Sali Hughes #18 No valid criticism, just endless speculation about her height and glasses.

[HashtagsAndGladrags]

There has *got* to be a backlash coming soon against excessive drag queen makeup. The minimalist aesthetic of the 90s was a reaction to the OTT 80s, so surely we must be due a swing in this direction. Although with Insta culture I'm not sure, everyone seems to be doing hair and makeup as though they're about to be photographed under harsh studio lights. Is it here to stay? #clownface

I have a family friend who looks great on insta but just plain odd in person. Not sure social media will have a part to play in any backlash but you can see brands like glossier have a focus on looking fresh-faced and more minimal.

I agree. For me the 90s were about Hard Candy nail polishes, MAC spice lipliner, Aveda, pilgrimages to SpaceNK in London (I was too shy to actually enter the first time so just gawped through the window). The fact that I couldn’t afford any of it was beside the point. I’m struggling to remember what I did actually use... Boots No 17 definitely.

For me it was Natural Collection and remember when Urban Decay was a cool little brand you could pick up in Boots? I think it was before L’Oréal bought them out? I LOVED it - still really like them to be fair. I have some male friends who played with androgynous looks at the time and really rated it. It felt more inclusive of them in the late 90s early 00s

 

[Mazerati]

I am actually sad about print media generally taking a hit, despite the nepotism/trash that gets put in there these days. But also I do think journalists (and I mean actual journalists) need to get paid and the way that industry has gone, it's just a race to the bottom. Honestly going back to paying for content doesn't seem like a bad idea, but all the heavyweights need to get behind it.

 

[Aude]

These weren't big 90s beauty trends. They are classic teen trends; all these were around when I was at school in the 80s. I was 20 in 1990. By the mid 90s there were lots of new and makeup artist led brands entering the UK market. The first Space NK opened in Neal's Yard too. In the mid 90s I would stay with my friends in London and go to the first Space NK where there were lots of free samples. The cult scent there was Antonia's Flowers. I went to the first Mac counter in Harrods to buy Russian Red, Viva Glam, Twig lipstick and Spice lipliner ( the latter two on repeat). Bobbi Brown opened in Harvey Nichols where I bought the eyeshadows in Bone and Taupe and my all time favourite (discontinued) lipstick in Ruby Stain. I remember buying Nars and Laura Mercier in Space NK too. Popular mass market scents were CK1 , CKBe and EL Pleasures. Allure magazine was available in the UK from 1991 so there was much more knowledge about US brands. Carmex was launched in the early 90s here too - that was on my "Must Have " list after reading Allure.

I remember the first Space NK too. It was mainly a clothes shop when it opened.

My 90s beauty memories are: Eve Lom hot cloth cleanser, Bobbi Brown pinky-brown lipsticks and spending a fortune getting blonde streaks. I fancy that the Laura Mercier eyebrow powder thing I've still got somewhere - the one with two shades - may also date from the 90s.

I agree. For me the 90s were about Hard Candy nail polishes, MAC spice lipliner, Aveda, pilgrimages to SpaceNK in London (I was too shy to actually enter the first time so just gawped through the window). The fact that I couldn’t afford any of it was beside the point. I’m struggling to remember what I did actually use... Boots No 17 definitely.

Oh yes, Hard Candy nail polishes with the little matching plastic ring.

Also - Benefit, when it was a tiny brand in Harrods. I think it was the first brand to use quirky names for products.

 

[SqualorVictoria]

Anyone remember Miss Selfridge makeup? I bought a silver nail polish with some birthday money, it had that very distinctive heart branding on the packaging. My sister stole the polish and when I got it back it was all dried up and unusable

I remember hair mascara being a big thing in the 90s also

 

[Spanner]

Anyone remember Miss Selfridge makeup? I bought a silver nail polish with some birthday money, it had that very distinctive heart branding on the packaging. My sister stole the polish and when I got it back it was all dried up and unusable

I remember hair mascara being a big thing in the 90s also

I was just about to write about Miss Selfridge make-up! It felt very cool at the time. I feel like make-up was more colourful and fun then, but I might be misremembering. I know you can get everything you’d ever want now but there just wasn’t the choice on the high street back in the day. I had a shiny purple make-up bag from there which I adored. Also, I’m sure there was a Mary Quant range atBoots at some point in the mid 90s?

