I feel soooo the same way. Especially with skincare. Hailey Bieber doesn’t have “glazed donut” skin from a $45 serum. She won the genetic lottery, has had work done, and has access to treatments we can’t even dream about. But then comes out with a skincare brand so we can attempt to be like her and achieve that level of so-called perfection. It’s so predatory to me.
My biggest issue with celebrity brands is their marketing pretending to care about sustainability, when in fact mass producing luxury products is...the opposite of sustainable, and there IS no sustaining our current level of consumerism and consumption 🤬 So these wealthy people who have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their and their children's lives are materially making the environment even worse for their own benefit.
If they want they could make it more sustainable by only collabing or taking part in collabs. Or they could be better by just not doing anything, literally fvck off. Don't care, nobody asked for another scam shit. Such a fucking cash grab.
With all their money and connections, I wish they'd at least release products that are unique to the market, very accessibly priced, and/or exceptional in some way. It's really just another uninspired cash grab and getting boring.
I’m studying sustainability at Arizona State and you are absolutely right in that consumers are convinced to buy all of these reusable things, like bags, reusable ziplocks, metal straws etc. when in reality you could just not buy anything and use what you have. Brands use sustainability as a marketing tactic so people do not stop consuming.
Exactly. The most sustainable is not to consume, and 90% of the things (being generous) we buy are not necessary. Make up being a great example of that. Nobody wants to hear that, but we should look reality in the face. Putting a green packaging or a piece of wood on your unnecessary product won’t change the fact that we are headed towards disaster at high speed.
but additionally, I do believe in limits to "ethical consumerism" or ethical nonconsumerism... I always get annoyed when rich people tell other people to like not use plastic straws and things when they have private plans and huge houses. The real power to change things is in the hands of corporations and our governments. Sometimes I think individuals are too hard on others when things like quality of life still need to be considered.
I was going to mention this re: her plastic bag point. That study (that’s been referenced by many people) only makes plastic bags seem like the more environmentally friendly option because it doesn’t take into consideration the effect of plastic once it enters the waste cycle. Maybe it takes more water to make a cotton tote bag but youre not throwing out dozens of cotton bags every week that then get dumped into landfills and the ocean. It’s a small point relative to her overall argument about celebrity brands but I just hate that study so much it stuck out to me lol
I love Ariana grande and I didn’t even bat an eyelash when her brand launched. No effort and just tacky. The curiosity/intrigue of celebrity brands is just gone for me. Give beauty, REM, haus labs, rose inc, Rhode etc all seem like cash grabs. I’m just not interested.
@Rachel Forshee fenty is good, because Rihanna cares and this isn’t new for her. And her products are bomb. Olivia Palermo?? I’m gonna pretend I didn’t see you guess she owned Auro. When Auric is owned by SAMANTHA lmao ya know… just the woman you’re literally watching. We’re talking the J-Lo, Alicia keys, Selena Gomez, Addison Rae. there’s been a billion lately and it doesn’t stop. It’s done ad nauseam. R. E. M., Kylie, Kim, jaclyn too she’s been at it for ever just shoving morphe down our throats and they now own her company anyway… but the list goes on and on. We’re over it. lol
I hadn’t even bothered to look at REM beauty because it does just feel like another celebrity brand. But now that you mentioned how it is so boring looking I had to go look for myself and I have to agree. 😬 I think it would be very interesting to see you do a video on how what you wish REM beauty looked like! Packaging wise, the photo shoots for the brand, etc
Not even the slightest "care-about". Miss me on this one Arianna. I was almost interested in Item Beauty and About Face until I learned who they were owned by. I'm like enough already...please 🙏stop.
Selena Gomez with Rare Beauty and Rihanna with Fenty Beauty are the only celebrity brands that I believe the celebrity is heavily involved and passionate about the brand, and that are actually bringing something unique and valuable.
Just hearing the words “Matte Dream Mousse” sent a shiver down my spine. We had limited choices but looking back, I can’t believe that so many of us just accepted it and wore that nonsense every dang day. p.s. Recently had to restock my Glow Lust and finally ordered one of the Smoke Reflect duos. No surprise but I’m already obsessed after one day of wear! Thanks for putting so much care, attention, and love into your products.
My skin physically reacted to that sentence and absorbed as much moisture out of my face as it could. Good lord. I thought I looked BANGIN in that foundation. And man. It was cakey.
As a supply chain management business professional in the US who did their thesis on circularity in the fashion industry… I can vouch that what you’re saying is 100% correct
I would say that my over consumption of makeup is down to influencers/TH-camrs. I would sit there and watch a favourites video of 10 products and they would absolutely hush about them and I would believe that I needed them. But then a new favourites video would appear the following month is another 10 products. I love this online space, so it’s not negative, but it has its cons too.
Amiee Maguire: Personal accountability. Just because it's out there does not mean you need to end up being brainwashed. Make conscious, educated decisions. Think of each advertisement and content making you "want" something as a _personal attack_ on to _you_. Then you have the power to say no.
@@violetviolet888 I’m just sharing my personal experience. I was younger and more impressionable. What they, as a beauty community, were doing wasn’t responsible. If you have always had willpower and never been influenced by someone, I take my hat off to you.
@@9melissal still is! And apparently that's what people are watching. You would think shein and Amazon hauls are long gone, but a lot of beauty gurus still pushing links and promoting unrealistic consumption. Look at all the TH-camrs that make project pans and shop my stash videos, best case scenario they have up to 500k subscribers.
I get what you’re saying especially for younger people, but I myself really enjoy favorites videos and when I need a product once in a blue moon, they inform me as to what product I could buy. I personally don’t think it’s the influencer’s accountability but I like that Sam isn’t taking PR
I don’t like celebrity makeup brands either. I always come back to thinking to wow like they don’t already make enough money off of us consumers (music/concerts/movies/commercials/brand endorsements, etc) they need to do this to make even more money off of us now.
It's hard not to like Fenty Beauty but even About Face (which I see used a lot now) is not groundbreaking. I would much more like to support Danessa Myricks.
I have thoughts on the personal responsibility portion of the video (I know you're so excited to hear that). In the grand scheme of things, me recycling or walking to work doesn't make a huge difference. But by doing those things and changing my lifestyle, I can influence others around me to be more sustainable and I'm also going to pay more attention to the issue on a wider level. Doing your part might not lower carbon emissions noticeably or decrease resource consumption drastically, but it keeps you invested, and then when chances come for government action or larger corporate action, you're part of the community that wants to speak up on those things. And the more people speak up and show how important the issue is, the more likely governments and corporations are to get their acts together. It's similar to an idea I heard about injustice, where the whole system of oppression is one woven cloth and as long as you're pulling your own thread, you're doing your part to unravel the whole thing. Not all of us can do everything and we all have certain talents and privileges, but we can do something and that adds up. It's a very hopeful thought for dark times and it's the only way things truly get done. And every once in a while we get massive victories, such as the recent Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S. that commits a lot of money to fight climate change, and those give us more momentum to keep going with the small things. Okay, that was a lot, but hopefully I'm conveying why I think you're right but maybe not for the reasons you're giving.
I hate that number of celebrity brands out there now, but god damn am I a simp for Rare Beauty. I'm not like a huge Selena Gomez fan or anything, I am just genuinely so impressed with their formulas, especially the liquid blush and highlighter.
She also is keeping her prices to be more inclusive. We get amazing products for a reasonable price. It’s comparable pricing with the higher drugstore brands.
I've also heard the "no personal responsibility" argument when it comes to environmentalism and sustainability and it makes me concerned. Because yes, while we absolutely need to put the pressure and onus on industries to change and political will to strengthen (or just exist), it becomes a slippery slope to just not caring about your personal impacts and habits, your community, and immediate environment etc. I think both personal responsibility and political/economic pressure can coexist and work together, personally.
I think the real issue is that a person in their daily life isn't really doing much to hurt the environment and not even on purpose. Most people are trying to get by and using things they need. There's going to be carbon footprint regardless but no more than necessary. A person living their life isn't the environmental problem. The environmental problem is the amount of systems and those that lobby for those systems that hurt the environment to stay the same. That's where our impact and personal responsibility is. To fight back against what's actually hurting the environment.
100%. PhD in public policy here- people initially thought it was all big corp pollution, but data is showing it’s on us. Air pollution, for ex, is over 80% from personal vehicle use. People need to take responsibility, but that’s an unpopular campaign to run
@@DoubleMD11 Not sure I agree. Car manufacturers and fossil fuel companies and insurance companies etc. are the reason hundreds of millions of ppl in north america are forced to use personal vehicles with fossil fueled combustion engines to get around. Cities were designed to not be easily travellable by other means, to ensure giant companies could continue profiting from the sale of cars and petrol and car insurance etc. Public transport projects were deliberately killed or not pursued, politicians were paid, "lobbied", to not develop public transport or walkable/bikeable cities. I'm from Sydney and we had the second most developed tram system of any city in the world until our state government was persuaded by giant companies to rip it up, so we would buy more cars and fuel and car insurance.
@@DoubleMD11 ExxonMobil needs to take responsibility. The ppl named in the panama and pandora papers need to take responsibility. It's on them, because they are the reason hundreds of new fossil fuel projects are being approved, forests are being destroyed and 40 billion more tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted every year, with no real end in sight, because every so often one of their employees gets suicidal and leaks their shit and we all learn that none of them actually plan to let us transition this century. To suggest that "oh, if only ppl were more responsible and drove less, we wouldn't be in this situation, what a shame ppl aren't more responsible", is absurd. What, you think we all just inherently horny for hydrocarbons? My country is one of the worlds largest exporters of methane. This year I voted to change the government because I want us to, at the very least, not launch new gas projects. Millions of Aussie's did the same, we got a new government, and they turned around and approved new gas exploration and continued the previous government's policy of launching more than 100 new coal and gas projects. So how do i take personal responsibility for that Sharon? How is that on me? They don't even pay tax on it, the giant foreign multinationals that mine, liquefy and export Australia's methane. Our new government is refusing to windfall profits tax them, or to tax them at all, like the old government. They charge Aussies the same amount for our own gas as ppl in Japan are willing to pay for it, so now a lot of ppl who live in one of the worlds largest exporters of gas are struggling to afford gas, or electricity. Our government lets these giant multinational companies do that to us, no matter which major party is in power. We've had two Prime Ministers who were removed from power with decent evidence of US state department involvement because they indicated a willingness to stop letting mostly US and UK owned companies continue to sell our resources overseas while paying f*ck all tax and causing more carbon dioxide and methane to accumulate in the atmosphere and warm the earth. Australia arguably has more renewable energy generation potential than any other country on the planet, but efforts to finance and develop renewable energy generation infrastructure is endlessly stalled, deferred, cancelled, undermined or just refused. Do you think that might be related to the fact that those same foreign owned multinationals don't wanna stop making billions selling our own resources back to us at a wildly inflated price? Cause once the renewables infra is developed, we could fuel our homes and electric cars (we don't have those either because the previous government said they would ruin the weekend) pretty close to for free. Not a lot of profit in that. Not like lovely hydrocarbons. Is it sinking in how little personal responsibility makes a difference yet?
You’re literally the beauty communities saving grace for me. So much thought and explanation from every aspect and its so obvious that you know how it works from the inside. Like a youtube beauty community prophet
I’ve missed your incredible rants! And they actually make me less depressed, lol. Hearing other people care about this shit is very comforting to me. It makes me feel like maybe, together, we can actually make a change.
I would love the video on REM but I would appreciate more a video on small makeup businesses. I would rather buy something from a small brand than a celebrity brand personally, and I feel your platform is big enough to actually make an impact in this sense :)
Literally ran over to click the notification bc the title is EXACTLY how I feel 😂 I’m sooo over celebrity brands unfortunately because of how many “new” brands, products etc are coming out in the beauty industry. You’re not going to look like said celebrity from getting their products which is the image they’re trying to sell
I have been following you for years, I don’t usually comment on anything but… I love how you are coming out and talking about things that matter and how you are using your platform these days. It is a breath of fresh air to hear your take on these issues and just life. Thank you for still uploading amazing content.
