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mama-qwerty · 2 years

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Grabbers

I had a website a while back on which I would post movie reviews. I liked how the reviews came out, so I’m gonna repost them here.

When I review films, I tend to pick ones that are fairly obscure, so as to avoid joining in the din of internet yakking about popular, well-known movies. I hope that other, like-minded people (ie, those who love creature features and other “hidden gems”) will appreciate the recommendations, and maybe find a new movie to enjoy.

And I like to let my snark out every now and then. Keeps it well-honed.

Today’s review is for Grabbers, a little UK/Irish indie film from 2012. (That’s GrabBER, not to be confused with GrabOID from Tremors. Which is another great series of movies that I’ll try to get around to reviewing.)

Want the plot in a nutshell? Multi-tentacled, blood-starved alien creatures land near Erin Island and proceed to nosh on anything they come across—man and beast. But seems that alcohol is their Kryptonite, meaning the only way to keep them from draining you dry is to be drunk. Very, very drunk.

That’s pretty much it.

So let’s talk about our main players in this alien-vampire-octopus romp.

Starting from the far left, there’s Paddy, the town drunk who finds the first Grabber in a lobster trap and brings it into his bathtub with the intent to sell it on eBay. (That plan hits a snag when the thing escapes from the trap and attaches itself to Paddy’s face.)

Next is Una, the take-no-crap wife of Brian Maher, who’s standing next to her. They own the pub where everyone will take refuge later in the film.

The dude front and center is Ciarán O’Shea, the resident cop who, incidentally, is an alcoholic (stemming from a bad breakup). To his right is Lisa, the straight-laced, completely by-the-book cop who arrives at the beginning of the film, a temporary replacement for Ciaran’s boss, who’s going on vacation for 2 weeks. Next is Dr. Adam Smith, a scientist studying marine life, and overall know-it-all.

Last is Father Potts, and I’m honestly not quite sure why he’s on this poster, as he’s not exactly a big player in the film.

Anyway, with the exception of Father Potts, these people are pretty much the only ones you need to keep track of.

So monsters splash land on our little planet, and make a beeline to Erin Island to eat and breed. Their genetic makeup means they only need 2 things to survive—water (to keep their bodies moist) and blood. Alcohol burns their sensitive creepy-crawly skin, and doesn’t sit well in their tummies.

Now, you would think, given the premise, that this would be a pretty one-joke movie. “Stay drunk to survive” just screams “Movie full of drunk people doing slapstick or basically acting stupid” gags. Well, you really won’t find that here, surprisingly. And, spoiler alert, just about everyone lives, which is a change of pace from other movies of this type. Usually anyone who drinks is done in pretty quickly and messily by the hungry creature. Not so in this little flick.

Once our intrepid band of heroes put the pieces together and realize that the Grabbers can’t hold their liquor, they spring to action. Seems a pretty nasty storm is heading in, meaning the Grabbers—or, more specifically, the GIANT male who’s always looking for a free meal and some action—will be heading to town to satisfy these urges. The cops lure the locals to the pub and encourage all to drink as much as they possibly can. Hey, even Father Potts can’t turn away free booze!

Soon the entire town is toe-up, but, being Irish, they’re a pretty damn happy bunch. Singing songs, laughing, and just basically reveling in their oblivious-ness to the giant tentacled monstrosity that’s making its way toward them.

The performances in this are very good, with likable characters you care about. There isn’t much backstory to any of them, which usually makes for very 2-dimensional, flat, boring characters, but it works in this. The movie gives you enough to have a basic idea of who these people are, without bogging you down with unnecessary details and pointless angst.

The effects are excellent, and the creature design is believable. They look and behave in a very organic manner, which adds to their creep-factor. Many creature features want to create the biggest, most deadly-looking thing—with teeth that don’t fit in its mouth, and claws that are so long they’re hardly practical. This is simply a writhing mass of tentacles that all lead to a big, round mouth full of sharp teeth. A long, proboscis-like tongue shoots out to stab and drain the blood from the victim, making this part leech, part sea urchin, part octopus. All ugly.

Bottom line: this is a really fun movie, with enjoyable characters, dialog, and great special effects. I gladly recommend it.

#mama q movie review #movie review #grabbers #grabbers movie

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gravecinema · 4 years

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Why The Evil Dead is the Best Indie Horror Movie Ever Made - 8/10/2020

There are a slew of classic horror movies that have been made in the history of cinema. Many of them are studio films with budgets ranging in the millions of dollars. However, great horror can also be made with smaller budget films. Saw was made with a small and modest budget and became a sensation at the box office for a decade. The Blair Witch Project is the most profitable theatrical independent horror film of all time, becoming a blockbuster while only being made for a few thousand dollars. However, when it comes to low budget independent horror, the all-time king has to be The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell, from 1981.

The story of the making of The Evil Dead starts the same as many an independent horror movie does. A young group of film and theatre friends decide to that they want to make a movie together, so they go out and do it with whatever money and budget that they can scrounge together. Turns out, the easiest movies to make when you have very little budget are horror movies, so that’s the type of movie that the group of Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell set out to make. When they were finished, they just so happened to create one of the most beloved classic horror films of all time.

Originally titled Book of the Dead, the title was changed to The Evil Dead to make the movie more marketable, and the story was set in a secluded cabin in the woods that the crew found in Tennessee. The cabin used as the film's main set was also used as lodging for the crew members, with several people sleeping in the same room. Reportedly, the living conditions were terrible, and the crew frequently argued. The cabin didn't have plumbing, so the actors would go days without showering, and got sick frequently in the freezing weather which was colder than average for Tennessee, which was ironic as the crew set out to film outside of their home state of Michigan in order to avoid the regular cold Michigan winter. Turns out, Michigan was actually having a milder winter than Tennessee was having that year.

Despite the conditions, the young independent crew was determined to get their movie made. Even after completing principal photography during the winter, when most of the actors left the production, there was still much of the film left to be completed. Most of the second half of the film features Bruce Campbell and various stand-ins (or "Fake Shemps" as they would come to be known) to replace the actors who left. They would mostly be done in monster makeup, so it was easier to hide the fact that the actors were different. The crew would go on to use the same technique again in the sequels.

One of the highlights of the film is the use of the “evil force” that travels through the woods, and we follow its POV as it does this. Since the crew was on a tight budget and couldn’t afford a dolly or a Steadicam, they were forced to innovate in the only way low budget filmmakers can: They just used two planks of wood to stick the camera on, and then had two cameramen carry it through the woods in order to pull off the effect. Later, when they needed to show the effect of decaying flesh, without having access to modern CGI or advanced practical effects makers, they turned to using the long and painstaking process of stop-motion in order to achieve their desired effect. The whole film is filled with examples of how any low budget and independent filmmaker would make a good and great movie without having any of the resources that a major studio would have.

The real cabin in the woods doesn’t have the basement as seen in the film, so the crew members dug a giant hole beneath the floor of the cabin in order to get the shots that they needed of the cast going down into the basement, and the one of the possessed friend trying to break their way through. The cast couldn’t even see through the white contacts in their eyes when they were possessed, so they would be literally acting blind in front of their castmates. Even most of the props were actually real. The chainsaw that Ash uses when trying to convince himself to chop up his possessed girlfriend is a real chainsaw, and Bruce Campbell had to be very careful when using it.

The single barrel shotgun that was also used by the hero Ash in the film was purchased by Bruce Campbell at a Kmart just to be used in the film. Since the budget was extremely low, and they were filming in secluded woods, live ammunition was used for a couple of scenes. Most of these scenes are filmed at low angles so the camera would not be hit. For other scenes, Bruce Campbell simply mimes firing the shotgun. At the end of production, Bruce Campbell and Producer Robert Tapert bought about a hundred shells and shot up every prop used in the cabin. The resulting rubble was then lit into a huge barn fire by Director Sam Raimi. To this day, only the bricks from the fireplace are what remain of the cabin they used to film the movie in.

The circumstances of the film also make it distinct from other horror films at the time. Most horror movies end with a final girl defeating the big bad evil monster. Since this movie only really had access to star Bruce Campbell throughout the whole production, he winds up being our main protagonist and final surviving character by the end of the movie. The filmmakers also decided to make him the star since he was the best looking amongst the group of friends. The character of Ash has since gone on to become one of the great heroes of horror. A genre which is mostly known for its iconic villains instead of its heroes.

