022. J. Hannah, Batman Day
An update on my favorite nail polishes and a day to celebrate The Caped Crusader
Hi! I'm Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a weekly newsletter about slow beauty and slow living. If you enjoy and would like to support this newsletter, click the button below! No pressure but thank you if you do.
It's officially been a year of having these two beautiful bottles of J. Hannah nailpolish. The light one is Agnes, and the darker one is Ghost Ranch. I love both of these shades as much as the first time I used them.
Agnes is a beautiful nude pink. It's the perfect one when I want my nails to look polished (pun intended) and healthy. This shade is on the sheerer side, so it benefits from a really good shake. I've found this incorporates the pigment more, so there's a lesser chance for streaks. To build up to full opacity, you need to use at least 3 layers (depending on how thick your layers are). Whenever I've done this, it becomes sticky, unruly, and takes forever to dry. Then during the drying time, my accident-prone self almost always dents, cuts, or imprints something into them. So I usually stick to two layers, and that's more than enough for me.
Ghost Ranch is a moody rust red-brown. Of the two, this one is my favorite. It's much more opaque than Agnes, so two layers give me the richness I need. Three layers and it's fully opaque with no light getting through, but I usually just stop at two.
I'm still so happy that these two shades work so well with one another. It's the reason I purchased these two colors in the first place; I can use them alone or together.
I was just re-doing my nails the other week and have noticed a difference in the texture of Ghost Ranch. It's definitely developed a sticky, goop-like quality making it much more difficult to use and get even layers without dust catching. It has only started to turn, and we're at 12 months, so it does indeed last the full Period After Opening. I haven't noticed any change in Agnes yet, but I suspect that's because it's already a sheerer formula than Ghost Ranch.
I believe a few months ago, they released a new shade named 'Dune' that appears to be the perfect shade I've been looking for. Then recently, they released a mini polish set, which includes five mini nailpolishes, including the shades Dune, Ghost Ranch, and Fauna (another of their newer shades). I was beyond excited learning this because I wish all brands offered mini nail polishes. I don't think I've ever gone through an entire bottle before it turned or expired. Plus, this set includes so many shades I've wanted to try. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for this set around the holiday sales!
Know someone who’s looking for nail polish? Share this newsletter with the button below!
Yesterday was this year's Batman Day. While I phrase that like I've been celebrating it all the livelong years, I only just found out about it this past week! Batman Day is an annual event hosted by DC to celebrate our favorite (okay, my favorite), caped crusader. For any parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles reading this, visit this page for some fun Batman activities to do with the kiddos. For instance, I know when my nephew and niece are old enough for Batman, we'll be building our own bat-signal.
Since Batman (live-action) films have been a longtime DC franchise, I thought I'd give you my top 4 with some honorary categorized mentions. For the sake of time and my sanity, I'm only ranking and mentioning films where Batman is a lead and crucial player. Unfortunately, this means Todd Phillips' 2019 'Joker' won't be included (which would've been my number one pick, hands down).
The first place was the toughest to choose because it was almost a dead-tie. But keeping with my guidelines, if we're talking about Batman being at the center of it, Christopher Nolan's 2012 'The Dark Knight Rises' wins. To me, this one has a superior story. It focuses most on Batman's character, is even darker and more solemn than its predecessor, and both Christian Bale and Tom Hardy's performances are so layered. (Yes, even when Hardy's face is covered the entire time. Now that's smart filmmaking.)
But if I bring in sentimentality into it, Nolan's 2008 'The Dark Knight' just edges out 'The Dark Knight Rises.' And that's only because I have a soft spot for my favorite villain, Joker. It's by far the most entertaining. You've got fast-paced but extensive character arcs, heists, extremely well-placed cameras, and of course, one of the best Joker performances in recent history. Though this comes in at 152 minutes (~2.5 hours), it never drags, and that's really thanks to again, smart filmmaking. The entire film has forward motion, whether through directing, cinematography, acting, or music (thanks to two seasoned and talented composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard). This film makes you feel as though you're ziplining; be careful of the whiplash.
When I envision these films in my head, I remember more scenes and sequences of 'The Dark Knight Rises' than 'The Dark Knight.' See? Dead-tie. I'll let you decide which is my first and second.
The third is much easier, and that's Tim Burton's 1992 'Batman Returns.' This film holds a special place in my heart. It's the first-ever Batman film I remember watching, and Michelle Pfeiffer will always be my favorite Catwoman. I also think she and Michael Keaton's Batman just had incredible chemistry. And lest we forget the best Penguin there ever was, Mr. Danny DeVito himself. Fun fact no one asked for: I remember being on the Warner Brothers studio lot during a Shameless promo shoot I was Art Directing for Showtime back in 2011. A crewmember I was eating with shared that we were in one of the soundstages where they shot 'Batman Returns.' That's when everything came full-circle for me. I had made it. It was such a special moment for me and remains one of my fondest memories. I mean the Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin had been in that same soundstage! What a moment in film history!
The fourth is Tim Burton's 1989 'Batman.' I'd like to think of this as the original Batman movie (though I know the 60's TV show had their own). I didn't remember much of it because I was too young when I watched it, so I did a secondary viewing while compiling this list. And it's quite charming! It's definitely an 80s/90s movie, but I enjoyed the way Burton went about it. There are some fantastic visual cues, including 30 minutes in when Batman and Joker (simply known as Jack back then) meet for the first time. The Joker has yet to undergo his transformation, but when Batman lifts him up by his collar, you catch a glimpse of his iconic purple trousers. And this is just seconds before he falls into the vat of acid. Plus, Nicholson's performance is excellent. And unexpectedly toned down, which I find more compelling than most of the overacted films of those days.
And now, for some honorary mentions:
Best Catwoman and Best Penguin (both in the same movie too): Michelle Pheiffer and Danny DeVito in Tim Burton's 1992 'Batman Returns'
Most Ridiculous and Hilarious: Joel Shumacher's 1997 'Batman & Robin'
Most Like The Original Comic Book: Leslie H. Martinson's 1966 'Batman' (POW!!)
Best Riddler (for now, guessing Dano will top this in upcoming Matt Reeves' 2021 'The Batman'): Jim Carrey in Joel Schumacher's 1995 'Batman Forever'
Best Animated (Yes, breaking another guideline here): 2000's 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' (not only is this story so disturbing, but you also get two Batmans)
Thanks so much for reading! I'm still working this coming week and am definitely feeling it. It's been tough with the fires and hazardous air quality lately, but the Tender Forms household is so thankful for the rain! I also originally wanted to write about Charlie Kaufman's latest film on Netflix, 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' for today's newsletter. But I have so much to say, and I want to dedicate time to think it through (another pun intended) and gather everything before I share. Feel free to watch the film in the meantime, and stay tuned for the full review in an upcoming newsletter!
As always, you can reply directly to this email or leave a comment to chat.
I hope you have a great start to your week. See you next Sunday!
Freaking love Batman. The story of Batman including the roles of character in it are why I love Batman sequel. It's just so dark and sentimental, I always have goosebumps when I watch it! Lol I'm going to have a go at the animated Batman!! I didn't know about it before.