It's officially spring in the Northern hemisphere, but I still wanted to do a quick catch up on winter, which, for the purposes of this post was January-March.
– So sad to have missed The Cult of Beauty exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, which closes on April 28. It features some truly amazing voices from the beauty arena, including Jill Burke (author of How To Be a Renaissance Woman) and Eszter Magyar (a.k.a. MakeupBrutalism.)
– Also bummed to have missed this exhibition on acrylic nails. Fortunately there's a book available!
– Dame Pat McGrath managed to break the internet with her porcelain doll-like makeup for Maison Margiela's spring 2024 haute couture show.
– There has been much discourse surrounding Sephora being overrun by tweens and their seemingly unquenchable thirst for…skincare?
– Out: "clean girl" makeup. In: the mob wife aesthetic.
– Could this be the oldest lipstick ever found? The jury is still out, but if it is in fact lipstick I'm enamored of the container.
– Don't forget to sign up for early access at the Black Beauty Archive!
– "Can skincare ever exist separately from harmful beauty ideals?" Enjoyed this piece over at Dazed, as I've been asking the same question for years but about makeup.
The random:
In '90s nostalgia, The Matrix and Office Space turned 25, while albums The Downward Spiral and Dookie turned 30.
So many amazing exhibitions in addition to the Cult of Beauty that I probably won't get to see: unicorns at the Perth Museum in Scotland, cute overload at Somerset House, bows at the museum at FIT, Barbie at the Design Museum, and Biba at the Fashion and Textile Museum – was dying reading this interview with brand founder Barbara Hulanicki about the makeup!
How are you? Are you glad winter's done?
It was a very busy summer indeed! I blinked and it was basically over. Let's try to catch up, shall we?
– Lots of beauty history bits and bobs, including Sephora celebrating its 25th anniversary, Guerlain unveiling a company archive (not available to the public, sigh), an interview with scholar Fabiola Creed for a history of tanning, and a profile of centuries-old brand Santa Maria Novella. I also enjoyed an inside look at the design behind this sunscreen bottle (which, while not makeup, needs to be in the Museum's collection.)
– New beauty books! I mentioned these a while back, but they have finally been released.
– Barbiecore and latte makeup were the top trends, along with fruit-themed aesthetics (various "girls" – tomato girl, lemon girl, etc.) Frankly, I've had enough of the same trends repackaged with absurd monikers. Barbiecore and latte makeup are pink and brown/bronze, respectively, and blueberry milk nails are just…baby blue.
– Is CBD beauty really over? And were "weird" lipstick colors ever out of style? (And would it have killed Harper's to link to my article on it?)
– Beauty's ugly side sadly continues with the shuttering of salons by the Taliban. 🙁 Other not-great developments: a rather dystopian collaboration between Microsoft Teams and Maybelline, Tiktok's "aged" filter, and a kerfuffle surrounding the prosthetics used for Bradley Cooper's role as composer Leonard Bernstein. While most agreed the makeup was not offensive in this case – Bernstein's own family gave their blessing – nose putty has fairly anti-Semitic roots. More on that later.
– Fashion designer brands continue unabated. As a fan of Prada's previous beauty line from the early 2000s, I'm particularly curious to see if their 2nd attempt will be more successful.
The random:
– One of the curator's idols announced her upcoming memoir. It's still a year away but I'm looking forward to it.
– In '90s nostalgia, There's Something About Mary, Hello Nasty and the furby all turned 25 this summer. I also watched Muscles and Mayhem on Netflix, a documentary about '90s hit show American Gladiators.
– Another Netflix documentary, this one on professional mermaids, naturally caught my fancy.
– I'm usually not bothered by celebrity deaths, but the passing of Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman, was quite sad for me as his show was a childhood staple (and honestly, even adulthood.) Plus, how fun would a Pee Wee makeup collection have been?
– Another thing I am feeling strangely saddened by was the death of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. I am not alone, apparently.
– At least there were some good exhibitions opening! While I couldn't go to them, "The Offbeat Sari", "Black Venus: Reclaiming Black Women in Visual Culture" and "After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art" all sounded amazing. I did manage to see "The Culture" at the BMA which was excellent. You might recognize this piece:

– Lastly, I did a lot of baking using a bounty of fruit from the farmer's market, which the plushies greatly enjoyed, and picked up a new (and unfortunately expensive) habit of flower arranging.



