Some of you may remember that I wrote a little blurb on the coloring book by philosophy some time ago (The Vampire's Lair, February 1997). The kit was designed to be an "all-in-one" makeup kit that fits into a small book-size carrying case. You get a set of seven professional makeup brushes, an eye and lip lining pencil, a pencil sharpener, five lip shades, four blushes, and ten eyeshadow shades. Each of these colors, including lip colors, were in a "pot" format (you needed to use a brush to apply any of the colors). Despite a very conservative set of brown and mauve shades for the eyes, cheeks, and lips, the original kit didn't quite suit everyone's individual skin tone. I playtested the kit for one month before finally returning it. I found myself gravitating towards using only one or two shades. The brushes were of high quality, but the makeup itself was too firm and not easy to apply. The case was held closed by a shoddy velcro strap that eventually peeled off. A newer kit was introduced shortly afterwards. The kit included an empty case and a set of makeup brushes and allowed you to freely select any colors you prefer.
The new coloring book includes a new case with a button snap closure,
a handy makeup mirror, six eye shadows, two blushes, four full-size lipsticks,
and the same great brush set philosophy included before. The new pots are
larger than in the old kit. The smaller selection of colors has me believing
that philosophy chose quality over quantity this time around. The full-size
lipsticks the company included this time also seems to be a response to
the lack of enthusiasm over the lipstick pots. The cost of the coloring
book has risen from $160 to $180.
philosophy also recently introduced the pocket book, a snap-close
billfold makeup wallet with one eyeshadow, one blush, four mini lipsticks,
and a set of five makeup brushes. The cost of the pocket book is $45. I
would advise getting this product as a good introduction to the philosophy
product line.
Revlon and Maybelline are advertising their moisturizing
lipsticks with a vengeance these days. Those of you who use L'Oreal
lipsticks (not the long-lasting lipsticks) are already familiar with the
advantages of wearing moisturizing lipstick. I think that L'Oreal lipstick
has a more agreeable fragrance than any of the other popular drugstore brands.
It also feels "richer" than others, too.
In a pen kind of mood? Stila Cosmetics (available at Barney's
New York, Sak's Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom's) has a lip color pen called
lip rouge that doubles as a lip color and lip liner. Maybelline has
an eye lining pen called Eye Express.
According to Allure Magazine, the average woman purchases the
following items on a yearly basis: 12 tubes of facial cleanser, 12 bars
of soap, 12 boxes of Q-tips, 12 bags of cotton balls, 12 bottles of firming
lotion, 12 jars of salt scrub, 12 bottles of herbal toner, 12 mascaras,
12 tubes of toothpaste, 12 bottles of shampoo, 12 tubes of conditioner,
12 sticks of deodorant, 6 jars of hydrating gel mask, 6 jars of clay mask,
6 bottles of oil-free moisturizer, 6 tubes of oxygenating facial moisturizer,
6 bottles of gentle exfoliant, 6 bottles of exfoliant for the body, 6 bottles
of exfoliating cleanser, 6 tubes of acne-control mask, 5 lipsticks, 5 pots
of eye shadow, 4 bottles of hairstyling spritz, 4 jars of body-firming cream,
4 jars of hair bleach, 3 makeup brushes, 3 bottles of hand and nail oil,
2 tubes of creme concealer, 2 jars of loose powder, 2 bottles of eye makeup
remover, 1 bottle of foundation, 1 bronzer compact, 1 pot of blush, 1 hair
dryer with brush attachment, 1 curling brush, 1 hairbrush, 1 pair of tweezers,
1 cuticle cutter, 1 razor with 25 replacement blades, and a variety of hand,
body, and facial creams. Whew! The total cost of all of these products can
run you several thousands of dollars. Alas, it is the price of beauty!
I generally try to keep my skin as pristine as possible, however, a recent
introduction to Bioré deep cleansing strips revealed otherwise.
For anyone who is not familiar with these, they're medicated strips that
yank icky dirty goop right out of the pores of your skin. Trust me, everyone
has some excess goop they could stand to lose. The first strips introduced
were strictly for the nose, but other strips have been recently introduced
for the rest of your face. These strips are so awesome they should be in
every person's cosmetics case.
Wish you were born with perfect blue or green eyes? Me too. Colored contacts
are not just a curiosity anymore. They are now a necessary part of many
a wardrobe. Matched with the appropriate clothing and accessories, a new
eye color can make a bold fashion statement. Colored contacts have been
out for a while and now you can buy disposable colored contacts for a similar
price to their daily wear counterparts ($99 for 12 disposable pairs versus
$99 for one daily wear pair). If you wear your contacts infrequently, this
may be a good option. Ciba Illusions and Wesley Jessen Freshlook
are two popular brands. You can order your lenses via mail-order if you
have a valid prescription.
