Happy Monday Ladies! <- so oxymoronic on so many levels! š
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 couldnāt 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 āinspired by Facebookā 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 āfansā 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? Ahhā¦ now thatās a story! š
Facebook Fan Nay!
This is the stock image of the YSL Facebook Devoted to Fans palette. Its similar enough to mine isnāt it?
Iām one of those anti-Facebook characters, so Iām not falling over myself to get it. I maintain my FB page for the blog but thatās about it. I donāt maintain a personal profile or presence on Facebook because I found it too invasive and connected me to people Iād 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 arenāt unique (the blue isnāt 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, Iād run so far in the opposite direction they couldnāt catch me.
Whatās next? MAC x Twitter? Chanel x Pinterest? blehā¦
BUT as it turns out I own it, and I did not even know it! šÆ
The YSL Facebook Devoted to Fans paletteā¦ or maybe not?
Now hereās 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 Iām 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 didnāt, and the YSL Devoted to Fans palette isnāt new or specially created or all that exclusive! Its just a big marketing and promotional blitz that Iām 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 isnāt 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 isnāt. 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. Iām not terribly impressed by this to be honest and Iād feel duped if I didnāt 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 wasnāt terribly impressed which is why I left this on the backburner and didnāt review it. I will do, if anyoneās curious. Just drop a note in the comment box and Iāll get to it š
So, there you have it. If Iām right, the much anticipated YSL x Facebook Devoted to Fans eyeshadow palette isnāt 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 ā lots of noise but whereās the real substance? Then again, I could be wrong, who knows. I havenāt 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 didnāt get the YSL x Facebook palette, donāt fret. Just go to your YSL counter and pick up the Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow Palette in No. 1. Based on sight and online photos, Iād safely say its the same thing and it isnāt limited edition (Iām 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 āDeclaration of loveā for their Facebook fans and their first entirely digital product for their facebook fans. Hereās the product description available after you āLikeā the page. If I were truly a fan Iād be quite disappointed to know that the contentās arenāt original and the only original bit Iām getting is the odd looking cover.
What say you: YSL x Facebook palette. Yay or Nay? Would it interest you if it wasnāt 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, Iād be running a mile in the other direction. I of course, stand to be corrected if these arenāt 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.
Ooh thatās pretty darn sneaky of them! I donāt think this was necessary at allāI wouldnāt buy the palette simply because it was LE or linked to Twitter or Facebook or ANY social medial platform. I think the idea is kind of tacky and/or gimmicky. Of course, this is just my opinion.
Its my opinion too, Becca! I wasnāt even going to blog about it because I thought it just silly! To base a whole palette around Facebook? Ermā¦ yeahā¦ but when I realised that it wasnāt a new palette, something in my head sort of exploded LOL!
LOL thatās funny. Well Iām definitely glad you pointed this outāI donāt think anybody really realized this. I hate when beauty brands try to be all sneaky. Bah!
That no one mentioned it made me think I was a little bonkers. Maybe I am too much of a conspiracy theorist heheā¦ š
Huh! I think I have this too! Now thatās just not cool YSL. Not cool.
I agree Tracy, so not cool of YSL to be so sneaky and give the impression its specially designed and all that!
YSL x Facebook? Kinda tacky right? Even if this wasnāt a repromote, I still wouldnāt buy anything that partnered with Facebook. The heck were YSL thinking?
Very tacky! I would never buy any FB merchandise primarily because Iām so anti FB its not funny LOL! I think its a little funny though how YSL say its a Facebook palette but notice thereās no FB logo anywhere?
for real? same shades in a different packaging? how gimmicky :S the whole facebook collab cheapens the palette, i donāt think thereās any value add to this at all and it doesnāt particularly set my inner geek tingling in the toes. it does look pretty on its own though, iām liking the blue!
Yes! On its own, the palette is pretty. Its the primary reason I got it, because I liked the look of the blue and the taupe in it š The only good thing to come out of this, is that if you really like just the colours of the palette without that stupid looking cover, you can still own it in the original YSL gold cover š
Oh no, that got me thinking, are the 1,650 palettes old stocks that they want to get rid off? Smarty pants! You are one hell of a detective PB! Great job!
HAHAHA You hit the nail on the head Nikki! Maybe they werenāt shifting the palettes fast enough LOL!
thatās surrealā¦.beauty products x social media? itās a huge turn off and i think even if itās something that i like, i will not get it simply due to the association
I think you have to be a HUGE fan of both YSL and Facebook to actually buy it cos I think its so silly otherwise. Its like someone told YSL they should connect on social media and they thought āOoh letās re release one of our palettes!ā >.<
no difference i guess to those blogs that has rules similar to this..must twit, must like, must share on fb and such to winā¦i usually donāt even bother.
Hi Jen, I think I sort of lost you on this one LOL! Did you mean Facebook or YSL?
oh lordy lordā¦neither one..responding to the wrong blog! thatās what happens when opening too many tabs and not paying attention. my apologies!! XD
Haha no probs, I sorta guessed it š
Really tacky! I would expect something like that with a ādrugstoreā brand, but not a high-end oneā¦ick! It would be like Zac Posen making a Facebook dress! Itās one thing to make a limited edition (which itās not!) for the āfansā but donāt alter the brandās logo. The gold YSL packaging is what makes it look expensiveā¦.adding the blue front brings its value down to like $2 lol
Now that you mention it, yeah, its something I may expect from a lower end brand but not something with the luxury factor and image of YSL. It seems like their new creative director is going a little nuts with first the name change and now this funny palette that isnāt really new. Sighā¦
When I think of YSL I think of expensive, beautiful, luxurious cosmetics my mum used when I was a little girl. Huge department stores that smelled classy and looked shiny and polished from every angle. This is not what I think of when I think for Facebook. My mum still loves YSL, but she hates Facebook, and I think that sums this ācollaborationā up well. Not a match made in heaven, it’s a match made in ‘desperation to look good to a younger generation’ hell but is just a little bit off the mark.
