Happy Monday Ladies! <- so oxymoronic on so many levels! 😛
I usually like to start off the week with something light and easy (like a makeup review if you have noticed) but when I rather belatedly spotted this unique collaboration between YSL and Facebook, I couldn’t help it. I had to know what you thought of it!
The very limited edition YSL x Facebook Devoted to Fans palette (just 1650 units worldwide!) is a quad with colours “inspired by Facebook” and created as a tribute to their Facebook fans and a nod to taking their Facebook fans seriously. The cover has the YSL logo with the blue now commonly associated with Facebook making it no doubt what sort of “fans” they were devoted to.
The photo above is mine and that is by all accounts, the YSL Devoted to Fans eyeshadow palette. But is it really the YSL x Facebook Devoted to Fans palette? How did I manage to be one of the lucky 1650 people to own what is an iconic piece of brand history? Ahh… now that’s a story! 😉
Facebook Fan Nay!
This is the stock image of the YSL Facebook Devoted to Fans palette. Its similar enough to mine isn’t it?
I’m one of those anti-Facebook characters, so I’m not falling over myself to get it. I maintain my FB page for the blog but that’s about it. I don’t maintain a personal profile or presence on Facebook because I found it too invasive and connected me to people I’d much prefer to be disconnected from.
So for me, I think this a bit of a pathetic attempt by YSL to make use of and connect to a social media platform. The colours aren’t unique (the blue isn’t even that greyed blue of the Facebook logo) and whilst on its own, it might have interested me (it did!), with the Facebook tie-in, I’d run so far in the opposite direction they couldn’t catch me.
What’s next? MAC x Twitter? Chanel x Pinterest? bleh…
BUT as it turns out I own it, and I did not even know it! 😯
The YSL Facebook Devoted to Fans palette… or maybe not?
Now here’s the thing. It looked familiar to me. So I went rifling in my stash and I produced this YSL palette. By all accounts, it is the oh so limited edition YSL Devoted to Fans palette where only 1650 palettes were sold at £39 through, you guessed it, the YSL Facebook page! The colours certainly look the same!
So, since I’m not a Facebook fan and since I only stumbled on this piece of news AFTER it went on sale and was sold out, how did I get my hands on this very limited edition palette?
The answer is simple. I didn’t, and the YSL Devoted to Fans palette isn’t new or specially created or all that exclusive! Its just a big marketing and promotional blitz that I’m not terribly taken nor impressed with.
This palette is in fact, the Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow palette #1. I purchased this last year off StrawberryNET.com(aff). YSL isn’t available locally and I wanted to try one of the raved about Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow palettes and my choice happened to be #1.
I looked around online and saw that the YSL Devoted to Fans box looks pretty much the same as mine. There were questions as to whether the number 1 on the box was an indication that this was the first of a line of social media themed palettes. Well, I say the mystery is solved. It isn’t. YSL just repackaged and rebranded their Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow Palette #1 with a new cover for the case (but not the box hence #1), and drummed up fuss and news for it by calling it a palette inspired by Facebook. I’m not terribly impressed by this to be honest and I’d feel duped if I didn’t know better!
The only difference between my original YSL Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow palette #1 and the Devoted to Fans palette is the cover. Mine has the regular iconic YSL stamped cover. The Devoted to Fans palette has an embossed blue cover as you see in the stock image above. You can see more pictures of the actual YSL Devoted to Fans palette at BeautyJunkieLondon which is where I made the connection to the Pure Chromatics #1 palette that I own.
Here are the swatches of the Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow #1 palette which can be used wet or dry. They are swatched dry in this photo, 2 layers.
I found the colours a bit too shimmery and I wasn’t terribly impressed which is why I left this on the backburner and didn’t review it. I will do, if anyone’s curious. Just drop a note in the comment box and I’ll get to it 🙂
So, there you have it. If I’m right, the much anticipated YSL x Facebook Devoted to Fans eyeshadow palette isn’t new nor specially created nor even inspired by Facebook. They just took their old palette that so happened to contain a blue shade, changed the name, changed the cover, made it limited edition, upped the sexy factor by saying its Facebook inspired, got lots of social media coverage out of it and made it a collectible.
Excellent marketing strategy YSL, but ultimately, I feel its all a bit sneaky. Its like that whole YSL to SLP news all over again – lots of noise but where’s the real substance? Then again, I could be wrong, who knows. I haven’t seen this connection made yet by anyone and YSL seems to be sticking to their story that it was created for their Facebook fans so who am I to say otherwise.
So if you wanted to but didn’t get the YSL x Facebook palette, don’t fret. Just go to your YSL counter and pick up the Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow Palette in No. 1. Based on sight and online photos, I’d safely say its the same thing and it isn’t limited edition (I’m not sure if its discontinued).
