As you might have guessed from the lack of activity around these parts, I am sad to report that things have remained quite difficult on the personal front.  I don't want to go into details, but let me just say that finding quality, affordable ongoing care for stroke patients is a never-ending quest that eats up every second of spare time and mental energy, not to mention the time spent traveling to another state to visit at least once a week.  And being forced to sell your parents' home where they've lived for over 40 years is far more gut-wrenching than I ever expected, despite bracing myself for it for years.  :(  In spite of all this I was determined to put up a summer exhibition, especially given that I haven't done an exhibition in an entire year!  It's more or less a mishmash of themes from previous years:  the Greek/Mediterranean feel and bathing beauty are from the 2016 exhibition, fruit and critters are from summer 2017, tropical jungle palms/flowers and birds from 2015 and 2018, respectively, and shells are a nod to the one of the themes from 2013.  This doesn't mean I don't have ideas, it's just that I couldn't do the more in-depth theme I wanted this year.  As you'll see, I also made up for the total absence of mermaids in last year's summer exhibition.

Starting at the top row, left to right:

Some vintage shell-themed pretties, along with a fairly bizarre Cutex ad.  Oddly enough, this is only one of 5 cosmetics ads from the '50s/60s that feature women's heads underwater.  I'm sure there's a lot more to be said about that...

Loved this Bésame Peter Pan Mermaid Lagoon collection!  Kind of an odd choice for a holiday release, but when we're talking about vintage-inspired mermaids the seasonal appropriateness doesn't matter.  I just wish I could have fit more of the collection on the shelf - the fragrance and lipstick are adorable.

Another brand that turned the tables on traditional holiday motifs in 2018 was Tarte.  While the pineapple palette is cute, it quickly became a source of rage for me - you'll see why later. 

I cannot believe I haven't featured this 1956 Lancôme ad until now.  Equally unbelievable was the fact that sometime last fall I scored this delightful compact featuring a happy bunch of mer-people.

Second row, left to right:

Millions of peaches, peaches for me...how pretty is this Sulwhasoo Peach Blossom Utopia collection?!  I wanted to write about it last spring when it was released, but couldn't find a ton of info on the artist so I scrapped it. 

This is kind of a sad shelf for me.  It looks okay but it was not what I had planned.

During the exhibition's installation, as I was hammering in the Cutex ad over the top left shelf, the Tarte pineapple palette fell and hit almost every object below on its way down.  If you've ever seen "The Price is Right", it was sort of like a destructive version of Plinko.  I was on the top step of a ladder so I couldn't move quickly enough to catch the palette before it destroyed some items in its path.  The end result was the complete breakage of a piece from one of my most beloved collections:  the body oil from last summer's Rodin Olio Lusso x Donald Robertson mermaid collection.  The powders in the Tarte palette also shattered; fortunately I had intended on always displaying the palette closed, and the rug did not sustain much damage.  Plus the oil is still available so I will order another.  In the meantime I could at least display the box for it.  I'm also grateful the mermaid highlighting powder didn't fall and break as that item is long gone.

I picked up these beauties from Richard Hudnut last year.  The discoloration you see towards the bottom of the Sweet Orchid box (right below the Hudnut name) is from the aforementioned oil spill - that area was in pristine condition prior to the disaster.

This was a sneaky but lovely release from Laura Mercier.  I haven't purchased anything Museum-worthy from the brand since possibly 2009.  As soon as I saw the heavenly blue and gold swirls I was sold.  Then I found out an artist was behind the beautiful marbling effect, which made it even better.  If I have time I'd like to get a post up about her work because it's really gorgeous.  MAC's version is more generic/less artistic, but still pretty.

Third row, left to right:

If you follow me on Instagram you might remember how much I adored this little gal.  Now her princess counterpart swam in to keep her company! 

Unfortunately she also sustained some injury due to the Tarte palette fall, but at least it's only the side of the holder.

I remember being both excited and dismayed at the release of Too-Faced Tutti Frutti collection last August.  While I loved the plethora of pineapples - my favorite fruit and one of my favorite motifs - I was disappointed it was released a year after the Museum's summer 2017 exhibition as it would have been perfect for the fruity theme.

I really didn't think Anna Sui could top the jellyfish-laden aquarium collection from 2017, but here we are.  Just precious.

I love the makeup, but the mini fragrance was also insanely cute.

Here are the images I included in the background so you can see the mermaid print better.

(images from modaoperandi.com)

The Volupté seahorse compact was featured in the summer 2014 exhibition.  This year, I was able to add Elgin's beautiful ruby and turquoise rhinestone encrusted version, along with an original ad.  Someday I hope incorporate a sparkly vintage Ciner compact and Estée Lauder's more recent one.

