Bi-Weekly WTF

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 13 – Kat von D and Vaccines

by

Kat von D and Vaccines

On Wednesday, I said I was going to take today off. I decided against it because I feel passionately about this topic; instead, I’ll take Monday off.

Recently, Kat von D shared that she intends to forego vaccines for her yet-to-be-born child. An uproar ensued regarding this opinion. The anti-vax stance is a radical one. Like many other customers, I will be foregoing purchase of Kat von D products in the future – even if it kills me because I love this damned lipstick.

Why Boycott Kat von D?

On the other hand, some argue that Kat is entitled to her opinion and has the right to parent as she pleases. In general, I agree with this approach…when it does not infringe on the health and safety of others. Choosing not to vaccinate for non-medical reasons, however, does both of those things.

I feel strongly about this and I will be acerbic:

The right to be an idiot does not imbue you with the right to endanger public safety. Full stop.

Vaccines are effective at eradicating disease when they are used en masse due to the principle of herd immunity. Some individuals legitimately cannot be vaccinated due to allergies or health conditions and they will therefore remain at risk to condition X. Those people are kept safe by the rest of us maintaining immunity…which we do through vaccination.

I find it tragic that yet another child will face the risk of debilitating illness that we had all-but-eliminated. It breaks my heart that others are at risk as a result.

The Bottom Line

This is not reactive, reflexive, or knee-jerk. I have rescinded support for other brands whose leadership’s decisions pose a dilemma to me (Revlon, for instance, who I have resumed purchase of in light of their problematic CEO’s departure). In this case, I don’t just dislike this decision. It is literally dangerous, and not just for Kat’s family.

Do you have an opinion on the matter? Debate is welcome in the comments.

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 12 – Sunless Tanner Smell

by

Sunless Tanning Myths

This is a legacy post that was given a facelift. Here’s why: With a gift card, I recently purchased a facial sunless tanning serum that I can mix in with my normal moisturizer (yes, it is awesome, yes more is coming on that). While researching which one to purchase, I came across a few rather acrimonious reviews on one such product (not the one I purchased). The reviewers were somewhat-justifiably upset because the product claimed to be free of smells. Well, sure – the product is fragrance free. That doesn’t mean it won’t cause a smell, however.

It really blows my mind that SO MANY people, including self-described self-tan aficionados, have no idea what actually causes the telltale sunless tanner smell.

I’ve talked about sunless tanners (my favorite is Million Dollar Tan) quite a bit before. Many posts mention, but do not focus on sunless tanner smell, however; the occasionally annoying odor that follow sunless tanning product usage. It isn’t limited to lotions: spray tans and even tanning bed (boo, do not use these) products are affected.

How Do Sunless Tanners Work?

There are three kinds of sunless tanners. Some products only temporarily deposit color that is washed away in 1-3 showers. Other products are intended to develop color over time; in those, the main, active ingredient in sunless tanners is DHA (dihydroxyacetone). The third type does a bit of both.

DHA & Melanin

When applied, DHA prompts your skin to produce melanin. Melanin is what gives our skin its color; people with darker skin tones naturally have more of it regardless of sun or DHA exposure. For lighter skin tones, stimulating melanin production causes us to appear tan.

Read more

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 11 – Premier Loyalty – Recurring VIBR or Ulta Diamond

by

For a couple years in a row now, I have managed to achieve both Sephora VIB status as well as Ulta’s Platinum status. I didn’t achieve these reward tiers only through spending on myself, though. In addition to my own personal spending, I:

  • Buy gifts for others
  • Buy blog giveaway items
  • Extend my account perks to friends (VIB sales, Platinum perks) who pay me back

Continuously Achieving Premier Loyalty tiers

I can see how easy it would be to hit the premier loyalty tiers; even though I think the Dyson hair dryer is a bit frivolous, but purchase that and exclusively use prestige product and I’m sure it is as easy as that. I’m struggling, though, to comprehend how individual people are spending enough to maintain the über premier loyalty tiers year after year.

I think it would be easier to achieve at Ulta since Ulta offers more services (Brow Bar, Dermalogica skin services, nails, hair). On top of that, their product range is broader, including drugstore, more  bath/personal care, and hair care.

The Bottom Line

So, in short, I’m curious – if any of you are multi-year VIB Rouge members, what does a year of Sephora purchases look like for you? Is it a lot of Drunk Elephant and Sunday Riley? Fragrance? Every palette that launches? Or are you buying gifts and offering up your perks and making orders on behalf of friends?

Ulta just launched Diamond this year but if you expect to achieve Diamond year-over-year, what will your purchases look like?

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 10 – KISS Brow Stamp

by

While there is a ton of nonsense on Twitter, it isn’t usually where I run into ridiculous products. Yet, a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a ridiculous product on that very site.

Behold,

KISS Brow StampKISS Brow Stamp


stamp on eyebrows.

Like any elementary school student, I am unreasonably entertained by ink stamps. I’m intrigued by what appears to be the promise of a single, swift, single-step brow. But what good is a quick, easy-to-use product if the product doesn’t perform? I took to Ulta’s site to investigate since brow stuff has been on my mind a lot as of late.

KISS’ Claims:

Benefits:

  • Never struggle with brows again! Just press the brow shaped sponge onto powder & stamp the color onto your brow!
  • Cover sparse areas or just create perfect, natural looking brows

The KISS Brow Stamp product is powder, rather than ink-based. You pat the brow-shaped sponge applicator into the product, then press onto your face.

Caveats

Read more

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 9 – Mole Removal Pen

by
Mole Removal PenA Mole Removal Pen on Amazon

I was checking out the Lightning Deals section of Amazon when I came across something marketed as a mole removal pen.

Immediately, I was horrified. There are some beauty treatments that are generally performed by professionals that can be done at home. Some things, though, should just be done by a pro. I’ve had moles that I did not care for in fairly prominent places (face). The idea of attempting DIY removal sent a shiver down my spine and a knot to my stomach.

In the past five years, I have had a pair of moles removed via shave excision by a dermatologist and his nurse practitioner in the past.

Read more

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 8 – MAC 217 Discontinued

by

MAC 217

Within the last three months, MAC discontinued the classic construction of their perennially popular 217 brush in favor of a synthetic bristle version, the 217S. The change came not only for the cult favorite 217 but for the entire MAC brush line. The 224, for instance, is now the 224S.

For some, this is extremely exciting; synthetic bristles make the brush accessible to vegans and those with animal cruelty-related concerns.

The Disappointment

For many others, however, the new brush is not achieving the same rave reviews as the original. With 2.5/5 reviews at most retailers who carry MAC, the performance of the new, synthetic version doesn’t quite live up to consumers’ expectations. After all, if you take two brushes that are cut identically but one is natural hair and one is Taklon, the way they pick up and distribute color is going to be vastly different. The way they feel on your skin will differ, too.

The Perplexing

Read more