Tag: industry

Fragrance in Cosmetics? Yay or Yuck!?

Let’s talk fragrance, people. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of smelly makeup? Grandma’s old lipstick, right? Absolutely. The sad part is that same freaking smell is still in the Maybelline, L’Oreal, and Revlon lipsticks today!

So what though, right? Maybe now you’re thinking of that sugar cookie scented lip gloss that you LOVE putting on. Or maybe you own one of those peach or chocolate scented eye shadow pallets that came out like last year or something. Those actually smell kind of pleasant, I get that.

Maybe your sugar cookie lip gloss and chocolate smelling eye shadow isn’t horrible for you, but what about scented base products? I’m talking scented primers, foundations, concealers, and stuff that is being spread all over your skin that will be on there for like, possibly 10+ hours.

So anyone who’s anyone in the makeup industry has talked, at length, about this foundation. I personally own it, which is why I feel completely comfortable talking about it today! Besides it being a pretty damn good foundation, L’Oreal’s very obvious use of fragrance in this foundation has raised a lot of red flags in the industry, and understandably so.

This lovely lady that hopefully some of you know, Tati Westbrook, made a whole review video of this foundation.

She mentions briefly that she personally doesn’t think that the fragrance is that bad, which I can also understand, but as someone who is coming from only using very toned down fragranced foundations in the past, WOW!

I have oily/combo skin which I find this foundation holds up fine with. I don’t quite see all the hubbub about it as I feel my Revlon Colorstay definitely does a better job actually staying on my skin, but this one has a nice shade that matches my pale skin and lasts pretty average on my skin.

My number one beef with this one is the scent! On my skin, it lasts all day. Luckily it has not given me a headache yet, but I could definitely see how those who are sensitive to smells could really, really hate this one. It’s definitely a perfume scent that, if wasn’t in a foundation, would actually smell quite pleasant. But the thing is that it’s slowly sinking into my pores all day which I am not a fan of.

If you are someone who knows that fragrance often breaks you out, don’t want to deal with that possibility of having a headache, and are just plain not into having fragrance in any of your skincare or makeup, I would say this one is a hard pass. It’s no Dior smell, but it’s definitely not the best.

I’ll probably use up the bottle and then go back to my tried and true Revlon Colorstay.

The First Kiss!

Makeup, as a whole, involves a lot of ingredients, a lot of values, and a lot of money. When talking about the cosmetic industry, we’re not just talking about pretty lipstick or glittery eye shadows. Makeup can be just as ugly as it is beautiful, and I’m here to expose that.

The cosmetic industry makes and spends a lot of money. We’re talking billions of dollars, here. With money, of course, comes power. We have major retailers — Sephora, Ulta — that allow for that progression of growth. We have the creators of major brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Mac Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Fenty Beauty, Tarte, Morphe, Colourpop — that all contribute to what we see and what we think about beauty products in general. What colors are in, what new textures can they come out with, what face can they put to the next campaign? Every single move is a business one. We’re gonna be talking about ethics and morals a lot, so if that upsets you, maybe this isn’t the best ‘blog’ for you.

We’re not going to be talking about new releases of makeup, unless it’s caused a social/moral uproar.

I care a lot about makeup. I’ve owned a lot of it in my life, and I spend a lot of time watching reviews on YouTube of makeup that I can’t afford. Can you believe there are foundations out there that are like $150? I find it rough to spend $15 on a bottle at the drug store.

In all seriousness, beauty is something I’ve always cared about. It’s an art form, and it can build people’s confidence greatly, almost instantly. The technology cosmetics have gone through in its lifetime is so interesting to me. Your grandma probably put blush — excuse me, rouge — on her face that had lead in it! LEAD. The stuff that was in paint years ago? The stuff that, if ingested, can literally kill you. Yeah, that stuff.

So the production of cosmetics has changed a lot. I’d love to delve into how and why.

To anyone who cares about makeup, beauty influencers, makeup artists, the cosmetic industry, how makeup is made, the social and moral conflicts involving cosmetics, and much more, this blog is for you.

I hope you all find some satisfaction in learning a lot about the nitty gritty of the industry. Not everything is fun and sparkles. We’re going to spend a lot of time trying to dig up the worst of the industry, as well as the best, because who doesn’t love some positivity in this day in age?