How was your summer?
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?
Plus links from…oh, the past 6 months. It's been a while.
– Signing up for this online makeup history course at the Victoria and Albert Museum as soon as it's open to the general public! Also hoping they hire me to teach a session should they provide another course. 😉
– Here's the latest on ugly makeup and "unsexy" beauty trends. Speaking of which, where does aging fit in the context of beauty? Spoiler: it doesn't.
– Saddened to hear of the death of the print edition of my favorite magazine. Along with the Stila girls, Allure magazine led to my obsession with makeup.
– Instagram trends are also dead, replaced by Tiktok ones. Recent popular looks include cold girl makeup and crying makeup.
– Amid speculation that the beauty influencer bubble has burst, could mascaragate be the final nail in the coffin?
– In case you were wondering, here's what it looks like to be covered in 30,000 crystals. (Courtesy of Dame Pat McGrath.)
– The Museum's Creative Director (a.k.a. the husband) gifted the Museum some proper archival storage. In their new container, I think these powder boxes look almost as pretty as they do out on display.

The random:
– The Digital Museum of Dress Accessories (DMDA) has given me so many ideas for the Makeup Museum. Plus, their gallery on beauty patches is fabulous, and I can't wait to see the one for compacts (on which I hope to partner with them!)
– In other museum news, I am not a fan of the recent trend of activists throwing food on works of art and no, it doesn't matter if they're behind glass. All it accomplishes is making things miserable for security, housekeeping and conservation staff. Perhaps a more productive method would be protesting the for-profit companies that are largely responsible for climate change rather than museums, i.e. organizations that are actually trying to do some good.
– '90s/Y2K nostalgia: finally got around to watching the second season of Vice's Dark Side of the '90s, along with documentaries on Woodstock '99 and Von Dutch. It was also the 25th anniversary of Lilith Fair.
– It happened a while ago, but I'm still heartbroken that my favorite duo split up. One half twisted the knife further by moving to L.A.
– But I guess maybe that's balanced out by one of my favorite bands reuniting and stopping in Baltimore on their tour! I honestly thought I'd never see them again.
What's new with you? Catch me up in the comments!
Between being distracted by the nonstop avalanche of particularly horrible current events and my inability to realistically estimate how long it takes for me to write anything, two months' worth of links had to be condensed into one post. Sigh.
– Allure had a nice feature on Joey Mills and an article on the importance of Reddit's Makeup Addiction forum for trans women.
– Where are my fellow art history geeks? This article on the makeup worn by Virginie Gautreau, better known as John Singer Sargent's Madame X, is a must-read.
– In company news, Revlon filed for bankruptcy, while Bite Beauty, well, bit the dust.
– The "gym lips" trend is another reason why the Museum's TikTok account remains inactive for now – I have difficulty understanding the stupidity that reigns on that platform. Having said that, it might be worth venturing on there to see experienced pros like Bobbi Brown hilariously laying into clueless influencers.
– This article on the "5-minute face" and the no-makeup look is everything I've been wanting to say on this topic (and more!) but unable to properly articulate.
– I am very curious to exactly how NPD arrived at the statistic that roughly 70% of makep-wearers are back to their pre-pandemic makeup routines – I certainly haven't and know few who have. The findings of this study on Gen-X beauty consumers also do not apply to me. I guess I'm a makeup outlier.
– Looking forward to this docuseries on Black beauty that will arrive in the fall.
– Granny punk makeup? Yes please!
The random:
– I was so honored to have a very special Museum visitor in May. Ally (Shybiker) made the trip to Baltimore so we could finally meet in person! We had a blast going to the Walters and I of course was so happy to show off the Museum's treasures and space. It was an absolute delight and definitely a bright spot in what's been a rather bleak 2022.
– Speaking of museums, here's why mission creep can be a good thing.
– Lots of pop culture milestones, including the 40th anniversary of E.T. (the first movie I saw in a theater – four-year-old me got scared and started crying LOL), the 25th anniversary of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, the 20th anniversary of The Wire, and the 10th anniversary of the Curator's beloved faux documentary Mermaids: The Body Found.
– I love berry season at the farmer's market, and this year I made a strawberry pie and ice cream. The latter's texture was not great, but the pie turned out very well if I do say so myself.

