bette Midler is one of those actresses that can do it all: she can sing, she can dance, she can act. She can even executive produce! In the same way, MAC Omega is one of those eyeshadows that is a triple threat.

MAC Omega has been a staple in my collection for a while now, and I think it’s definitely worth showing off how great it is and the ways it can be used (assuming your coloring lends itself to using it in such a way; I acknowledge this post is not likely to work for darker skintones. Depending on your skintone and hair color, ones to possibly look at would include MAC Swiss Chocolate, Soft Brown, Soba, Saddle, or Wedge. Maybe even Carbon for eyebrows.)

MAC Omega on top, Kat Von D Samael on bottom. Omega is more tan and slightly warmer, KVD is more mauve and cooler.

Here are the ways in which I use this:

Crease Eyeshadow

Of all the eyeshadow colors I have, this is my favorite. It’s subtle, and like a lot of MAC eyeshadows, requires some building to really get the color to pack a punch. Personally, I prefer my eyeshadows this way; it means less error when applying (more pigmentation means more room for error; issues with fallout, overdoing a color, or staining the skin when trying to remove excess.)

In this current makeup climate, YASS QUEEN BUTTERY PIGMENTATION FROM THE GAWDS HUNTY kind of attitude and formula reigns, but I’m happy that MAC has kept their eyeshadows as they have. They’re tried and true, and you can find a *ton* of swatches for almost any shade across many skintones.

Eyebrow Powder

It’s by sheer luck that my hair color is almost identical to Omega. Omega is the perfect amount of ashy that works for those of us on the taupe/ash blonde/very light brown spectrum. I find that it works both as a subtle powder, or can be built up to a POW! in your face, Liz Taylor-inspired brow.

Contour Powder

Again: this is another one of those situations where sheer luck by having the “right” (as in workable) skin tone comes into play that this is something I can even consider using as contour. That being said, the ultimate goal of contour is to replicate a “shadow” from cheekbones or make your chin look more pointed.

Top swatch: MAC Omega, Lower swatch: Kat Von D Samael. Omega is more tan, brown-based, while Samael is more mauve and cooler undertoned.

MAC Omega is the one eyeshadow shade they can pry out of my tiny, cold, dead hands. It’s such an excellent multitasker that I can’t imagine parting with it now or in the future.

What about you; do you have any product like this in your collection?

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

Pinup and Beauty Resolutions for 2018

‘Tis the season for all the good beauty and pinup bloggers to give their riff on their resolutions going into 2018, and particularly inspired by Renee at Bad Outfit Great Lipstick, and so too, I throw my hat into the ring.

This year, one of my bigger goals is to get my finances in order. I have a car loan, student loans, and there’s plenty of things I know I can be doing to get my ducks in a row to be better prepared for any future emergencies, etc. Being in good financial health is one of the keys to being healthy, especially in America (and for those of us with high-deductible health plans!)

With that in mind, there are some key ways I intend to strategize to handle my expenditures and curb impulse spending in the next year:

1. For any new release, waiting at least 30 days and at least 2 reviews from “trusted” folks.

As far as beauty goes, there are few things that get me excited like a good new foundation launch or, sometimes, the occasional lipstick launch with colors that haven’t been heavily produced (still waiting on my retro, orange-based coral of my dreams…) And as much as I love my MUFE Water Blend, I also like trying other stuff and I fall prey to the mentality of “B-b-b-but what if I find something I love more!”

There have been times I have jumped the gun and bought something sight unseen before having the ability to try it. Living in Louisville (as opposed to my former home in the Chicago suburbs) means I will not get access to try all the beauty things my heart desires. With that being said, because I may not get access to try new products firsthand, I am forcing myself to wait at least 30 days after the initial launch and require at least 2 reviews from trusted folks.

While I generally don’t follow a lot of YouTube beauty folks, I do have a few on Instagram or other blogs that I follow. I find their reviews tend to be more comprehensive, tried for a longer period of time (as opposed to a single day), and test for more variation in formula. Additionally, I find their photography is less likely to be photoshopped or influenced by heavy lighting.

If after both of these situations have been met and I am still interested, ideally, I would like to be able to get a sample from Sephora or try out at Ulta before buying. And from there, if all is good–the purchase is allowed.

2. A set amount for true vintage clothes; $200.

I have a confession, my friends. It is not something I am proud of, but I have to cop to and get this off my chest. I–am terrified to wear my true vintage clothing. There’s several reasons for this: the pieces that I do have, I actually really love. They fit well, they’re cute, but–if I ever tear or wear them to excess, I will not be able to replace it.

And that’s ri-goddamn-diculous of me. That’s the entire point of clothes! To wear them!

So, for this year, I am putting a strong cap on my true vintage clothing spenditures. I have to get over this, and to do it, I’m going to force myself to actually wear them and get over that. And if I don’t, I have at least one or two people I know that will sell the pieces on my behalf. If I do wind-up selling, I’ll allow the amount it sold for to roll over and be added to the $200.

3. Try and explore more looks with makeup and being more adventurous

I am confident in my ability to do a cat eye (after many years of practice), I can apply eyeshadow relatively comfortably–but I don’t really do a lot of variation beyond that. One of the things I would like to do this upcoming year is do a monthly vintage look recreation–it will get me out of a rut and try and force my hand at learning new styles with my products I already have.

It’ll also tie my love of vintage looks with makeup and keep things a little more cohesive around these parts.

4. Quit the yo-yo weight bullshit.

For those unaware, I am 5’0″. When you are smaller, you tend to reflect weight easier. A pound difference gets easily reflected in my face, and also: on my hips. A pound makes the difference between whether I’m throwing an angry, teary hissy fit in the bathroom that I can’t fit into my clothes or whether I’m wearing a lot of the clothes I’ve bought that fit me when I’m <=110 lbs.

I’ve decided my new threshold weight will be 112 lbs.–any time I come creeping up on this, I have to go to the gym and eat better. This will allow me to fit into the clothes I have better, reduce a lot of the yo-yoing (my previous was 115 lbs.), and be more active on the whole.

I imagine for some people, this is one of those things where they’re rubbing their fingers together and rolling their eyes; it’s not lost on me. People don’t like it when someone who is generally considered petite waxes on about their problems, but it’s annoying to keep repeating the cycle and keep having those moments where all I can wear is jeans but I really want to wear the nice clothes I’ve bought.

When I can wear the pinup clothes I have–I feel better. I look better. This will also help me wear a lot more of my actual vintage clothes too, as a lot of them tend to be tighter fitting.

5. Focus on things I have by focusing on more outfit-related posts.

This one is more pinup-focused than beauty; I want to show off more of the outfits that I have instead of purchasing more than I actually need. I’ve done a pretty significant outfit cull this year to allow for room for the clothes I want to wear. I also inherited some clothing from my grandmother upon her passing, and would like to make some posts dedicated to her memory.

Additionally, now that I have a camera, I think this should be easier to accomplish by myself than needing to rely on other people to take pictures of me. (Which doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to do more photoshoots; I definitely have people I love working with and would like to do a few more shoots with in the upcoming year.)

6. Make more purchases at Ulta than Sephora when possible.

Truth be told: I’m not a giant fan of Ulta despite their better rewards program. Their stores tend to be poorly maintained, poorly staffed, and poorly educated (not every Ulta is like this, but of the multiple I’ve been to in several states, this is a recurring issue.)

But given that they do have 20% off coupons more frequently and a rewards program that offers “cash” (as in points translate to money that can be redeemed on purchases, not actual money) in lieu of fancy deluxe samples, I am more inclined to spend there.

This means a better return on spending. So, for brands where I can get it at both places (e.g. Anastasia Beverly Hills, Bumble and Bumble, etc.), that’s where I will purchase from. However, many of my preferred brands (e.g. Make Up For Ever, Kat Von D, BITE Beauty, etc.) are all Sephora exclusives.

Right now, I have horded away enough points for a nice little spending spree, but I intend to save up for the Dyson hair drier.

7. Project Pan

There was a half-hearted attempt on my end to do a Project Pan in 2017 that got left by the wayside, but as I now have more of an outlet than Instagram for these things, it’s definitely something I intend to pursue harder. I will be posting about this and the items I intend to use in about a week or so.

8. Replacements only no buy until April

In the spirit of getting my finances in better health, I’ve decided to put myself on a no buy up until April (with replacements only being the exception.)

This is for a few reasons:

1. I generally have a small collection as is and want to use more of it up. This is the year I would generally like to finish both a lipstick and eyeshadow.
2. I have a nice amount of products that could stand to be reviewed individually and thoroughly, that aren’t products reviewed to death by the hype-osphere.
3. Saving money never hurts.

I’m allowing replacements only because I generally don’t stock myself with extras in most cases. I don’t have back-ups of anything except my night-time moisturizer and exfoliator. Everything else is bought after running out.

I did receive a gift card or two, so that is something I would allow myself to use because it’s not my own money, but in general, I am trying to keep my spending and unnecessary purchases low this year.

Those are my plans going into next year. What are your goals? Are you going on any specific plans or how will you be challenging yourself?

