Anti-Haul – Jupiter Gimlet

Pinup Anti-Haul #2

As mentioned previously, I had another one of these planned down the pike. Now that we’re out of the Halloween collections and right before the holiday season, I wanted to put out something to also keep my pinup anti-haul game strong, because there’s a lot of temptation coming out this time a year with Black Friday and other sales, and I want you all to keep your bank accounts as strong as your spirits should be.

If you are not familiar with the concept of an anti-haul, please use this post for reference. As a reminder: this is not intended to be mean-spirited, it’s supposed to encourage smart purchasing habits and minimizing unnecessary consumerism. There are always better ways to spend your hard-earned money (be it paying off debt, savings, whatever), and while I believe moderation in all things, I also believe it’s OK to be spending on things with the caveat of being smart about it and really knowing yourself instead of buying aimlessly.

Without any more delay, let’s get into this holly jolly not buying shit discussion.

Janie Bryant x Unique Vintage

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Before we get into it, I have to be upfront and tell you I have a bone to pick with them. Unique Vintage bothers me for a few reasons, but mostly because of its slow and exorbitant shipping rates and fees. There are plenty of vintage reproduction sellers that offer faster shipping at lower rates in that same neck of the woods (e.g. Micheline Pitt, Heart of Haute, etc.) Hell, even for some of the UK brands they carry–it’s cheaper (and faster) to buy direct from them than Unique Vintage. It bugs because, primarily, I would like to support American companies (as an American) and would like to help keep them afloat, but when I’m staring down $12 for shipping for a product that comes within 8-12 business days versus going to the UK and having it free because of the cost of the product between the exchange rates (and getting it faster), what’s the point? Stop making it so difficult for me to love you, Unique Vintage; that’s all I’m asking.

All right. Now, here’s where it gets back to being an anti-haul. As with a lot of anti-hauls, some of the products in them are really subjective. What I think is not worth it may not be what you think actually is worth spending money, and that’s OK! But after seeing this hyped collaboration I’m not sold for the most part.* Here’s an example of why I’m not sold on this collection:

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$138 for a black and white polka dot strapless dress and another $48 for the matching bolero. So, in total, we’re looking at $186 for a matching set.

Looking at that dress, I’m having a hard time justifying that price tag, especially with mesh as one of the fabrics. Mesh is not a favorite fabric of mine; I’m not sure of your own experiences with it, but it gets caught up in everything. Because this gets caught up in things, it’s prone to tearing easily and gets worn out faster. Outside of petticoats, you won’t see my ass shimmy into any piece that is primarily mesh. I know it was a popular fabric back in the day, but there are some vintage things that should just stay where they were. When I see anything over $75 with mesh as a fabric, you better be able to justify the costs by at least being a unique piece.

And guess what?

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It isn’t. Black polka dot dresses are a dime a dozen and one of the first stereotypical pinup outfits you could probably think of thanks to I Love Lucy’s influence on pop culture. There is nothing unique about this $186 set that can’t be found cheaper and just as high quality elsewhere. If that’s the case, what’s the point in buying that?

The entire collection is riddled with similar pieces like this that fit the mold of “stereotypical” pinup but at extremely high prices when there are similar products out there for cheaper, better shipping (prices and time-frame; although, both pieces together do hit the $150 USD free shipping threshold), for me, it’s not worth it. Not buying it.

* = I won’t lie, the suit dress is incredibly tempting and probably the most unique piece out of the collection. Plus, it never hurts to have professional-style clothing in your repertoire.

All the velvet limited edition dresses/gowns

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There’s a handful of brands doing this right now so they’re all getting lumped into one.

Much like mesh, velvet is another fabric I don’t love. It’s fussy, it’s difficult, can be really stifling, and really, it’s not something that you can wear all year round. My personal clothing habits are generally things I want to wear as much as possible and can be worn both in summer and winter (with the exception of items intended for winter use like a coat for obvious reasons.) If I’m going to be spending a decent amount of money, especially on a reproduction piece, it has to be something I will wear more than once and at least semi-regularly.

In being honest with myself: when am I really going to wear a velvet dress/gown outside of the holidays, and even then, that’s assuming there’s a holiday party to go to where it would be appropriate? Answer: there isn’t a time (outside of maybe a Halloween costume? But even then, there aren’t a lot of stars that I can think of that would be recognized on velvet gown alone.)

