Lavish Rebellion [DOT COM]

Back in September 2023, I attended my second Byrdie Beauty Lab in Manhattan. Like before in 2022, over on Manhattan’s west side, near Hudson Yards, it was fun and light. Lots of us were in the building for mini beauty tutorials, demonstrations, and panels, and of course, the best part: receiving free goodies and complimentary gift bags!

In 2023, this time right in the middle of Soho, the Beauty Lab really upped the ante. After you entered and got checked in, and were. given a bag with goodies in them (including a coveted Rhode peptide lip treatment, to my shock), the first two stops were Dove and Ulta Beauty. At Ulta, they were handing out goodies in semi-clear orange pouches that contained Ariana Grande’s newest Cloud Pink eau de parfum. I was so excited about that!!

Beauty Lab in general is one floor of various brands offering mini services or gifts, and everyone, as civilized as possible, take turns in checking out whatever booth or section of their choice.

I felt like in 2023 they had slightly less booths/sections from brands and they were no panels that I was aware of. In 2022, they had at least 4-6 back to back that talked about beauty entrepreneurship and representation. I thought they were really good and conversational.

2023 was more hands-on with products and tutorial-induced. There was also a DJ or music playing the entire time.

Later in the day and what was my last stop, I got to take home a Neutrogena skincare set after a brief chat with a dermatologist. Hilariously, at the end of the event, Neutrogena actually had so many boxes of their two skincare systems available, attendees, including myself, were asked to take as many boxes as possible. When I tell you they were giving the skincare away! But considering I was staying at a friend’s, I still had the next day to squeeze in some gallivanting, I already had a big bag of makeup and didn’t have a big enough of a bag, I couldn’t bring as much as I really wanted. (Believe me, I would’ve left with ten-twelve boxes). So I made sure to pick one up for my friend.

At Beauty Lab, I was the most excited about the Half Magic beauty booth. Half Magic is a makeup brand founded by Donni Davy who, for makeup wearers of the cosmic kind and viewers of the drama series Euphoria, became a bit of makeup artist icon for her and team’s fantastic looks on the show.

Unlike a lot of television shows and movies, a handful of characters on Euphoria not only wear makeup, the looks are loud and obvious. For me as a viewer, seeing vivid makeup was so refreshing! There are a lot of people who don’t wear makeup or do the no-makeup makeup thing, which is without a doubt fine.

But there are others and plenty of us that wear makeup and that means noticeable lipstick, cat-wing eyeliner and blush. I believe both sides of the skin and makeup spectrum should be reflected in entertainment. It’s more realistic and fair.

Not to mention, if in real-life everyone is so no makeup-makeup, explain to me the once constant state of backorders for past hero products and must-haves, such as the era of the Anastasia Beverly Hills and Too Faced eye shadow palettes and liquid lip duos.

Some may hate to acknowledge this, but there’s room for no makeup and makeup to co-exist. I for one loved seeing Maddy’s eyelids, played by Alexa Demie, swathed in turquoise blue on an episode of Euphoria. And then there were also the many stud-laced, graphic eyeliner looks. All the glitter on Euphoria. And the nails. The NAILS!

I adored how Euphoria took makeup and nails seriously and treated them like characters in their own right or just very important props, and accoutrements.

When I had registered for the Beauty Lab, I had also made my appointment at the Half Magic booth. So closer to the time on the day, and after playing with the makeup on display, swatching and testing out products as if I wasn’t already aware of the line, I quietly fan-girled Davy and her team at a nearby tabletop.

When it was my turn, an awesome Half Magic makeup artist asked what kind of look I was looking for. Or, if I would be okay with her freestyling a bit.

She was nice as we chatted and in the end, she chose to adorn my eyes with Chromeaddiction Shimmer in Main Character and the pointy Face Studs gems.

Afterwards, I asked to do some test shots by someone on the Half Magic team which was so cool! I was nervous!

I then stuck around so I could meet Davy as I saw she was doing on the spot meet and greets. She was really nice and was more than willing and happy to take photos with me! A Half Magic associate took our pics.

I’m glad she was nice because I’m a fan of the brand and her work on Euphoria. She even told me that the brand would be at Ulta on the Upper East Side on Sunday! But I knew I wouldn’t be to make it based on breakfast plans with my friend and what I had hoped to check out in the city.

The Beauty Lab was so fun and I’m so thankful for the goodies we all got.

Below are photos from the event!

Also, below are a few pictures from hanging out in the Forest Hills part of Queens.