The mission came my way via Abhi over a month ago, a reader had contacted our comment line with the following:
The high-end cosmetics company NARS has a new lipstick shade called Hindu…I wonder how a shade called Jew or Protestant would fare in the public eye? Is the idea that all Hindus have temptingly red lips? To be fair, there are also shades called Afghan Red and Gipsy. What do you think?
Said Abhi, “This one is ALL you.” Said me, “HELL YES!” I love Nars. If I’m not wearing Chanel makeup, I’m glowing because of the most notoriously named blush of all time. One problem– “Hindu” proved more elusive than I imagined. It was sold-out all over town. The intrigue grew; if it was so desired, I had to keep it under surveillance for the sake of the Mutiny. I finally located a tester of it at Blue Mercury Apothecary (apothecary!) and made my way to my prey.
Part of Nars’ Holiday ’06 collection, “Hindu” had sold so well, it would take a month for me to procure one for the Mutiny. “Nars just didn’t make enough,” my source said, as they prepared the tester for germ-phobic me. I loathe such situations, because I prefer to examine communal cosmetics on the back of my hand. The allegedly-disinfected lipstick was headed right for me. I started to panic, but then I remembered that every Mutiny requires pain and sacrifice.
When she was done with me, I was wearing a very brown lipstick with excellent texture, which reminded of a sheer version of Chanel’s “Very Vamp”. I expected redder tones, not the muted brown which I was studying. I also thought there would be more glitter, since it’s very visible in the tube. The staff praised the end result; I was less convinced by the “Hindu” effect. Maybe for the office, but it was too dull for my scenery-chewing tastes. I was thrilled that it looked so good on South Asian skin, though.
“Would you like to be put on the waiting list?”
I hesitated; normally I would have politely declined, but Abhi had tasked me with more than just scouting “Hindu” out:
My biggest question is can a nice Christian girl such as yourself be labeled a “heathen” if they apply this? If you kiss a nice Mallu boy with “Hindu” lipstick on, what would happen!
In the name of the Mutiny, I gladly put myself on the line to complete this mission; alas, I did not find a suitable partner for such a life-or-death covert operation. Abhi, forgive me.
Another deep red that works for our skintones is the dark maroony red in the L’Oreal HIP line of lipsticks (can’t remember the name, sorry). L’Oreal’s True Match foundation also has decent shades for us (W6 and W7 especially), otherwise it’s Prescriptives or Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme or some Lorac shades (Lorac Cover Up in C5 is my staple). MAC has good shades for us too but their foundations always break me out, damn them.
Speaking of popular shades that everyone loves but don’t work for you – Nars Orgasm show up on anyone here? Not me, boohoo.
Too right! Though, Coffee Bean was only ghetto if you really laid it on thick. I could only wear Blackberry on a night out as I would get in trouble for wearing it to school. My high school lip wear of choice? Ultra-repressed Christian. (The Body Shop ‘Born Lippy’ gloss in any delectable flavor).
I confess to buying a shade of O.P.I. nail polish just because it was called “Jewel of India”.
Bobby Brown does it for me every time. The lipstick colors are awesome.
Does anyone remember Revelon’s ‘Iced Mocha?’ Talk about washed out.
I do wear lots of MAC (have never had a parched-lips problem from their cosmetics), so the deep red I recommend is ‘Desire.’ Other everyday shades that work for me are Stila’s ‘Sunday Bazaar,’ and Paula Dorf’s Lipsicle in ‘Dali.’
Thanks for the pics Anna. You spoil us so.
What’s that no pics in the store rule about? Trade secrets or something?
On another note: I agree with you, that color is way subtle for you. It’s very office-y or mommyish and movie star make-up matches your personality more. (Yes, it does come through the computer 🙂 The eyes you were working for last weekends meet-up were wonderful.
I love make-up, (when I have a chance to wear it) but since I get sweaty so often working out all day, it’s pointless. I wish you lived closer so you could help me with my make-up.
DJ, I like having you around because I never have to finish any of my own jokes 🙂
Oops. That’s Bobbi Brown. Thought it didn’t look right…
Lo siento, the perfect match is really crucial though. 🙁
Pics of Anna swathed regally in acres of blue silk aside, where are the other photos of luscious, full-lipped beauties in various shades of vampy red lipstick, people ? Goddammit, there should be pouty, glisteningly kissable mouths bursting out of the screen at this point !
Please stop teasing us by linking to pics of lipsticks at Revlon etc. Yeah, us guys know the phallic symbolism, but let’s see that stuff on the ladies. What’s the point of having a thread about lipstick if there are no lips being shown ? Show us the money !
Too much tantalizing going on here, I tell ya…..All talk and no action…..
As if bechara Mr Whitney Houston didn’t already have enough crap to deal with in his life…..Taking stage makeup a little too far, I think…..
I would have to agree wholeheartedly. This shade was recommended to me by my palest friend. Her skin as so fair you could practically see through it. The fact that we could both use it…
But I still protest the idea of “our” skin tones. What does that mean? We don’t all have the same skin tones! My mother is much fairer than I am with pink undertones (I have yellow or green or something, but not pink), and I have family members who are darker than I am.