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,
Jupiter Gimlet

Makeup Inventory for 2017

Relatively speaking, I have a smaller wardrobe of makeup products. The amount that I have is relative to each person; some people only have a product or two so mine might be larger, others may have 50 lipsticks alone. The “right number” for each person varies depending on the person. For me, this is my current collection as it stands going into 2018.

In an effort to moderate my collection, I am including if I would or intend to repurchase, how I use the product, and if it’s something that I may destash in the future (and why/why not that would be the case). These things are important because it gives me an idea for what in my collection I would be leaning towards replacing and making impulse purchases and to be prepared for it, so that way, I am not buying things impulsively when I’v already got similar products in my collection.

Taking a look for what I already have can also highlight what it is I may be missing, and again, may be inclined to purchase without foresight, but for now, I am actually content with what I have and don’t see any glaring gaps in things I may be missing. Below the cut is everything I currently have.

Foundations

Make Up For Ever Water Blend Face & Body Foundation (Y215)

Purpose in Collection: It stands as my every day foundation to even out my skin tone. I consider it “Holy Grail” and it is the one foundation I return to and works best with my skin type.
How do I use it?: As a foundation, of course. But this also really helps as a “tinted moisturizer” and adds moisture back into my skin. I can definitely notice when I haven’t used it frequently and it makes a difference in my skin.
Repurchase?: Absolutely! I’ve already purchased it twice before and am currently on my third bottle since it has come out in July 2016.
Destash?: No. This will have a spot in my collection for as long as it is produced (or until something better comes out.) I sometimes use something with slightly more coverage for photoshoots, but this is what I wear almost daily.

Tarte Cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea SPF 15 Foundation (Porcelain)

Purpose in Collection: Foundation with more coverage for photoshoots.
How do I use it?: As a foundation, so something to even out my skintone. It’s better used in the months I have not had a lot of sun exposure, but also used to reduce redness in my face.
Repurchase?: Have not decided. It definitely has higher coverage than my beloved Water Blend, but I only would be able to use it for a portion of the year. As Water Blend is sheerer, it fits my skin better for more months.
Destash?: I wouldn’t say I won’t do it, but it depends on how much use I can get out of it. My skin is a hair too dark to make this work right now. If this doesn’t get as much use as I would expect it to, I will likely destash.

Face Products

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer (Nourishing)

Purpose in Collection: Face primer.
How do I use it?: Enhance length of foundation longevity and increase moisture in my dry ass lizard skin.
Repurchase?: Yup. I’ve tried other moisturizing primers, but this works the best for me, in my experience.
Destash?: No. I use mine fairly regularly and I find this works well enough to not be replaced.

Dior Flash Luminizer Radiance Booster Pen (Pink)

Purpose in Collection: Under-eye concealer.
How do I use it?: Reducing the appearance of under-eye bags and dullness.
Repurchase?: No. Per my previous review, I prefer a different product and would rather use that over this. It’s thicker than I prefer and the brush is very prickly on the delicate skin area. (In fairness; I know this isn’t intended to be used as a concealer, but that’s how I use it.)
Destash?: No. It may not be what I prefer, but it gets the job done and I’m also relatively sure I’m coming to the end of the product sooner rather than later anyways.

MAC Sheertone Blush (Ladyblush)

Purpose in Collection: Blush.
How do I use it?: Adding color back into my face to look human.
Repurchase?: I can’t answer this quite yet; the amount of product on this is huge and while it definitely lasts well and this color goes with everything, I would repurchase this but I don’t know that I actually will when it is used up.
Destash?: No. I don’t know of another blush I would actually use to replace this. It goes along with everything without clashing too much.

Make Up For Ever Artist Face Color (S112)

Purpose in Collection: Contour.
How do I use it?: Adding definition to my face; contouring. “Darkening” my face when using the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea to make the color match better by darkening at the points where it connects with my neck for cohesion.
Repurchase?: No. It’s not a bad product, but the color is “redder” than I would prefer a contour shade to be. I prefer more gray-based contour powders to emulate a shadow better.
Destash?: No. I can see myself using this, especially as it’s my only one. It’s not a bad product, it’s just not an ideal shade for my skintone. Until I either get really annoyed or it looks awful in pictures, I’m willing to use this up. As it stands right now, it’s not noticeable and can be tolerated.

Kat Von D Lock-It Loose Setting Powder

Purpose in Collection: Setting powder.
How do I use it?: Setting the under-eye area concealer.
Repurchase?: Yes. It’s not perfect, but it’s much better for dry skin than the Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder and emphasizes the drier skin to a lesser degree.
Destash?: No. I will be using this up for sure, as I don’t have a back-up and there’s no indication of a better setting powder for drier skin on the market.

Brow Products

Benefit 24-Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

Purpose in Collection: Brow gel.
How do I use it?: Keep the shape of my eyebrows in place throughout the day and makes it easier to trim them once set.
Repurchase?: As written previously, no. I much prefer the Anastasia Brow Gel and will be using that once this has been used up.
Destash?: No. Although I don’t like this as much as the other and have a Brow Gel ready to go, I’d much rather use this up. While I don’t buy into the sunk cost fallacy, it isn’t abhorrently bad enough to just toss or try and sell (especially when I’ve used it enough to not warrant the price for shipping.)

Anastasia Brow Wiz (Taupe)

Purpose in Collection: Brow product.
How do I use it?: Reduce sparse appearance in brows, make brows look fuller.
Repurchase?: Maybe? I prefer other brow products, but I would be willing to repurchase again. Some people state that they’ve gone through this quickly, but I’ve been using it for 3 months and am not close to using it up yet.
Destash?: No. While it’s not the best brow product I’ve ever used, it’s a nice pairing with a brow gel. I will definitely be using this product until completion.

Eye Products

Urban Decay Eye Primer (Anti-Aging)

Purpose in Collection: Eyeshadow primer.
How do I use it?: Enhance longevity and pigmentation of eyeshadow and liner. I find it also helps to reduce the creasing effect due to my eyelid and how it is creased.
Repurchase?: Yes. I have used a few others and didn’t like them nearly as much as this one.
Destash?: No. I use this regularly and haven’t found another similar product I like nearly as much as this one.

Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash (Brown)

Purpose in Collection: Mascara.
How do I use it?: Enhance lash length, separation of lashes, and additional volume.
Repurchase?: Yes. This is my fourth repurchase of this item and is my favorite mascara. It comes in both brown and black, but I typically wear the brown daily.
Destash?: No. After playing with other mascaras, this is the one I prefer the most.

Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette (Lazarus, Samael, Solas, Saleos, Sytry, and Shax)

Purpose in Collection: Neutral eyeshadows.
How do I use it?: Eyeshadows used for neutral, office-conservative/friendly, or general looks. I don’t use a lot of color, so these are the standard eyeshadows I use.
Repurchase?: Although I like the shades themselves, there were enough shades in the palette itself that I didn’t like or would not use that would cause me not to repurchase these. Instead, I would replace with similar singles. These come with fallout and there are other formulas I prefer without it.
Destash?: I think there is a reasonable likelihood after reviewing these colors that during my next destash, I will probably wind-up throwing out one or two of these colors given that I don’t use them all regularly.

MAC Eyeshadows (Omega, Vex and Nylon)

Purpose in Collection: Eyeshadows.
How do I use it?: Eyeshadows used for neutral or general looks. Omega also triple threats as a brow powder and a contour powder. Bar none, Omega is the one eyeshadow I would consider closest to “holy grail” in my collection based on this. I use Nylon as an inner eye highlight to make my eyes look bigger. Vex is used for more vintage looks.
Repurchase?: Both Nylon and Omega have a role in my collection that no other product fills. Vex, I am on the fence about.
Destash?: I would not destash any at this point. I use all of them fairly regularly and I quite like the MAC shadow formulation.

Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows (M500 and S114)

Purpose in Collection: Eyeshadows.
How do I use it?: A eyeshadow base that is close to my skintone; a gray used for vintage looks.
Repurchase?: The Artist Shadow formula has been discontinued (and will be reformulated), so not an option.
Destash?: Not M500; it’s easily my most used eyeshadow, but S114 could be on the pile if I don’t feel like I can use it as much as I should. I’ll be honest: I was disappointed by these eyeshadows. I don’t mind a sheerer formula, but these require a lot of building up and even then, it doesn’t build as nicely as I’d hoped.

Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner ((Earth)quake and Blacquer)

Purpose in Collection: Eyeliner.
How do I use it?: Tightlining. Adding dimension to eyes and drawing out the blue in my eyes.
Repurchase?: I would not repurchase Blacquer (I rarely use it), but definitely would for (Earth)quake which I use almost daily.
Destash?: I can foresee Blacquer being destashed if I continue to not have a reason to use it. I rarely use black for every day purposes because it is so stark against my coloring. I use it really only for special occasions or photography. (Earth)quake is used almost daily, so it would not be destashed.

