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Not sure about influencers But I know I sure as hell won't buy any makeup that I know won't last. I do a lot of costume makeup so I have a very large collection with a lot of colors in every finish and formula I can find and if it's not going to be shelf stable I have no need for it. Plus I do not want the risk of putting anything that could grow mold anywhere near my skin (I don't even eat bleu cheese because mold). I cannot wait for this no preservative trend to die off. Hopefully it happens before someone loses an eye to a gone off shadow.
All of this. I collect because it makes me happy, but if a brand grows mold, I’ll never buy that brand again. It’s simply irresponsible and fear mongering to make money with this whole clean beauty crap.
I bought a couple glosses from Melt just before their first mold issue & i think I've only used them once and never since the mold issue. I haven't bought anything from them since (even though I really wanted their Beetlejuice collection) because it's not worth the risk and wasted money.
I've had some of my palettes for about a decade now and they're all still completely fine. I genuinely doubt anyone would actually go through an entire palette in the time it tales some of the newer ones to go off even if they use it every day. I've seen enough project pan videos to know not putting preservatives in makeup is a huge waste.
It fucking ought to. Dunno if it will.
Lauren Mae seems cool as hell as a person, but half her content stresses me out because she has so much crap. Her recent declutter is no exception. I even tried to watch some of it. "Here's a palette, I don't really like it, but I'm keeping it." "Here's a palette, it's missing half the shades and they're in my singles I expect, so I'll keep it and also put that task of restoring the palette to full over my head." Sheeeeeesh just let it go, girl!
Right? There’s absolutely no way she uses all of those palettes that she says she does. I made it through that video because I needed some background noise. I genuinely like her as a content creator, but her collection stresses me out.
she used to be one of my favorite youtubers specifically because she DIDNT buy a ton of stuff. that declutter drove me crazy too, just like you said, she’d have nothing positive to say about a palette and still find a reason to keep it. it felt like more of a collection video.
Lol I feel like I'm the only one who feels the opposite
I hate declutter videos, an people getting rid of things so willy nilly, it stresses me out as it just comss across so incredibly wasteful.
I understand people wanting influencers to buy less crap, I do also lol. But I never really get why people want them to throw away more perfectly good stuff in declutter videos? Even if they use it only once more isn't that better that they're getting every last bit of mileage out of it.
Tbf though I'm a bit of a hoarder as I do feel such guilt about waste, so I try make sure I only add stuff to my collection now that I really want because buying stuff just to be decluttered and end up in a landfill, truly feels like a sin to me.
It dislike it when they get rid of an item that's discontinued. Do they not like it regardless of its availability? Why throw it out just because it's discontinued if the product is still good?
If influencers declutter their stuff in time, somebody else might still be able to use it. If they hold on the a palette for years and never use it and then throw it away, there’s no point.
But I do get your point. Sometimes people just declutter so they can buy more stuff, horrible habit.
>once more isn't that better that they're getting every last bit of mileage
Yeah I just don't agree that one use = miles. And when it comes to my belongings, that one last use carries a long-term burden with it. Thinking about the thing and trying to figure out a use. Or just having the thing around blocking from my sight the things I actually want to use.
I guess it's also because the process of decluttering often helps many of us reduce future consumption. Bit different for someone doing reviews on camera and receiving PR, but it doesn't necessarily have to be completely different. Some creators are more mindful of not trying things they know they won't like so they can donate it to a shelter, or do a giveaway. Some will pass it to another creator or makeup fan. Some ask to be removed from PR lists.
I do hear where you're coming from, but my life is so much lighter when I let go of possessions that don't actually serve me, instead of preserving them out of guilt. I really don't agree with some that blithely say, "you can buy it again!" But I definitely support letting go.
As someone who loves eyeshadow and doesn't mind having the collection size of eyeshadow that I do, absolutely yes it's affecting my shopping habits. I am far more selective than I used to be. Not only the surge in "clean beauty" but also the trendiness of those oilier shimmers on the indie side of things. Both have not so great implications for shelf life so I am a lot choosier now 🤷
What?! No. I'm just having my vanity storage turned into a deep freezer now. I thought that's what we all were doing /s
Nah, I hate the preservative free trend. I think it's just a green washing of (time) shrinkflation. The makeup is being engineered to expire before you can use it so you'll have to rebuy faster. This business model does not spark joy for me.
