Thanks It's From eBay: 121

Thanks It's From eBay 121: Viktoriia Vasileva, Guest Curator

Hi everyone, this will be my last post until next year! I will probably be over on Instagram taking requests in my DMs though, so if you need help with something - feel free to reach out there or refer to the eBay holiday guide. Happy holidays to everyone, and if you’re able to, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help support my search efforts. I’m really excited for next year.

Viktoriia Vasileva is a freelance marketer and the writer of a weekly newsletter about creativity, brands, and business Vik’s Busy Corner. A little while ago, she wrote a piece about vintage beauty and its artful product design and creative direction, accompanied by a selection of vintage beauty ads curated by me. In the process, she came across a whole lot of fascinating beauty pieces – from stunning compacts and pocket mirrors to vintage magazines explaining how to do the perfect cat eye. The following is a selection of the objects she loved (except for the many, many hair clips she saved when she accidentally sidestepped into the vintage designer hair clip rabbit hole).

Please note, I may earn commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.

1. An April 2004 Allure magazine issue starring Jessica Simpson. I debated between this one and the one from November 2000 starring Lucy Liu. Ultimately, it came down to the price, and the fact that I’d like to frame “The smartest dumb blonde in the world” spread and hang it up somewhere in my home. It’s fascinating to me that beauty magazine headlines haven’t changed in decades – juicy lips, glowing skin, and “how to lose 10 pounds in a day” still show up all the time in women’s content today.

2. Vogue’s Complete Beauty coffee table book. There are shorter versions of this, I suppose - like this Vogue Beauty and Health Guide from 1979 and this one from 1980. The exercising photography in this table book is sublime - it looks straight out of a minimalist “refined activewear” brand’s IG. But I also think it’s a great window into the life of women of the 80s – their fears, concerns, and thoughts.

3. Chanel Clover Hair Barrette. I promised myself to include only a couple of vintage designer hair clips to avoid making this whole curation about them, and this one is my absolute favorite. It’s chic and subtle but also fun and colorful, and I love the tiny Chanel logos inside of the flowers. Here and here are a couple of alternatives I found.

4. Gucci Crystal Rhinestone Logo hair barrette. It’s a whole other story with Gucci hair clips. These are for when you want to throw “subtle” out of the window and rep a giant luxury logo spelled out in rhinestones in your hair. Here is an identical hair comb, and here is a dantier take on the clips.

5. Valentino headband. This is a headband of my dreams – delicate and understated, with a tiny logo on it. It was between this and this pink one. Ultimately, the gold band feels more universal.

6. Prada Ruby Rhinestone Acrylic Hair Clip Barrette. This is my last hair item, I promise, but look at how stunning it is. I found it in a bunch of other colors but they sell out, like hot cakes, and I understand why.

7. Vintage Elgin American Gold Tone Metal Etched Heart Shaped Compact. In 1951, Elgin American produced this iconic Bird in Hand compact with a powder compartment, a pill box, and a lipstick. To me, it’s representative of the time when beauty was a niche subculture rather than a billion dollar commercial venture, and beauty products were tiny art objects. Unfortunately, the Bird in Hand compact is super rare (and expensive) but you can own a piece of Elgin American’s history by getting any other compact or pocket mirror from them - they are all special in their own way.

8. Juicy Couture Vintage Cosmetic Travel Case. Talk about rabbit holes. I came across one Juicy makeup pouch and suddenly, I had a thousand tabs open for one in black, blue, brown, and tan. They remind me of the early 2000s mall culture. I can see myself storing a drugstore mascara and a black eyeliner in one of these when I was 16. I am in my late twenties now, and the thought of putting a YSL lipstick and a Givenchy powder compact in one of these makes me giggle a little.

9. Vintage Coach Cosmetic Case. For those who want something a little more grown-up, I think this option from Coach is solid. Coach, in general, has been on an upward trajectory for the past couple of years, so who knows, maybe this is a good clout investment. I also love this option from Vivien Westwood.

10. Vintage Dior Cosmetic Case. And finally, something to splurge on. The print on this bag stands right on that thin line that makes me question whether it’s unbelievably chic or just something that reminds me of my grandma. Either way, here is a more minimal option from Hermes and here is a similar one but in red.

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