This post has been in the making for literally years. I finally conceded that I couldn't find a complete history of either Benefit's Glamourette compact, released in 2002, or the vintage compact it was based on, House of Platé's Trio-ette (ca. 1944-1947). But I did turn up a few nuggets of information, so figured I'd share the little bit that was readily available.

House of Platé Trio-ette compact (ca. 1944-1947) and Benefit Glamourette compact (ca. 2002-2003)

House of Platé Trio-ette compact (ca. 1944-1947) and Benefit Glamourette compact (ca. 2002-2003)

The House of Platé company was established in 1944 by Robert T. Plate in Detroit. From what I was able to piece together from various archives, it seems Plate was born in 1897 in Lima, Ohio and received a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1923. Specializing in automobile design, his first job was draftsman for the Willys-Overland Company in Toledo. Beginning in 1932 Plate worked for General Motors, and in 1938 he was doing business as the Plate Manufacturing Company. In 1945 he trademarked the Trio-ette compact under Curly Lox Products.  The biggest mystery for me is why Plate decided to market cosmetics. I'm assuming it was a side hustle to earn a little extra cash, or maybe he thought he could become the next Max Factor. (As a side note, Plate moved quite frequently throughout his life, bouncing around from Ohio to Michigan to New York to LA…if it's the same Robert T. Plate, I'm not sure whether he was trying to help his business take off across the country or moving for engineering jobs.)

Trio-ette trademark registration

The design of the compact was based on a "quaint Victorian rose cameo hand mirror" according to one ad. This one is reproduced in Roselyn Gerson's book Vintage and Vogue Ladies' Compacts (2nd edition).

Trio-ette ad, House and Garden, 1946

It's really fascinating to see how a mechanical engineer who designed cars approached makeup. Compacts with powder, rouge and lipstick had existed for years, but few had the novelty and charm of the Trio-ette's design. (However, one can definitely tell an engineer also thought of the rather unimaginative House of Platé name. I guess Plate thought adding an accent over the "e" would make it sound vaguely French and therefore instantly appealing.) I'm so disappointed that I wasn't able to find patent drawings despite having the serial number. But maybe the trademark is different than patenting the actual design.

Trio-ette compact box

Trio-ette compact

Trio-ette rouge

Trio-ette compact open

Trio-ette compact outer mirror

Trio-ette compact lipstick

The name on the handle is such a sweet little detail.

Trio-ette compact handle

Trio-ette ad in the Californian, October 1946
(image from archive.org)

As the Trio-ette was conceived and launched during WWII, it was made of plastic, specifically tenite, instead of metal. Tenite apparently is the trade name for a cellulosic plastic created by Eastman Chemicals in 1929. (I wish I knew the difference between tenite, bakelite, and celluloid. Alas, I have no clue.) The Trio-ette was also refillable. This snippet from Drug and Cosmetic Industry shows the refill kit, but the really interesting thing about this blurb is that the journal was not falling for the Trio-ette's hype, claiming it was nothing more than a "gadget" and citing the more "streamlined" designs from established big-name brands.  It's true: companies had been making triple compacts for a good 20 years by that point.

Trio-ette - Drug and Cosmetic Industry, January 1945
(image from archive.org)

Whether it was a novelty or a truly handy compact to carry, the Trio-ette seemed popular, or at least, it was readily available across the entire country in department stores as well as drugstores. Plate, though not a businessman by trade, understood the importance of advertising. In late 1945 he hired NY-based firm Norman D. Waters and Associates to oversee a national campaign they would launch early the following year. The Trio-ette allegedly reduced "bag fumbling" and "makeup fatigue".

Advertising Age, February 1946

As with lipstick mirrors, it was considered a social faux pas to be digging through one's purse to look for your makeup, mostly because it was a potential inconvenience for men. Ladies, with the Trio-ette he won't mind waiting for you to touch up since it won't take long at all – all your makeup is in one place so you won't waste his time searching for it. *eyeroll* These ads certainly paint a picture of gender norms, don't they?

