When I was the food editor of The New York Times Magazine, the paper’s restaurant critic told me that most of the places he visited never received a drop of ink. They were neither good enough to merit a review nor bad enough to slam. (This was before Guy Fieri opened his monstrosity in Times Square.) The same is true for beauty products. Of the hundreds I try, many aren’t remarkable enough to supplant my favorites, but they do the job well enough. They’re … fine.
To find the exceptional in the crowd, I’ve conducted tests in which I divide my face into quadrants like a Cubist painting to compare foundations, tinted moisturizers, or primers. (If you want a great example of this, check out @thelipsticklesbians.) For body wash and lotion, it’s right side, left side, or upper and lower, like a magician’s assistant sawed in half.