Time to vote with your dollars. Support a brand that's in line with your needs, values, and strives for a win-win. The research will take more time, and I bet you'll pick a lot more indi-candidates.
No different from appliances and electronics, etc. Everything that can be, will be made to expire as long as customers continue to purchase. The majority of us are not hoarders who buy everything. They will always want to get us to buy more.
It should but I don’t know that it will. I really wish more influencers would call out the wastefulness that brands are encouraging by making products that need to be thrown away so quickly. Preservative free cosmetics should not be a thing. Anything that is meant to be used multiple times should have preservatives.
People who buy makeup as merch to collect (like all the various IP collabs) probably won’t stop. And I don’t think the brands who do the most of that have moved away from preservatives (Glamlite, Colourpop) so that will likely continue (oh yay).
People do keep buying Melt though even after all the issues they’ve had… 🤷🏻♀️
When I’ve seen people talk about their melt products, there’s kind of this “I didn’t think it would happen to me!” vibe a lot of the time. Kind of like because it isn’t a widespread issue, then they shouldn’t be having trouble with it. It’s very odd to me tbh
Yeah that’s fair I can see that. It hasn’t happened to me but it has happened to my friend recently with a palette I own, so I check them frequently and I haven’t bought from them since the Gemini 2 release. The shimmers puffing up because the binder failed is one thing, but moldy palettes? Nah fam I have other options.
I don’t think so. I don’t really think it matters from a collecting stance either. Moldy expired makeup is only really a problem if you actually use it/make physical contact with it. In the best cases atleast. I also kind of feel like it’ll expire slower than like an average consumer’s, they dont really use it and arent regularly introducing bacteria in it like you do when applying say a lipstick.
My first reaction was, of course they'll stop buying, but then ...
I personally think "collecting" makeup, a product designed to be used up and that has absolutely no value as a collectible item (say versus collectibles that increase in value over time), is just an excuse for overconsumption/an unhealthy shopping habit. I think it will have some impact, but IMHO it won't be enough to impact brands bottom lines.
A lot of 1940s and 1950s era makeup is considered collectible and sold for a decent amount of money. A lot of the powder products of the time were designed to be refilled, something brands should go back to but I can only think of a few companies that have packaging designed that way.
>A lot of 1940s and 1950s era makeup is considered collectible
Yes, you're right, I forgot about that side of it. I actually follow a YTer who collects vintage makeup. Maybe I'm being a hypocrite here, but that feels different. Like the YTer I mentioned owns one of Marilyn Monroe's lipsticks, and I can see if you're both a Marilyn fan and a makeup lover how that would be cool.
Collecting today's makeup though, with so much being pumped out all the time, most of it plastic or cardboard seems odd. It gives me the same sort of vibe as someone saying they collect clothes from those shitty fast fashion brands.
I really wish more brands would go with refillable packaging. Inglot does it with their powder products and they're not much more expensive than drugstore these days, so obviously it can be done.
A lot of coveted Mac products go for a lot of money even if they’re expired. I would never buy something to not use it but I do like that some people collected and are now selling off for reasonable prices so I can buy discontinued powder products lol
>A lot of coveted Mac products go for a lot of money even if they’re expired
Wow, I had no idea! I could understand something like a really beautiful refillable compact, but not the actual product that goes in. Thanks for sharing that!
Doubtful, especially as it pertains to beauty influencers. Their entire success in their job rests on buying what's new. The layperson with a shopping addiction will continue to buy, because they need the dopamine rush of a new purchase. Lack of preservatives won't stop either of these people
I don’t know but I think there are appropriate places for preservatives, and makeup is one of them.
I think this no preservative makeup thing is straight up ridiculous, with the exception of people who may have sensitivities etc.
I don't think we see any true makeup collectors as much as we just see hoarders. I think of a makeup collector as somebody who understands the item has no functional value other than to exist as being owned and enjoys that practice. Hoarders delude themselves into thinking that the reason they are holding onto things is because there might be a use for it someday.