Green_Bay_Press_Gazette_Mon__Apr_8__1946_

There were other products from House of Platé, including a double-ended lipstick called the Duo-ette and the Vista, a lipstick with a built-in mirror (again, you can see my post on those.)

House of Platé ad, 1946

The Trio-ette came in a variety of colors as well as black ones with a pink rose or a rhinestone border.  According to collector's guides, the most valuable colors are blue, pink and green. Personally, while I love all the shades, my most-wanted would be the rhinestone version followed by the green and mock tortoiseshell.

Trioettes and Duo-ette lipstick
(image from pinterest)

Trio-ette compact with rhinestones
(image from etsy.com)

The Trio-ette was quite short-lived. I'm not sure why exactly; it could be that Plate had run into a trademark issue with Curly Lox, or maybe after the war a return to metal compacts was all the rage and plastic fell out of favor. Or it could also be that a copycat was released around the same time. In the UK, a company named Jason released a nearly identical compact in late 1947. The only difference I can see besides the name is that the front of the compact is plain instead of bearing a sculpted rose.

Trio-ette by Jason, ca. 1947-1949
(image from antiquesatlas.com)

According to the British Compact Collectors Society, the Jason Trio-ette was also known as a "three-in-one" and available in blue, green, ivory, black and tortoiseshell and could be ordered by mail from Targett Tools Ltd., London. It's not clear what, or even if, there was a relationship between House of Platé and Jason.

Jason Trio-ette, Board of Trade Journal May 1948

What's undeniable is the impact the Trio-ette had on future compact designs for the bigger brands. Volupté launched a compact with powder, lipstick handle and outer mirror in 1951 within its Demitasse line, and by 1953 it was advertised as the "Lollipop".

Volupte Demitasse Lollipop compact, ca. 1951-1954

Volupte Demitasse Lollipop compact, ca. 1951-1954
(images from etsyc.com)

Volupte Lollipop ad, Hartford Courant, June 1954

Around 1952 Coty launched its Parisienne vanity, similar to the Volupté Lollipop, but with no mirror on the outside of the compact.

Coty Parisienne compact, ca. 1952-1959

Coty Parisienne compact, ca. 1952-1959
(images from etsy.com)

Perhaps another reason for the Trio-ette's brevity was simply that Plate couldn't compete with the more well-known brands, who in addition to name recognition, also had a far bigger advantage in terms of marketing savvy. Coty's Parisienne, for example, was somewhat misleadingly advertised as a "4-in-1" even though it actually only contained two products – the mirror and puff were considered the 3rd and 4th items. While some ads describe the design as a miniature hand mirror just like the Trio-ette, some others claim the Parisienne to be a "replica of a Cartier-designed original," which sounds way fancier than a Victorian hand mirror. Maybe if Plate had hired an agency with sneakier copy writers to advertise the compact differently, it might have had some longevity. As I noted earlier, he was educated as a mechanical engineer and not a businessman, so navigating the world of ad agencies and cosmetics marketing was a tricky prospect.

Anyway, House of Platé dropped the accent over the "e" and inexplicably shifted to making plastic toys by mid-1948, which continued through 1951.

House of Plate ad in The Billboard, 1949
(image from archive.org)

Unfortunately Plate was no longer running a legitimate business at that point. According to a 1951 FTC ruling, essentially the House of Plate was mailing people products they did not order and then demanding payment. It's a common scam that persists today in the form of "free trials" of various products. (A few years ago my own mother was the victim of one of these schemes in the form of a trying out a "free" face cream she was sent.) In 1951 the company was officially dissolved. Plate passed away on December 10, 1966 in Athens, Greece.

Now let's investigate Benefit's Glamourette. First, a little background. Founded as a San Francisco boutique called The Face Place by twin sisters Jane and Jean Ford in 1976, the company was renamed to Benefit in 1990 and launched at Henri Bendel in 1991. The cheeky names and retro vibe quickly made their products best-sellers across the country. In 1997 Benefit made its international debut and was acquired by LMVH in 1999. Using vintage mannequins as their mascots and creating packaging inspired by everything from '20s face powders to '70s lip glosses, Benefit was widely recognized as a fun brand that lightheartedly saluted beauty products of yesteryear.

