"Will I buy it?" videos seem to have been increasing in popularity on YouTube over the last year. When Samantha March first introduced the community playlist for WIBI videos I was shocked at how many creators were adding their videos to it. I go back and forth on watching WIBI videos. Sometimes I like hearing the commentary certain creators add to it, but really it just feels so repetitive, especially when some creators are churning them out weekly. I would rather hear someone talk about only the things that have piqued their interest lately instead of them just scrolling through Trendmood or talking about what everyone else is too.
I know many viewers use WIBI videos to learn about new products being released, and I remember doing that with Jen Luvs Reviews' weekly "What's Up in Makeup?" series when it first started. But after a while I became overwhelmed with how many things were constantly being released. (That series was actually what sparked the beginning of the end of my makeup obsession.) If the creator consciously focuses on highlighting various indie brands like Angelica Nyqvist does in her WIBI videos, or even just on a few select brands they typically like, I would feel more inclined to support the influx of WIBI videos. But instead, it seems like so many people are just hashing on the same tired releases.
It makes me wonder how the beauty community was before the snowball of releases became the norm. What was it like to only have a few releases a year? (Did that ever actually happen?) Was the focus more on developing technique than amassing a collection? I'm sure my collection would be even smaller than it is now, as I would have more time to learn about new products before being bombarded with the appeal of a newer one. I wonder too if I would be more likely to stay brand loyal if it were like that now. I just learned the other day that Lorac has Unzipped quints that were released in January. They appear to be totally my style (and something I probably would have purchased if I didn't already have enough eyeshadow). I used to love Lorac as a brand and probably still would if I hadn't branched out to other brands in the last few years. I wonder how people in the days before the current beauty YouTube would have learned about those quints being released.
Also, back when there weren't so many releases, how often did people typically actually buy new products? When the seasons changed? When they finished something up? Were people more likely to buy from a new release because it had been so long since they purchased something new? Were they safer with their choices? (I certainly feel like since I started purchasing things less frequently I am much more cautious and deliberate with what I choose.) I am fascinated with this concept and almost wish I had gotten interested in makeup earlier in life, just so I could have experienced it.
Monday, April 29, 2019
Monday, April 22, 2019
Why I Appreciate Sephora's Rewards Program
With all the talk across social media about the upcoming Sephora sale, I am inadvertently being reminded how much more I prefer Sephora over Ulta when it comes to their rewards programs. I feel like Sephora constantly gets berated for not having a money-based points program like Ulta does, but there are so many aspects about Ulta's program that steers me towards favoring Sephora's instead.
I know Sephora gets ragged on for the point perks, but I love them. Sure, it might take 100 points (usually $100 but not always), but I get to choose when I'm buying products and which brands I'm buying from. Plus, I like that as long as I have one transaction a year (even if it's just redeeming my birthday gift) my points don't expire. So even if it takes three years to reach 100 points, that's okay. And if it takes another two years for a point perk to interest me enough to redeem my points, that's still okay (assuming the rewards program doesn't change again). I also like that I can get a deluxe sample of my choice by only spending $25 online. I find myself waiting to purchase something until one catches my eye, and since I'm very particular, I don't order very often.
At other stores, you'll see things like "spend $50 on Urban Decay, get a free eyeshadow primer." Okay? I only want to buy two eye pencils, and that doesn't add up to $50. Now I have to add something else? Besides, the eyeshadow primer I use is from Lorac, and I definitely don't need a new one any time soon. A tube will easily last me at least a year and a half. It can be cool to get something for free, but not when it's something I don't care about.
If the buy-in isn't brand specific, it's usually at a ridiculously high price like $75 or $125. And when it's that big, it's usually a large bag of samples where only one or two even remotely appeal to me. No thank you. I am trying to downsize, not add unnecessary clutter.
