111. Glitter and Gold

Latest Makeup Obsession and Best Picture Nominees Pt. 2

Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a bi-weekly newsletter on all things slow: beauty, fashion, living. Links in this newsletter may include affiliate links or discount referrals. If you enjoy this newsletter and would like to support it, click the below button or shop through my links! No pressure, but thank you if you do.

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Gressa Devi Lip Boost

In honor of tonight’s Oscars, it felt appropriate to title this newsletter “Glitter and Gold.” (Though I believe the statuette is actually bronze with gold plating…)

I need to tell you, someone, anyone, about my latest makeup obsession. This was gifted to me a while back when I purchased the Essentialist Concealer, and while I am thrilled to be using it finally, I’m kicking myself that it was lost for so long in an unnoticed crevice where I store all my new makeup (argh). But there’s no time like the present to talk about some glitz.

Gressa Lip Boost in Devi* ($29, .14oz | 4g)

If you’ve been around since the start of Tender Forms, then you know Gressa is a long-time love. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of trying samples of a few different lip boosts, but none have captivated me quite like Devi. All Lip Boosts are housed in the classic Gressa pot with a screw-top lid. The minimalist label is a slightly toothsome paper embossed with gold ink.

Devi’s texture is quite unlike the color Lip Boosts I’ve tried. It’s much softer, more cushiony, and emollient. It leans nourishing and feels akin to a potted lip balm, which I’m all for. In the pot, it takes on a sheer peach hue but applies translucent. Suspended within this delectable formula is mica, forming a micro-glitter effect.

Most of you know that I prefer matte finishes for practically everything, but Devi presents something I’ve subconsciously been searching for. Yes, Devi is beautiful on its own over bare lips. It instantly gives a glassy to glossy finish and revives the lips to a healthy radiance (thanks to the fine glitter catching the light in just the right way). It’s that perfect subtle, sophisticated shimmer I’ve been craving for on the lips.

Even better, it has the power to transform other lip colors into a category I always struggle to fill: the perfect tinted lip balm. Let me introduce you to my new favorite lip combo.

A mixture of Genet and Devi on lips, swatches of Gressa Devi (top) NOTO Genet (bottom)

Due to Devi’s cushiony and clear base, when mixed with a richer color, it essentially becomes a tinted lip balm. If you layer on Devi, it can also fulfill the gloss category. However, I prefer a more understated lip, and Devi mixed with NOTO Botanics’ Multi-Bene Stick in Genet gives me just that.

I’ve had trouble making Genet work for me, but it turns out that all I had to do was sheer out the formula a bit! And what a gorgeous combination these two make. It’s what I wanted Genet to be (and what I imagine people must love about Clinique’s Black Honey). I go about mixing in two ways (delivers the same result; just depends on the flow of my makeup routine in the morning):

Option 1

1. Prep lips with lip balm: either my favorite URB APOTHECARY Basil Mint Lip Balm or a thin layer of Devi.

2. Swirl the tip of my finger over Genet a few times and pat it on my lips like a stain.

3. Apply a layer of Devi on top.

Option 2

1. Prep lips with lip balm: either URB APOTHECARY Basil Mint Lip Balm or a thin layer of Devi.

2. Draw Genet onto the palm of my hand (like in the above swatch photo). Take a bit of Devi onto the finger and mix the two together.

3. Apply the mixture onto the lips.

This lip combo is stellar. I recently started applying it to the apples of my cheeks, too, and I love it as a subtle flush of color.

All of this is to say that Devi has been an absolute joy to discover and use. I also noticed that Gressa just released a new Lip Boost in Sarai. In an Instagram post, it’s described as a “sheer lip tint”! My goodness, if it is anything like Devi with a hint of color, sign me up. And if it is, I desperately hope Gressa will make more sheer lip options because I need them!

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Tonight is the 96th Academy Awards, aka the 2024 Oscars! I don’t have cable television or any streaming services that allow me to watch live, so I’ll probably catch up this coming week. But as promised, here is part two of this year’s best picture nominees.

The format remains the same:

I don’t want to give anything away for these films, so I’ll share a few top-level thoughts followed by this simple format to help you discern if it deserves a place in your watchlist: 

If you like __________ → then you’ll like __________. 