Benefit ad - Vogue, May 2000

Benefit ad - Vogue, May 2000(images from archive.vogue.com)

The company had firmly established its playful kitschy take on cosmetics by the early 2000s, but why they decided to draw on the Trio-ette specifically is unclear. None of their other products seemed to be literal remakes of a particular piece of makeup from earlier times. As with the Trio-ette, I wish I could hunt down the patent drawings for their version of the compact. I also wish I could find anyone who worked for Benefit during that time and see if they have any inside information as to what inspired the company to update the Trio-ette.  We know that the Ford sisters were vintage collectors, so maybe one of them came across a Trio-ette and thought it was the perfect compact to use in their line, but why?

Benefit Glamourette trademark filing

Benefit Glamourette box

Let's compare the Glamourette with the Trio-ette. I would have done a smackdown because they are nearly identical but pitting a spry 20-year-old against a 70+ relic didn't seem like a fair fight.  Obviously the formulas for the makeup itself were updated with newer ingredients.

Benefit Glamourette compact (ca. 2002-2003) and House of Platé Trio-ette compact (ca. 1944-1947)

The lace pattern on the inside of the lid is a nice nod to the pink floral pattern that appears on the insert included with the Trio-ette.

Benefit Glamourette box

Instead of a rose on the lid Benefit used an abstract squiggle design. Also, I don't think the Glamourette was offered in other colors; to my knowledge, only black plastic was available.

Benefit Glamourette

Benefit Glamourette outer mirror

The lipstick mechanism appears to be the same between the two compacts, but Divine's rosy brown hue is unmistakably '90s/early 2000s. Instead of the company's name on the cap there's a sticker saying "lipstick". I would have strongly preferred Benefit's name rather than a totally unnecessary sticker. I know people are dumb but it's pretty obvious it's lipstick…no need for a sticker.

Benefit Glamourette lipstick in Divine

Benefit Glamourette blush in Divine

Interestingly, the powder and blush are reversed from the Trio-ette, i.e. the blush is on the inner part of the compact and the powder is on the outer side. You could also swap out the powder for Fancy Lady cream highlighter.

Glamourette Fascinating Finish face powder

The shade range for the face products had not improved since the 1940s. In fact, I suspect the Glamourette's was even worse. I'm not 100% sure, but it's my understanding from reviews that Fancy Lady didn't come in any other shades besides a pale ivory/champagne. And while I can't make out this tiny photo, it looks like Fascinating Finish powder, appallingly, also only came in one very light shade.*  I know it was 2002, but I was pretty into makeup by then and I distinctly remember just about every line having at least 3 options for face powders and tinted moisturizers by then: light, medium and dark. It's absolutely inexcusable that Benefit didn't offer the bare minimum for face powder shades in the Glamourette compact.

Benefit Glamourette ad
(image from amazon)

Getting back to comparing the two, unlike the Trio-ette, the Glamourette came with a wristlet that could be used as a storage pouch. It's a very sheer piece of organza that I don't think would have been too helpful in terms of preventing wear and tear, but interesting to note.

Benefit Glamourette wristlet

Obviously the advertising for the Glamourette was similar to its 1940s counterpart. Both touted ease of use, refillable products and chic, vintage-inspired packaging. Bag fumbling was still presented as a tedious time waster for the new millennium's busy modern woman. Perhaps as a sort of snooty counterpoint to the golden age of trashy reality TV and super glossy, frosty makeup finishes that appealed more to teens than adults, the Glamourette was also described as "discreet" and something a "real lady" would carry, whatever that means.

Benefit Glamourette ad in the Orlando Sentinel, November 2002

Daily_News_Thu__Aug_8__2002_

The Glamourette was generally well-received. There are a few reviews on Makeupalley gushing over its cuteness and convenience while acknowledging it was a gimmick. One reviewer mentioned she would pass it on to her 11 year-old daughter in a few years, so Benefit helped rekindle the notion of makeup as a keepsake. While most MUA'ers felt the amount of product was a bit stingy for the price point, overall they loved the style and found the compact practical for a night out. Several reviews also pointed out the similarity to the black plastic packaging of Anna Sui's line. 

