Unlike modern-day illusionist David Blaine’s remarkable ability to spend 44 days dangling 30 feet in the air in a transparent Plexiglas case over London's River Thames without eating, pulling a rabbit out of a hat is the kind of magic trick anyone can learn, provided they’ve got a hat, a rabbit, and a knack for sleight of hand.
Still, no matter how basic the classic gag might be, or how many times you’ve seen it done at birthday parties and bar mitzvahs, you’d have to be a robot (or a magician of superior teaching) not to feel at least a pang of wonderment that you should be so deceived right before your eyes. US brand Lipstick Queen has managed to take that feeling and capture it in a blush, and the result is magical in its own right.
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To the unsuspecting onlooker, the Black Lace Rabbit Blush looks just like a pot of black pigment flecked with golden shimmer throughout. But the most unexpected thing about this so-called black blush isn’t that it’s a black blush — it’s that once the gel-like formula hits your skin, it turns to a supremely flattering berry pink. Nothing is exactly as it seems, and while the blush certainly appears black, it’s actually a deep, rich aubergine that goes on sheer for a light flush or builds up to a true pop of color. (It’s easy to overdo it, so don’t.)
Colour-changing makeup isn’t new, and it’s a matter of science and a colourless synthetic dye that turns bright pink when exposed to moisture, not magic. As with catching a bullet between your teeth or pulling a dove from an empty pan, it’s all smoke, mirrors, Topits, and Pepper’s ghost — but sometimes in life, you just have to sit back, pull up some old Street Magic clips on YouTube, and embrace the not-so-unknown.
Lipstick Queen Black Lace Rabbit Blush, £22, available at John Lewis
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hosted by Mi-Anne Chan.