The duality of shopping is fascinating to me these days. I get comments frequently about my small business pricing, shipping, that people can buy something similar at Amazon or Walmart. Then as an influencer, I get hate when I show what I bought on Amazon or a Target haul ... lol. Also quite enjoyed the first ad I got in this video was for REM haha.
I feel like the free shipping thing is the same as when Uber was originally really cheap to run competition out of business and then raised the prices.
im so over influencer brands and celebrity brands. at this point im not buying any of them at all regardless of who it is. my makeup spending went from around 5k a year down to 200-300 a year. im just over it and just buy whatever I "need "when I run out.
23:00 exactlyyyyy. I saw this argument today on tiktok regarding shopping from Shein or other fast fashion brands. Several people in the comments saying not to blame the consumer, if doesn’t matter what we do etc because everything is the corporations fault. But if millions of people didn’t buy from Shein do you think they would be producing as much clothing as they do…
I love so much that you talked about this! There is a huge disconnect between wanting to be sustainable and what people are willing to do/pay for it. Like you said, it's great when companies want to give people living wages to create quality products, but that means that prices have to be higher to pay for that, and most people either don't want to pay for it or simply can't. We live in a society where things are not only cheap, but often they are cheaply made. This has created a societal mentality that everything is just disposable, and it doesn't help that fixing things is often just as expensive as buying a new one, so why would we fix it when we can just get something brand new? The more I look into sustainability, the more I realize that one of the biggest factors to tackle is consumption. We constantly see ads, personalized to us, that tell us we need to buy this or buy that. You also have the fact, as I mentioned earlier, that cheap items and cheaply made things just adds to our want to overconsume. I think if everyone started to really think about their purchases--whether they need it, the quality of the item, etc.--and became more content with less things, companies may start to realize that less is more. So, in that sense, personal responsibility is kind of important because I don't believe companies will change until we as a society have changed our mindset about consumption. I would like to add that I realize that even if we can tackle our consumption, there will still be people who can't afford basics that are made ethically and sustainably. I unfortunately don't have an answer to this problem, but my hope would be that once we start tacking our consumption problem, we could begin to work on this.
I agree with what you are saying about individual consumers consciously making an effort to change our consumption, to try to not over consume, to change our mindset. It'll help, and benefit the individuals engaging in it in multiple ways. The bleak thing is that our entire global economic system is founded on those of us in the imperial core countries overconsuming and those in the global south being horrendously exploited to produce as cheaply as possible to maximise corporate profit, with a bunch of stuff ending up in landfill, because production is about profit, not need. PR ghouls who work for the fossil fuel companies concocted the idea of a personal carbon footprint because they want us focused on our behaviour, and not the fact that they are emitting 40 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, plus a f*ck tonne of methane, and seriously putting at risk the near term human (and animal) habitability of this planet. Because it makes them hundreds of billions of dollars, some of which they use to bribe our governments into letting them continue to emit, and they have no plans to transition this century. A lot of the rest they stash in overseas tax havens. Kim Kardashians private jet flights are really bad, really, really bad, but the true cause of the horrifying floods in Pakistan and the nightmarish drought in China and the lakes drying up in Europe and the food shortages and likely famines coming, within months, in France, China, the Indian Subcontinent and huge portions of central africa is Exxon and Chevron and BP and BHP and Saudi Aramco etc. As ever, the single most important thing you or any of us normies can do to prevent catastrophic, devastating global warming is to vote. Specifically, you cannot continue to vote for neoliberal parties (which the two major parties in pretty much every imperial core country are), hopefully you have a greens party or an independent candidate you can vote for. Whoever is running who is credibly committing to not approve new fossil fuel projects or further deforestation and who is serious about transitioning to renewables, vote for them. If the enslavement of ppl in the global south to fuel your consumption bothers you, voting for socialists and anyone to the left of them is your best bet.
I was an environmental studies major and the answer to people not being able to buy ethical or sustainable stuff is to work on the social environment of the area. Like getting more education, not just schools but getting them out of food deserts and things. And of course giving women more of a voice and such. You can look into Human Geography if you want to see more bout it, it’s fascinating. If people win in society then we all win.
@@ellend1922 Wooow, I feel like I’ve found some information that I shouldn’t know. That makes so much more sense why carbon footprint was made. Because when I studied environmental studies the majority of the problems are bug companies and societal problems. Not really the average person but I agree with Samantha that I just can’t live that way to think individual contribution doesn’t matter. I’m trying to focus more on companies and I’m just feeling more depressed. Lol
I think the celebrity brands do it as cheap as possible (even though they have the money) so that they put the bare minimum into the company and hope for a greater return. It’s just about money to them!
I generally agree with you. I think I heard somewhere that it's harder/more expensive to make darker shades (not because of anything inherent to the product but because they've been neglected for so long that manufacturers have way less experience actually making them) so a brand like Fenty, probably, less so but in general this is a conspiracy I'll get behind.
@@glitterberserker1029 Fenty is backed by LVMH so if anybody has access to formulas and facilities it's them. I wish Fenty would be more innovative with new launches because they definitely have the money and resources.
@@alexandrrra5627 I mean, you're not wrong, but also basically any celebrity brand is backed by a parent company. A lot of them are kendo brands so also backed by lvmh. I think Fenty really rests on being inclusive and having interesting color ranges in some of their products. Like they had a purple shade in the cream blushes, but then those lip stains had 4 shades and 3 of them were nearly identical. It feels like some launched get a lot more thought and effort than others.
You nailed REM beauty!! She even said in an interview that Formabrands (aka MORPHE) approached HER not her looking for a home for a brand idea of hers!
Unfortunately plastic is cheapest and oil companies made sure to keep it this way, knowing it doesn’t degrade. Recycling and recyclables (particularly plastic) was a gimmic perpetuated by oil companies to keep the plastic business flowing. Less then 10% of plastic actually gets recycled! It cost way less to make new plastic than to use recycled plastic!
You are not alone in disliking Ariana marketing and design...packaging designer here. Abbey Yung just posted a video of different brands that have missed the mark and Ariana Grande was one of them. I totally agree, what an opportunity wasted to do something amazing. Love this type of content!
personal responsibility really irks me. not that we have none and shouldn't consider our impact, but for me personally as someone who lives paycheck to paycheck, there isn't much mental capacity i have for much other than making ends meet. with the limited money i do have, however, i've chosen not to buy from certain places despite the money it would save me (amazon, walmart, etc). there's something wrong to be found with any company i buy from, but that goes back to the lack of mental capacity i have, and i simply can't afford to grocery shop at "better" stores. i will easily admit i can only take in so much information about what i should/shouldn't be doing to support sustainability. i do little things i can manage, and try not to stress myself about what doesn't feel attainable for me at this point in my life. i always appreciate the well-rounded views you give on things, and your effort to understand different peoples points of views. not many youtubers seem to genuinely care about people who aren't living a similar life to them.
agree so much with everything you said here. For sustainability to be enough of concern that it makes or breaks what people do/don’t purchase, they’re already coming from a place of privilege
I really cannot wait for Auric to drop that green compact. I am hopping it is just a mirror, but if not I am buying whatever it is. Also I adore that blush color it kind of gives me the vibes of a slightly sunburnt flush. I am not sure if it is a future Auric product or not, but it is beautiful! I loved this chatty video :)
I also found R.E.M. to be so disappointing. I didn't have high hopes, but out of all the celebrity brands so far that has to be one of the ones I was most disappointed by. Haus labs and aboutface also don't really interest me personally :/
@@anastasiacaamano479 I'm shocked hauslabs has actually lasted as many years as it has. I would have thought it would have disappeared by now honestly.
The shopping bag thing kills me. You have to use a bag thousands of times for it to have a positive impact. We all have soooo many reusable bags at this point. On the same note, they found that when banning plastic grocery bags, the sale of plastic garbage bags goes up. Those are often thicker and use more plastic so the overall effect ends up having a negative effect on the environment. It’s all so heartbreaking. 😞
I totally get this, Im from Western Australia its not uncommon for shipping to cost more than an actual product, it can be up to around 45 USD ($65) just for shipping, which can take up to a month, with no insurance. We also don't have the ability to return makeup if its been opened, even if you buy it in a store (and theres 1 sephora in my entire state)...The combo of those things means I think we're generally a lot more forgiving when it comes to small business expenses - usually people wait until they're going to make a big purchase, or they go in together on orders with friends. Unfortunately though I can totally understand how if you came from somewhere else and never had to wait for things you wouldn't have the same buying culture :(
I'm from N.S.W. I remember buying a pair of shoes from T.U.K. I loved them and they were on sale for around $50-$60 but the shipping was $85! I was devastated. I ended up getting my mum to buy the shoes for me for my birthday which was coming up and I paid for the shipping. I was so mad but god damn I loved those shoes. They were white pumps with hot pink soles and news print articles about the sex pistols and they had chains on the back 💜💜💜
@@esmeraldagreengate4354 ive had that happen so many times! Also I recently bought some eyeshadows from Clionadh ive wanted for years...took them 6 days to get them from Canada to Sydney and they're estimating another 16 days to get to me in Perth...
@@kimfeddema6302 I live near the VIC border about 4 hrs from Melbourne. Anything I order from the goes up to Sydney does the scenic route up there and then out to Albury and 1 week later it's gotten to me from it's starting spot 3 hrs away 🤦♀️😭🤣
The way I literally got a Sephora ad on this video lmao Also completely agree on the Amazon front. I truly hate how Amazon is set up. The entire experience is awful and the website is ugly and I just hate it
The business aspect? 100% agree. But the way society is? They really dgaf and dont bother researching or understanding how things work. Its a very consumer-based society with high demand. It’s ridiculous. I grew up with my moms side being a farming community and one of her siblings actually being married to a farmer. Knowing where food comes from, the work that goes into it, etc. I appreciate learning so much. Theres so much the “pop culture” based population doesn’t understand or refuses to hear out the other side of things. I appreciate you being authentically yourself even on YT where people can be too solicited to keep followers.
Excellent call-out on transit costs! I work in logistics for CPG, and the amount of business that chase cheap real estate for a warehouse or manufacturing only to pay on the backend to ship to CA, FL, NY for distribution blows my mind!
As someone that's from West Virginia, I'm impressed you know it's a state and amused that you didn't know Maryland was one. West Virginia isn't a bad choice if you are focused on the east coast for shipping, but you may have to build the factories from the ground up if somewhere rural, while in a city, there's more likely to have an existing structure that can be easily converted.
that’s why luxury clothing brands will say they are made in portugal, it’s still in europe but wages are VERY low compared to other countries (specially NA) even more sustainable clothing brands like djerf avenue will use factories in portugal but I wonder how big their markup is from what they pay the factories that most likely pays them minimum wage vs what they charge because at the end of the day what’s a liveable wage? why aren’t they more clear?
You’re so right though. I genuinely want to support small businesses. Like my local friend who makes cute shirts with cute decals. But they charge $40 plus shipping. When I can get the same shirt from SHEIN almost for $9, plus coupons and free shipping. For me; it doesn’t make sense and I can’t afford those small business prices. Im frugle and love saving money. But I also understand they can’t afford to compete with SHEIN prices. And the seamlessness of their big corporation! It’s genuinely a lose lose situation. It’s hard! I know we’re taking about makeup here. But this is currently a similar internal fight I’ve been dealing with.
@Gaia Barone It's a harsh truth. I think a move towards minimalism or being more minimalistic is the only way people begin to see it is possible to own less, higher quality, pieces.