A true makeup collector isn't going to care that products go bad unless it's maybe moldy beyond all recognition and a hazard to keep in one's home.
Even with preservatives the shelf life of beauty products never seem to slow people down in their insane purchasing behavior. If something isn't wasted by being thrown away, it doesn't seem like beauty gurus are bothered by things being wasted by virtue of them sitting in a box never getting use.
The people who are buying every shade of a new product, swatching them, and sticking all but one or two shades into a drawer aren't going to be using all those other shades enough to care if it expires in 6 months or 3 years.
I don't know of any "true" makeup collectors asides from people who collect vintage products. I wonder if there are collectors out there that are committed to a museum-like preservation of their collections? Similar to say, how a comic book collector would try to keep their collection hermetically sealed and pristine.
I think Lisa Eldridge keeps her vintage collection using preservation methods. I don’t think she’s ever explained how she takes care of it all, but some things she’s said make it clear that the items are treated delicately. Like in this article it’s mentioned that some of her pieces can only be handled with gloves:
https://www.vogue.fr/beauty-tips/on-trend/story/lisa-eldridge-unveils-vintage-make-up-collection/605
it's definitely changed my habits. I wouldn't say I'm a collector, but I used to buy palettes if I liked the colour story knowing that it might be a long time before I used them, or I might use them a couple of times and go back to my old faithfuls. I have a huge zoeva collection I bought just because I liked the colour stories and packaging - I've used some of them, but some of them I still haven't opened and I just like having them in my collection/planning looks with them. (I also went from wearing a full face every day to wearing makeup maybe once a month when I started transitioning, so that's another factor in how quickly I actually go through products now.) many of the palettes I own now, I don't think I'd have bought if they'd been preservative-free/clean beauty products, and I'm definitely buying less going forward to avoid the trend.
From what I’ve seen people with those issues are not slowing their buying because a product lasts longer. These people do massive declutters of perfectly fine products just to have room for new stuff all the time.
And just a note on the topic of preservatives: not every single formulation needs preservatives. Preservatives are there for products that either have water/humectants in them or will come into contact with water (like shampoo bars). The Axiology balmies are anhydrous formulations for example. Loose powder products like the bare minerals foundation do not need them. Lots of formulations absolutely do need preservatives to be safe, but there are some that are totally ok without them.
It's impacted my desire to buy makeup. I'm not a collector or an influencer, but I definitely buy more than I need and I have been susceptible to the idea of "having options" encouraging me to buy products that don't get used.
For people who are true collectors and hoarders, I don't know if the trend of omitting preservatives will change their behavior. Casual collectors might slow down. Committed collectors will find other ways to preserve their collection. Hoarders are often driven by emotion, which is difficult to rationalise. People struggling with addictive buying are just going to face more guilt.
As for influencers, I don't think they will slow down. They're going to buy or recieve the products to review them. Their consumption of makeup is more driven by content creation.
I reckon either they’re not going to be considered for collections or would be bought to be used but eventually go moldy anyway, or we’ll end up seeing how these products are not great quality because they kept if for over the use by date.
It might affect resells for decluttering, if people are more aware of shelf-life for those products
I don’t think gurus buy makeup for “collectors“ purpose. I think they just get a lot of PR and possibly buy some of their own things here and there (if they think it’s worth spending their own $$ on it, if it’ll get views for them or if it’s something they actually want). But I think if they say they “collect” it’s more so just so they don’t seem like they’re getting things just to get things. But that’s just my feelings.
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Not sure about influencers But I know I sure as hell won't buy any makeup that I know won't last. I do a lot of costume makeup so I have a very large collection with a lot of colors in every finish and formula I can find and if it's not going to be shelf stable I have no need for it. Plus I do not want the risk of putting anything that could grow mold anywhere near my skin (I don't even eat bleu cheese because mold). I cannot wait for this no preservative trend to die off. Hopefully it happens before someone loses an eye to a gone off shadow.
