Sephora

sprocketta · ‎03-19-2020

Things are crazy now. I think we are all trying to stay healthy and maintain sanity as well. I thought I would start this thread so folks can check in and discuss how they're doing. I want all my BIC friends to be okay. I will kick this off with a first post. Take care of yourself lovelies.

Nickelliebear1 · ‎01-18-2021

@ather I live on my own so my only human interaction are with coworkers and my customers, lol. Hopefully you're getting closer to regaining some sense of normalcy.

naturalooks15 · ‎01-11-2021

Just a very very sad time for our country 😞 Lost pride. Can't say anything when my friends from other countries ask what's happening here. I am just worried where are we headed.

Not sure if I am optimistic but let's see if hope restores on 20th and beyond.

itscarin · ‎01-11-2021

I'm going to ramble. Consider yourself warned.

When I first moved out of my house at 18, I moved to Boston, and I used to walk around and see the most bizarre things. Like one time I saw a homeless lady pushing a stroller with like 3 telly tubbies strapped in. She was just pushing her stroller along mass ave like it was normal, and nobody else batted an eyelash. I, on the other hand, was looking around to see if anyone else noticed the very odd scenario, and then I was even more confused when nobody else seemed to notice.

That's how I feel about Wednesday. A group of domestic terrorists ransacked the Capitol with the intention of taking elected officials and their aides by force, and doing god-only-knows-what with them. (And let's be honest, they weren't going to give them a pat on the back and let them go.) That being said, everyone around me seems to be acting like this is normal. (And I'm generalizing here so please don't take this personal.)

It feels like 9/11, only half of the country can't see it for what it is.

It makes me feel like that 18 year old watching the homeless lady stroll down Mass Ave with her Telly Tubbies, and nobody else is paying her any mind. And then that makes me wonder, "did I just see what I think I saw? Nobody else seems to see it. Maybe I'm the crazy one!" But no... we did just see a bunch of domestic terrorists and an insurrection.

And then speaking of mental health -- I feel like I almost have to tip-toe around the insurrection because I understand that a lot of people are stressed out and scared by Wednesday, and are trying to take a mental-health-break from the news, but I'm the opposite where I feel like Wednesday was bad and we need to acknowledge it every single day until something is done to address it.

I'll wrap this up and say thanks for reading, I hoping you're all doing okay, too!

pocketvenus · ‎01-18-2021

@itscarin Here's an analysis from Business of Fashion regarding the radio silence. It's not about beauty, but the two industries are so closely intertwined, I think it applies.

Spoiler

Soon after a costumed, right-wing mob, inflamed by online memes and outgoing US President Donald Trump, stormed the seat of the country’s democracy last Tuesday to stop the certification of the 2020 election results, many companies took swift action to protect their brands. Almost immediately, many paused their marketing activities for fear of appearing next to coverage or commentary on what President-elect Joe Biden gravely called “insurrection.”

The same day, CEOs from technology to finance issued statements on the matter. Apple chief executive Tim Cook lamented a “sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history” and called for accountability. BlackRock chairman Larry Fink called the Capitol invasion “an assault on our nation, our democracy and the will of the American people.”

Even the Republican-leaning National Association of Manufacturers issued a strongly-worded statement denouncing the violence: “This is not law and order. This is chaos. It is mob rule.” And soon, companies from Amazon to Nike to Goldman Sachs had vowed to pause financial contributions to legislators who voted against certifying the election.

But few major brands rushed to make big consumer-facing statements.

Patagonia, no stranger to taking political positions, was one of the only fashion and apparel companies that issued a statement to its fans, condemning the “assault,” calling for the removal of Trump and noting the “double standard” in the security response to last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and the storming of the Capitol.

In recent years, leading brands like Nike and Gucci have reversed years of corporate neutrality, taking a public stance on sensitive topics from racism to gun control. Most famously, Nike embraced polarising American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem, which is played before sporting events across America, to protest the police brutality and wider social injustice suffered by Black people.

At the heart of the shift is the rising spending power of millennials, who expect the brands they love to embrace values that align with their own and take a stand on important socio-political issues as they lose faith in traditional institutions like government and the media. Millennial employees have similar expectations of the brands they work for at a time when attracting and retaining talent and fostering a strong company culture are more important than ever.