While they were filming, the filmmakers would even receive advice on how to make the film better when they told friends and investors that they were making a horror film. A friend of Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, gave them this advice: "Fellas, no matter what you do, keep the blood running down the screen." Taking this advice to heart, they included a scene in the finished film where blood runs down the projector screen. After making the best horror film that they could, the film was even shown to Stephen King, and it was his glowing endorsement of the film (which was later used on the film's ads and posters) which really sold it to the public. The film was bought and distributed by New Line Cinema soon after.

After its release, The Evil Dead would go on to have a major impact withing the horror community, and it would become one of the iconic films of the horror genre. It was even one of the first films to be labeled as a "Video Nasty" in the UK, and was banned there because of this. For a horror film, being banned is one of the most glowing reviews that it can receive. This first film by a young crew of independent filmmakers would go on to spawn 2 movie sequels, 1 television sequel series, a theatrical remake, a stage musical, and various video games, comic books, and tons of horror merchandise. Pretty damn successful for a film with just a small budget, and a mountain of determination from the filmmakers to get it made.

The main legacy of The Evil Dead is that is stands as a shining example of what an independent filmmaker can do. Even when the circumstances are less than ideal, when you have little money, can’t keep your actors, and the environment you’re filming in is horrible, you can still pull it all together and end up making one of the best films of the horror genre. It stands as a beacon and a rallying cry to other independent filmmakers that they can do it too. They themselves can go on to create the movie that they have always wanted to make, and personally, I can’t wait to see it.

#the evil dead #evil dead #ash #bruce campbell #sam raimi #rob tapert #grave cinema #video essay #review #critique #video nasty #1981 #independent film #horror

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psychodollyuniverse · 5 years

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The Long Blondes

The Long Blondes were a five-piece English indie rock band formed in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), Kate Jackson (lead vocals) and Screech Louder (real name Mark Turvey, drums).

After several critically acclaimed singles, they released their debut album, Someone to Drive You Home, on Rough Trade Records in November 2006. Their second album, Couples, was produced by Erol Alkan and released in April 2008. On 20 October 2008, due to the unexpected illness of their primary songwriter and lead guitarist, Dorian Cox, the band announced their amicable split via a message on their website, the same day their singles compilation, "Singles" was released.

The band was formed in 2003 in Sheffield, United Kingdom. All the members were attending, or had attended university in the city.The following quote appeared on their website and served as an introduction to the Long Blondes; "Our shared influences include The Mael Brothers, Marx Brothers and The Bewlay Brothers. We do not listen to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors or Bob Dylan. We chose an instrument each and learnt to play it.".The band have stated that the original inspiration for The Long Blondes was to form a fantasy pop group: "Nico, Nancy Sinatra, Diana Dors and Barbara Windsor. Sexy and literate, flippant and heartbreaking all at once." Singer Kate Jackson was inspired by bands with front women like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Blondie.

In July 2004, The Long Blondes released their debut single "New Idols" on the local Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation label. This was followed by singles "Autonomy Boy" and "Giddy Stratospheres", on Angular. In 2005, they released further singles, "Appropriation (By Any Other Name)" and "Separated By Motorways", the latter being produced by Paul Epworth and released on his own Good & Evil label. These releases were met with a positive critical reaction and growing media attention

Still unsigned, in February 2006 the band were recipients of the NME Philip Hall Radar Award, which in previous years was won by Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs. Further adding to their reputation, the band were named by The Guardian and Vogue as "the best unsigned band in the UK". As they were unsigned, during the early success of the band, members remained working in various day jobs; Jackson sold vintage clothing on eBay, Cox was working in the University of Sheffield Department of Law, Hollis in the Media Studies department of a nearby college, Chaplin in a Leeds art library and Louder in the Home Office.

On 13 April 2006 they signed to Rough Trade Recordsand began recording their debut album over the summer with Steve Mackey, the bassist with Pulp. The album was preceded by the singles "Weekend Without Makeup" in July and "Once and Never Again", which was released on 23 October and debuted at number 30 in the UK Singles Chart.The song was named the 15th best track of 2006 by NME. Someone to Drive You Home was released in November 2006. The music was written by the band collectively while the majority of the lyrics were written by Cox with Jackson completing the lyrics for "Separated by Motorways" and "Madame Ray". Critical reception was generally positive with the NME calling it "fantasy pop, performed to perfection" in a 9/10 review.Reviews picked up on the predominant themes of the album; outsider status, popular culture references from the 1950s and 60s and relationships from a female perspective. Other reviews indicated the numerous inspirations for the work. For example, a four-star review in The Guardian said that "if talent borrows but genius steals ... the Long Blondes should be taking their Mensa tests", comparing the album's style to Franz Ferdinand and 80s indie-pop band The Flatmates.Some noted the impact of Jackson's voice; Colin Roberts of Drowned In Sound said "her delivery is like a public address call across a Sunday marketplace” while The Guardian said it was "marvellously belting, if unsubtle".A 3-star review in Uncut magazine recognised the ambition of the band's sound, advising that they should acquire "a ruthless pop producer, one who can coax them out of their indie-pop dowdiness – like Blondie needed Mike Chapman, like ABC needed Horn.They appeared at a number of UK festivals over the summer of 2006, including the Carling Weekend. In 2007, they played on the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival.

After an extended European tour, in October 2007 The Long Blondes began work on their second album with producer Erol Alkan, who had previously produced their more dance orientated b-sides such as "Five Ways To End It" and "Fulwood Babylon". On 19 December 2007, it was announced that the new album's title would be "Couples". The title alludes to the David Bowie album "Heroes" and also to a loose theme of the album as a "big breakup album". Before the album was released, all five members created their own cryptic promo videos explaining the inspiration behind "Couples".The band stated that the album drew influences from Italo disco revival acts such as Glass Candy and the Italians Do It Better label.and ABBA. Cox stated that "...there's something really innocent about Abba videos... really kinda funny, futuristic but old fashioned at the same time and that's how we see our music on this album.".

"Couples" was released on 7 April 2008, preceded by a single, "Century", released on 24 March 2008. The album reached number 48 in the UK album chart. The album was generally well received by critics. Click Music gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 and said it was "a worthy contender for record of the year".[24] The Guardian gave the album another 4-star review, noting the album's shift in style – saying that some tracks shared "more with the cinematic perfection of Kylie Minogue's "Confide in Me" than the kitchen sink dramas of Pulp". A mixed 6/10 review in NME said the album was "not terrible, but disappointing" and "whereas once they sang of suburban boredom tempered with the thrill of escape, now they’ve started to sound like they’d be happy to stay put".After "Century", the next song to be taken off the album was "Guilt", which was released on 7" and digital download.

On 9 June 2008, the band posted on their official website that Cox had fallen ill and that he had to be rushed to hospital, which meant that they had to cancel all their live appearances until the end of July.The band were due to play a support slot on Duran Duran's Red Carpet Massacre tour at the Birmingham NIA and the O2 Arena in London and on the John Peel stage at Glastonbury.

After "Couples", the band decided to release a compilation of their rare early 7" singles, which was titled "Singles" on 20 October 2008 on Angular Records.The twelve track album collected all of the songs from the band's first singles. The version of "Separated By Motorways" differs from the single version produced by Paul Epworth, instead the group opted to include the demo version instead. The compilation also featured one previously unreleased song – "Peterborough". "Singles" was named the 25th best album of 2008 by Artrocker magazine

On 20 October 2008, Guitarist Dorian Cox posted a message on their official website that the band had split up. The main motivation for the break-up was Cox's stroke in June 2008, which resulted in a swath of cancelled gigs.Cox thanked fans for their support and goodwill. "We have decided to call it a day," he wrote. "The main reason for this is that I suffered from a stroke in June and unfortunately I do not know when/if I will be well enough to play the guitar again. On behalf of the band I'd like to say a big thank you to anyone who ever came to one of our shows, bought one of our records or danced to one of our songs in a club." The announcement was made the same day their compilation "Singles" was released, with the inside of the rear album art also containing news of the break-up. Upon their split, The Guardian wrote an article entitled "Why music will miss the Long Blondes".

