With all the wealth and abundance of the world around us, there are actually only 94 chemical elements occurring in nature, and in fact, everything in this world is made up of them in one way or another—just in different proportions. It's only important to choose the right proportion. And give it the proper name—so that it all sells well.
Very often, we ask ourselves: How much are we willing to overpay for popular brands, and are we really paying not for quality but for marketing? And this viral TikTok video dedicated to Sephora makeup products actually raises the same questions.
More info: TikTok
The author of the video is a former Sephora employee, and now she dedicates her postings to spilling the tea on the makeup and care giant's ins and outs
Image credits: sophia_burow
So, the woman says that many of the most expensive products actually have only one main advantage—their fancy bottle
The Original poster (OP) of this video is TikToker Sophia Burow, who, in her own words, used to work at Sephora—but she quit three months ago, and now, with a sense of freedom, she can devote her time to spilling the tea on all of its ins and outs. I don’t know how nice it actually looks, but the 7.6M views on the recent video speaks for itself.
According to Sophia, Sephora products are not cheap, but in reality, you are overpaying for the fancy bottle rather than the quality of the product. In fact, major brands do not sell anything magical that is head and shoulders above their cheap counterparts—and it's better, the original poster believes, to give preference to drugstore cosmetics and care products.
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
One of the most important points that Sofia makes is that there are no universal solutions in makeup, and each person has their own unique combination of skin type and structure, brow hair thickness, hair thickness—and numerous other parameters. Thus, the universal products that Sephora offers are not a panacea at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
The author of the video actually believes that many brands popular online today are, to put it mildly, a tad bit overhyped. For example, some products by Rare Beauty, a company created in 2019 by the famous singer and actress Selena Gomez. "With all respect to Selena Gomez, okay; not a personal dig on her, but I'm sorry, I don't think the hype is… it’s not adequate," Sophia ponders.
Image credits: Phillip Pessar / Flickr (not the actual photo)
Sephora's ordinary products are really good, the author claims—but their newest solutions are just marketing
No, the author of the video doesn't call for completely abandoning Sephora brands because their ordinary products are often really good. However, Sophia really criticizes the new top solutions that the marketing budgets are spent on. According to her, the market forces the company to release these products as quickly as possible, "so they're watering down the formulas."
Image credits: Phillip Pessar / Flickr (not the actual photo)
Sometimes you really don't need to overpay for makeup and care products, instead finding proper options in the drugstore
As we can see, this is not so much a call to action as some kind of "food for thought." Large companies often do not really have the opportunity to stop and conduct a detailed study—after all, the fierce competition on the market literally forces them to release new products regularly. Otherwise, your competitors will release new products, and the buyers, no matter how loyal they are, will partially or completely switch to them.
Of course, there are always unfading classics like Chanel No. 5, which is over a hundred years old and is still incredibly popular worldwide. But this is a masterpiece of all time, and in the modern market, alas, there is no place for masterpieces. But that doesn't mean you should overpay for big names. Moreover, much cheaper and equally high-quality alternatives can often be found in the local drugstore.
You can watch the original video here
"Drugstore devotees have known for years that gorgeous makeup looks don’t have to break the bank," this dedicated article in Glamour says. "Even if you're drawn to luxury makeup, it's never too late to discover a holy grail lipstick or setting spray that fits squarely into your budget." In other words, big corporations really need to recoup their colossal marketing budgets, not always caring about quality.
Many people in the comments also deeply agreed with the original poster, noting that they, too, are not particularly fond of the most popular names from the store. However, a significant number of the responders simply asked the OP to share the brands that she prefers herself. "Then drop what is actually good give us names please," someone asked in the comments. And what names do you, our dear readers, personally prefer?
People in the comments mostly agreed with the author, asking her to unveil the names she prefers herself