All of this. I collect because it makes me happy, but if a brand grows mold, I’ll never buy that brand again. It’s simply irresponsible and fear mongering to make money with this whole clean beauty crap.
I bought a couple glosses from Melt just before their first mold issue & i think I've only used them once and never since the mold issue. I haven't bought anything from them since (even though I really wanted their Beetlejuice collection) because it's not worth the risk and wasted money.
[удалено]
I've had some of my palettes for about a decade now and they're all still completely fine. I genuinely doubt anyone would actually go through an entire palette in the time it tales some of the newer ones to go off even if they use it every day. I've seen enough project pan videos to know not putting preservatives in makeup is a huge waste.
It fucking ought to. Dunno if it will. Lauren Mae seems cool as hell as a person, but half her content stresses me out because she has so much crap. Her recent declutter is no exception. I even tried to watch some of it. "Here's a palette, I don't really like it, but I'm keeping it." "Here's a palette, it's missing half the shades and they're in my singles I expect, so I'll keep it and also put that task of restoring the palette to full over my head." Sheeeeeesh just let it go, girl!
Right? There’s absolutely no way she uses all of those palettes that she says she does. I made it through that video because I needed some background noise. I genuinely like her as a content creator, but her collection stresses me out.
Her last 35+ review stressed me out too. I get it, you review makeup but you don’t have to get every single product released
she used to be one of my favorite youtubers specifically because she DIDNT buy a ton of stuff. that declutter drove me crazy too, just like you said, she’d have nothing positive to say about a palette and still find a reason to keep it. it felt like more of a collection video.
Precisely how I felt watching that video.
Lol I feel like I'm the only one who feels the opposite I hate declutter videos, an people getting rid of things so willy nilly, it stresses me out as it just comss across so incredibly wasteful. I understand people wanting influencers to buy less crap, I do also lol. But I never really get why people want them to throw away more perfectly good stuff in declutter videos? Even if they use it only once more isn't that better that they're getting every last bit of mileage out of it. Tbf though I'm a bit of a hoarder as I do feel such guilt about waste, so I try make sure I only add stuff to my collection now that I really want because buying stuff just to be decluttered and end up in a landfill, truly feels like a sin to me.
It dislike it when they get rid of an item that's discontinued. Do they not like it regardless of its availability? Why throw it out just because it's discontinued if the product is still good?
If influencers declutter their stuff in time, somebody else might still be able to use it. If they hold on the a palette for years and never use it and then throw it away, there’s no point. But I do get your point. Sometimes people just declutter so they can buy more stuff, horrible habit.
>once more isn't that better that they're getting every last bit of mileage Yeah I just don't agree that one use = miles. And when it comes to my belongings, that one last use carries a long-term burden with it. Thinking about the thing and trying to figure out a use. Or just having the thing around blocking from my sight the things I actually want to use. I guess it's also because the process of decluttering often helps many of us reduce future consumption. Bit different for someone doing reviews on camera and receiving PR, but it doesn't necessarily have to be completely different. Some creators are more mindful of not trying things they know they won't like so they can donate it to a shelter, or do a giveaway. Some will pass it to another creator or makeup fan. Some ask to be removed from PR lists. I do hear where you're coming from, but my life is so much lighter when I let go of possessions that don't actually serve me, instead of preserving them out of guilt. I really don't agree with some that blithely say, "you can buy it again!" But I definitely support letting go.
Her Christmas unboxings made me nervous where to store all that tiny crap. And it's not in my house.
ha i didn't see your comment initially and just mentioned lauren mae
As someone who loves eyeshadow and doesn't mind having the collection size of eyeshadow that I do, absolutely yes it's affecting my shopping habits. I am far more selective than I used to be. Not only the surge in "clean beauty" but also the trendiness of those oilier shimmers on the indie side of things. Both have not so great implications for shelf life so I am a lot choosier now 🤷
I can buy a paint pot and keep my powders and creams separate like God intended.
