Best. Party. Ever.
June 27, 2011 11:13 PM Subscribe
"I remember going to a totally boring party for the magazine one night and thinking nobody is dancing because their heels are too high. Nobody is eating because in order to look like the women in the magazine, you have to eat next to nothing. And no one is actually drinking the cocktail in their hand because those are fattening, too. Nobody was really even talking to each other because they were too self conscious and painfully busy standing in the corner trying to look beautiful and important. It was not long after that party that I decided to try and resurrect my soul and work for a magazine that focused on something other than beauty and fashion. " [Linda Wells Would Be Horrified] (via)
This is the kind of bland, self-indulgent humblebrag that's everything uninteresting and bad about blogs. There's no there there-- it's just a litany of "ME = AWESOME." It basically goes like this:
First I was awesome because I was totally different from these shallow one-dimensional stereotypes with no redeeming qualities who were barely human. I mean, I think only one of them even knew how to read! Also, did I mention I lived in Williamsburg? In the late 90's?
Then for awhile I became less awesome because I became the same as them. Ugh, it was awful with the awesome fancy shoes and awesome expensive "caramel" highlights. Also, with the awesome glowing skin! And the awesome perfect teeth! That was so ugh. Really, I swear, I was totally not awesome. It sucked to be so totally hot and fashionable.
Finally, now I'm awesome again because I'm totally different from them again. I don't even get highlights anymore! I mean, I totally "get my hair cut and blown out at great salons," but NO HIGHLIGHTS! See? Totally different? Also, awesome!
posted by dersins at 11:37 PM on June 27, 2011 [49 favorites]
First I was awesome because I was totally different from these shallow one-dimensional stereotypes with no redeeming qualities who were barely human. I mean, I think only one of them even knew how to read! Also, did I mention I lived in Williamsburg? In the late 90's?
Then for awhile I became less awesome because I became the same as them. Ugh, it was awful with the awesome fancy shoes and awesome expensive "caramel" highlights. Also, with the awesome glowing skin! And the awesome perfect teeth! That was so ugh. Really, I swear, I was totally not awesome. It sucked to be so totally hot and fashionable.
Finally, now I'm awesome again because I'm totally different from them again. I don't even get highlights anymore! I mean, I totally "get my hair cut and blown out at great salons," but NO HIGHLIGHTS! See? Totally different? Also, awesome!
posted by dersins at 11:37 PM on June 27, 2011 [49 favorites]
She traded books for shoes!
Aside from that detail I didn't get very much out of the article. She wasn't very interested in fashion before she started working for Allure (it is a rich person's hobby, true) and she went back to sneakers after leaving. She says she realized it was "bullshit" but where's the proof? I'm not a beauty industry apologist, but "my priorities shifted after I changed fields and became a mother" is a totally different thing from "this entire industry is bullshit."
posted by subdee at 11:39 PM on June 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Aside from that detail I didn't get very much out of the article. She wasn't very interested in fashion before she started working for Allure (it is a rich person's hobby, true) and she went back to sneakers after leaving. She says she realized it was "bullshit" but where's the proof? I'm not a beauty industry apologist, but "my priorities shifted after I changed fields and became a mother" is a totally different thing from "this entire industry is bullshit."
posted by subdee at 11:39 PM on June 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
I never would've guessed by glancing at Allure that they cared about fashion and being thin. It must've been a shock.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 11:57 PM on June 27, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 11:57 PM on June 27, 2011 [3 favorites]
Okay, silly thing, but... is she really saying that all these perfect magazine women go, get their hair blown out at salons, and don't actually wash it at home in between when they shower? Is that a thing, now?
posted by gracedissolved at 11:58 PM on June 27, 2011
posted by gracedissolved at 11:58 PM on June 27, 2011
I'm curious - what does having your hair "blown-out" mean? And does it explain the strange store front I saw which seemed to be a bar or spa called "blow"?
As for whether she was ever interested in fashion - I'm quite interested in fashion, and I'm a size-16, sometimes-cross-dresser who recently bought her first new eyeshadow in 20 years and who can't walk on any heel over 2 inches (and not even then if it's a stilleto). Of course, I do think a lot of current fashion is shite and has nothing on the styles and elegance of the 12th century or Indian designs, but I'm definitely interested in fashion, clothes and costuming.
posted by jb at 12:12 AM on June 28, 2011
As for whether she was ever interested in fashion - I'm quite interested in fashion, and I'm a size-16, sometimes-cross-dresser who recently bought her first new eyeshadow in 20 years and who can't walk on any heel over 2 inches (and not even then if it's a stilleto). Of course, I do think a lot of current fashion is shite and has nothing on the styles and elegance of the 12th century or Indian designs, but I'm definitely interested in fashion, clothes and costuming.
posted by jb at 12:12 AM on June 28, 2011
This is the kind of bland, self-indulgent humblebrag that's everything uninteresting and bad about blogs. There's no there there-- it's just a litany of "ME = AWESOME."
Is a humblebrag like an explanibrag?