@Gaia Barone yes! It’s absolutely an important conversation to have with others and with ourselves internally! And it’s videos like this one that will help spread the awareness to allow ourselves to look inwards to change. ❤️
Shein has higher than allowed ammounts of lead and other materials in their clothes and products so theyre basically slowly poisoning you - everything comes at a cost one way or another Look up issues w shein and then decide if 9$ is really a deal
Yeah, $40 plus shipping is way too much, especially in this times of rising prices, it would prolly be less expensive to go pick up the merch in person! I can support local business if they're close by, otherwise can't afford it. For those who say "buy less and support the locals", maybe the person speaking is already buying less and still can't afford it.. just sayin'
@@simokthxbai as a sewist, I can tell you 40 dollars for a shirt is probably barely enough for a person to make a living off. (Assuming they handmade the shirt as well) I’m assuming her freind just buys bulk tshirts for super cheap though and then just adds decals and sells them. I doubt they are becoming millionaires off that price. It makes me terribly sad to think we’ve just erased the people who make clothes and think it “should” cost 10 dollars for a shirt just because we can’t afford a 40 dollar shirt. This is where only buying what is needed and buying high quality and eithically made come into play. I wear the same three dresses non stop, made of a linen/cotton blend and have mended so many of my husbands work jeans, made my childrens clothes etc.. and it’s not cheap to do this actually. I do it for longevity of garments and to stop feeding the crazy fast fashion machine that produces such low quality products from the hands of modern day slaves whom only make pennies for the clothes we wear a few times before throwing them out and wanting something new.
Wow Sam, I learned a lot from this. I’m a Black immigrant in the USA. 5 years ago unused to roll my eyes and almost get angry when I heard people talk about the environment and sustainability. I only started to care when I realized that environmental abuse and climate change intersects with many things I care about (racism, zoning laws, class issues). Most change occurs when people find a reason to care. Your talk about small business, shipping expectations helps people care. Thanks
Rarely commenting on videos, but here i have to: Thank you for being who you are and doing what you do! From the bottom of my heart, you beautiful human being. 💜💚💜
Yes to supporting small businesses! It’s something I always try to do whenever I feel like I want to buy something - and I also appreciate anyone doing the same since I own a small (really small actually) business myself. And I agree on personal responsibility as for example I am someone who sells online mainly, and majority of people that buy from me are abroad (unfortunately). I decided to spend more money to have packaging that is 100% compostable even if it is not convenient for me money-wise. I also always tell my customers where I buy my packaging from in hope if they need to ship something out in the email they know a company they can purchase their mailers from, having a lesser impact on the health of the environment. So many little things can be done in our lives to make this place a better one honestly
I hear what you're saying about smaller collections vs larger collections - I think about my small collection of makeup in high school, vs the hoard I have now, and I feel quite embarrassed. I don't value my makeup as much now even though I have high end pieces vs primarily drugstore in high school. It wasn't so bad when I was doing my makeup 4-6 times a week, experimenting with eyeshadow looks, having artsy fun with it, but since working from home, masking, and just the general stress and reprioritization experienced because of the pandemic, I don't wear much more than eyebrow gel and mascara anymore. My hoard of eyeshadow and other non day to day makeup seems so excessive and awful now. And it grosses me out that despite the collective trauma we all went through, how so many people have lost loved ones or are now in financial shambles because of the pandemic and inflation, and celebs keep pushing all these thoughtless skincare and makeup lines on us, expecting us to fuel their wealth in yet another way despite the position we are all in. It pisses me off. Most of these celebrities did fuck all to help us during the height of the pandemic, and became wealthier throughout the pandemic, and yet they're STILL trying to scrape more money away from us, while destroying the environment.
I enjoyed this entire video. Thanks for sharing this perspective! I work in manufacturing in the US, and the cost for 1-10 each of something is significantly higher than 100, 200, 1000, etc. We have to pay minimum order quantities (MOQ) for raw material, hardware, supplies, etc., so when you order higher volume, that cost is amortized over 1000 parts instead of 1-10 parts. We manufacture metal goods, so if 1 sheet of raw material makes 500 parts, but you only order 1, you still have to buy 1 sheet of metal. We can’t order a 1/10th of a sheet from our vendors.
I was just looking into the reusable cotton bag study earlier today and the 20,000x number doesn't tell the whole story. This is the high estimate of uses (the low estimate being 150 to offset the carbon footprint). When looking at every area on which the reusable cotton bag manufacturing process has an environmental impact, the high carbon footprint seems to be largely due to ozone depletion. To quote Oxford geoscience researcher, Dr. Hannah Ritchie: "Why is this ozone depletion figure so high? Seems to come from electricity use for irrigation in cotton production (sourced from gas, where two ozone-depleting gases are used in transport). If we were to irrigate from low-carbon energy sources, this wouldn’t be so high." Your point still stands, things are way more freaking complicated than they seem. Thank you for being a thoughtful business owner, Sam ♥️🌱
So, I think that the personal responsibility argument makes sense for people with more privilege - if you can afford to shop sustainable fashion, for example, that's great. But the personal responsibility argument can be used to shame people without access to what capitalism tells us is most sustainable - like shaming poorer, larger bodied people for shopping fast fashion when "sustainable" clothing just isn't an option (both size wise and cost wise). Basically, the personal responsibility angle can be used as another tool of oppression, I think, upholding rich white "sustainability" (like your example of cotton tote bags) while demonizing less flashy but actually more sustainable options (like reusing yogurt containers). It's definitely more nuanced than "personal responsibility is meaningless" though!
This is the kind of influence that I wish more people would deliver. I appreciate you touching on topics that may not be popular or are controversial but important. It does leave you thinking about what the right mindset should be about being sustainable.
I love companies like makeup revolution that come out with an excessive amount of items every single week and then they get a line that is sustainable, like what? Adding more isn't sustainable, changing what you already have would be. Just like buying a new sustainable mattress isn't really good for the environment lol. Using the mattress you already have is better than throwing it away to buy something that is sustainable you know?
Yes! I work at a small business, and people do NOT understand that we do not have the same advantages as large corporations. Shipping is not free. Us shipping from Illinois to California in the US is a minimum of $25 for our products. So people that keep ordering and returning product are robbing us blind, and they're upset when we won't ship a third one because "maybe we'll like this version better". No. We've lost so much money and you've already damaged two products. We do have to pay our employees a living wage. Ethical production is expensive. It just is.
I love this video and discussion, thank you for talking about these important topics. I feel like so many people never think about the origins of the things they buy and everything that goes into it. I also cannot imagine living a life where it feels like my actions and decisions do not matter. I will always continue to do my best and make the most sustainable choices that I can.
I’ve attended several sustainability/environment related conferences, and I almost exclusively have the experience of being like “yeah, it was okay, not that interesting,” but then bring up things I learned there very frequently. I noticed you did a similar thing in this video and had to laugh to myself.
Hi Sam, would really love that R.E.M video idea, but as someone who doesn’t use Amazon -like ever- (28yo) I truly love waiting for that package cause sometimes I forget I even order it. But celebrity brands are popping up like weeds and it really doesn’t making me gravitate forwards those brands.. unless it’s rare
i think the part that's the hardest to swallow is not that caring about the world (sustainability, workers earning a living wage etc) makes thing more expensive, it's that it often makes things Too Expensive for Me to Afford. and i don't even just mean it in a hannah louise poston breakthrough way wherein i had to reckon with the fact that i Can't and Will Never personally own and consume everything that i find beautiful, but in a more banal and bloodsucking way. like I Cannot afford to purchase and consume chocolate the way i have for all of my adult life if i commit to buying chocolate that isn't produced by child/slave labor. and sure, a part of that is because i don't actually make a living wage, but when i sat down and did the math i found that for me to be a responsible chocolate consumer, living within my means, i would eat chocolate a few times a year the way that middle or upper middle class people eat caviar. and that made me deeply deeply sad about my salary and my budget for the things i find beautiful and the bags of cocoa powder in my pantry each cost over $25 and last week when i was visiting my sister i spent less than that on all the ingredients it took to bake her a cake, including a bag of hershey's chocolate chips. it's a lot to hold in my brain all at once. there's a burdensome feeling that can accompany the recognition that to be decent to others i must refrain from doing things that Aren't Generally Perceived as Bad... like you mentioned, this conversation has been had time and time again--as it should. we owe a lot to each other and the spaces we share and i can live a full and joyous life with slightly less chocolate in it
Agree with so many of the points you made in this video. There’s few celebrity brands I am excited about anymore. It seems like there’s a new brand launching all of the time and I care less and less each time. It also feels like they don’t do much to differentiate themselves beyond which celebrity is backing the brand.
Sam, I love these bitching/complaining videos please keep up the constructive criticism with a dash of petty, I am fully here for this kind of content.
Cotton bags are one of my biggest pet peeves!! They make us feel virtuous and like we are helping but they are doing the opposite - I really wish brands would stop gifting them.
I’m of the camp that the biggest responsibility lies in big corporations or these elite people who continue to mass produce plastic or take their daily flights on private Jets. It doesn’t mean I don’t do my own part though. I just really so feel like what I do is peanuts. Which is fine, but the real change is not going to come from a small portion of individuals who take their reusable cloth bags to the grocery store. Also, as a sewist myself, you’re spot on about all the pricing. I would get so many people saying I should sell clothes but people who have a heart attack if I told them how much that would actually cost them. First there is sourcing organic, ethically produced fabrics. 💰 Then, you have to cut individual pattern pieces every time you sew unless you’re using a standard set of patterns (which you still need to cut) 💰 Then you need to cut the fabric 💰 Then Is the actually sewing part 💰 Then there’s quality check and shipping materials and costs is another whole set of costs 💰💰 (I forgot to mention the cost of supplies and machinery and the upkeep of it 💰💰) Not a single person in North America could ever survive making t shirts, even out of the cheapest materials, because people assume it should cost 10 dollars. Even 20 dollars is a slap to the face because just cutting out a pattern and then cutting out the fabric can come close to a half hour- to an hours work depending on the intricacy of the shirt or garment snd that 20 dollars is gone just right there. What about the rest of the work?? It really is awful to think shirts can go for 5 dollars at Walmart. Somebody made that and I promise you they didn’t make even half of that amount of money.
I always feel like a better human when I hear, what I think and believe as a consumer, be absolutely validated in every video you put out like this, Sam. It's good to know, that influencers like you, are still with the majority. Not like most celebrity brands that are just a cash grab in a niche market that's en vogue at the time. That's why, you will forever, have my support! 😌
AGREE SO MUCH W REM BEAUTY! I would’ve loved to see the 60s vintage makeup glam that ari is usually known for, or some type of cottage core esq feminine vibe and it didn’t give that at all
Thank you for explaining that sustainability isn’t always what the sustainable “stereotypes” are. I feel like a lot of us only take “trendy" environmental impacts into consideration, like plastic pollution and CO2 emissions, but there’s so much more to sustainabiliy that needs to be taken into account. Like how much water is being used and whether or not it’s local or “virtual”? - ie we consume the water from a banana in the US, but it's grown in Brazil - that impacts both environments). How is the soil and land being used? - there’s a difference between clear cutting old growth forests that inevitably lead to soil erosion vs selective cutting certain trees so the land isn’t disturbed… the list goes on for this very complicated subject.
I feel we do all have a personal responsibility, but rather than using our energy to consume more 'sustainable' products, we should put it towards voting and environmental activism which may actually be able to have an impact. Ethical consumption can become an unproductive rabbit hole whereas activism has so much more potential.