It was reported on 1 December 2008 that Cox was undergoing physiotherapy for his paralysis and is still hoping to get back to playing guitar.

Jackson has been working on her debut solo album with producer and ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. She will be working under the name Madame Ray (after the song on Someone To Drive You Home). Jackson has said that the sound of the album first tended towards country rock but has now become a "big pop record". She released the album 'British Road Movies' in early 2016.

Dorian Cox's new band is called Unmade Bed and have made a number of songs available on-line.

Hollis continues to play in The Bon Bon Club, a band she formed with Louder.Their debut single features three cover versions—"Lullaby" by The Cure, "Love Is Blind" by Pulp and "Romantic Rights" by Death From Above 1979. It was released through Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation on 23 June 2008. The 7" single was limited to 500 copies.

Hollis also plays with Nature Set and their first single 7" has been published by Elefant Records in 2011.

The Long Blondes' songs reflect a number of influences, including 60s pop, Buzzcocks, The Fall, The Ramones, Suede,post-punk and new wave. Jackson's vocals have been compared to Ari Up of The Slits, Deborah Harry of Blondie and Lesley Woods of Au Pairs[citation needed]. Dorian Cox's backing vocals are also similar to those of former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. The music features angular guitars and prominent bass guitar lines. However, the band themselves claim somewhat more eclectic influences than their sound suggests, citing Burt Bacharach, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Chinn and Chapman, and Stock, Aitken and Waterman as influences. The band named some of their actual influences and favourite bands. Chaplin's were The Smiths, Sweet and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Hollis's were Belle and Sebastian, ELO and The Eagles. Cox's were ABBA and The Fall. Louder's were Scott Walker, The Slits and Captain Beaky. Jackson's were The Smiths, The Fall and Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood. Screech Louder cited Siouxsie and the Banshees, a group they were likened by the critics.Louder said about them: "[Siouxsie and the Banshees] made much more interesting records than any of the instant hits could manage, and they didn’t run out of ideas after the first few singles. Like Pulp, they’re testament to the power of waiting".

The Long Blondes are known for referencing films, singers, starlets and artists in their music. Screech Louder said that Alfred Hitchcock was a big inspiration when it came to referencing films in their music, he said "the whole film noir thing is very important because it's stylish but there's depth to it as well".

Lyrics

"Appropriation (By Any Other Name)" is a homage to Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo. It has been said[by whom?] that the song is told from Judy's perspective, due to lines such as "When I met you, I never wore dresses like that" & "You can't have me, make me act the same". Lead singer Kate Jackson painted two different portraits for the CD single and 7" Vinyl, they both depicted Kim Novak's characters Madeleine Elster and Judy Barton.[41]

"Darts" mentions British darts player Bobby George and darts commentator Sid Waddell.

"Erin O'Connor" is a homage to Erin O'Connor which also mentions fellow model, Lily Cole. It begins with a line by Ronnie Corbett and David Swift from the BBC play No Sex Please, We're British.

"Five Ways To End It" mentions Carry On star Hattie Jacques and also the producer of the Carry On films, Peter Rogers.

"I Liked The Boys" ends with "Not the most original sentiment I've ever heard, so what's new" which is a line from a radio show by Terry Wogan.[22] Whilst recording the second album, they found an old reel-to-reel radio recording and decided to use parts in some of their songs

"I'm Going To Hell" ends with a line by Peter Sellers.

"Long Blonde" mentions punk band Ramones, one of their influences.

"Lust in the Movies" mentions underground actresses such as 60's socialite and muse, Edie Sedgwick, American actress Arlene Dahl & French actress Anna Karina. Also the repeated line "Nag nag nag" is a reference to the same repeated lyric in the song "Nag Nag Nag" by Sheffield band Cabaret Voltaire.

"Madame Ray" is inspired by Lee Miller, the photographer and muse of avent-garde artist Man Ray.

"Melville Farr" is based on Dirk Bogarde's character in the 1961 British film Victim.

"Never To Be Repeated" references film-star Greta Garbo.

"Only Lovers Left Alive" takes its title from the 1964 science fiction novel by Dave Wallis, and includes the title of 1950s film From Here To Eternity as a lyric.

"Round The Hairpin" begins with a line by British comedian Kenny Everett.

"Swallow Tattoo" has a lyric ("you fill me with inertia") which is a reference to the parody pop band fronted by Peter Cook in Bedazzled.

"You Could Have Both" namechecks American singer Scott Walker. The song also alludes to the Morrissey song "My Love Life".The song also mentions the character of C.C. 'Bud' Baxter from The Apartment

Artwork

Before "Couples" was released, all five members created their own cryptic promo videos "explaining" what the inspiration behind "Couples" was. Jackson explained who inspired the album cover, she found artist Richard Hamilton, videos by ABBA, Lee Miller and Le Corbusier to be the main inspiration.

The two front covers of "Weekend Without Makeup" are paintings of Diana Dors.

The front cover of their debut album Someone To Drive You Home is a painting by Kate Jackson of Faye Dunaway in the film Bonnie and Clyde, with a Mark 3 Ford Cortina as her getaway car.The artwork inside the album sleeve is a painting of Nicolas Cage & Laura Dern in the film Wild At Heart.

The front cover of "New Idols" is a painting of Diana Dors in Yield to the Night.

from their Wikipedia page

Why music will miss the Long Blondes from The Guradian Uk October 21st 2008.

It's hard to sum up just how exciting the Long Blondes were when they started out. I first heard them after they'd released a few singles and they were still without a record deal. Amongst my friends, urging them on to bigger and better things was a cause we felt passionately about. And it wasn't long before the NME had called them the Best Unsigned Band in Britain.Matching the media hype was the fact that those early singles - Giddy Stratospheres, Autonomy Boy, Once and Never Again and Lust in the Movies - were stunning. Unlike anyone else, they seemed to be addressing exactly what suburban teenagers were going through: self harm, bitchy jealousy, social climbing, pretending you were a much cooler film star than the sad sack you actually were. For those of us who couldn't relate to guitar songs that sounded like football chants, these were a revelation. It helped that they looked like a proper pop group. A bunch of ex-librarian mis-shapes and misfits dressed in thrift shop chic straight out of a Pulp song, it was impossible to take your eyes off front-woman Kate Jackson. In the miasma of boys with guitars they were the only band who were mining a wealth of influences often overlooked by the keepers of rock music's "canon" - Blondie, the Ronettes, the Human League, Pulp, John Cooper Clarke and the B-52s - to name just a few. They were often criticised for not being able to play "properly". These people, I thought, were missing the point – in the grand tradition of their heroes the Long Blondes were anti-technique.In fact, their heroic statement of intent on their website read: "We do not listen to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors or Bob Dylan. We chose an instrument each and learnt to play it."None of them were really proper musicians. And unlike all of those perfectly coiffured indie bands who became their peers, they were clearly just a group of friends who wanted to form a band for the fun of it.Also, in an age where most other indie bands' default option was "dumbing down", the Long Blondes weren't afraid to flaunt their high falutin' literary and pop culture influences. Like their beloved Roxy Music, high culture met low culture in their aesthetic. Billy Wilder, Arlene Dahl and Kenny Everett were all lyrical inspirations while their sleeves referenced Bonnie and Clyde, Poor Cow and 50s pulp fiction novels.They produced two great albums (Someone To Drive You Home and Couples), and a pretty weighty stack of classy singles and b-sides (Ten Reasons To End It , Christmas Is Cancelled and Long Blonde to name a few). These, along with their sense of fearlessness (in their music, attitude and look), will be their legacy.

#the long blondes #dorian cox #kate jackson #rennie hollis #emma chaplin #screech louder #someone to drive you home #couples #best band of the early XXi century

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hetmusic · 3 years

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We’re continuing our exploration of British Asian identity in the music industry with Ed Riman, a musician who records and performs under the moniker Hilang Child.

This investigation was sparked by the launch of our companion record label, Bad Key, a platform for British Asian creativity. As the label’s manager Alex Treharne shares, “I started Bad Key in order to platform contemporary sounds from artists across the Asian diaspora in the UK. I want to show that the audience for Asian artists isn’t limited and that you can have multiple Asian artists on your roster without compromising on opportunity. I’m also really passionate when it comes to international audiences, fans are incredibly valuable regardless of their location and yet Asian audiences have been viewed as ‘other’ traditionally in the West. I grew up with a genetic connection to both the UK and Malaysia, and I want to explore that culture blend in all its beauty and complexity through Bad Key.”

