On Frankie's Face

March 11, 2020

If you haven't realized by now, office is a sucker for beauty, but we also know that you can't judge a product by its packaging.

With that being said, we’re back and better than ever with the third installment of the office Beauty Committee. Did you miss us? Don’t worry, we’ll be around for the next few weeks with our brand new panel of judges to give you the lowdown on some of the top non-toxic beauty supplies.

Be sure to check in daily for our committee’s honest opinion on everything from hair wax to sunscreen to let you know which ones you can pass and what products you can’t survive in NYC without. Whether you’re bougie or on a budget, you’ll find your next must-have right here on the office Beauty Committee.

Interview by Caroline Brown
Online Beauty Editors: Johanna Nomiey + Stine Rasmussen
Photos by Danny Lim

Moving on from sunscreen, this week's segment of Beauty Committee tackles all-natural, non-toxic face masks. Renowned makeup artist Frankie Boyd gives his opinion on our three contenders: Grace + Tonic's "Cleansing Mud," Round Barn Apothecary's "Detoxifying Clay Mask," and Gaelle Organic's "Masque Superieure Sea Mineral Treatment."

If you had to eat one of them, which one would it be?

Gaelle Organic—it has a delicious mousse-like texture.

Which one is your favorite?

Gaelle Organic has the best packaging and smells divine.

Which one would you gift to a friend?

Grace + Tonic.

You have to wear one out in public, pick one!

Round Barn Apothecary, you have to fully commit to the look.

What is the best part of every product?

Gaelle Organic: Has the best packaging and smell.

Round Barn Apothecary: Great traditional clay mask.

Grace + Tonic: Easy to wear and doesn’t dry you out.

Beauty

Pretty Pits

What do you look for in a deodorant?

When it comes to deodorant, I usually like to go with more natural products but the only issue with that is it’s hard to find ones that last or keep you smelling good.

If you were trapped on desert island and had to eat one, which deodorant would be good enough to eat?

Obviously 'Cupcake'! It smells so fucking delicious!

Pair each deodorant with a genre of music.

'Santalum' would be folk music from the 60s because it has such and earthy, very natural smell. The hippies would have went right after it! 'Cream deodorant-cupcake' is of course the bubblegum-pop Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream Type shit--so sweet-smelling and makes you immediately associate it with youth. 'Milk and Honey' is very neo-soul. It’s smooth and sexy but has a 'lil something special to it. Something hip and different.

Which deodorant would you use fresh out of the gym?

'Milk and Honey'!

Which product would be the most fun to incorporate in the bedroom and why?

It depends on what you like, but 'Milk and Honey' is the one for me because it’s natural yet sensual.

Tell a one-sentence story about what each smell reminds you of.

'Santalum' reminds me of the times my family would go camping in Big Sur growing up--when were almost there you could start to smell the freshness of the pine trees and nature. 'Cupcake' reminds me of all the chapsticks I ate as a kid. 'Milk and Honey' reminds me of my mom; nurturing and soft.

Dopest packaging?

'Milk and Honey'!

Best thing about each product?

Once again, I love the natural ingredients. It makes me feel like I’m doing my body justice.

One thing you would change about each product?

I wish 'Santalum' lasted longer. I wish 'Cupcake' was in different packaging because as someone who always has long fake nails, I prefer products with roll-on application. I wish 'Milk and Honey' didn’t go on so white, but honestly that’s just me being picky!

If your partner were wearing one of these products, which would turn you on?

'Milk and Honey'.

What’s a deodorant scent you’d never wear?

Hmm, probably chocolate.

What do you look for in a deodorant?

In all honesty, I don't ever use deodorant because I'm not sweaty and I don't smell.

If you were trapped on a desert island and had to eat one, which deodorant would be good enough to eat?

The 'Ollie and Max' deodorant 'Cupcake,' it smells like a fresh cake shop!

Pair each deodorant with a genre of music and explain your answers.

'Milk and Honey' is sexy R&B, 'Ollie and Max' is bubble gum top 40 pop, and 'Corpus' is late 90’s alternative.

Which deodorant would you use fresh out of the gym?

I think I'd wear 'Milk and Honey'. It’s the most balanced out of the three.

Which product would be the most fun to incorporate in the bedroom and why?

Corpus because its big.

Tell a one-sentence story about what each smell reminds you of.

'Milk and Honey' smells like fresh spring, 'Ollie and Max'; is hardcore cake shop, and 'Corpus' is light as air.

Dopest packaging?

'Ollie and Max'!

Best thing about each product?