Fascinating! Your comment about wanting sustainability from smaller brands but not larger brands being linked to ideas about "personal responsibility" was so interesting to think about
also I so appreciate you talking about the topic of how non-obvious the most sustainable option can be. another example is how much energy and the impact of sourcing and manufacturing reusable coffee cups/water bottles way outweighs the impact of using the cardboard or plastic versions. Especially because it’s not like people buy just one reusable cup or bottle and use it the required 200,000 times or whatever it is, most people buy one and probably lose it or decide it’s gross now and they need a new one. it’s a very complex topic
With regards to the extortionate pricing of the more eco friendly/biodegradable packaging - my theory is that those companies, the same as all other companies in existence, are in the business to make money (as is their right!!) and they are very aware that the pressure on companies to use such packaging is rapidly increasing. Meaning, sooner rather than later, they will have no choice BUT to pay that price for the packaging that one day will probably become a legal requirement. Perhaps those prices will go down one day, but I think not dramatically; just enough to make it a little more digestible, but realistically they will probably also get government funding because our governments are the most cunning of business institutions on this planet. They see what the people are concerned about and what changes they want, and when they implement those changes it's always in a way that's gonna make them their investment back with good profit. Anyways I'm only really commenting to improve engagement on your channel because I'm glad to see you back and I look forward to more content from you and I want it to be worth your while. I'm very interested to see other things you pick up on in the industry now that you're so deep in as a brand owner, and how your views might be changing with it.
I agree, it’s frustrating that people with so many resources either cheap out, or create something completely unoriginal! Happily, I just received a pair of your beautifully packaged lashes in the mail! I can’t wait to try them.
Thank you for having this conversation, it's refreshing to hear a successful business owner and indivudual from the beauty/vlogging TH-cam space discuss these issues. I also agree that personal responsibility is crucial to transforming the capitalist clusterfu*k we find ourselves in. I think shifting all blame onto industry (though they certainly deserve a heaping serving of blame, along with governments) is an easy way to live guilt free while not having to change the ways in which we consume. If you're poor you can't afford to make better choices, and most of the people who can afford to, choose not to. Nothing is ever going to change so long as profit is the be-all-end-all goal. We both live in BC, there pretty much isn't a service you can visit (gas station/coffee shop/restaurant/retail store/grocery store) that pays their employees a living wage. All of these places typically pay minimum wage which is $15.65, yet the living wage for metro Vancouver is $20.52. The business community throughs a fit every time the minimum wage is increased. This has been an issue for as long as I can remember (I'll be 45 next month), and now it's getting dire. Most businesses refuse to address it (but are happy to reap the benefits), governments (municipal, provincial, and federal) refuse to address it, and the majority of the general public turn a blind eye. Cost of living continues to rise, wages continue to drop (when you factor in productivity levels vs inflation over time), housing is becoming reserved for the financially priviliged, and our healthcare and education systems are failing nationwide due to chronic underfunding. Disabilty supports accross the country fall well below the poverty line, and have for decades. We've started seeing the beginnings of people choosing MAID (medically assisted death), not because there aren't options that would improve their quality of living, but because they are unable to afford those options. It's grim out there. Change needs to happen and personal responsibility can drive that change, especially for those who are privileged enough to choose better. Slave labour has become the accepted norm, and I can't for the life of me understand why more people don't give a shit. And you're right, people say they want better, more sustainable options, but don't seem to want to pay for it. Make it make sense.
Climate change is not being driven by a bunch of random, powerless ppl making bad choices, it's being driven by the likes of ExxonMobil and the politicians they bribe ("lobby") to let them continuing making hundreds of billions from the sale of hydrocarbons and then hiding most of the proceeds in offshore tax havens. You are right that "Nothing is ever going to change so long as profit is the be-all-end-all goal". "Industry" (capitalists) and the neoliberal capitalist state are to blame for the exploitation and poverty you describe here, as well as for driving catastrophic climate change, but i kinda dig your roundabout argument that we do have personal responsibility to end it.
I have the same thoughts on the personal responsibility topic! Like obviously large scale change needs to be made, but individual people making small changes can result in a big outcome. For example, if a huge brand has a popular product that's in wasteful packaging I'm not going to make a difference if I email the company for change. However, if a lot of people who enjoy that product email the company asking for change or even "vote with their dollar" and suddenly stop purchasing said product that could make a big difference. My one email isn't going to do anything, but hundreds/thousands of people taking personal responsibility and making the choice to email could make a big change and sending an email isn't even a big action.
I couldn’t agree more. I remember my first large Sephora purchase was a Tarte Christmas palette and I treasured that palette and I still have it! I hit pan on everything… now there is so much waste… these youngins just don’t understand. Ps. Don’t ever talk about my dream matte mousse like that again 😂
Selena seems to be pretty involved in Rare. She is always using her products, posting their uses etc. I love THE brand and you can see her genuine excitement about what her and the Rare team are creating and I am not a fan just genuinely like the makeup and her involvement.
From someone who hasn’t shopped for makeup in years but used to be totally into it, I came for the makeup but have stayed for YEARS for these rants and truth talks. I feel like every video you put up I will always watch!!
I would think that youtube influencer brands are kind of the same as a celeb brand. It is usually a smaller start up for influencer brands to build their line up of products, but imagine how much harder it is for someone without nearly 1 million subscribers.
I definitely agree that personal responsibility matters. We live in a influencer heavy time where majority of people decide to spend their money on products and things that are pushed or "recommended" by a targeted ad or an influencer that they may follow so you would hope that said influencer was conscious of their decision making and their environmental impact. I think another thing that adds to the oversaturated brand market is the idea of overconsumption or the feeling of needing something just because it may be better than the thing we have at the moment. People are spending more on beauty products than what they would pay for groceries in any given week. I say that from a personal experience of witnessing people close to me having to stay within the trends rather than having a healthy budget. I wish more influencers realized that personal responsibility matters a LOT. Maybe that drugstore item is cheaper but let's think about why... it's made in a facility in China that pays their workers less than minimum wage and does not provide ideal working conditions as well as unethical testing methods.... people aren't thinking about how big brands like Maybelline and Loreal are what they are. The buyers market in the fashion and beauty industry is sooo heavy right now that celebrities are being pitched these ideas of starting a brand because their financial advisors know that it's going to make them a lot of money. Celebrities don't really have the product knowledge that even a lot of the every day person has because what we see is what a makeup artist has done to give them the image they have so their ideology is essentially all about keeping a consistent brand within their art. "rem beauty" and "rare beauty" these are all taken from albums that they were trying to push out in sales and to the public when it was released so it seems ideal, but none of the products coming out of these brands are actually created by the celebrity at all, even if you see them using it, they barely impacted the actual creation of the product. Oh man I can go on and on about all of this but I will leave it there and end with PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY DOES MATTER. No matter how small of an impact you think you're making....
I appreciate your viewpoint on personal responsibility. I know a lot of people talk about how it doesn’t matter, but I also cannot live knowing that there is nothing we can do on a personal level to change things for the better. I want to leave this earth knowing I did my best (within my own means) to protect it.
valid af video again, sam. it's just interesting to me that consumers unfortunately hold small brands to the same standard as large brands in terms of shipping costs, product costs, shipping times, etc. maybe it's because i work for a large brand but i've seen the amount of effort and people required to maintain those low shipping costs and fast shipping times etc., and small brands composed of two people simply don't have the capital, infrastructure, and man power in comparison. also mac warm soul was 100% reformulated, i can't tell u how i know i just do
could legit listen to you talk abt sustainability all day bc you’re so right!! personal responsibility and a lot of these “sustainable” alternatives are just examples of greenwashing. would love a whole video on greenwashing tbh
Branding nerd / marketing professional here lol. Branding is so incredibly important. I’d argue it’s the most important use of your budget when starting a brand. Celeb brands don’t always put enough energy into fully developing innovative products or put enough creativity into their launches because they rely on that celebrity name to sell their products instead of being a cool, inventive company separate from that name. The brands that we love so much from celebs are the ones that can stand alone despite that name attached.
I'm with you on having to believe personal responsibility does matter. I would love for it to be wide spread and bigger industries make a change. I can only control myself and my choices. Where I live doesn't even have a recycling option. I literally take all our recycling to either my father's house or where I used to live because I refuse to not recycle. It bothers me that much. The 2 main celebrity brands I like are Fenty and Rare. They're the only ones that seem to get shit right. You can tell that most celebrities aren't relevant anymore and just want to put crap into the beauty world. It's so pointless. They all have plenty of money as it is. If you're not going to make a positive impact, you shouldn't bother. I get you can have a passion for something but you don't have to create it just to do a cash grab. It bombs every single time. I love Sam ted talks. ♥️
i completely agree with this rant about personal responsibility we live in a consumer driven economy and there are things we really can’t effect much like kim air and the sheer volume of samples a beauty brand sends to landfills daily but whether or not their packaging can be broken down to be easily recyclable? or their ingredients are ethically sourced? if we want those things they’ll make it happen because it’s just good business we can make the sustainable option Just Good Business by law of demand and we have so much power in that
More people need to adjust expectations or indie brands and small businesses. I’ve seen so many complaints in makeup groups about not ordering from certain brands because of how long it takes to receive product. I always make allowances for indie/small businesses and am ok with longer shipping times and even delays, as long as there is transparency about the delays. I need to do better though about adjusting my own expectations as far as shipping costs though. I have definitely caught myself being like I spent x amount and that doesn’t qualify for free shipping.
Personal responsibility is so important because whether you have a large platform or not, you still have the ability to inspire others to make better decisions, who then inspire others to make better decisions and you all bring up children who make better decisions and so on. That's how we change the world. It may not be perfect, but we do our best with what we know now, then as we know better, we do better. Love these chats. ❤
But using bags you already have for the beach or camping or traveling or whatever as a grocery bag is more sustainable than using plastic or buying bags specifically for shopping. Multipurpose is really what is better imo.
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I feel soooo the same way. Especially with skincare. Hailey Bieber doesn’t have “glazed donut” skin from a $45 serum. She won the genetic lottery, has had work done, and has access to treatments we can’t even dream about. But then comes out with a skincare brand so we can attempt to be like her and achieve that level of so-called perfection. It’s so predatory to me.
I’ve always hated when celebrities are featured in drug-store brand ads. We all know they aren’t using Revlon night creams or mascaras.
@@InTheNameOfLife1yep! Lol
Yep!!! Hit the nail on the head.
Couldn't have said this any better myself 👏👏 I thought the same thing abt Kim K
Tbf, the products are $29. Still more than I would pay, but she could have made it way more expensive
R.E.M is giving claire's
My biggest issue with celebrity brands is their marketing pretending to care about sustainability, when in fact mass producing luxury products is...the opposite of sustainable, and there IS no sustaining our current level of consumerism and consumption 🤬 So these wealthy people who have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their and their children's lives are materially making the environment even worse for their own benefit.
If they want they could make it more sustainable by only collabing or taking part in collabs. Or they could be better by just not doing anything, literally fvck off. Don't care, nobody asked for another scam shit. Such a fucking cash grab.
That’s part of the Friedman Doctrine
EXACTLY!!!
With all their money and connections, I wish they'd at least release products that are unique to the market, very accessibly priced, and/or exceptional in some way. It's really just another uninspired cash grab and getting boring.
Well dam!.... Well said though 😬
I’m studying sustainability at Arizona State and you are absolutely right in that consumers are convinced to buy all of these reusable things, like bags, reusable ziplocks, metal straws etc. when in reality you could just not buy anything and use what you have.
Brands use sustainability as a marketing tactic so people do not stop consuming.
Agreed, I love "buy nothing" groups as well to get free things people don't want. Greenwashing is really trending right now...
Exactly. The most sustainable is not to consume, and 90% of the things (being generous) we buy are not necessary. Make up being a great example of that. Nobody wants to hear that, but we should look reality in the face. Putting a green packaging or a piece of wood on your unnecessary product won’t change the fact that we are headed towards disaster at high speed.
There's a reason why REDUCE comes before reuse and recycle.
but additionally, I do believe in limits to "ethical consumerism" or ethical nonconsumerism... I always get annoyed when rich people tell other people to like not use plastic straws and things when they have private plans and huge houses. The real power to change things is in the hands of corporations and our governments. Sometimes I think individuals are too hard on others when things like quality of life still need to be considered.
I was going to mention this re: her plastic bag point. That study (that’s been referenced by many people) only makes plastic bags seem like the more environmentally friendly option because it doesn’t take into consideration the effect of plastic once it enters the waste cycle. Maybe it takes more water to make a cotton tote bag but youre not throwing out dozens of cotton bags every week that then get dumped into landfills and the ocean. It’s a small point relative to her overall argument about celebrity brands but I just hate that study so much it stuck out to me lol
I love Ariana grande and I didn’t even bat an eyelash when her brand launched. No effort and just tacky. The curiosity/intrigue of celebrity brands is just gone for me. Give beauty, REM, haus labs, rose inc, Rhode etc all seem like cash grabs. I’m just not interested.
Same, I am not interested in any of these brands
you didn’t… bat a lash…. I see what you did there 😂😂😂 OGs know
I am busy giving colourpop all my cash grab money. I can’t with other brands 💀
@Rachel Forshee fenty is good, because Rihanna cares and this isn’t new for her. And her products are bomb.
Olivia Palermo?? I’m gonna pretend I didn’t see you guess she owned Auro. When Auric is owned by SAMANTHA lmao ya know… just the woman you’re literally watching.
We’re talking the J-Lo, Alicia keys, Selena Gomez, Addison Rae. there’s been a billion lately and it doesn’t stop. It’s done ad nauseam. R. E. M., Kylie, Kim, jaclyn too she’s been at it for ever just shoving morphe down our throats and they now own her company anyway… but the list goes on and on. We’re over it. lol
R.E.M is manufactured by morphe lol
I hadn’t even bothered to look at REM beauty because it does just feel like another celebrity brand. But now that you mentioned how it is so boring looking I had to go look for myself and I have to agree. 😬 I think it would be very interesting to see you do a video on how what you wish REM beauty looked like! Packaging wise, the photo shoots for the brand, etc
Second this, it fell super flat for me and is begging for someone to do the concept justice
Not even the slightest "care-about". Miss me on this one Arianna. I was almost interested in Item Beauty and About Face until I learned who they were owned by. I'm like enough already...please 🙏stop.
Rihanna really raised the bar when she dropped her line not only for celebrity lines but makeup brands in general.
and no one has really met it since…
Selena Gomez with Rare Beauty and Rihanna with Fenty Beauty are the only celebrity brands that I believe the celebrity is heavily involved and passionate about the brand, and that are actually bringing something unique and valuable.
Yes this she truly set the damn bar.
She set the bar but hasn’t been able to reach her own standard recently. All her new releases have been cash grabs or just uninspiring releases
@@ishaluther1768 that’s really disappointing. I’m on a no buy so I haven’t been watching releases. Which ones to avoid??
Just hearing the words “Matte Dream Mousse” sent a shiver down my spine. We had limited choices but looking back, I can’t believe that so many of us just accepted it and wore that nonsense every dang day.
p.s. Recently had to restock my Glow Lust and finally ordered one of the Smoke Reflect duos. No surprise but I’m already obsessed after one day of wear! Thanks for putting so much care, attention, and love into your products.
Why dream matte mousse is/was a nonsense ? I have bought it. But always thought it was iconic years ago
My skin physically reacted to that sentence and absorbed as much moisture out of my face as it could. Good lord. I thought I looked BANGIN in that foundation. And man. It was cakey.
Reminds me of the maybelline mousse I used to not blend on my face when I was 14 😂😂😂
As a supply chain management business professional in the US who did their thesis on circularity in the fashion industry… I can vouch that what you’re saying is 100% correct
Thank you for your expert opinion. You have my dream job and major btw.
I would say that my over consumption of makeup is down to influencers/TH-camrs. I would sit there and watch a favourites video of 10 products and they would absolutely hush about them and I would believe that I needed them. But then a new favourites video would appear the following month is another 10 products. I love this online space, so it’s not negative, but it has its cons too.
Amiee Maguire: Personal accountability. Just because it's out there does not mean you need to end up being brainwashed. Make conscious, educated decisions. Think of each advertisement and content making you "want" something as a _personal attack_ on to _you_. Then you have the power to say no.
It agree. Overconsumption was just completely glamorized in the beauty community for a while.
@@violetviolet888 I’m just sharing my personal experience. I was younger and more impressionable. What they, as a beauty community, were doing wasn’t responsible. If you have always had willpower and never been influenced by someone, I take my hat off to you.
@@9melissal still is! And apparently that's what people are watching. You would think shein and Amazon hauls are long gone, but a lot of beauty gurus still pushing links and promoting unrealistic consumption. Look at all the TH-camrs that make project pans and shop my stash videos, best case scenario they have up to 500k subscribers.
I get what you’re saying especially for younger people, but I myself really enjoy favorites videos and when I need a product once in a blue moon, they inform me as to what product I could buy. I personally don’t think it’s the influencer’s accountability but I like that Sam isn’t taking PR
I've always heard about sustainability "everyone doing it imperfectly, is better than 1 person doing it perfectly"
I don’t like celebrity makeup brands either. I always come back to thinking to wow like they don’t already make enough money off of us consumers (music/concerts/movies/commercials/brand endorsements, etc) they need to do this to make even more money off of us now.
It's hard not to like Fenty Beauty but even About Face (which I see used a lot now) is not groundbreaking. I would much more like to support Danessa Myricks.
I have thoughts on the personal responsibility portion of the video (I know you're so excited to hear that). In the grand scheme of things, me recycling or walking to work doesn't make a huge difference. But by doing those things and changing my lifestyle, I can influence others around me to be more sustainable and I'm also going to pay more attention to the issue on a wider level. Doing your part might not lower carbon emissions noticeably or decrease resource consumption drastically, but it keeps you invested, and then when chances come for government action or larger corporate action, you're part of the community that wants to speak up on those things. And the more people speak up and show how important the issue is, the more likely governments and corporations are to get their acts together. It's similar to an idea I heard about injustice, where the whole system of oppression is one woven cloth and as long as you're pulling your own thread, you're doing your part to unravel the whole thing. Not all of us can do everything and we all have certain talents and privileges, but we can do something and that adds up. It's a very hopeful thought for dark times and it's the only way things truly get done. And every once in a while we get massive victories, such as the recent Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S. that commits a lot of money to fight climate change, and those give us more momentum to keep going with the small things. Okay, that was a lot, but hopefully I'm conveying why I think you're right but maybe not for the reasons you're giving.
I hate that number of celebrity brands out there now, but god damn am I a simp for Rare Beauty. I'm not like a huge Selena Gomez fan or anything, I am just genuinely so impressed with their formulas, especially the liquid blush and highlighter.
She also is keeping her prices to be more inclusive. We get amazing products for a reasonable price. It’s comparable pricing with the higher drugstore brands.
Same! lol I'm not living without my rare blush.
Her liquid blush is to die for but also its so pigmented and you get SO much product and it lasts forever
The glossy lip balm is a godsend.
I've also heard the "no personal responsibility" argument when it comes to environmentalism and sustainability and it makes me concerned. Because yes, while we absolutely need to put the pressure and onus on industries to change and political will to strengthen (or just exist), it becomes a slippery slope to just not caring about your personal impacts and habits, your community, and immediate environment etc.
I think both personal responsibility and political/economic pressure can coexist and work together, personally.
(Personal) carbon footprint was a term popularized by British Petroleum to shine the spotlight on you vs them. Guilt trip the peasents!
I think the real issue is that a person in their daily life isn't really doing much to hurt the environment and not even on purpose. Most people are trying to get by and using things they need. There's going to be carbon footprint regardless but no more than necessary. A person living their life isn't the environmental problem. The environmental problem is the amount of systems and those that lobby for those systems that hurt the environment to stay the same. That's where our impact and personal responsibility is. To fight back against what's actually hurting the environment.
100%. PhD in public policy here- people initially thought it was all big corp pollution, but data is showing it’s on us. Air pollution, for ex, is over 80% from personal vehicle use. People need to take responsibility, but that’s an unpopular campaign to run
@@DoubleMD11 Not sure I agree. Car manufacturers and fossil fuel companies and insurance companies etc. are the reason hundreds of millions of ppl in north america are forced to use personal vehicles with fossil fueled combustion engines to get around. Cities were designed to not be easily travellable by other means, to ensure giant companies could continue profiting from the sale of cars and petrol and car insurance etc. Public transport projects were deliberately killed or not pursued, politicians were paid, "lobbied", to not develop public transport or walkable/bikeable cities. I'm from Sydney and we had the second most developed tram system of any city in the world until our state government was persuaded by giant companies to rip it up, so we would buy more cars and fuel and car insurance.
@@DoubleMD11 ExxonMobil needs to take responsibility. The ppl named in the panama and pandora papers need to take responsibility. It's on them, because they are the reason hundreds of new fossil fuel projects are being approved, forests are being destroyed and 40 billion more tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted every year, with no real end in sight, because every so often one of their employees gets suicidal and leaks their shit and we all learn that none of them actually plan to let us transition this century.
To suggest that "oh, if only ppl were more responsible and drove less, we wouldn't be in this situation, what a shame ppl aren't more responsible", is absurd. What, you think we all just inherently horny for hydrocarbons?
My country is one of the worlds largest exporters of methane. This year I voted to change the government because I want us to, at the very least, not launch new gas projects. Millions of Aussie's did the same, we got a new government, and they turned around and approved new gas exploration and continued the previous government's policy of launching more than 100 new coal and gas projects. So how do i take personal responsibility for that Sharon? How is that on me? They don't even pay tax on it, the giant foreign multinationals that mine, liquefy and export Australia's methane. Our new government is refusing to windfall profits tax them, or to tax them at all, like the old government. They charge Aussies the same amount for our own gas as ppl in Japan are willing to pay for it, so now a lot of ppl who live in one of the worlds largest exporters of gas are struggling to afford gas, or electricity. Our government lets these giant multinational companies do that to us, no matter which major party is in power. We've had two Prime Ministers who were removed from power with decent evidence of US state department involvement because they indicated a willingness to stop letting mostly US and UK owned companies continue to sell our resources overseas while paying f*ck all tax and causing more carbon dioxide and methane to accumulate in the atmosphere and warm the earth. Australia arguably has more renewable energy generation potential than any other country on the planet, but efforts to finance and develop renewable energy generation infrastructure is endlessly stalled, deferred, cancelled, undermined or just refused. Do you think that might be related to the fact that those same foreign owned multinationals don't wanna stop making billions selling our own resources back to us at a wildly inflated price? Cause once the renewables infra is developed, we could fuel our homes and electric cars (we don't have those either because the previous government said they would ruin the weekend) pretty close to for free. Not a lot of profit in that. Not like lovely hydrocarbons.
Is it sinking in how little personal responsibility makes a difference yet?
JLO's brand and Alicia Key's brand is such a huge yarn for me as well 🥱🥱🥱🥱
You’re literally the beauty communities saving grace for me. So much thought and explanation from every aspect and its so obvious that you know how it works from the inside. Like a youtube beauty community prophet
I’ve missed your incredible rants! And they actually make me less depressed, lol. Hearing other people care about this shit is very comforting to me. It makes me feel like maybe, together, we can actually make a change.
Same💜
YES to this!!!!
I would love the video on REM but I would appreciate more a video on small makeup businesses. I would rather buy something from a small brand than a celebrity brand personally, and I feel your platform is big enough to actually make an impact in this sense :)
Literally ran over to click the notification bc the title is EXACTLY how I feel 😂 I’m sooo over celebrity brands unfortunately because of how many “new” brands, products etc are coming out in the beauty industry. You’re not going to look like said celebrity from getting their products which is the image they’re trying to sell
The fact that Ariana was interviewed a week before launching her brand and she forgot about it, tells us that even she doesn't care about it.
Maybe she got high
I have been following you for years, I don’t usually comment on anything but… I love how you are coming out and talking about things that matter and how you are using your platform these days. It is a breath of fresh air to hear your take on these issues and just life. Thank you for still uploading amazing content.
Sam please keep the long form videos coming!!! Killing it as usual!!! Always speaking the #truth ❤️
The duality of shopping is fascinating to me these days. I get comments frequently about my small business pricing, shipping, that people can buy something similar at Amazon or Walmart. Then as an influencer, I get hate when I show what I bought on Amazon or a Target haul ... lol. Also quite enjoyed the first ad I got in this video was for REM haha.
I feel like the free shipping thing is the same as when Uber was originally really cheap to run competition out of business and then raised the prices.
im so over influencer brands and celebrity brands. at this point im not buying any of them at all regardless of who it is. my makeup spending went from around 5k a year down to 200-300 a year. im just over it and just buy whatever I "need "when I run out.
23:00 exactlyyyyy. I saw this argument today on tiktok regarding shopping from Shein or other fast fashion brands. Several people in the comments saying not to blame the consumer, if doesn’t matter what we do etc because everything is the corporations fault. But if millions of people didn’t buy from Shein do you think they would be producing as much clothing as they do…
I love so much that you talked about this! There is a huge disconnect between wanting to be sustainable and what people are willing to do/pay for it. Like you said, it's great when companies want to give people living wages to create quality products, but that means that prices have to be higher to pay for that, and most people either don't want to pay for it or simply can't. We live in a society where things are not only cheap, but often they are cheaply made. This has created a societal mentality that everything is just disposable, and it doesn't help that fixing things is often just as expensive as buying a new one, so why would we fix it when we can just get something brand new?
The more I look into sustainability, the more I realize that one of the biggest factors to tackle is consumption. We constantly see ads, personalized to us, that tell us we need to buy this or buy that. You also have the fact, as I mentioned earlier, that cheap items and cheaply made things just adds to our want to overconsume. I think if everyone started to really think about their purchases--whether they need it, the quality of the item, etc.--and became more content with less things, companies may start to realize that less is more. So, in that sense, personal responsibility is kind of important because I don't believe companies will change until we as a society have changed our mindset about consumption. I would like to add that I realize that even if we can tackle our consumption, there will still be people who can't afford basics that are made ethically and sustainably. I unfortunately don't have an answer to this problem, but my hope would be that once we start tacking our consumption problem, we could begin to work on this.
I agree with what you are saying about individual consumers consciously making an effort to change our consumption, to try to not over consume, to change our mindset. It'll help, and benefit the individuals engaging in it in multiple ways. The bleak thing is that our entire global economic system is founded on those of us in the imperial core countries overconsuming and those in the global south being horrendously exploited to produce as cheaply as possible to maximise corporate profit, with a bunch of stuff ending up in landfill, because production is about profit, not need. PR ghouls who work for the fossil fuel companies concocted the idea of a personal carbon footprint because they want us focused on our behaviour, and not the fact that they are emitting 40 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, plus a f*ck tonne of methane, and seriously putting at risk the near term human (and animal) habitability of this planet. Because it makes them hundreds of billions of dollars, some of which they use to bribe our governments into letting them continue to emit, and they have no plans to transition this century. A lot of the rest they stash in overseas tax havens. Kim Kardashians private jet flights are really bad, really, really bad, but the true cause of the horrifying floods in Pakistan and the nightmarish drought in China and the lakes drying up in Europe and the food shortages and likely famines coming, within months, in France, China, the Indian Subcontinent and huge portions of central africa is Exxon and Chevron and BP and BHP and Saudi Aramco etc.
As ever, the single most important thing you or any of us normies can do to prevent catastrophic, devastating global warming is to vote. Specifically, you cannot continue to vote for neoliberal parties (which the two major parties in pretty much every imperial core country are), hopefully you have a greens party or an independent candidate you can vote for. Whoever is running who is credibly committing to not approve new fossil fuel projects or further deforestation and who is serious about transitioning to renewables, vote for them. If the enslavement of ppl in the global south to fuel your consumption bothers you, voting for socialists and anyone to the left of them is your best bet.
I was an environmental studies major and the answer to people not being able to buy ethical or sustainable stuff is to work on the social environment of the area. Like getting more education, not just schools but getting them out of food deserts and things. And of course giving women more of a voice and such. You can look into Human Geography if you want to see more bout it, it’s fascinating. If people win in society then we all win.
@@ellend1922 Wooow, I feel like I’ve found some information that I shouldn’t know. That makes so much more sense why carbon footprint was made. Because when I studied environmental studies the majority of the problems are bug companies and societal problems. Not really the average person but I agree with Samantha that I just can’t live that way to think individual contribution doesn’t matter. I’m trying to focus more on companies and I’m just feeling more depressed. Lol
I think the celebrity brands do it as cheap as possible (even though they have the money) so that they put the bare minimum into the company and hope for a greater return. It’s just about money to them!
I generally agree with you. I think I heard somewhere that it's harder/more expensive to make darker shades (not because of anything inherent to the product but because they've been neglected for so long that manufacturers have way less experience actually making them) so a brand like Fenty, probably, less so but in general this is a conspiracy I'll get behind.
@@glitterberserker1029 Fenty is backed by LVMH so if anybody has access to formulas and facilities it's them. I wish Fenty would be more innovative with new launches because they definitely have the money and resources.
@@alexandrrra5627 I mean, you're not wrong, but also basically any celebrity brand is backed by a parent company. A lot of them are kendo brands so also backed by lvmh. I think Fenty really rests on being inclusive and having interesting color ranges in some of their products. Like they had a purple shade in the cream blushes, but then those lip stains had 4 shades and 3 of them were nearly identical. It feels like some launched get a lot more thought and effort than others.
You nailed REM beauty!! She even said in an interview that Formabrands (aka MORPHE) approached HER not her looking for a home for a brand idea of hers!
“The global trauma from Dream matte mousse, they will right about it in history books, I have no doubt about that” 💀
Unfortunately plastic is cheapest and oil companies made sure to keep it this way, knowing it doesn’t degrade. Recycling and recyclables (particularly plastic) was a gimmic perpetuated by oil companies to keep the plastic business flowing. Less then 10% of plastic actually gets recycled! It cost way less to make new plastic than to use recycled plastic!
You are not alone in disliking Ariana marketing and design...packaging designer here. Abbey Yung just posted a video of different brands that have missed the mark and Ariana Grande was one of them. I totally agree, what an opportunity wasted to do something amazing. Love this type of content!
personal responsibility really irks me. not that we have none and shouldn't consider our impact, but for me personally as someone who lives paycheck to paycheck, there isn't much mental capacity i have for much other than making ends meet. with the limited money i do have, however, i've chosen not to buy from certain places despite the money it would save me (amazon, walmart, etc). there's something wrong to be found with any company i buy from, but that goes back to the lack of mental capacity i have, and i simply can't afford to grocery shop at "better" stores. i will easily admit i can only take in so much information about what i should/shouldn't be doing to support sustainability. i do little things i can manage, and try not to stress myself about what doesn't feel attainable for me at this point in my life.
i always appreciate the well-rounded views you give on things, and your effort to understand different peoples points of views. not many youtubers seem to genuinely care about people who aren't living a similar life to them.
agree so much with everything you said here. For sustainability to be enough of concern that it makes or breaks what people do/don’t purchase, they’re already coming from a place of privilege
I really cannot wait for Auric to drop that green compact. I am hopping it is just a mirror, but if not I am buying whatever it is. Also I adore that blush color it kind of gives me the vibes of a slightly sunburnt flush. I am not sure if it is a future Auric product or not, but it is beautiful! I loved this chatty video :)
I also found R.E.M. to be so disappointing. I didn't have high hopes, but out of all the celebrity brands so far that has to be one of the ones I was most disappointed by. Haus labs and aboutface also don't really interest me personally :/
@@anastasiacaamano479 I'm shocked hauslabs has actually lasted as many years as it has. I would have thought it would have disappeared by now honestly.
The shopping bag thing kills me. You have to use a bag thousands of times for it to have a positive impact. We all have soooo many reusable bags at this point.
On the same note, they found that when banning plastic grocery bags, the sale of plastic garbage bags goes up. Those are often thicker and use more plastic so the overall effect ends up having a negative effect on the environment.
It’s all so heartbreaking. 😞
Here is nz we have phased out plastic bags. But sometimes I see American youtubers go shopping and they still use plastic bags over there. So bad!
It's terrible. I wish people didn't consume so much. We are our own demise. Sadly.
I totally get this, Im from Western Australia its not uncommon for shipping to cost more than an actual product, it can be up to around 45 USD ($65) just for shipping, which can take up to a month, with no insurance. We also don't have the ability to return makeup if its been opened, even if you buy it in a store (and theres 1 sephora in my entire state)...The combo of those things means I think we're generally a lot more forgiving when it comes to small business expenses - usually people wait until they're going to make a big purchase, or they go in together on orders with friends. Unfortunately though I can totally understand how if you came from somewhere else and never had to wait for things you wouldn't have the same buying culture :(
I'm from N.S.W. I remember buying a pair of shoes from T.U.K. I loved them and they were on sale for around $50-$60 but the shipping was $85! I was devastated. I ended up getting my mum to buy the shoes for me for my birthday which was coming up and I paid for the shipping. I was so mad but god damn I loved those shoes. They were white pumps with hot pink soles and news print articles about the sex pistols and they had chains on the back 💜💜💜
@@esmeraldagreengate4354 ive had that happen so many times! Also I recently bought some eyeshadows from Clionadh ive wanted for years...took them 6 days to get them from Canada to Sydney and they're estimating another 16 days to get to me in Perth...
@@kimfeddema6302 I live near the VIC border about 4 hrs from Melbourne. Anything I order from the goes up to Sydney does the scenic route up there and then out to Albury and 1 week later it's gotten to me from it's starting spot 3 hrs away 🤦♀️😭🤣
The way I literally got a Sephora ad on this video lmao
Also completely agree on the Amazon front. I truly hate how Amazon is set up. The entire experience is awful and the website is ugly and I just hate it
The business aspect? 100% agree. But the way society is? They really dgaf and dont bother researching or understanding how things work. Its a very consumer-based society with high demand. It’s ridiculous. I grew up with my moms side being a farming community and one of her siblings actually being married to a farmer. Knowing where food comes from, the work that goes into it, etc. I appreciate learning so much. Theres so much the “pop culture” based population doesn’t understand or refuses to hear out the other side of things. I appreciate you being authentically yourself even on YT where people can be too solicited to keep followers.
Excellent call-out on transit costs! I work in logistics for CPG, and the amount of business that chase cheap real estate for a warehouse or manufacturing only to pay on the backend to ship to CA, FL, NY for distribution blows my mind!
As someone that's from West Virginia, I'm impressed you know it's a state and amused that you didn't know Maryland was one. West Virginia isn't a bad choice if you are focused on the east coast for shipping, but you may have to build the factories from the ground up if somewhere rural, while in a city, there's more likely to have an existing structure that can be easily converted.
that’s why luxury clothing brands will say they are made in portugal, it’s still in europe but wages are VERY low compared to other countries (specially NA) even more sustainable clothing brands like djerf avenue will use factories in portugal but I wonder how big their markup is from what they pay the factories that most likely pays them minimum wage vs what they charge because at the end of the day what’s a liveable wage? why aren’t they more clear?
You’re so right though. I genuinely want to support small businesses. Like my local friend who makes cute shirts with cute decals. But they charge $40 plus shipping. When I can get the same shirt from SHEIN almost for $9, plus coupons and free shipping. For me; it doesn’t make sense and I can’t afford those small business prices. Im frugle and love saving money. But I also understand they can’t afford to compete with SHEIN prices. And the seamlessness of their big corporation! It’s genuinely a lose lose situation. It’s hard!
I know we’re taking about makeup here. But this is currently a similar internal fight I’ve been dealing with.
@Gaia Barone It's a harsh truth. I think a move towards minimalism or being more minimalistic is the only way people begin to see it is possible to own less, higher quality, pieces.
@Gaia Barone yes! It’s absolutely an important conversation to have with others and with ourselves internally! And it’s videos like this one that will help spread the awareness to allow ourselves to look inwards to change. ❤️
Shein has higher than allowed ammounts of lead and other materials in their clothes and products so theyre basically slowly poisoning you - everything comes at a cost one way or another
Look up issues w shein and then decide if 9$ is really a deal
Yeah, $40 plus shipping is way too much, especially in this times of rising prices, it would prolly be less expensive to go pick up the merch in person! I can support local business if they're close by, otherwise can't afford it. For those who say "buy less and support the locals", maybe the person speaking is already buying less and still can't afford it.. just sayin'
@@simokthxbai as a sewist, I can tell you 40 dollars for a shirt is probably barely enough for a person to make a living off. (Assuming they handmade the shirt as well) I’m assuming her freind just buys bulk tshirts for super cheap though and then just adds decals and sells them. I doubt they are becoming millionaires off that price. It makes me terribly sad to think we’ve just erased the people who make clothes and think it “should” cost 10 dollars for a shirt just because we can’t afford a 40 dollar shirt. This is where only buying what is needed and buying high quality and eithically made come into play. I wear the same three dresses non stop, made of a linen/cotton blend and have mended so many of my husbands work jeans, made my childrens clothes etc.. and it’s not cheap to do this actually. I do it for longevity of garments and to stop feeding the crazy fast fashion machine that produces such low quality products from the hands of modern day slaves whom only make pennies for the clothes we wear a few times before throwing them out and wanting something new.
Wow Sam, I learned a lot from this. I’m a Black immigrant in the USA. 5 years ago unused to roll my eyes and almost get angry when I heard people talk about the environment and sustainability. I only started to care when I realized that environmental abuse and climate change intersects with many things I care about (racism, zoning laws, class issues). Most change occurs when people find a reason to care. Your talk about small business, shipping expectations helps people care. Thanks
Rarely commenting on videos, but here i have to:
Thank you for being who you are and doing what you do! From the bottom of my heart, you beautiful human being. 💜💚💜
As someone who lives in Maryland it absolutely cracked me up to hear you say “that’s a state?!?” Lol!
mildly concerning maybe? 😂
Yes to supporting small businesses! It’s something I always try to do whenever I feel like I want to buy something - and I also appreciate anyone doing the same since I own a small (really small actually) business myself. And I agree on personal responsibility as for example I am someone who sells online mainly, and majority of people that buy from me are abroad (unfortunately). I decided to spend more money to have packaging that is 100% compostable even if it is not convenient for me money-wise. I also always tell my customers where I buy my packaging from in hope if they need to ship something out in the email they know a company they can purchase their mailers from, having a lesser impact on the health of the environment. So many little things can be done in our lives to make this place a better one honestly
I hear what you're saying about smaller collections vs larger collections - I think about my small collection of makeup in high school, vs the hoard I have now, and I feel quite embarrassed. I don't value my makeup as much now even though I have high end pieces vs primarily drugstore in high school. It wasn't so bad when I was doing my makeup 4-6 times a week, experimenting with eyeshadow looks, having artsy fun with it, but since working from home, masking, and just the general stress and reprioritization experienced because of the pandemic, I don't wear much more than eyebrow gel and mascara anymore. My hoard of eyeshadow and other non day to day makeup seems so excessive and awful now. And it grosses me out that despite the collective trauma we all went through, how so many people have lost loved ones or are now in financial shambles because of the pandemic and inflation, and celebs keep pushing all these thoughtless skincare and makeup lines on us, expecting us to fuel their wealth in yet another way despite the position we are all in. It pisses me off. Most of these celebrities did fuck all to help us during the height of the pandemic, and became wealthier throughout the pandemic, and yet they're STILL trying to scrape more money away from us, while destroying the environment.
IM LIVING FOR THESE RANT-Y VIDEOS they feel like we're just hanging out and the vibes are immaculate and i just love it thank you
I enjoyed this entire video. Thanks for sharing this perspective!
I work in manufacturing in the US, and the cost for 1-10 each of something is significantly higher than 100, 200, 1000, etc. We have to pay minimum order quantities (MOQ) for raw material, hardware, supplies, etc., so when you order higher volume, that cost is amortized over 1000 parts instead of 1-10 parts. We manufacture metal goods, so if 1 sheet of raw material makes 500 parts, but you only order 1, you still have to buy 1 sheet of metal. We can’t order a 1/10th of a sheet from our vendors.
I was just looking into the reusable cotton bag study earlier today and the 20,000x number doesn't tell the whole story. This is the high estimate of uses (the low estimate being 150 to offset the carbon footprint). When looking at every area on which the reusable cotton bag manufacturing process has an environmental impact, the high carbon footprint seems to be largely due to ozone depletion. To quote Oxford geoscience researcher, Dr. Hannah Ritchie:
"Why is this ozone depletion figure so high? Seems to come from electricity use for irrigation in cotton production (sourced from gas, where two ozone-depleting gases are used in transport).
If we were to irrigate from low-carbon energy sources, this wouldn’t be so high."
Your point still stands, things are way more freaking complicated than they seem. Thank you for being a thoughtful business owner, Sam ♥️🌱
So, I think that the personal responsibility argument makes sense for people with more privilege - if you can afford to shop sustainable fashion, for example, that's great. But the personal responsibility argument can be used to shame people without access to what capitalism tells us is most sustainable - like shaming poorer, larger bodied people for shopping fast fashion when "sustainable" clothing just isn't an option (both size wise and cost wise). Basically, the personal responsibility angle can be used as another tool of oppression, I think, upholding rich white "sustainability" (like your example of cotton tote bags) while demonizing less flashy but actually more sustainable options (like reusing yogurt containers). It's definitely more nuanced than "personal responsibility is meaningless" though!
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This is the kind of influence that I wish more people would deliver. I appreciate you touching on topics that may not be popular or are controversial but important. It does leave you thinking about what the right mindset should be about being sustainable.
I love companies like makeup revolution that come out with an excessive amount of items every single week and then they get a line that is sustainable, like what? Adding more isn't sustainable, changing what you already have would be. Just like buying a new sustainable mattress isn't really good for the environment lol. Using the mattress you already have is better than throwing it away to buy something that is sustainable you know?
Yes! I work at a small business, and people do NOT understand that we do not have the same advantages as large corporations. Shipping is not free. Us shipping from Illinois to California in the US is a minimum of $25 for our products. So people that keep ordering and returning product are robbing us blind, and they're upset when we won't ship a third one because "maybe we'll like this version better". No. We've lost so much money and you've already damaged two products. We do have to pay our employees a living wage.
Ethical production is expensive. It just is.
I love this video and discussion, thank you for talking about these important topics. I feel like so many people never think about the origins of the things they buy and everything that goes into it. I also cannot imagine living a life where it feels like my actions and decisions do not matter. I will always continue to do my best and make the most sustainable choices that I can.
I’ve attended several sustainability/environment related conferences, and I almost exclusively have the experience of being like “yeah, it was okay, not that interesting,” but then bring up things I learned there very frequently. I noticed you did a similar thing in this video and had to laugh to myself.
Hi Sam, would really love that R.E.M video idea, but as someone who doesn’t use Amazon -like ever- (28yo) I truly love waiting for that package cause sometimes I forget I even order it.
But celebrity brands are popping up like weeds and it really doesn’t making me gravitate forwards those brands.. unless it’s rare
i think the part that's the hardest to swallow is not that caring about the world (sustainability, workers earning a living wage etc) makes thing more expensive, it's that it often makes things Too Expensive for Me to Afford. and i don't even just mean it in a hannah louise poston breakthrough way wherein i had to reckon with the fact that i Can't and Will Never personally own and consume everything that i find beautiful, but in a more banal and bloodsucking way. like I Cannot afford to purchase and consume chocolate the way i have for all of my adult life if i commit to buying chocolate that isn't produced by child/slave labor. and sure, a part of that is because i don't actually make a living wage, but when i sat down and did the math i found that for me to be a responsible chocolate consumer, living within my means, i would eat chocolate a few times a year the way that middle or upper middle class people eat caviar. and that made me deeply deeply sad about my salary and my budget for the things i find beautiful and the bags of cocoa powder in my pantry each cost over $25 and last week when i was visiting my sister i spent less than that on all the ingredients it took to bake her a cake, including a bag of hershey's chocolate chips. it's a lot to hold in my brain all at once. there's a burdensome feeling that can accompany the recognition that to be decent to others i must refrain from doing things that Aren't Generally Perceived as Bad... like you mentioned, this conversation has been had time and time again--as it should. we owe a lot to each other and the spaces we share and i can live a full and joyous life with slightly less chocolate in it
Agree with so many of the points you made in this video. There’s few celebrity brands I am excited about anymore. It seems like there’s a new brand launching all of the time and I care less and less each time. It also feels like they don’t do much to differentiate themselves beyond which celebrity is backing the brand.
Sam, I love these bitching/complaining videos please keep up the constructive criticism with a dash of petty, I am fully here for this kind of content.
Cotton bags are one of my biggest pet peeves!! They make us feel virtuous and like we are helping but they are doing the opposite - I really wish brands would stop gifting them.
P
I’m of the camp that the biggest responsibility lies in big corporations or these elite people who continue to mass produce plastic or take their daily flights on private Jets. It doesn’t mean I don’t do my own part though. I just really so feel like what I do is peanuts. Which is fine, but the real change is not going to come from a small portion of individuals who take their reusable cloth bags to the grocery store.
Also, as a sewist myself, you’re spot on about all the pricing. I would get so many people saying I should sell clothes but people who have a heart attack if I told them how much that would actually cost them.
First there is sourcing organic, ethically produced fabrics. 💰 Then, you have to cut individual pattern pieces every time you sew unless you’re using a standard set of patterns (which you still need to cut) 💰
Then you need to cut the fabric 💰
Then Is the actually sewing part 💰
Then there’s quality check and shipping materials and costs is another whole set of costs 💰💰
(I forgot to mention the cost of supplies and machinery and the upkeep of it 💰💰)
Not a single person in North America could ever survive making t shirts, even out of the cheapest materials, because people assume it should cost 10 dollars.
Even 20 dollars is a slap to the face because just cutting out a pattern and then cutting out the fabric can come close to a half hour- to an hours work depending on the intricacy of the shirt or garment snd that 20 dollars is gone just right there. What about the rest of the work?? It really is awful to think shirts can go for 5 dollars at Walmart. Somebody made that and I promise you they didn’t make even half of that amount of money.
Personal responsibility affects the demand part of the equation, which in turn will influence supply. So I totally agree it matters.
I always feel like a better human when I hear, what I think and believe as a consumer, be absolutely validated in every video you put out like this, Sam. It's good to know, that influencers like you, are still with the majority. Not like most celebrity brands that are just a cash grab in a niche market that's en vogue at the time. That's why, you will forever, have my support! 😌
AGREE SO MUCH W REM BEAUTY! I would’ve loved to see the 60s vintage makeup glam that ari is usually known for, or some type of cottage core esq feminine vibe and it didn’t give that at all
Thank you for explaining that sustainability isn’t always what the sustainable “stereotypes” are. I feel like a lot of us only take “trendy" environmental impacts into consideration, like plastic pollution and CO2 emissions, but there’s so much more to sustainabiliy that needs to be taken into account. Like how much water is being used and whether or not it’s local or “virtual”? - ie we consume the water from a banana in the US, but it's grown in Brazil - that impacts both environments). How is the soil and land being used? - there’s a difference between clear cutting old growth forests that inevitably lead to soil erosion vs selective cutting certain trees so the land isn’t disturbed… the list goes on for this very complicated subject.
