beauty - The Seventh Sphinx

Marc Jacobs Beauty palette The Dreamer, brushes: Hakuhodo B5520BkSL, H2289, J146, MAC 217

This stunner of a palette from the Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con line is one of my new favorite beauty toys. This is The Dreamer, essentially the neutral palette in the collection. I’ve spoken before about the siren-like allure certain color combinations can have, the power of a palette. I might not be interested in the colors individually, not enough to buy them, but combined I am drawn closer and closer to the jewel box. This one I found completely compelling from the start, and especially so once I saw it in person. I wandered into Sephora intending to look at the Night Owl palette from this same collection but it was out of stock and I met this one instead (actually I’m not uninterested in the Night Owl palette, it’s been noted). The golden goddess that occasionally runs the show here gave her immediate approval. Gold, champagne, a pale grapefruit, deep walnut, and warm neutrals… really I didn’t stand a chance against these colors.

These shadows are what others have promised, they are so creamy as to have veered as far away from the realm of powder as possible without quite leaving it entirely. Sleek packaging. I’m pleased with this line—so anticipated—all around. I don’t like every design from Marc Jacobs by any means but I have admired him for many years now (over 10 years, I realize, since I began following him! After a friend in college with impeccable style noted him a favorite), the clarity of his style, the bold strokes and adventurous lines.

This is a bit too expensive, though, I think. $59 for this palette, and the shadows are not large. So, it is beautiful, but I would not exactly recommend it, at least not over many other excellent neutral palettes at more reasonable prices. But, it is beautiful. The quality is there. Priced similarly to luxury brands like Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, etc. If you are up for it, I think the money is not badly spent. And I don’t already have the ubiquitous Naked Palette, so I justified this effortlessly. I picked up some Hakuhodo brushes a few months ago as well, and liking. Will get into those later.

The lure of this palette made me realize how predictable I am in such cases. Chuck certain colors together and I’m sure to take a second look. Why? Why is this? Why these colors? Golds, caramels, creams…but others, too, which is why, for different but equally compelling reasons, I am drawn to the Night Owl palette as well.

Though, I suppose, why anything? Why do I like Brussels sprouts and ginger so much? Why the smell of vetiver?

Who can say. It seems one might be able to know, if only the data were accessible…but probably this is an illusion.

What are your colors?

My style efforts of late are not much to speak of. The coldest days of the year are upon us here in the northeast, and staying warm is the prime directive. But look! I put on some false eyelashes. Short individuals. It’s hard to see on camera but they make an incredible difference in person. For one they are dark, and my lashes, while healthy enough, are pale, and don’t announce themselves. They are nice but, you know, no one is writing sonnets about them.* I can see why people speak of becoming addicted to false lashes. The effect, even of short, modest ones with only one coat of brown mascara, is, basically: BOOM.

*Not one sonnet. It strikes me I hardly know any of the right people in this life.

Eyelashes, those quintessentially female attributes, shorthand for femaleness in all manner of cartoony contexts. As everyone knows, though, full, heavy lashes are appealing on absolutely everyone, at every age. I don’t know why I can’t bring myself to be very interested in mine, though I suppose there’s no logic behind what does interest me, either. Sometimes I learn that I can make some moderate effort to achieve a pleasing effect and I’m delighted, and adopt it immediately, and sometimes I am untouched. Eyelashes are like that for me. I amp them up as a novelty now and then and I like how it looks, think it looks better in a sense, even…but evidently do not care about looking better in that sense. Like when you have some power at your disposal and it is the possession of the power that matters, not the wielding of it.

J Crew cashmere hat, Old Navy sweater

Most days my face is something like this. Probably a bit more boring than this, even. Or a lot more boring, though maybe you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference…who can say with faces. This is the Glossier face tint, which I like very well so far, high in silicone so it feels like a primer, extremely sheer but really the closest I’ve seen to something undetectable on the skin. Reminds me in texture of Armani Luminous Silk foundation. It doesn’t cover much (not sure how buildable yet) but that is rarely my intention anyway. What I want from a foundation product, if anything, is a gentle evening of skin tone without some dreadful sacrifice of skin-like texture.

On the cheeks my favorite, favorite blush of the moment, Tarte cheek stain in Natural Beauty, a deep rosy color that does look natural on me, about like the color my cheeks actually turn in the cold. Also undetectable if I’ve done a good job, which if I take more than 8 seconds I usually do. Fewer and the results are sometimes questionable.

CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara, which liking as well despite the plasticky/silicone wand (these I typically do not enjoy). MAC Fanfare lipstick, which so glad I picked up recently! A faultless nude pink that isn’t too pale, like so many popular nude pinks are on me. It’s one of the colors my lips often simply are, one of their more flushed shades…they have many shades, depending on humidity and hydration levels, blood flow, etc. All nice, it should be said. All just what they should be. But a girl likes to have options.

Isn’t winter exhausting? I seem busy (working), cold, and so tired all of the time. I am not dull, but I can appear so in such conditions.

Innocent winter, so little deserving of blame here.

Tag: beauty

the dreamer

keeping it minimal