Sure, it might be nice to get money off my purchase like at Ulta, but I think Ulta's system encourages spending. There $100 basically equates to $3 off. I know that it's not exactly that simple. 100 points = $3 off, but 1000 points = $50 off. But here's the thing, except for my first year buying makeup, I cannot reach even 100 points before they expire. I just don't buy enough makeup. And I know there are often point multipliers, but my account rarely qualifies for them. (Plus, they're brand specific, and you already know how I feel about that.) I'm convinced that in order to receive these offers you have to continually buy from those brands, like they're trying to reward brand loyalty. If I'm going to make a purchase I would rather it be straight money off than the possibility of eventual money off, especially when I know that possibility is highly unlikely to ever happen.
When you only buy a handful of things a year, Ulta just doesn't have the most welcoming rewards program. At least with Sephora I don't feel shafted for not spending lots of money. Sure, I don't get the same percentages off as VIB or Rouge when sale time comes around, but I still get to participate in the rewards bazaar.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Remembering and Culling My Sephora Loves List
With the Sephora sale coming in the next few weeks, I thought it might be interesting to try to remember what all is on my Sephora Loves List. I use my Loves List in multiple ways: as an actual wishlist, a running list of things to swatch next time I see them, and an intermediate shopping cart. It's been some time since I fully scrolled through my Loves List, and I think it's past time that I cull the majority of it. I'm curious how many groups of products I'll remember.
First, I know that the most recent items added to it are a handful of Sephora Collection products: a watermelon brush cleaning set, a banana rinse-off face mask (maybe a mint too?), a watermelon hand scrub, and three of the normally-$4 gel pod face masks that went on clearance. I added these in the last week or so. I don't remember what prompted me to search either watermelon or banana, but I do remember being intrigued that there were so many new fruit-themed products. Of these, the only one I will be keeping is the watermelon brush cleaning set. I have passively been wanting a brush mat for years now, and while the other things tempt me, I know I have enough face skincare already and I'm not likely to use the hand scrub enough to justify it.
The next items are probably from when I was trying to figure out which Urban Decay shadows I was going to buy during Ulta's 21 days. (I find it much easier to keep one visual list at Sephora than spread out across multiple sites.) All of these are getting axed from the list. I already chose and purchased the ones that meant the most to me.
Now here is where things are going to get rough with remembering. I think the last group of products I added willy-nilly was highlighters. I was so intent on finding the perfect subtle highlighter that I added anything that looked even remotely interesting in an online swatch to remind myself to swatch it in person next time I was in store. Now that I've purchased the Clinique chubby stick, I can get rid of the others.
I feel like I went through a blush period right before this, but the only ones I can think of are the ones from Ciate that have been on my wishlist for ages. I have been interested in the Ciate blushes and highlighters since Lauren Mae Beauty first mentioned them on her channel over a year ago. It's time to cut them from the Loves List though. I rarely buy something without swatching it first, and the brand is just not available in my city or the two cities I'm likely to visit this year. Those blushes and highlighters have been camping out on my Loves List for so long that I highly doubt I would forget to swatch these products if I ever happened upon them in the wild.
At one point, Sephora Pro brushes were frequently part of the Weekly Wow sale. so I remember going through all the brushes and hearting the ones that I might be interested in at half price. All of these are going to be cut. I don't need to be wrapped up in hoping something might go on sale one day.
As far as individual items, I remember adding a trio of mini eyeshadow sticks from Nudestix that I saw last time I went in store. I hadn't considered anything other than powder eyeshadows in over five years, and I really liked the colors in that set. I'm fairly certain the Urban Decay eyeliner in Lucky is still on there, even though I go back and forth on whether I really want it or not. And I know for sure that the Dior Absolutely Blooming perfume is on there because I've lusted over that perfume for two years at least.
And now to check...
There were 52 products on my Loves List. Here are some that I forgot and reasons why I'm unhearting it:
First, I know that the most recent items added to it are a handful of Sephora Collection products: a watermelon brush cleaning set, a banana rinse-off face mask (maybe a mint too?), a watermelon hand scrub, and three of the normally-$4 gel pod face masks that went on clearance. I added these in the last week or so. I don't remember what prompted me to search either watermelon or banana, but I do remember being intrigued that there were so many new fruit-themed products. Of these, the only one I will be keeping is the watermelon brush cleaning set. I have passively been wanting a brush mat for years now, and while the other things tempt me, I know I have enough face skincare already and I'm not likely to use the hand scrub enough to justify it.