Physician’s Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum (Dark Brown, Ultra Black)

Purpose in Collection: Liquid eyeliner.
How do I use it?: Vintage looks; particularly cat eyeliner.
Repurchase?: Yes. The price is right, it stays on even in humid temperatures without smudging, and comes in a dark brown.
Destash?: Possibly the black, but the dark brown is definitely a keeper. I just don’t use black liner enough.

Lip Products

MAC Cosmetics Lipsticks (Kinda Sexy, Chili, and Brave)

Purpose in Collection: Lipsticks.
How do I use it?: Kinda Sexy is the resident nude lipstick, Brave is MLBB (My Lips But Better), and Chili is the brick red of my childhood dreams.
Repurchase?: I would repurchase all three happily. The formulas are great, colors are excellent, and I find I really like wearing all three colors.
Destash?: No. All of them fulfill a unique position in my lipstick library and so they shall stay.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick (Project Chimps and Double Dare)

Purpose in Collection: Liquid lipsticks.
How do I use it?: When I need something that won’t smudge easily or wear off easily, these are the ones I turn to. Project Chimps, much like MAC Chili, is a fabulous red brick color. Double Dare is a great pink that I can wear both pinup and “unpinned.”
Repurchase?: Yes, but Project Chimps was limited edition and there is no indication Kat will be bringing it back permanently. Double Dare is a newer addition to my collection and hasn’t been worn enough to establish this yet.
Destash?: No to either.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution (Love Liberty)

Purpose in Collection: Lipstick.
How do I use it?: Darker “vamp/berry” lipstick for fall/autumn.
Repurchase?: Yes! I love the formula, I love the color, all of it is great. No complaints on this.
Destash?: No. I haven’t found a darker shade in a formula I like and a color that works for me as well as this. Plus, this fills a specific role for me. Even if it doesn’t work as an “authentic vintage” kind of shade, it’s pretty enough and works for me that I won’t be destashing it.

Besame Cosmetics Classic Color Lipstick (Red Velvet)

Purpose in Collection: Lipstick.
How do I use it?: I used it for my Peggy Carter cosplay, but also for office-friendly red and presentations when I need to be pumped up.
Repurchase?: I actually have a back-up of this waiting, but I would definitely repurchase this. The formula, as a bullet lipstick, is top notch especially for a red. I don’t necessarily believe in a “universal” color, but this is the closest I’ve seen to it yet.
Destash?: No. I still intend to do some Peggy Carter cosplays and I love wearing this color. It’s kind of like the instant kick you get from hearing something like Bohemian Rhapsody or We Will Rock You.

Givenchy Le Rouge (Mandarine Bolero)

Purpose in Collection: Lipstick.
How do I use it?: With the combination of the MUFE Aqua Liner in 23C to create a lovely orange-based, retro coral lipstick. Mostly worn during spring/summer months.
Repurchase?: This is technically a repurchase, but I think after this, I am going to have to do some more experimenting. As much as I know I can get in the ballpark for what I’m going after with this, there has to be something closer than this out there.
Destash?: I won’t say no, but I think it’ll be much more likely when the MUFE Aqua Liner in 23C gets used up that this will also probably be tossed or sold. It pulls more pink and white-based than orange and slightly muted without the liner, and I’m not really into that.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner (23C – Orange)

Purpose in Collection: Lipliner.
How do I use it?: Adding more of an orange emphasis to Givenchy Mandarine Bolero and mutedness; without it, it’s more pink and more white-based.
Repurchase?: Not unless I would also purchase Mandarine Bolero; I really use this as an addition to that product.
Destash?: Not unless I would also be destashing Mandarine Bolero. These two work together and are used together. If one goes, both go.

BITE Beauty Lip Pencil (076)

Purpose in Collection: Lipliner.
How do I use it?: Maintaining precision, adding depth and color, and increasing longevity for red lipsticks.
Repurchase?: Yes. I quite like the formula of it and it really does help to extend the wear of the lipstick.
Destash?: No. I like this product enough that I will definitely use it up.

Analysis

This is everything as it stands. Here are some things I have personally noticed in analyzing it:

I can generally keep track of everything and while I typically don’t replicate in a lot of areas, this is something I would like to continue to work on to keep reducing. While red lipstick is a staple piece of a vintage makeup wardrobe, I don’t really need to have that many.
I don’t have a highlighter after realizing I generally don’t like it and don’t think it really helps. I prefer a more traditionally “matte” look (even though I have drier skin) and I don’t particularly like how highlighter looks on me.
Getting a better concept of knowing what colors work best for me (e.g. reds, berries, orange-based corals) helps to reduce impulsive purchases and things that won’t work (i.e. vampy, white-based pinks, greiges, etc.)
Even though I have all neutrals, I don’t necessarily use them all and I know I can cut down on it. At this point, it is just knowing which ones to cut.

At this point, I have a collection that is a nice size and can be cut down slightly. I don’t have any particular gaps that I can see would need to be filled at this point. I think at this point, it’s being able to use products up that will be the bigger challenge. I intend to do a Project Pan for 2018 (and will document it here). But given my sloth-like pace on using products up, I foresee a lot of these will remain into next year.

How do you feel about your collection going into next year? Are there particular gaps you are looking to fill? Or are you content and working towards using products up?

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

How to Foundation Match Guide: Part 1 (Determining Skin Type)

Let’s be frank: foundation matching is a pain in the ass on the same level of paper cuts on the webbing of your hands, folding a fitted sheet, or making French macarons. Some of the difficulty is that depending on where you fall on the skintone spectrum, shades may not even be available or prevalent. Adding to this is making sure you have a reasonable understanding of your actual skin type to know which formulas are appropriate. There’s a lot that goes into a good foundation match, and I’m working on a guide to make it easier for folks.

Part 1 (this post) will be dedicated to determining skin type.

Part 2 will be dedicated to determining undertone.

Part 3 will be how to actually match a foundation.

Part 4 will be how I found my foundations that I use and things to consider when picking a foundation.

With this being said and noted, let’s get right into it.

Knowing your skin type is critical to knowing what kind of formulations work best for your skin. Knowing your skin type is also important to make sure you are treating and caring for it well; your integumentary system (skin) is the largest organ you have and is visible to the eye; you wouldn’t treat your respiratory system poorly, so why wouldn’t you take care of your skin?

There are roughly about 4 skin types with multiple conditions (e.g. someone may have dry skin as the skin type, but reactive or dehydrated as the condition.) I consider it not to be firm and to be on more of a spectrum.

Where I sit on this is on the dry portion of the spectrum, leaning into very dry territory. I was able to determine that I have drier skin in a few ways:

My first hint was that before having a regular skincare routine, whenever I put foundation on, it tended to look flaky and scaly on my skin, and never really quite looked like skin. It would remain sitting on the top and look like it was peeling off. Furthermore, some people may have skin that “glistens,” but mine never really does–it stays relatively flat and without a lot of dimension.

All skin produces oils to some degree, but dry skin types produce significantly less than oilier skins. When it comes to foundation, this is a problem because you want it to meld into your skin so it looks like–well, skin, obviously.

Given that I am most familiar with dry skin types, I’ll start there and move my way towards more oily skin types:

Dry Skin

Dry skin is essentially the chronic loss of moisture (namely, oil) within the skin. It can be characterized as having some feelings of “tightness” in the skin (though, as someone with dry skin–I’ve never actually noticed this, so your mileage may vary.) Because of the loss of moisture, it means the skin barrier can be more susceptible to certain conditions and become more reactive/sensitive (such as eczema and infections.) Dryness can also be a condition, but if you have it chronically, it is more a skin type than condition.

Dry skin can be caused by your genetic makeup, climate changes (e.g. shifting into winter; and to compensate, heating and AC), harsh soaps, medications (particularly some contraceptives), and age. Typically, as you get older, the drier your skin will become.

Other than yours truly, two examples of someone with drier skin include Rae at The Notice and Renee over at Bad Outfit, Great Lipstick.

If you were to blot your skin and have minimal oil on the paper, you likely have dry skin. For those of us with this skin type, here are things I’ve come to learn that might be helpful for you:

Avoid powders! Powders tend to suck up more moisture to adhere better to the skin; when you have dry skin, you need all the moisture you can get.
A good skincare regimen is really critical, especially if you want to avoid looking flaky.
For foundation recommendations, stick with liquids and creams. Mineral-based foundations can work for dry skin, but will require substantial preparation.
Silicones can work for certain dry skinned ladies, but in my experience, I have found them to contribute to dryness and aggravate my skin. I typically avoid silicone-based formulas whenever possible.
Another ingredient to avoid otherwise include denatured alcohol (tends to dry out the skin further); this does not include fatty alcohols (unless you know your skin reacts poorly, but this is an individual case-by-case issue).
Occlusives are awesome and are the best at replenishing moisture back into the skin.
AHAs are your friend! If you have sensitive skin, lactic acid and mandelic acids will be much kinder than glycolic acids, but if your skin can handle it, glycolic acids will also do the trick.
Drier skin types are more likely to be sensitive, so be wary of products with denatured alcohol and fragrance!
Water consumption is important and will help get moisture back, but it will not cure it if it is a chronic issue.

