Sunday, May 14, 2017

Anti-Haul (aka, "What I'm Not Going To Buy"), Sixth Edition


I can't believe I'm already posting another anti-haul, but here we are, listing off products and ranting about why they aren't worth the money! In all fairness, I understand the appeal of each of the products I'm about to mention. I'm even waffling on one of them despite my better judgment. But at the end of the day, I can't, in good conscience, recommend that you buy these products, and I'm gonna tell you why.

As always, these posts are not meant to make you feel bad for liking a product or spending your money; I'm just trying to think carefully about my own consumerism and maybe encourage you to think carefully about yours. Once again, mad props to Kimberly Clark for popularizing and promoting the Anti-Haul movement!

1.Urban Decay Basquiat Collection, $17-39 each -- Oh, man. Okay. This is one of those rare instances where I could go off the deep end talking about freaking makeup. As it stands, I'll point you to several "Talk Me Out Of It" threads that popped up on Reddit's Makeup Rehab sub (1, 2, 3) and explain my feelings as professionally as possible. For starters, this collection goes against everything Basquiat stood for as an artist. A lot of his artwork protested rampant consumerism and capitalist greed, so slapping it on an eyeshadow palette feels outright disrespectful. Yeah, art makes for pretty makeup packaging...so why not work with a living artist who is not so anti-capitalism instead? Another prominent theme in Basquiat's art was black identity, yet Urban Decay used a white model (Ruby Rose) in their advertisements. Lastly, the names of the shades are so unfeeling, they actually left me gobsmacked. Just look at the eyeshadow palette in the header image for some examples. They not only used a piece of art with the words "PER CAPITA" written all over it, they also had the gall to make a shade called "Not For Sale." There's a shade called "Influence," and while some may argue that this refers to "artistic influences," we know Urban Decay loves drug culture names. Basquiat died from a heroin overdose. I could go on and on, but suffice to say that I think this entire collection was in poor taste and should not be purchased by anyone.

2. Murad Supplements, $50-57 each -- I understand that some people are way more in to supplementation that I am, and I get it. But I can't get behind designer supplements like this. I think part of the reason why the Murad supplements stuck out to so much is because, by coincidence, I'd been browsing the vitamin aisles at Target before I stumbled on these"beauty nutrient" bottles at Sephora. Hence, I immediately recognized that the Murad supplements aren't worth the inflated cost. Seriously, several lines of vitamins at Target were focused entirely on "beautifying ingredients" and were $15 a bottle or less, a fraction of Murad's prices. Bottles of glucosamine and hyaluronic acid pills marketed at joint pain sufferers are far cheaper than this Hydro-Glow Supplement. Honestly, even if you take a regular multi-vitamin, you'll be getting most of what the Youth Builder provides. Yes, the amounts are smaller, but I think the average person with a healthy diet will do just as well with 100% DV versus 200%. Don't believe me? Compare Murad's Youth Builder with One-a-Day Women's.

3. Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF35, $34 -- This is the product I'm still waffling on, despite the fact that Glossier was kind enough to send me the ingredients list almost 2 full weeks before the launch and I've had plenty of time to yell "NO!" in my head. The ingredient that immediately caught my eye was the orange essential oil, included to give the sunscreen a "pleasant scent." Now, citrus oil doesn't seem to automatically eat my face the way lavender oil usually does, but it can be sensitizing. Some people have also wondered whether this is a phototoxic oil that will impact the sunscreen's effectiveness. (Any chemists in the house who can weigh in?) Furthermore, I'm 95% sure I should skip this because they chose avobenzone as their sunscreen filter; this filter is notorious for being unstable and sensitizing. And while this product may have a lovely texture--the one thing that's still tempting me to try it, since I've had an awful time finding a face sunscreen that works for me--there's nothing about it that's particularly unique. I know the US is woefully behind other nations when it comes to sunscreen technology, but as some wiser people on skincare forums have pointed out, there are certainly newer, more stable filters they could've chosen. If you can tolerate alcohol denat and you still want great sun protection with a lightweight, serum-y texture, consider browsing the many offerings coming out of Japan and Korea; Ratzilla is a great source for reviews and ingredients lists.

4. Sephora Lash Stash to Go, $28 -- Some of my dissatisfaction with Sephora's Lash Stash series is entirely personal: I'm at the point where I've tried most of the mascaras they include. The only one I haven't tried in this current set, for instance, is the Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara. However, there's a bigger issue, which is that the voucher they include for a free full-size tube of your favorite is a pain in the ass. This current Lash Stash, for example, says that you cannot use your voucher online or at a Sephora in JC Penny's; you have to go a full, free-standing to Sephora to use it. Other kits include vouchers that only work at SiJCP, which is what I have from a stash I bought last year. Why haven't I turned in my voucher and gotten a full tube, you may ask? Well, it turns out the mascara has to be in the store for them to redeem the voucher--they can't order it online for you. Because the only mascara I loved out of that Lash Stash was the Milk Makeup Ubame mascara, and none of my local Sephoras stock it, I'm left with a voucher I can't use. I recommend getting samples when they're available as 100 point perks or coupon code products instead.

18 comments:

  1. Judging from the lackluster skincare Glossier has put out up to now, I'm not particularly intrigued by their sunscreen. Despite all their claims of uniqueness, I'd rather go with a tried and true product for something that important. I remember the disaster that was The Honest Company's sunscreen.