The next items are probably from when I was trying to figure out which Urban Decay shadows I was going to buy during Ulta's 21 days. (I find it much easier to keep one visual list at Sephora than spread out across multiple sites.) All of these are getting axed from the list. I already chose and purchased the ones that meant the most to me.
Now here is where things are going to get rough with remembering. I think the last group of products I added willy-nilly was highlighters. I was so intent on finding the perfect subtle highlighter that I added anything that looked even remotely interesting in an online swatch to remind myself to swatch it in person next time I was in store. Now that I've purchased the Clinique chubby stick, I can get rid of the others.
I feel like I went through a blush period right before this, but the only ones I can think of are the ones from Ciate that have been on my wishlist for ages. I have been interested in the Ciate blushes and highlighters since Lauren Mae Beauty first mentioned them on her channel over a year ago. It's time to cut them from the Loves List though. I rarely buy something without swatching it first, and the brand is just not available in my city or the two cities I'm likely to visit this year. Those blushes and highlighters have been camping out on my Loves List for so long that I highly doubt I would forget to swatch these products if I ever happened upon them in the wild.
At one point, Sephora Pro brushes were frequently part of the Weekly Wow sale. so I remember going through all the brushes and hearting the ones that I might be interested in at half price. All of these are going to be cut. I don't need to be wrapped up in hoping something might go on sale one day.
As far as individual items, I remember adding a trio of mini eyeshadow sticks from Nudestix that I saw last time I went in store. I hadn't considered anything other than powder eyeshadows in over five years, and I really liked the colors in that set. I'm fairly certain the Urban Decay eyeliner in Lucky is still on there, even though I go back and forth on whether I really want it or not. And I know for sure that the Dior Absolutely Blooming perfume is on there because I've lusted over that perfume for two years at least.
And now to check...
There were 52 products on my Loves List. Here are some that I forgot and reasons why I'm unhearting it:
- Sephora Collection banana lip balm - I still haven't finished my kiwi one.
- Sephora Collection banana hand scrub - Can you tell I like banana yet? I still don't need a hand scrub though,
- Sephora Collection watermelon brush set - I already have similar brushes and don't need the gimmick.
- Sephora Collection color switch - I use the same or similar shades repeatedly and rarely would need to use this type of product.
- Clinique Even Better Glow foundation - This is the only foundation I'm currently interested in, but I have no clue what shade I would be. If I have it in my Loves List, it looks like I've already found my shade, which is just not true. I don't think I'm going to forget about this foundation, and even if I do, that's fine too because I don't feel obligated to wear foundation anyway.
- Sephora Collection foot mask - I doubt I would actually use this.
- Urban Decay Optical Illusion primer - I buy this annually and usually from the Urban Decay site with a better discount. I don't need the reminder on my Sephora list.
- Glow Recipe watermelon sleeping mask - I already bought this and don't see myself repurchasing it any time soon.
- Clinique Chubby Lash mascara in Bodacious Honey - I added it because it was a cool color with an appealing brush, but I just don't wear mascara anymore. And if I did wear it on occasion, I would not spend more than $10 on a tube.
- Dior J'adore perfume - I don't even remember why this appealed to me. It was an easy unheart.
- Make Up Forever Ultra HD foundation - This was my first foundation, and I've used up two bottles. But I'm just not interested in it now.
