Do We Yearn for Simplicity in Beauty, or Enjoy Being Spoilt for Choice?
Main Image – Sephora/Instagram
Welcome to Blasts From My Beauty Past, our monthly column written by journalist, and Live That Glow Beauty Editor, Philippa Pearne. For the last 17 years, Philippa has written about her own beauty wins, fails and everything in between. Today, she’s discussing how we are now spoilt for choice in beauty and how social media and trends are affecting our beauty consumption.
Does anyone remember Lipcote? I’m talking about the lip colour sealer that came out over 70 years ago, back when budge-free lipstick formulas were unheard of, yet lip colour trends remained bold.
The reason it sprung to mind is because I recently saw a viral video online of Taylor Swift performing on stage with bright red lipstick on. She walks over to a young fan in the front row, kisses her on the hand and my instant reaction was “I hope she’s wearing Lipcote.” Which was odd, considering I hadn’t given it a second thought for decades.
Lipcote was something of a phenomenon when I was growing up in the eighties and nineties – or as much of a phenomenon as it could be pre-social media. It promised to keep your lip colour in place for hours, reduce feathering and stop smudging and it was pretty unique. I hadn’t seen anything like it before.
The application process was straightforward – apply your lipstick, blot it, then paint your lips with a layer of Lipcote’s transparent formula, using its rather haphazard brush. I mean, it worked quite well. But my goodness, it was uncomfortable.
My overriding memory of it was how the brush tickled my lips when I applied it and not in a good way – it was excruciating. That, and how dry it made my lips. It was like applying neat water that dried and shrivelled instantly, taking any hint of hydration with it, and leaving a desert-dry, slightly sticky residue.
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And then there was the fragrance. It’s been re-formulated with a vanilla scent now (yes, it’s still available to buy) but all I can remember from my childhood was its rather chemically smell. Not something I would now rush to apply on my lips – the facial feature closest to my nose no less.
Despite all of the above, I put up with it because, well, at least my lipstick was still on. And I wasn’t exactly spoilt for choice with any other offerings.
To my knowledge, there was only one product available that promised to keep lipstick in place during my formative years, and it was Lipcote. So, of course, it was a phenomenon. It wouldn’t really matter if it was any good or not, people talked about it because it simply existed and that’s all that mattered.
I suppose this is today’s equivalent of ‘going viral’. Now, if everyone’s talking about it, posting about it, sharing it and ‘liking’ it (and trying not to get exhausted by it all), then it must be good. Right?
And if it’s 1995 and this is the only thing out there that keeps your lipstick in place, well then. It’s got to have been made by a genius.
This memory of Lipcote made me nostalgic for a simpler time. Before social media, before anyone knew what it means to ‘go viral’, before there were thousands upon thousands of beauty options available, over-flowing our now-millennial brains.
Back in the eighties and nineties, our options were limited. It was so much easier to decide which lipstick to go for or which mascara to buy because we didn’t have many to choose from in the first place.
Formulas were restricted, particularly when it came to lipsticks. But now, we have a vast choice between matte, oil, creamy, glossy, stained, balmy, tinted and so on, when I was a teen, the choice was pretty much matte or gloss – pick a favourite and go with it.
This kind of simplicity gave shopping for makeup and beauty products so much more clarity. We didn’t experience the sense of overwhelm we do now when we enter a store. Back then you marched straight over to the beauty department, browsed everything in one place and picked up whatever you could afford or liked the look of. Easy peasy.
Now, it’s walk into the store, and be lured in by the bright lights of countless beauty counters, areas and shelves. Walk in the opposite direction to the one you actually need to walk in about 5 times, get distracted by 25 offers and discounts, before finally reaching the area you think you need to be in (because who knows at this point?) and realising the product you’re looking for has 12 different formulas, 24 shades and 60 other brands are selling exactly the same thing.
It’s official. Shopping for beauty in the nineties = way less stressful and way more fun. Take us back!
But you know what they say. The grass is always greener on the other side.
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Because, imagine telling your younger self that in the future, you’ll be able to buy makeup that doubles up as skincare. You’ll get a natural-looking tan from a bottle, rather than a sunbed or frying yourself in SPF 2 oil under the midday sun. And what if you knew then that most beauty brands would start being wary of the ingredients they put into their products, for the sake of your skin and health?
You’ll be able to treat yourself to things like an at-home LED mask that promises to reduce the signs of ageing in six weeks, battery-operated cleansing brushes, face toning devices, makeup brushes for every nook of the face and mascara wands in all shapes and sizes. Not to mention powerhouse ingredients like retinol, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C being at the forefront of the skincare world, accessible to even those on a budget.
And just like that, my inner 14-year-old’s mind has been blown, and present-day suddenly wins.
Our volume of choice might be overwhelming at times but isn’t it amazing to be offered such a wide range of options now, to suit our individual skin type, skin colour, hair colour, eye colour, and personal tastes?
Formulas have evolved, product trends have moved on and even though the simplicity of ‘before’ may seem appealing, I for one could never go back to feeling so limited when it comes to shopping for my beauty products. Not knowing what I know now.
The sheer enormity of choice enables me to keep trying new things, enjoy experimenting with different formulas and allow my makeup and skincare regimes to evolve. All whilst keeping my individuality intact.
Despite being slightly on the gimmicky (and moisture-sapping) side, a product like Lipcote will always hold a nostalgic place in my heart. When I look at the packaging online it takes me straight back to my old dressing table in my childhood bedroom.
It was a product that was exciting to me because, at the time, it was one of a kind – a true novelty. But now it’s time to accept it as a phase, move on and arm myself – always – with a lipstick that’s long-lasting, super-hydrating and preferably fragrance-free.
Get Glowing!
