I enjoy a good story of inspiration, but I don’t need it – the story won’t make me purchase, and it’s unlikely to turn me away from purchasing. It can be nice to hear about what went into making product selections!
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Not really – I’m more interested in the product. I’m so out of the loop that I don’t even know who some of these people who, with their stories, “inspire” a collection and the same is true with a lot of the films, tv shows etc. – I’ve never seen The Walking Dead or Orange is the New Black or pretty much EVERYTHING that is popular (and, no, I won’t be going to see the Barbie Movie….too migraine-inducing, and I don’t even suffer from migraines).
Ditto!
No, while I might find the inspiration mildly interesting, it’s really all about the shades and formula.
Same!
I’m SO into the story. If I hear about an inspiring concept/story and don’t actually want or like the product, I’ll often create looks and palettes of singles/palette combinations based off the concept
In some very specific instances, it certainly can and has! For example: a Collab with someone in the beauty space whom I deeply respect and care about (Mel Thompson, Jackie Aina and yourself), aquatic (Clionagh Deep Sea Treasure) or cute animal themes (Menagerie Cosmetics Flight Club), or a beloved performer dedicated collection (Whitney Houston, Selena or Aaliyah). Oh, and I’m a sucker for Star Wars themed goodies, too! BUT; only when I feel like the quality is worth it, shades are ones that I would enjoy using, and at least that it’s true to its theme/or persona.
Conversely, I can also be put off by the theme or persona!
I was going to write ‘Not really’ but then I thought of how I didn’t purchase the Melt brand’s Smoke Sessions palette (the colours I love) because of its references to cannabis use or many of Nars’s products for their sleazy references in their names. So yes, in a way the backstory does influence me somewhat.
Mainly though, I am interested in the product – is it good? Will it suit me? etc.
It depends, but it’s not the first thing I consider when choosing a palette. It’s got to be a brand I trust, with a great formula and color story that suits me. If the colors aren’t pigmented enough or won’t work with my skintone, then it’s not the product for me.
True inspiration behind the collection matters a lot to me! I’m not into collabs with celebs or movie/tv-series themed collections at all, but I don’t view these as “inspiration”, I view those as collab and marketing.
I used to love the Chanel collections in the Lucia Pica Era where she would draw inspiration from her travels, her home town Milan, etc. and then the marketing included polaroid photos of the colors she had (supposedly) seen on her travels and these same shades and hues were repeated in the makeup products. My current go-to brand is Suqqu and each of their collection is inspired by something, such as winter roses, sunflowers, japanese silk dyeing techniques, opal etc. and the collections reflect the source of inspiration beautifully and elegantly. I may be a sucker but I do love buying a good inspirational story/mood with the makeup product!
It can be fun to read, or hear about what inspired a collection, but it’s not a deal maker or breaker for me.
The important thing will always be the products, I mean, I really liked Prince a lot, but with the collection UD made it was an easy skip. Meanwhile I may not even know who someone is, but still love products from a collection and buy some.
I do think there have been and will be in the future collabs, or inspiration from persons or shows I really dislike and that could make me not want even a stellar product.
No. After years of working in marketing, knowing how the sausage is made makes all these “brand narratives” repulsive—possibly even triggering. I never want to hear the pseudo-poetic ramblings of an ambitious cubicle drone trying to find the psychological pressure points of their market.
If it’s something I like, that looks good on me and performs well at a fair price, then I’ll get it. Period.