Besides me, you mean? 🙂 From the post above:
what about an indian girl whose lips are differnt colors? my top lip is brown, [naturally] and my bottom is more pinkish,but brown on the outer side. i kind of have bigger lips than normal desi girls do. i’m on the search for the perfect lipstick, and i just use gloss when going out.
SemiDesiMasala: i too (fondly) remember the toast, and its promise of ‘rich, smooth color, soft-shine and irresistible lips.’
(ehh, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad).
OK ladies as promised some recommendations are up. Hopefully they help.
This is me too! I find that lighter shimmery colors work better, at least with the mismatched lips combined with my skin tone.
I needed lip balm, but I reached for my Black Honey instead. I thought of all of you as I applied it to my mismatched (plum and pink) lips. 🙂
With all this talk of gloss, I have mustered up the gumption to recommend one. I really like this lustreglass from MAC called “palatial.” It looks PINK in the tube but it goes on as a wonderfully shimmery peachy pink and it’s sheer. 🙂
love the pic joat … but i have to say, you (& anna) have eyelids that are meant for eyeshadow … i don’t know how to explain it… hmmm.. your lower lid “folds into itself” when you open your eyes … and the lower lid is distinct from the upper but both upper and lower are visible when you close them …
does anyone know what i’m talking about ??? … my upper lid “folds over my lower lid” … causing a hot mess at the creases …
any suggestions or am i just speaking swahili here ?
Do you mean that when your eyes are open, the part of your eyelid near your upper eyelashes recedes in to the crease so that the shadow
a) isn’t visible
b) smudges where it shouldn’t?
YES ! YES !
YES! YES ! YES ! (why do i feel like meg ryan in ‘When H met S’)
Rani eye shadow isn’t for just the big lidded women it’s for everyone. Look at Asian eyes for example, they have very little lid space to work with but with there are tricks and ways of applying makeup for them as well. I have a huge crease on my lid, the key is to go slightly past the crease into the top of the lid, this way your crease doesn’t create a mess. The key is to use a good shadow that doesn’t budge and stays put so that the crease won’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things.
Once you draw attention to your upper lid the lower lid won’t really matter as much. I assure you that you aren’t the only one with different eyes, everyone has different eyes but everyone can wear eye makeup.
This is beginning to confuse me as much as my vascular surgery guides. Much respect 🙂
tamasha, light colors are fine for light skin, but im a southie with medium/dark brownish skin. light colors wouldnt look good on me. im just looking for a color that would suit my face and lips.
That was the sound of my Revlon Iced Mocha hitting the bottom of my trash can. Thanks P (#104).
OK. I braved the Xmas crowds and got me a stick. It better be good!
I always have problems with makeup artists who try to sell me colors meant for pink undertoned women. I used to use Prescriptives but it’s always dependent on the makeup artist blending the powder.
The one line that has a lot of lipstick, eyeshadow and foundation/powder I like is Laura Mercier. I tried to like MAC Studio Fix, but it makes my skin blotchy.
For blush, Nars Orgasm doesn’t work for me, but Laura Mercier Blushing Apple does as well as Benefit Dallas
I’m also med to dark skin with dark lips and these are some lip colors that I use and love:
Lipsticks- Benefit-Aint Misbehaving (neutral) and Mug Shot (Reddish).
NYC 320B Mahogany Laura Mercier- Merlot (deep wine) and Sherry (berry-brown) Revlon- 746 Pure Burgundy (it’s not really burgundy- but a nice rosy color)
Glosses: Maybelline Shiny-licious-Chocolate Cherry Revlon Coffee Gleam Maybelline Lavender Lights Laura Mercier- Raspberry Glace MAC Pop Mode
Lipliners: Benefit- Gypsy Laura Mercier- Red Chocolate, Neutral Brown, Very Cherry MAC- Whirl
I think we’re overlooking a couple of the mos important issues here. Does this company test its ingredients on animals (or use suppliers who do), and does this lipstick contain any animal ingredients? (Many lipsticks contain ingredients derived from cows, pigs, or other animals.) For all of those debating preferred brands and colours of makeup on this thread, do you actually buy makeup without inquiring as to whether the products are animal-tested or contain slaughter byproducts?
I try not to buy products that are animal tested. The EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics will take effect in 2009…hopefully the US will follow.
However–obviously this issue isn’t important to everyone so I’m sure there are plenty of people who don’t check to see which products are animal tested, and I’m not judging them for it. There are a lot of choices I could make to have a smaller impact on the world we live in that I haven’t made, so I don’t think I can feel morally superior to people who haven’t made the choices I have made. I think this came up in the discussion on vegetarianism.
Here are a list of all the makeup products that don’t test on animals. Some are even high-end and have great products http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDontTest.pdf. Some don’t contain any animal products that are marked with an asterisk. I was surprised to see Creme De la Mer on that list.
Thanks for the photo and review. There is amazingly little consumer info about Nars on the Net.
This is a Nasty idea experimenting new names for brand!