Hi Everyone,
There is such a range to makeup ownership. A lot of it is fueled by beauty influencers, and their Ikea Alex cabinets of foundation and eyeshadow palettes. When I was in high school I bought a lot of makeup! I had pocket money, I didn’t really have expenses, it was fun. There was a period (unimaginable to me now) where I applied eyeliner every day before school. I wore red lipstick to class? Eventually, I hit a point where I just had enough. Not that I was pissed off, but I had figured out the colors I liked, the techniques that suited me. So I stopped purchasing, and now I sit atop a hoard of semi-expired makeup products (I replace my mascaras regularly, don’t worry). I’m still envious of people whose whole collection is small enough to fit into a travel bag, or sit very neatly in their medicine cabinets, but mostly it’s the bulk of a couple palettes and brushes slowing me down.
I haven’t done a full face of makeup since pre-pandemic. It’s part of the party ritual - going over to a friend’s house, doing shots while applying eyeshadow. I don’t really get glam for myself and I’m not interested in dolling up for alt Tik Tok. Maybe I would be happier if I was the kind of person who got dressed up for myself, but a lot of my favorite activities appeal to me as social activities. Things like makeup and drinking don’t appeal to me solo.
Late March last year, I bought a collection of items from Lush. I don’t know why I was so fixated, but I had the idea that I needed to buy something to treat myself. Something to hold back the impact of the brand new lockdown. I never particularly liked Lush products before. I liked the idea of Lush, and nice products that don’t have plastic packaging, but the combination smell of the store always gave me a headache. Anyway, Lush UK shat the bed this summer, what with supporting cops and TERF organizations. It is my understanding that Lush UK and Lush North America are completely separate companies, but I also don’t care that much.
It was all mediocre. I like the idea of a solid shampoo, but I can’t say that it washed my hair better or worse than what I was using previously. And it had sulfates which I’ve been warned are bad for textured hair. Actually my biggest gripe is multiple items leaked dye, and leaked it constantly. None of it stained my skin or the shower, but like that shouldn’t happen.
The one thing that made me laugh is this red soap (which I think was marketed as a solid gel which makes no sense) cleared up my eczema. I’ve always had some spots on the back of my arms and I don’t really think about them, but this soap completely cleared it up. I didn’t go looking for special acne soap or anything! It hasn’t come back at all and the soap ran out over 7 months ago. So that was a pleasant surprise.
Inspired by some bonus points I recieved from my credit card for Black Friday, I bought a couple items from Glossier. Journalist Amanda Mull’s quote on Glossier remains the most insightful I’ve heard.
Glossier isn't of particular interest to me — people have been buying overpriced tinted moisturizer and questionably effective serums since at least when I was in high school, and I'm 34.
On the other hand, a hot lesbian in college once said to me that she appreciates a brand that helps her connect with her femininity and feel beautiful so, two sides.
I got the cloud blush, which is my first liquid/gel blush, the priming mositurizer, and the face wash. The face wash doesn’t foam, which is a little freaky, but it smells nice and cleans my face without making it feel tight or dried out. The moisturizer is so great. I love the moisturizer. I love the nice white metal tube it comes in and the way my fingers leave dimples in the packaging. It’s probably whatever components they add to make it a primer, but it dries immediately and a little bit stretches a long way. Which it better do, since it was not cheap. Although even drugstore moisturizers have gotten very expensive lately, following this late 2010s skincare trend. Isn’t it exciting to more into a period where we’ll be able to say ‘20s or ‘30s instead of the messiness of the aughts and the teens.
The blush is nice! I got orange, which looks very intense right out of the tube, and sheers out nicely over the cheeks.
I’ve struggled with an irritation on my palms recently. I first noticed it last March, when I thought it was triggered by stress because uh who was not stressed in March and encountering skin irritation from (not-so-excessisve) hand washing etc. It went away at some point, I can’t say when. Maybe April? It didn’t occur consistently and it responded to cortisone and benadryl.
It came back this month, presenting more as a dry itching. Maybe it’s just a coincidence and is unrelated to what I faced last year. My friend who works in urgent care says it sounds like an allegic reaction. There isn’t any new detergent or soap or anything I’ve tried that could explain that. I don’t want to and haven’t used my expensive face mositurizer on my hands, but I need something that sinks in immediately so I can use my hands for things, like writing this newsletter. At this point I just hope the return of warm weather and my building’s heat calming down takes care of it.
Anyway I’m doing alright! Things have gotten much better in some aspects of my personal life, as rough as the backdrop of this pandemic continues to be. I should have a playlist in my next email, which will be out before the 31st! So look forward to that.
ttyl!
//gabriella
Ok two things:
1. I just bought a solid shampoo, not from Lush but from some place in Minnesota called Hibar?? It hasn't gotten to me yet but I am expecting it to Change My Life.
2. I use a Neutrogena cleanser that doesn't foam, and it took some getting used to, and now when I do use foaming cleansers when I'm traveling or something I get so mad at these little bubbles on my face. The bubbles are my enemy.
Anyway yes good newsletter gabriella, big fan