color - The Seventh Sphinx

If you’ve read about me, you’ll have gotten at least the general impression that I like the 80s.

In truth, it would not be inaccurate to say that, as an aesthetic and musical phenomenon, I love the 80s.

Hm. Here is one Halloween (long ago!) as an 80s aerobics instructor, which has been to date the greatest dancing outfit ever. Fear not, there were leg warmers.

Actually I think I was too conservative in some of my choices here. Loving the big eyebrows, though.

A girlfriend going to an 80s party asked me recently, “What were the 80s, exactly?”

To which I replied something along the lines of, “I’m so glad you asked…”

The Vietnam war is over, the tense political and economic atmosphere has dissipated somewhat, especially for the generation that grew up in its shadow and perhaps never fully understood or engaged in the war. The economy is looking better, Wall Street suits begin to make more money than they can spend, the dollar is strong. Racism is still an issue (obviously, still is) but much improved from the 70s, and there is a lot more cultural exchange. Feminism also an issue (also obviously, and still) but these are the daughters and granddaughters of the revolutionaries of the 60s, often raised by feminists, gifted more confidence and more opportunities. The children have come of age, they have disposable income, they want color and they want to have fun, just like Cyndi Lauper says. Really, they want to dance.

The 80s are all about being too much. Too loud, too bright, over the top. Garish, tacky. Fun. They are a big eye AND a big lip. And too much blush. Big earrings AND a big necklace. And all the bracelets you own. Accessories are key.

Bright prints mixed with bright solids, bright prints mixed with other bright prints. Garish prints. Geometric prints. Clothes are either really tight or over-sized, or a combination of both. The off-the-shoulder sweatshirt à la Flashdance. Bright leggings. Crop tops. Shoulder pads.

The miniskirt is born. Neon as a fashion option is born. Hip hop is the new thing. Wedding and prom dresses have never been so big and so festooned, and are likely never to be so big again. Madonna is queen, Michael Jackson is king (with David Bowie, that pioneer, still a strong influence). MTV rules over all.

Big, curly hair, side ponytails, crimpled hair. Ostentatious hair accessories. The scrunchie. High tops, leg warmers. Jane Fonda’s workout video is all the rage. Everybody loves music. Sunglasses acceptable at all hours of the day. People dress to make a statement, to be seen. Everything is like a parody of itself, a cartoon.

Nothing is too much.

What’s not to love?

I know I am not alone in often resorting to subpar formulas for the sake of a tremendous color. That is what makeup really comes down to, for me, a straight issue of color. Do I love it? Do I want it? Is it worth it?

Color has powerful effects on us! Or can have. There are studies. I have immediate, often visceral responses to colors, for good or ill.

I’m debating this eyeshadow palette right now, the Kat Von D ladybird palette, just for the sepia color on the end. I hardly even wear eyeshadow! I have no money to waste! But this color…it is exactly, exactly the color I have been looking for. I just want to gaze at it and marvel at it. And maybe I would wear it! If I had that perfect color…(is how it goes in the brain).

You see, on the far right, what I mean? That rusty, burnt sienna color? I have seriously been looking for a sepia eyeshadow like this for years! The rest of the palette is nice, too, conveniently.

Helllooooo…

I have been thinking about makeup this way constantly lately, as a tool for controlling color–hills and valleys of color, planes and angles of color–, and the paradigm works every time. A nice simplicity to it.

Uhh. Where was I? Oh, yes.

Ideally, though, you don’t have to compromise with the formula, and in NARS Heatwave (called ‘semi-matte’ and accordingly matte but not in that unfriendly way) we see a happy confluence of form and function. A brilliant, almost neon red*(which sometimes plays a heavily saturated neon coral) that performs exactly how you would hope. At least, exactly how I hoped. If I’d had it at the time, I would have included Heatwave with my earlier red-orange/orange-red picks.

I was in no way disappointed, and perhaps you begin to gather how particular I am.

*Wearing it here.

Tag: color

ode to the 80s

on the lips: NARS Heatwave lipstick