Things I kept on the wishlist, with comments on the things not aforementioned:
- Sephora Collection Mini Watermelon Brush Cleansing Set
- Nudestix Nude Metallics For Eyes
- Nudestix Magnet Eye Color in Nudity - the color I like most from the trio
- Pinrose Merry Maker - the notes say plum and nectarine and it's available to test out nearby
- Korres Wild Rose Brightening Sleeping Facial - one day I'll repurchase this, but I always forget about it
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Lucky
- Dior Absolutely Blooming rollerball
- NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Intriguing - a reminder to myself to consider this one next time I want a new pink lipstick
So all in all, I was able to take my Sephora Loves List from 52 products to 8. I'd say that was a pretty successful adventure. It definitely doesn't feel overwhelming or cluttered anymore.
Monday, April 8, 2019
First Quarter Reflections
We are solidly into April now, so it seems appropriate to look back at the first quarter of 2019 now.
Purchases
Just over a month ago, I posted about my current wishlist, and in the last few weeks I have bought two of the four products on it. In late March, Clinique had a friends and family sale online with a 25% off code. Because of this, I ended up buying both Clinique items on my wishlist: the Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight and the Moisture Surge 72-Hour Replenishing Hydrator. I also received a free full-size bottle of the Moisture Surge Face Spray due to combining purchases with my mom and reaching a certain threshold.
I have mixed feelings about the chubby stick. I wanted it for so long, and I first became interested in it because of how subtle it is. But then when I put it on my face it feels like it disappears, and I have to remind myself that that's what I was going for. (Within reason, of course.) I'm still learning to work with it, especially pairing it with my illuminating primers, but I feel like I'm almost there. I haven't opened the moisturizer yet because I want to finish the Glow Recipe Watermelon Sleeping Mask first. The face spray is something I never would've bought, but it was intriguing enough to select as my free product. I've never used a spray product on my face before, be it makeup or skincare, so it's a new experience. I find myself spraying it randomly throughout the day: when I come home from work, when I come inside from playing with my toddler... I generally just feel like I'm using it to use it.
Those are not the only products I bought though. For the first time in two or three years I actually purchased some things during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty event. I have been thoroughly enjoying using the Becca Backlight Priming Filter and am stoked that I was able to try it for half the price. For the last three years I've used the Burberry Fresh Glow Fluid Luminous Base. I always considered it expensive, but I loved so much about it: the formula, the luxuriousness of the packaging, the fact that the perfume my husband bought me was from Burberry... A bottle lasted me a little more than a year, and I would buy one with Sephora's December coupon to discount it a bit. But then this last year, Sephora raised the coupon threshold to $75, and I just could not justify that price tag anymore. I had been looking for a replacement product for a few months and am quite pleased with this Becca one. I remember having a deluxe sample of it before and enjoying it, but thinking it was pointless to purchase when I already had the Burberry one. The packaging of the Becca one is growing on me too; I like the size, the sleekness, and the frosted glass. During the event, I also purchased two Urban Decay eyeshadows for 50% off: Scratch and Rockstar. I bought Scratch as I was missing a shade similar to Unbelievable from my (former) Lorac Unzipped palette. I bought Rockstar because I had been passively wanting a purple eyeshadow for at least two years. I am excited that it will be replacing Mac's Indian Ink in my custom palette, since that shade was such a disappointment to me.
Random Thoughts
In pasts posts, I've mentioned wanting to test out the Anatomy eyeliner with Petite Heat, and I can now say that they make a beautiful pair. It doesn't matter whether or not I use the orange shade from the palette (Wild Thing), the orange eyeliner seems to just pick up the orange tones from the palette as a whole. Interestingly, Rockstar also pairs nicely with Petite Heat. I feel like there's some sort of color theory happening there since purple and orange are both secondary colors. I've been using the Rockstar eyeliner a lot lately because of this and am now curious to try out the Rockstar eyeshadow with the palette as well.
My focus lately has been on solidifying my base makeup and having fun with my eyes. I haven't been wearing as much lipstick as I had thought I would. Until recently, I didn't keep my lip products with the rest of my makeup (because toddler) and always told myself I would apply it later, like after I brushed my teeth or as we were leaving the house. But I rarely did. I think now that I changed up my organization system I'll be more likely to add in lipstick again, and I look forward to basing looks around lipsticks again in the next few months.