Speaking of product amounts, I don't have the exact numbers for the Trio-ette, but if they were the same as the Glamourette, the latter was actually a better deal. The Trio-ette retailed for $5.50 in 1946, and according to an inflation calculator it would have cost about $51 in 2002 when the Glamourette was being sold. Glamourette's retail was $38 ($55 CAD and £32.50 in the UK). I also find it amusing that the reviews commented on how streamlined and tiny the compact was when Glamourette is actually a smidge larger than the Trio-ette, which was described as "bulky" in the Drug and Cosmetic Industry article. As we know, makeup packaging gradually got bigger over the years, so the Glamourette demonstrates how both design and consumer expectations changed. 

Benefit Glamourette compact (ca. 2002-2003) and House of Platé Trio-ette compact (ca. 1944-1947)

Despite the amount of press and good reviews, the Glamourette was a limited edition item that did not return to the market after its brief two-year stint. Even against the backdrop of '90s/early aughts' nostalgia for mid-century styles (see also Too-Faced's Quickie Chronicles) maybe the Glamourette was too retro for most customers. I know when I laid eyes on it I thought it was cute but overly vintage-looking for my taste. It could also have been the type of products included. While there absolutely was and will always be a demand among those sticking to simple polished looks and makeup classics in neutral tones, in the early 2000s traditional lipstick, face powder and blush weren't the most wanted product categories among the younger crowd. Says one Makeupalley reviewer, "It has powder and blush which I never use to touch-up, so I'd never carry this with me. And it also has lipstick, and I'm not a fan of lipstick. If they replaced it with concealer, bronzer, and lipgloss, I'd sell my soul for it!!"  Perhaps a tiny sifter of body glitter may also have been more palatable for a Y2k audience. Finally, the lack of shades for anyone whose skin was deeper than mayonnaise obviously eliminated a good portion of the market.

Benefit Glamourette compact (ca. 2002-2003) and House of Platé Trio-ette compact (ca. 1944-1947)

I still can't wrap my head around why Benefit chose this exact compact. I'm just spitballing here, but maybe it's precisely because House of Platé wasn't a well-known brand that's still sold today. Perhaps Benefit didn't want to risk running into copyright issues that may have occurred if they chose to release an updated version of, say, Revlon's Futurama cases. The patents for those designs may have expired, but the companies are still around and significantly larger than Benefit was – although it was owned by LMVH by that point, Benefit's rivals had the potential to take legal action if the company tried to update an iconic product from their archives.

Even though there's a 55 year age gap between the Trio-ette and the Glamourette, their advertising and reception were remarkably similar. So much had changed between 1947 and 2002, yet the design appealed to totally different audiences. As Drug and Cosmetic Industry noted with the Trio-ette, people love a novelty product even if the underlying concept – in this instance, having three makeup products in one attention-getting case – has been done before. It got me thinking about how a third iteration of the compact would be marketed and received today. The small sizes and refills would be attractive to today's makeup consumers, but the compact would have to be made out of sustainable packaging; plastic won't play well. Maybe the products could be even smaller to make space for brushes rather than puffs. There would probably have to be some kind of emphasis on "wellness" and "self-care" or at the very least, "clean" (sigh), vegan and ethically-sourced ingredients. Most importantly, the shades would need to accommodate all skintones. One parting thought: I'd also be curious to see what would happen if a company released it not today but 55 years after the Glamourette. I wonder how makeup customers in 2057 would react.

House of Platé Trio-ette compact (ca. 1944-1947) and Benefit Glamourette compact (ca. 2002-2003)

What do you think of the designs of these compacts? Do you have a preference for one or the other? And do you like having your makeup all in one place? I could see using something like this for touch-ups, but it would still fall short. Until a product is developed that combines concealer, powder, blotting sheets and lip color all in one, I'm destined to dig around in my bag.

