Diary of a Beauty Junkie
How did this happen to me? My earliest memory of my beauty addiction in action was at 5 years old (more like a cinematic symptomatic snippet). I see myself from above, looking down on my bedroom. I’m sitting at the edge of my bed, my knees up to my chin, teeny hands clenching my ankles. Wearing my favorite blue dress, atop my quilted yellow bedspread. I remember adjusting the position of my little body to cover the collection of dark red nail polish splotches, which I had accidentally dribbled all over my bed. Frantically shuffling my herd of stuffed animals to cover it,laying all my clothes on my bed in an organized disarray - anything to hide evidence of my frivolous fuck up. That day I met who was to become a longtime future friend; good old fear. That young and I already knew it was my secret, my secret to hide.
To this day my memories are guided by color. First kiss - Pink dress. Breakups - too many colors, a rainbow of tears. Makeups - always shades of green (kind of weird that all my moments of making up involved the color of envy). The shade of my 2nd grade teacher’s lipstick - glossy red (rumors were that she was Miss Michigan at some point in her life). My Dad’s required, yet favorite, gear - muted, almost-periwinkle blue surgical scrubs. My Mom’s bathrobe - simply white. All of the moments that stay with me begin with color.
Looking back, I cringe and laugh at some of my makeup moments. So many, “What was I thinking? No wonder he never called me back” and “Of course you didn’t get that gig,” but also have so many makeup moments that make me want to press pause; mixing my own colors, endless pages of magazines (taped to my wall) coming to life. Whether I’ve been happy, healthy, hippy, hollow, wealthy, poor, pitiful, pious, pretty, pin thin, ill, ugly, ubiquitous, utterly ridiculous, in danger or whatever, it’s always been my own Technicolor tale. Whether I’m on step whatever, immersed in self-help mode (which I wish would just stick already), therapy, rehab, Tony Robbins, etc. or removed from my mind, completely in the moment, totally present, enjoying my flash of time on the planet... or at partial peace, I am, and will always be, a beauty junkie.
NAILED LACQUER
PRODUCT PHILOSOPHY
Smith and Cult’s Nailed Lacquer consistently delivers both flawlessly smooth coverage and brilliant shine. While custom tailored to provide high performance, the exclusive 5-Free formula is formulated without Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin and Camphor.
The ultra-adherent resinous Base Coat prepares the nail surface in order to extend the life of a manicure. The Top Coat acts as a protective seal, preserving the vibrancy and integrity of the pigment while also delivering a highly reflective gloss finish. The range consists of 30 essential hues and styles, including the edited glitter collection.
Each shade is inspired by and representative of the experience depicted by our heroine in her diary entries. We can’t help but relate to her as she reveals her thoughts and feelings during the raw, uninhibited conversations she carries on with herself. While the consumer and creator share an intimate relationship, the brand is also universally, almost without choice, relevant to us all.
Motivated by what vaguely resembled procrastination, Dineh Mohajer created Hard Candy while completing her senior year as a pre-med biochemistry student at the University of Southern California. Having little concept of what was in store for her, she concocted her revolutionary nail lacquer formulas from her college apartment – ultimately changing the face of nail lacquer and color cosmetics worldwide. She led the nail lacquer and glitter eye revolution with her instinctive ability to create trends. Hard Candy was the perfect marriage of unprecedented formulas and Dineh’s sought-after ability to transform her vision into tangible products. The brand was an instant hit and was pursued by tastemakers, trendsetters and the most prestigious global retailers.
Shortly after embarking on her fearless and relentless journey, Dineh joined forces with Jeanne Chavez. The yin to Dineh’s yang, Jeanne was already an accomplished cosmetic veteran when they met and partnered. The duo shared a deep-rooted love for music, beauty, art and fashion. It was the combination of Dineh’s youthful, innate sense of “what’s next” with Jeanne’s strong business acumen that made Hard Candy an overwhelming success. In 1999 Hard Candy was acquired by the French luxury powerhouse, LVMH.
After Hard Candy, Dineh and Jeanne created their second child. Disney Couture discovered the brand and pursued a creative partnership. Blending subtle sophistication and their trademark punk sensibility, they continued to influence beauty as we know it. The brand was immediately snagged by Limited Brands, leading to their latest inspiration, Smith & Cult. The next evolution in beauty, Smith & Cult is an expression of our unrefined thoughts and feelings.
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