W Magazine informs us that baby socks are back
"so long as they're
gray." You've got to be kidding me! Since when? Perhaps in the hooker
world!
Platforms are still popular. Sorry, spiked heel fans, but women are simply
outright refusing to wear these torture devices anymore. Go to Aldo
Shoes for the latest trendy styles. Go to Baker's for more hooker-like
designs. If you like to shop in boutiques, see if they have any shoes by
Steve Madden. With platforms, you can be a diva or just look like
one.
The cover song, "Everlasting Love," as performed by Gloria
Estefan has catapulted Gloria into "diva" status (okay, her
silver dress had something to do with it, too). Each successive single has
raised the singer to new heights of divadom. Well, Gloria fans, don't miss
her latest release called "Gloria!" coming soon to a record store
near you. I'm expecting some really explosing dance music on it. It's sure
to be a chart topper.
La Bouche (who sang the phenomenally successful "Be My
Lover") and Pretty Poison (who sang the dance classic "Catch Me I'm
Falling") have come out with new albums. I got a chance to preview
the songs off of Pretty Poison's "Euphoria" album and all I can
say is please save your money. From the updated "Catch Me I'm
Falling" (sure to be a chart riser for summer '98) to "My Heart Will Go On" (an alternate version to the Celine Dion/Titanic ballad), this album provides
dud after dud, reminiscent of Carmen Elektra's debut dance album (yes, Miss
Elektra did attempt to build up a music career under the guidance of Prince).
About the only good thing "Euphoria" has going for it is the
incredibly gorgeous lead vocalist Jade Starling on its front cover. If you want a really great dance track, buy "Free" by Ultra Naté (Strictly
Rhythm Records). "Free" was voted the number one dance single
last year by a prominent dance music magazine.
Sadly, Ginger Spice has left the Spice Girls. I'm not a fan of
their music (anymore) since their publicists insist on shoving way too much
of their image down our throats (cough, gag!), but I am a fan of
Ginger herself because, out of all five girls, she was most like a drag
queen. I would not be surprised if they replaced her right away a la the
group Exposé. Who would be a suitable replacement? Calling
Lady Miss Kier...
Some of you may have heard me mention The Edge, a "new"
nightclub in Manayunk (basically the old River Deck nightclub taken over
by new management) hosting drag shows on Wednesday nights. You may be wondering
what Manyunk is like and whether or not it is safe to dress en femme in
town.
Manayunk is a neighborhood located about seven miles
outside of downtown Philadelphia and hard by the Schuylkill River. Main Street is its main attraction and is basically a neat place to visit en homme mode. Some of the top restaurants and stores in
the Philadelphia area line Main Street and stay open late hours. Be sure
to check out Mainly Shoes. Their shoe selection is phenomenal. Also
check out Smith Bros. You will pay an arm and a leg for the latest
fashion trends, but - hey - if you gotta' have the latest stuff, you have
to be willing to pay for it.
Weekend nights are the busiest and there is often a stream of cars that
drive endlessly from one end of the long street to the other back and forth
all night long (this procedure is called "cruising" in East Coast
guido parlance). Some people meet others by passing by their cars or attracting
comely people off the street. It is obvious, however, that you must look
like you have boatloads of money to even be considered an attractive prospect.
If you are going to Manyunk on a date with your spouse or friend, you do
not have to worry about looking like these guidoes and guidettes.
The Edge has a younger clientele, mostly college age. The club is located
towards the end of Main Street, away from the cruisers. The dress code for
this club is very casual for the summertime: t-shirt and shorts will get
you in. The people who live in or visit Manayunk are very conservative. I
have seen maybe one or two crossdressers walking around the area on weekends.
I have also seen biker dudes. And old people in wheelchairs, too. In other
words, these three groups of people are not very common occurrences and
I question the boneheaded decision to start a drag night in a club located
in a conservative-that-thinks-it's-trendy kind of town.
Kalina's Cool Colors of the Month
Revlon Stone or Blackcherry. These ultra-dark retro colors complement
any gold or silver outfit, respectively. For more "beyond the edge"
colors, try SmashBox Cosmetics available at Henri Bendel, Lord &
Taylor, and Nordstrom's. Or, if you're strapped for cash, try Sally
Hansen's Cobalt (metallic blue), Green Gold, Dazzle (metallic white), Eclipse (silver), Shock (metallic lime green), or Metalworks (metallic violet). To make any
of these colors shimmer even more, apply a generous coat of Revlon's Glossing
over it.
I hope you've enjoyed this installment of The Vampire's Lair!
To find out more about me, come visit my
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