How has your summer been so far?
Belated April links.
– I was saddened to hear of the very untimely death of makeup artist A. J. Crimson. I hope someone will publish a biography and catalogue of his work.
– Interested to check out this new documentary on the lack of regulations for makeup in the U.S.
– Move over blush, false eyelashes are the big comeback trend.
– Here's a decidedly unfavorable opinion of the makeup merch trend. From a consumerist and environmental standpoint, I actually agree – we need less crap, not more! But the collector in me says the Museum should have at least some of it.
– More on beauty's environmental impact is in a great interview with Minsooky at Beauty Independent. Ann has given me so much food for thought since I discovered her work about 6 months ago.
– For my fellow history enthusiasts, Lucy Jane Santos delivers again, this time covering the scientification of beauty. There's also some fantastic early 2000s and '90s nostalgia at Pink Haired Princess and I Need This Unicorn. The former's collection makes me weep – it is truly unparalleled for Y2K and 2000s beauty.
– I still don't understand how Milani relates to the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard case, but…I guess it's worth mentioning?
– I would probably end up trying to eat my fingers if I attempted this very creative and delicious-looking Easter manicure.
The random:
– Words and guitar: one of my favorite albums turned 25 on April 8. In other '90s related news, Romi and Michele's High School Reunion also celebrated a 25th anniversary, and I waved a very sad goodbye to Bitch Magazine, which shut down publication after 26 years.
– I hate most April Fool's jokes, but some of the posts at Hyperallergic had me chuckling.
– I got to see another amazing exhibition! I was blown away by Joan Mitchell's exquisite work at the BMA.



I had the crazy eyes again (and also extra wrinkly from the mask pushing up all those undereye lines). Colorful abstract art clearly makes me a little nuts. I especially loved this piece as it had lots of yellow and was appropriately titled Sunflowers.

How was your April?
Links for one of my least favorite months.
– In beauty history, Lucy Jane Santos discusses both the historic dangers and scientification of beauty, while Minsooky takes a look at the rather sordid history of Dr. Palmer's skin whitener. If you need a palate cleanser after reading the latter, check out the documentary on Fashion Fair Cosmetics.
– Really wish this Pat McGrath Barbie was for sale instead of MAC x Keith Haring NFTs.
– Almost a year after I shared my thoughts on blush's resurgence, it's still going strong.
– Things I am saying no to: slugging and this contraption to make your own lip balm. Is it meant for children or adults?
– After seeing so many "ASMR" videos in which makeup is destroyed, I find repair videos far more satisfying.
The random:
– Now I don't feel as bad about not being on Tiktok.
– In food combinations no one asked for, Pepsi introduced a maple syrup flavored soda, while both the infamous everything bagel and mac 'n cheese ice creams have returned.
-Greatly enjoyed this history of mermaids in Japan.
How was March in your neck of the woods?
Late late late links, once again.
– I was truly honored and overjoyed to be interviewed by the great Arabelle Sicardi for an article on makeup and beauty packaging over at SSENSE magazine.
– Congratulations are in order for the wonderful Black Beauty Archives, who was featured in Oprah Daily, CNN and The Hollywood Reporter.
– More on what the beauty industry can do to combat anti-Asian racism.
– If this article at i-D is to be believed, I can't wait to see Y2K nostalgia, facial embellishments and brightly colored mascaras trending in 2022.
– In makeup executives behaving badly, Estée Lauder forced out Executive Group President John Demsey after he posted a racist meme on Instagram, and the founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills was outed as following right-wing extremists on social media.
– Jaw highlighting, anyone?
– Another piece of makeup history I worked on in the past month was finding specific information on Keystone Laboratories, the Memphis company that manufactured the La Jac and Hi-Hat lines. The company was founded in either 1923 or 1925 by Morris Shapiro and chemist Joseph Menke. Like the Chicago-based Valmor Products, Keystone was white-owned and sold beauty goods alongside spiritual products to Black customers. Due to segregation they had to rely on direct sales agents rather than selling in stores and at the company’s height, they employed 4,000 salespeople nationwide. The two things I’m most interested in are that: 1. Keystone allegedly had a Black chemist on staff by the name of Jackson Green. I was very intrigued by this claim, because if it's true, he would have certainly been one of the first Black cosmetic chemists; and 2. Keystone also hired "professional artists" to create their packaging and I was really hoping to suss out their names so that they are acknowledged (like Charles Dawson). I chased quite a few leads to find info on Green, access Keystone’s archives or get in touch with the founder's granddaughter, but they all were dead ends. If anyone knows this information or where else I can look please let me know!

