When I first started shopping for and buying makeup at department stores, boutiques, and cool beauty destination retailers like Sephora, as opposed to the local drugstore, the brands I immediately gravitated towards were MAC, Urban Decay, and Stila. I liked the latter's typewriter print font, which appealed to the writer in me, and decidedly feminine packaging. They really and truly had me in their well-manicured clutches with one simple click of their "must own" Lip Glaze pens. Created by celeb makeup artist Jeanine Lobell, the wife of Revenge of the Nerds and E.R. star Anthony Edwards, Stila launched new 20th anniversary packaging to celebrate hitting the makeup milestone.
A selection of 20th anniversary products are available with packaging that distinctly diverges from the Stila norm. This packaging is gilded and glam, if a little boring and less urban cool than their usual recyclable boxes and containers.
The anniversary campaign makes a simple claim: "Celebrating 20 Years of Artistic Elegance," with the new products boasting an "S" trio in silver, gold, and rose gold. The palette cases are made of the same materials and colors. Don't get me wrong: They are definitely pretty, just not "Wowza!" What's contained within the shadow pans is more important, obvs, but the cosmetics industry is certainly reliant on its packaging to catch the eye, since makeup mavens are constantly assaulted with so much stimuli in the aisles.
The Eyes Are the Window Eye Shadow Palette in Soul is full of smoky neutrals. There are a lot of options and pairings here, even though everything looks to be in the same color family. You can go as deep and dark or as light and sheer as you want; just let your mood dictate the concentration of color you use.
The Body version of the EATW palette is packed with blues and purples for gals who like a little more color when getting their lids did.
The Spirit iteration also has loads of neutrals.
As does the Mind edition. You could totally do a sunset smoky eye with both the Spirit and Mind palettes, which are full of golds and burnt oranges and let you create a multi-dimensional, turnt up version of smoked out peepers.
The Magnificent Metals gloss is loaded with shimmer, but I don't think it will compete with or rival my unhealthy obsession with the Lip Glaze pens, which I carry in pretty much all of my bags. I am constantly finding them in the pockets of my coats, too. It's better than finding a five dollar bill.
Speaking of which, the Lip Glaze pens are so iconic because all you have to do is twist and click a few times and the perf amount of product is dispensed through the tip.
Swipe on a sheer wash of gloss and go. I love the sheerness, the flavors, and the mega shine. They are a gloss Holy Grail and they last forevs, hugging the lip. I can't get enough of 'em. But the shine is blinding, which is just how I like it.
The Convertible Color product is a blusher, a cheek stain, a highlighter, and a lip stain. It's designed for lips and cheeks, and you don't even need a tool to apply. Dab your digits in the creamy formula and tap onto whatever feature you want to play up. But please make sure to wash your hands first, for obvious hygiene reasons and so that you don't spoil the product with germage. It really is universal with its uses and comes in a variety of colors that give you the kind of color in your lips and cheeks that can usually only come after getting caught smooching with a crush.
Images: Stila (7)