I have previously wrote about my skincare routine, for anyone with dry skin and wanting to get an idea for what products to research or look into for themselves.

Normal Skin

Normal is the phrase that gets thrown around, but perhaps the better explanation of it is “Balanced.” People with this skin type typically have skin that doesn’t veer too oily or too dry; were it to be a scale, it would rest right in the middle.

Generally, people with this skin type may have conditions, but there’s not a real underlying issue otherwise. Their pores typically tend to be smaller, skin can be radiant, and in short: they generally won the genetic lottery.

Some examples of bloggers with normal skin include Christine of Temptalia and the Beauty Professor.

That isn’t to say that there aren’t things people with normal skin types should (or shouldn’t) be doing, but given that the balance is there, there’s fewer things to worry about.

Generally, may need some extra moisturizer but can adjust products to preference
Despite not needing to treat a certain skin type, sunscreen should still be utilized for skin exposure to the sun to avoid anti-aging if you plan on being outside for extended periods of time.
Keep track if any problems arise from certain products (and this goes for any skin type.)
Can generally use any type of foundation successfully; dependent upon preference.

Combination Skin

This skin type can be aggravating for those that have it and typically presents with issues of both dryness and oiliness. Most people have it manifest in their T-zone area (oily T-zone, dry face otherwise), but it is dependent on person and can be present anywhere. Pore sizes may be different depending on the area, as well (larger in the oilier areas, but smaller in the drier spots.)

Some examples of a person with combination skin includes Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog and Beka over at Makeup Nerdery.

Combination skin can be caused by genetics, climate conditions, and several other factors.

“Multimasking” might be the trend made for combo skin types; this entails placing masks (or it could be other products) intended for dry skin on your drier areas and masks intended for the oily portion there and rinsing off at once.
Gels, light-weight creams, or serums are best suited for combination skin types
Liquid and mineral foundations may work best for combination skin as it can work for the drier and oilier areas; powders may be too much for the drier areas (depending on how dry), but creams may be too emollient for the oilier areas.

Oily Skin

Oily skin is usually characterized as having an over-abundance of oils. It is when there is an excess of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which causes the sebaceous gland to overproduce sebum. It can cause the skin to look like it is glistening when there is excess oil present, and because of the overproduction, also cause pores to appear larger (contrary to popular belief, pores do not open and close.) However, as part of this appearance, when the pore linings thicken, blackheads and white bumps can appear and it can cause blockages, which can contribute to acne flare-ups.

People with this skin type can be more prone to acne, much like those with drier skins can be more prone to reactionary skin conditions.

Some examples of people with oily skin types include Jules over at The Brauhaus and Jackie Aina.

Oily skin is largely determined by genetics, but can be influenced by medication, diet, climate, and incorrect product use.

Avoid emollients! This may lead to pore blockage and blemishes.
BHAs are the exfoliants you are looking for and may help reduce the appearance of pore size.
Much like dry skin, oily skinned folks may want to avoid certain ingredients like denatured alcohol and other drying ingredients as it may trigger further oil production.
Liquids, lotions, serums, and light gels are the type of moisturizer formulas you should be looking into.
The best foundation types for this skin type include liquid and powder formulas; minerals should work too provided they do not contain ingredients that upset your skin.
Some ingredients that can be helpful (ymmv) for oily skin include clay, honey, green tea, and snail mucin.

Skin Conditions

Given the length of this post as is, I would be remiss if I didn’t also include a little bit about certain conditions for skin types. As with all of this, it is important to note: for any treatments, consult your primary care provider (PCP) or a dermatologist first.

Sensitive/Reactive Skin

This skin condition is typical for those with drier skins (but can be present in any skin type). It can be triggered by medication (in my case) that causes the skin to react to the presence of certain ingredients, and can manifest in the form of hives, blemishes, or other means. In my particular case, I know heavy silicone-based formulas tend to aggravate my skin, so I avoid them whenever possible.

Acnegenic

This skin condition indicates that the skin is prone to acne responses. This can be very painful and cause self-esteem issues. It can be treated with skincare or may need medical intervention (i.e. medication), but a good dermatologist will be able to diagnose and help with this for those affected.

Dehydrated

Dehydrated skin, much like dry skin, exhibits a lot of similar characteristics so it is unsurprising that it can be confusing to determine. Though, the big tell with this condition is that skin can be both oily and dry feeling at the same time, and when this is the case, it is a good indication that the person has dehydrated skin.

This wraps up this section of the guide. For any questions or concerns, or things you’d like to see (or because this is the internet, any complaints), put it in the comments section.

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

Things I’ve Returned #1

The Sephora VIB Sale came and went and with it, my purchases from the sale. This year, I only snagged three things, but of the three, two will be returned to Sephora. After playing with the lipsticks, I decided they weren’t for me even though I tested one of the two out before making the purchase. In an effort to curb my spending habits and write some more meaningful posts, I’ve decided any time I return something, I have to write about it so I don’t repurchase it down the road.

Here’s why the two items (BITE Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Liquid Lipstick in Infuse and Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipstick in Tropicalia) are being returned.

BITE Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Liquid Lipstick in Infuse

Price: $24/0.25 oz (making it $96/1 oz)
Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Rosinate, Silica*, Coconut Alkanes*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Shellac Wax*, Hydroxystearic Acid*, Bismuth Oxychloride*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride*, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax*, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract*, Aroma (Flavor), Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract*, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate*, Tocopherol*, Resveratrol*, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract*, Ascorbyl Palmitate*, Momordica Grosvenorii Fruit Extract*, Cylindrotheca Fusiformis Extract*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Skin Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract* +/- May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Tin Oxide*.
Do they test on non-human animals?: No.

When I tried Infuse originally, I swatched it a few times before deciding I needed it as a perfect vampy lip color. At that point, I made the decision to try it (it was a brand new tester) and used a cotton bud to apply it, and when I did, it applied beautifully and was this nice dark berry color with very slight patchiness.

When I finally bought this and wore it, it was a different story. The application was a nightmare; it was patchy, and the coloring was much darker than how I initially tested it. Plus, the doe-foot applicator made it so much more difficult to apply (which I thought would be more useful). The product in general is very thick (and this is consistent across the line) and more like a pigmented gloss than traditional liquid lipstick, but this particular shade requires a lot of fussing to make it work.

(L-to-R): BITE Amuse Bouche Liquified Liquid Lipstick in Infuse vs. Charlotte Tilbury Love Liberty

I’ve worn this a few times since buying it and it wasn’t what I was expecting even after trying it for a test ride first. Even using it with a Q-tip doesn’t help the difficulty in applying it, and blotting doesn’t reduce the depth. I’ve also gone through my existing collection and while my beloved Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Love Liberty isn’t as dark, it’s a gorgeous berry that I know works for me and is wearable as a work-friendly, “vampier” color for fall/winter. Given this, I know I don’t need to fill this niche as badly as I originally did.

I’m not sure what caused the difference in the shade in how I fell in love with it at the store versus when I had it in my possession, but it’s something I haven’t been able to recreate and as such, will be returning.

Pat McGrath Labs LuxeTrance Lipstick in Tropicalia

Price: $38/0.14 oz (making it ~$271.43/1 oz)
Ingredients:
Do they test on non-human animals?: Yes (when required by law).

This is a “shame on me” situation.

I knew right away in my heart of hearts that something about this wasn’t going to be quite right. I could tell based on the Sephora swatches that the colors seemed off, especially once I saw Auxiliary Beauty’s swatches on the lipsticks, but I went and did it anyways, because hope is a dangerous thing sometimes. (I have a dream of finding the perfect muted, orange-based, dark retro coral instead of this white-based pink shit that gets shoved down our throats.)

But I went and did it anyways because “muted” and “coral” are apparently two words together I cannot resist. And boy, did I get a surprise.

patmcgrath — Swatches from the Pat McGrath Labs website.

And when you compare to the swatch on my hand, there is obviously a big difference between these two. The actual coloring on this is a pink-primary, orange-secondary coral with a muted base. Meaning, the primary color in terms of strength is pink, secondary is orange, and the color is dulled (muted).

I knew it was Photoshopped. I did it anyways. I am disappointed in myself.

(L-to-R): Givenchy Le Rouge in Mandarine Bolero vs. Pat McGrath Labs in Tropicalia

To boot, while it isn’t exactly the color I was looking for, I already have a similar color to this in my collection; the Givenchy Le Rouge in Mandarine Bolero. That lipstick, as you can see for comparison, is primary orange-pink, albeit not as muted. (I typically use the Make Up For Ever Aqua lip liner in 23C to add a little more of an orange muted punch.)

(L-to-R; top to bottom): Pat McGrath Labs in Tropicalia, Givenchy Le Rouge in Mandarine Bolero. Underneath: PMG Labs Tropicalia + MUFE Aqua Lip Liner in 23C Orange, GLR Mandarine Bolero + MUFE Aqua Lip Liner in 23C Orange, MUFE Aqua Lip Liner in 23C Orange.

