Tuesday, September 23, 2014

that's a lot of focus on the eyes for grunge.

listen: i know the purpose of this channel is to sell makeup so you're going to exaggerate a little for the purposes of maximizing product placement. but "grunge" makeup was actually very basic. if you're going to talk about make-up and "grunge" it makes the most sense to put it in the riot grrrl context, which was about co-opting the idea of the slut. it was "i'm going to dress like a slut and act like a slut and throw it in your face in order to force you to acknowledge my humanity". did it work? hardly. but that exaggerated makeup and those stripper costumes were a very conscious, somewhat violent political act.

if you want to tap into that, the idea in your mind needs to be, like, ninja barbie.

generally, the focus on the lips is very, very bright cherry red. that darker colour is more of a goth staple. eyes should be kept to a minimum, except for an exaggerated dollface mascara/eyeliner combo designed to exaggerate that ninja barbie feel. the key with the foundation is just that it doesn't look slathered; there's a wide variation between none at all and a kind of porcelain face.

the most 90s or grunge way to do your makeup, though, is to do what you want and not worry about others. make up your own style. that is what the 90s were really about :)