brief note on Oscar/red carpet fashion

I don't usually watch the Oscars, which may be surprising given my fashion nerdery - wouldn't I WANT to see all the celebs in their fantastic gowns?

And yeah - I love a pretty dress as much as anyone else who cares about such things, but one after another perfect porcelain beauty gets really dull. Short version: A lot of what La Garconniere says about the catty fashion-policing of any woman who doesn't fit a very narrow definition of on-trend, mainstream beauty resonates with me, as much for aesthetic reasons as social/feminist/political ones.

Growing up in the shoulder-padded, acid washed jeans suburban fashion wasteland, I fantasized about a fashion world that encouraged expression and exploration, clothes as toys instead of rigorous enforcers of normality. Working retail kind of shattered that illusion, as retailers are in the business of making money, and selling a safe definition is easier than selling endless options.

As relief, I leave you with On This Day in Fashion's Rachel’s Top-10 “F*ck It” Oscar Outfits. Again, love 'em or 'hate 'em, Diane Keaton's real-life Annie Hall and Bjork's "swan dress" are a welcome change from unrelenting, unchallenging perfection.

a perfect red

My latest aesthetic obsessions include 1940s pantsuits and Moulin Rouge (I may make a saloon girl outfit yet, if only as an excuse to make my first Victorian corset). As such, I've renewed my pursuit of a perfect, plain red lipstick.

As a teenage goth, finding a drugstore red that wouldn't turn pink or orange was well nigh impossible. Twenty years and discovery of high-end cosmetics later, the best I'd been able to do was MAC's Russian Red, which while still a bit too bright for my tastes at least didn't fade with the first cup of coffee.

Nah, what I've been seeking for years is a perfect Rosie the Riveter, pinup-girl, Paloma Picasso, Addicted to Love-style red. A clear, plain red, neither pink nor burgundy, that stays put.

So I went to Sephora.com and ordered several, with the expectation that most would get returned and the hope that at least one would pan out. I got lucky and found two:

DuWop's Private Red didn't pull the advertised "mood lipstick" thing on me, but is a smooth, true red with a tiny bit of shine. It doesn't slip easily and even after I wiped it off it left a reddish (not pink) stain. This might be good for everyday or touchups.

For industrial strength, evening wear ain't-gonna-move red I'm hanging onto Nars Fire Down Below. It is very dense, very dry, and aggressively plain and resolutely immobile - indeed, getting it right the first time is crucial so if/when I wear it I'll have to use a lip pencil or brush to make sure I get it right! Too dry for everyday but if I need something that will stay, this would be it.

For those of you who wear it: what's your favorite red lipstick?