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 12:12 AM on June 28, 2011
Is a humblebrag like an explanibrag?
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 12:12 AM on June 28, 2011
(that would be current Indian designs, and 12th century Norman ones. But do you know how hard it is to find a salwar kameez suit in a size 16? that's like extra extra large by their sizing, as I was so politely informed when I was last shopping in little India...)
posted by jb at 12:16 AM on June 28, 2011
posted by jb at 12:16 AM on June 28, 2011
From the article: "Almost every other female at the magazine wore high heels and high fashion. I couldn't figure out for the longest time how they afforded it. I soon realized that most of them were trust fund babies or were still supported by their families."
I'm willing to bet that's wrong for a not so small portion of those women, who rather than be unfashionable (in a job where that would hold back your career) just decided to go into deep credit card debt. I have a family member in a similar job who regularly complains how she can't pay the rent, yet I watched her buy three purses that cost over $1,000 each. In one trip.
I wonder how much of her assumption (that all the other women do every one of these ridiculously expensive things) is true, and how much of it is just everyone keeping up the image of being fashionable and living beyond their means. If she thinks they would be horrified by her not taking a shower every single day, then I'm willing to bet all of them would lie about skipping.
posted by subject_verb_remainder at 12:18 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm willing to bet that's wrong for a not so small portion of those women, who rather than be unfashionable (in a job where that would hold back your career) just decided to go into deep credit card debt. I have a family member in a similar job who regularly complains how she can't pay the rent, yet I watched her buy three purses that cost over $1,000 each. In one trip.
I wonder how much of her assumption (that all the other women do every one of these ridiculously expensive things) is true, and how much of it is just everyone keeping up the image of being fashionable and living beyond their means. If she thinks they would be horrified by her not taking a shower every single day, then I'm willing to bet all of them would lie about skipping.
posted by subject_verb_remainder at 12:18 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is the kind of bland, self-indulgent humblebrag that's everything uninteresting and bad about blogs. There's no there there-- it's just a litany of "ME = AWESOME."
Is a humblebrag like an explanibrag?
It is more like moasting, I think:
Is a humblebrag like an explanibrag?
It is more like moasting, I think:
... "moasting," an unpleasant combination of moaning and boasting. Complaining about the chalet girl in Gstaad, or about poor treatment at the hands of Virgin Upper Class, or how the Eton English master is not up to scratch.posted by vidur at 12:22 AM on June 28, 2011 [15 favorites]
I'm curious - what does having your hair "blown-out" mean?
The author's hair is naturally very curly (she described it as a Chaka Khan 'fro in its natural condition). She went to a salon to have her hair washed professionally blow-dried so that it was sleek straight.
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:26 AM on June 28, 2011
The author's hair is naturally very curly (she described it as a Chaka Khan 'fro in its natural condition). She went to a salon to have her hair washed professionally blow-dried so that it was sleek straight.
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:26 AM on June 28, 2011
ah, so as someone who already has "sleek straight" hair (which has always looked more limp and lifeless than sleek), is there a salon that can wash and blow-dry my hair into a beautiful 'fro?
(yeah , I know about perms - it's just that the chemicals are so nasty...)
posted by jb at 12:40 AM on June 28, 2011
(yeah , I know about perms - it's just that the chemicals are so nasty...)
posted by jb at 12:40 AM on June 28, 2011
So...this blog entry is the plot of The Devil Wears Prada, only without the evil boss that makes it interesting?
posted by kro at 12:43 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by kro at 12:43 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
One of the fashion assistants liked to read. Who knew?
Blogger lady can suck my balls. This is such an obnoxious attitude to have. "Oh my god, a fashion assistant who has interests outside of being a fashion assistant? That's just crazy! I am clearly the only person in the world with a multi-dimensional personality."
I'd say something about not judging a book by its cover, but we're talking about reading anyway and the pun is just too bad.
posted by phunniemee at 1:46 AM on June 28, 2011
Blogger lady can suck my balls. This is such an obnoxious attitude to have. "Oh my god, a fashion assistant who has interests outside of being a fashion assistant? That's just crazy! I am clearly the only person in the world with a multi-dimensional personality."
I'd say something about not judging a book by its cover, but we're talking about reading anyway and the pun is just too bad.
posted by phunniemee at 1:46 AM on June 28, 2011
This blog is great. Check out: One is the loneliest number.
"Yesterday, I had an appointment with my doctor to have my birth control device removed. Before leaving for the appointment, I locked myself and Sabine out of the house (car keys inside, too). Before that, I read this article in the New York Times about a father's regrets.
I actually thought these were perhaps two ridiculously clear signs that one is enough. But then I remembered I'm not superstitious. So I proceeded to try and break into my own house via the kitchen window. I tore off the screen. I tried sliding open, then popping out the window. When that didn't work, I thought about breaking it to get to those damn keys, which I could see from the window on the kitchen counter. This appointment was almost IMPOSSIBLE to get (having Kaiser Permanente as your form of health insurance is a little like waiting in a very long line--filled with red tape--at the deli counter).