 

*There was an article in Global Cosmetic Industry from 2002 that lists the following colors for Glamourette blush and lipstick refills. It doesn't make any mention of multiple shades being available for the highlighter and powder. "Rouges in Divine, Fickle and Coy, Fascinating Finish Translucent Powder and Fancy Lady Highlighting Creme are priced at $11.00 each. The line offers Lip shades priced at $9.00 each in Keen (champagne pearl), Vain (vibrant red), Divine (rich plum), Swell (dusty rose), Prim (pink-cocoa pearl), and Coy (mocha apricot) varieties." I cannot for the life of me locate the article now but I know it existed!

I was eagerly scrolling through Instagram (which has, incidentally, become my favorite social media platform – please join and follow me, it's so much fun!) and came across a familiar image from one of the many vintage ephemera accounts I follow. 

Vintage Flexees lingerie mannequin
(image from instagram.com)

I knew it was makeup-related, but couldn't recall which company had used something that looked just like this lingerie mannequin.  Was it Too-FacedThe Balm?  Nope.  I racked my brain but just couldn't place it.  It wasn't until I started packing for a weekend at my parents' house that it dawned on me. 

Benefit Lana makeup bag

Aha!  I believe I found the original source for Benefit's Luscious Lana, especially given that Benefit refers to her as a lingerie model.  In an alternate version of the makeup bag she has the rose up by her head, but not in the original green bag.  I'm guessing Benefit used a reproduction mannequin of the Flexees one since her face is a little different.  Naturally this serindipitous find got me interested in trying to track down other vintage mannequins to see whether they figured into Benefit's packaging and advertising, and I found another lingerie mannequin that appeared on many of Benefit's old catalogs.  Apparently both this model and the one used for Lana were mannequins meant to be displayed on a store counter top, so they're pretty small – not life-size or anything, which makes them cute rather than creepy.  Both also appear to be from the 1940s or so.

As with Lana the face on this one is ever so slightly different.

Vintage lingerie mannequin
(image from ebay.com)

Benefit makeup catalog

While the features on this mannequin aren't as strikingly similar to the previous two, she still may have served as inspiration for Benefit's Beautiful Bermuda Betty, who appeared in various catalogs and a bag.  The downward-looking pose, hairstyle and smoky eye with thin arched brows look alike, although not identical.

Vintage Formfit mannequin
(image from ebay.com)

Benefit Bermuda Betty

I dug a little more but still couldn't find any original sources for Gabbi Glickman, who is probably Benefit's 2nd best known mannequin mascot.  I did unearth a pair of mannequin heads that are identical, but there was no information provided about them.

Benefit Gabbi bag

The one I was most interested in finding though was the mannequin used for Simone, the dark-haired beauty sporting a lavish gold dress who is probably Benefit's most recognized mascot.  Full-sized Simones reside in Benefit's headquarters in both San Francisco and Canada, and she appeared as the cover girl for most of the aforementioned catalogs.

Benefit headquarters - Simone mannequin(image from sfgate.com)

Benefit holiday makeup catalog

I did find a mannequin that looked just like Simone, but I had no idea what company it was for or approximately when it was made.  This was displayed at a Chanel event but I don't think it was an official Chanel advertising piece.

Chanel mannequin
(image from pinterest.com)

It also doesn't look like a regular vintage mannequin but rather a reproduction.  Looking at both this and Benefit's other mannequins in their offices, I'm wondering if they're using a mix of authentic vintage pieces and reproductions.

Benefit office - mannequin heads(image from refinery29.com)

For example, the third mannequin from the right definitely resembles this reproduction…

Mary mannequin by Marge Crunkleton
(image from crunkleton.com)

…while the blonde right in the middle is a dead ringer for this vintage 1940s jewelry mannequin.