In the interview below, Ed Riman touches on some of the issues raised in the first installment of this interview series, such as how the broad-strokes approach to diversity completely misses the mark and how the music industry as a whole doesn’t truly reflect the makeup of the British population. As Riman discusses, British Asians are especially left out of indie spaces and if you try to do any research into Asian representation in this corner of the music industry you’ll be disappointed as it quite simply doesn’t exist.

While there have been some efforts to bridge this gap, such as with the Arts Council funded Decolonise Festival, which showcases the burgeoning resurgence of POC guitar bands, or as the festival organisers themselves say “created by and for punx of colour”. It’s apparent that there’s clearly a systematic and deeply entrenched idea that indie music is white, but as Darren Louciades reports for The Guardian, “British guitar music wasn’t always so white”. Decolonise Festival’s organizer and current writer for Gal-dem Magazine June Bellebono furthers this by stating the fact that “Bands with people of colour have always existed and lots of them have been successful.” This attitude is a stark contrast to just a decade ago when 2008’s Love Music Hate Racism festival at London’s Victoria Park at which only one British Asian musician, namely Jay Sean, was on the line-up. You might be wondering, “surely we’ve come so far?”, but let’s challenge that assumption with the much maligned Reading & Leeds Festival line-up, often the topic of men-only band redaction to make a point about the lack of gender equality amongst performing artists. Despite much of the well-deserved criticism in recent years, Reading & Leeds is still considered a cornerstone of the indie music scene and yet this year many shared their disappointment at the fact that representation of women (as you can read about at Indie Is Not A Genre) is still falling far behind that of the global population. As it’s technically an international festival, we’re looking here at Asian identity as a whole rather than specifically British Asian, and even with that discretion you’ll only find Beabadoobee and Bloxx guitarist Taz Sidhu, with MCs Central Cee and Mastermind tracing some of their heritage to the Asian continent, and special mention for the American import Michael Sue-Poi, bassist for Nation of Language. Once again this mainstream okay-ing of white, cis-gender, heterosexual men as the majoriy party in music (and especially indie music) rears its ugly head and it’s as tiresome as ever.

All this considered, you can totally understand Ed Riman’s frustration as an indie artist in a space that quite simply isn’t doing enough to change.

Tell us about yourself and your role in the music industry.

I’m Ed Riman, a musician from South London now living in Brighton. I principally write and record under the moniker Hilang Child, with which my latest album has just come out on Bella Union Records (in January 2021). I also variously tour as a drummer with other acts and have worked on a few soundtracks and production bits. For context with regards to this article, I'm mixed-race British and Asian (half-Indonesian, half-Welsh).

What do you think about the representation of British Asian people in the music industry right now?

It’s a cold hard fact that compared with the actual level of diversity within UK society, the indie music world is overwhelmingly white, not just in terms of the the music and musicians who break through, but also in terms of behind-the-scenes decision makers, the journalists, the gatekeepers, people in positions of power within the industry. And those peoples’ personal preferences then naturally have a trickle down effect on what is given a platform. I sometimes wonder if I just haven’t looked in the right places, but then even the fact I’m having that thought tells me something’s wrong if from the get-go one has to actively scour to find what should be a more accurate representation of society’s diversity within music. I do think that’s changing and obviously there are exceptions, you do have artists like Rina Sawayama and Nabihah Iqbal breaking through recently and I have a few non-white friends working in great roles the industry. But if you look at the rosters of many of the main indie labels, or the lineups of many music festivals in the ‘indie music’ world, or the list of DJs on lots of the indie music stations, the level of general POC representation is often still tiny, let alone British-Asians, compared to the percentage of the population which is made up of people of colour. Many of these people are well meaning and a lot of the time they don’t realise the role they’re playing in it, it’s an unconscious one, but the results are there to see.

Also on a related note, whilst I’m personally proud to wear my heritage on my chest, I’ve noticed there’s sometimes this weird expectation that everything you do has to be defined by it... I recently saw a review for my new album which literally marked me down for not 'making more use' of my ethnic heritage in my music, as if having one Asian parent means I have a duty to bring something mysteriously foreign to proceedings. Some British-Asian musician friends of mine regularly put up with this too, we often share these pieces and reviews with each other when they come in and it’s mad how often it happens.

Which platforms do you think are doing a great job at highlighting British Asians in contemporary music culture?

My pal Helen Ganya Brown (a.k.a. fellow Bella Union artist Dog In The Snow) has a great radio show called Mixed Tapes where she spotlights music from people of colour in general in the indie music world, she’s doing a great thing and has probably been my main source of discovery recently!

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cosmetopiadigest · 4 years

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THESE are the eyeshadows I've been wearing in recent videos; the ones so many of you have asked about. UK-based indie brand Karla Cosmetics' #multichrome #eyeshadow pigments with INSANE shift, as you will see from the review, swatches, and demos. All looks are with ONE shadow only - and the colour shift is brilliant! Timestamps and more info below. 💎 SHARE, LIKE & SUBSCRIBE 💎 She now has pressed #multichromes, and silky cream multichromes. These were launched after I recorded this video, but I'll try and review them sometime, once budgeting recovers from the Holiday madness! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• PRODUCTS MENTIONED (affiliate links, all ship worldwide): ► Karla Cosmetics #multichromeeyeshadows: https://fave.co/2Y8Q8ZF TIMESTAMPS: 2:05: Packaging, application method, review 6:07 Swatches 8:37 Eye makeup looks OTHER MULTICHROME EYESHADOWS REVIEWED: ► Kaima Cosmetics: https://youtu.be/_zdhMvGMz2I ► Impulse Cosmetics #duochromes: https://youtu.be/Z0A0q81fzv4 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Here are some of my favourite beauty shopping sites. All ship worldwide: ► Cult Beauty: http://bit.ly/2SV6F31 ► LookFantastic: http://tidd.ly/76673977 DISCOUNT CODE RENU-R3 ► YesStyle for Korean and Japanese products: https://ystyle.co/SZhH INFLUENCER CODE RENU144 can be stacked with a website discount code (if available on their website) ► Space NK: http://bit.ly/2Q2GF0q ► Selfridges: https://ift.tt/2XjVRvS ► Revolution Beauty: http://tidd.ly/1eaf592f ► Feelunique: http://bit.ly/2sk8M3G ► John Lewis: https://ift.tt/3gGzPec ► Beautylish: https://fave.co/37Xag4q ► Cloud10Beauty: https://fave.co/2pZR7gT ► Beauty Expert: http://tidd.ly/24c237c1 DISCOUNT CODE RENU-R2 ► Harrods: https://ift.tt/3gEuSTh ► Pat McGrath: https://ift.tt/2TW7B5q ► Beauty Bay: https://fave.co/35B2Y4a ► Kinder Beauty Box: http://bit.ly/2EkgbDM Bonus code RENU_KINDER ► All Beauty: http://tidd.ly/c43129e7 ► Escentual: http://tidd.ly/f5c04395 ► Crow and Pebble: http://rwrd.io/iaa1hjj ► ASOS: http://tidd.ly/35f40a25 ► Sephora (US only): https://ift.tt/2XgDcku ► Ulta (US only): https://ift.tt/2TVHonG ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• COSMETOPIA DIGEST is your next-door makeup junkie's beauty channel. I believe in keeping it real. You won’t find the flawless looks or paid reviews from glossy magazines; you’ll find what is wearable, doable, and believable. I ALWAYS disclose if something is a PR Sample/sponsored/collab. Affiliate links make me a (very) small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any money thus made (some £12-ish in 2019) is put back into the running of this channel. OTHER VIDEOS YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: ► Tips for zero wastage beauty: https://youtu.be/9yY9ha08XvE ► How to use up your beauty stash easily: https://youtu.be/RaT-5dDkec4 ► Peek Inside My Antique Dressing Table And Makeup Collection: https://youtu.be/DFw6weh94xY ► How the Coronavirus Pandemic Will Affect The Beauty Industry: https://youtu.be/3p8HCr86TXE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• FIND ME, FOLLOW ME: ► https://ift.tt/1J9X09h ► https://ift.tt/1r1ZkLF ► https://ift.tt/2yNO1B1 ► https://ift.tt/2Mi0hwJ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

#YouTube #Cosmetopia Digest

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dawnasiler · 5 years

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How to Do My Summer Skincare Routine

This article may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information.