Finally, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm feels amazing. I had ever used this type of remover before this past month. Before I had just used a foaming cleanser (which I loved until I realized it broke me out) and face wipes. I received the Clinique balm from my mom a few months ago but didn't start using it until recently. I want to find a cheaper alternative when I finish it though because I am fairly certain it's more of the format I like than the actual product.
Purchases
Just over a month ago, I posted about my current wishlist, and in the last few weeks I have bought two of the four products on it. In late March, Clinique had a friends and family sale online with a 25% off code. Because of this, I ended up buying both Clinique items on my wishlist: the Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight and the Moisture Surge 72-Hour Replenishing Hydrator. I also received a free full-size bottle of the Moisture Surge Face Spray due to combining purchases with my mom and reaching a certain threshold.
I have mixed feelings about the chubby stick. I wanted it for so long, and I first became interested in it because of how subtle it is. But then when I put it on my face it feels like it disappears, and I have to remind myself that that's what I was going for. (Within reason, of course.) I'm still learning to work with it, especially pairing it with my illuminating primers, but I feel like I'm almost there. I haven't opened the moisturizer yet because I want to finish the Glow Recipe Watermelon Sleeping Mask first. The face spray is something I never would've bought, but it was intriguing enough to select as my free product. I've never used a spray product on my face before, be it makeup or skincare, so it's a new experience. I find myself spraying it randomly throughout the day: when I come home from work, when I come inside from playing with my toddler... I generally just feel like I'm using it to use it.
Those are not the only products I bought though. For the first time in two or three years I actually purchased some things during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty event. I have been thoroughly enjoying using the Becca Backlight Priming Filter and am stoked that I was able to try it for half the price. For the last three years I've used the Burberry Fresh Glow Fluid Luminous Base. I always considered it expensive, but I loved so much about it: the formula, the luxuriousness of the packaging, the fact that the perfume my husband bought me was from Burberry... A bottle lasted me a little more than a year, and I would buy one with Sephora's December coupon to discount it a bit. But then this last year, Sephora raised the coupon threshold to $75, and I just could not justify that price tag anymore. I had been looking for a replacement product for a few months and am quite pleased with this Becca one. I remember having a deluxe sample of it before and enjoying it, but thinking it was pointless to purchase when I already had the Burberry one. The packaging of the Becca one is growing on me too; I like the size, the sleekness, and the frosted glass. During the event, I also purchased two Urban Decay eyeshadows for 50% off: Scratch and Rockstar. I bought Scratch as I was missing a shade similar to Unbelievable from my (former) Lorac Unzipped palette. I bought Rockstar because I had been passively wanting a purple eyeshadow for at least two years. I am excited that it will be replacing Mac's Indian Ink in my custom palette, since that shade was such a disappointment to me.
Random Thoughts
In pasts posts, I've mentioned wanting to test out the Anatomy eyeliner with Petite Heat, and I can now say that they make a beautiful pair. It doesn't matter whether or not I use the orange shade from the palette (Wild Thing), the orange eyeliner seems to just pick up the orange tones from the palette as a whole. Interestingly, Rockstar also pairs nicely with Petite Heat. I feel like there's some sort of color theory happening there since purple and orange are both secondary colors. I've been using the Rockstar eyeliner a lot lately because of this and am now curious to try out the Rockstar eyeshadow with the palette as well.
My focus lately has been on solidifying my base makeup and having fun with my eyes. I haven't been wearing as much lipstick as I had thought I would. Until recently, I didn't keep my lip products with the rest of my makeup (because toddler) and always told myself I would apply it later, like after I brushed my teeth or as we were leaving the house. But I rarely did. I think now that I changed up my organization system I'll be more likely to add in lipstick again, and I look forward to basing looks around lipsticks again in the next few months.
Finally, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm feels amazing. I had ever used this type of remover before this past month. Before I had just used a foaming cleanser (which I loved until I realized it broke me out) and face wipes. I received the Clinique balm from my mom a few months ago but didn't start using it until recently. I want to find a cheaper alternative when I finish it though because I am fairly certain it's more of the format I like than the actual product.