So, I already have a color in my collection that better meets my needs and doesn’t Photoshop lie to me? This is a no brainer: Tropicalia gets returned.

(As a side note: the formula is a total knock-out and easily earned itself a spot in my favorite formulas. It reminds me of almost a hybrid between the Givenchy Le Rouge and Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks with all the good qualities of both, so if you’re in the market for a luxury lipstick, I strongly recommend it. I just would make sure you can swatch them first on account of the stock photos being made of Photoshop lies.)

Have you returned anything lately? If so, why? Or what do you do to make sure you don’t have to return something?

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

Decluttering: Fall 2017

I wouldn’t consider myself a minimalist; although some would say there’s a lot of freedom that comes with being one. For the first time in a few years, I’m starting to put down roots-ish (with a lot of help from my significant other.) For the last several years, I’ve been bouncing from place to place and now that I’ll be in the same place for at least a good few years now, I have an actual vanity and with it, space for makeup. With this as well, my vintage/vintage reproduction wardrobe has also grown.

Despite this, I tend to make myself every few months go through my collection. I have a hard limit of 6 months; if I have not used a product at least once or I don’t love it anymore, it has to go. Even if there is a sentimental reason for keeping it, if I don’t use it, it’s time to lose it.

So, without further delay, here are the things I’m removing from my collection and why I am no longer keeping it.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation Stick

I have had this product for a good few months now, at least since MUFE went ahead and added new shades (including my match, Y215) to the line-up. However, I don’t use it that often with good reason: it breaks me out. If I use this product more than one day (and sometimes, depending on how long I’ve worn it that day), I tend to break out and my skin gets irritated. The next morning, I’ll wake up with at least one giant blemish and usually with a lot of redness along my chin. My skin (in the same area) has the same reaction to the regular Ultra HD liquid formula, so this one and I are just not meant to be. (Which is fine, because Water Blend is my everything.)

There are a few other issues I have with this product: after a long day of wearing, the use of it really starts to show. I’ve had issues with the separation looking very obvious. With cream foundations, although they are marketed towards dry skin, they can emphasize patches so I also have to do a little more maintenance work in preparation for wearing this (I have to use a nourishing/moisturizing primer with it and can only use a Beautyblender with it; my paddle brush is too streaky.)

It looks great for photography, and that’s the only time I’ve actually been wearing it is for when I know I am going to get my picture taken. For me, for something that is $42, that’s not a great value for the product if I only wear it sparingly. This is a product I’ve worn within 6 months a few times, but because I can’t use it as often as I would like, I know it’s time to get it a better home than I can give it.

Besame Classic Color Lipstick

This is one where the intersection of pinup crowd and makeup crowd who know me will be shocked that I’m putting a Besame lipstick up for decluttering. This particular shade is Wild Orchid, based off of a shade from 1952. It’s a lovely fuchsia-based color, but tends to lean very cool-toned.

And that is precisely why it’s going out the door (among a few other reasons.)

When I wear this one, the cool-tones are very pronounced. While I have cool-toned hair, I have an overall low-contrast appearance, which when adding the very bright (and therefore, high-contrast) Wild Orchid along with it’s cool undertones, it really throws off the coloring in my face and emphasizes any redness. In short: it’s not very flattering on me.

When comparing this to my beloved Red Velvet, I also find the formula is just a hair different. I’ve had Red Velvet for some time now and it’s still pretty creamy and easy to work with. Despite having had Wild Orchid (and I have used it within 6 months) for some time, I find it has gotten drier (despite having the lid on it) and a little more difficult to apply.

Because of those two reasons, I’ve been inclined to use it less. Since my goal is to actually use products, this one is going to a new home.

NARS Audacious Lipstick

I had mentioned in a previous post that I don’t like the Audacious formula, but was holding onto Marlene for sentimental reasons. After having some important internal debates, I decided it was time to give up the ghost.

The reason this is going? I just have other reds I prefer to wear and when given a choice, this one always comes to the bottom of the list. The formula itself is the problem; it’s creamy to a fault and tends to transfer all over. Because it is also very pigmented, it also is difficult to remove so if that red bleeds all over? Enjoy the Joker look, because it’s going to be a hag to clean up.

I also put the sentimentality bug to bed for this reason: Project Chimps, a red I much prefer to wear, was also important to me. Before going into public health, I was a primatologist (though, chimps were never one of my focal species.) The point is: holding onto something I don’t like for sentimental reasons isn’t sufficient enough when there’s other ones I like more and are just as memorable.

For that reason, bye NARS Audacious.

Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder

As you may be aware, I am a lizard woman. Powders, in general, are not my friend. This powder, in particular, is not the friendliest to dry skin. I only use this to set my undereyes, but when compared to the Kat Von D Lock-it Setting Powder, it makes the skin under my eyes look much more crinkly and gives the appearance that I’m tired faster. This is because of the product being talc-based, as opposed to being cut with mica which doesn’t make it as drying.

For that reason, that’s why the Laura Mercier is going to be losing a spot in my collection.

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil

In general, I’m not the biggest lip liner fan. I don’t think most of them work that well. This one actually does work pretty well in terms of extending the length of wear and helping to keep product from bleeding out without drying my lips. In fact, I actually don’t have any problems with it otherwise and would strongly recommend it.

So then why am I ditching something that actually works? Simple. Kiss Me Quick is a hair bit cooler in terms of undertone than I prefer in my reds. BITE Beauty has a lip pencil in 082 which is a perfect brick red and the color that I normally reach out for when I want a red lipstick. There’s no real point to me having both, and I haven’t reached for this in months, so it’s time for this to go.

Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow

This is a product where you can definitely see the use on it. I have used it quite a bit and it’s a terrific multitasker; you can use it as an eyeshadow, but also as a highlighter or lip topper. It has a decent wear time as both of those things in addition to the eyeshadow.

So, why ditch it? The honest answer is that I don’t like wearing highlighters, and in terms of brightening/shimmery shadows, I much prefer MAC Nylon. This is a sheerer shadow and it requires some build-up to get a decent pay-off on the eyelid (which makes it decent as a highlighter if you prefer less in your face ones).

And that will conclude this fall’s destashing. I regularly comb through and ditch stuff, so we’ll likely see another one of these in the next 6 months or so.

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

This or That? #1

There are a lot of products on the market that are similar. Some people consider them to be “dupes” (side bar: I loathe this term; a dupe, or duplicate, is something that is identical in formula, color, and consistency–most “dupes” are not that, they are alternatives), some might be knock-offs, but generally, they perform pretty similarly. As with most makeup-related products, your mileage may vary and what works for me best may not work for you.

In this particular post, I’m planning on comparing a few items that are intended to do the same thing but review how they perform and make a recommendation based on my experience with the product.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel vs. Benefit Cosmetics 24-Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

In the first corner, we have the OG clear brow gel, Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH). It comes in one size only (though, I have a deluxe sample of it from a Sephora Rewards point spenditure). As you can see, the bristles are fairly large and resemble a mascara wand (which makes sense, since this is basically a clear mascara for your eyebrows).

The product specs for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel are as follows:

Price: $22 / 0.28 oz (making it $78.51 per 1 oz)
Ingredients: Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrasodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben
Cruelty-Free?: Yes

In the other corner, we have the new(er) kid on the block, Benefit Cosmetics 24-Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel. While the ABH brow gel wand resembles a stereotypical mascara wand, this is more reminiscent of the Roller Lash wand and has the bristles closer together and shaped depending on if you want to brush upwards or downwards. The product specs for the Benefit Cosmetics are below:

Price: $24.00 / 0.23 oz (making it ~$104.35 per 1 oz)
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, AMP-Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Extract. N° 10113/A
Cruelty-Free?: No

On price alone, the ABH gel is the much better deal. Even when comparing ingredients, I’m surprised at the cost of the Benefit gel given that the two primary ingredients are so cheap!

Speaking of the ingredients, an interesting difference between the two is that the Benefit gel uses copolymers, which are plastics used as an adhesive. Whereas, the ABH gel uses a lot of moisturizing ingredients primarily (glycerin, hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, etc.) Yet, of the two, I find the Benefit gel to be more “hydrating” in terms of being less stiff and “crunchy,” as some have mentioned. Some people have said that they experience flaking with the ABH gel, but this was not my experience and I suspect this would be contingent on how dry someone’s skin may be near their eyebrows as to whether or not this is something most people would experience. I have not heard this to be the case for the Benefit gel.

The crunchiness factor does not bother me; most people are not going to be touching my eyebrows in a given day and I would rather something stay completely in place rather than less stiff with more flexibility (likely due to the plastics in the polymer ingredients.) The best way I can compare it to is like the strength of hair spray; some people will prefer a very strong hair spray even if it stiffens the hair because they need that strength to maintain the style. Others may prefer more flexibility at the loss of the “strength” of the spray. If you are in the former camp, you will likely prefer the ABH gel. If you are in the latter, take a peek at the Benefit gel.