    Thank you for talking me out of the mascara kit. I'd been considering it, rationalizing that since I usually get 2-3 months of use from a mascara sample, the kit would last me a year. But I could buy a years worth of drugstore mascaras that I love for less than that, and having to go into a store that may or may not have the product I want is enough to put me right off.

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    1. Also, it's very easy to get mascara samples. I have three out right now and, I think, three in my sample box on the bookshelf. You can add them coupon codes, get them as free samples at checkout, or toss them in with point perks.

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  2. I had a completely different perspective on the Sephora Lashstash to go and purchased it last week. The only mascara in the set I had previously tried was the Urban Decay Perversion deluxe sample and liked a lot, so I knew that if I liked nothing else in the set, I could get a full tube of that and be happy. I love the inky black and find it easy to work. with. The cost per ml of product when you combine the samples and add on the full tube, it is substantially cheaper than buying full size products, to try. So, at fraction of the cost I am able to try 4 products I have never used, and get 1 that I like. So far so good! I also know that most of the Sephoras near me would carry Urban Decay, and even if they were temporarily out of stock, they would re-stock shortly. So, I think it depends on the situation. For me it is a win. If I were you, I would email Sephora, and explain what is in your post (and you have valid concerns) and see if head office can order Milk Ubame for you, or ask a manager at the nearest store to you, to order it in for you. It is not an online order, it is fulfilling 'a term of purchase'. It is worth a try.

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    1. Alas, I've tried contacting Sephora. They've told me I have to pick something up that's available in the SiJCP, and it has to be something that's in the box. So if I want the waterproof version of something, for instance, but the non-waterproof is what's in the box, or what I want isn't available in the physical store? Too bad.

      That's the main reason why I've started to think they're a bad investment: the voucher that makes up part of the set's value won't be useful for everyone.

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  3. I love how Glossier kept insisting in the comments of their sunscreen post that "Invisible Shield is fragrance-free, it just has a little sweet orange oil added for scent!" Like...what do they think "fragrance" is? I'm also dismayed by the tiny size of the sunscreen.

    And yeah, that Basquiat collection, yikes. It's pretty callous of Urban Decay to base a collection on an artist who died of a heroin overdose when their products are full of drug references.

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    1. That's what gets me about their fragrance-free claims: you added lavender to the face cream and orange oil to the sunscreen *for the smell!* It doesn't have to be chemical perfume to count as fragrance. Whatchu doing, Glossier? Come on.

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  4. The entire Basquiat collection is so messy for all the reasons you mentioned and more. I watched a review video on it because I was curious, and the shade Not For Sale really gave me pause. I guess they're trying to be cheeky, but... yikes. The colourful palette does look beautiful, but let's be real, you can buy all those shades (probably from UD, lol) without supporting this collection. And using Ruby Rose as the face of the collection is just the cherry on top.

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    1. I was just gobsmacked by the piece they chose for that palette. "PER CAPITA" written all over it and you *still* thought this was a good idea?!

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  5. I empathize with your sunscreen difficulties (and really wishing I could try the Glossier sunscreen.) I'm using physical only sunscreens due to my troubles isolating which chemical ingredient is irritating me, and still striking out.

    CeraVe Invisible Zinc-has niacinamide
    PC Super Light Daily Wrinkle Defense-oxidizes really red on me
    PC Hydralight-something-maybe the plant extracts, is really stinging in sunlight

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    1. Have you had any luck with Avene SPF50 Mineral for the face? It was too heavy for me, but I know a lot of people on Makeup Alley love it!

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    2. It's a bit pricey, but I've been using Josie Maran's Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47. I have very dry skin, and I find this keeps me hydrated (I use it on top of an oil in the morning). I use a decent amount because I want the full sunscreen effect, so FYI it takes a little while to sink in, but it works well for me. There is a light frangrance but it doesn't bother me. I've had success topping it with Clinique City Block 25 (the 45 bothers me, different ingredients) or Mineral Fusion's SPF 30 Mineral Sun Defense brush on (it's talc free), which gives a hint of color and as it is a powder, helps take away any shinies left from the Josie Maran. I've used these 3 products for years, and I am the queen of sensitive skin.

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  6. Do you have a recommendation for a good sunscreen without Avobenzone or Zinc Oxide? I can't use mineral sunscreens with Zinc Oxide because it gives me a terrible reaction from which it takes me weeks to recover. Thank you!

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    1. Well, I think mineral sunscreens are out entirely, then, because you need both filters in most cases. You could try Asian sunscreens; a lot of them are non-avobenzone chemical sunscreens. Check Ratzilla!

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    2. Have you tried California Baby Super Sensitive? It uses only titanium dioxide.

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  7. The sweet orange oil in the Glossier sunscreen isn't phototoxic and is generally benign, but I'm still annoyed they used it at all (there's no good reason to scent face products, imo.) Also the price should be at least $10 less--for $30+/oz I could be buying the fancy Shiseido face sunscreen I love but can't justify (Urban Environment) or any number of high-end products. Glossier's mid-end vibe clashes with that high of a price.

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    1. Agreed. It's going to smell like sunscreen, no matter what, so why add this doofy essential oil?

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  8. Try the Canmake Mermaid UV Gel. You can order it on Amazon for about $9 and it is a Japanese sunscreen that's alcohol free, has a light serum texture, actually feels moisturizing, and utilizes more advanced sunscreen filters such as Tinasorb along with Zinc oxide (but not avobenzone!)

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    1. I was looking at that one! Thank you for the rec.

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