Rouge

Rouge, by Richard Kirshenbaum, is the story of rival cosmetics empires, as well as a look at appearances and perceptions. The author uses the act of buying cosmetics to show class and aspiration. Whether it’s door-to-door saleswomen bringing glamour to housewives, or a salon that’s also an upscale social occasion, cosmetics allow customers to be someone else.

And the women behind these companies understand this reinvention.  Josiah Herzenstein doesn’t actually pretend she’s not Jewish, but she renames herself  Josephine Herz as she starts her rise. Her major rival, Constance Gardiner, also reinvents her past by changing the spelling of her name, and adopting an upper class accent and manners. And CeeCee Lopez, at Constance’s suggestion, uses her lighter skin and a Spanish-sounding name to change her race.  

The novel covers decades, and the main characters have full, eventful lives, with dramatic reversals. It’s a lot like People Like Us or Swans of Fifth Avenue in the depictions of class customs and social climbing, although this wasn’t really a manners novel.

Without revealing the twists of the book, Constance and Josephine find themselves competing, again and again, and even inspiring each other in their competition. I enjoyed the powerful positioning through color choice or careful branding. Even though the novel begins with a flash-forward, there are plenty of surprises and reversals.

The symmetry is fascinating, but at times, there’s almost too much symmetry between Josephine and Constance, making some scenes of the novel feel slightly forced. I’m thinking specifically of the scene where they wind up at the same restaurant for celebratory dinners, and their sons both leave early, leaving both women alone, with their champagne. That felt a lot less like two vibrant rivals accidentally crossing paths.

Overall, this is a dramatic story of competition, cosmetics, and keeping up appearances.