Vintage jewelry mannequin
(image from ebay.com)

Why does Benefit rely so heavily on mannequins for their marketing?  One reason is that in their early days, the company couldn't afford to pay real spokespeople and models, so the mannequins served as a stand-in (this was also the reason Stila used illustrations).  Second, Benefit founders and Jean and Jane Ford always had an affinity for vintage fashion and beauty items.*  In a 2011 interview, Jean explained: "Over the years, Jane and I have collected vintage pieces for inspiration…we have vintage mannequins, compacts, posters, handbags and lots of old magazines.  There is something very romantic about the past.  For our packaging, we use both modern and old-fashioned images and styles to create fun products that women will want to carry in their bags or display on their vanity."  Indeed, using retro designs in a modern way has proved to be a dynamite strategy for the company.  I don't really see it as nostalgia for the past, per se, but rather an appreciation for the overall style and occasionally more kitschy aspects of selling femininity, such as those countertop display lingerie mannequins.  Sometimes I look at old makeup ads and burst out laughing – to modern eyes, the cheesiness and over-the-top tone are genuinely funny.  Benefit seizes the opportunity to celebrate the sillier side of vintage beauty and fashion and infused it into their entire brand.

What do you think?   

 

*In addition to the mannequins, I'm wondering whether Benefit was looking at these Max Factor doll lipstick mirrors when designing their 2016 holiday collection.

I saw this last week at Musings of a Muse and thought it was the cutest thing ever!   No one does kitsch quite like Benefit.  The company will be rolling out 25 pink bus-shaped kiosks to be placed at major airport terminals across the U.S., with a few already in place now at JFK, Austin and Las Vegas airports.  According to Allure Magazine, they'll be "stocked with the brand's 30
best-selling products—including Benefit They're Real! Mascara and Benefit The PoreFessional Primer.   The display screen gives users detailed product descriptions, beauty
tips, tricks for application, and even lets you watch short videos
before you buy. (This one features one of our favorite post-flight picks for a pearly glow after that drying airplane air, Benefit Watt's Up! Soft Focus Highlighter."

Benefit-vending-machine
(image from refinery29.com)

Benefit-vending-machinee
(image from nydailynews.com)

(You can see an in-person picture here.)  Of course, this isn't an entirely new concept.   Stila led the way back in 2002, when the company placed a vending machine in Bloomingdale's in NYC.  By 2007 a few more cosmetics companies, including Elizabeth Arden, were unveiling self-serve kiosks in malls.  In 2009, Sephora put vending machines in JC Penney's stores that were too small to have a full Sephora store within, and also put the kiosks in several major airports.

Sephora-vending-machine
(image from trendhunter.com)

More recently, in May Chanel introduced a temporary vending machine dedicated to selling one item – a new volumizing mascara – at Selfridge's in the UK.   This was a novel idea in that the vending machine was used not to sell a variety of the company's top items but rather to grant exclusive access to a new product before it was officially rolled out at counters.  And because it's Chanel, buyers required a special coin emblazoned with the famous interlocking Cs to access the machine. 

Chanel-vending-coin
(image from brandchannel.com)

Other companies, including The Body Shop, Neutrogena, Proactive and Utique are following suit and have either just launched their own kiosks or are doing so in the near future.  So while the idea having vending machines for cosmetics isn't groundbreaking, the design of Benefit's particular kiosks are.  But would we expect anything less from this brand?  As Benefit marketing director Julie Bell says, "It’s wow on wheels!  It’s
sexy, fun and an innovative new way to introduce our instant beauty
solutions and 'laughter is the best cosmetic' brand motto to hundreds of
millions of travelers that fly each year."  I'm inclined to agree – how could you not smile when faced with a retro Pepto-pink bus-shaped kiosk that sells some great products? 

Have you seen the Benefit vending machines in person yet?  I haven't, and now I want to take a trip somewhere just so I can experience the novelty of buying something from that adorable little bus.

Designer collaborations are rare for Benefit, so natually I was pleased to see them team up with British fashion designer Matthew Williamson for a makeup kit called "The Rich Is Back".  I had heard of Williamson but wasn't familiar with his work.  However, the Rich Is Back serves as a crash course of sorts in his designs.

Let's see, we've got peacock feathers, a honeycomb pattern, a floral print, some sort of geometric print and what appears to be multi-colored leopard.