Monday, April 1, 2019
The Change of Antihauls Over the Years
It has been interesting to watch antihauls evolve since they were first popularized by Kimberly Clark over three years ago. In her first antihaul video Kimberly talked about consumerism and the "buy buy buy" mentality; she reminds us that people have different interests and that she is talking about these from her own point of view. Her antihauls certainly focus on the consumerist aspect of the makeup industry, how we don't need to continuously shop and add to our collections.
But over time antihauls on YouTube shifted more into bashing on brands, calling Too Faced childish, Tarte confused, and Morphe boring. The YouTuber that stands out most in my mind with this kind of content is Lucia Tepper. In her latest antihaul video there is no discussion about consumerism, just mentioning that it's easier to not buy something if it can be made fun of. She does make the disclaimer that she is on a no buy, "so technically everything is an antihaul."
But there are other YouTubers who are currently on no buys who approach the video so differently. Hailey Evans is one such creator. She is doing a no buy year, but she recognizes the pull to various new releases. Instead of bashing the products as the same old same old, she recalls products she already owns or previously owned and reflects on why she wants the new version.
I much prefer this kind of antihaul to the roasting ones. It reminds me that a makeup collection should be personalized to the individual using it, that just because Karen loves using purple eyeliner doesn't mean Laura needs one too. In my early days of watching makeup YouTube, I was more into the idea of accumulating a lot of options than tailoring my purchases to discovering my own style. I remember when Urban Decay Petite Heat was announced it was roasted as "yet another warm-toned palette." But I hadn't bought Modern Renaissance, Morphe 35O, or any of the others that the YouTubers insisted that everyone already owned. In fact, it seems like most eyeshadow palettes in the roasting antihauls are dismissed as being either "boring neutrals with a pop of color" (even when half the palette is color) or something that's basically a carbon copy of one from another brand (as in Urban Decay Naked Reloaded versus Anastasia Sultry).
I think sometimes YouTubers forget that not everyone interested in makeup has ultra-consumerist shopping tendencies, that not everyone owns or is even interested in owning the oodles of products that others have. The reddit comment that sparked the idea for this post mentioned the opposite opinion when discussing Hannah Louise Poston's antihaul on Ulta's 21 Days event: "I’d rather hear, 'The color story on this palette is redundant and I’m sure everyone has these colors in their collection' vs. 'I’m not buying this because I’ve never thought about buying it before so I’m not going to buy it now.'"
But that's what I loved about HLP's take on the event. It was so nice to be reminded that a sale price does not justify a purchase, and the way she repeated that she had never considered purchasing a product before the sale and thus would not be buying it during the sale was so refreshing. She also mentioned some products that appealed to her but that she wouldn't buy during the sale because she already had something that functioned fine in that category.
In my mind, that's the kind of anticonsumerist thinking that Kimberly Clark originally introduced in her antihauls; it's just not as popular because the roasting antihauls have more of a shock factor that reflects the ever-prominent cancel culture. Right now the roasting antihauls and continuous "Will I Buy It?"-type videos are just contributing to the consumerist spiral that many YouTube channels have fallen into the past few years. It bothers me when people ask for suggestions on what to antihaul. I remember when Kimberly Clark first asked for suggestions on what to antihaul for a video responses were valid things that people were trying not to buy. but eventually they shifted into wanting to hear products they obviously weren't going to buy get roasted. I think Kimberly Clark summed it up perfectly in her eighteenth antihaul:
"The first thing I'm not going to buy is this [the Kylie Brush Kit]. So many of you asked me to talk about this. It was the most requested thing that I've been asked to antihaul, I think than any other product ever. But I'm not going to talk about it. Like Stephanie Nicole said in her recent get ready with me video, that there's been so much bad press about this brush kit. But bad publicity is, is publicity, man. It's good publicity. So I feel like so many people have talked about this so much, talked so much shit about it. And sometimes, you know, it's great to have a really complicated reason why you're not going to buy something. And other times it's really great to have a really simple reason and then just move on, and get on with your life and your day and do things that actually make you happy instead of just dwelling on the drama and the ridiculousness. So all I'm going to say about this is: $360 for a brush set? Nope!"
