Once in a while, there comes along in the beauty world an item that literally stops you in your tracks; NARS’ Bento Box is ONE such item.
When I first heard that NARS would be releasing this limited edition set of two vibrant yet wearable lip shades, I was intrigued to see how he would interpret this centuries-old cosmetic art. Once again, his eerily beautiful muse, Daphne Guiness (heiress of the Guiness beer fortune) is the face showcasing this showstopping set, of which only 1,000 have been made for the US market (not sure of the numbers for worldwide sale).
Oldest known portrait of Okuni of Izumo (photo: Wikipedia)
An interesting fact that I learned while doing a bit of researcht, is that the art of Kabuki originated in 1603 by a woman named ‘Okuni of Izumo’ and the word ‘kabuki’ itself literally translates to “the art of song and dance”, but also has many more intricate layers than that, just like the outwardly simplistic yet detailed cosmetics of the same name. Kabuki makeup has also long been synonymous with geishas — those hauntingly beautiful Japanese courtesans (and teachers and dancers and singers and masters of all else you can name) and their stylized makeup so painstakingly applied. One of the most famous geishas of our times, Ichimaru (1906-1997), was known not only for her grace and beauty but for her ethereal use of the often-heavy kabuki makeup, marking her as the one to follow.
Geisha Ichimaru (1906-1997)
The NARS Bento Box comes in a custom made Japanese bento box with 2 hand-poured kabuki cups nestled inside, each of which holds a highly pigmented exclusive- to-NARS lipstick formula, made with vitamin E and includes a hand tied kabuki lip brush. The vibrant red shade, which in traditional kabuki symbolizes passion, strength & vigor, is called “Maiko” and was inspired by the red kabuki cup François Nars brought back home from his travels in Japan. The other shade, “Sakura” an electrifying pink hue, is representative of youthfulness & cheerfulness.
This limited edition NARS Bento Box is available now at www.narscosmetics.com, Saks Fifth Avenue in the US & Holt Renfrew in Canada. It retails for US $125.00/CAD $140.00.
This is one of those products that you know you want even though you may never use it; it’s almost worth buying just for its historical & artistic beauty alone! I don’t normally wear such vibrant shades, but I’m simply dying to get a hold of this and try my hand at some geisha-inspired magic!
*Pictures of Daphne Guiness and Bento Box set courtesy of NARS facebook page.
