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In a time when inclusivity in the beauty industry is front and center, I am often surprised that some products that have been on the market for years never make it into the conversation. The analytics prove time and time again that new releases are going to get the most attention. I think it would serve everyone better if we also took some time to shine some light on previously released products.
Trust me, I understand feeling left out of what everyone is talking about, but we also need to learn to do what is best for us regardless of the hype. We can not change who we are or how we look to suit a new release, but we can seek out products that already meet our needs. That is what I mean by product diversity, moving toward a time when you can visit different blogs or YouTube videos and see a variety of featured products.
There used to be a time in the “beauty community” of blogs and YouTube when everyone discussing the same products was the exception, not the rule. Seeing a better variety of products regularly helped people discover new items. This variety also offers a view of different product uses since needs and preferences vary. Of course, you can still find out about new products and techniques. My point is that if a product is not part of a PR blitz, you will be hard-pressed to find information about it.
I have no issues with PR; I think it is a necessary tool for every industry. The problem is that even the individuals that are not receiving the PR are still reviewing the same products. Instead of adding something new or different to the conversation, the audience sees 20 reviews of the same product. Everyone has to make money, so bloggers/vloggers/influencers are often guided by where the money is, and, as I mentioned, analytics show that not enough people care about what has been on the market for years. Sometimes the analytics show that not enough people even care about what was released one or two months ago.
This oversaturation of reviews on the same items is often where legacy brands like MAC Cosmetics get lost. MAC was inclusive long before it was trendy, yet I don’t see it recommended as an alternative to limited shade range releases. Keep in mind that a limited shade range isn’t exclusive to foundations. MAC also offers an extensive shade range in blushes, highlights, lipsticks, and eyeshadows.
Many other brands are falling behind with MAC, like Lancome, Make Up For Ever (MUFE), Bobbi Brown, Revlon, and to some degree NYX and L’oreal. Seeing more products from these brands represented would go a long way to presenting everyone with better product diversity. I also think we could stand to see more product variety from even the most popular brands. We all like different things, and we can teach each other about new products if we dared to navigate away from the hype machine.
What are your thoughts? How can we encourage the “beauty community” to talk about a more diverse range of products?
And now, the MAC Sculpt and Shape Contour Palette** Swatches
I first got seriously into makeup back in 2012, and even then, MAC carried these sculpt and shape powders. They have varying tones of bronzer, contour, and highlight (satin, not high shine) depending on your skin tone and preferences. They recently released the powders in palette form. One for light/medium skin tones** and one for medium-dark/dark skin tones**. You can also purchase refill pans of the sculpting powder** and shaping powder**, but you will need to purchase an empty palette and insert to hold them. If you already use a magnetic palette that you did not purchase from MAC, you will need to add a magnet to the back as MAC magnets only stick to MAC palettes.
Let’s get a discussion started.
How can bloggers/vloggers/influencers get consumers interested in products that will, at times, serve them better than the new releases?
Please, let me know your thoughts in the comments.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around and checking out more of my content.
- Brands A-Z: Check out this index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.
- MAC Cosmetics: I likely have some swatches you’ve been searching for if you love Mac as much as I do.
- Shop My Stash: Join me as I share swatches of my products and occasionally search for alternatives to new releases.
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Nikki From HR 