Never was this shift more visible than in the avalanche of support from major brands for Black Lives Matter when protests erupted after the police killing of George Floyd, another flashpoint in a deeply divided nation.

And yet, when a mob of white nationalists stormed the US Capitol last week, many of the same brands stayed silent, save for quiet statements pledging to withhold political donations. Why?

Some may have become more cautious after being burned when their statements supporting Black Lives Matter and other causes were seen as inauthentic, self-serving and, in some cases, at odds with their own internal cultures, attracting social media backlash.

In November, Gap was ridiculed when it posted (and then deleted) a tweet featuring a branded, half-red, half-blue hoodie — a reference to America’s political divide — with the caption: “The one thing we know, is that together, we can move forward.”

Others may have been wary of commenting on every new crisis at a volatile moment in history.

But for many, the underlying calculus was rooted in the distinction between politics and values. The killing of George Floyd was widely seen as above politics. It was not about being a Republican or a Democrat, or even an American. It was about fundamental human values that are global and universal in nature, transcending nations and their party politics in a way that the Capitol invasion — inextricably linked to Trumpism and the 2020 election — did not.

While universal values are not always universally shared, they are less fraught with the tension and complexity that can make party politics a minefield for brands. Critically, they can also be more easily activated in a way that is positive, constructive and aligns with a brand’s own framework of values. For example, Nike’s decision to support Kaepernick’s protest underscored its commitment to equality and aligned with its underlying belief in the universalism of sport.

Which brings us to the matter of aspiration. Fashion brands ultimately sell more than just clothes, shoes or bags. They sell a better you. As such, their worldview is fundamentally optimistic. Their brand storytelling is typically uplifting and empowering.

It’s far more natural and advantageous for them to stand for something positive — whether it’s racial equality or a cleaner planet — than stand against the ugliness of a reactionary mob.

Many brand managers will have watched the Capitol invasion unfold in real-time and, despite pressure from employees, quickly realised there was no positive brand story for them to tell.

Soon after a costumed, right-wing mob, inflamed by online memes and outgoing US President Donald Trump, stormed the seat of the country’s democracy last Tuesday to stop the certification of the 2020 election results, many companies took swift action to protect their brands. Almost immediately, many paused their marketing activities for fear of appearing next to coverage or commentary on what President-elect Joe Biden gravely called “insurrection.” The same day, CEOs from technology to finance issued statements on the matter. Apple chief executive Tim Cook lamented a “sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history” and called for accountability. BlackRock chairman Larry Fink called the Capitol invasion “an assault on our nation, our democracy and the will of the American people.”Even the Republican-leaning National Association of Manufacturers issued a strongly-worded statement denouncing the violence: “This is not law and order. This is chaos. It is mob rule.” And soon, companies from Amazon to Nike to Goldman Sachs had vowed to pause financial contributions to legislators who voted against certifying the election. But few major brands rushed to make big consumer-facing statements.Patagonia, no stranger to taking political positions, was one of the only fashion and apparel companies that issued a statement to its fans, condemning the “assault,” calling for the removal of Trump and noting the “double standard” in the security response to last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and the storming of the Capitol.In recent years, leading brands like Nike and Gucci have reversed years of corporate neutrality, taking a public stance on sensitive topics from racism to gun control. Most famously, Nike embraced polarising American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem, which is played before sporting events across America, to protest the police brutality and wider social injustice suffered by Black people. At the heart of the shift is the rising spending power of millennials, who expect the brands they love to embrace values that align with their own and take a stand on important socio-political issues as they lose faith in traditional institutions like government and the media. Millennial employees have similar expectations of the brands they work for at a time when attracting and retaining talent and fostering a strong company culture are more important than ever. Never was this shift more visible than in the avalanche of support from major brands for Black Lives Matter when protests erupted after the police killing of George Floyd, another flashpoint in a deeply divided nation. And yet, when a mob of white nationalists stormed the US Capitol last week, many of the same brands stayed silent, save for quiet statements pledging to withhold political donations. Why? Some may have become more cautious after being burned when their statements supporting Black Lives Matter and other causes were seen as inauthentic, self-serving and, in some cases, at odds with their own internal cultures, attracting social media backlash.In November, Gap was ridiculed when it posted (and then deleted) a tweet featuring a branded, half-red, half-blue hoodie — a reference to America’s political divide — with the caption: “The one thing we know, is that together, we can move forward.” Others may have been wary of commenting on every new crisis at a volatile moment in history.But for many, the underlying calculus was rooted in the distinction between politics and values. The killing of George Floyd was widely seen as above politics. It was not about being a Republican or a Democrat, or even an American. It was about fundamental human values that are global and universal in nature, transcending nations and their party politics in a way that the Capitol invasion — inextricably linked to Trumpism and the 2020 election — did not. While universal values are not always universally shared, they are less fraught with the tension and complexity that can make party politics a minefield for brands. Critically, they can also be more easily activated in a way that is positive, constructive and aligns with a brand’s own framework of values. For example, Nike’s decision to support Kaepernick’s protest underscored its commitment to equality and aligned with its underlying belief in the universalism of sport. Which brings us to the matter of aspiration. Fashion brands ultimately sell more than just clothes, shoes or bags. They sell a better you. As such, their worldview is fundamentally optimistic. Their brand storytelling is typically uplifting and empowering. It’s far more natural and advantageous for them to stand for something positive — whether it’s racial equality or a cleaner planet — than stand against the ugliness of a reactionary mob.Many brand managers will have watched the Capitol invasion unfold in real-time and, despite pressure from employees, quickly realised there was no positive brand story for them to tell.