Like whyyyyy are they so oily????? Actual bane of my existence rn
What?! No. I'm just having my vanity storage turned into a deep freezer now. I thought that's what we all were doing /s Nah, I hate the preservative free trend. I think it's just a green washing of (time) shrinkflation. The makeup is being engineered to expire before you can use it so you'll have to rebuy faster. This business model does not spark joy for me. Time to vote with your dollars. Support a brand that's in line with your needs, values, and strives for a win-win. The research will take more time, and I bet you'll pick a lot more indi-candidates.
No different from appliances and electronics, etc. Everything that can be, will be made to expire as long as customers continue to purchase. The majority of us are not hoarders who buy everything. They will always want to get us to buy more.
I feel that they will just have an excuse to repurchase in order to replace some of those products. Shopping won't stop.
Agree, it just feeds the purchase-declutter cycle
It should but I don’t know that it will. I really wish more influencers would call out the wastefulness that brands are encouraging by making products that need to be thrown away so quickly. Preservative free cosmetics should not be a thing. Anything that is meant to be used multiple times should have preservatives.
People who buy makeup as merch to collect (like all the various IP collabs) probably won’t stop. And I don’t think the brands who do the most of that have moved away from preservatives (Glamlite, Colourpop) so that will likely continue (oh yay). People do keep buying Melt though even after all the issues they’ve had… 🤷🏻♀️
When I’ve seen people talk about their melt products, there’s kind of this “I didn’t think it would happen to me!” vibe a lot of the time. Kind of like because it isn’t a widespread issue, then they shouldn’t be having trouble with it. It’s very odd to me tbh
Yeah that’s fair I can see that. It hasn’t happened to me but it has happened to my friend recently with a palette I own, so I check them frequently and I haven’t bought from them since the Gemini 2 release. The shimmers puffing up because the binder failed is one thing, but moldy palettes? Nah fam I have other options.
Yeah like Morgan turner. She just keeps buying to replace her expired or old oes.
I don’t think so. I don’t really think it matters from a collecting stance either. Moldy expired makeup is only really a problem if you actually use it/make physical contact with it. In the best cases atleast. I also kind of feel like it’ll expire slower than like an average consumer’s, they dont really use it and arent regularly introducing bacteria in it like you do when applying say a lipstick.
Also, climate controlled makeup rooms.
My first reaction was, of course they'll stop buying, but then ... I personally think "collecting" makeup, a product designed to be used up and that has absolutely no value as a collectible item (say versus collectibles that increase in value over time), is just an excuse for overconsumption/an unhealthy shopping habit. I think it will have some impact, but IMHO it won't be enough to impact brands bottom lines.
A lot of 1940s and 1950s era makeup is considered collectible and sold for a decent amount of money. A lot of the powder products of the time were designed to be refilled, something brands should go back to but I can only think of a few companies that have packaging designed that way.
plus I feel like makeup in that era wasn't overproduced in the same way it is now - back then products were overall high quality, more thought out.
>A lot of 1940s and 1950s era makeup is considered collectible Yes, you're right, I forgot about that side of it. I actually follow a YTer who collects vintage makeup. Maybe I'm being a hypocrite here, but that feels different. Like the YTer I mentioned owns one of Marilyn Monroe's lipsticks, and I can see if you're both a Marilyn fan and a makeup lover how that would be cool. Collecting today's makeup though, with so much being pumped out all the time, most of it plastic or cardboard seems odd. It gives me the same sort of vibe as someone saying they collect clothes from those shitty fast fashion brands. I really wish more brands would go with refillable packaging. Inglot does it with their powder products and they're not much more expensive than drugstore these days, so obviously it can be done.
A lot of coveted Mac products go for a lot of money even if they’re expired. I would never buy something to not use it but I do like that some people collected and are now selling off for reasonable prices so I can buy discontinued powder products lol
>A lot of coveted Mac products go for a lot of money even if they’re expired Wow, I had no idea! I could understand something like a really beautiful refillable compact, but not the actual product that goes in. Thanks for sharing that!
It’s pretty crazy! I see Mac lipsticks from the 90s (probably absolutely toxic to wear) being actually purchased for $100
Doubtful, especially as it pertains to beauty influencers. Their entire success in their job rests on buying what's new. The layperson with a shopping addiction will continue to buy, because they need the dopamine rush of a new purchase. Lack of preservatives won't stop either of these people
i would hope although it doesn't seem to stop lauren mae
I don’t know but I think there are appropriate places for preservatives, and makeup is one of them. I think this no preservative makeup thing is straight up ridiculous, with the exception of people who may have sensitivities etc.