Normally, when these kinds of mishaps occur (and they happen to me a lot), I just call and reschedule or show up late. But the fact that I actually considered breaking the window to get those keys let me know that no matter how terrified I am of another emergency c-section, staying up all night, a morphed body and juggling two tiny monsters, I really, really want to do this all over again by having the sequel to Sabine."
Yeah, Sabine. Mommy loves you.
posted by three blind mice at 2:07 AM on June 28, 2011
"Yesterday, I had an appointment with my doctor to have my birth control device removed. Before leaving for the appointment, I locked myself and Sabine out of the house (car keys inside, too). Before that, I read this article in the New York Times about a father's regrets.
I actually thought these were perhaps two ridiculously clear signs that one is enough. But then I remembered I'm not superstitious. So I proceeded to try and break into my own house via the kitchen window. I tore off the screen. I tried sliding open, then popping out the window. When that didn't work, I thought about breaking it to get to those damn keys, which I could see from the window on the kitchen counter. This appointment was almost IMPOSSIBLE to get (having Kaiser Permanente as your form of health insurance is a little like waiting in a very long line--filled with red tape--at the deli counter).
Normally, when these kinds of mishaps occur (and they happen to me a lot), I just call and reschedule or show up late. But the fact that I actually considered breaking the window to get those keys let me know that no matter how terrified I am of another emergency c-section, staying up all night, a morphed body and juggling two tiny monsters, I really, really want to do this all over again by having the sequel to Sabine."
Yeah, Sabine. Mommy loves you.
posted by three blind mice at 2:07 AM on June 28, 2011
Stop your whingeing about people reasserting their individuality (since when was that a bad thing in America?) and grok the true point of this little essay, which is that American women are expected to be interested in fashion, which is alright, but not when an "interest in fashion" becomes self-inflicted gender fascism. I'm glad she's contributing to the public discussion about this because oh man, women all over the world need to stop consuming "girls'" magazines and "rom coms", for their own mental health.
posted by Mooseli at 2:19 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Mooseli at 2:19 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
There was a salon by a friends' house that for ages had this sign in the window that said "BRAZILIAN BLOWOUTS" and we thought that meant they were having a blowout sale on Brazilian waxes, which would be super sketchy.
posted by NoraReed at 2:40 AM on June 28, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by NoraReed at 2:40 AM on June 28, 2011 [4 favorites]
doublehappy: I'm about as fashionable as a new father, but I'm a little horrified that she doesn't shower every day.
I'm horrified that you shower every day! How can you bear to leave your home, looking and feeling the way you must if you shower every single day? Oh, wait, I forgot--it's me, not you, who can't possibly wash her hair and skin every day. You and I probably don't have the same type of skin and same kind of hair and the same daily routines with the same amount of exertion, or live in the same climate with the same levels of humidity or the same temperature ranges....
But it's so much easier to be "a little horrified" that you don't do exactly the same things I do than it is to remember that different people have different needs and make different choices.
posted by tzikeh at 4:09 AM on June 28, 2011 [12 favorites]
I'm horrified that you shower every day! How can you bear to leave your home, looking and feeling the way you must if you shower every single day? Oh, wait, I forgot--it's me, not you, who can't possibly wash her hair and skin every day. You and I probably don't have the same type of skin and same kind of hair and the same daily routines with the same amount of exertion, or live in the same climate with the same levels of humidity or the same temperature ranges....
But it's so much easier to be "a little horrified" that you don't do exactly the same things I do than it is to remember that different people have different needs and make different choices.
posted by tzikeh at 4:09 AM on June 28, 2011 [12 favorites]
,,,and grok the true point of this little essay, which is that American women are expected to be interested in fashion, which is alright, but not when an "interest in fashion" becomes self-inflicted gender fascism.
Bullshit. The point of the essay was the same as those tired Facebook forwarded updates: "I'm so awesome now that I'm a mom! Even though it doesn't look like it because I care less about my looks than I did before! Being a mom has taught me the twu meaning of life!" It turns out, Linda Wells doesn't give a shit whether Laura Mauk shaves her legs or blows out her afro every day, because Laura doesn't work for Allure any more.
There is a difference between "be who you want to be" and "be who you want to be (as long as you want to be exactly like me)."
posted by muddgirl at 4:23 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
Bullshit. The point of the essay was the same as those tired Facebook forwarded updates: "I'm so awesome now that I'm a mom! Even though it doesn't look like it because I care less about my looks than I did before! Being a mom has taught me the twu meaning of life!" It turns out, Linda Wells doesn't give a shit whether Laura Mauk shaves her legs or blows out her afro every day, because Laura doesn't work for Allure any more.