But over time antihauls on YouTube shifted more into bashing on brands, calling Too Faced childish, Tarte confused, and Morphe boring. The YouTuber that stands out most in my mind with this kind of content is Lucia Tepper. In her latest antihaul video there is no discussion about consumerism, just mentioning that it's easier to not buy something if it can be made fun of. She does make the disclaimer that she is on a no buy, "so technically everything is an antihaul."
But there are other YouTubers who are currently on no buys who approach the video so differently. Hailey Evans is one such creator. She is doing a no buy year, but she recognizes the pull to various new releases. Instead of bashing the products as the same old same old, she recalls products she already owns or previously owned and reflects on why she wants the new version.
I much prefer this kind of antihaul to the roasting ones. It reminds me that a makeup collection should be personalized to the individual using it, that just because Karen loves using purple eyeliner doesn't mean Laura needs one too. In my early days of watching makeup YouTube, I was more into the idea of accumulating a lot of options than tailoring my purchases to discovering my own style. I remember when Urban Decay Petite Heat was announced it was roasted as "yet another warm-toned palette." But I hadn't bought Modern Renaissance, Morphe 35O, or any of the others that the YouTubers insisted that everyone already owned. In fact, it seems like most eyeshadow palettes in the roasting antihauls are dismissed as being either "boring neutrals with a pop of color" (even when half the palette is color) or something that's basically a carbon copy of one from another brand (as in Urban Decay Naked Reloaded versus Anastasia Sultry).
I think sometimes YouTubers forget that not everyone interested in makeup has ultra-consumerist shopping tendencies, that not everyone owns or is even interested in owning the oodles of products that others have. The reddit comment that sparked the idea for this post mentioned the opposite opinion when discussing Hannah Louise Poston's antihaul on Ulta's 21 Days event: "I’d rather hear, 'The color story on this palette is redundant and I’m sure everyone has these colors in their collection' vs. 'I’m not buying this because I’ve never thought about buying it before so I’m not going to buy it now.'"
But that's what I loved about HLP's take on the event. It was so nice to be reminded that a sale price does not justify a purchase, and the way she repeated that she had never considered purchasing a product before the sale and thus would not be buying it during the sale was so refreshing. She also mentioned some products that appealed to her but that she wouldn't buy during the sale because she already had something that functioned fine in that category.
In my mind, that's the kind of anticonsumerist thinking that Kimberly Clark originally introduced in her antihauls; it's just not as popular because the roasting antihauls have more of a shock factor that reflects the ever-prominent cancel culture. Right now the roasting antihauls and continuous "Will I Buy It?"-type videos are just contributing to the consumerist spiral that many YouTube channels have fallen into the past few years. It bothers me when people ask for suggestions on what to antihaul. I remember when Kimberly Clark first asked for suggestions on what to antihaul for a video responses were valid things that people were trying not to buy. but eventually they shifted into wanting to hear products they obviously weren't going to buy get roasted. I think Kimberly Clark summed it up perfectly in her eighteenth antihaul:
"The first thing I'm not going to buy is this [the Kylie Brush Kit]. So many of you asked me to talk about this. It was the most requested thing that I've been asked to antihaul, I think than any other product ever. But I'm not going to talk about it. Like Stephanie Nicole said in her recent get ready with me video, that there's been so much bad press about this brush kit. But bad publicity is, is publicity, man. It's good publicity. So I feel like so many people have talked about this so much, talked so much shit about it. And sometimes, you know, it's great to have a really complicated reason why you're not going to buy something. And other times it's really great to have a really simple reason and then just move on, and get on with your life and your day and do things that actually make you happy instead of just dwelling on the drama and the ridiculousness. So all I'm going to say about this is: $360 for a brush set? Nope!"
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