I am easily amused: shallow makeup thoughts

[cupcake_goth]

In between editing things, I've been reading the reviews at Makeup Alley of Chanel's black nail polish. It's very fun to read the contortions the trendy fashion junkies are going through to explain how Chanel's black nail polish is So Much Better than any other black nail polish, and how it Isn't Goth At All, but Fashionable and Elegant, Dahling.



"This is a true elegant black. Slightly punky but not goth, it's the black you get from a soft black kajal eyeliner or the black of a true shot of espresso."


"So you think this is you average $5 black polish or even the Halloween black polish that Wet n Wild puts out. Yeah, I thought the same thing. I didn't want to spend $18 for a black nail polish. But I did. Think of that sleek black Maserati that when the sun hits it, the black paint emits many dimensions of its undertones-blues, silvers, greys, etc. Black is not black but more of an illusion of it as the light rays bounce off the polish. It doesn't look goth nor does it look playful. It looks sleek and sophisticated like that sports car!"


"Once it gets messy looking, your black nail polish goes from stylish to "goth"."



Now, I wear black nail polish all the time, and consider it as work appropriate as the strange, hyper-white tipped French manicures I see on other people. But, black nail polish ALWAYS says "goth" or "punk". Always. Anyone who believes otherwise has mainlined too many fashion magazines, and should probably take a little break and try and find their own style, instead of having one dictated to them every six weeks or so.

Comments

[pvcdiva.livejournal.com]

I for one would love to read it...I've long suspected that high priced make-up is the same deal as high priced clothes, as in bog standard shite with a fancy label. I know about how clothes are produced, but not about cosmetics, and yet the mags always bang on about how the pricer brands use better quality ingredients and mill things finer...so, yes, lets have the real dorty on what's worth buying and what isn't. Certainly I've given up buying posh nail varnish as it's nowhere near as good and long lasting as the chepaer ones I love, and often gives really uneven, streaky colour.

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

the irony is that they never say what they mill those things finer *than*. Personally, I think they are comparing the grinds to the grit size of... oh... SAND.

On a scale of one to ten, with ten being finest grind, here is how I would rate the pigments of some of the department store leaders:

Channel - 3
Lancome - 5
Shisedo - 7
Urban Decay - 4
Mac - 9
Make-Up Forever - 10 (yes, I do love love love them)
Ben Nye - 7
Prescriptives - 5

Drug stores/order:

Wet and Wild - 3
Milani - 5
Jane - 2
Avon - 3
Mary Kaye - 3
Bare Essentials - 4

as for nail polish specifically.. I would have to do that one at home, where I keep the big bucket of polish (it weighs about 15lbs now).

If you have a brand you want to know specifically, feel free to ask. Or you can email me at staxxy (at) gmail (dot) com

The finer the grind, the better not just the *blend* but also the crisp line (for effects, or lining), and the less you need to use of the stuff to get the "cake" color (the color that it is when in the container).