There is a difference between "be who you want to be" and "be who you want to be (as long as you want to be exactly like me)."
posted by muddgirl at 4:23 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
"BRAZILIAN BLOWOUTS"
It's a particular product/process for straightening/treating hair. My ex was a stylist and did quite a few of them; evidently it is expensive and time consuming and the chemicals are kind of nasty but the results are nice.
posted by flaterik at 4:25 AM on June 28, 2011
It's a particular product/process for straightening/treating hair. My ex was a stylist and did quite a few of them; evidently it is expensive and time consuming and the chemicals are kind of nasty but the results are nice.
posted by flaterik at 4:25 AM on June 28, 2011
Linda Wells would be horrified that someone who used to work for her publication is so desperately in need of a copy editor.
posted by xingcat at 4:26 AM on June 28, 2011
posted by xingcat at 4:26 AM on June 28, 2011
Heck, on rereading:
posted by muddgirl at 4:31 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
However, since I've become a mother and my beauty maintenance habits have plummeted to subterranean depths, I don't wonder at all what Wells and her minions would think. I know they would be horrified.Two things jumped out at me - it sounds like her current beauty routine is still more than I do on the average morning. If her habits are subterranean, mine must be like those goblins living in tunnels through the core of the earth. Given that, I suspect that when she says "Wells and her minions... would be horrified," she really means "I am horrified." That's something she can work on.
posted by muddgirl at 4:31 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
"is she really saying that all these perfect magazine women go, get their hair blown out at salons, and don't actually wash it at home in between when they shower? Is that a thing, now?"
If your grandma was a salon-going lady, that's almost certainly what she did. Also, for that matter, geisha girls back in the day. Washing your hair daily is a pretty new thing, and primarily an artifact of marketing. (also of a particular sort of northern European hair that can cope with daily washing ... a lot of hair can't.)
You see the lack of pre-60s/70s hair-washing frequency mentioned in novels from time to time ... off the top of my head, there's a reference in L.M. Montgomery's "Story Girl" (or maybe "The Golden Road") about how bad one of the little girls looks after her monthly-ish hair-washing, because hair-washing makes your hair icky.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:50 AM on June 28, 2011 [4 favorites]
If your grandma was a salon-going lady, that's almost certainly what she did. Also, for that matter, geisha girls back in the day. Washing your hair daily is a pretty new thing, and primarily an artifact of marketing. (also of a particular sort of northern European hair that can cope with daily washing ... a lot of hair can't.)
You see the lack of pre-60s/70s hair-washing frequency mentioned in novels from time to time ... off the top of my head, there's a reference in L.M. Montgomery's "Story Girl" (or maybe "The Golden Road") about how bad one of the little girls looks after her monthly-ish hair-washing, because hair-washing makes your hair icky.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:50 AM on June 28, 2011 [4 favorites]
gracedissolved, you'll love this: "For hair—not like I wash my own hair, I can’t even remember the last time I washed my own hair—I have Avalon Organics shampoo and conditioner...."
posted by mauvest at 4:52 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mauvest at 4:52 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Sometimes I feel like I have missed out on a quintessential female experience of the last 20 years -- getting highlights. I've never had any done, and I wonder what it would be like.
I totally have the same feeling. Especially since I started going bald.
posted by From Bklyn at 4:56 AM on June 28, 2011
I totally have the same feeling. Especially since I started going bald.
posted by From Bklyn at 4:56 AM on June 28, 2011
Allure, for those who don't know, is a magazine dedicated entirely to beauty. Kind of like how Lucky is entirely about buying clothes and accessories. No sexy sex tips or human-interest stories about brave twentysomethings with breast cancer. On the stand, it's nearly indistinguishable from Cosmo and Glamour, but after you've read an issue or two, it dawns on you that it's only about beauty. Meaning beauty products. It's a hundred pages of sprays and goos someone wants you to buy, for invented problems, with added useless gimmicks.
Quick, look at your elbows! Is your elbow skin soft enough? When you straighten your arms, do they wrinkle? We saw Jennifer Aniston buying five tubes of this new elbow cream, designed by a dermatologist specifically to restore the elbow's natural tone and elasticity. Infused with natural botanicals and açai for an antioxidant boost, our editors loved the texture and smell. $60 at Sephora.
When I was in college, I read some story where a journalist or sociologist or someone followed a few teenage girls around. They showed the author their fashion magazines, and the author remarked that the girls could not tell the difference between editorial content and ads. I remember snickering at this, because even though the Special Advertising Sections mimic the actual content, the style is slightly but obviously different, plus they say they're advertisements right there at the top of the page. Like, duh.
It took me a few years - including the year with a subscription to Allure - to realize that there was a different reason those girls couldn't make the distinction: all of it was advertising. The editorial content? That's all stuff sent by makeup manufacturers in hopes of getting a mention in the next issue.
It's really weird when you discover the extent you're being advertised to, and when you realize that even the smart, analytical, worldly women are buying it to some degree, including the ones who wouldn't ever get blowouts or Brazilians or tooth whitening, including you.
I don't remember if Allure bothers with any sort of opinion pieces, but if they do, Laura Mauk's piece would fit right in. Even the chick-lit fashion mag crowd sometimes sigh about how being beautiful is so tiring, and it's a common trope that when you're a mommy you're too busy for all that stuff, but who cares because you have the Mommy Glow and your life is so much richer and fuller and you totally have an excuse to wear flats. A significant chunk of Allure's readership is looking forward to that meaningful, messy, not "beautiful" but, like, truly beautiful mommy experience that women with small children often evangelize about.
But first they have to find someone to marry. And how are you ever going to be attractive with wrinkly elbows?
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:12 AM on June 28, 2011 [31 favorites]
Quick, look at your elbows! Is your elbow skin soft enough? When you straighten your arms, do they wrinkle? We saw Jennifer Aniston buying five tubes of this new elbow cream, designed by a dermatologist specifically to restore the elbow's natural tone and elasticity. Infused with natural botanicals and açai for an antioxidant boost, our editors loved the texture and smell. $60 at Sephora.
When I was in college, I read some story where a journalist or sociologist or someone followed a few teenage girls around. They showed the author their fashion magazines, and the author remarked that the girls could not tell the difference between editorial content and ads. I remember snickering at this, because even though the Special Advertising Sections mimic the actual content, the style is slightly but obviously different, plus they say they're advertisements right there at the top of the page. Like, duh.
It took me a few years - including the year with a subscription to Allure - to realize that there was a different reason those girls couldn't make the distinction: all of it was advertising. The editorial content? That's all stuff sent by makeup manufacturers in hopes of getting a mention in the next issue.
It's really weird when you discover the extent you're being advertised to, and when you realize that even the smart, analytical, worldly women are buying it to some degree, including the ones who wouldn't ever get blowouts or Brazilians or tooth whitening, including you.
I don't remember if Allure bothers with any sort of opinion pieces, but if they do, Laura Mauk's piece would fit right in. Even the chick-lit fashion mag crowd sometimes sigh about how being beautiful is so tiring, and it's a common trope that when you're a mommy you're too busy for all that stuff, but who cares because you have the Mommy Glow and your life is so much richer and fuller and you totally have an excuse to wear flats. A significant chunk of Allure's readership is looking forward to that meaningful, messy, not "beautiful" but, like, truly beautiful mommy experience that women with small children often evangelize about.
But first they have to find someone to marry. And how are you ever going to be attractive with wrinkly elbows?
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:12 AM on June 28, 2011 [31 favorites]
But then I remember that if they are done badly, you just look like you have stripy hair. And if I ever get stripy hair, I'm going for blue and orange.
I recognize that I am a male, and my opinion doesn't really matter here (no sarcasm intended) but, for the record .... would totally date a woman with blue and orange striped hair. Sounds awesome.
posted by Apropos of Something at 5:35 AM on June 28, 2011
I recognize that I am a male, and my opinion doesn't really matter here (no sarcasm intended) but, for the record .... would totally date a woman with blue and orange striped hair. Sounds awesome.
posted by Apropos of Something at 5:35 AM on June 28, 2011
Reading this article (and especially the quote), it makes me sad to think about all the Hors d'œuvres that go un-eaten at fancy magazine parties.
Bah! Doesn't everyone do this stuff (to some degree, based on their own rules of attraction) when they're attracting a mate? Moving to California leads to wearing high heels less often than in NYC. It doesn't read like enlightenment; it just reads like CA is more casual than NYC.
Want to really start a revolution? Start a magazine that calls out all the expensive beauty products on their ineffectiveness. Oh wait, who would advertise in that magazine?
posted by Kronur at 5:59 AM on June 28, 2011
Bah! Doesn't everyone do this stuff (to some degree, based on their own rules of attraction) when they're attracting a mate? Moving to California leads to wearing high heels less often than in NYC. It doesn't read like enlightenment; it just reads like CA is more casual than NYC.
Want to really start a revolution? Start a magazine that calls out all the expensive beauty products on their ineffectiveness. Oh wait, who would advertise in that magazine?
posted by Kronur at 5:59 AM on June 28, 2011
ah, so as someone who already has "sleek straight" hair (which has always looked more limp and lifeless than sleek), is there a salon that can wash and blow-dry my hair into a beautiful 'fro?
Have you tried any of the curl enhancement gels? I know Garnier makes one and so does Herbal Essence. They work the same for me; they won't give you a 'fro but they will add some curl. I have in-between hair (not curly, not straight, some wave) and it gives me beautiful hair, the hairstyle I used to achieve in an hour with a blow-dryer and a curling iron-- lots of body and soft ringlets at the end. I apply it to wet hair and let the hair air dry. When I want more curl, I wet the ends and add more product. I wash my hair once a week to get all the product off and then start all over again. I'm 53 and I think my hair looks better than it ever did before.
I used to pick up an allure once in awhile just for the inspiration. I usually found at least one new product I wanted to try. I've always enjoyed make-up and perfume and creams-- I think it is one of the fun things about being a girl. These days I just cruise the beauty dept. at T.J. Maxx, cheap AND fun!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:03 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Have you tried any of the curl enhancement gels? I know Garnier makes one and so does Herbal Essence. They work the same for me; they won't give you a 'fro but they will add some curl. I have in-between hair (not curly, not straight, some wave) and it gives me beautiful hair, the hairstyle I used to achieve in an hour with a blow-dryer and a curling iron-- lots of body and soft ringlets at the end. I apply it to wet hair and let the hair air dry. When I want more curl, I wet the ends and add more product. I wash my hair once a week to get all the product off and then start all over again. I'm 53 and I think my hair looks better than it ever did before.
I used to pick up an allure once in awhile just for the inspiration. I usually found at least one new product I wanted to try. I've always enjoyed make-up and perfume and creams-- I think it is one of the fun things about being a girl. These days I just cruise the beauty dept. at T.J. Maxx, cheap AND fun!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:03 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
I am so glad I don't read beauty magazines any more. I decided to quit a few years ago. Don't even read them while waiting at pedicure place (which stocks nothing but beauty & gossip mags) or at the airport. I love dressing up and enjoy makeup but damn if those magazines didn't subtlely make me feel that I wasn't "enough" (except for my weight which was too much).
posted by pointystick at 6:15 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by pointystick at 6:15 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
If anything, this just confirmed my suspicion that I am a fashion troglodyte.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 7:52 AM on June 28, 2011
posted by whimsicalnymph at 7:52 AM on June 28, 2011
Reading this article (and especially the quote), it makes me sad to think about all the Hors d'œuvres that go un-eaten at fancy magazine parties.
I've been to fancy magazine parties. Don't worry, they get eaten.
I am as anti-fashion as comes (while simultaneously pro-costume, which is, of course, it's own sort of fashion), so these pieces always come off as, "didn't most of us have that epiphany when we were 13?"
...
I agree it's a little light. I kept waiting for something.
She wasn't very interested in fashion before she started working for Allure (it is a rich person's hobby, true)
I don't think it's fair to categorize fashion as a rich person's hobby. I know plenty of poor "fashion designers" who actually are copy editors or clerks or bartenders to pay rent.
American women are expected to be interested in fashion, which is alright
?
posted by mrgrimm at 8:25 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
I've been to fancy magazine parties. Don't worry, they get eaten.
I am as anti-fashion as comes (while simultaneously pro-costume, which is, of course, it's own sort of fashion), so these pieces always come off as, "didn't most of us have that epiphany when we were 13?"
...
I agree it's a little light. I kept waiting for something.
She wasn't very interested in fashion before she started working for Allure (it is a rich person's hobby, true)
I don't think it's fair to categorize fashion as a rich person's hobby. I know plenty of poor "fashion designers" who actually are copy editors or clerks or bartenders to pay rent.
American women are expected to be interested in fashion, which is alright
?
posted by mrgrimm at 8:25 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
And if I ever get stripy hair, I'm going for blue and orange.
If I ever get stripy hair I'm going for black and orange. Like Hobbes. Or Tigger.
posted by madcaptenor at 8:27 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
If I ever get stripy hair I'm going for black and orange. Like Hobbes. Or Tigger.
posted by madcaptenor at 8:27 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
This blog is great. Check out: One is the loneliest number.
Weird. It's gone now. It certainly seems like she's still into fashion consumerism.
posted by mrgrimm at 8:30 AM on June 28, 2011
Weird. It's gone now. It certainly seems like she's still into fashion consumerism.
posted by mrgrimm at 8:30 AM on June 28, 2011
If I ever get stripy hair I'm going for black and orange. Like Hobbes. Or Tigger.
The color stripe in the hair is so six months ago. (Excepting turquoise, perhaps.)
posted by mrgrimm at 8:33 AM on June 28, 2011
The color stripe in the hair is so six months ago. (Excepting turquoise, perhaps.)
posted by mrgrimm at 8:33 AM on June 28, 2011
Can I take a moment to pick my particular bone with the cosmetics industry? It seems every time I find a product I love, they stop making it and I'm forced to read crap copy and try multiple products to replace it. I'm glad I don't wear proper makeup, because it seems lipstick shades do this even more rapidly than the shampoo and hair gel I use.
I understand why they do it - they can sell me more gels if I keep buying new ones because I can't find one I like. But it's still infuriating.
Grar.
posted by maryr at 8:41 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
I understand why they do it - they can sell me more gels if I keep buying new ones because I can't find one I like. But it's still infuriating.
Grar.
posted by maryr at 8:41 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
The color stripe in the hair is so six months ago.
Perhaps, although I had a color stripe in my hair back in the late 90s so maybe it's more like it's so a decade ago. But now I want feather hair extensions so bad. Alas, I'm probably too old and there's the whole office job thing...
posted by misskaz at 8:42 AM on June 28, 2011
Perhaps, although I had a color stripe in my hair back in the late 90s so maybe it's more like it's so a decade ago. But now I want feather hair extensions so bad. Alas, I'm probably too old and there's the whole office job thing...
posted by misskaz at 8:42 AM on June 28, 2011
I appreciated the Dawn Weiner reference.
There are indeed still great swathes of the female population in this country, especially those who work in certain industries, for whom looking perfect at all times is of highest priority and having worked in such an industry it's always a relief to run across the occasional normal person.
