Makeup bars: the next big thing

I already wrote about Pucker over at xoJane, but I keep thinking about it — and not just because they made me look fancy.

You won’t leave looking like Divine — unless looking like Divine is your thing.

The concept, if you’re just joining us, is really simple: makeup applications done quickly, expertly, and at a reasonable price. Think blowout bars, but for makeup. All of the makeup artists at Pucker are professionals, so you won’t leave looking like Divine (unless you ask to look like Divine, in which case, go for it). So you just waltz into your appointment, have a little Champagne, put on a satin bib to protect your clothes, and let the Pucker people pretty you up for $35 or $50. They don’t try to sell products to clients, so you can just relax and be pampered.

Also, I didn’t explore it in the xoJane piece, but if you’re a New York bride, Pucker is SUCH A GOOD DEAL. I recently reached out to a makeup artist to see what she might charge to do my wedding-day face. Her rate: $850. With tip, that would be more than $1,000 to have my makeup done — which is definitely not possible with our budget. Meanwhile, Pucker charges as little as $100 for wedding makeup, which is almost scandalously affordable for a bridal service.

Pucker isn’t the only option, of course. There’s Rouge in New York, Blushington in Los Angeles, and I’m sure other spots are in the works. I know this sounds like I’m preaching the makeup-bar gospel, but honestly, it’s a smart concept — one that I wish I’d thought of, actually.