I feel we do all have a personal responsibility, but rather than using our energy to consume more 'sustainable' products, we should put it towards voting and environmental activism which may actually be able to have an impact. Ethical consumption can become an unproductive rabbit hole whereas activism has so much more potential.
Fascinating! Your comment about wanting sustainability from smaller brands but not larger brands being linked to ideas about "personal responsibility" was so interesting to think about
also I so appreciate you talking about the topic of how non-obvious the most sustainable option can be. another example is how much energy and the impact of sourcing and manufacturing reusable coffee cups/water bottles way outweighs the impact of using the cardboard or plastic versions. Especially because it’s not like people buy just one reusable cup or bottle and use it the required 200,000 times or whatever it is, most people buy one and probably lose it or decide it’s gross now and they need a new one. it’s a very complex topic
Loved this! As an esthetician and small biz/mom as well, it's soooooo hard to maintain realistic expectations of our clients/customers.
With regards to the extortionate pricing of the more eco friendly/biodegradable packaging - my theory is that those companies, the same as all other companies in existence, are in the business to make money (as is their right!!) and they are very aware that the pressure on companies to use such packaging is rapidly increasing. Meaning, sooner rather than later, they will have no choice BUT to pay that price for the packaging that one day will probably become a legal requirement. Perhaps those prices will go down one day, but I think not dramatically; just enough to make it a little more digestible, but realistically they will probably also get government funding because our governments are the most cunning of business institutions on this planet. They see what the people are concerned about and what changes they want, and when they implement those changes it's always in a way that's gonna make them their investment back with good profit.
Anyways I'm only really commenting to improve engagement on your channel because I'm glad to see you back and I look forward to more content from you and I want it to be worth your while. I'm very interested to see other things you pick up on in the industry now that you're so deep in as a brand owner, and how your views might be changing with it.
Sam we need a video on what you do for your sustainability things at home/natural products!
The way charlotte’s hollywood flawless filter is a CHOKEHOLD on ppl………….
But sam knew it first 😏
I'd love to see what products you love from small businesses! Makeup, home, etc.!
I agree, it’s frustrating that people with so many resources either cheap out, or create something completely unoriginal!
Happily, I just received a pair of your beautifully packaged lashes in the mail! I can’t wait to try them.
Thank you for having this conversation, it's refreshing to hear a successful business owner and indivudual from the beauty/vlogging TH-cam space discuss these issues. I also agree that personal responsibility is crucial to transforming the capitalist clusterfu*k we find ourselves in. I think shifting all blame onto industry (though they certainly deserve a heaping serving of blame, along with governments) is an easy way to live guilt free while not having to change the ways in which we consume. If you're poor you can't afford to make better choices, and most of the people who can afford to, choose not to. Nothing is ever going to change so long as profit is the be-all-end-all goal.
We both live in BC, there pretty much isn't a service you can visit (gas station/coffee shop/restaurant/retail store/grocery store) that pays their employees a living wage. All of these places typically pay minimum wage which is $15.65, yet the living wage for metro Vancouver is $20.52. The business community throughs a fit every time the minimum wage is increased. This has been an issue for as long as I can remember (I'll be 45 next month), and now it's getting dire. Most businesses refuse to address it (but are happy to reap the benefits), governments (municipal, provincial, and federal) refuse to address it, and the majority of the general public turn a blind eye.
Cost of living continues to rise, wages continue to drop (when you factor in productivity levels vs inflation over time), housing is becoming reserved for the financially priviliged, and our healthcare and education systems are failing nationwide due to chronic underfunding. Disabilty supports accross the country fall well below the poverty line, and have for decades. We've started seeing the beginnings of people choosing MAID (medically assisted death), not because there aren't options that would improve their quality of living, but because they are unable to afford those options.
It's grim out there. Change needs to happen and personal responsibility can drive that change, especially for those who are privileged enough to choose better. Slave labour has become the accepted norm, and I can't for the life of me understand why more people don't give a shit. And you're right, people say they want better, more sustainable options, but don't seem to want to pay for it. Make it make sense.
Climate change is not being driven by a bunch of random, powerless ppl making bad choices, it's being driven by the likes of ExxonMobil and the politicians they bribe ("lobby") to let them continuing making hundreds of billions from the sale of hydrocarbons and then hiding most of the proceeds in offshore tax havens. You are right that "Nothing is ever going to change so long as profit is the be-all-end-all goal". "Industry" (capitalists) and the neoliberal capitalist state are to blame for the exploitation and poverty you describe here, as well as for driving catastrophic climate change, but i kinda dig your roundabout argument that we do have personal responsibility to end it.
This is my fav kind of video! Chatty, critical commentary and giggles
I have the same thoughts on the personal responsibility topic! Like obviously large scale change needs to be made, but individual people making small changes can result in a big outcome.
For example, if a huge brand has a popular product that's in wasteful packaging I'm not going to make a difference if I email the company for change. However, if a lot of people who enjoy that product email the company asking for change or even "vote with their dollar" and suddenly stop purchasing said product that could make a big difference. My one email isn't going to do anything, but hundreds/thousands of people taking personal responsibility and making the choice to email could make a big change and sending an email isn't even a big action.
I couldn’t agree more. I remember my first large Sephora purchase was a Tarte Christmas palette and I treasured that palette and I still have it! I hit pan on everything… now there is so much waste… these youngins just don’t understand.
Ps. Don’t ever talk about my dream matte mousse like that again 😂
Selena seems to be pretty involved in Rare. She is always using her products, posting their uses etc. I love THE brand and you can see her genuine excitement about what her and the Rare team are creating and I am not a fan just genuinely like the makeup and her involvement.
From someone who hasn’t shopped for makeup in years but used to be totally into it, I came for the makeup but have stayed for YEARS for these rants and truth talks. I feel like every video you put up I will always watch!!
I would think that youtube influencer brands are kind of the same as a celeb brand. It is usually a smaller start up for influencer brands to build their line up of products, but imagine how much harder it is for someone without nearly 1 million subscribers.
yep, felt like this was a blind spot that was ignored throughout the whole video
The irony is loud for sure.
I definitely agree that personal responsibility matters. We live in a influencer heavy time where majority of people decide to spend their money on products and things that are pushed or "recommended" by a targeted ad or an influencer that they may follow so you would hope that said influencer was conscious of their decision making and their environmental impact. I think another thing that adds to the oversaturated brand market is the idea of overconsumption or the feeling of needing something just because it may be better than the thing we have at the moment. People are spending more on beauty products than what they would pay for groceries in any given week. I say that from a personal experience of witnessing people close to me having to stay within the trends rather than having a healthy budget. I wish more influencers realized that personal responsibility matters a LOT. Maybe that drugstore item is cheaper but let's think about why... it's made in a facility in China that pays their workers less than minimum wage and does not provide ideal working conditions as well as unethical testing methods.... people aren't thinking about how big brands like Maybelline and Loreal are what they are. The buyers market in the fashion and beauty industry is sooo heavy right now that celebrities are being pitched these ideas of starting a brand because their financial advisors know that it's going to make them a lot of money. Celebrities don't really have the product knowledge that even a lot of the every day person has because what we see is what a makeup artist has done to give them the image they have so their ideology is essentially all about keeping a consistent brand within their art. "rem beauty" and "rare beauty" these are all taken from albums that they were trying to push out in sales and to the public when it was released so it seems ideal, but none of the products coming out of these brands are actually created by the celebrity at all, even if you see them using it, they barely impacted the actual creation of the product. Oh man I can go on and on about all of this but I will leave it there and end with PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY DOES MATTER. No matter how small of an impact you think you're making....
I appreciate your viewpoint on personal responsibility.
I know a lot of people talk about how it doesn’t matter, but I also cannot live knowing that there is nothing we can do on a personal level to change things for the better.
I want to leave this earth knowing I did my best (within my own means) to protect it.
valid af video again, sam. it's just interesting to me that consumers unfortunately hold small brands to the same standard as large brands in terms of shipping costs, product costs, shipping times, etc. maybe it's because i work for a large brand but i've seen the amount of effort and people required to maintain those low shipping costs and fast shipping times etc., and small brands composed of two people simply don't have the capital, infrastructure, and man power in comparison. also mac warm soul was 100% reformulated, i can't tell u how i know i just do
could legit listen to you talk abt sustainability all day bc you’re so right!! personal responsibility and a lot of these “sustainable” alternatives are just examples of greenwashing. would love a whole video on greenwashing tbh
Branding nerd / marketing professional here lol. Branding is so incredibly important. I’d argue it’s the most important use of your budget when starting a brand. Celeb brands don’t always put enough energy into fully developing innovative products or put enough creativity into their launches because they rely on that celebrity name to sell their products instead of being a cool, inventive company separate from that name. The brands that we love so much from celebs are the ones that can stand alone despite that name attached.
I will call this "The return of the mysterious green compact"
Ok so I’m not alone in being curious about what it is! Lol
I'm with you on having to believe personal responsibility does matter. I would love for it to be wide spread and bigger industries make a change. I can only control myself and my choices. Where I live doesn't even have a recycling option. I literally take all our recycling to either my father's house or where I used to live because I refuse to not recycle. It bothers me that much.
The 2 main celebrity brands I like are Fenty and Rare. They're the only ones that seem to get shit right. You can tell that most celebrities aren't relevant anymore and just want to put crap into the beauty world. It's so pointless. They all have plenty of money as it is. If you're not going to make a positive impact, you shouldn't bother. I get you can have a passion for something but you don't have to create it just to do a cash grab. It bombs every single time.
I love Sam ted talks. ♥️
do you live in a democracy?
Thank you for once more reading my thoughts and speaking on them in a more eloquent and expansive way than I could ever express.
i completely agree with this rant about personal responsibility
we live in a consumer driven economy and there are things we really can’t effect much like kim air and the sheer volume of samples a beauty brand sends to landfills daily
but whether or not their packaging can be broken down to be easily recyclable? or their ingredients are ethically sourced? if we want those things they’ll make it happen because it’s just good business
we can make the sustainable option Just Good Business by law of demand and we have so much power in that
Totally agree with REM.. haven’t bought anything or even felt inclined to
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do the rem beauty video. as a stan i have been disappointed in the line. would love to her the vision from your beautiful mind. 💕
I’m with you on the thing about maybe each of our individual choices don’t make a difference but our collective choices change industries
More people need to adjust expectations or indie brands and small businesses. I’ve seen so many complaints in makeup groups about not ordering from certain brands because of how long it takes to receive product. I always make allowances for indie/small businesses and am ok with longer shipping times and even delays, as long as there is transparency about the delays. I need to do better though about adjusting my own expectations as far as shipping costs though. I have definitely caught myself being like I spent x amount and that doesn’t qualify for free shipping.
Personal responsibility is so important because whether you have a large platform or not, you still have the ability to inspire others to make better decisions, who then inspire others to make better decisions and you all bring up children who make better decisions and so on. That's how we change the world. It may not be perfect, but we do our best with what we know now, then as we know better, we do better. Love these chats. ❤
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YES I want you to make a series of what products you want to see from brands! Celebrity, influencer, mainstream, any of it. I want your hot takes.
But using bags you already have for the beach or camping or traveling or whatever as a grocery bag is more sustainable than using plastic or buying bags specifically for shopping. Multipurpose is really what is better imo.