The random:
– In '90s nostalgia, Wayne's World celebrated its 30th anniversary and a documentary about TV psychic Miss Cleo is on the way.
– I always say adults can have plushies, but Build-A-Bear's "After Dark" line is not what I mean.
– Prepping for the Museum's Egyptian exhibition, so I found this article on the history of the famous Nefertiti bust to be particularly engrossing.
How was February 2022 for you?
Whew! It's been a while since Curator's Corner made an appearance. Links from January (and maybe a few from December.)
– I so wish I could see this exhibition of exquisite powder boxes. Fortunately there's an interview with the collector who amassed them all. And be sure to check out the catalog too!
– You might remember how much I loved MGSM's collab with Toilet Paper magazine all the way back in 2014. While I missed out on the eyelash curler tee, Toilet Paper now has its own beauty line, which is the next best thing.
– Semi-charmed kinda…nail? One of the weirdest '90s beauty crossovers is Third Eye Blind's collab with Smith & Cult, which re-named several of their nail polishes after songs from the band's debut album in honor of its 25th anniversary. Proceeds go to True Colors United, an organization combating homelessness in LGTBQ youth.
– Speaking of nails, Esquire covers the latest male polish brands. Sadly there was no mention of the history of male polish – does anyone remember Candy Man by Hard Candy? (My memory of Candy Man was jogged by seeing Smith & Cult, which is another beauty venture by Hard Candy founder Dineh Mojaher).
– It's not April Fool's Day yet but this Oscar Meyer bologna sheet mask had me thinking it arrived early.
– The makeup world is welcoming back Stila founder Jeanine Lobell, who just launched a beauty subscription box.
– Another blast from the past: Bobbi Brown sounds off on contouring via Tiktok. As an aside, I have to say that while Bobbi's new Jones Road line doesn't interest me much (ditto for Lobell's), it's good to see them returning to what they know best.
– Beauty trend predictions for 2022 include bejeweled embellishments (which personally I think have been trending since the start of the pandemic) and lots of green. I'm also predicting white, especially on eyes thanks largely to the look Peter Philips created at Dior's spring 2022 show.
The random:
– Drooling over this kitchen.
– More '90s nostalgia: Chumbawamba celebrated the 25th anniversary of their chart-topper "Tubthumping," and I'm gearing up for new series That '90 Show.
– I'm always fascinated by other collectors' interests, so naturally I'm wondering how much these Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collectibles will fetch at auction.
– This is from December, but I had to share since it was one of the few bright spots (literally) of 2021. The Alma Thomas show at the Phillips was truly amazing and I'm so happy not only that I got to see it but also that it was my first museum visit since February 2020. Excuse the crazy eyes and messy hair…I was completely overwhelmed, overstimulated and running around the gallery like a maniac.

How did the first month of 2022 treat you?
Some fall 2021 links…late as usual.
– This article makes me think I should try to watch more makeup tutorials.
– Enjoying this new weird beauty magazine. A MM collab would be so cool!
– My prediction a while back about face gems trending came to fruition at the Met Gala.
– FINALLY someone besides me calls out racist shade names in vintage makeup.
– More on the power of makeup in the age of facial recognition technology.
– Glad to see a new generation embracing such a classic shade, although it meant it was sold out for a while.
– The eternal question.
– Historic Black beauty brand Fashion Fair relaunched at Sephora. The Museum celebrated the occasion with a look back at their 1983 fall collection as featured in the September issue of Ebony that year.


The random:
– In '90s nostalgia, get ready for a Beanie Babies documentary and tours from both the Fugees and Pavement. Also check out this history of Black cinema in the early part of the decade.
– Given how bad Instagram makes me feel, I'd argue that it's not only teens who are affected by it.
– I cannot wait to visit both of these mermaid museums, one of which is right here in Maryland.
– LOL.
How's fall been treating you so far?