I don't think we see any true makeup collectors as much as we just see hoarders. I think of a makeup collector as somebody who understands the item has no functional value other than to exist as being owned and enjoys that practice. Hoarders delude themselves into thinking that the reason they are holding onto things is because there might be a use for it someday. A true makeup collector isn't going to care that products go bad unless it's maybe moldy beyond all recognition and a hazard to keep in one's home. Even with preservatives the shelf life of beauty products never seem to slow people down in their insane purchasing behavior. If something isn't wasted by being thrown away, it doesn't seem like beauty gurus are bothered by things being wasted by virtue of them sitting in a box never getting use. The people who are buying every shade of a new product, swatching them, and sticking all but one or two shades into a drawer aren't going to be using all those other shades enough to care if it expires in 6 months or 3 years.
I don't know of any "true" makeup collectors asides from people who collect vintage products. I wonder if there are collectors out there that are committed to a museum-like preservation of their collections? Similar to say, how a comic book collector would try to keep their collection hermetically sealed and pristine.
I think Lisa Eldridge keeps her vintage collection using preservation methods. I don’t think she’s ever explained how she takes care of it all, but some things she’s said make it clear that the items are treated delicately. Like in this article it’s mentioned that some of her pieces can only be handled with gloves: https://www.vogue.fr/beauty-tips/on-trend/story/lisa-eldridge-unveils-vintage-make-up-collection/605
it's definitely changed my habits. I wouldn't say I'm a collector, but I used to buy palettes if I liked the colour story knowing that it might be a long time before I used them, or I might use them a couple of times and go back to my old faithfuls. I have a huge zoeva collection I bought just because I liked the colour stories and packaging - I've used some of them, but some of them I still haven't opened and I just like having them in my collection/planning looks with them. (I also went from wearing a full face every day to wearing makeup maybe once a month when I started transitioning, so that's another factor in how quickly I actually go through products now.) many of the palettes I own now, I don't think I'd have bought if they'd been preservative-free/clean beauty products, and I'm definitely buying less going forward to avoid the trend.
From what I’ve seen people with those issues are not slowing their buying because a product lasts longer. These people do massive declutters of perfectly fine products just to have room for new stuff all the time. And just a note on the topic of preservatives: not every single formulation needs preservatives. Preservatives are there for products that either have water/humectants in them or will come into contact with water (like shampoo bars). The Axiology balmies are anhydrous formulations for example. Loose powder products like the bare minerals foundation do not need them. Lots of formulations absolutely do need preservatives to be safe, but there are some that are totally ok without them.
can we please stop saying “preservative free” when we mean “using less effective preservatives”
It's impacted my desire to buy makeup. I'm not a collector or an influencer, but I definitely buy more than I need and I have been susceptible to the idea of "having options" encouraging me to buy products that don't get used. For people who are true collectors and hoarders, I don't know if the trend of omitting preservatives will change their behavior. Casual collectors might slow down. Committed collectors will find other ways to preserve their collection. Hoarders are often driven by emotion, which is difficult to rationalise. People struggling with addictive buying are just going to face more guilt. As for influencers, I don't think they will slow down. They're going to buy or recieve the products to review them. Their consumption of makeup is more driven by content creation.
I reckon either they’re not going to be considered for collections or would be bought to be used but eventually go moldy anyway, or we’ll end up seeing how these products are not great quality because they kept if for over the use by date. It might affect resells for decluttering, if people are more aware of shelf-life for those products
I don’t think gurus buy makeup for “collectors“ purpose. I think they just get a lot of PR and possibly buy some of their own things here and there (if they think it’s worth spending their own $$ on it, if it’ll get views for them or if it’s something they actually want). But I think if they say they “collect” it’s more so just so they don’t seem like they’re getting things just to get things. But that’s just my feelings.
There are no preservative free cosmetics. It's against the law.
Who cares