Fairy-tale faces by Storybook Cosmetics

The cosmetics brand introduces palettes and applicator brushes reminiscent of fairy-tale favorites.

There’s something magical about the power of makeup.

With a touch of cheek contouring, a bold lip color and some eyelash TLC, any woman can transform her soft, daytime look into a dramatic evening effect — simply by accentuating her natural features.

But Storybook Cosmetics, an online makeup boutique, brings a new, enchanting twist to this already spellbinding process. Combining the art of cosmetics with childhood fairy tales, the company offers original products reminiscent of “storybook” classics, such as Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and Francis Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden;” and, of course, the fantasy world of spells, riddles, mythical creatures and wizardry that constitutes J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” 

The original products, which include lipsticks, eye palettes and applicator brushes, embrace the themes of these tales with playful packaging. The Wizardry and Witchcraft Eyeshadow Palette Storybook ($55), for example, includes a set of 12 pigmented matte, metallic and pearl eye shadows — which are cruelty-free, long-lasting and buttery smooth — housed in a compact evocative of a vintage spell book. Among the shades are broomstick (rusty brown), sorcerer (ruby red), cloak (graphite grey), potions (emerald green), prophecy (pearly white), Salem (frosted pewter), Merlin (sapphire blue), bewitched (coppery gold), cauldron (charcoal black), spell book (rich mahogany), charms (shell pink) and jinx (shimmering silver). And, just like any good compact case, the spell book includes
a cosmetic mirror.

To apply the shades, the brand features dreamy brushes — for which it is most known — such as the What’s in a Name Rose Brushes ($55). This set of four — which includes a taper highlighting brush, an angled contour and blush brush, a flat-top powder brush and a dome-top powder brush — are made with cruelty-free, synthetic bristles in a wicked scarlet ombre supported by a green rose stem with metal alloy handles for easy grip. They are conveniently encased in a custom rose pouch. 

There’s certainly no eye look that’s finished without pristine mascara, which is where the Quill & Ink set ($39) comes in handy. The gold metal pen — evocative of an antique feather quill — includes a water-resistant, gel, matte black eyeliner that is vegan, cruelty-free — and even boasts being gluten-free, as well. 

The vision behind this mystical brand belongs to identical triplets Erin, Mandy and Missy Maynard, who never left behind their love for make-believe. Created as a passion project by the Omaha natives — who appeared on ABC’s “American Idol” as teens — the line went viral in October 2016, and has remained a hot (cosmetics) commodity ever since. 

“We are really proud to offer a mix of both licensed (collaborations) and products that are our own unique creations, inspired by all of the magical stories we grew up with and loved,” Erin Maynard has said. 

Recently, Storybook Cosmetics introduced a Mean Girls Burn Book Storybook palette ($55), a collaboration between the brand and Paramount Pictures, and a testament to teen comedy, “Mean Girls.” (And yes, from the looks of it, it’s “totally fetch.”) 

Something quite different, however, is in the works — the Starry Night Palette, an eye shadow collection evocative of Vincent van Gogh’s swirling canvas, on view at The Museum of Modern Art. 

For more, visit storybookcosmetics.com.

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