Lots going on behind the scenes! Not necessarily a bad thing, but doesn't leave much time for blogging and social media. Realistically Curator's Corner will have to be cut down even further so that it's on a quarterly basis instead of trying to post it monthly…I know I should abandon it entirely but I can't! Anyway, onto some links.
– I learned so much prepping for the Museum's presentation for the Art Deco Society UK. You can check it out here (and see first-hand why I'm not a YouTuber.) I do hope to turn it into an article or maybe an exhibition.
– Another thing that involved quite a bit of research was an interview for El Pais on the history of glowy skin. Meanwhile, my makeup history partner-in-crime weighed in on the unrealistic hair and makeup in period films and TV shows.
– "I don't understand why makeup brands don’t have [women over 40] — we're the face of a lot of things and we're not the face of makeup right now." Allure points out the issue with brands that seemingly cater to the over-forty crowd: namely, they refuse to acknowledge that some mature women (ahem, like me) have not abandoned bright color and other vibrant makeup. Being over forty does not automatically sentence you to focus on hair and skin and wear only minimal, no-makeup looks, and just once I'd like to see a brand feature an old lady with glitter seeped in her wrinkles.
– If anyone can tell me exactly what Sulwhasoo and the Met are partnering for, I would be most appreciative.
– Been spending far too much time on Reddit and should probably cut back, as this post sent my blood pressure soaring. Coupled with this school calling makeup a "drug", makeup is experiencing a backlash. I'm not sure why people can't discuss it with nuance and acknowledge that while it has a long history of being a tool of the patriarchy to oppress cis-het women, makeup is so much more than that.
– Along those lines, I'm still ambivalent about companies selling makeup intended for kids – feels like an indoctrination of sorts into harmful beauty standards – but if they're going to do it, Zara Beauty's Mini Artists line is the way to go. At least they're trying to emphasize the artistic aspects and the packaging/names aren't overly gendered, unlike, say, Ulta's Petite and Pretty. It's also safer ingredient-wise than most kids' makeup and since it's water-soluble, much easier to remove than stuff formulated for grown-ups. Plus, Diane Kendal designed it, so it's quite sleek and stylish compared to other kids' face-painting kits on the market.
– Hate to break it to you, people of Tiktok, but layering mascara is not new.
– Between Isamaya Beauty's LIPS and E.L.F's O Face lipsticks, sexual makeup names (and packaging as well in the case of LIPS) continue to be attention-getters. Admittedly I purchased LIPS for the Museum, but I wholeheartedly co-sign this piece by Jessica DeFino on the ridiculousness of it. (Also, LIPS should be modeled after a vulva, no?)
– Some spring 2023 goodies – three of the five collections shown here were collabs (MAC x Richard Quinn, Clarins x Foxco and Shu Uemura x Nicolas Lefeuvre) so I'll just add them to the pile I hope to cover eventually.
The random:
– In '90s nostalgia, I'm watching Living Single and loving it. Get Hulu if you don't have it already so you can enjoy the hilarity. Also, two of my very favorite movies turned 25: The Wedding Singer and The Big Lebowski.
– If you weren't already petrified of AI taking over the world, let me introduce you to ChatGPT. I fear for the future of both my day job and the Museum.
– This absolutely ludicrous story is literally the plot of a Simpsons episode. Also, please stop throwing things at art, even if the artist was a terrible person.
– So as not to end on a down note, I got some test shots back from a professional photographer for the Museum's collection and they are stunning. Doesn't this little Paul and Joe fellow look extra jaunty?
How are you? How is your spring so far?