Summer skincare isn't just about sun protection.

For me, it's usually one of the most challenging seasons because I tend to break out more, especially near my hairline (thank you, sweat!).

I also get a lot of pigmentation on the sides of my cheeks—even WITH sunscreen.

Thanks for watching!

And of course, it's always hard finding the right products that keep you hydrated and protected, without looking like an oil slick.

That's why this might just be my best summer skincare routine yet!

Not to jinx anything, but so far using these products, my skin has stayed surprisingly clear, even and only slightly dewy, instead of shiny. (I'm not even wearing powder in this photo, and in past summers I wouldn't be able to get away with that!)

Keep reading to find out my skincare goals this season, and everything I'm using right now. And check out my previous routines for spring, winter and fall if you missed them!

My Summer Skincare Goals

My summer skincare goals include protecting my skin from UV and preventing pigmentation and breakouts.

Thanks for watching!

Alright, here's the lowdown on my skin priorities right now!

Sun protection: The sun is said to be responsible for 80 percent of skin aging, so obviously I'm all about the SPF at the moment. I can remember when I first started doing these mineral sunscreen guides, there were only a handful of high-zinc formulas to choose from, and most were quite heavy and occlusive. Now, there are a good number of lightweight options—so I think that's one reason why my skin is behaving better!

Fading and preventing pigmentation: In the spring, I was battling a serious case of post-acne hyperpigmentation after some Drunk Elephant products made me break out BADLY. That has mostly faded now, although I'm still working on it. At the same time, I'm being diligent about preventing new pigmentation. Sunscreen is half the battle, but so are the right actives. Niacinamide is what works the best for me, and I consider it to be an anti-aging treatment as well.

Preventing breakouts: Like I said, my skin has been unusually clear lately, thank God. But if I learned anything from my Drunk Elephant experience, it was not to get too cocky about that! So I'm keeping up my twice-daily acid routine. I think the niacinamide treatments I'm using right now are also making a difference, along with the lighter SPF and some new toners.

Confession: I fell off the wagon this summer with respect to all my gadgets (admittedly, I went a little wild with them in the spring!). I've just been TOO busy for anything more than an occasional Red Light Man treatment. But, I'm going to get back into using my ZIIP when I have some downtime in August (and yes, I plan to do a review). The microneedling I'm going to save for the fall, as you're not meant to do it after sun exposure.

Since I took you through my skin makeup last time, I won't bore you with that again here (I'm using pretty much the same things anyway).

As always, the majority of these products were purchased by me, and you can see how I scrutinize ingredients lists in this tutorial.

My Morning Skincare Routine

1. Cleanser:

Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser

My morning cleanser right now is Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser, which I was also using in the spring. This has become one of my favourite gel cleansers—it's sulfate-free, and I don't find it drying at all. (But it might be not be moisturizing enough for dry skin, so I think it's best if you are normal to oily.) While I'm only using it in the mornings, you could also use it at night as the second step in a double cleanse.

I'm also still using the S.W. Basics Cleanser on a Shiseido Facial Cotton on days when I'm not hopping in the shower right away. It's a three-ingredient cleansing water that's great for a quick, gentle cleanse.

2. BHA:

COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid

What a surprise, COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is next! I can't see myself EVER giving up this beta-hydroxy acid treatment that I've been using since 2017. As I explained in this review, it treats and prevents breakouts, exfoliates and brightens your skin, fades pigmentation and more. The texture is a liquid gel, and I use my fingers to smooth a generous layer all over my face (excluding the lips and eye area).

3. Serum:

GEORGANIC Propolis Care Acne Serum

Then I wait about 20 minutes or so to give the BHA time to work before I apply the GEORGANIC Propolis Care Acne Serum. Ignore the name, because this serum is not just going to help acne-prone skin, but also dry or sensitive skin and pigmentation.

First of all, it's got 78 percent Centella Asiatica extract, which is an Asian herb that both moisturizes and strengthens the skin barrier. It also has 10 percent propolis (bee "glue"), which soothes and reduces inflammation, and two percent niacinamide, which has all of these benefits (including brightening). So it's doing a lot more than other serums—and with fewer ingredients! It has a lightweight texture and is highly unlikely to irritate you or break you out.

4. Moisturizer:

Truly Organic Glass Skin Facial Serum

In summers past, I usually skipped this step and went straight from serum to sunscreen, since moisturizer would make me too greasy. This time, I've been experimenting with Truly Organic Glass Skin Facial Serum, and it's not having that effect at all! (The sunscreen I'm using is lighter, too, but more on that in a second.)

It's interesting that the brand is calling this a serum, because the texture is definitely a cream. It becomes more fluid once you spread it on your skin, so maybe that's why? Anyway, I absolutely love it. Who knew you could make a lightweight but nourishing cream out of soy lecithin, xanthan gum, aloe vera, coconut oil, cocoa butter and vitamin E?!

5. Eye Cream:

Truly Organic Doll Face Face Cream

Instead of eye cream, I'm using Truly Organic Doll Face Face Cream right now. (I swear, this brand is one of my BEST discoveries this year!) Lately, I've been getting some irritation in my eye area, probably from some makeup I've been using, so I wanted to try a very basic cream that wouldn't cause any more issues. I find that I can't use a lot of eye creams because their ingredients lists are too complex, with too many potential irritants.

Like the Glass Skin Serum, this cream has a very simple, natural ingredients list—in fact, the ingredients are almost the same. Doll Face, however, has a slightly thicker texture and a pink tint (maybe from the seaweed extract?). It's perfect as an eye cream, and I also wouldn't hesitate to use it as a face cream, which I'll be doing once it gets colder. (I've already tested it all over my face, and it doesn't break me out.) Truly obsessed with this brand!

6. Sunscreen:

Ava Isa Pure Untinted Ultra Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen

For my mineral sunscreen this season, I've got a brand new tube of Ava Isa Pure Untinted Ultra Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen, which the company recently tweaked to create a creamier texture. (There's also a tinted version, by the way, and you can now find them in the US at Credo Beauty!) This is such a great SPF for anyone who hates heavy, greasy sunscreens. It's so light on the skin, and the protection from UVA rays (the aging type of rays) is incredible.

I JUST received a PR sample of the new REN Clean Screen Mattifying Face Sunscreen SPF 30, so I'm going to be adding that to the rotation, too. It's not available yet here in Canada, but you can find it in the US and UK. You can learn more about all my sunscreen picks in this year's mineral sunscreen guide!

7. SPF Lip Balm:

COOLA Tinted Mineral Liplux SPF 30

As I mentioned in my recent review, COOLA Tinted Mineral Liplux SPF 30 is my top pick for an SPF lip balm. You're getting all-mineral protection in a moisturizing, water-resistant formula. It comes in a bunch of different tints—see my swatches here. My favourite is the coral shade called Tan Line.

I'm not wearing this in the photo above, though! (Oops!) That's Glossier Generation G in Crush with some Lanolips 101 Ointment on top.

8. Face Mists:

Tatcha The Satin Skin Mist, BIOeffect OSA Water Mist and Pai Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinity Skin Tonic

My last step in the morning (and throughout the day, actually) is face mist. I'm BIG on face mists in the summer. Tatcha The Satin Skin Mist is my latest purchase, a "liquid powder" that you shake and then spray on to mattify your skin. I've been experimenting with this instead of regular face powder, and it does a good job of taking away shine without making my skin look dry or dull.

I also like BIOeffect OSA Water Mist, which I was using last summer, too. This one is also slightly mattifying thanks to the silica, and hydrating thanks to the glycerin and hyaluronic acid. The packaging is great to pop in your handbag.

And I just bought another Pai Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinity Skin Tonic, which I used two or three years ago and loved. This one is super juicy and refreshing, and is specifically formulated to help balance combo skin.

