Hi guys. My posting has been sporadic lately. There’s been some … uh … shit happening behind the scenes, and your girl has not been ok. (I have dubbed my state ‘terrible but fine.) But here we are, because I had a really fun post idea. And we are talking about my FRIENDS themed makeup collection!
Ok. So I didn’t actually collaborate to make anything. It’s all for fun. I’ve had this idea for a while — to theoretically create themed collections. But when Makeup Revolution started teasing their FRIENDS collection, I was extremely disappointed. And now that they have released it, I’m honestly even more disappointed. I made my own. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today, what my FRIENDS themed makeup collection would look like.
Disclaimer: This post is in no way affiliated with any of the brands featured or mentioned. This is just a piece I put together for fun.
So here’s how this is going to go…
| The logistics
To create this palette, I used Lethal Cosmetics’ website. There isn’t a reason for this other than I like their palette builder and the shade options they have available. I was going to use Colourpop, but coming off of being shut down due to Covid, they just don’t have a lot in stock right now. So technically you can purchase this palette from their website by way of the palette builder if you wanted. I did include the actual shade names below.
When creating the lip bundles, I used NARS* because of the color options and packaging. Again, you can technically purchase these shades, and I have included the actual shade names.
There isn’t going to be any kind of pricing or packaging, though I visualize it being mostly black and very sleek. We’re really just talking color story, theme, and inspiration.
| The outline
To keep this organized, consider this a table of contents of sorts. I’m going to go over my initial thought process for the collection as a whole. Then I’ll get into each component of the collection. Within each of those sub-sections, I’ll break it up into color story explanation, name explanation, and any other inspiration I feel I can add from the show.
The Collection
When I was thinking about what my FRIENDS themed makeup collection would look like, I wanted to keep it simple. So opted for one 12-shade eye shadow palette, 3 lip liners, 3 lipsticks, and 3 lip glosses. I didn’t feel like this type of themed collection required any cheek products.
I also was thinking about who this would be marketed to. Of course, it’d largely be marketed to fans of the show. However, I wanted to make sure it was something that would appeal to a larger range of consumers as well. I took that into consideration when choosing the colors and, more intensely, when naming the shadows. I wanted the shade names to be specific enough to the show so fans would get the joke, but I didn’t want them to be too kitschy that outsiders would be feel left out of it. Honestly, making an eye shadow palette is no joke. It was really difficult. But I am really happy with what I came up with.
| The One with the Eyeshadow
The One with the Eyeshadows is my FRIENDS themed palette! It’s made up of 12 shades in a mix of matte and metallic finishes inspired the FRIENDS gang. Personally, I think this is a fun palette, and I do think it encompasses the show and its characters.
I opted for a majority of metallic shades, simply because those are the shades I’m reaching toward. I love putting them all over the lid. But I did include a few matte shades in both neutral and colorful colors to add interest. I also included a lighter shimmer shade to use as a highlight shade as well as two tones of brown and a matte black. I felt like the selection of these rounded out the palette nicely and made it usable for a lot of people.
So let’s get into the fun part: the shades and shade names.
Breezy
The first shade I knew I needed to include in this palette was a matte purple to emulate the iconic purple walls in Monica’s apartment.
While most of the Friends gang lived inside this apartment, it’s definitely most referred to as Monica’s. So the name was also named after her. The shade name Breezy came from the episode where she calls Richard’s voicemail telling she’s “breezy.”
Breezy is a pastel lavender with a matte finish. Lethal Shade: Serene
Reserved
When I think of Friends, I think of vibrant and lively colors. It wasn’t a somber show. My mind went to Central Perk and the orange sofa for the next shade.
Reserved is a metallic finish copper inspired by the sofa and many orange clothing pieces throughout the show, specifically Pheobe’s orange coat. The name is nod to the “Reserved” table sign seen in later episodes of the show.
Lethal Shade: Defiance
Grandma’s Cab
Yellow is another iconic shade seen through the series. As its namesake, Pheobe’s grandmother’s cab is consistently a secondary character in the show and Joey’s yellow sofa is hard to forget. I also went with yellow as a nod to the famous yellow frame around Monica’s peep hole as well as Pheobe’s apartment walls. I also couldn’t help but finding my mind gravitate toward the episode with Ross’s banquet and Pheobe’s yellow sheath dress.
Grandma’s Cab is a metallic finish gold. Lethal Shade: Equinox
Unagi
When selecting this shade, I pulled inspiration from the Central Park logo. I knew I wanted to include a green in this Friends themed collection, but I didn’t want anything too dark. I felt like keeping it brighter and lighter would make it not only wearable but more fitting the show.
While harder to name (this is one of the last shadows I named), I eventually placed the Unagi seal on this lime green to reference the episode where Ross tries to teach the girls about his mindset and self-defense staple, unagi. However, they remind him it’s freshwater eel.
Unagi is a lime green with a matte finish. Lethal Shade: Replica
Pivot
A warm brown was something I definitely wanted to include in the palette, and Pivot was a name that immediately made it onto the initial list of names.
Not only do browns and other neutral shades add a way to blend and diffuse some of the other colorful shades, they represent one of the main themes in the Friends series: coffee. The 1990s saw a huge influx in coffee consumption when Starbucks began taking off, and it really started to create a social opportunity, rather than just caffeine. Something that Friends showcased in each episode as the characters sat around the table at Central Perk.
Pivot is a chestnut brown in a matte finish. The name comes from one of the better known lines of the show, when Ross, Rachel, and Chandler are trying to navigate a stairwell and a sofa.
Lethal Shade: Loom
Trifle
The next neutral shade, Trifle is a deeper chocolate brown with a matter finish.
