Product Spotlight: Elizabeth Street Cosmetics
Founded in 2011, Elizabeth Street Cosmetics is the brainchild of San Francisco local Kelly Crispen. Kelly has worked for make-up giants MAC, Chanel, and Lancome before forming her own company. Featuring a plethora of lipstick shades, Elizabeth Street Cosmetics has become a Rare Device staple, both because of the unique shades, and because of the love she puts into creating them. You can currently find an abundance of lipstick shades at both Rare Device locations.
Cherry (left), Divisadero (center), and Pine (right)
KC: Tell us a little bit about Elizabeth Street Cosmetics.
ESC: Elizabeth Street Cosmetics is a San Francisco based boutique brand of lip colors. They are all preservative free and named after streets in San Francisco. Originally the names were focused on the Noe Valley neighborhood, where the company is based but has since expanded to include additional San Francisco neighborhoods such as the Castro, the Mission, Potrero Hill, Hayes Valley, Pac Heights, North Beach, Union Square, Haight Ashbury, Laurel Heights, and Glen Park. We just hit our six-year mark! All of our creations are designed here in San Francisco and formulated in Canada where they have strict regulations and no animal testing.
KC: How do you go about creating your shades?
ESC: Creating shades is one of my favorite parts of the job! I dreamt of this process during my four years with MAC. We’re lucky to live in a city where you can get from point A to point B in no time at all. I draw inspiration from walking the neighborhoods which often run into each other. Each neighborhood has its own distinct flavor that translates right to color palettes for me. For example, the Haight Street lip color is a bright pink cream. I wanted a shade that celebrated the Summer of Love, while it’s counterpart Ashbury is a sheer subdued pink (and a personal favorite of mine) for those who want an easy to wear nude with a hint of sheer pink. I did a collection of reds a while back: Powell, Stockton, Post and Geary. They all embody the feeling of Union Square: bold and festive. Statement colors for all seasons!
KC: What are your lipsticks made out of?
ESC: Castor oil is cold pressed as the base. Our lip colors also contain vitamin e, aloe leaf extract, and are infused with vanilla for natural flavoring. Hydration is key in keeping the lips moist and supple. It’s important to me to have healthy ingredients in my lipsticks, as we have a tendency to want to taste our lipstick much of the time.
Divisadero (left) and Cherry (right)
KC: How do our customers know which shade works best for their skin tone?
ESC: As a makeup artist I always have skin color in mind and this is why we have an expansive range of over forty lip color shades! Something for everyone.
Choosing shades for skin tones is actually easier than it sounds. In general, people usually have warm or cool undertones. If you are fortunate to have a mix of both (neutral skin tone), you can essentially wear any and all shades out there. Most people with pink or rosy complexions look optimal in cool based shades such as plums, violets, rosy pinks. Colors like Camp, Grandview, Lily, and Divisadero (exclusive to Rare Device) work well. Golden or warm under tones do best with oranges, peaches, tans, Indian reds. Colors like Ramona, Stockton, Sanchez, and Geary would be best.
I’m curating a specialty lip color for the holidays that works well on all skin tones. It’s a deep blood red cream like nothing we currently have. Stay tuned for it (and its street name) as it’s going to be a good one!
Cherry (left), Divisadero (center), and Pine (right)
Stop by both Rare Device Divisadero or Noe Valley to pick up your own shade of lipstick by Elizabeth Street Cosmetics! Select colors are available for purchase online here.
All photos by Dave Medal Photography