Does the beauty industry control us?

Just a fleeting thought I had about the beauty industry and the vibe right now.

source - Pinterest

A few days ago, I posted a TikTok of me decluttering my beauty products. I want to clear up something about that video. The products you saw were mostly expired or the wrong shade for me. I chose not to donate these products because they were either used or expired. As a full-time influencer, I receive a lot of PR and give away more to my friends and family than I keep. I’m participating in Project Pan in the New Year, but I thought it would be best to start with a clean slate. I didn’t get rid of anything that was still wearable. Now, let me continue with the actual point of this post.

After posting the video, I received a flood of messages and comments from people asking for the makeup I was throwing away. I understand the sentiment behind these messages—not greed, but more so desperation. I had so many mixed emotions reading them, and it really made me think.

On one hand, I felt for all the women who would have loved to get their hands on some products but aren’t able to for their own personal reasons. As a woman, I understand the desire to present ourselves in the best way possible and to stay up-to-date with what everyone else is trying. I truly wish I could have given it to them, but it felt wrong to hand out dirty, expired scraps—though many said they were okay with that.

That same acceptance led me to think about the lengths we go to for the beauty industry. In an ideal world, people would be trying these products brand new. The fact that many—including myself—are okay with receiving less than what we truly want shows just how much power the beauty industry has over our dependency on products and how we tie them to our self-worth.

One of my favorite questions to ask is, “Why?”

• Why am I rushing to Sephora for the latest drop?

• Why am I spending thousands on beauty maintenance appointments?