Again, the shade was more inspired by coffee rather than the show. I’m thinking a nice dark roast. But the name is all Friends, gaining inspiration from a Thanksgiving episode where Rachel’s recipe pages stick together and she accidentally combines an English trifle and a Shepard’s Pie.
Lethal Shade: Kindlewood
Lobster
Lobster is next up. The scene where Pheobe declares Ross is Rachel’s lobster immediately came to mind when creating this palette. So I went for the reddest shade available on Lethal’s site. We ended up with this delicious wine red metallic.
The shade was also inspired by some of the fashion moments in the show including Ross’ infamous red sweater and many of Monica’s outfits on the show. Costume designer, Debra McGuire, actually intentionally dressed Monica in blacks, grays, and reds as part of the costume strategy.
Lethal Shade: Euphoria
In London
Personally, I love a shade I can go to in a palette to use in a highlighting way. But I didn’t want to add any cream or white shade. I wanted something interesting. So I went with this soft white with gold reflect and a pearlescent finish.
The shade itself was inspired by a few occurrences in the show like the 3 wedding dresses and Joey’s white dog statue. The name, In London, comes from when Joey finds out Monica and Chandler slept together at Ross’s wedding in London.
Lethal Shade: Serene
Bo Peep
When brainstorming, I kept coming back to two moments in the show. The first was the episode where Rachel takes Ross shopping, but when the bags get switched, Ross wearing a sweater intended for Rachel on a date…who was wearing the same sweater. The second was Rachel’s bridesmaid dress for her ex fiance’s wedding. The name comes from the latter. When Chandler sees Rachel he claims “I’m sorry, we don’t have your sheep.”
Bo Peep is a light peach/gold duochrome with green reflect and a glitter metallic finish. Lethal Shade: Arcade
Vestibule
I don’t necessarily think a black is necessary in every palette, but here I felt it really grounded this palette and added an opportunity to really deepen up some of these more colorful shades. Inspiration for the shade was more out of necessity, but my mind also went to the “Reserved” sign Gunther, we assume, puts out for his friends.
The shade comes from a power outage episode where Chandler gets stuck inside of an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre. I just couldn’t get the word out of my head! It had to be included.
Vestibule is a matte pitch black. Lethal Shade: Transmutation
Gladys
Again, this shade just felt right in the palette. But it also is inspired by one of Pheobe’s creepy doll art, Gladys.
Gladys is a slate gray/blue duochrome with a violet reflect and metallic finish.
Lethal Shade: Stargaze
Viva Las Gaygas
And last but not least is a vibrant aqua! Inspired by the kitchen cabinets in Monica’s recognizable apartment, Viva Las Gaygas is an aqua/green duochrome with metallic finish.
The name comes from Chandler’s dad’s show in Las Vegas with the same name.
Lethal Shade: Aerial
| The One with the Liners
I couldn’t very well make any kind of lip collection based on a ’90s classic without including a lip liner. The ’90s was famous for a dark lip liner look, and since 2019, we’ve seen a small resurgence of the trend.
My FRIENDS themed makeup collection would include 3 types of lip products and 3 options in each, sold separately. I did this because I know, as a consumer, how annoying it is when I only want one or two items from a collection but have to buy a bundle to get the one I want. So we’re just doing them individually.
I’d want to make sure the formula was a creamy type of liner, one that is easy to smudge around but wont allow for feathering around the lip. This is why I went with a pencil type of liner.
The lip liners feature Jill, a chocolate brown; Amy, a deep crimson; and Ursula, a Bordeaux. I felt like these three colors were hallmarks of ’90s makeup. And the names come from Rachel and Pheobe’s sisters.
IRL Products (left to right): NARS Precision Lip Liner in Spunk*, Mariachi*, Ride It*
| The One with the Lipsticks
When coming up with ideas for lip options, I thought in terms of bundles or complete lip looks. So the theory is that there is a liner, lipstick, and gloss that “goes together,” or you can purchase a mix and match situation if you’re inclined.
The lipsticks would be matte and vibrantly pigmented.
Pheobe is a chocolate brown. Monica is a deep crimson. And Rachel is a Bordeaux shade. The names for the lipsticks, of course, come from the show’s leading ladies.
IRL Products (left to right): NARS Audacious Lipstick in Aya*, Louise*, Bette*
| The One with the Lip Glosses
And finally we finished off this FRIENDS themed makeup collection with three lip glosses. I kept imagining a deep liner and lighter gloss, which was a trend from the time period. So Ross is a clear gloss, no shimmer or glitter. Chandler is a red toned chestnut brown. And Joey is a deep berry shade. And these shade names come from the show’s main guy’s.
IRL Products (left to right): NARS Lip Gloss in Triple X*, Aragon*, Sixties Fan*
Guys, this was so much fun to create! The whole process from selecting the colors to naming each shade was just the creativity outlet I needed. What do you think of this Friends themed makeup collection? Would you buy it if a brand were to release something like this?
Comment below if you’d like me to another collection based on a show!
You may also be interested in these posts:
- My $1000 Fantasy SEPHORA Cart
- RÓEN 11:11 Eyeshadow Palette Review
- Compliments That Aren’t About My Looks
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First of all, I love Friends so I’m so glad I came across your post! And this is definitely very creative! I love how the eyeshadow names and colors are related to the funniest scenes. I didn’t have to think hard, I could just put the scenes together and was laughing to myself.
This is so creative, I enjoyed this post A LOT. So thank you for sharing! I’m off to rewatch the show now 😀
Shuana
http://www.howivebeen.com
I’m so happy you enjoyed! This was so much fun to create.
-Jacqie