In terms of longevity, I find both products work well. Although the Benefit is more flexible and softer to the touch, I don’t find that it moves a lot throughout the day and does keep product in place. ABH is stiff and stays in place. I have tested both for 12+ hours (and in humid conditions; New Orleans and Louisville on humid, 80F+ degree temperatures!) and both perform about the same. I also tested them with both the Anastasia Brow Definer and Brow Wiz and did not notice any differences.

The wands do have a difference and I do think it deposits the product differently. The wand for the Benefit gel is much more compact but with finer-tooth bristles, which allows for more precision when brushing upward or downward (depending on preference for brow shape). Because the teeth on the bristles are shorter and more precise, I feel like it deposits the gel better but I feel that to get the shape I want, it takes more strokes. Whereas, with the ABH gel wand, although the bristles are larger, it gets it to the shape I am looking for much easier and with less strokes (meaning, less product wasted.)

I think the real differences between these products come down to the following: preference for brow feel (stiff vs. flexible), cost, cruelty-free status, and/or wand preference. Although I think both are great products, going forward, I think I will be sticking with the ABH gel based on cost and wand preference.

Yves Saint Laurent Teint Touche Eclat Radiant Perfecting Pen vs. Dior Flash Luminizer Radiance Booster Pen

A disclaimer, before going forward: yes, I am aware that neither of these products are intended to be used as under-eye concealers. However, this is how I use them and will be judging them here. I typically wear a sheerer/light foundation, so higher coverage under-eye concealers would look ridiculous.

Let’s start with the OG in this case which is the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Perfecting Pen, hereon referred to as YSL pen. This product has been around for years and is considered a cult beauty product. After having used it–I get it. We’ll get more into it in a second, so here are the specs on it (note: the ingredients change depending on shade–for me, I use shade 1):

Price: $42 / 0.1 oz ($420 per 1 oz)
Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Talc, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Peg/ Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Trideceth-3, Methicone, Methylparaben, Squalane. [+/- May Contain: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77019 (Mica), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77491 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77007 (Ultramarines), Ci 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), Ci 77742 (Manganese Violet), Ci 75470 (Carmine), “NF8897”].
Cruelty-Free?: No

And again, in the other corner, the newer challenger–the Dior Flash Luminizer Radiance Booster Pen, referred to as Dior pen going forward. It’s obviously a very similar construct. It is worth noting that although the Dior is very clearly based on the YSL Touche Eclat pen, it is also not listed in the under-eye concealer page on Sephora’s website like the YSL is. The Dior pen also has more shimmery options available too. Take this as you will. The product info is below:

Price: $40.00 / 0.09 oz ($444.44 per 1 oz) (NOTE: Nordstrom lists the product as having 0.11 oz, whereas everywhere else is 0.09 oz…)
Ingredients: (NOTE: These ingredients were pulled from a 2007 listing on the CosDNA website. I no longer have the packaging to cross-reference. Given that this has been reformulated since then and nowhere online carries an ingredient list, exercise a grain of salt with this information.) Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Stearic Acid, Silica, Alumina, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Methylparaben, Propylene Carbonate, Fragrance, Aluminum Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Algin, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Cellulose Gum, Talc, Mica, and Iron Oxides.
Cruelty-Free?: No

In both formulas, I use the 01 option which is a very strong but light pink best suited for pale to light skin tones. I know for some people, they may be confused because I have very clear and pure yellow undertones (with some red overtones on my chest/face.) When I use pink on my under-eyes, it is to neutralize blue/purple tones in the area. This works better for me than a normal concealer as the concealers will be more yellow, which won’t correct but only mask and on me, it gives a very unattractive reverse panda effect when it begins to set.

Neither are exactly intended to be used as under-eye concealers, but I think they both work effectively to neutralize and conceal my under-eye area. They also both are not drying, though, I wouldn’t say they are necessarily moisturizing either. (YSL may be a slight bit more than the Dior, though.) The consistency between the two is different; both are liquid, but Dior has more of a creamier, very slight bit stiffer formula whereas the YSL is more liquid. Neither are runny and will drip off your hands if you hold it at an angle.

wp-image-1404129237 — Dior Flash Luminizer on the left (more opaque), YSL Touche Eclat on the right (less opaque).

To a degree, the consistency issue may also be related to the fact that the Dior pen has a little more pigmentation when compared to the YSL pen. The two are similar colors, but as you can see from the swatches, the YSL is a much lighter pink whereas the Dior is a bit more peachy than pink and the color is much stronger. From this, I would wager that it may be able to work on darker lighter skin tones than just pale to light, but I would likely not recommend it to darker skin tones to avoid looking ashy.

As far as wear time goes, both products perform well over a 12+ hour time frame when set with a loose setting powder. It has been tested high humidity (80F+ degrees in both New Orleans and Louisville) and generally, aside from some minor creasing from the Dior pen, both have the about the same coverage and wear.

For the applicator itself, there is a difference in the brush length and quality. Both are click pens and to get product, you will have to click. I find I only need one click from the YSL pen to do my eyes, but two from the Dior pen for a daily application. The YSL bristles are longer and softer, which makes applying the product much easier. Whereas, with the Dior pen, I do find the smaller bristles are prone to poking my under-eye skin, which is something I really don’t like about it. Another thing I find irritating about the Dior pen is that the liquid is not equally distributed when you click; it wells up from the bottom and stays there rather than working its way up through the pen. In having it like this, I’m not able to use as much of the product which is a big deal when you only get 0.09 oz. I’m not sure if this is just the pen I have or if it is a true design flaw that impacts all of the pens.

After having worn them both, for me, I prefer the YSL pen. They’re both very similar, but the slight moisturizing factor and less scratchy bristles are what makes me prefer this to the Dior brush.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder vs. Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder

wp-image-1620041101 — Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder on the left, Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder on the Right.

As a #lizardperson, I very rarely using setting powders for anything other than under-eye area. I don’t make a habit of using it to set my foundation because my daily foundation doesn’t transfer. With that in mind, this comparison is strictly in the context of setting under-eye concealer for both powders.

With that being said, let’s get to the comparisons and like the others, we’ll start with the OG (Laura Mercier) and work our way back to the new kid in town (Kat Von D)…

Price: $38/1 oz (also comes in a travel size at $23/0.33 oz, making the full size a way better value compared to the travel size which is ~$69.70/oz)
Ingredients: Talc, Magnesium Myristate, Nylon-12, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, EthylhexylPalmitate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, Lauroyl Lysine, Propylparaben, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Butylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Methicone. May contain: Ultramarines (Cl 77007), Iron Oxides (Cl 77491, Cl 77492, Cl 77499).
Cruelty-Free?: According to their website, yes, but others are suspicious.

Some initial thoughts on this one: I’m actually really surprised at the difference in value between the travel size and the full size version. I can’t imagine the bulk of the cost is really coming down to making a smaller size of the packaging, and the ingredients listed (talc, corn starch, soybean oil, etc.) are not that expensive to produce or obtain.

Also worth noting that Laura Mercier recently released a darker toned translucent loose setting powder earlier this year for deeper skintones, which is a nice gesture, but probably could have been done from the get go seeing as how the ingredients list isn’t different (in fact, they’re identical on the Sephora website) when comparing the darker ingredients to the lighter one.

This being said, we’ll move right along to the Kat Von D.

Price: $30/0.69 oz (making it ~$43.48/oz; also comes in a travel size at $15/0.19 oz making it ~$78.95/oz–much like the Laura Mercier, the full size is the better value)
Ingredients: Mica, Talc, Magnesium Carbonate, Magnesium Myristate, Nylon-12, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Jojoba Esters, Benzoic Acid, Lauroyl Lysine, Polymethyl, Methacrylate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycine Soja (Soybean Oil), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Iron Oxides.
Cruelty-Free?: Yes.

Again: still surprised the full size is the better value. I’m thinking it has to be cheaper to produce these loose setting powders in bulk. This also has ingredients which are fairly cheap to obtain or produce (e.g. mica, talc, soybean oil, etc.) so I’m not sure why it has a higher price tag per oz. Also, unlike the Laura Mercier, this one was only created as a “universal” loose setting powder so it only comes in one light shade.

Both of the products I have are the travel sizes, but the ingredients are not different between the full size and travel size. Now, when looking at the two, there are some stark differences. First, in terms of product appearance, the Laura Mercier is much more yellow compared to the Kat Von D which takes on more of a neutral tone. On the skin, though, this does not read accurate. As you can see from the swatches above, the Laura Mercier looks more neutral compared to the Kat Von D.

In terms of performance, both are effective at increasing the longevity and wear of whatever under-eye concealer I am wearing. However, having drier skin, this typically is not an issue for me as opposed to someone with a more oily skin type. Where the performance varies for someone with dry skin is whether or not it emphasizes the dryness. I find that the Kat Von D is much more gentle on my dry skin and doesn’t make my under-eye look more crepey by the end of the day (which is likely due to the mica being the top ingredient.) The Laura Mercier is much more drying on my under-eyes, as such, it would lead me to believe it may work better for more oily skin as well for the purposes of blotting and oil-reduction for overall facial wear. Both have been worn through multiple seasons (winter, spring, and summer), no noticeable differences except for the Laura Mercier being slightly more drying.)

