I have to say that I was initially excited about MAC doing a Wonder Woman collection…until I saw the packaging. It was just, well, sad.
(image from nordstrom.com)
I guess I was hoping for something more interesting and not so juvenile and cheap-looking – something that better represented Wonder Woman's character. Says the copy for the collection: "Our Artists work wonders every day – now with the help of one of entertainment history’s most exciting feminist figures…Wonder Woman is the original incarnation of what makes women forever wonderful!…In that same spirit of fantasy and wonder, M∙A∙C creates a vivid collection of accessories that are sure to bring you a sense of feminine infallibility, totally peerless power – you ARE Wonder Woman if you want to be." Additionally, there has been the argument, and I agree with it, that Wonder Woman can be considered a feminist icon. That larger debate is outside the scope of this post, but suffice it to say that the packaging seems to be appealing to children than adults, and doesn't necessarily reflect the more grown-up themes of Wonder Woman's strength and power. MAC could have easily chosen better images and kept basic black packaging (similar to their Hello Kitty collection).
But the outer boxes for the items, along with the tote bag and t-shirt, which I bought for the Museum, were more intriguing. I liked that they brought an actual comic book element into these:
And I think the fold-out I got was the best piece in the whole collection, even though it's not technically part of it and was sent to me with the t-shirt for free!
Now, one simply cannot have a conversation about comic books and their heroes (or in this case, their heroines) without considering the work of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. At least, I can't. Lichtenstein painted almost identical large-scale copies of sections of comic books.
(Sweet Dreams Baby!, image from popartpal.com)
Whaam!, from 1963, is actually based on an original 1962 DC comic called "All American Men at War":
(image from artchive.com)
I really enjoyed how MAC exaggerated the the Ben-Day dots in the fold-out much like Lichtenstein did in his work.
Thinking of Him, 1963:
(image from globalgallery.com)
Girl with Hair Ribbon, 1965:
(image from reproduction-gallery.com)
So, to summarize, there are many layers of meaning about this collection if you want it to be – it intersects makeup, comic books, feminism and pop art. Works on so many levels!
I'm pretty bummed Lancôme isn't getting in these fabulously cute Juicy Tubes that were designed by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama in honor of the famous lip gloss' 10th anniversary – why, Lancôme, why?? There's just as big a market in the U.S. for these as other regions! Grrr.
(photo from glossy-kiss.blogspot.com)
Kusama is famous for her works featuring a dot motif, which is included in the Juicy Tubes design. Here it is on a larger scale in an installation from October 2008:
(photo from contemporaryartlinks.blogspot.com)
Here's something else tremendously interesting about this artist, at least to me! When I first saw the collection online her name didn't ring a bell. But when I called Lancôme to find out if it would be coming to the States and said her name aloud, something caught in my memory. After I hung up I said it a few more times to myself like a dork and realized that, ta-da, she is mentioned in a song by my one of my very favorite bands! How cool is that? If you listen carefully at the 3:10 mark you'll hear it. 🙂
Long overdue, but today I'm looking at the Quickie Chronicle palettes by Too-Faced. According to Sephora, company founder Jerrod Blandino was inspired by a documentary on 1950's "pin-up" magazines. Each of these limited-edition palettes (only 7,000 of each are made), has a different story written by Blandino on the back to express the personality of the woman on the front, and by extension, the makeup look the palette colors will provide. But every palette has the same text at the top: "She had always been a good girl. She played by the rules, never kissed
on the first date, and agreed Daddy always new best. But then the
innocent girl picked up the Quickie Chronicles, and honey, she was
never the same."
Almost of the images are from PC Designs, while some, like the Miss Sixty palette (which was done in conjunction with the women's fashion line), seem to be original artwork. To the best of my knowledge I am missing only one of these – the "Rent" palette, which does not feature a pin-up girl but images of the actors in the play/movie Rent. Seeing as how I'm not into musicals I never bothered to buy it, but maybe I should to make the collection complete.
The feminist in me doesn't think a series of 50's-style pin-up girls is the best representation of women, and the copy for some centers on women using their looks to snag a man and his money. For example, take this text from the Bathing Beauty palette:
"The Bathing Beauty knew she needed a man to bankroll her leisurely,
luxurious lifestyle, but she couldn't decide what sort. He, of course,
had to be willing to buy her diamonds for absolutely no reason at all,
and she positively had to have beach houses in Malibu, Maui, St.
Barths, The Rivera, and Monaco so she could work on her beautifully
bronzed glow year round – and this kit was always at her side to help
her lure in the bait."
