Everybody in New York wants to look like the endlessly-reigning princess of the New York It Girls Who DJ and sit front row all Fashion Week, etc., Cory Kennedy: she’s wildly gorgeous (duh, she’s a model), frail-boned, dark-eyed and pale and luminous, with loads of dirty blonde tousled hair and incredible effortless street-to-club style.
And most crucially, she never too much makeup—just the perfect smudgy eyes or touch of color to the lip. I, on the other hand, always go overboard with my nighttime look, so every time my friend Cory and I pose next to each other in photos (check my Instagram; you’ll see) I look like a trashy Sunset Strip groupie from the early ’90s—and she’s consistently just…a vision, as usual.
Being a good friend, LA-native Cory is always telling me to wear less makeup. “Let the girls who need it use that much,” she purred last month one 4 AM night at Chez Andre in the Standard East Village. Her pretty arms were draped around downtown hunk Harry McNally—whose opinion on such things I trust completely—who nodded, emphatically, in agreement.
She was, as always, right (you too, Harry), and I’ve since chilled with the primping. Vaguely.
Because it would be a gift to the whole world to learn such things, one morning over photo-shoot coffee in the East Village, I asked Cory dump out the contents of her makeup bag and tell me all her secrets. Here, in her own words, the essentials of crazy-glamorous Miss Kennedy’s arsenal:
1) Clinique Quick Blush in 01 Hurry Honey, $23.50, clinique.com
“This blush is awesome because I just turn it, and out comes a brush with blush. I was waiting for some international flight—I think in Paris? I cant be sure, but it was a duty free purchase. I can definitely say I can apply this literally walking across the street with no mirror and know it looks good. The shade is special—warm and neutral.”
2) Charlotte Ronson Starry Eyes Liquid Eyeshadow in Shiri, $18, sephora.com
“Charlotte is a near and dear friend of mine, but that is beside the point with this stuff—IT’S THE BEST! It’s a sheer neutral brown, with almost khaki undertones. I wear it whenever I can dress up…and I’m able to layer it up, or pair with dry shadows. It feels like putting sheer lipgloss on your eyelids. I am also a fan of her—EHEM—new brush set in ‘Cory’.”
3) Christian Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow Palette in 030 Incognito, $59, nordstrom.com
“I was in such a good mood when I bought this! While I was living in London I had just bought my then-boyfriend a wallet from Louis Vuitton for his birthday, right? And then we went into Harrods just to ‘browse’ the shoes when I run into Amy Winehouse, and we both just picked out shoes together. I found a pair of Miu Miu pumps that were actually comfortable for me for once—I have a rough time in heels—that I of course only wore a few times, and I actually think they are in Japan somewhere…after some rough night (laughs). That was also the last time i saw Amy. …AND. WHY WAS I BUYING MYSELF SHOES on someone else’s birthday? Anyway, after all this I came down to the Harrods makeup haven and spotted this very banged up eyeshadow palette that was perfect—neutrals again. I keep it at home now because it’s on its last lifeline, but I’ve worn it almost every single day since i got it. Oh, and I threw the shoe box away before my boyfriend saw it. So he wouldn’t be upset.”
5) Jill Stuart Lipstick Stain #21, $38, Jill Stuart boutique for info, 212-343-2300
“I got this bright red stain-lipstick at this last Jill Stuart show and it’s great, because it gives my lips some life and i know it wont go overboard because of the way it’s made—again, I’m all about sheer. So I apply whenever I want with this one.I’m also pretty bad at wearing lipstick—my lips just won’t have it on! It’s gone in 15 minutes, even the ‘super-never-getting-off’ ones. I’ll put lipstick on at home because I go to a fancy-pants event, then I use straws, don’t chew gum, try not to eat—everything! But eventually I do eat and with lipstick on I just try and make sure food doesn’t touch my lips.Deep-throating mini spinach-and-mushroom quiches….So classy, I know. Um, anyway, with this Jill Stuart product you don’t have to worry about all that, is what I’m saying.”
6) Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Brush #002: FOUNDATION BRUSH, $24, occmakeup.com
“I researched this brand for my NYLON column, which has totally blown up. It’s 100% VEGAN, all the makeup and brushes. So it’s something I use constantly and support, being a vegetarian myself. Plus foundation brushes make everything pat on smoother only where you need it—nothing too heavy-handed, you know?
7) Urban Decay 24/7 Hour Eye Glide-On Eye Pencil in Yeyo, $19, urbandecay.com
“One of my first campaigns was for Urban Decay. I tell you, doing make-up campaigns is pretty painful. At least this one was. Obviously there are several colors and shades pretty much for each shot… So between looks they were trying not to scrub my eyelids to change the shades, but they were—they had to to go from one drastic color to the next. This silvery-white one, Yeyo, is the best, though, so insane. It doesn’t come off in a good way when it’s my real life, you know? I apply it in the inner corners of my eyes for a nice pop. I can’t believe i still have the same one either, that was like six years ago… TMI; sorry. I should probably get a new one, huh?”
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