In terms of the packaging, both are fairly similar. They are smaller versions of the larger, full size. If you travel, the tops will likely overflow with product (see above with the KVD; I went to New Orleans in the beginning of September and carried it in my carry-on. Still overflowing almost a month later, but this is because I barely use any.)

For this one, my pick goes to Kat Von D. The formula is more generous towards dry skin types, however, I am hopeful she will also release a darker version down the line. Additionally, I would not hesitate to recommend the Laura Mercier for oilier skin types or for those more concerned about stretching their dollar. They both perform and act similarly (in fact, the majority of the ingredients are comparable) that it just comes down to skin type and budget for this one.

That is all for now, but if you’ve tried either of these, what were your thoughts? Are there any other products that you think are basically the same thing you want to try? Feel free to share!

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

Pinup Anti-Haul #1

If you are a big fan of Kimberly Clark (and you should be!), you are probably familiar with the concept of anti-hauls. However, on the off chance you are not, the point of an anti-haul is to discourage empty consumerism and encourage empowered, thoughtful purchases. In the current pinup culture fueled by social media, it can feel very pushy to buy more and more so you can fit into that perfect aesthetic. I, for one, am not the type to buy mindlessly. Because I don’t get sent things for free (though, I would not mind if I did!) and money is a finite resource, it’s important to know I’ll be able to use what I buy.

The purpose of an anti-haul isn’t to be mean to brands and businesses (there are some I don’t like and won’t purchase from and there are plenty which I do like, but will not be buying because I’m going to be smart about what I do spend on!), but to be smart about what you do choose to spend your money on. Unlike a wishlist of things to pine over, these are things I know I will not be purchasing and why I will not be spending my money on it. While Kimberly Clark focuses on makeup and skincare, I’m choosing to focus on pinup related purchases.

For me, this also feels more like a “genuine” attempt to be reliving the pinup life of the 1940’s. Purchases were often tactical, and as such, it’s a nice way to be reliving that kind of culture. So, without further ado–here’s what (sung in Kimberly Clark voice) I’m not gonna buy~

Erstwilder Grease Brooch Collection

grease

Let me start with this: I’m not generally the type to collect brooches to begin with (or jewelry, for that matter). But were I to be the type that did, this is not the collection I would spend money on.

I was a theatre nerd in high school and still love musicals (hell yeah for Hamilton!), but let’s be honest: I’m not entirely sure Greased Lightning is going to be recognized on sight by most people. The “Eat Your Heart Out” is actually very cute and would be one that’s definitely something you can wear with multiple outfits, but that’s one out of quite a few in this collection. There are some others that are recognizable (Frenchy, Rizzo, and Sandy, for example), but these aren’t ones that I will use often enough (they don’t look like they would go with enough outfits, and may clash with styles other than the 1950’s) to warrant the $39.95 AUD cost (approximately $32.07 USD) per brooch.

While we’re on the subject of cost, I live in the USA and the shipping for these alone only becomes free if you spend over $100 (AUD). At the time of writing this, the conversion rate for $100 AUD = ~$80.28 USD. While this is better than a lot of clothing shops (ahem, Unique Vintage) and the conversion rate is in my favor. Without the $100 AUD, it’s approximately $9.95 to ship. So it’s an additional $10 (rounded, but close enough) for a $32 brooch? As much as I may like Grease, for $42 USD, this is not worth the money spent.

Be honest: how many times are you really going to wear Kenickie? (Name one person you know who likes Kenickie best. I’ll wait right here.) Is this something you’re really going to get use out of or are you buying into the social media hype and it’ll sadly just sit there on your vanity? Erstwilder has a bunch of other cute brooches you would be much more likely to get use out of wearing, if you truly need a brooch from them. But my answer is none because I will not be purchasing this collection because it’s not the one that I want.

(Side bar: we can all agree Rizzo was the best thing in that movie, right?)

Besame Cosmetics Cashmere Foundation Stick

I love Besame Cosmetics. Out of all the brands currently on the market, Besame is one of my ride-or-dies. It’s the go-to brand for many pinups because of its dedication to authenticity.

The problem with adhering to authenticity in some ways is that when you only create several shades of foundation, there is in no way you are going to be able to represent a wide amount of the population. In addition to the three shades above, there are a few more in its line-up:

besame2

besame3

But that’s it. There are 8 total shades in this foundation line. 8. In response to client requests for extending the shade range, they add they are a small family business and will be working on expanding the range. There is a chance you may be able to find a match in this line up, but unless you live close to the brand’s stores, there’s no way to test in person to really be sure if you fit in one of the current 8 options.

The product itself is $25 for 0.31 oz making it $80.64 per oz. While this isn’t completely outrageous, there are stick foundations by other brands with significantly larger ranges. For example, the Anastasia Beverly Hills foundation stick line is also $25 for 0.32 oz (~$78.13 per oz) in 29 shades, running a much larger likelihood of being able to find a match. So, not only is it [slightly] cheaper per oz, you’ll also likely be able to find a better match.

But let’s say you test out the Anastasia Beverly Hills formula and don’t find it to your tastes or skin type. There are more foundation brands coming out with foundation sticks, should you feel the need to replicate the Max Factor Pan-Stick experience (but with something that actually is your shade range and likely something you can test). There are plenty at different price points and with a variety of shade ranges that will meet your needs.

I know some people will say, “But I love Besame and I want to support a small, family business!”–that’s well, good, and commendable, even. At the end of the day: Besame is still a business. They still want your hard-earned money. If you are going to give it to them, give it to them after they have expanded their shade range and are willing to make shades that cover more than just 8 skin tones that probably don’t include yours. Reward them when they have done something to earn it, not just because the pretty packaging makes you feel glam as hell and you might be featured on their Instagram page.

I don’t need the foundation stick and I won’t be buying it.

Ben Cooper x Vixen (Micheline Pitt) Collection

vixen

I have to be clear on this one: I love Micheline Pitt, her style, her dedication to artistry, and her work ethic is inspiring. Her clothing line is outstanding and very high quality, based on the pieces I have and having owned items from Deadly Dames. It’s clear to me that she poured her heart and soul into this, and she is the one true Queen of Halloween.

Having said this, there are several reasons I won’t be purchasing anything from this collection. The first being: Halloween is once a year. While this is great for that time between summer ending (which I guess starts September 1st when Starbucks pulls a dick move and gets rid of S’mores Frappuccinos–not that I’m bitter or anything) and Halloween, how often are you really going to wear pumpkins or Halloween-themed items throughout the year? Are you really going to wear it often enough or are you only going to wear it for a period of maybe 8 weeks out of the year? If that’s the case, you’re only wearing it for 15% (8 weeks / 52 total weeks of the year) of the year; is it really worth spending the $78-144 on it? (This is not even including shipping!)

Personally: I am not a Halloween stan. I’m not a person who jumps for joy when fall rolls around (gimme back my warm temperatures and S’mores Frappuccinos). Although this is an interesting collaboration and it is executed well, it’s not going to be something I would wear enough to warrant the money spent, and I don’t care enough about Halloween to wear it. If I feel like I need to celebrate Halloween, why not invest in a black skirt or dress? It’s something I’d get much more use from, could wear year round, and therefore, a better use of my money.

That’s it for this first anti-haul. Do you have anything you don’t plan on buying? Or is there a reason you’re buying anything from this list? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

The Red Lipstick Collection

“Heels and red lipstick will put the fear of God into people.” – Dita Von Teese

There is a very stereotypical pinup image: black winged liner, victory rolls, polka dots, and red lipstick. There’s a million and a half quotes on red lipstick and how empowering it is to wear. To be clear, I love red lipstick; it’s my favorite color on myself and I truly agree that it works wonders to boost a mood. This being said, red lipstick is high-maintenance and often requires multiple check-ins, much more than your MLBB (My Lips But Better) or Nude shades, and definitely require a mirror, time, and much more precision to apply.

Red lipstick is also much like a wedding dress in the way that when you know you’ve found the one–you want to wear it and show it off. Some people are monogamous to their red lipstick, but for me, I have several that I really like and vary between.

The perfect red can be hard to find, but I have found it to be generally easier when you know your undertone (reminder: mine is yellow, and as we’re leaving summer, I’d approximate it close to NC15 in MAC terms.) Knowing that I also have blue eyes, I also prefer reds that have more of a touch of brown to them, which helps my eyes pop a little more than they usually would. I don’t prefer orange-based reds because it’s just a smidge too bright on me and helps to wash me out

All this having been said, I also wanted to include my personal collection of reds with swatches and some reviews, seeing as how I have worn each multiple times and for several hours on end.

In all of the swatches, I am not wearing any foundation and nor is there a lip liner below. My lips are not fairly pigmented, so they do tend to represent the colors well.