Bottom row, left to right:

Guerlain truly spoiled us this year with their Terracotta bronzers. 

Here are some better versions of the vase and wreath photos.  It's a shame the Met didn't have a shot of the top of this vase, which has the most similar pattern to the Guerlain Hestia Island bronzer.

(images from metmuseum.org and getty.edu)

Uh oh, a vintage mermaid lipstick army has invaded the Museum!  But I think the bathing beauty by Boots 17 should be able to keep them from misbehaving.  (Unless they're vicious killer mermaids who feast on human flesh).

I simply couldn't pass up the pattern and texture of YSL's summer palettes.  Clarins, true to form, served up another gorgeous bronzer as well.

Lastly we have LM Ladurée's summer collection, which was stunning inside and out and smells heavenly too. 

So that about wraps it up for summer 2019!  Thank you for bearing with a regurgitation of previous summer themes.  Despite the lack of originality I still think it was visually appealing.  What piece was your favorite?  Are you looking forward to next year's exhibition, which already has a theme and title?  I'm debating whether to put in a few more pieces I couldn't fit this time around even though they're not quite in line with the concept I've chosen...but I guess I have a whole year to think about it.  ;) 

Seeing as how I couldn't get it together for a February recap and obviously got sidetracked over the past 6 weeks, I figured I'd start fresh with the April installment of Curator's Corner.  Here's the monthly rewind. 

- So gimmicky yet I'd love to visit this YSL pop-up.

- In packaging news, pens and pencils are experiencing a sharp increase in popularity, while modular makeup gets a Lego-inspired twist.

- Would you like some toast to go with the buttery skin trend?

- Just a gentle reminder that inclusivity in the beauty industry doesn't end with base makeup. 

- In honor of Earth Day:  the good, the bad and the ugly in beauty recycling and waste reduction.

- Interesting piece on how house brands are getting the "exclusive" treatment.

- Whenever I finally get around to watching the new Pet Sematary I'm going to keep an eye out for Church's makeup.

- I've read this article on digitally applied makeup several times and still can't wrap my head around how it actually works. 

- One of beauty's most infamous cult products turns 20.  Happy birthday, O! 

- Speaking of '90s makeup...

The random:

- Continuing with the '90s theme, in sad nostalgic news, the 25th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's passing occurred on April 5, while a documentary on deceased Blind Melon frontman Shannon Hoon premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. 

- Normally I refuse to spend more than $15-$20 on pajamas (Old Navy is my go-to), but I had to splurge on these adorable mermaid jammies.  There's also a shorts version.

- Despite all the turmoil on the personal front, I managed to pop up to NYC for a couple hours to catch the amazingly comprehensive Hilma af Klint exhibition at the Guggenheim, which turned out to be the most visited show in the museum's history.  It did not disappoint!

As I predicted, af Klint's work is even more breathtaking in person.  I was thrilled to have gotten a chance to see it.

How has your spring been?

If I never see another ICU I will be a happy camper.

I wish I could say I was taking another blog break to tackle some big exciting projects, or because I just needed a little time off, but my absence has been for much sadder reasons.  In the early evening of Monday, March 18, my father suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke.  If you've been following me for a while you know I'm very close to my parents so I'm heartbroken for him as well as my mom, who has been married to him for over 50 years.  While we are incredibly grateful he is still alive (at the time of this writing - I now live in constant fear that something equally horrible or worse will happen), my family and I are devastated at the damage the stroke has done.  My dad as I knew him isn't here right now, and it's uncertain whether he'll be coming back even remotely the same. 

I basically missed spring.

My parents live a few hours away, so juggling travel and a full-time job is making things difficult logistically. I have not spent one weekend at home in Baltimore since early March and since I do nearly all blog/social media stuff on the weekends, there's literally no time to dedicate to the Museum right now.  Obviously that's the least of my worries, but I wanted to note the other contributing factors for having to abandon the blog at the moment.

I've always wanted the Museum to be a happy place, so discussing this depressing situation further doesn't seem appropriate. I'm logging off again now, but I hope to be back to Museum business in the next few months, or even weeks - if I can focus enough and manage to take pictures off-site, blogging may be a good distraction.  I also know my dad, internet-illiterate though he is, would want me to keep going. (And of course I'm still buying makeup regularly! I'm at least able to concentrate for the few minutes it takes to place an order.)  Fingers crossed intensive rehab will lead to significant improvement for my dad. 

Thank you in advance for any well wishes and good thoughts/vibes, as we need all the ones we can get!