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

1. Makeup Remover:

Darphin Azahar Cleansing Micellar Water

Moving on to evening... my first step is always micellar water, and I decided to try out another one to share with you, the Darphin Azahar Cleansing Micellar Water. If you feel like splurging, it does the job, with 94 percent natural ingredients (although BIOeffect's formula is technically more "clean"). It doesn't cause any irritation for me, but I'm also rinsing it off with the next step.

2. Cleanser:

Indie Lee Purifying Face Wash

There's nothing like a foaming face wash in the summer to get off all the sweat and grime that's been seeping into your pores all day—am I right? I finally got around to trying Indie Lee Purifying Face Wash, which I bought a while back but somehow forgot about (I have way too many cleansers!).

This has a unique jelly texture that turns into a light creamy foam once you massage it over wet skin. Honestly, it's great (just like ALL the cleansers from this brand). It's gentle, sulfate-free and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight. Keep in mind that it's more for oily and combo skin, though. If you are dry, I think the Indie Lee Rosehip Cleanser is better for you.

3. Cleansing Brush:

Foreo Luna 2 for Combination Skin

As usual, I pair my cleanser with the Foreo Luna 2 for Combination Skin, my favourite gentle cleansing brush. Summer is when I use this puppy the most, since sunscreens have a tendency to clog pores and I'm paranoid of leaving any traces on my skin.

By the way, a new version of this brush has just come out, the Luna 3. The main difference is that there's now an app, so you can customize the treatment intensity with your phone. I'm not sure if they are discontinuing the older one but I hope not! Personally, I feel like I don't need the 3 as the 2 already works perfectly.

4. Toner:

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner and Pyunkang Yul Acne Toner

In the spring, I mentioned that I've started to incorporate a toner step in the evenings, after cleansing and before my acid. I was inspired by NYC facialist Christine Chin, who believes that skipping toner is the number one mistake most people make! My problem was finding the RIGHT toner. Most toners I've tried don't play well with the COSRX BHA for some reason, and my skin goes red, hot and flushed when I use them together. Then I got the idea to try Lotion P50 as my toner, and it didn't do that!

However, Lotion P50 isn't the most accessible product, so I wanted to find some other options I could recommend to you guys. Thank goodness for K-beauty. I found two more toners that are compatible with acids! Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner contains soothing aloe vera, hydrating snail mucin and 0.5 percent salicylic acid. Pyunkang Yul Acne Toner has willow bark extract (a natural BHA), niacinamide and Centella Asiatica extract. They're both quite cheap!

5. BHA:

COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid

After the toner, I apply COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid, same as the morning. In past routines, you might remember me using it only in the mornings, with another salicylic acid treatment at night. But since the spring, I've stuck with this twice a day, and I really notice that my skin is always clear now. Like, I can be walking around all day sweating, or going through PMS time, and not even have ONE pimple. This stuff is GOLD!

6. Serum:

SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense

As much as I love A313 (reviewed here), I'm taking a little break from retinoids for the next month or so. One, because I finished the tube and had to order another, and two, because I plan to be spending a lot of time outside in August. This paper talks about retinoids and phototoxicity, so I just like to be careful!

Instead, I'm applying SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense, which was also in my spring routine. I use this about 20 minutes after the acid. It has five percent niacinamide, which acts as an antioxidant and will help me combat any sun-induced pigmentation. There are also tons of studies about niacinamide's ability to repair radiation-induced DNA damage (see here for a few). Yes, I am obsessed with niacinamide and prefer it to vitamin C!

7. Lash Serum:

neuLASH Lash Enhancing Serum

In my last few routines, I've forgotten to include lash serum, so I wanted to let you know that I've been using neuLASH Lash Enhancing Serum for a while now. You just paint this along your upper lash lines, and it helps strengthen your lashes so that they hang around longer (and therefore look thicker). Coming from Latisse, I think this has helped me maintain those results!

8. Eye Cream:

Truly Organic Doll Face Face Cream

Again, my "eye cream" right now is Truly Organic Doll Face Face Cream. No, it doesn't have any anti-aging ingredients, but it's keeping my eye area nice and hydrated. I wish more brands would take a cue from this company's ultra-simple formulas! With eye creams especially, the fewer ingredients, the better.

9. Lip Balm:

Lanolips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm

As always, my last step is some lanolin lip balm. All that's in Lanolips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm is medical-grade lanolin, which I think is the best thing for healing dry lips. Ever since I got onto this stuff, I NEVER experience chapping.

For a cheaper (but less cute) option, Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream is the same thing!

Conclusion

My summer skincare products from Pai, Benton, Darphin, Indie Lee, Ava Isa, Pyunkang Yul, Youth to the People, GEORGANIC, Tatcha, SkinCeuticals, BIOeffect and Truly Organic.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this routine!

Even though I'd describe my skin as combination, I think a lot of these products would work for drier skin than mine, too. I can't say enough good things about Truly Organic in particular. The fact that they can make such incredible creams without a long list of weird synthetic ingredients is just amazing to me!

I hope you also check out GEORGANIC, because that's another one I'd recommend for ALL skin. It's a K-beauty brand, by the way (as are COSRX, Benton and Pyunkang Yul). I'm a bit late to the party but I'm working on a Korean "clean skincare" guide to share with you soon. Stay tuned!

Shop My Skincare Routine

Have you tried any of the products in my summer routine? Which skincare products are you loving lately?

How to Do My Summer Skincare Routine syndicated from The Skincare Edit

#skincare #beauty #makeup

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theconservativebrief · 6 years

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In the world of skin care and makeup, there are products that those in the know consider best in class. Sunday Riley’s Good Genes acid serum is one. La Mer’s moisturizer is another. And Skinceuticals’ CE Ferulic — a glass dropper bottle full of yellow, watery antioxidants whose scent has been likened to hot dog water — is one of the most prized, if all the dermatologist recommendations and gushing testimonials are to be believed.

But now L’Oréal, the multinational beauty conglomerate that owns the Skinceuticals brand, is suing an indie competitor, alleging patent infringement. The product in question is Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma serum, which has been widely hailed by skincare fans and publications as a cheaper alternative to Skinceuticals’ cult-favorite vitamin C serum. Vitamin C serums can theoretically even out skin tone and prevent sun damage and wrinkles.

Faced with a crowded and imitative market, beauty obsessives have created a culture, discussed on forums and in Instagram posts, around the search for affordable alternatives to their favorite products. Hunting for these so-called “dupes” is entertaining but also potentially economical. At $80 for one ounce, Drunk Elephant’s serum is half the price of Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, which costs an eye-watering $166 for the same volume.

Drunk Elephant is one of the biggest success stories in skin care, during a time when skin care sales in general are booming and skin care itself has become a crucial part of “self-care,” garnering national attention. Its products are best-sellers at Sephora, and the brand expects to exceed $100 million in sales this year, according to Business of Fashion.

The company recently expanded to the UK and will soon expand to Asia. Its brightly neon-colored bottles and “clean” ingredient messaging have made a winning combination. Forbes has estimated that the brand has received about $25 million in investments, including from Man Repeller blogger Leandra Medine.

So, Drunk Elephant is big enough that it is likely biting into Skinceuticals’ sales. This suit could have wider implications in the beauty industry, which is rife with copycat products thanks to a robust cottage industry of dupes.

Some of the best-loved products in the beauty industry are also incredibly expensive. As such, there is an enthusiastic group of superfans who will test (or “swatch”) products like eye shadow and lipstick to find cheaper versions that are good matches for the pricier originals. They pop up via Instagram pages like DupeThat (which has more than 1 million followers) and popular makeup review blogs like Temptalia, which has a whole section devoted to dupes.

Since skin care isn’t as visual as makeup, and formulas and ingredients matter more, dupe-hunting in the category happens more organically in forums like Reddit’s r/SkinCareAddiction and on blogs. Users compare and contrast various formulas and study ingredient lists to try to identify cheaper dupes. Some products, like Good Genes, are so singular that it’s impossible to find a close match. However, proponents argued that Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma was a spot-on stand-in for CE Ferulic. The ingredients, the stinky scent, the golden color, and the brand’s claims all convinced skin care enthusiasts they had found a credible dupe.

