To be honest, I have not kept up with the new releases in the makeup and beauty world of late.
I have many things going on in other aspects of my life, and keeping up with the fast-paced beauty scene has fallen by the wayside.
To say I’m not excited about new launches isn’t quite true. I am still interested, but that’s rather different from being excited.
Time was, I would keep myself in the loop and invested in upcoming new launches. I knew just what was coming from which brand, and which to hype, and which to ignore.
But much has changed in the 13.5 years I’ve been blogging.
Truthfully, very little excites me about new makeup anymore.
After 13.5 years blogging about makeup and skincare and beauty in general, there is little that I haven’t seen. Gimmicks are still there. The old stalwarts are still there.
Some edgy brands like Urban Decay and MAC have lost their edge, and all but faded from the scene. Other smaller independent brands (often referred to as indie brands) have now taken their place (even if I struggle to think of an edgy indie brand right now LOL! :P ).
Big brands like Chanel, Dior or Lancome are still plodding along, churning out their products cyclically, almost as if on auto-pilot.
And that’s the problem.
Too much of what we’re seeing by way of new makeup launches today, is not new.
While it is new to someone encountering the makeup scene for the first time, I find that it’s harder for those who have been using makeup all this time, to be very excited about a new makeup product.
Or perhaps, it’s just me being a little jaded :P
There was a time when a pretty, embossed blush by Dior would set my heart a-flutter. Or an ornately designed packaging, or perhaps something that is perceptibly unique enters the scene.
However, I feel like there is so much pressure on brands to keep churning out new releases to appease the masses with short attention spans, that quality, perception and introspection is no longer considered.
Many new releases are insipid, run-of-the-mill colours, enhanced by gimmicks – a pretty box, special packaging, embossing etc. Formulas are standard. No one seems to be innovating very much, content to either rest on their laurels, or to follow trends (as proven by the cushion foundation explosion a few years ago – Read my Cushion Foundation comparisons, if you haven’t!)
RELATED READING: I wrote about cushion foundations exclusively for 3 weeks READ WEEK 1, WEEK 2 and WEEK 3
The makeup item I’ve been most excited about in recent times, is the Chanel Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint released last year. That one had me very excited, because it was different, innovative, and an all-round excellent product. I still use it most often and still love it as much now as when I first tried it.
But I don’t feel that way about many new releases.
If being in lockdown has taught me anything, it is this – I don’t need a lot of makeup. I wear makeup only when I meet people or for work, and not otherwise when I’m out walking my dog, hiking in the jungles or staying at home.
Of course, some new releases may still have me crane my neck to take a look. Chanel’s Les Beiges collections always have me curious, because I feel that Chanel makes the most effort with that one. It takes a lot to make a beige collection, and you can’t get away with crappy pasty or powdery products. Their other collections in these 2 years have been rather uninspired, despite my admiration for Lucia Pica and what she has done for the brand in recent times.
So, I don’t know. Am I jaded, or are new releases of makeup just too uninspired to be exciting anymore? You tell me :)
Do new makeup releases and launches still excite you?
Don’t be afraid to say yes. I do realize not everyone is as jaded as I am :D
Paris B
With minimal makeup and still hiding beneath the face mask at work, I only slapped on tinted sunscreen protector with loose powder, draw my eyebrows, apply light blusher and lip tint. No, I am not excited with any makeup at this point. Only ordered Guerlain’s Sakura lipstick casing because it’s limited edition. Not even sure when I can wear any lipstick with the face mask.
I stopped applying nail polish on my fingers, so unlike me (kept colours on my toes though) because of high alcohol-content hand sanitizers, they just make my top coat less shiny. I gave up on that but still stick to nail strengthener which I re-apply every few days. Saves me lots of time too. Wondering what will I do with my Chanel nail colours which I collect, at least 2 per season….LOL!
Brands should be pushing for skincare because I still use them.
I’m excited with new makeup but when I try to rationalize it, it doesn’t appeal to me anymore because I’m wondering how am I going to wear it especially with face mask on all the time outside? Believe me or not, I haven’t even wear makeup since Covid-19. Even going outside or even meeting with friends, I didn’t wear makeup anymore. I’m not sure if I’m too confident or not because I even lazy to put on concealer and lip tint.
Now, I’m kind of worry about my old makeups and watching it expiring is very heart pain. Paris B, do u have any idea how to maintain the longevity of the makeups? Or how to apply makeup under the mask? Please help.
Thank you for your thoughts, it’s similar to what I feel. In make up, every once in a while, there’s something really innovative, and the textures and blurring effects are getting better and better.
Other than that, the style changes, and some suit me better than others.
I don’t follow those Blogs and vlogs as much as I did two years ago, and I rarely get excited anymore. But when I run out of a product, I appreciate how many awesome foundations, primers etc. are available nowadays.
I like reading about new collections, but most of the time, all those limited editions are not worth it. I realize that I now tend to wait and see if new products are added to permanent collections because there seems to be more work put into them. Colour-wise, staples in red lipstick or any nudes are best, limited brights usually end to be used much less. So skipping Trends and collections has become easy and common for me.