You be the judge:
ZETTA by Hades
ZETTA
So, first off, I want to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting me. The blog, the store, elderly family, the dog….they all can be down right demanding. But doing this with you, its a new journey and I love it, I truly do. So, do to the requests, I have decided to release the video that made me cancel the Allure Beauty Box subscription.
Now, in releasing this video I will tell you this: I was nervous. Nervous about the backlash of not being on the Allure Beauty Box ‘Love it’ group. I wanted to be in that group, I wanted to like the Allure box, every single box and every single item. But I would like to be honest with my audience, no matter how big or small. I truly believe, with the understanding of lack of statistical data, in replacement of demographical marketing, and management…..it doesn’t matter if I like the Allure Beauty Box. It doesn’t matter if you like the Allure Beauty Box either. Allure is getting marketing, good or bad. We are talking about them, and to be honest, I commend them for that.
But as a subscriber with an expectation of products, it didm’t work for me. So, without further ado, here is the video. Please, I welcome all comments, suggestions, gripes…..bring it all. I love you all!!!!!!
First, let me say that I know this post may be a hard pill to swallow for some but I will say that being honest is the best policy. If you’ve seen my YouTube videos or Snapchats, you’ll see that I have struggled with the meaning of the Allure Beauty Box monthly subscription. Allure Beauty Box provides its subscribers with samples of beauty and hair products from companies all over the world.
One advantage of the beauty box is that you are exposed to up and coming products, which under normal circumstances, you may not discover on your own. While this is at no fault of the shopper, we tend to habitually shop where we are comfortable and know we can get products we trust. This beauty box gives you a guilt-free opportunity to try new products without spending an exceedingly amount of money on products you are not familiar with.
I am personally a fan of European skincare products, which I have tried throughout my years as a young girl with my grandmother. With her abnormally refined taste and financial flexibility as a black woman for her era, my grandmother would have me try products like Estée Lauder and Lancôme and makeup from Chanel. For a young black girl in the 1980s in south Louisiana, it was definitely an amazing experience. Honestly, now that I look at it, it reminds me how unaware I was of the struggles going on around me. My grandparents endured I had a good life and allowed me to explore this world, free of worry. I thank them for that. Back to the topic at hand.
Having the Allure Beauty Box in hand gave me a sense of experimentation that I experienced in my younger years. I’ve gotten products that were extremely useful, even altering the way in which I use makeup and which products I use for skin rejuvenation. But I cannot deny the things that made me turn away from the program, like the lack of concern of who gets what products.
One of the issues I had was when I received an email a few days before my Beauty Box arrived, asking me which shade range I was so that I could be fitted for the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD liquid foundation sample. As a business owner, I get about 300 emails a day, it’s hard to consider that I could have responded to the email in time. When I did receive the beauty box for that month, it was still the incorrect shade. Did I answer the email too late?
Another situation happened recently and to be honest, my reaction was captured on my YouTube unboxing. I’ve thought twice about even posting it because I was so disappointed, but I will because it was the ‘nail in the coffin’. I’m a black woman. In south Louisiana, being black has very little to do with your skin color, as we are of French, Africa, Spanish, or Indian decent….most with a combination of all. But when I get a product for self-tanning, I’m curious to know how much thought was put into my beauty box.
I went into the website and realized that the Allure Beauty Box subscription consists of several beauty boxes a month. So…couldn’t Allure do a short profile to find out the skin type (normal, dry, oily) and shade range of its subscribers? I’ve received lipsticks in shades that were repulsive, which would have discouraged me from buying the product in store. And another thing that Allure does…why talk about products that are not even in the box??? That’s not fair…where is it? They aren’t part of the Beauty box.
So, in closing, I am sadly saying ‘goodbye’ to the Allure Beauty Box until they decide to do a profile on each of their customers, at least to determine which of the pre-made boxes for the month will likely to be suitable for each of their customers. I guess I would not have such an issue if it was free like Influenster, but I am paying for samples of products that I am likely not to use. It pains me because Allure has brought forth some amazing products in the past, but this brought me to the end of the road….at least for now.