By law, beauty companies have to list all the ingredients in order of concentration from highest to lowest on their packaging. They aren’t required to list the exact amounts, but there are labs that can analyze and reverse engineer products, in a process called “deformulation.” As long as a brand doesn’t have a patent on a certain ingredient or formulation, copycats can get away with replicating these formulas. It’s similar to what happens in fashion all the time, since few brands can or do trademark their designs. But Skinceuticals does hold a patent for its formula.

Ironically, the reason many beauty brands don’t patent their formulations is that it makes them more susceptible to being knocked off. When a patent is filed, the specific details of the formulation become public information. This is apparently what happened to Skinceuticals, whose cocktail of vitamin C, ferulic acid, and vitamin E is mixed in a specific concentration and at a specific pH.

“One of the trade-offs of filing a patent is that the method for creating the product must be revealed. Many other brands have based their formulas on the information contained in the formula,” says a cosmetic chemist with experience formulating products containing vitamin C, who asked to be anonymous in order to comment on this case. “Some are apparent outright copies, whereas some brands will try to circumvent the patent by changing the solvent or other properties of the formula, like pH.”

Armed with a patent, L’Oréal obviously thinks it has a case against Drunk Elephant. A spokesperson for L’Oréal USA said in a statement to Vox: “We believe that the scientific inventions which make our products so innovative are a strategic and competitive advantage and we are committed to protecting our valuable intellectual property.” (As of publication time, Drunk Elephant did not respond to requests for comment.)

While a huge company like L’Oréal can generally ignore smaller brands that rip off its products (unless it’s particularly blatant), it could no longer ignore Drunk Elephant. The upstart is likely now cutting into Skinceuticals’ sales of CE Ferulic. C-Firma was even crowned an Allure “Best of Beauty” winner this year, a designation that CE Ferulic has claimed three times.

Drunk Elephant has been around since 2013, but it is just now hitting a truly global stage, and many industry watchers have been waiting for one of the big multinationals to acquire Drunk Elephant. In fact there have been rumors in the industry that Drunk Elephant might someday incite a bidding war between Estée Lauder and L’Oréal to acquire it.

Other small companies that produce similar vitamin C formulations will likely watch how this case plays out with a mixture of fear and interest. L’Oréal is asking for damages and an injunction for Drunk Elephant to stop producing the formula, which would be a huge financial blow to the company.

And for all those sleuths out there who determined that Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma was a great dupe for CE Ferulic? They’re probably feeling smug right now — and also possibly stocking up in case it disappears.

Want more stories from The Goods by Vox? Sign up for our newsletter here.

Original Source -> Beauty junkies love cheap dupes of expensive products. A new L’Oréal lawsuit could threaten that.

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief

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sportsandfitnessinfo · 7 years

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New Post has been published on http://fitnessandhealthpros.com/beauty/i-swapped-indie-beauty-for-sephora-products-and-the-results-were-cray/

I Swapped Indie Beauty For Sephora Products–And The Results Were Cray

A version of this article previously appeared on JacalynBeales.Com.

Approximately five years ago, I made the decision to go green and natural with my beauty. That meant ditching all “generic” beauty products for those typically only found online for $ 40 per jar/bottle, which further meant spending most of my monthly income on natural skincare.

Yes, it is as ridiculous but worthwhile as it sounds.

Then, three years ago, I stopped wearing makeup altogether and now only wear the odd bit of concealer when I feel I need it. Though I don’t spend nearly as much money on makeup as I do skin care, natural makeup products made with ingredients that are actually natural and palm-free can be a bit pricey, especially when you live in the snowy tundra that is Canada (for UK people, that’s a totally different country from the US, just sayin’) and most of those items are shipped from the United States.

But I digress.

Over the past five years, I’ve tried – and ditched – many a natural beauty product, not only for their greenwashed ingredient labels but also due to their ineffectiveness as a product overall. But my experience with natural skincare – and my commitment to it – has meant avoiding all of the brightly, albeit unflatteringly, lit stores such as Sephora, where most women my age go to play with makeup and drop their paychecks at the checkout counter on the way out.

Cynical? Who, me?

Even I am not immune, however, to the draw and pull of Sephora. Whenever I do have occasion to visit a Sephora store, it is often with a friend or family member, and I never fail to become extremely overwhelmed every time I walk into one. The selection and array of brands is unreal, but what may perhaps be most surprising to us green beauty junkies out there is the fact that Sephora actually carries a few natural brands – or, as close to “natural” as mainstream beauty stores can carry. For example, my recent trip to Sephora revealed shelves lined with Farmacy and Drunk Elephant products, in addition to other “indie” and cult brands like Herbivore Botanicals. Though these brands are quite expensive – the average price of their products starts at around $ 40 and only increases frighteningly from there – I have been known to spend $ 100 on facial serums that prove totally effective, so I bit my tongue and stepped down from my soapbox.

For every one natural brand in Sephora, there are five more completely unnatural ones, and watching my friends pick out products that are clearly made with only-God-knows-what was surprising; in fact, while watching other shoppers, I became fascinated by the lack of discerning taste in products. People like certain brands and products, and they stick to them. No judgment, just keen interest.

After speaking to one of my friends in the UK over a series of hilarious Snap Chats recently, she said something that truly resonated with me. To paraphrase, my friend put me in line by betting that I couldn’t last a week using Sephora-sold brands, and my head began to spin. She’s totally right, I thought to myself as I was applying my $ 65 facial oil that night; there’s no way I could do that.

So, of course, I challenged myself to two weeks of using only Sephora-sold beauty brands. And it kind of really sucked.

How It Went

Upon accepting this self-induced challenge, I made a trip to the mall and entered the Sephora store with immense trepidation – not only for my skin and hair, but also for my bank account. There was no way I was coming out of this challenge unscathed, and neither was my debit card.

Hurray!

As I was perusing each display of different brands and products – many of which were Korean, as is currently the latest trend in beauty and skin care – I kept in mind the type of products I was looking for: facial cleanser, face mask, moisturizer, dry shampoo, under-eye treatment, spot treatment, hair oil, facial oil, and concealer. I would try to acquire samples of each type of product where possible but also ended up buying a few full-size items due to lack of sample-availability.

Facial cleanser. The facial cleanser I purchased was the Clear Bloom Cleansing Oil from Farmacy, which starts off as an oil and eventually turns into a “milk-like” texture for cleansing purposes. It purports to be a makeup remover and cleansing oil, but it was the cheapest cleanser I could find that came in a bottle bigger than my thumb for the same price as others. Aside from the fact that the first 5-8 ingredients are just alcohols and things you seriously cannot pronounce without a sherpa to guide you through the ingredient label, the cleanser smells oddly like dirt and window cleaner mixed together and removed my makeup just about as well as a L’Oreal cleanser would.

So, not a great first start.

Face mask. The next product at hand was the Dr. Jart Water Replenishment Cotton Sheet Mask which, aside from making me look like a serial killer, was ridiculously difficult to use and smelt purely like chemicals, something I haven’t been accustomed to since my days as an over-the-counter, drugstore-beauty user. I purchased two of the masks and used them once each week and saw no visible results, but they did sting like a mo-fo and caused my skin to breakout, so I suppose there’s that.

The ingredient list on this mask (and other Dr. Jart masks) was also quite heinous, as was the fragrance, leading me to conclude that these masks need to go die a slow death somewhere, preferably not in the ocean where the obscene amount of plastic used to wrap these masks will likely end up.

Face moisturizer. After my skin was suitably dried out by both the cleanser and the mask, I needed to layer up with a decent moisturizer and settled on the Ultra Repair Cream from First Aid Beauty. I’ll fully admit here that this facial moisturizer made me swoon thanks to its uncanny ability to hydrate my skin all day long without causing my t-zone to imitate an oil spill. It has a subtle fragrance to it that, shockingly, didn’t overwhelm my nose all day, and it works awesomely under concealer. The ingredients in this bad boy are pretty much what you’d expect – not to natural – but I couldn’t help falling in love with it and I feel terribly guilty about that.

Dry shampoo. Next up was dry shampoo, and I have to tell you that my body was freaking ready for this. For some time leading up to this self-induced challenge (read: torture), I had wanted to try the new Dry Shampoo Foam from Ouai. I had seen the dry shampoo foam all over Instagram, as well as in many an online article, with rave reviews, and the devil’s advocate in me kept insisting that it would be more effective than the natural dry shampoos I own and use – though I’ve alway preferred a natural dry ‘poo to the artificial ones. Upon first using the foam, I was impressed; this was doing its job and I raved about it to friends on Snap Chat like it was my job. I watched the brand’s instructional video to learn how to properly apply and use the foam and felt myself actually becoming Jen Atkin…until I looked in the mirror 30 minutes minutes later.