 

[Aude]

Also - Benefit, when it was a tiny brand in Harrods. I think it was the first brand to use quirky names for products.

I need to correct myself. Although there was something different about Benefit product names - such as 'Boi-ing' for concealer - the first brand to use jokey, non-cosmetic-y, names was Mary Quant in the 60s. The packaging/branding of Mary Quant make up was truly ground-breaking.

I was just about to write about Miss Selfridge make-up! It felt very cool at the time. I feel like make-up was more colourful and fun then, but I might be misremembering. I know you can get everything you’d ever want now but there just wasn’t the choice on the high street back in the day. I had a shiny purple make-up bag from there which I adored. Also, I’m sure there was a Mary Quant range atBoots at some point in the mid 90s?

I was just writing about Mary Quant make up! I don't remember if, or when, it was in Boots

 

[Mazerati]

Love this forum. Learning so much and I feel like as a 40 something year old I've finally found somewhere where I can talk skin/beauty with people who have the same concerns as me.

 

[SqualorVictoria]

Love this forum. Learning so much and I feel like as a 40 something year old I've finally found somewhere where I can talk skin/beauty with people who have the same concerns as me.

It's the best. Far from being a cabal of "broken, beefy faced, tin foil hat mentalists" or whatever Sali and her crew call us, I've found everyone to be so witty and intelligent and I've learned so much

 

[HashtagsAndGladrags]

I guess she might be impacted by the cut in the ‘commercial roles’...

It looks like the Saturday edition is taking the biggest hit so I reckon she might be impacted by this...

 

[Mazerati]

It looks like the Saturday edition is taking the biggest hit so I reckon she might be impacted by this...

I'm going to miss Jay Rayner the most.

 

[Hereforthefacts]

It's the best. Far from being a cabal of "broken, beefy faced, tin foil hat mentalists" or whatever Sali and her crew call us, I've found everyone to be so witty and intelligent and I've learned so much

This. Sali really hadn't banked on her captive audience being able to think for themselves.

 

[SqualorVictoria]

Does this mean Hadley is gone?

 

[cholulamare]

You've all mentioned really good points here. But the one thing that stands out for me, is how cleverly she made herself seem so big sisterly. Pretending she was doing us a favour but being honest with us (and maybe she was in the beginning), but at the same time talking down to us/gaslighting us by always doing the "I've long been a fan of". The implication here being that there's products/info out there that she knows about, that's been out there, that we are either too naïve or poor or sheltered or prole to know about.

I've said it before here, but there *was* something good about her old Guardian columns - we all started reading and became hooked for a reason. She really did seem to be honest, before the weird inconsistencies (squalene, eye cream, etc) started creeping in more and more along with the obvious promotions of big brands. I think put simply she's been a victim of her own success - brands started wanting to 'work with' her because of her big reach, she followed the ££ and compromised her integrity, and got away with it for a while because of the trust she'd built up over years and years of being that 'big sister'. But I had a read of a couple of her old columns recently when I was searching for things, and they're just so different to the dross she tosses out now - the recommendations feel really genuine, I honestly don't believe New Look, NYX or any of those perfume brands would have been paying her, which is not something you can say for most of her columns now.