Erstwilder Christmas Collection

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This isn’t a traditional reason to encourage you not to purchase something, but this is one of those companies that really chaps my hide with its lack of transparency. I don’t dislike Erstwilder, but I do find it to be unethical in its marketing practices, and this is one that’s been driving me nuts because it’s the most obvious one out there.

We all know the pinups that sport these brooches for an Instagram photo or two all around the same time and then you never see them wearing the brooch again (seriously, when was the last time you saw anyone that hustled how much they “so loved!” the Grease brooches actually wear one in their IG photos?)

I can’t confirm for certainty (because, obviously, no one is knocking on my door), so this is pure speculation on my end, but my suspicion is that Erstwilder is giving them as PR (so they can be given for free), or, and possibly as a sponsorship or ad. I don’t know for sure because no one discloses it, but it’s sure pretty suspicious when you see the major players getting all these brooches before the official release talking about how they all love them…

That is a problem.

The pinup community (versus the makeup/beauty community, at least–which isn’t great, but yards better in comparison), in general, is terrible about being transparent–some stating that “it is my page and I can support whatever I want,” and to a degree, I agree. You can absolutely put what you want on there. Though, I strongly err on the side that the line gets drawn when you get compensated for it–be it monetarily or with items–for your support, especially when others don’t get cut the same deal and you know your influence is part of why people are buying it. So, the very, very, bare minimum thing you can do is put #sponsor or #ad on there when you’re pushing something on Instagram. It won’t kill you or make you look bad, I promise. Also, not disclosing makes it look like you have something to hide and that makes me think you’re untrustworthy and shady, so why risk it?

I bet you $10 that after the holidays, we never see any of the people who are peddling these brooches that they think are so adorable never break them out again. (And why would they? The holidays are over and there will be another holiday collection to replace it next year that they will be asked to promote.) So what’s the point in buying it in the first place? It’s just more clutter in your house that you don’t need because you’ll wear it a handful of times throughout a very small portion of the year. Move on.

That’s all for now, folks. Feel free to tell me all the things you’re not going for this holiday season!

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

Sephora Sale Anti-Haul #1

In a few days, one of the most anticipated sales of the year will begin: the 20% off Sephora sale (for VIB Rouges and VIBs, at least) that only happens once a year. For weeks before hand, people scramble to find out the date and it’s a mad rush to determine the shopping list before it goes down. Inspired by Bad Outfit, Great Lipstick and Faceonomics, this is going to be one for this holiday season as well.

Much like the previous pin-up based anti-haul (expect to see another one coming up in the next few weeks with the onset of the holiday season!), this one will follow the same type of perspective. As a reminder, “the purpose of an anti-haul isn’t to be mean to brands and businesses (there are some I don’t like and won’t purchase from and there are plenty which I do like, but will not be buying because I’m going to be smart about what I do spend on!), but to be smart about what you do choose to spend your money on. Unlike a wishlist of things to pine over, these are things I know I will not be purchasing and why I will not be spending my money on it.” You may also disagree with my reasoning behind why I’m not purchasing something–that’s cool. You do you.

Here’s the list of what won’t be going in my cart this season.

Fenty Beauty line

When Fenty Beauty hit Sephora earlier this year, people lost their gotdamn minds–and with good reason! I’m not knocking Fenty Beauty by having it here, I think it’s awesome she’s another brand that is providing 40 shades in a wide variety of undertones and depths. She also has products that are getting a lot of love by people who are typically left out, and that’s a great thing.

But I won’t be purchasing anything from the line. It’s not just that there isn’t a color shade option for me (though, this is true. The line tends to run towards pinker skin tones for the undertone range I would fall within, whereas I’m a pretty high saturation yellow.) The entire foundation line is strictly meant for oily skin types, which rules my very dry skin out. I suppose I could using a nourishing primer, but why do extra work when there are other foundations out there that get the job done already? I don’t need to buy something for the sake of having it.

But there are other products, you’ll say! And I am aware. The reasons I am not going to buy them are practical–I’m in a professional graduate program and while I don’t have a front-facing position, wearing a heavy amount of glitter at work would really be distracting, so how often would I actually wear it? The answer is, maybe once or twice a year, and that’s not enough to warrant the $20 for the eyeliner or the $59 on the eyeshadow palette.