Article by VIKRAM ALEXEI KANSARA

itscarin · ‎01-18-2021

@pocketvenus I’d say protecting the institutions that protect human rights is a positive brand story but I’m not in marketing. Shrug.

pocketvenus · ‎01-18-2021

@itscarin I definitely concur that this is a total no brainer when it comes to human rights. I think we see here a real conservatism in businesses when it comes to branding, human rights and their core value of generating and protecting profits.

As an aside, I would like to see this event spur people to seek out more ways of becoming civically engaged to addresss the rise of white supremacy and its underlying causes. Especially in ways that go beyond "consumer activism." A healthy democracy requires citizens organizing together in groups, and it requires lot more work than making individual decisions about which companies are moral enough to purchase stuff from. A lot of organizing has been eroded over the decades, like the decimated labour movement and lowered membership in civic groups but in recent years, I've seen things changing with more people seeking to get involved in political actions. Maybe this failed coup will accelerate things?

sprocketta · ‎01-13-2021

@itscarin i was avoiding the news that day to avoid the objections to the election drama. I was driving to my doctor's office when the music station I listen to interrupted with breaking news. I yelled in the car in surprise. It felt like a joke. This is surreal and it disgusts me. How can the US be like this? I have been reeling the last week. I feel this riot was clearly incited and 5 people died. I felt very lost last week. It still feels lost now.

I'm.glad you put this out there. Personally I think there should be prosecution for the incitement. He has blood on his hands and has no remorse. He is less than a cockroach to me and more dangerous.

The ease with which this riot happened distresses me terribly. The BLM protest had tons of law enforcement lined up. I think they were told to go easy on the protesters in favor of this sorrow of a president.

I feel so lost. I know I've said that. I hope the new administration puts some reason back in our lives right now.

itscarin · ‎01-13-2021

@sprocketta Thanks. Glad we're talking about it. It's just weird because each day goes by and you see a new person who was arrested in connection to the insurrection. Some of them are clearly nuttier than a fruit cake but others are seemingly normal.

I honestly am having a lot of difficulty focusing on anything other than the chaos. You see certain people saying they don't want to impeach because it would be too divisive and they're 'looking to unite' the country, but nobody was talking about unity when Joe Biden won the free and fair election.