Yikes. That aside, I do think the creator meant all of the copy to be tongue-in-cheek and not serious, and I love that he actually writes for each one to make them unique and represent the feel of each palette. As a consumer I think it's great to be able to pick up one of these and know that the makeup inside directly relates to the image on the outside. Looks like you can judge a book by its cover!
Too-Faced is well known for their Quickie Chronicles palettes, but this past January they came out with a something in a different direction: a collection based on the '80s animated series The Smurfs. (For those of you who remember watching them on TV, the show was actually an outgrowth of the Smurf cartoons, which made their debut in 1958 in a Belgian newspaper.)
As part of the So Smurfy collection, this palette features a highlighting powder with the first female Smurf printed on it.
The collection also included an eye shadow palette, eye liner, and lip gloss (which Sephora no longer seems to have up on its site):
(photos from sephora.com)
I was never a big fan of the Smurfs when I was little, but I thought this collection was just plain fun. Then I did a bit of poking around online and discovered the story behind Smurfette. BellaSugar sums it up nicely:
"Even as a kid, I thought the story of Smurfette's genesis is as sexist
as they come: Gargamel creates Smurfette to seduce and destroy the
all-male Smurf clan. Alas, her dark hair, 'big nose' and simple smock
are not pretty enough to do so. Papa Smurf comes along, works his
magic, and poof! Smurfette is, as Papa says, 'new and improved' with
long blond hair, a smaller nose, a shorter dress, and high heels. So,
while it's just a cartoon and the Too Faced collaboration is meant to
be fun, it's safe to say that Smurfette and I have some baggage to work
through."
Make that three of us. I had absolutely no idea that's how Smurfette was created and was a bit dismayed Too-Faced chose to resurrect this particular cartoon when the company could have chosen from a dozen other '80s shows. I did some more digging and was amazed at the analyses that have been written about the intersection of this cartoon character and feminism (or lack of it), including a wonderful piece by Katha Pollitt on the "Smurfette Principle" in children's TV shows. Still, when examining the Too-Faced concept, it makes sense that creators Jerrod Blandino and ? would choose Smurfette to star in a collection. Their logo is a supermodel named Envy: "She's the 'It girl' every girl wants to be and all the boys have to have!…always remember Envy's mantra, 'why be pretty when you can be gorgeous?'" These statements directly correspond to the copy Sephora came up with to describe the Illuminating Powder: "Smurfette's signature color-correcting shades blend
together for the prettiest perfection—you're sure to be the hottest
girl on your Smurf turf." Like Smurfette's transformation and Envy's mantra, the idea is that one can use this powder to go from "pretty" to "gorgeous". Hmmph. Obviously this is a harmless collection, but it still irks me a little. I think Too-Faced should stick with their tried-and-true Quickie Chronicles pin-ups (which can also be considered anti-feminist to some degree, but that's another post.)
I'm still reeling from the news that Stila is bankrupt and going out of business (some are speculating that it is just a nasty rumor, yet I'm genuinely worried that this is the end), but the show, er, blog, must go on. Barbie celebrates her 50th birthday this year! There's been much buzz about this iconic doll turning the big 5-0, but what I'm most interested in is Stila's collection devoted to Barbie. (Why MAC did a Barbie collection in 2007 rather than wait till now is a mystery, but that's another post.) Stila released a set of four paint cans, each showing a Barbie from different eras and containing a palette decorated with Barbie. First is the original 1959 Ponytail doll:
Next is the Malibu doll from 1971:
Then the Foxy doll from 1980:
Finally, the Jewel doll from 2000:
There are also 2 Barbie palettes and a lip glaze (which I couldn't purchase as Museum funds were depleted on the paint cans!):
(photos from stilacosmetics.com and sephora.com)
I was so happy to see my favorite line team up with Barbie and produce their signature paint cans. I also thought it was clever that they included products to help the consumer obtain the look for each Barbie style. Finally, I liked that you don't have to be a fan of Barbie to enjoy these. I never owned a Barbie (not because my cool feminist mom wouldn't let me have one – I think she shares this view that Barbie isn't harmful to little girls – but because I found the doll to be boring) and I thought these were really well-done.
If only Stila could stick around we could see what else they would come up with. Fingers crossed their supposed bankruptcy really is just a rumor.
p.s. If you happen to live in or visit NYC, you must check out the amazing display in the 5th avenue Sephora before it's gone – the entire second floor is devoted to Stila's Barbie collection, complete with life-size cardboard cutouts of the 1959 Barbie in her black and white bathing suit. I was visiting during the last weekend in March and of course managed to forget my camera in the hotel room, so I have no pictures (well, I took a few on my phone but I haven't the foggiest idea as to how to get them off the phone and onto the computer), but it's really neat!