‘Anatomy of a Fall’ © Le Pacte

Anatomy of a Fall (Dir. Justine Triet) ★★★★.3

I deeply enjoyed this film. A courtroom drama is nothing new, but this is an expertly done, exhilarating rendition. It depicts all the grey areas of morality in both told and suggested ways. The cast is spectacular, especially Milo Machado-Graner, who plays Daniel, the son of Sandra Hüller’s Sandra. A perfect cautionary tale that no one can ever truly know another and that there is always more than one truth. Chilling.

If you like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Manchester By The Sea, We Need to Talk About Kevin → then you’ll like Anatomy of a Fall 

‘The Zone of Interest’ © A24

The Zone of Interest (Dir. Jonathan Glazer) ★★★★.1

I loved the lighting and color grade of this film: creamy goodness and muted brights. It was a feast for the eyes. But knowing Glazer’s work, I wish he had taken it further. I’m torn because the parts I loved, I did so deeply and unapologetically, but the parts I didn’t remain a cluster of painful thorns at my side. There’s plenty of greatness in the film, but it fell apart in the end.

Kudos to Sandra Hüller for being in two Best Picture nominees!

Jonathan Glazer, Michael Haneke, The Lobster → The Zone of Interest 

‘The Holdovers’ © Focus Features

The Holdovers (Dir. Alexander Payne) ★★★★.2

I adored the 2 hours and 13 minutes I spent with this. It’s one I’ll watch time and again and still love: slice-of-life, extremely funny, tender, histrionic. Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph are incredible. They’re the perfect oddball trio that will stand the test of time. Just thinking about this film blooms my heart with warmth and fondness. On paper and visuals, it might be easily glossed over because it doesn’t appear flashy and new. But it would be your mistake to miss it.

Though I’ve never lived in New England proper, this makes me miss those types of winters. It’s a sight for these sore mild-PNW-winter eyes, an expertly crafted cozy film.

Alexander Payne, Paul Thomas Anderson, Almost Famous → The Holdovers 

‘Poor Things’ © Searchlight Pictures

Poor Things (Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) ★★★.9

I know my rating likely lands me in the unpopular opinion camp, but I am okay with that. Similarly to ‘The Zone of Interest,’ I’m also torn about this film. Visually, it’s stunning, as everyone says. The costume and set design are astonishingly good, and the various treatments, lenses, and grading are captivating. Is it groundbreaking? No. And that’s a topic all of its own for another day, perhaps.

The story isn’t for me, plain and simple. I have the same feelings towards this as I did ‘Devs’ (you can read it here in my very first newsletter): it is stylistically wonderful (visuals) but severely lacking in substance (story). I would have enjoyed this far more if it had no dialogue at all.

Terry Gilliam, Baz Luhrmann, The Favorite → Poor Things 

This next film is not nominated for best picture, but I so wish it was.

‘All of Us Strangers’ © Searchlight Pictures

All of Us Strangers (Dir. Andrew Haigh) ★★★★.6

This is one of those films that, once the credits rolled, I thought, “I’m so glad that someone made this movie and that it’ll exist forever in history.” No one captures intimacy like Haigh, and this is a powerfully intimate film. It was not at all what I was expecting, and I could find myself surprised, swelling with happiness, frightened, or shattered around every corner.

The cast is sensational: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, and Claire Foy knocked it so far out of the park that I’m surprised none got nominated. (Especially when I see the list of Supporting Role nominees.)

On a slightly unrelated note, the above still is from one of the first scenes within the film. I’m pretty sure that my heart immediately stopped upon seeing this frame. It looks like Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting come to life. And a part of me likes to think that this entire story takes place in that setting at night.

If you haven’t watched this film yet, please add it to your watchlist. And if you have, please enjoy this sweet conversation between Andrew Scott and Greta Lee.

Andrew Haigh, Stoker, A Ghost Story → All of Us Strangers 

In case you’re wondering, my prediction is that ‘Oppenheimer’ will win (followed very closely by ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’). But I wish ‘The Holdovers’ or ‘Past Lives’ would win instead. And still appalled that Charles Melton didn’t get nominated for ‘May December’ (one of my top films of 2023).

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Thanks so much for reading! Do you have any lip combos you love? Please share! And are you tuning into the Oscars tonight? I wish I could just so I can live chat with you during the Oscars but Keith (and maybe Scott) from The Reveal will be hosting one. See you there?

As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you March 24.