24 Comments
Dec 22, 2023Liked by Jessica DeFino

The link between decreasing petrochemical use for energy and increasing for personal care/beauty products is mind blowing

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once you see it you can't unsee it!

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OK, thinking out loud a little here —your mention of this new lip oil trend as a throwback to early 2000s Juicy Tubes had me immediately thinking, ‘it goes back further than that!’ When I was in middle school in the 1970s, lip glosses in tiny roll-on bottles were popular. They felt super greasy and were kind of sticky. My mom would mock my friends and me, imitating the way she said it made us stick our lips out to keep them from touching. This was probably 1976, 1977, when the U.S. was in the midst of an oil crisis and gasoline shortages. Could there be a connection?

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ooh interesting! glossy lips def go back for forever (i was only talking about the current y2k trend) and i'm not sure about the ingredients in those '70s roll-ons!! but there def could be a connection?

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Wow, this brought up a buried 1970s memory... in addition to those roll-ons, my friends and I used to make glosses from the pantry, with Mazola and peppermint extract. (The glamour!)

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The mere mention of Juicy Tubes has sent me on a Proustian journey to every party on a rooftop of my 20s. Juicy Tubes and American Spirit cigarettes, bleh.

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lolll the good old days

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Dec 22, 2023Liked by Jessica DeFino

This brought back buried memories of DuWop Lip Venom in the mid-aughts!

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oh yeah!

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I do remember in high school (in Australia) having a jar of vaseline or lanolin always in my uniform pocket and constantly taking it out and swiping it on. Ha!

As a bonus to being informed, I added a new word to my vocabulary from this post: simulacrum!!! Thanks Jessica for putting yourself out there to inform and educate all of us!

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<3

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so good every time 👏🏼 and for all of you who love this substack, if it’s changed how you spend your money + time, fill out this form! i’m gonna add up numbers on the hours and coins we’re saving, like a spotify wrapped but for The Unpublishable! Over a dozen ppl have already done it but I know there’s way more of u: https://substack.com/@madelineperkins/note/c-45493563?r=reqtm&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

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this is so sweet madeline, thank you!

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eee I'm excited!! and so curious. I'll keep putting the link in your posts' comments before then to get more submissions; you don't need to reply to me every time haha

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Haha ;)

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In the dark ages when Twiggy ruled, no make up allowed in school, we snuck Vaseline on our mouths and lashes too. Cigarettes too so make of that what you will.

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i remember doing vaseline on my eyelashes when i was a tween too!

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This story about Dior's Glow Lip Oil makes me nostalgic for Maybelline's Kissing Potion! Do you remember this, so popular among me and my tweenage friends. It was a roll on, super shiny and sticky. Bubblegum was my favorite. Found this article with the vintage ads. Who knew a young Kim Basinger was the face -- or l should say lips -- of the Kissing Potion. https://clickamericana.com/topics/featured/kissing-potion-glosses-fresh-from-maybelline-1980s

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I love the connections you make for us. Speaking of oils - I started using jojoba oil and it made me itchy. SO VERY ITCHY. Do you have a suggestion for a different body oil?

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yikes! it's always good to keep in mind that when transitioning to a low-maintenance product (like jojoba), some of the "reaction" might just be your skin adjusting to *not* having the thicker creams it's used to? which is pretty normal and the skin will adjust in time. shea butter is great if you need a thicker cream. i also like sesame oil, sunflower seed oil, meadowfoam seed oil. & it's kinda expensive but the symbiome body oil is great too

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The oil story is interesting and ancient! I’m an Ayurvedic practitioner and Ayurveda has been prescribing oil remedies for over 5000 years. Daily self massage, applying oil to the nostrils, ears, ghee in the eyes, sirrodhara treatments, panchakarma therapies, specific oils for different types of pain - practically endless! Keep the oil pouring.

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Have you seen the latest trend inspired by Pat McGrath’s Maison Margiela’s runway show? I immediately thought of your newsletter! It’s really taken the uncanny valley to the limit with it’s creepy, plastic, doll face look.

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