People need to be brought to justice so we can all move on.

tsavorite · ‎01-12-2021

@itscarin , @pocketvenus , @WinglessOne , and everyone,

I'm really glad to see this situation discussed here, in this Thread. We are living in a nightmare. I think it is good for us to talk to each other. I'm in awe at how well you all are expressing yourselves. In my off-BIC life, I have not been able to stop talking about the Wednesday attack on the Capital Building and what needs to follow.

itscarin · ‎01-12-2021

@tsavorite I'm kind of surprised by the lack of reaction from the beauty community and mostly I mean influencers. I get that there isn't a big overlap between politics and beauty. I get it that nobody wants to get involved in a shouting match online. But we're talking about domestic terrorists overrunning the capitol building lookingto "dispatch" the Vice President, speaker of the house, and senate majority leader (I mean chuck not Mitch). This kind of thing isn't supposed to happen in America. We're supposed to be better than that.

And then im scrolling through Instagram and all the influencers are posting about fit tea, whatever new product is launching, etc, and I'm just like 😱 What is happening?! Wednesday just happened and you're really back to your regularly scheduled programmin?! One influencer I follow dipped out for her own mental health. Another influencer didn't really address Wednesday but did have some words for another influencer who was in support of the siege. But other than that, not a word.

SportyGirly125 · ‎01-13-2021

@itscarin I think a majority of them don't talk about it because they will lose followers. I follow some Doctors and Influencers who do talk about it and post on their feed and stories about how they feel but they start getting crazy DMs and get attacked and start to lose a lot of followers. Some don't care about losing followers but others do and don't want to bring up what's going on in fear of angrying people or not saying the right thing. It's always hard to talk about BLM, Politics, LGBTQIA and any ongoing issues on Social Media because people can be so mean.

pocketvenus · ‎01-13-2021

@SportyGirly125 It's so true, the level of vitriol and violence random strangers can unleash online, especially when you are a public figure and a woman, can get really extreme and scary 😞 Influencers are also precariously employed. Even when they are making a lot of income, they are not full time employees with benefits. The more precarious someone's safety and finances are, the less likely they will take any kind of risk, even if it is in their self interest. There's that saying, "people with mortgages don't go on strike." It's sad though, that this event is controversial.

itscarin · ‎01-13-2021

@SportyGirly125 I understand influencers make their livelihood via social media, but it's a little bit like the republicans who go along with trump even though they know he's evil. Yes, you keep your popularity if you stay silent, but at what cost? Is it that important to get re-elected or to keep your followers on social media? Do you like who you are when your head hits the pillow at night?

I know that people can be nasty online. But anyone who has something nasty to say about human rights: eg BLM or LGBTQIA is a warped individual.

WinglessOne · ‎01-12-2021

@itscarin @Kim888 That's one of the reasons I don't follow beauty influencers. Collectively, they're not very good at using their platforms for anything besides tutorials, sponsorships, self-marketing (which includes performative "support" of causes), and beauty community drama. And I mean, sure, most of their audience probably doesn't expect (or want) more than that in the first place so they're getting what they came to watch. Some folks use influencers as a fun escape from news bombardment, and I get that. But yeah, beauty influencers are some of the last people I expect to talk (on their own videos/channels & accounts) about this terrorist attack.

Eh, that doesn't mean they're not talking about it outside their own channels/accounts. We only see the parts of their lives they chose to show us. It'd be nice to see them give this disaster a bit of airtime on their platforms, but I have no idea if they're devoting time and energy to discussion and action outside their platforms. I don't mean to sound like I'm defending or excusing beauty influencers' silence. I guess my expectations of their platform use are already so low, their silence is no surprise or major disappointment to me—and for all I know, they're genuinely vocal about this terrorist attack elsewhere.

itscarin · ‎01-13-2021

@WinglessOne I saw a lot of brands step up for BLM. Sephora, Ulta, MAC (MAC has always been very supportive of diversity and inclusion), etc. But when a rabid mob storms the capitol looking to "dispense" the VP, Speaker of the House, and basically anyone who disagrees with them, noooooobody had anything to say.