Beauty: last-minute perfumes

Sali Hughes: 'I honestly think perfume is the best present there is'

www.theguardian.com

Beauty: flattering matte lipsticks

'I understand women's reluctance to forgo sheen entirely,' Sali Hughes says. 'But if you want bold, take-no-prisoners colour, you need to at least veer in the direction of matte'

www.theguardian.com

(also, lol @ her wearing one scent "almost every day for a decade")

 

[SqualorVictoria]

I've said it before here, but there *was* something good about her old Guardian columns - we all started reading and became hooked for a reason. She really did seem to be honest, before the weird inconsistencies (squalene, eye cream, etc) started creeping in more and more along with the obvious promotions of big brands. I think put simply she's been a victim of her own success - brands started wanting to 'work with' her because of her big reach, she followed the ££ and compromised her integrity, and got away with it for a while because of the trust she'd built up over years and years of being that 'big sister'. But I had a read of a couple of her old columns recently when I was searching for things, and they're just so different to the dross she tosses out now - the recommendations feel really genuine, I honestly don't believe New Look, NYX or any of those perfume brands would have been paying her, which is not something you can say for most of her columns now.

Beauty: last-minute perfumes

Sali Hughes: 'I honestly think perfume is the best present there is'

www.theguardian.com

Beauty: flattering matte lipsticks

'I understand women's reluctance to forgo sheen entirely,' Sali Hughes says. 'But if you want bold, take-no-prisoners colour, you need to at least veer in the direction of matte'

www.theguardian.com

(also, lol @ her wearing one scent "almost every day for a decade")

There she goes again with the "over 30". From someone who always claim to fight against ageism, I can't believe that. 30 and over is still so youthful!

 

[HashtagsAndGladrags]

I've said it before here, but there *was* something good about her old Guardian columns - we all started reading and became hooked for a reason. She really did seem to be honest, before the weird inconsistencies (squalene, eye cream, etc) started creeping in more and more along with the obvious promotions of big brands. I think put simply she's been a victim of her own success - brands started wanting to 'work with' her because of her big reach, she followed the ££ and compromised her integrity, and got away with it for a while because of the trust she'd built up over years and years of being that 'big sister'. But I had a read of a couple of her old columns recently when I was searching for things, and they're just so different to the dross she tosses out now - the recommendations feel really genuine, I honestly don't believe New Look, NYX or any of those perfume brands would have been paying her, which is not something you can say for most of her columns now.

Beauty: last-minute perfumes

Sali Hughes: 'I honestly think perfume is the best present there is'

www.theguardian.com

Beauty: flattering matte lipsticks

'I understand women's reluctance to forgo sheen entirely,' Sali Hughes says. 'But if you want bold, take-no-prisoners colour, you need to at least veer in the direction of matte'

www.theguardian.com

(also, lol @ her wearing one scent "almost every day for a decade")

Yes I, like many others, found the fb group through the column and am very grateful overall. It’s in recent years things have changed.

I don’t want to see anyone lose their job (or even one of their 5 jobs or whatever) but I think the guardian gig is what gives Sali her reach and “gravitas”. Her own site and forum were a bust. I guess she’ll be in the world of “brand consulting” now. And influencing of course.

 

[Sheeeet]

Does this mean Hadley is gone?

I'm hoping they'll keep her on in some form, but it doesn't sound like she's optimistic. A shame, I enjoy her work.

 

[Jelly Bean]

Does this mean Hadley is gone?

It does read like that doesn't it?
So does this mean they are stopping the print sections they mentioned of the Saturday paper and putting them just online? Or getting rid completely?
Not a great time for anyone to lose a job - not that anytime is really.

 

[Sheeeet]

It does read like that doesn't it?
So does this mean they are stopping the print sections they mentioned of the Saturday paper and putting them just online? Or getting rid completely?
Not a great time for anyone to lose a job - not that anytime is really.

The Saturday editions sell more than twice the volume of the weekday. It seems an odd decision whatever they do here. Lots of people saying they'll not bother buying the Saturday paper without the extra sections.

 

[Wolf359]

Katharine Viner is either an incompetent moron, or firmly in someone’s pocket. I can’t believe she hasn’t been fired herself for bleeping up the Guardian quite so terribly.

 

[Jade Mitzi]

"I can't really explain it" it's as if she's trying to say "even my crushes are quirky and unexpected and unique"

that one is certainly very ‘Nana’ which she seems to think is quirky somehow