October 3, 2018

It’s Only October and I’m Bored with Holiday Makeup But There’s the Pyramid Scheme

Uh oh! It’s only October and I’m already sort of bored with the Holiday Makeup Collections. Please don’t throw tomatoes at me!

One of the stand out collections this year that did surprise thus far is Too Faced Holiday 2018! The Tickled Peach Eyeshadow Palette was really, really good and so far in my testing, I am liking Gingerbread Spice as well! It’s about time that someone took notice that Holiday Collections and quality haven’t gone hand and hand for years now. It’s nice that Too Faced made some effort to improve the formula on their latest release.

However, so far, everything else has been a bit meh. Don’t get me wrong there’s a gift set here and there that I’m liking but nothing magical has really jumped out at me yet and I do feel like we are fairly deep into Holiday. That means there has to be something that I want right? Not so much!

I tend to liken the Holiday Makeup Collections to a Pyramid Scheme. Don’t laugh, it’s true, think about it.

Holiday starts trickling in around the end of August and by the second week of September we are pretty much knee deep into it and by the end of September almost 99% of all brands have launched. Obviously makeup junkies start buying at this point but there are a select few that are reserved about their purchases. Baiting their time, waiting on a sale but many makeup users are spontaneous and still experiencing FOMO. Remember, not everyone in the makeup world has been around the block as much as you have so FOMO plays an important role in a new makeup users world as well as a brand’s world as they are hopefully to capture the new audience’s attention and money.

It almost feels like they get money from the initial collections to pay for the prior collection and create more collections to get more money to pay for the last collection and so on and so fourth. Totally a pyramid but one wonders, are they making money or will Tarte end up at Target next year if you get my meaning!

See, the initial collections are all here but we still have to get through the biggest shopping event of the year. Christmas! That means we’ll see more collections, gift sets, and upcoming releases. You didn’t think what we’re seeing now was the end all of the Holiday Makeup season did you? It’s not.

We’ll have vaults, advent calendars, plenty of Black Friday and Cyber Monday exclusives and likely new eyeshadow palettes as well to look forward to. So, yeah, right now it might all be a bit boring but the beauty bug might bite you soon enough when even more collections slam us in November.

Not to mention Too Faced typically launched their Spring Collection the week of Christmas.

It’s an endless cycle.

As for me, I just want to enjoy Fall.

And maybe have some brand throw something truly unique at me that captures my eye.

How about you?

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Kimmwc03

    I’m bored too and I definitely get your meaning about the pyramid scheme and Target.

  • Hollie

    I wish more brands would do gorgeous packaging for their gift sets, like NARS with those awesome bullet cases for the Audacious lipsticks. Something display-worthy.

    The Benefit cakes are cute but that’s all I’ve seen so far.

    • Isabella Muse

      me too! I miss those days! It’s just not vanity worthy anymore just bulky packaging!

  • kjh

    Thanks. Glad you are thinking about this…and ironic that I prompted you to continue industry insights in the previous S post. You are totally right. And I think Tarte and tf may be headed the way of ‘masstige,’ as happened with Lorac. (Which still has yet to offer any holiday.) I think Markwins might have been onto s.t., but has no idea how to proceed. Lorac had a banner year with the Unzipped Sunsets, the LA minis, in addition to their expected stuff…then this year. Pro 4 and zero else, iirc. It’s awful tough for brands to continue to make collections or shades that are exclusive to one retail outlet. Nars A @nars.com, Nars B @ Sephora, Nars C @Nordie’s, Nars D @ Ulta. Plus combinations and permutations. You need an extra day in the week to keep up with it all. Then, you have to remember when the holiday f&fs are and plan accordingly. First world problems. It’s all pretty nuts, if you look at it with a distanced and jaded eye. (That would be a good name for a blog….)

    • Isabella Muse

      ITA agree on Tarte! It has to be a career to keep up with it all LOL! It’s so hard to keep track! Even drugstore makeup is all over the place lately. Exclusive to walmart, exclusive to walgreens ARGGGRRR! LOL it sure would!

      • kjh

        Tarte is worse than Nars for what’s where. Remember trying to figure out where shade x was, when UD Revolution l/s came out? That set the bar pretty high for this inanity. I did not even understand Tarte line at S vs. Tarte line at U, until you noted it, and i’m fairly savvy (and skeptical) about that kind of thing. Plus, holiday sets used to stand for new, variety, and savings. Now, it’s often offshore mfg (usually for Tarte and tf), heftier price tags than reg stuff per oz., (hourglass), and endless repros of brand classics (who the F needs another Orgasm or Laguna, unless it is all they wear?). Bring back FUCKING FALL, that you made disappear, with your direct to holiday stuff. Boy, I was pissed, when I got the hex remedy pencils, thinking it was fall, only to find out it was the first volley of holiday madness.

        • Isabella Muse

          sigh I can’t agree enough about Fall. It’s just gone from the radar. Holiday is full frontal as soon as August 🙁

  • Carol G

    I agree 100%! This year, I’m skipping Christmas. I am so SICK of it being crammed down our throats for 4 months prior. And I’m not just talking about makeup. I’m talking about going into stores in September and seeing Christmas trees! Ridiculous! Let us enjoy fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving. When I was a kid, Christmas season started the day after Thanksgiving, which is fine. But not 4 months before!
    Rant over…
    It actually feels good to get that off my chest. Thanks for letting us vent Muse!