I understand there's a difference between human rights and politics, but when your politics are denying human rights, there's no longer a separation between the two.

pocketvenus · ‎01-14-2021

@itscarin I think we see a difference because there were many ways to support BLM that could more or less stay within the status quo and avoid engaging in any meaningful political action like abolition. It also made $en$e for businesses and influencers to remain in shallow political waters and seize commercial opportunities like campaigns supporting Black owned beauty brands. That's not possible with a failed coup and domestic terrorists. It also seems to me like this is being twisted into a partisan issue and it is society and regular citizens that pay the price 😞 It makes it so much more difficult to have reasonable conversations based in facts and a shared reality. So perhaps it just seems too political, too off brand? But I mean, you're right this is super troubling - yet another topic that's soooo basic and consequential that has become controversial and difficult to talk about like the pandemic or climate change.

The thing is, it makes sense for businesses to stand up and protect democratic institutions. Most businesses do better in states that are politically stable and low in corruption where they can easily attract a skilled and healthy labour force, investment capital, and so on.

WinglessOne · ‎01-13-2021

@itscarin Well, beauty influencers and beauty companies/brands are (to me) 2 different things. 🙂 I expect brands to do whatever puts them in the best public light, based on the audience(s) they cater to. Honestly, I think several brands were purely performative about their BLM support last summer—but that's another topic. It is a bit surprising that more companies (not just beauty, but across all industries) haven't put out public statements about this yet. On one hand, I don't personally expect brands/businesses like Hourglass or Half Acre (one of my favorite Chicago beer breweries) or The Container Store to publish statements about the terrorist attack... but on the other hand, I'm kinda surprised they haven't yet.

SportyGirly125 · ‎01-13-2021

@WinglessOne Their platform is to sell products to their audience by talking about brands that we may be interested in. If they lose followers that means less money they could be receiving from views or what not.

WinglessOne · ‎01-13-2021

@SportyGirly125 Yeah, I know. That's partly why I don't expect influencers to speak out about this on their own platforms, and why I mentioned that their audience generally wants beauty-related content from them. It's also why they might choose to be vocal outside their own platforms, just as some people might choose not discuss this terrorist attack at their place of employment but will be very vocal about it outside of work.

Kim888 · ‎01-12-2021

@itscarin It makes me sad so many people have been silent because it makes a lot of their statements earlier in the year on BLM look like it was just performative activism but I’m not particularly surprised. They all jump on the band wagon when it benefits them but stay silent otherwise.

The entire thing and lack of outrage across the board is incredibly disturbing.

WinglessOne · ‎01-11-2021

@itscarin I think some folks are numb at this point, and some of them might also be in "🤷‍♀️ well what'd you expect to happen, I mean who didn't see this coming" mode.

But plenty of folks are talking about it, just not at every possible opportunity. Since Wednesday, my personal text chats and social media feeds—just among my friend and family, not even counting strangers and news articles—have been 95% "how the bleeping bleep did this bleepshow happen so bleeping easily, and how soon before another bleeping domestic or foreign terrorist group takes note" and "track down and prosecute all those traitors" (who shouldn't have been allowed to freely leave the scene of the crime in the first place but hey, what do I know 🙄) and "invoke the 25th right bleeping now."

I didn't expect to see much discussion about it here on BIC (or in a few other forums I frequent) though, just as I didn't expect to see much discussion about BLM here last summer—though I did bring it up in a BIC thread because it's not something I could stay silent about, considering how very personally I and anyone else with my skin tone were affected, and how badly we needed (and still need) folks without our skin tone to own and fix their own racism problem. With that in mind, I totally understand wondering why everyone everywhere isn't talking about last week's domestic terrorism attack.

Talking about it amongst ourselves isn't enough, though. It requires action. Not "invade the Capitol, assault cops (and kill one in the process), hold congresspeople hostage with zip ties [ EDIT for clarity: which they failed to do, thank goodness, but they definitely planned to do it ], steal laptops and papers and mail, wave confederate battle flags and wear anti-semitism shirts" action. But we need to keep pressure on lawmakers and lawkeepers to resolve this mess, and figure out how to better prep for it and combat it, because it's going to happen again. I wish we had fewer spineless and complicit people in congress and the office of VP right now (and no, resigning from a cabinet position this late in the game =/= bravery of the "I can no longer support" kind) but, well, here we are.