MAC Chili Lipstick

Purchased from: MAC Pro Store Chicago on Michigan Ave (can also be found on MACCosmetics.com, Ulta, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Nordstrom, and anywhere MAC Cosmetics are sold)
Price: $17/0.10 ($170 per oz) (NOTE: It looks like MAC recently raised their prices to $17.50; when I purchased this, it was $17)
Formula: Matte
Cruelty-Free?: No

MAC Chili was one of the first reds that made my heart stop the moment I saw it on myself. I’ve always looked for a true brick red on me and this has been the closest I have come to finding that balance of mutedness and just the right amount of brown tinge without going too far into brown lipstick.

Given that it does have a muted quality to it, I think this is definitely a red that can be used in both the office (depending on your work environment, of course!) and for a night out. As it is a matte lipstick, it also doesn’t have very much of a glossy sheen to it, which helps when you’re trying to balance the line between “professional” (again: ymmv depending on your contextual work environment!) and pinup.

There is definitely transfer with this lipstick and of the options included in this post, probably has the second lowest longevity. This being said, depending on how much and what you are eating has an effect on the wear of it. If you are not eating, you can get 7-8 hours of wear without touch-ups no problem. However, this is not realistic for most people and if you do eat, you will need to reapply. I generally find that I wind up taking off this lipstick before I eat, regardless of whether or not it is with a fork or if it is greasy or not. This just helps to stave off the Joker look. If you do not remove it before eating and do not reapply, you’re likely to get 4-5 hours of wear. (Again, red lipsticks tend to be more high maintenance.)

As with all MAC lipsticks, it is a scented lipstick and has a light, vanilla scent to it. Given that MAC has been around for some time, most folks familiar with makeup and MAC are aware of this already. The Matte formula is one of my favorites, but I loathe the Retro Matte formula. Compared to the Retro Mattes and with this lipstick, there is no drying feeling or dehydrated lips when I remove it and it does not crumble off throughout the day.

The other nice thing about this shade that is worth mentioning is that I think this would work really lovely on darker skin tones just as well as lighter ones. Again, I would probably still recommend it for yellow/greener-olive undertones, but nonetheless, I do think this is a shade that works for a lot of folks with that particular undertone.

NARS Audacious Lipstick (Marlene)

Purchased from: Sephora (available at NARSCosmetics.com, Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Barney’s, and anywhere NARS is sold)
Price: $34/0.14 ($242.86 per oz)
Formula: Satin/Cream
Cruelty-Free?: At the time of purchase, yes. However, NARS has recently made the decision to sell in China which means the cruelty-free status will be no longer effective once this is done.

If you have followed me on Reddit, you will know I have done a fair amount of complaining about the NARS Audacious formula on the makeup subreddits. I had bought several when it first came out (Charlotte, Anna, Rita, and Janet), and while I loved it initially, I really grew to dislike them and wound up purging them from my collection. On the surface, they seem great: incredibly pigmented, there are colors that are not easily replicated among other brands, decent size for lipstick (0.14 compared to the usual 0.1-0.12ish) which makes it cheaper than most other high end brands when compared price per oz, and it’s a pretty decent sized collection. I get it.

But every time I put on one of these lipsticks, I’m reminded why I don’t like this formula. It’s creamy to a fault; if you don’t blot this, it will smudge onto your face. And even if you do blot it, it can still easily migrate off your lips. It transfers very easily and if I’m not careful, I have wound up with it on my nose. I also find that not even wearing a lip liner really helps with preventing it from going beyond the lined areas. When I wear this, it is slightly drying on my lips.

I would also strongly recommend removing this before eating. Without eating, I have gotten up to 8.5 hours of wear without issue, but when you eat, regardless of how you do it, it is going to smear. And when this stuff smears? It leaves a very difficult to remove stain on your face (which is a testament to its longevity, except on the wrong part of your face.)

So, if I don’t like this so much, how come it’s still in my collection? That’s a great question. The short answer is twofold: 1. My significant other’s grandmother’s name was Marlene and for our wedding day, this is the lipstick I intend to wear to recognize her presence in spirit. The other, 2. I get hella compliments whenever I wear this shade. As a vain lizard woman, I can live off of compliments, so thus, it stays.

I would probably not recommend this one for work. It’s just a bit too bright and glossy for my personal tastes, but on the weekend or when I need to get dolled up? It’s one of my options definitely on the table. But, of all my red lipsticks, because of the high maintenance involved with the formula, it is my least worn shade of red.

There are some good things about this lipstick. It does not have a scent for those sensitive to smells. The packaging is very nice and hefty, with a magnetic lid for safe closure. Although it is also a brighter red, it’s not bright enough to be blinding on my skin tone but add some life into my skin. Also, when I want to be really authentic with my 1940’s looks, this red makes a lovely blush when I dab a little on my face (side note: as a blush, this formula is pretty great.) It also reapplies fairly well, which is important with red lipsticks.

Besame Classic Color Lipstick (Red Velvet)

Purchased from: BesameCosmetics.com (also available through Sephora, Dermstore.com, and several other retailers)
Price: $22/0.12 ($183.33)
Formula: Satin/Matte
Cruelty-Free?: Yes

Red Velvet is a fairly famous shade online, used in several movies and TV shows (most famously, the shade used by Peggy Carter for the Captain America and Peggy Carter television show.) It’s a deeper, true neutral red. On me, it does tend to lean slightly more blue-based and cooler (as seen above and in the swatches below), but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Despite this, I still find that it flatters tons of people with yellow/olive undertones. The other perk about this leaning blue-based is that it tends to make teeth look whiter.

As many in the pinup community are aware, Besame Cosmetics is a company that reproduces actual vintage lipstick colors. This particular shade was based on one produced in 1946.

This lipstick is arguably one of my favorites in my collection, and not just because it is Peggy Carter approved. The quality is outstanding; like the other lipsticks, it is not transfer-proof, but I don’t find that it smudges as easily. Despite being listed as a satin, it does have some matte qualities (though, I hesitate to call it a demi-matte because of a “glossier” appearance.)

I have gone 9 hours without a touch-up on this before and that is despite drinking coffee and having food (albeit, not greasy and with a fork). It will smudge if the food is oily, but that’s pretty understandable.

The lipstick does have a vanilla scent to it, similar to the MAC lipsticks. However, unlike the MAC lipsticks, one thing that makes it really easy to apply and reapply on the go is that the bullet shape is slanted, which is great when trying to get in the little crooks of the lips.

Out of all the lipsticks I own, Besame’s formula ranks in my top three. It’s solid, dependable, and definitely one I go to when I want to recreate my Peggy Carter cosplay or when I feel like I need to wear a red at the office, this is my go to. It’s a shade that works on multiple skin tones and I have yet to see look “off” or bad on anyone. It’s the closest thing I have seen to a universal lip color (sit down, MAC Russian Red and Ruby Woo.)

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick (Project Chimps)

Purchased from: Reddit Makeup Exchange subreddit (purchased with my own money); product was limited edition but available through Sephora and KatVonDBeauty.com)
Price: I paid $17 for it as it was never used. However, it retailed for $20/0.22 oz, making it ~$90.91 per oz)
Formula: Matte
Cruelty-Free?: Yes (also vegan)

This lipstick has a special place in my heart. Prior to going for public health, I studied primatology. I had gone through field school and did several research projects, including an individual one of my own with semi-captive lemurs. Although chimps are not my particular favorite ape (that honor goes to gibbons), it’s a lipstick for charity and I had missed out when it was first released so it felt like it was something I needed in my life.

And boy, am I glad I have it. I wasn’t on the liquid lipstick train prior to this; having previously tried Kat Von D’s ELL formula in Outlaw a few years back, I hated how it wore on me (it wore away within an hour of application and smudged horribly) and I was wary that I would have liked this one.

Fortunately, my fears were unfounded with this one. Application is probably the most difficult thing with this lipstick; one layer is all you need and it can be difficult to get just right at the top of your lip line.

When applied, it dries fairly quick and is very lightweight. There have been times I have forgotten I was even wearing a lipstick until catching myself in the mirror. It wears a very long time, but it’s another one I would recommend removing before eating. Greasy foods can definitely make this product smudge.

Speaking of reapplication, it fairs all right with it, so long as you are not applying multiple layers. When this happens, it doesn’t remove the other information, but it doesn’t build well. One layer is truly all you need and it’s better to remove and then reapply than just flat out reapply.

Additionally, the product tends to have a chemical smell, although it dissipates quickly.

I have worn this into the office before and it’s a really nice product. It’ll transfer slightly onto my coffee cup, but not enough that it’s very noticeable. It’s longevity, lightweight formula, and the color are reasons enough for me to love it. I wish it wasn’t a limited edition product, though!

Entire Collection Swatched

From left to right and taken in indirect sunlight: NARS Marlene, Besame Red Velvet, MAC Chili, and Kat Von D Project Chimps.

From top to bottom in direct sunlight: Kat Von D Project Chimps, MAC Chili, Besame Red Velvet, and NARS Marlene

All of the above are my favorite reds which tend to share a more muted, brick red color rather than a blue-based red (though, I do have one!) Have you found your perfect red? Feel free to share with me which reds have your eye!

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet