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What brand represents your aesthetic best?
I’m actually not sure that I have one – I almost feel like any idea of one has gotten lost over the years since I’m so used to wearing things that are probably not flattering on me or whatever that I don’t see things in the same way. I used to say Burberry for packaging, which I still like, but I care even less about packaging now than I did five years ago. I think Urban Decay’s breadth in color and finish and product variety might encapsulate my own need for variety, though the overall look and feel of their packaging/names/themes are not at all in sync with me.
— Christine
NARS nails it for me aesthetic-wise. I wish their eyeshadow quality was better, as I love their colour choices for their palettes.
I like Burberry’s aesthetic a lot too.
Oooh I love NARS too. I’m so excited for those new blush palettes
I received Coucher De Soleil this morning and it’s pretty gorgeous!
I’d have to go with Fenty Beauty, even though I only own a few products from them so far. I just adore their inclusive marketing, packaging, color scheme, and the way they name their products in a current, unique way that’s not offensive.
Honestly, KvD is the mainstream brand that really nails my gothic roots and style. The colors, the packaging – it all lines up with my current day to day. The problem is that I have an issue with LE items, and it seems more and more that is the way Kat is going. Which isn’t a problem – as long as the ELL are still available!
As far as indie brands, I have a lot more to choose from in regards to that. Concrete Minerals, Black Moon Cosmetics, and LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs (which has the best finishing powder I’ve ever used, and it comes shaped like a Ouija Planchette).
I tend not to shop based solely on appearance but it doesn’t hurt =D
Probably a mix between MAC and Urban Decay. MAC because I’m safe and boring, and Urban Decay because I’m irreverent and crack inappropriate jokes.
(The MAC thing being boring is a joke, I’m revisiting MAC and falling in love with the brand again but a lot of the shades are safe and I like safe.)
Packaging: MAC (permanent line), Tom Ford, Chanel
Aesthetic: I don’t think there is one that matches, but I defintely know with what I don’t resonate (anything edgy/bold/aggressive/too youthful – basically anything like a L’Oreal commercial or Maybe it’s Maybelline! commercial and at the same time, I’m not going to be staring at some bottle on my nightstand for an hour in repose or walking around meadows in a flowing silk gown).
Probably MAC. Professional by day, creative by night, unassuming packaging, and a laid back attitude.
MAC for me, too, for the exact same reasons. Very well put!
Hello kindred spirit!
Probably Glossier for me! Clean skin, sheer coverage. Glowy base. Natural brows and lashes. Sheer lip colors. Basically the opposite of “Instagram” makeup. Funnily enough, I don’t actually use any of Glossier’s products to achieve this look haha.
But I just love how wearable and practical it is.
Don’t get me wrong though, I LOVE makeup and love to go all out for special events/when I feel like it.
This is a great question!
My style is often described by others as “classic with an edge” so I think Urban Decays Naked line tends to represent that best. The “beauty with an edge” and “feminine dangerous fun” mottos are pretty on for me. I do love the gunmetal revolution lipstick cases and retro bullet shell Vice cases, but I rarely buy their eyeshadow for the packaging.
Hmmm, interesting… probably Natasha Denona…colorful and loud makeup style, with an option to tone down a bit. I also at least pretend I am higher end. And could often be described as “extra”. xP
Not sure I even have esthetic anymore. But the brand I relate to the best at present is Zoeva. Rather downmarket than previous ‘cosmetics lives,’ but I relate to their color choices for palettes, and their brushes are very value priced. Their shimmers are often more understated or refined, which is better for us old broads. The pencils and lips are decent. The cost:benefit ratio is right. Ironically, this is my DNA background, and I think that’s why it suits me, color-wise. Catrice suits me as well. Call it the collective unconscious.
In terms of products, I‘d also say Urban Decay. In terms of overall brand aesthetic, somewhere between UD and Smashbox. Like Christine said, some of UD‘s shade and collection names are a bit much. Smashbox still has an edge and can go bold, but it‘s overall slightly more clean, modern, and professional.
Urban Decay, Lunatick Cosmetic Labs, Pretty Zombie Cosmetics, and My Pretty Zombie are a few of them.
I like Shiro’s aesthetic (lots of sparkles, nerdy names & package art), but I got horrid customer service the last time I ordered from them.
Probably Wet n’ wild, to be honest. I love the simpler, childish packaging, decent variety of offerings and the low price point. The lip gloss palette from last spring was absolutely amazing (I have perma-chapped lips that not even the most emollient of formulas can soothe, but these glosses glided like butter – no clinging to dry, flakey skin!), the formula, opacity and scent were preferred to many of the mid-range products I’ve tried. It’s too bad that it was panned by so many reviewers. I wish they’d re-release it :(.
Burberry and Bobbi Brown, also Kevyn Aucoin. Very classic and understated is what I go for. Also like by Terry.
After a bit of thought, separating out brands I love (UD, Zoeva, Nars, Inglot) from the idea of a brand that feels the most “like me” – it has to be MAC. I agree that they can seem like the safe choice, and in some ways – sure, they are. You don’t exist for decades in this industry without some semblance of solidity. And yet – they’re also survivors in what is a flighty industry always looking for the next big thing. And the thing is – safe doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. To me, safe doesn’t mean dull, (because I can find PLENTY of boring products in newer brands where image/branding is at odds with the cold reality of the product inside the package). To me, “safe” equates to sympatico and authenticity, i.e. “it fits me, it works for me, and I feel good in it”, and frankly, I’d say the same about Rick Owens clothes, which hardly have universal appeal! It’s safe because it feels like home. I like the general MAC vibe of clean and modern aesthetic, married to products that feel focused and purposeful, but never at the expense of creativity. Not a bad philosophy for life, and one I embrace.
Your last few sentences about MAC are so spot on. It’s why I picked them as well.
Thank you! They do start to feel like trusted friends after a few years!
I’m all about that “London look”, so I’d say a mixture between Burberry and Rimmel. I love Wendy Rowe’s effortless looks for Burberry, they’re so chic without being dull. Burberry and Rimmel are what kicked off my love for smokey eyes way back when I was a kid. I remember looking through my mom’s stack of Vogues and loving the fall campaigns – especially Burberry’s. My first eyeshadows as a teen were by Rimmel
I’d say I’m a toss up between Kat Von D & Sugarpill. Love, love LOVE Sugarpill’s packaging and color selection, but I tend to stick with more goth glam looks a la KVD.
I don’t know that there is one particular brand which explains why I’ve got a whole whack of companies represented even in my “every day” products. And I’m sure I’m pretty typical of most here. I guess if I had to choose one brand, it might be Chanel (not that I love their prices) because I’m older and sort of go for a classic look 99% of the time and with Chanel, you don’t find green lipstick or blue brow products, etc.
I love sleek simple packaging. Give me black straight forward packaging and I am happy. That said I love MUFE, Nars and Mac packaging. Clearly I am talking about their permanent line items. Chanel packaging feels very old to me.
Aesthetically I bounce from Nars to MUFE, and UD i just don’t think anyone brand encapsulates me.
Absolutely agree on the packaging for those three brands – always felt so purposeful and “serious” – in a good way!
I’d say Pat McGrath, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Natasha Denona. I haven’t purchased a product of Pat or Natasha’s that I didn’t like. I really enjoy all of ABH. My Subculture palette wasn’t bad and the only product that wasn’t up to their level of quality recently is the Liquid Glow and I still use it. I used to be all about Urban Decay but lately they have had an equal amount of hits and misses in my opinion.
Since I love a very straightforward, simple, yet still attractive style, my first reaction to this question was; Nars, MAC, Viseart, Melt Cosmetics all have beautiful sleek matte black packaging. PMG lipstick cases, too, because they’re very simple, yet have a bit of panache with the golden lips!
That’s the vibe that speaks to me: simple, refined, utilitarian, yet still nice looking in a sense.
I would have to say Nars. I like that Nars is fashion forward without being overly trendy. They have done a lot over the last 12-18 months with new product releases to help keep their line fresh. I like the modern and simple look to their packaging too. Most importantly I think they represent inclusiveness in their shade range. Now, I just wish that I wore the same color foundation in all of their different type of foundation offerings.
Urban Decay used to be my go-to for this, but lately Kat Von D has them beat. Urban Decay has really made their brand more mainstream with reduced controversy in the color names, the addition of the Naked line, and the pull back in general from “Beauty on the Edge.”
Probably Chantecaille, CdP and Tom Ford. Refined, classic but understated.
I think Tarte, Lorac, and Laura Geller all represent my aesthetic.
NYX is the aesthetic I wish I was cool enough to have.