I recently went to the wedding shower of one of my old friends who travels in completely different social circle than I (and really always has - I was never sure why she befriended my poor bedraggled ass) and I realized what an alien I was when they passed the bread around at the table and I was the only one who took a piece. It was as if I had accepted an offer of crack cocaine and had smoked it right there at the table.
posted by Jess the Mess at 8:54 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
There are indeed still great swathes of the female population in this country, especially those who work in certain industries, for whom looking perfect at all times is of highest priority and having worked in such an industry it's always a relief to run across the occasional normal person.
I recently went to the wedding shower of one of my old friends who travels in completely different social circle than I (and really always has - I was never sure why she befriended my poor bedraggled ass) and I realized what an alien I was when they passed the bread around at the table and I was the only one who took a piece. It was as if I had accepted an offer of crack cocaine and had smoked it right there at the table.
posted by Jess the Mess at 8:54 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
Jess the Mess - couldn't I say the same thing about Laura's beauty routine? When she says that she takes a couple swipes at her legs to give it the appearance of being shaved, or about how she only sometimes leaves her hair natural, can't I get all high and mighty and say, "Wow, it's clear that for some women, looking polished is a high priority!"
I don't have a problem with critiques of the beauty industry as an industry. I do have a problem with snipes at women who are performing femininity in a way that some blogger doesn't approve of.
posted by muddgirl at 8:58 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
I don't have a problem with critiques of the beauty industry as an industry. I do have a problem with snipes at women who are performing femininity in a way that some blogger doesn't approve of.
posted by muddgirl at 8:58 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
Or alternately, strawman constructions of other people's opinions of her own performance.
posted by muddgirl at 8:59 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by muddgirl at 8:59 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Don't know about the people in it (they sound like secondary characters from The Devil Wears Prada) but wow, that article is anorexic -- thin to the point of life-threatening.
Or like dersins said, I wasn't like that, then I was for a while, then I wasn't anymore, and I love myself.
posted by philip-random at 9:40 AM on June 28, 2011
Or like dersins said, I wasn't like that, then I was for a while, then I wasn't anymore, and I love myself.
posted by philip-random at 9:40 AM on June 28, 2011
Oh, as my mom (now 80) likes to point out, there's really only one time to streak one's hair, which is at the first sign of it going grey. Rather than hide the change, it should be subtly accentuated, thus easing the transition and "announcing one's increasing sophistication".
posted by philip-random at 9:46 AM on June 28, 2011
posted by philip-random at 9:46 AM on June 28, 2011
Perhaps, although I had a color stripe in my hair back in the late 90s so maybe it's more like it's so a decade ago.
I was actually just joking. If you want my honest opinion, lots of women are doing it now and it can be cute.
I do catch myself noticing fashion trends, though. That color stripe has been back again for a little while.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:06 AM on June 28, 2011
I was actually just joking. If you want my honest opinion, lots of women are doing it now and it can be cute.
I do catch myself noticing fashion trends, though. That color stripe has been back again for a little while.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:06 AM on June 28, 2011
no one is actually drinking the cocktail in their hand
Wait a goldarned minute. Nobody drinking? At a magazine party?
Apocryphal.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 10:12 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
Wait a goldarned minute. Nobody drinking? At a magazine party?
Apocryphal.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 10:12 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
But again, on an assistant editor's salary, how was I supposed to afford anything else? I eventually started trading books (I was moonlighting as a columnist for Bookforum magazine so I'd get review copies of new titles) for sample shoes from the fashion closet
That's the whole point. The magazine has a huge fashion closet. And a beauty closet. Etc., When you're an editorial assistant, you need to meet someone (usually higher up on the totem pole) who will help you out and give you access.
Allure is all about the freebies. Editors there frequently get comped accessories, beauty products and services from salons and spas that are grateful to have their business and attention. They're sent full-sized bottles of perfume, beauty products and various trinkets and accessories by companies and publicists who in turn hope for coverage in the magazine. Because a placement in Allure can be worth a hell of a lot in immediate and long-term ("Allure loves us!") sales.
Assistant Editors don't get paid much. Part of the job is an expectation that you'll get freebies as one of your few perks.
posted by zarq at 10:33 AM on June 28, 2011
That's the whole point. The magazine has a huge fashion closet. And a beauty closet. Etc., When you're an editorial assistant, you need to meet someone (usually higher up on the totem pole) who will help you out and give you access.
Allure is all about the freebies. Editors there frequently get comped accessories, beauty products and services from salons and spas that are grateful to have their business and attention. They're sent full-sized bottles of perfume, beauty products and various trinkets and accessories by companies and publicists who in turn hope for coverage in the magazine. Because a placement in Allure can be worth a hell of a lot in immediate and long-term ("Allure loves us!") sales.