I don't use deodorant so I don't know what qualities are desired but I think the texture of the 'Ollie and Max' deodorant seems a bit uneasy.

One thing you would change about each product?

I wouldn't change anything. I like them as they are. They exist in their form for a reason.

If your partner were wearing one of these products, which would turn you on?

'Milk and Honey'.

What’s a deodorant scent you’d never wear?

Poop scent.

Follow @officebeautynyc for more product reviews from the office Beauty Committee, killer beauty looks and our favorite makeup artists around the world, and read more about the committee here.

Beauty

Eszter Domonkos

April 07, 2019

“Strange, Dreamy, and Abstract,” Eszter Domonkos’ personal aesthetic truly emulates the painter-esque makeup masterpieces she creates. This local Hungarian makeup artist discovered her calling a mere two weeks into her first semester at KREA, a contemporary art school in Budapest...if only we could all be so lucky.

In two years time, Eszter has experimented and applied unorthodox materials ranging from haribo gummy bears, lube, and play-doh to her own face, a practice in which the artist can exteriorize her abstract sense of self. Her fascination with eye makeup, specifically, injects a sense of thoughtfulness and intent into an otherwise overwhelmingly "messy" look.

In Eszter’s mind, colors and shapes enjoy a symbiotic relationship, working in harmony to produce an ordered chaos--and a magical one at that. Her everchanging approach to the makeup process is a brilliant combination of beauty and mystery, a meeting of conventional aesthetic knowledge with the mythic power of the unknown, and that's just how this artist likes it.

Text by Margaux Halloran
Interview by Lee Phillips

Catch our interview with Eszter below.

When did you first start experimenting with makeup?

It's still quite a new thing to me. I wasn’t interested in beauty and makeup before I started a makeup course in 2017. I’m a creative person and I love drawing, so I wanted to study animation, but I didn’t get accepted to university and I felt like I should find something else where I can express myself. In early 2017 I saw that there was a fashion makeup course (at KREA Contemporary Art School) in my town, I checked out their portfolio and I loved their approach to makeup. I didn’t even have a brush before that, but they made me so obsessed with makeup and experimenting in just a couple of weeks that I realized that this is what I wanted to do.

What is the beauty scene in Budapest like?

Since I’m still new to the beauty scene I haven’t experienced too much, but it’s definitely hard to be a makeup artist in Budapest. There are a lot of amazing underground artists, but there isn’t really a market for experimental makeup in Hungary, and I hope that will change.

Did you grow up there?

I grew up in Pécs, it’s a smaller city in the Southern part of Hungary. It's a beautiful place but I moved to Budapest 4 years ago because I’ve always dreamed of living in a big city and wanted to experience more things.

Your make up looks are focused around the eyes, why not post a full face look? Is there something about the eyes specifically that inspires you?

I’ve always had an obsession with eyes, I just think they are beautiful. Since I was really young I always used to draw eyes all over my exercise books in school during my classes. Another reason is that my makeup looks are really “messy” and all over the place so I want there still to be some kind of order. I think I've posted 2 or 3 full face looks, and it’s definitely something I want to experiment with more in the future.

When creating a new look, do you start with color or shape first?

It’s always different. Sometimes I already know what colors I want to use but I have no idea what shape to create, and sometimes it’s the other way round. I usually just sit down in front of my mirror, pick up a brush, and do whatever feels right at the moment. Sometimes I can come up with a really cool look in just five minutes and other times it can take up to an hour until I feel like I created something good. But I always love the process and take photos after every step because they might inspire me one day.

Who is your beauty icon at the moment?

It’s a bit embarrassing, but I don’t follow fashion all that much, or specific people. Let's say David Bowie, Tilda Swinton, and Grimes.

Craziest material or object you've ever added to a look/glued to your face?

There are a few--melted Haribo gummy bears, lube, play-doh, acrylic paint, temporary tattoos and my own hair.

How would you describe your aesthetic in three words?

Strange, dreamy, and abstract.

Beauty

Paper Dolls

Shimmering lids certainly radiate those cute n' coy vibes, but if you dig a little deeper behind that sweet facade, you'll find some true femme fatale makeup features, such as dagger-sharp cat-eyes and cheeky phrases like "Don't move," written in wispy cursive.

Hair takes the shape of geometric afros or slicked down pin-straight with edges laid. Clothes and accessories fashioned out of newsprint form geometric fits as boxy as the 'fros. Between the wing-like, armor quality of the threads, the boldness of the poses, and the majestic hues of the makeup, these dolls may be enchanting, but they certainly aren't meant to be played with.