The opposite of my aesthetic is Lime Crime and J*.
I refer to my style as “darkly-inclined eclectic alternative.” Kat von D’s colors and packaging really speak to me, as does Urban Decay’s. For indie, Notoriously Morbid and Apocalyptic Beauty.
Hmm, for some reason I thought of Lilah B first, even though I’ve never owned any of their products! That simple stone-like packaging is beautiful.
Perhaps Josie Maran, simple, glowy, and a fondness for cream products and two-in one skincare/makeup items.
I don’t think I like any one brand’s aesthetic so much any more, seeing as so many brands are reproducing the same type of products as each other.
In the past I loved the UD Nakeds line because I do like the neutrals look and I loved bareMinerals because of the sheer variety of shades and colours. UD’s first couple of Vice lines were excellent and some of their palettes of the past eg Full Spectrum and 15th Anniversary palettes were perfect.
However when brands introduce contraversial names for their shades and products, it’s a big turn off for me.
It has always been Chanel for me. Classy, sophisticated in its simplicity, different, perfect harmony of the black and white, assuming, enduring the time, creating fashion without being trendy, having a hidden something beneath the surface that you have to look for, as it is not so obvious and in-your-face. I’ve always loved the fashion house, so their beauty line is just a continuation of their philosophy for me (even if I’m not so happy with the choices that Lucia Pica makes).
I would have to say some combination of Glossier and Urban Decay. Very simple, clean, dewy base, but with colorful and bold eyes and lips. I love the idea of the casual “I just threw this on and went out the door” vibe from Glossier, but the edgy, smokey, bright, boldness of Urban Decay is also speaks to my soul. Fairly sleek, minimalist packaging. A strong focus on skincare. Classic, but also fun and trendy, and just so utterly millennial.
While I absolutely adore many of the brands mentioned here already, the brands I keep going back to personally are all K beauty brands. With that in mind, I feel like Pony Effect really matches my personal aesthetic as well. The packaging is practical with clean, minimalist lines and chic colors. I love that with their makeup, as with any K Beauty line, there is an emphasis on gorgeous, dewy skin. Where Pony Effect stands out though is their addition of trendier products and unique colors (almost like a similar approach to what UD does), but they never stray from that mentality of practicality.
Guerlain meets Charlotte Tilbury, I think. If I had a rouge G with that tube in rose gold it would be very at home in my purse.
ABH, Natasha Denona and Pat McGrath. I can go from very classic, red lip cat eye to bold rock n’ roll glitter everything to a laid back nude casual depending on my mood.
Hourglass,,,classy, elegant and refined..yet innovative.
Honestly, probably BH Cosmetics, even though I don’t have a whole lot of it.
It’s reliable, good value and it might not super flashy but it gets the business done!
My first thought was Chanel and Dior and while I recognize that they are thought to be old lady brands I am okay with that. I am an old lady, LOL. I think of these brands as classic, refined and sophisticated. For whatever reason, the products work for me. I don’t have issues getting them to perform well and I don’t have to be embarrassed saying the name in public.
Tom Ford. Even though I don’t own many TF products his luxe glow-y glam look is what I’m usually going for. Odd, because & really do not care for his clothes or fragrances.
I’m always game for a Nars campaign. Oddly, I do not use a lot of Nars products at this point, but aesthetically speaking, their campaign images and choice of spokespersons routinely inspires.
NARS. I like simple, I like sleek, I like black, and I like uniform. So they’re my go-to.
Paul & Joe Beaute! I am a sucker for their packaging!
The ‘Inner Me’ is all Pat McGrath, Tom Ford, and Christian Louboutin – luxe, baroque, sophisticated and edgy but the ‘fake it ’til you make it’ me is NYX and ColourPop. I find a healthy medium with Anna Sui and Kat Von D.
Mac or Indie brands like Geek Chic and My Pretty Zombie
I would say MAC or Nars! I love sleek, black packaging!
NARS has always been a favorite, one that’s similar in packaging would be Elf especially the simple sturdy black encasing nothing wrong with that. I’m always intrigued by Marc Jacobs designs but have remained strong up to today. Also WetnWild is simple but nice packaging and boy! Are almost all products excellent for such a great price! I haven’t experimented with their metallic eyeshadows or lips not at this age and time but otherwise, everything else I have enjoyed. I like their liquid lipsticks over Nyx and Colourpop!