And just looking at the palette alone–it’s entirely glitter. That might be nice if you already have some matte or other palettes to round it out, but being completely honest: are you really going to use an entire palette of colorful glitters on the regular? Is this also the formula you’re willing to commit to? Looking at it alone, I wouldn’t use most of the colors in it. So for the 5-6 I actually might use, that is a pretty tall order for spending $59 on only 5 eyeshadows. Whereas, I could get similar singles from MAC for significantly less *and* have the added bonus of being able to add them to my MUFE magnetic palette and take them with me in addition to my other singles.

Similarly, the highlighters and Match Stix run into a similar line of thought. Sure, there are some really pretty colors in each. Lord knows that Amber in the Match Stix is actually relatively tempting, especially having swatched it in person. It’s definitely something I thought about, and managed to talk myself out of buying. Here’s the thing: I know my makeup usage habits and I know, realistically, buying a cream product (Match Stix) is inherently a bad idea because it will probably dry out before I actually get close to using it up. I know I don’t contour every day, so having a cream product isn’t a good idea for me. Powders last significantly longer, and as such, the Match Stix wouldn’t be a good fit for my collection.

The highlighters are lovely, but again: I wear highlighter even less than I do contour. And while these are in a powder, they’re also not colors I would personally use. I also don’t use highlighter enough as is, so I definitely don’t need ones with two different shades in them. For the two solo ones, only the Metal Moon might work, but for $34, I could buy a single pan highlighter that I could easily magnetize into my MUFE single palette to take with me when I travel, would be significantly cheaper, and would be less of a hassle in working with for depotting.

In short: the Fenty Beauty line as it stands now is not something that really fits in with my makeup habits or personal style, and it’s not anything I would add to my collection.

La Mer The Introductory Collection

First of all: La Mer is that one skincare line that everybody has seen celebrities using and costs at least a kidney on the black market to use on the regular.

Second of all, even if you’re OK with spending the money for La Mer–why would you ever bother with this set? Let’s break down the cost on this one per oz of product.

The Treatment Lotion is regularly sold at $145/5 oz, making it approximately $29/oz. You get 1 oz within this set.

The Revitalizing Hydrating Serum is sold at $195/1 oz. In this set, you get 0.17 oz, making it $33.15.

The Eye Concentrate is regularly sold at 0.5 oz for $205, making it (a rough estimate of) $410 per 1 oz. In this set, it is available at 0.10 oz for about $41 of the cost.

Last, the Moisturizing Soft Cream which comes in at a few different sizes (but it is $170/1 oz), but there is a “travel size” form available at $85 for 0.5 oz on the Sephora website.

In total, for this entire set, the cost of the products added up alone is $188.15, making it a decent deal at about ~20% off the normal prices per oz, all things considered. I can absolutely see how this would entice someone, but I’m not the type to fall into this. And when paired with the Sephora sale prices (another 20% off if you’re a VIB Rouge or VIBs, and 15% off for Beauty Insiders), I can see even more people being interested. But, as Kimberly Clark points out: buying something just for the sake of because it’s on sale is a terrible reason to buy something. You’re still spending a lot of money on a bunch of minis because of the brand name.

Half of the set has products under 0.2 oz; although you will likely not be using a lot of the eye concentrate, the sizes are small enough that it would be difficult to have a grasp on the performance of the products before they are used up. Skincare takes time to see its effects; it’s not makeup where it generally appeals to instant gratification.

There are better holiday sets out there for skincare that are much friendlier on the wallet than the famed La Mer, if you insist on one of these. For those reasons, this isn’t worth it and I won’t be buying it.

Besame Cosmetics Mini Lipstick Set

I am going to get accused of hating Besame one day, and I want to be upfront and say explicitly: it’s not true. I actually really love Besame. What I don’t love are things like this set.

Besame does red lipstick very well. In fact, of any red lipstick on the market, I tend to think their formula is easily in the top 3 best and that’s including liquid lipsticks. They are exceptional formulas that don’t run into a lot of other problems you see with other lipsticks, like bleeding, feathering, and easily smudging. Red is an exceptionally hard and high maintenance color, so the fact that their formula is this exceptional is definitely worthy of praise. That being said–

There are 3-4 (depending on your coloring and perceptions) red lipsticks in this set. Even if you are the pinup type: why? Yes, I see that there is a very dark red, a brown red, a blue undertoned red, and a neutral red, but realistically speaking: how often do you wear reds to warrant having even 3-4 mini lipsticks of it? Are you really going to wear them all? Be honest, average makeup consumer–probably not.

