Written by NZINGHA for ZFACEINC,nycAwww,…it’s heartbreaking sometimes when your favourite brand store, cosmetic line or product is discontinued or has gone out of business. Sometimes were so sad because perhaps a great memory is attached to the product or brand or that we simply love that color or loved shopping in that store.

When I was a little girl, I like most little girls loved makeup!!! I’d often steal my Mum’s colors out of her makeup kit and play with them (and guess what,…she had a killer makeup kit! No wonder I wound up being a Makeup Artist). I remember her having Maybelline glosses and mascaras, Azziza eyeshadows, Halston’s full line and quite a few others that escape me right now. This was in the 70’s…the disco era, blaxploitation films, Studio 54 and glossy shimmery stretch pants with platforms.

I recall Mum having this Halson blusher that was simply fabulous! It was a wine Color with gold flecks in it and it smelled just like Halston’s perfume (which was hugely popular then) it came in this heartlike shaped compact that was beige with a flip top and inside mirror and matching blush brush.HALSTON COSMETICS

AZIZA COSMETICS

I used to play in Mum’s kit for hours looking at the pretty colours putting them on my dolls, my hands and face and even on paper while I was colouring.

Then I fully entered my teens in the 80’s and was shopping for my own makeup kit once I was allowed to finally wear makeup. I’d go downtown Manhattan to The Village, Soho and on 8th Street to shop. In high school only the cool and fashionable kids shopped there. We’d shop in Canal Jeans, Cheap Jacks (for vintage), collect buttons for our oversized jackets.You’d get your buttons free there and for purchase at a store I worked in over the summer called The Postermat (only worked there cause they had campy things, all of my Prince and Michael Jackson posters and funky T-shirts, like my Rocky Horror Picture Show T-shirt).

At Canal Jeans you could by your rubber bangles (like Madonna’s and Jody Whatley wore) and you could find your brand makeup!!! My brand at that time was Stagelight and Barone (they had the funkiest colors!!) I also had a friend (named Phoenix) from Canada who I used to go to school with and he wound up getting a job at Bloomingdale’s working at Barone’s makeup counter.
STAGELIGHT COSMETICS

Stagelight had a popular lipgloss that most girls with swag used to wear called “Blue Roses” I’ll never forget that colour. It was a purply pink with holographic blue undertones. Amazing!! So 80’s glossy and they had the matching shadows and a blue eyeliner that would not quit!!

BARONE COSMETICS

Barone was my go-to brand for bright opaque funky colors that were highly pigmented. They had a yellow lipstick that looked just like a NY taxicab in this red checkered tubed box. It was a fun brand much like Biba and today’s Makeup For Ever. And they had a red eyeshadow that was Marischino cherry red…UNSTOPPABLE!

COSMETICS PLUS

ULTIMA II COSMETICS

PRESCRIPTIVES COSMETICS

KEVYN AUCOIN CYBER GLOSS “ALURABLISS”

KEVYN AUCOIN COCOCHIC

LANCOME COSMETICS JUICY TUBES “DREAMWORLD & CARIBE”

ANISA ADESIGN BRUSHES