Assistant Editors don't get paid much. Part of the job is an expectation that you'll get freebies as one of your few perks.
posted by zarq at 10:33 AM on June 28, 2011
The lady certainly doth protest too much. So tired of the "I'm better than you are because I READ and don't get my hair highlighted" bullshit.
posted by sawdustbear at 12:10 PM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by sawdustbear at 12:10 PM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
is she really saying that all these perfect magazine women go, get their hair blown out at salons, and don't actually wash it at home in between when they shower? Is that a thing, now?
My wife only washes her hair once a week. If she washed it more than that, it would be DESTROYED. If we could afford it, she would happily have it washed/blown out at the salon every week (and I'd happily have her do it too, since I'm the one that straightens it for her every week :P)
As for this article? Meh. Feels like "Mommyblogger jumps on the it's-awesome-to-not-care-about-your-looks bandwagon" to me. This is not a new meme, by any means.
posted by antifuse at 1:19 PM on June 28, 2011
My wife only washes her hair once a week. If she washed it more than that, it would be DESTROYED. If we could afford it, she would happily have it washed/blown out at the salon every week (and I'd happily have her do it too, since I'm the one that straightens it for her every week :P)
As for this article? Meh. Feels like "Mommyblogger jumps on the it's-awesome-to-not-care-about-your-looks bandwagon" to me. This is not a new meme, by any means.
posted by antifuse at 1:19 PM on June 28, 2011
And by "article" I of course mean "blog post" - the two aren't always the same, obviously :)
posted by antifuse at 1:20 PM on June 28, 2011
posted by antifuse at 1:20 PM on June 28, 2011
I know the grass is always greener, but I would love to have the kind of hair that looks good on a weekly shampoo. As it is, I have the sort of Northern European hair mentioned above that looks like I haven't washed in it weeks after little more than thirty six hours (and that's without applying the product I use to make it less limp and wilt-y).
ah, so as someone who already has "sleek straight" hair (which has always looked more limp and lifeless than sleek), is there a salon that can wash and blow-dry my hair into a beautiful 'fro?
Have you considered pin curls? Roll wet, then sleep on it and/or sit in the sun for a good while. As a teenager with completely straight,limp, fine hair (see above) and eager to have pre-Raphaelite curls, I found my grandmother's depression era technique a much more effective way to achieve super curly hair than curling irons or spiral perms. With hairspray it will last a while, so long as you keep it dry.
posted by thivaia at 3:37 PM on June 28, 2011
ah, so as someone who already has "sleek straight" hair (which has always looked more limp and lifeless than sleek), is there a salon that can wash and blow-dry my hair into a beautiful 'fro?
Have you considered pin curls? Roll wet, then sleep on it and/or sit in the sun for a good while. As a teenager with completely straight,limp, fine hair (see above) and eager to have pre-Raphaelite curls, I found my grandmother's depression era technique a much more effective way to achieve super curly hair than curling irons or spiral perms. With hairspray it will last a while, so long as you keep it dry.
posted by thivaia at 3:37 PM on June 28, 2011
I have the same hair, thivia - some days it doesn't seem to last 12 hours. I should try curlers, or curling papers.
That said, for authentic pre-raphaelite hair, you don't want curlers, but braids - they give that wavy look. I've done both fine and thick braids in the past to make either a somewhat fro or just waves. But I'm also very lazy and hate to put anything in my hair like mousse or hairspray. I'm more of a twist (brushing optional) and go type.
posted by jb at 5:06 PM on June 28, 2011
That said, for authentic pre-raphaelite hair, you don't want curlers, but braids - they give that wavy look. I've done both fine and thick braids in the past to make either a somewhat fro or just waves. But I'm also very lazy and hate to put anything in my hair like mousse or hairspray. I'm more of a twist (brushing optional) and go type.
posted by jb at 5:06 PM on June 28, 2011
I have the same hair, thivia - some days it doesn't seem to last 12 hours. I should try curlers, or curling papers.
I have long, straight, often limp hair that (I thought) refuses to hold a curl. But if you guys haven't tried using a flat iron to curl your hair, you should. It's magic. My hair stylist said the higher heat of a flat iron plus the fact that the technique ensures the entire length of the strand of hair hits the iron makes it a much more durable curl than using rollers or a curling iron.
It takes a little time but I've had fantastic luck with it. A little pre-curl mousse and post-curl spray and it holds for days. There are tons of video tutorials about how to do it.
posted by misskaz at 10:14 AM on June 29, 2011
I have long, straight, often limp hair that (I thought) refuses to hold a curl. But if you guys haven't tried using a flat iron to curl your hair, you should. It's magic. My hair stylist said the higher heat of a flat iron plus the fact that the technique ensures the entire length of the strand of hair hits the iron makes it a much more durable curl than using rollers or a curling iron.
It takes a little time but I've had fantastic luck with it. A little pre-curl mousse and post-curl spray and it holds for days. There are tons of video tutorials about how to do it.
posted by misskaz at 10:14 AM on June 29, 2011
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But then I remember that if they are done badly, you just look like you have stripy hair. And if I ever get stripy hair, I'm going for blue and orange.
posted by jb at 11:22 PM on June 27, 2011 [5 favorites]