Distorted Reality

April 19, 2019

In a world where advanced technology can aid our perfectionist-geared society, can augment and change our physical appearance, little is left up to the imagination. We can Instagram ourselves the way we want to be seen and Snapchat the exact life that we want others to think we are living - but what if we all mutually accepted that this form of expression isn’t our true reality?

Long time collaborators Madeleine Brown and Furmaan Ahmed present ‘Mantle’, a beauty editorial that explores the endless possibilities of how we are able to mask ourselves and alter our identities within the realm of beauty. In this editorial, the two explore surgical distortions of the face, a time period post-human skin, the golden ratio of facial proportions, and painting the face with light. What’s real and what isn’t? We’ll let you decide.

Text by Caroline Brown
Art Direction by Madeleine Virginia Brown
Photography by Furmaan Ahmed
Makeup by Madeleine Virginia Brown
Hair by Rochelle Jolley
Video by Natalie McGowan
Model: Soojin Chang

Check out a few of our favorite shots below.

Beauty

Beauty Committee: Round II

We're a little ass company with a big ass mouth and a whole lot to say, so for our first round of products we've asked our lovely judges to test out the only thing that makes the mouth even louder: lipstick. We have three natural brands with three sultry shades of red, the ever-iconic color too sexy to go out of style. Our contenders are "ROMEO", by Lawless, "Clarity", by Axiology, and "Crimson & Clover" by Ilia, and we have office baddie and Beauty Committee judge Abella Danger here to give us the lowdown on each one. Check out her answers below and stay tuned, because we have our next judge coming in red-hot tomorrow afternoon!

Which pigment do you like the best?

The pigment I liked the best was from Ilia lipstick because in my opinion it was the truest red—it complimented my skin very well.

What was the best aspect of each product?

The best aspect of each of the lipsticks was that they were all great on my sensitive skin. Sometimes lipsticks can have harsh chemicals that irritate my skin, but they all felt light and smooth.

Most stylish packaging?

Axiology had the most stylish packaging —it looks like a bar of gold inside a vintage chocolate box.

All of them are red, but which one is your favourite shade? Which would be best for a night out?

Ilia because it was my favorite kind of red, BUT my go-to for a night out would definitely be the Lawless because it was the longest lasting without reapplying.

Beauty

NSFW in SF

Beauty

Freedom Fantasy

July 02, 2019

Fifty years ago it was illegal to where clothing that was not assigned to your gender. The only places for the gays to hangout were owned by the Mafia and were entered with a password, often the question, “Are you friends with Judy?” referring to Judy Garland, gay icon then and now. One such place was The Stonewall Inn, which was regularly raided by the police—any man in woman’s clothing, or woman in a man’s, was summarily arrested on the spot—until one day when the gender benders decided they’d had it.

The first punch was thrown by legendary bulldyke Stormé DeLarverie, who was born a woman but lived her life as a man, and who had seen enough that night at the Stonewall Inn. Since then, Pride has become an all-inclusive celebration of the human spirit as well as the beauty that lies in the possibilities of the body. Male, female, or somewhere in between, gender itself has become recognize as a wide spectrum, where every vivid hue along the rainbow is something to be honored, cherished, and respected.

And hell, it sure is a good excuse to have a good time and look devastating while doing so. Check out our favorite beauty looks below.