Edit: I noticed on the YSL Facebook page that they say that they love their fans and that this palette is a “Declaration of love” for their Facebook fans and their first entirely digital product for their facebook fans. Here’s the product description available after you “Like” the page. If I were truly a fan I’d be quite disappointed to know that the content’s aren’t original and the only original bit I’m getting is the odd looking cover.
What say you: YSL x Facebook palette. Yay or Nay? Would it interest you if it wasn’t linked to Facebook? What do you think of this marketing strategy in putting an existing palette forward as new and limited edition without saying so? I naturally was interested in the original palette for the colours which is why I bought it, not because of the Facebook tie in. If it was the latter, I’d be running a mile in the other direction. I of course, stand to be corrected if these aren’t the same palettes but the similarities are too close to argue otherwise.
Detective Paris B, over & out!
The YSL x Facebook palette went on sale (where else but on Facebook) on July 19, 2012 and was limited to 1,650 units worldwide at a price of £39. The Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow Palette in #1 is available at YSL counters or for those of us without YSL counters on StrawberryNET.com(aff) where I got mine last year.
Lavender says
Boo YSL. Terrible marketing strategy I would say. You are such a genius, can dig out your stash and show the evidence, bravo. They look the same. The blue looked nice though. If you have time, pls do an EOTD. thanks
Paris B says
I’ll try to do an EOTD with this one Lavender 😉 I think the marketing was great to be honest. They got a lot of mileage because everyone was talking about how silly it was lol! But the execution is I feel a bit of a disaster now we know it’s not a new palette.
Sunny says
I didn’t think it’s a good idea, and even if it is not linked to Facebook these are colors I wouldn’t wear. I mean, OK I know the importance of social networking for brands and so on, but the way this was put isn’t very… classic.
Thanks for discovering this for us, Paris!
Paris B says
Haha yeah I couldn’t see you wearing these colours too, Sunny. They’re far too cool for your skintone 🙂 social marketing aside I think they went a bit overboard with this one I think. Hope you’re having fun back home!
Jennifer says
Haha FB edition aside, I thought the blue and purple looked great in your swatches.
Paris B says
They are pretty colours and I think this is a very pretty palette if one isn’t afraid of shimmer. But to know that YSL just ripped off their own to “create” their Facebook palette really galls me 😛
Jennifer says
Yeah, limited edition in conjunction with FB is a very cheap idea. It’s not like FB will be shut down tomorrow or something lol, hence the limited edition. Some target market analysis and deep reflection are required by YSL, unless FB is paying YSL a handsome fee for this deed, if any even!
Paris B says
LOL!! Imagine the furore if FB decides to shut down. There were rumours of it last year I believe and people were going crazy!
Larie says
Haha, oh man! This is too funny. I had all the same thoughts as you – a Facebook palette, wtf? And then this! Too ridiculous. I can’t believe they did that! Hahahaha. You are awesome, Paris.
Paris B says
Lol yeah, I was going wtf too when news first came out. But to then find out its a repackaged item and not original makes me wonder about the brand and it’s direction 😛
Stacey says
sneaky sneaky! i had no idea that it was a repackaged/repromote when i blogged about the YSL x facebook palette. i thought they came up with a new eyeshadow palettes just for facebook fans. i was even wondering why the blue eyeshadow wasn’t in the facebook shade of blue. thanks for solving it, i can sleep soundly now. haha
why can’t they just create a new product for this facebook launch? don’t the fans deserve better?
Paris B says
I fully agree with you Stacey! If I were a fan I’d be quite quite disappointed to realise that its just repackaged and not carefully selected colours as they gave the impression it was!
Liss Cope says
Oh my gosh! I ordered the Facebook palette just because I wanted to do a review about it, (my blog is in spanish) and browsing on YSL website for the other Pure Chromatics palettes I saw the Pure Chromatics No. 1, it’s very annoying! >: ( The No1 is still available. Plus the packaging is terrible, they just make their previous palette worse! Keep up the good work!
Paris B says
Hi there, its sad to know that YSL just repackaged their existing eyeshadow palette without even giving a hint of it right? They even gave the impression its a new palette by saying that they were inspired by the colors of Facebook. But now we know better and it doesn’t put them in a good light! Thanks for dropping by.
makeupmag says
What a pretty palette but way sneaky of them to do this. Sigh. And from YSL too.
Geraldine says
I think it was a really nice palette and I feel gutted I didn’t get it. Perhaps it is simply the fact that I also did not get Olympic tickets so my list is growing as we speak, I did not get the Facebook YSL palette either with extra special eyeshadow. The design of the palette was lovely and fantastic and I think the ladies who bought the product are really lucky. It is normal for a woman to feel like she got one limited edition out of 1650 produced in the world and it makes her feel extra special! Perhaps I just feel emotional and I understand some of your points but I wish I had bought it!