Toys+ Makeup: Discovering a Glam Girls Inner Child

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 For most girls the relationship between toys and makeup is cemented into our brains at a very young age. Who can forget their first Hello Kitty makeup kit? I know I can't, after begging my mom for what seemed like ages but may have only been minutes, she finally gave in. I held it in my hand like a precious jewel knowing that opening it would mean I was unlocking the glamorous world of womanhood. I smeared the almost colorless eyeshadow across my lids with my finger, too impatient to use the tiny sponge tip applicator.  As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror an instant obsession was born that has guided my destiny. I can't help being nostalgic for that first makeup kit and how it made me feel. Apparently,  I'm not alone.  MAC Cosmetics Hello Kitty Collection was in huge demand long before it hit store shelves.  How can any woman resist the adorable dolls filled with perfume in the Harajuku Lovers collection? Years ago, Hard Candy's cute plastic rings just like the ones we had as girls included with every tiny bottle of their fabulous nail polish started a trend for adult women that has been much copied by other cosmetic companies. Now the cosmetic company has gone one step further with the launch of their Tokidoki Collection at Sephora. As if playing with makeup wasn't enough fun already this collection stars a cute and edgy cast of characters that will make you want to buy one of everything they've got. Each of the Cromatico eyeshadow kits  has not only a wearably funky palette of shadows but each come with their own collectable charm to clip on your makeup bag!  The Cactus Friends collection is my favorite, sweet vulnerable beings dressed in tough prickly cactus suits to protect them from the cold cruel world.  I love the Bastardino Palette which has four wearable shadows, a gorgeous green along with three neutral nudes that really make my hazel eyes pop and a small collectable toy charm of the precious pup in a cactus suit for whom the palette is named. I couldn't help laughing when I saw SANDy the nail file shaped like a little girl in a cactus suit, apropos, no? This insanely cute cast of characters is the brainchild of  Roman artist Simone Legno. Tokidoki means 'sometimes' in Japanese. Legno says of the name:
"I chose 'sometimes' because everyone waits for moments that change one's destiny. By simple chance or meeting a new person, Tokidoki is the hope, the hidden energy everyone has inside that gives strength to face a new day and dream something positive, that something magical will happen to us."

          The desire for transformation I had as a little girl applying makeup seems to gel with Legno's concept for his characters, no wonder Hard Candy's co-founders Pooneh Mohajer-Arnold and Ivan Arnold instantly fell in love with his work and immediately flew Legno from Rome to LA to create the Tokidoki Collection. Sounds like a perfect match to me.