Awww, here we go….a topic that definitely will have some of us (including me) shaking our heads. So before we get to that point, let’s cover a few things.
Honestly, what are the criteria of a good primer? I mean, if one company makes the same primer in a gel, cream, powder, or spray…….what determines if a primer is considered ‘good’. Like most makeup products on the market, let’s just be real, the first thing we take into consideration is the texture. Yes, Ulta, Sephora, and other companies provide customer reviews, which are extremely helpful.
In my personal experience, I’ve taken to the reviews to find out how others have used the product and how its worked for them. While this is helpful, sometimes relying on review is much too can lead to missing out on some really good products. Truth is, every product doesn’t work the same on every skin type of every shade.
Let’s try to break it down on what’s out there that’s considered top-rated and what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ about them. Please keep in mind these primers are in no order, just known as top-rated. Here we go with Ulta first:
And next from Sephora:
While some brands or specific products form brands are exclusive to one store as opposed to the other, they both provide a comprehensive list of notable facial primers that are favorites among the customers. Some of my favorites have been Smashbox, Too Faced’s HangoverRx, and any primer from Urban Decay. What’s your favorite primer? Share with us.
Affectionately known as the ‘bad boy of fashion’, Jean Paul Gaultier is a name that cannot be denied. While not formally trained, Gaultier is known for many notable works, including working with Hermès. He’s also known for his outlook on the world of fashion, taking on fashion norms and destroying them. After visiting his website, I was intrigued at how he looks at himself. Per his website,
A man of conviction, he sees himself more as a revolutionary, systematically calling into question clichés, standards, codes, conventions and traditions. He turns, shifts and flips them around – even destroys them – in his bid to reinvent them. (jeanpaulgaultier.com)
Gaultier is also known for other things other than simply his contribution to fashion, on the surface. This edgy designer is known to bend, if not, destroy the silent code of slim, young models for older ones, pierced and even tattooed or overweight ones.
Aging punk models
PFW 2001. Photo source: Pinterest
What is also interesting in which people also know Gualtier well for, is his major contribution to the haute couture with amazingly elegant designs. Let’s not forget his fragrance:
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- ‘Le Male’ Collector’s Edition
Gaultier has contributed so much amazing fashion since the 1970s, in which its rather difficult to say what is considered to be some of his best work. Nonetheless, its absolutely exhilarating to at least try. Her are some of my favorites of Gultier’s work:
An amazing story by a blogger I follow, Mr. Wally Fry. His store seems quaint, but powerful nonetheless. It touched me and I would like to share it with my audience.
Some of my favorites from my Born Rebellious collection at What’s Your Chic.
Charged Up colorblock jumpsuit
Round Table bandage in black
Exotic Views maxi bandage dress
Lace and Bow bodysuit/jumpsuit
Coral Life strapless maxi
Strappy bandage dress in pink
Pacific Wave bodycon dress
Grand Haven bandage in blue
While some of us have seen some of these products on other websites or other stores, these are new for Sephora. Personally, I am shocked that Christian Louboutin decided to allow a major makeup store to carry their product. Check them out!
Known as the ‘brainchild’ of famed actress and creator Drew Barrymore, Flower Beauty as been on the scene for some time now. While spreading her message of empowerment of women through her brand, Drew Barrymore ensures that her customers know that her products are also cruelty-free.
Flower Beauty cubby highlighter sticks
Flower Beauty is known for some legitimate dupes to other high-end luxury makeup brands, which bring me to the other good thing about this brand…..the price range. Most makeup products range between $8 to $16.99, including their foundation, which is $13.99 on Ulta.com. So, let’s get into the products:
Let’s see what they have to say about Flower Beauty’s foundation:
It seems that the foundation has mixed reviews, but let’s be honest, its pretty difficult to get high rankings when it comes to makeup. With so many people and so many different skin types, having these types of ratings among the masses is a good thing and makes Flower Beauty worth trying. Personally, I can’t wait to get into my local Ulta store and try their chubby highlighters. It looks like something I can use, throw in my purse and it not get lost in the clutter 😃
