Product Nostalgia

Cats and family aside, music and makeup are the loves of my life. I associate all my memories with one or the other and they both hold rich nostalgia for me. If I hear anything from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, The Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty or The Chronic 2001, I’m instantly back in high school. I am 14 again, with my first “real” boyfriend, going to Dairy Queen and writing notes. I am 15, sitting on my front porch and making hemp necklaces for all my friends. I am 16, driving a powder blue Ford Tempo and blasting Nelly’s Country Grammar so hard that my car rattles. Yo street in a Range Rover. Don’t know what I mean? Check out this playlist.

These are some of the products that hold the richest memories for me. I can’t wait to hear what you reminisce about!

L’oreal Colour Riche Lipstick This lipstick makes me feel 7 years old again, smelling it’s pleasant scent, removing the cap just so that I can affix it again and lock the “key” design. Twisting the lipstick up and down, fascinated by how the tip is worn down by my mom’s lips. Some people wish L’oreal would update the packaging but I don’t. I absolutely love that it’s remained the same, especially the scent. My mom wore the color Plum Brûlée for years. Now I wear Fairest Nude, British Red and Everbloom.

Noxzema Deep Cleansing Cream When I inhale the familiar eucalyptus scent, I feel like I’m washing my face with the minty souflee’ at art camp again or after a track meet. I remember feeling like I was being so adult washing my face with this.

Benefit Benetint I’ve talked about this before but this holds extra special memories for me. I first experienced this with my mother, at the Benefit counter in Chicago. A fabulous man demonstrated it on me and I was transfixed. By the product, the experience, his energy, the makeup counter environment. I vividly remember thinking, “I want to be a part of this world!” It’s familiar rose scent hasn’t changed and it’s still a beautiful way to achieve stained lips and cheeks.

CoverGirl Pressed Powder I remember having one of these on hand to touch up between classes. My precious little brown compact, faintly scented with Noxzema. It added a hint of coverage too, which was like a security blanket. It didn’t necessarily look all that flattering even, but it made me feel better and sometimes, that’s what makeup is all about!

LipSmackers Lip Sparkler in ‘Vanilla Frosting’ The scent of this is basically the frosting that comes with frozen cinnamon rolls and I loved it. I probably ate some, let’s be honest. It gave lips a sparkly, frosted look and I killed countless tubes of it. RIP Bonne Bell.

CoverGirl Perfect Blend Pencil in ‘Black Brown’ As a teenage girl, you use what your friends use. I had a friend named Natalie whose eye makeup I admired and she told me she used this. Sold. I would just draw a line along the top lash line and use the smudger on the opposite end to soften it out. I’m still impressed with myself for using this and not abusing it.

Still feeling nostalgic? I bet you’ll like this piece I worked on for Divine Caroline!

Shop my nostalgia