Now, for other skintones, these may not appear as red, and if that’s the case, I can understand how the set would be appealing.

But if you have warmer undertones, at least 3/5 of those lipsticks are going to clash (if this is something that matters.) So, given that 60% of the $25 you’d be shelling out would be unusable–is it really worth spending the money? Even if you have pink or neutral undertones, do you still really need 3-4 red lipsticks in your collection, even if they’re minis?

I can understand how this set might be appealing to someone looking for era-appropriate makeup or even to try and discern their “perfect red,” but it’s still spending money on extra things you don’t necessarily need, especially if it’s unlikely you’ll actually use it in your collection.

If you’re going to spend the $25 on lipstick, get a shade from Besame that you know works with your undertone and keep your collection manageable.

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership Eyeshadow Palettes

For $125, this eyeshadow palette better wash my damn car, take my dog out for a walk, and figure out a way to teach my dumb ass how to get Veronica Lake waves, because WHY.

Look, I have no doubt that there is probably a high quality attached to that price tag. I’ve seen the Temptalia swatches and I won’t lie, the purples on Mothership III look incredible, and I’m generally not persuaded by color. I also think these palettes have generally a nice mix of workable neutrals with straight up color.

niles — My feelings about those purples too, Niles.

But that $125 price tag? Even with 20% is still going to be $100. I don’t know about you, but there is no single eyeshadow palette worth $100 in my book. It is something that will be removed in hours. There’s something to be said about whether higher-end brands are worth it when drugstore brands are getting to be better in terms of quality than they were even just 5 years ago.

Additionally, even if I were to get Mothership III (the one I was most attracted to), I know there’s at least 2 eyeshadows I wouldn’t use which makes it all the more insulting I would drop $100, with $20 going unused. With that $20 I’d have spent on that, I easily could purchase 3 MAC eyeshadow refill pans (at $6 each) with similar-ish colors to what I would use there, and I already have a decent set of neutrals, and have $2 leftover.

In short, this isn’t worth it and I’m not going to buy it.

That wraps it up for this Sephora Sale Anti-Haul. Tell me all the things you won’t be buying this round!

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet

Pinup Anti-Haul #1

If you are a big fan of Kimberly Clark (and you should be!), you are probably familiar with the concept of anti-hauls. However, on the off chance you are not, the point of an anti-haul is to discourage empty consumerism and encourage empowered, thoughtful purchases. In the current pinup culture fueled by social media, it can feel very pushy to buy more and more so you can fit into that perfect aesthetic. I, for one, am not the type to buy mindlessly. Because I don’t get sent things for free (though, I would not mind if I did!) and money is a finite resource, it’s important to know I’ll be able to use what I buy.

The purpose of an anti-haul isn’t to be mean to brands and businesses (there are some I don’t like and won’t purchase from and there are plenty which I do like, but will not be buying because I’m going to be smart about what I do spend on!), but to be smart about what you do choose to spend your money on. Unlike a wishlist of things to pine over, these are things I know I will not be purchasing and why I will not be spending my money on it. While Kimberly Clark focuses on makeup and skincare, I’m choosing to focus on pinup related purchases.

For me, this also feels more like a “genuine” attempt to be reliving the pinup life of the 1940’s. Purchases were often tactical, and as such, it’s a nice way to be reliving that kind of culture. So, without further ado–here’s what (sung in Kimberly Clark voice) I’m not gonna buy~

Erstwilder Grease Brooch Collection

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Let me start with this: I’m not generally the type to collect brooches to begin with (or jewelry, for that matter). But were I to be the type that did, this is not the collection I would spend money on.

I was a theatre nerd in high school and still love musicals (hell yeah for Hamilton!), but let’s be honest: I’m not entirely sure Greased Lightning is going to be recognized on sight by most people. The “Eat Your Heart Out” is actually very cute and would be one that’s definitely something you can wear with multiple outfits, but that’s one out of quite a few in this collection. There are some others that are recognizable (Frenchy, Rizzo, and Sandy, for example), but these aren’t ones that I will use often enough (they don’t look like they would go with enough outfits, and may clash with styles other than the 1950’s) to warrant the $39.95 AUD cost (approximately $32.07 USD) per brooch.

