Firstly, I’ll address the name of this product. As you might imagine there has already been a backlash against the name – basket case being a slang name for mentally ill – that Kat has vehemently defended on Instagram, where all the drama plays out these days. It’s produced with Greenday Lead Singer, Billie Joe Armstrong (although it’s not really clear why!***), who had a song of the same name. So, while I feel mildly uncomfortable with the name (it’s not in the same league as the unfortunate ‘Wax Spastic’ lip shade from Smith & Cult) I don’t know whether it’s being over-sensitive to raise a brow or not. Kat’s got history with shade names and one thing I do know is that she has an answer for everything and she’s never wrong ;-).
Drilling down a bit further into the naming – it’s also ‘anti precision’ which I’m very much for! We’re so much about the perfect that a product that encourages us to not be so is all to the good. The shape of this liner (to all intents and purposes a khol) means that a perfectly precise cat flick is more or less impossible, instead producing an imperfect line designed to be smoked and smudged. I gave up on a perfect line a very long time ago and love a smudgy khol on my top lid – in fact, I’m rarely without it (I use the Clarins Khol Liner that has a brush to smudge with at the other end HERE). You can use Basket Case on lids or inner rims and it sharpens up a treat with the little sharpener housed at the other end of the colour. I guess, from the campaign shots, that use Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen (I know, again, problematic) that it’s a hark back to punk rock and those angry, black eyes from the time, but a more modern interpretation would be the Carine Roitfelt (ex director of Vogue Paris) look that MAC extolled a couple of years ago – a little bit smudgy, morning after a late night look. All that said, you can literally just use it as inner rim liner and be done with it! I like it – it’s soft and deeply black, the sharpener actually works and who doesn’t like a khol? You can find it HERE for £17.
***Aha! Thanks to the wisdom of BBB reader, Annemarie: “Billie Joe Armstrong is a huge eyeliner fan… wears it a lot, and is the kind of anti Trump person that Kat adores (not to bring politics in to makeup – it’s just makeup!! But explains why she’d link with him) he’s also known for his “anti precision” look – smudged eyeliner etc. Oh and Basket Case is a well known song by the band about his own struggle with anxiety and panic disorder.”
Clarins Non Aff Link HERE.
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6 comments
I didn’t see the name as problematic really, just that it’s a reference to one of Greenday’s biggest songs. I also like that they collaborated because he’s known for smudgy guy-liner. Looks like an eyeliner I’d love!
Oh! Shows what I know about Greenday – I didn’t know he was smudgy liner man! Yes, some people find it very problematic and others not at all.
I guess the name is strange but then some brands are known for their strange names – like Nars. I love a Kohl and this sounds great as a product x
http://www.franklyflawless.com
I was just about to start educating you on BJ from Greenday and his use of eyeliner / public stuggles with anxiety and depression (and songs about them!) until I saw your sidenote! I actually love this collab, even if the name is still a bit of an odd one for an eyeliner.
Apart from opera, I’m just not a music fan! Never have been…
Greenday were a HUGE part of my childhood, so it made me smile to see this collaboration. Basketcase was the name of one of the band’s most famous albums and songs, which is why they named it that. The band are in the punk scene, so well known for speaking out on a lot of subject, for a very long time. People are being oversensitive with the name, but with the context it makes sense.