Youāre absolutely right Lizzi! YSL is about luxury and beautiful cosmetics in elegant packaging, not something this crass. I think Iād be less hard on it if it was a totally new palette with new colours. But to rebrand and repackage an existing palette is way too sneaky!
*Iissshhhā¦* What a tacky way to do! And you are right, PB. The association with FB is a huge turn-off. *Another iissshhhā¦* And there will be 1,650 people that fall trap to this gimmick..
Like Nikki said, you are the Sherlock Holmes of the beauty area.. š
LOL *wears dearstalker cap* I wish they were up front about it and said that the packaging was different or something. But to say they came up with a palette with colours inspired by Facebook is so lame when the colours used arenāt even close to Facebookās colours! Have you seen a taupe on Facebook? š
LOLā¦ your last sentence is too funny. š Yes, it is indeed very lame. And to think that it comes from YSL. It made them look very very desperate.
āI’m one of those anti-Facebook charactersā¦ā¦because I found it too invasive and connected me to people I’d much prefer to be disconnected fromā
You made me laugh when i read that one. LOL. Me and my husband are also those people that anti FB, for the same reason as you. Always thought that we (me and hubby) are the odd ones. :p
Ah, now you know you arenāt alone, Nani! I actually practically closed down my personal profile once people from school started finding me. I got away from all that and Iām not going back there! LOL
No mames (in Spanish is a rude form of: are you kidding me?). Itās the same palette! When I heard it was inspired on Facebook, it make think: they donāt have good ideas? And know looking this Iām more disappointed about the brand
LOL! Thanks for teaching me a new phrase Efrain! š And no, Iām not kidding! The Facebook tie up was lame enough without discovering they repackaged a palette. I wonder how much more lame YSL is going to get before weāre done š
What a Super Sleuth you are, ParisB!! Good job, Girl!! Well, I guess thatās business for you though, eh? Everyoneās using social media platforms anymore. I started out just like you, principally against it and discontinued my page and account until my āshoppingā depended on having said account for such matters as pre-sale events, sneak peeks, discounts, and the like; I started mine back up again solely for that. Iām with you still, though. I hate the intrusiveness and the āconnectionsā. Thanks for impressing me greatly, xoxo Beth in Pgh š
Hi Beth my sleuthing powers are sometimes quite extraordinary heheā¦ Like you I keep my social presence on facebook to just catching up with brands and stores and seeing whatās new. I donāt communicate with friends on there and would prefer no one finds my profile LOL! I do keep a separate blog and personal profile, but Iāve never updated nor even logged into my personal one in years š
OMGā¦ they didnāt! I read about this but wasnāt attracted at all. When I think Facebook, I think sky blue and white, something that donāt appeal to me. Itās really quite dodgy. If itās a repromote, just call it as such. Renaming it, changing the cover and calling it new and limited edition? Dodgy! Where did these people get their marketing ideas? Good thing they didnāt fool you! Thanks for letting us know. Does this stint make you feel any different towards the brand? Iām definitely put off, for sure!
Like you, I wasnāt remotely interested in the tie up except to scoff at it but when I realised that the palette was actually similar to (if not the same) as the one I owned, something went off in my head. I think its terribly sneaky of them and it does make me look askance at their tactics. I am not quite turned off by the brand yet but I wasnāt a huge fan of anything except the semi loose powder. After this and once they change the name, I might just say forget it, YSL!
Hrm, just the fact that YSL make a Facebook palette turns me off from the brand.
In addition, itās dishonest to just repackage an existing palette as LE ā theyāre ripping off the fans who actually buy the Facebook version.
OH yes Kuri! Imagine if you were one of those who bought it thinking it was unique and a collectorās item only to realise later that it is just the cover that makes it special! Iād be quite mad at YSL for leading me on.
When I first heard about the whole YSL x Facebook palette, I couldnāt stop laughing. š Thought itās a bit lame, to be honest. YSL is such a luxury brand, and Facebook is, well, not really luxury. So, to put those two together is so wrong in every level.
And to top that off, they re-promoted a palette and tag it as ādevotedā to their Facebook fan?!! Horror!
I know! Like you when I first saw the news, I rolled my eyes and forgot about it. But when I realised the colours were similar to (if not the same) as an existing palette, I just had to call them out on it š
How tacky! I wasnāt particularly impressed when I heard of this collaboration, but I did like the palette. The colours (especially that blue) look really pretty. But to repromote a palette as a new LE one.. that really cheapens the image of the brand for me.. how disappointing..
Well Gio, now you know that you can buy the palette without that silly blue cover š
Looks cheesy to me!
The campaign? Yes I fully agree!
Wow PB I think youāve cracked something here.
*adjusts deerstalker hat and cracks knuckles* š
not a fan of fb and shame on YSL!
Three cheers for detective PB!
Thanks Rudi and thatās a good summary ā Iām not a fan of FB either and YSL is definitely shameless! š
Wow, what a scam! Thanks for the heads up Paris ;). Yeah Iām not so impressed with this palette either, but now that itās link to Facebook ā makes me dislike it even more and the packaging is so tacky and cheap looking too! Iāve always love YSL packaging, but dang ā they screw up big this time!
Gotta agree with you about the big screw up Helz. I do like the palette on its own and what were they thinking to use that silly amateurish blue cover eh?