While we’re on the subject of cost, I live in the USA and the shipping for these alone only becomes free if you spend over $100 (AUD). At the time of writing this, the conversion rate for $100 AUD = ~$80.28 USD. While this is better than a lot of clothing shops (ahem, Unique Vintage) and the conversion rate is in my favor. Without the $100 AUD, it’s approximately $9.95 to ship. So it’s an additional $10 (rounded, but close enough) for a $32 brooch? As much as I may like Grease, for $42 USD, this is not worth the money spent.

Be honest: how many times are you really going to wear Kenickie? (Name one person you know who likes Kenickie best. I’ll wait right here.) Is this something you’re really going to get use out of or are you buying into the social media hype and it’ll sadly just sit there on your vanity? Erstwilder has a bunch of other cute brooches you would be much more likely to get use out of wearing, if you truly need a brooch from them. But my answer is none because I will not be purchasing this collection because it’s not the one that I want.

(Side bar: we can all agree Rizzo was the best thing in that movie, right?)

Besame Cosmetics Cashmere Foundation Stick

I love Besame Cosmetics. Out of all the brands currently on the market, Besame is one of my ride-or-dies. It’s the go-to brand for many pinups because of its dedication to authenticity.

The problem with adhering to authenticity in some ways is that when you only create several shades of foundation, there is in no way you are going to be able to represent a wide amount of the population. In addition to the three shades above, there are a few more in its line-up:

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But that’s it. There are 8 total shades in this foundation line. 8. In response to client requests for extending the shade range, they add they are a small family business and will be working on expanding the range. There is a chance you may be able to find a match in this line up, but unless you live close to the brand’s stores, there’s no way to test in person to really be sure if you fit in one of the current 8 options.

The product itself is $25 for 0.31 oz making it $80.64 per oz. While this isn’t completely outrageous, there are stick foundations by other brands with significantly larger ranges. For example, the Anastasia Beverly Hills foundation stick line is also $25 for 0.32 oz (~$78.13 per oz) in 29 shades, running a much larger likelihood of being able to find a match. So, not only is it [slightly] cheaper per oz, you’ll also likely be able to find a better match.

But let’s say you test out the Anastasia Beverly Hills formula and don’t find it to your tastes or skin type. There are more foundation brands coming out with foundation sticks, should you feel the need to replicate the Max Factor Pan-Stick experience (but with something that actually is your shade range and likely something you can test). There are plenty at different price points and with a variety of shade ranges that will meet your needs.

I know some people will say, “But I love Besame and I want to support a small, family business!”–that’s well, good, and commendable, even. At the end of the day: Besame is still a business. They still want your hard-earned money. If you are going to give it to them, give it to them after they have expanded their shade range and are willing to make shades that cover more than just 8 skin tones that probably don’t include yours. Reward them when they have done something to earn it, not just because the pretty packaging makes you feel glam as hell and you might be featured on their Instagram page.

I don’t need the foundation stick and I won’t be buying it.

Ben Cooper x Vixen (Micheline Pitt) Collection

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I have to be clear on this one: I love Micheline Pitt, her style, her dedication to artistry, and her work ethic is inspiring. Her clothing line is outstanding and very high quality, based on the pieces I have and having owned items from Deadly Dames. It’s clear to me that she poured her heart and soul into this, and she is the one true Queen of Halloween.

Having said this, there are several reasons I won’t be purchasing anything from this collection. The first being: Halloween is once a year. While this is great for that time between summer ending (which I guess starts September 1st when Starbucks pulls a dick move and gets rid of S’mores Frappuccinos–not that I’m bitter or anything) and Halloween, how often are you really going to wear pumpkins or Halloween-themed items throughout the year? Are you really going to wear it often enough or are you only going to wear it for a period of maybe 8 weeks out of the year? If that’s the case, you’re only wearing it for 15% (8 weeks / 52 total weeks of the year) of the year; is it really worth spending the $78-144 on it? (This is not even including shipping!)

Personally: I am not a Halloween stan. I’m not a person who jumps for joy when fall rolls around (gimme back my warm temperatures and S’mores Frappuccinos). Although this is an interesting collaboration and it is executed well, it’s not going to be something I would wear enough to warrant the money spent, and I don’t care enough about Halloween to wear it. If I feel like I need to celebrate Halloween, why not invest in a black skirt or dress? It’s something I’d get much more use from, could wear year round, and therefore, a better use of my money.

That’s it for this first anti-haul. Do you have anything you don’t plan on buying? Or is there a reason you’re buying anything from this list? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Yours ’til Niagara Falls,

Jupiter Gimlet