Williamson-for-benefit-rich-is-back

Williamson-benefit-rich-is-back

I went hunting for these motifs in Williamson's most recent collections.  Finding none in any of the 2013 collections, I realized that maybe my best bet was to search for them all separately.  This is what makes this palette so interesting visually – instead of choosing one print or motif, Williamson and Benefit did the whole kit and kaboodle.  This makeup set boasts a mishmash of some of his oft-repeated prints from seasons past. 

First, the peacock feathers.  Starting all the way back in 2004 Williamson established himself as a master of this print.

Peacock-spring-2004
(images from style.com)

It has since appeared in his pre-fall 2009 collection…

Peacock-prefall-2009
(images from style.com)

…along with his spring and resort 2011 collections:

Peacock-2011
(images from style.com)

But perhaps the most famous instance of his use of the colorful bird feathers hit in 2009 in a collaboration with H&M. 

Williamson-hm2009

Williamson-hm-peacock

Williamson-hm-dress
(images from fashionisima.es and nitrolicious.com)

Celebrities couldn't seem to get enough of this dress!

Matthew_williamson-peacock-dress
(image from shinystyle.tv)

While peacocks didn't strut their stuff in any of the 2013 clothing, they are still plentiful in accessories.

Peacock-necklace-boots
(images from matthewwilliamson.com)

Next up is the floral print, which, to my eye looks almost tie-dyed.  As far as I know this print appeared only in the spring 2009 collection. 

Williamson-floral-spring2009

Williamson has also taken on leopard, which you can see a little better on the inside of the Benefit makeup set.  Some examples from spring and fall 2011:

Leopard-spring-fall-2011
(images from style.com)

And pre-fall 2009:

Leopard-prefall2009
(images from style.com)

But the most colorful instance of leopard print and the one that most resembles that found on the Rich Is Back set comes from the fall 2007 collection:

Matthew-williamson-leopard-fall-2007
(images from style.com)

Then we have the honeycomb print, which Williamson used in his spring 2006 collection.

Williamson-honeycomb-spring2006
(images from style.com)

Lastly, there's the odd, pastel-hued harlequin-style geometric print, which was coupled with touches of black in the fall 2007 collection.

Williamson-checkered-fall2007
(images from style.com)

I'm curious to know whose decision it was to use all these prints on the Rich Is Back set.  It could have been Williamson who selected his personal favorites, or perhaps Benefit chose ones they thought would look best on a makeup kit.  Most likely it was a combination of the two.  

While I passed on buying this set for the Museum, I do think it's a thorough representation of Williamson's designs to date.  What do you think, both of the Rich Is Back and Williamson's work?

Oh, Benefit.  You're at it again with a cleverly-named palette with a hilarious retro image.  Say hello to the Perk-Up Artist, a kit for concealing and brightening that will refresh a tired-looking face. 

Benefit-perkup-artist

Benefit-perkup

It was the video that really cracked me up though.  In just under a minute, Benefit manages to poke light-hearted fun of the slightly sleazy pick-up artist stereotype, the cheesier aspects of the '70s, AND tell you how the palette works.


(images and video from benefitcosmetics.com)

I don't think Benefit has had anything this funny since the Weather Girl palette, which for some reason beyond my comprehension I do not own. 

Anyway, have any of you picked up (har har) the Perk-Up Artist palette?

Well, today is the last day of the Museum's On the Water week.  But I'm not sad because summer is just getting started!

Today I'm taking a peek at two pool-inspired palettes:  Benefit's Cabana Glama and Too-Faced Summer Eye.

Cabana Glama (love the name!) includes a host of summer essentials encased in a vintage postcard designed palette.

Benefit cabana1

Benefit.cabana
(images from benefitcosmetics.com)

Too-Faced's Summer Eye palette has a mix of pink shells and flowers on the outside, and summery eye shadows set in a swimming pool background on the inside.  The water looks so refreshing!

TF summer eye

TFpool(images from blushingnoir.com)

Both of these make me want to lounge by a big pool at a fancy resort with drinks being brought to me…ah, summer dreaming.  I'm not the only one who likes the idea of cooling off poolside, though.  One of British artist David Hockney's recurring themes is the swimming pool.