Not only does the foam have a perfumed scent to it that is totally overwhelming and grandma-like, but the foam had actually made my hair greasier-looking than it was when I first applied the foam. Ouai claims that the dry shampoo foam will give you volume while cleansing the hair; the foam goes on wet but dries dry for a chic yet totally useless user experience that yields unfortunate results. I proceeded to use the dry shampoo foam for another five days – even on washed hair, for volume, as the brand’s video says you can do, and I trusted Jen Atkin because, well, she styles Kim K’s hair and for some reason that made me trust her? – and promptly tucked it away into the back of my bathroom drawer, never to see the light of day again. Is it possible for dry shampoo to make your hair look dirtier, even if it’s clean???? Because that’s what happened.

I should have trusted Sephora’s online reviews of the foam rather than a brief brand video, but I guess this only proves that I’m a sucker for dry shampoo. I’m also totally embarrassed by my semi-promotional snaps I subjected my friends to about this dry shampoo for literally no reason.

Did I mention the dry shampoo foam is $ 30/bottle? BECAUSE IT IS.

Hair oil. After the harrowingly greasy experience that was the Dry Shampoo Foam, I decided to give Ouai the benefit of the doubt and try the Hair Oil, thinking that not all Ouai products could be bad. And, honestly, for the most part, this hair oil isn’t actually that bad. Unless you factor in the smell. My god, the smell. Applying even the tiniest amount of this oil resulted in a head of hair that smelt as though I had dunked myself in a bath filled with floral oils of I-don’t-know-what-the-heck, and that made this hair oil difficult to use. I found leaving it in overnight was the best solution, but only when I was willing to sacrifice my first hour of sleep being kept up by the stench. So, basically, I used the oil five times and never, ever again.

Oh, and the first ingredient? It’s listed by the EWG’s database as being considered potentially harmful as well as tumor-causing in animals. So yeah…take that as you will.

Eye treatment. Following the hair oil was the under-eye treatment. For my bank account’s sake, I bought two of Sephora’s brand name eye masks in Pomegranate, which purport to tone and energize the under-eye area using, well, you guessed it: pomegranate extract. A salesperson at Sephora recommend it to me as a cost-effective and quick solution to pricey eye treatments, and the color of the packaging caught my eye (no pun intended), so into my Sephora basket they went!

As far as eye masks go, I was surprised by the results of this one; it actually brightened my under-eye area and made my usual bags look less severe. I was impressed by how simple they were to use as well, though they’re a bit slimy and the smell is quite strong. However, for $ 6 a pop, the results outweigh the low cost, and I’m ashamed to say I would buy this eye mask again.

But, you know, I never will, because the ingredient list is not so lovely.

Spot treatment. Moving onto the spot treatment, and my skin was ready for some TLC from a blemish-fighter that would [hopefully] help repair the not-so-stellar results of the cleanser and face masks. The lovely sales people at Sephora were kind enough to give me a sample bottle of the Super Spot Remover from Origins, as there was no way I was going to spend $ 25 on a bottle of gel with an ingredient list longer than my college application. Nah.

Like most generic spot removers, I found this one from Origins to have a slightly chemical-y smell with the ever-popular burning sensation typical of spot treatments which seek to burn the blemishes from your skin. Though it wasn’t entirely useless, as far as spot treatments go, I found it dried out my skin quite severely and worked best when applied over a facial oil at night. It did help to banish the odd blemish or two I experienced after using the face masks and cleanser, but I fear to think of the ingredients used and how dry my skin could potentially become with continued use of this spot treatment.

Facial oil. The facial oil in question was a sample of the U.F.O Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil from Sunday Riley, a brand I see on Instagram and beauty pages quite regularly. The oil purports to be a medicated dry oil which absorbs quickly and clears congested pores for problem prone skin. And while it did absorb into my skin quite nicely, I’m unsure as to where the “dry” part comes in. Within half an hour of using the oil, my skin not only became quite oily itself, but the oil did little to calm my naturally red cheeks. It was also next to impossible to use under makeup as part of a moisturization routine, and the smell was something else. Something not very good. Like burnt grass and tea tree oil mixed together. Was I losing it??

Considering a full-size, 35ml bottle of the oil costs $ 100 (before tax), I said a silent prayer of thanks to the sweet women as Sephora who were willing to give me a sample.

Concealer. When it came to concealer, I decided to purchase one that wasn’t at all natural – and doesn’t purport to be. It was, however, recommended to me by both friends as well as Sephora employees who swore by its effectiveness and ability to mattify the skin. So, needless to say, I was all for giving this concealer a go. It’s the Soft Matte Complete Concealer by NARS, and yet again I was able to get my hands on a small sample of it. The full-size container of the concealer goes for $ 38 a pop, but my small sample was enough to last me almost the two full weeks, and matched my skin quite well, in the color “Macadamia.”

Real talk: this stuff works. And I’m not at all ashamed to say that I would probably buy this concealer if it weren’t filled with ingredients I’m wary of putting on my own skin. It provided amazing coverage without drying out my skin and worked well as an under-eye concealer on days when my bags were particularly awful. It even did a great job of mattifying my skin, which was a welcomed surprise.

The Takeaway

Over the course of two weeks, I pampered my skin with Sephora-sold brands which were at times totally overhyped or completely justified, both in their pricing as well as their overall effectiveness.

Though my skin and hair don’t appear to have benefitted from the products I used, apart from the under-eye mask and concealer, which both pleasantly surprised me, I learned a very important lesson over the two weeks of this challenge; mainly, that many brands are pretty awesome at greenwashing, especially when the packaging they use to do it totally distracts from that greenwashing. I was disappointed to learn, for example, that the cleanser I was using had a palm derivative in it but made no effort in its packaging to attest to that. The ingredients in the hair oil also concerned me, and I found it slightly off-putting that something as simple as a hair oil could have potentially harmful ingredients.

Was I at all surprised that some of the more artificial and chemical-laden products worked well? Not really. But I didn’t expect to like them, let alone find them to be as effective as they actually were. And though I’m committed to using only natural products – I’m not-so-subtly glad for the challenge to be over – the two week period did help me to recognize why some people may be wary of ditching their tried-and-tested products (like concealers) for more natural options. Some of these not-so-natural products really do work, but it’s up to us as individuals to determine whether the risks and results from using artificial ingredients on our skin and hair are truly worth the temporary benefits.

No one made me “suffer” through two weeks of using Sephora-sold products, but I’m happy to have put myself through the “ringer” of not-so-natural beauty. Now, I’ll never have to wonder again what some of beauty’s most currently-coveted items are truly like.

Oh, and neither will my bank account. Don’t try this at home, kids.

Are you a green beauty convert?

Also by Jacalyn: The Moon Juice Cookbook Is As Woo-Woo As You’d Think–And I Love It

Related: Is Your Green Beauty Habit Actually A Fast Beauty Addiction?

Get the Glow–Not Clogged Pores: 3 Best Non Comedogenic Oils for Your Face

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Photo: Sephora, Tolph Cam, Fashionista, Mrs. James Recommends

After several years spent traveling the world, Jacalyn settled back in her native home of Toronto, Canada to earn her Degree in Classical Studies. A dedicated wildlife advocate, she has for the past three years written on the issues and conflicts threatening the world’s wildlife and advocates for the conservation of Africa’s lions. Jacalyn’s dedication to and involvement in wildlife activism inspired her to join the global movement of conserving wildlife and living an ethically conscious, eco-friendly lifestyle. As a writer, she has had many opportunities to report on wildlife conflict and, through her writing, raise awareness and become a voice for conservation. In 2014, Jacalyn founded the social media community called PACH, through which she works with global NGOs and NPOs whose efforts are helping to save Africa’s lion. Read Jacalyn’s work on www.jacalynbeales.com.

Originally at :Peaceful Dumpling Written By : Jacalyn Beales

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#Beauty #Cray #Indie #Products–And #Results #Sephora #Swapped #were

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