In the last edition of Bi-Weekly WTF, I alluded to PR being a factor in beauty manufacturer budgets.
In short, it is common for these brands to invest in and distributing extravagant PR packages to send to social media influencers.
That’s a topic in and of itself.
I’m generally comfortable with investing in quality products, and there are some things I am glad to splurge on. In spite of just locking in VIB for another year, though, there are some things I NEVER buy at Sephora. This is just a list of things I won’t buy for myself; I may buy them as gifts if I know the recipient would love it. This is also not a list intended to criticize people’s shopping choices (except maybe the Louboutin nail polish), just to point out what I choose not to buy.
Sephora just isn’t the place to go for manicure offerings. I know some people love Deborah Lippmann, but I just haven’t been ensorceled by her products. I’ve shared my thoughts on freaking Louboutin making lacquer, on not liking FormulaX, and how unbelievably ridiculous Nails Inc is with their NAILKALE. If I’m shelling out $15-30 dollars on polish, you can bet it’s going to be UV/LED cured and a massive, pro-sized bottle, at that.
There are more brands, but the best bang for your buck when it comes to manicure supplies is simply NOT there at Sephora.
Although my favorite mascara to date is prestige, I never buy at Sephora and pay prestige prices for mascara. This drugstore option gets me results nearly the same – and for the $12/tube savings, I’m fine with a potential and slight drop in quality.
In short, I don’t get cleansing sticks. They seem gimmicky to me, and they present a sanitary/hygiene conundrum.
But, Beauty Skeptic, why do bar cleansers not offput you in the very same fashion?
Well, Dear Reader, the answer is twofold.
“I want to be unhealthy,” said no one ever. There is a reasonable intersection between health and beauty. Healthy bodies with healthy skin, hair, and nails all feel and look better. It just makes sense to start with a foundation of health. Neglecting the former in favor of the latter is counter-productive.
What I do not buy into, however, is beauty retailers and resources pushing wellness products. Sure – you might want to take a biotin supplement for your hair and nails (but be careful). Do you really need to source that from Sephora, though? Sephora’s Inner Beauty section just makes me cringe, frankly.
Earlier in the Bi-Weekly WTF series I expressed my dismay over beauty gurus, “developing,” and peddling their own vitamins/supplements. This is along those very same lines! Just like how I’m not asking a beauty guru or haircare company for advice on car maintenance, I’m not asking them for health advice or products.
I simply don’t find it appropriate to buy wellness products from a company that makes hairspray. While our health and wellness impacts both our innate beauty and the resultant efficacy of products we use, Sephora isn’t the place for me to buy it.
Each year, my Halloween effort has waned a little more. It is fantastic occasion to play with makeup and wear looks that you might not otherwise wear (even sans costume), I just can’t bring myself to exert the effort this year.
It’s fun to see the Halloween-centric creativity that has cropped up in the Reddit and YouTube beauty communities over the years. In the past, I executed a couple Reddit-inspired cat looks that were fun enough.
More than ever, this year, I can’t be bothered! The extent of my festiveness is a simple black gel manicure – like this, but without the fabulous glitter.
Are you doing anything fun for Halloween or did you do anything fun for the holiday season (parties, etc)?
I had a different topic planned for this week’s post, but then shit hit the fan with Sunday Riley.
On Monday, October 15 a throwaway account identifying herself as an ex-Sunday Riley employee posted on Reddit’s SkincareAddition sub. Her post described and disclosed some of what can only be described as heinous and unethical review practices on behalf of Sunday Riley.
I happened to find out via Twitter, which was agog with justifiable rage at this revelation. This isn’t just sketchy, it is going-to-ridiculous-lengths sketchy with extensive instruction, false Beauty Insider profile creation, and VPN usage. Check it out:
I won’t waste your time pontificating on the matter, but have a few calmer points to add now that I am far enough away from discovering this.
This is why you cannot purely trust reviews on merchant sites. If you are going to research product feedback, you should consult a diverse pool of sources. Period.