Wanted in 2019: Less Of This & More Of That

What do you want more of and less of from beauty brands [and the beauty community] this year? I have some definite opinions!!!

👉 I want:

• Cool tones!
• To see a significant decline in neutral eyeshadow palettes and neutral palettes with pops of color... (Adding a couple of 'fun' shades is not edgy or unique- it's still essentially a neutral palette. You ain't foolin' anyone with that.)
• More matte eyeshadows and fewer shimmers (unless maybe they are unusual duochromes)
• Greens and Purples in eyeshadow palettes... across the spectrum- lights, mediums, darks
• Less frequent releases with more thought and quality put into them... Hourglass and Anastasia Beverly Hills are two brands that come to mind immediately as "doing it right." Their launches don't feel like a money-grab. Solve a problem/fill a need, give us something different. Show us something we didn't even know we wanted or needed.
• Less messiness on social media.... (This goes for Brands and "Influencers.") Think before you type. You can still be yourself, but a tactful version- consider how your words and actions reflect on you and their impact on others. You can be funny without making fun of others. It's okay to be opinionated, but be mindful when expressing it. If you're upset in that moment, wait until you're feeling less so and you'll avoid a lof of controversy, drama and apologies later.
• Continued transparency and disclosure... You can maintain integrity and still make money!
• More tutorials! If you want, incorporate them with something else, but don't forget the instructional/educational details. Tutorials pair well with GRWM and First Impressions. (Tell us what you're using, how, where and, most importantly, why.)
• Better brow products for Redheads... I have the hardest time finding something that isn't too brown, too blond or too maroon/burgundy. Why is this so hard?! (Those that have the closest matches for me shade wise are Nyx and Vanity Mark, but I'm not totally in love with their formulas.)
• More brow products for 'fantasy' or 'funky' colored hair... KVD put out some pomades that were fairly decent, but with so many boycotting her now, we need someone else to step up to the plate. (I'd also like her brand or another to release brow pencils in these shades.) There are many more of us with usual hair nowadays and it's a nearly untapped market.
• A slight resurgence in bullet lipsticks... in Mattes, Satins and new opaque formulas in a wide variety of tones
• Drugstore brands to stay in their lane with their pricepoints... Quality and quantity can be improved without a cost hike. Just because you 'can' charge more, doesn't mean you 'should.' 
• New faces for collabs... We're tired of seeing the same handful of people get all the collabs. It isn't that we don't like them, but we see them all the time and it's become too much. Give others a chance!
• Coverage of uplifting 'drama...' people promoting their 'competition,' defending those who've been wronged, congrats for people getting their first brand deal or sponsorship, those who've hit a milestone, etc
• Less invasive drama investigations... I'll admit those can be interesting like idly flipping through a tabloid in a waiting room, but I don't feel good about it. I don't like seeing someone's career completely ruined [even if it is karmic retribution] or their mental health pushed to the limit. The truth can sometimes be painful, but cruelty isn't entertainment.
• Cancel Culture and reactionaries to back off a bit... We're 'canceling' too many people for too little. You don't need to make a formal announcement that you're unfollowing/unsubscribing. Do it and move on. If you're asked about it or really troubled by it, there's nothing wrong with saying you feel someone was in the wrong and why, but the absolute vitriol and vicious back and forth social media exchanges are unneccessary. I'd rather see people trying to help instead of hurt... Tell us what might change your mind! "Dialogue over Diatribe!"

******

🔮 Predictions for 2019:

• I think we'll continue to see more inclusivity, but it will be more obvious who is doing it for profit and who genuinely acknowledges and supports the need for change.
• The Clean Beauty trend will be polarizing- it will be on the rise and it will be criticized and debated.There will be a lot of misinformation from both sides to sift through.
• I feel there's going to be a previously trusted ingredient or existing popular product that becomes scandalous to use, but not because of the brand or faces promoting it. Maybe it will be found to be dangerous or it might be a cult classic that was needlessly reformulated and isn't as good now.
• Some brands will continue to regurgitate the same types of products over and over and over, because that is what they have always done. (Looking at you, Benefit.) But, the market is so saturated and fast-paced, I don't think that is going to work for them much longer.
•  I suspect some drama channels will be going in a different direction with their content. Whether for better or for worse, I think we'll see a bit of a noticeable shift somehow.
• I anticipate we will see more brands working with Men In Makeup directly or at the very least reposting their content. (Except Huda, lol.)

🤔 I wonder if we will see fewer brand deals for influencers this year after what happened in the beauty community last year? I am interested to see how marketing changes overall.