Victoria’s Best Kept Secret

Until last week, we hadn’t set foot in Victoria’s Secret for quite some time. The whole “lack-of-restraint” concept embarrasses us (or, rather, makes us embarrassed for the brand’s creative people). Why do they persist in believing that females want to buy underwear in a pink boudoir-inspired store? Why do they think that females want to wear sweatpants that scream “PINK” across the rear? And why do they assume that females want to announce their slightly trashy purchases to the world at large via those pink-striped bags?

So, truth be told, we weren’t expecting much from the store’s makeup line. But we were intrigued when we found out that VS’ lead makeup artist, Linda Hay, was also Heidi Klum‘s personal makeup artist. And then, when we met her, Linda blew us away: So smart! So down-to-earth! Such great jewelry! (and Ray Ban aviators!) Someone with flawless accessory taste, we reasoned, couldn’t possibly promote cheesy products.

And, for the most part, our assumption was correct. There were a couple of issues that reminded us, unfortunately, of the VS brand identity…like, for instance, the makeup line’s oh-so-understated name: Very Sexy. Or the occasional gloss and shadow that were a bit too liberally be-sparkled.

But many of the items—like the lipgloss in Wet and the pretty, shimmery Mystified eye shadow—channel Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier more than Pam Anderson. The cream foundation provided light, non-greasy coverage, while the wand concealer worked well as under-eye camouflage. And, we can say in all honesty, the Beauty Rush Minty Lip Shine may be our favorite new product. It’s the first lip balm we’ve found that combines a perfectly minty taste with lots of shine.

So, in the end, we’ll definitely be returning to VS stores to stock up on lip gloss…and we’re worried it might be the edge of a slippery slope. If you see us prancing down Boylston in a PINK sweatsuit, at least you’ve been warned.