A Bigger Splash, 1967 (read about it at the Tate's website):

The-Bigger-Splash-Hockney-1967
(image from dailyartfixx.com)

Portrait of Nick Wilder, 1966:

Hockney.nick-wilder

Pool With Two Figures, 1972:

Hockney.pool-2-figures
(images from ibiblio.org)

Since I'm short on time and can't discuss these as fully as I'd like, here's a description of Hockney's fascination with the Southern Californian swimming pool from Socialphy:  "He's best known for his iconic swimming pool paintings that were a key part of the pop art era. His obsession with pools stems from the time he spent living in sunny California in the 1960s. He got inspired by the blue sea, sun, sky, young men and luxury. Who wouldn't? But you wouldn't think that paintings of swimming pools would attract so much hype but looking at them, they do have a certain hedonistic charm and appeal. It's the simplicity of them, the inviting aqua-marine water, sunny LA setting and his use of bright colors."

What do you think of these palettes?  And Hockney's swimming pool paintings?   I think all capture the relaxed yet glamourous spirit of summer days by the pool.

For the second part of the Museum's spotlight on crystal details, I thought I'd focus on Harrod's totally blinged out exclusive Swarovski collection.  Items include:  a Bobbi Brown palette, Sisley Phyto Poudre Compacte, Benefit High Beam liquid highlighter, Givenchy eyeshadow quad, Lancôme Hypnose mascara and Estee Lauder lipsticks.

Crystals 2011 part 2
(images from harrods.com, beautyalmanac.com, designerplanet.org)

I'm glad I visited London in September, but I sort of wish I could go back to pick up these items, particularly the Sisley palette – it's sold out online.  On the other hand, I have some crystal items from previous holiday collections, so maybe it's good I can't buy these since I don't want to blind myself.  😛

This is the first time in a long time I liked Benefit packaging enough to buy the product for the Museum.  Named after the daughters of Benefit co-founder Jean Ford (who started the company with her sister Jane) the Maggie and Annie boxes feature unique psychedelic-looking designs.  

We'll start with Annie.

Annie outside

Annie inside 2

Beneath the "lesson" booklet are the eye shadows.  Here they are in natural light and with flash:

Annie shadows

Annie shadows flash

Maggie:

Maggie outside

Maggie inside

Here are the eye shadows in natural light and with flash:

Maggie shadows

Maggie shadows flash

I'll be frank – I have zero interest in the makeup itself.  What grabbed me about these palettes is the fact that they look like a cross between the iconic Bob Dylan poster by Milton Glaser and a painting by post-Impressionist Paul Signac.  Here is the Dylan poster, completed in 1966:

Milton-glaser-dylan-406x600
(image from friendswelove.com)

And here is the 1890 Signac painting, titled Portrait of Felix Feneon Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints (quite a mouthful!)  As you can see, Paul Signac took after Pointillist Georges Seurat.

Signac1a.preview
(image from buzzsugar.com)

Interestingly enough, you can see both of these at MoMA.  Now I'm curious to know who designed the Benefit palettes and what their inspiration was, and why they chose this particular style for them!

Benefit's Bathina, a best-selling shimmery body balm, recently got a makeover for spring.  Here's the old packaging:

 Bathina old
(image from macys.com)

And the new.  I'm not sure I like this image as much as the old one – I think part of the allure of the Bathina balm was that the product was supposed to leave your skin looking and feeling, well, sexy.  This new image depicts a more innocent woman (in my opinion she looks more like a teenage girl) and even the puff used to apply the product has been transformed to a more girly pink from the previous bombshell black.

2214794
(image from ulta.com) 

What do you think?  I appreciate that Benefit took the time to spruce up some old packaging, but in this case I didn't think it was warranted or an improvement. 

P239314_hero

Benefit has a history of coming up with packaging that perfectly fits their "Who says makeup has to be serious?" motto.  I had been a bit disappointed that the company hadn't come out with anything all that interesting packaging-wise (Coralista blush and Hello Flawless foundation left me cold), but they have redeemed themselves with this adorable highlighting powder housed in a watch-themed tin, which obviously fits the name of the product.  Cute!

(photo from sephora.com)