    • Isabella Muse

      I saw them as early as mid-August at the store “At Home”! They have all their decor up, inflatables, ornaments, trees, etc out by August 20th! That’s just dumb. Rant away! It’s too rushed, ITA!

  • Kish

    This post is soooo true. Nothing that has been released so far (except the Natasha Denona Gold Palette, in my opinion) is anything original. It’s the same holiday releases year after year in a slightly different package. But for a moment, I felt like I needed all of it or I was going to miss out. Darn marketers! I’m being more particular about what I buy lately and taking time to make sure I don’t have something comparable in my collection already. As you said, we haven’t even reached the Black Friday madness yet. And I’d like to enjoy fall for a few moments as well.

    • Isabella Muse

      I think we ALL feel that way! I hate FOMO! I’d really like to enjoy Fall for a sec to! I went to Home Goods yesterday and they cleared out Halloween/TDay and it’s all christmas! I felt rather sad 🙁

  • Alyssa

    I bought the Too Faced mini lip holiday set and the Gingerbread girl lip. Those were two I had to have cause I missed out on the Gingerbread Man one last year. I’m on the fence about the Gingerbread Spice palette cause while I love Too Faced stuff the mattes seemed chalky to me when I seatched them the other day.

  • TropicalChrome

    I still find it astonishing that we haven’t even had our first freeze yet, but retailers want me to think about Christmas. I’m still not even thinking about Halloween! (Not that I think much about it, but I digress.)

    I must be immune to FOMO because none of the holiday offerings so far have created that “must have” feeling. They’re all more of the same so far as I can tell. There are a couple that look possibly interesting, and if I find them on a great discount and I’m in the mood for a treat, I might pick them up (but both have to happen simultaneously). But if I don’t? Whatever. I KNOW that there will be a never ending stream of new products, and I can always get one of those. And it’s not like I can’t do plenty of amazing holiday looks with the number of products I already own (see “more of the same” above).

    • Isabella Muse

      It was 80 in NY yesterday! I can’t even with Christmas lol! Me either. I don’t really have much FOMO with these sets at all! thank god!

  • CC

    I want to see a new Lorac Mega palette! I’m sure it’s coming, but I haven’t seen anything!

  • CosmetopiaDigest

    Same here. Too much! UD and Too Faced have had nine eyeshadow palettes this year so far. NINE! EACH! What I find lacking are the big lipstick collections. We’re having lots of palettes and highlight/contour/blush sets. Where are the big lippie launches? In previous years, we had huge lipstick sets such as UD Revolution, Vice, NARS Audacious, Power Matte Lip Pigments, EL Pure Colour Envy, Givenchy Le Rouge Mat… this year has been very quiet on the lipstick front. I think that would take us out of the rut! Along with fewer palettes, haha.

    • Isabella Muse

      only nine!? I thought it was more lol! Bobbi has one which I always love (I got last the one from last year) but you’re right everyone else doesn’t quite have a big lipstick launch which sucks!

  • Miki Nyckel

    Haha never thought of it that way. But I agree, while I find the holiday kits and products to be fun, but I really honestly don’t purchase much of any of it. I oogle over all the selections, and then realize I don’t need or want them. For me to purchase, it has to be incredible value and an excellent product! (Hello Clinique Black Honey palette, here’s lookin at you! 😉 ). And I have to want to use all the products in the kit. I’m not going to buy a holiday kit only to use a couple items. And that’s kind of the majority of the kits this year I find. I also got the full sized Benefit kit with Porefessional, Bad Gal, and Hoola. The primer and mascara are my go-to’s, so that’s a great value for me (and I regularly get one of their kits). But I honestly haven’t been wowed by anything else. Even Gingerbread, though I do love me some TF palettes! Admittedly Gingerbread is hard to resist. However, the palette I went for this season (after much agonizing over the decision) is the Colourpop Disney one 🙂 Ugh even Sephora Faves is boring.

    Like you said, it’s not over. I eagerly await the new crop of holiday releases coming (I mean, really, it’s only the beginning of October) and we’ll see if I see something I can’t resist!

    • Isabella Muse

      would you believe me if I told you I skipped colourpop disney!? I was going to buy it all and I ended up saying meh! I’m sort of shocked I didn’t buy it and also rather happy and proud I didn’t lol! ;-D I’m sure we’ll have PLENTY more to come!

  • Mariele

    Preach it. I agree–I used to be a makeup junkie and got all caught up in the releases, but now that I’ve kind of stepped back, culled my collection, and stuck to one or two looks and the products that work for me, it’s almost mindblowing how quickly these companies churn out products! I stepped into Ulta expecting to see some cute Fall releases. I saw some Summer releases and a lot of Winter releases. ??? And then Winter comes around and out come the Spring releases. I love Holiday makeup, but it really does show how sales quarters gets into everything. I’m already buying Christmas decorations and Halloween isn’t even here yet…