I honestly like Marlena as a person and I'm so sad to see Makeup Geek close it's doors. 😥 She worked so hard and paved the way for so many others after her to be successful. She really set the standard for quality at an affordable price when MAC had the market for single eyeshadows. I've already put my order in and stocked up on my favorite MUG singles. I will miss her brand but glad she's staying on RUclips. It's the end of an era indeed. Make up is changing so much, but I still love my single shadows. I use them to create dupes of palettes that come out when I get FOMO and I know I don't need them. 😉
@@beautyonabarnbudget She's been on YT since 2008/2009, before her makeup line was even a thing. I've been following her since then. She's where I learned beyond the "basics" of makeup. She still offers info and tutorials.
Completely disagree. The makeup community and makeup industry have never been as saturated as they are now. The brands that are going away are the ones that can’t afford fast trends and constant launching of products to keep up with the obsessive demand of “newness”. Styles can change and some brands can’t catch up with those changes, but the market is so saturated that any small delay can set behind a brand to a point of closing business. It’s unfortunate that we aren’t really correcting anything. We have become one of the most wasteful and unappreciative communities ever. It’s all about buying and buying, even the same products with different packaging over and over again. Absolutely sad.
@@roselynmvm the newness which is being marketed by the very beauty RUclipsrs themselves. The very same as now pans and multi eyeshadows are a fad (and they were forty years ago) will bring back single eyeshadows eventually. Except for the fact that they make more profit from multipans and splitting products up into multiple ones.
I think that artists often fail to see the value in their own creativity. Marlena marketed a supply (like art supplies) instead of seeing the value consumers place in the artist’s creativity and curation. Most people don’t have that deep well of creativity. On a curated palette, they are paying for someone else’s inspiration. For a lot of people, customizing a palette is stressful and lacks the thrill that an artist may find in it. I think that’s what Lethal Cosmetics is doing right on the single shadow game.
Oh my gawd that’s exactly why I’m addicted to palettes.😳So eye opening! Thanks! I love applying colors but I’m clueless about combining them and curating a combo. Palettes do that for me. Makes perfect sense! ☺️
So true ! I see single shadows and have no interest and yet the same shades placed in a palette by someone else, creatively, I will grab. I grab my palettes way more than my singles- I feel disconnected from my singles floating around in my z palette.
That’s a really nice way to look at it 😅 but in reality is just how capitalism make us consume for the sake of consuming and is always creating the “need” for the newest hot release.
Wow as a creative who loves the possibility to tailor my tools to my needs, your comment is what finally made me understand why people want palettes instead of single shades so much.
i feel like marlena blames lack of influenced marketing for her brand falling off but in reality she was barely releasing items, failing to create new relevant products, and sticking to the same stick. single shadows have had a boom in indie communities bc of extreme sparkle and multi chrome shadows but in the matrix launch it was all very basic shadows
@@courbry123 I don’t know if this is a genuine question or not? She just tried to blame her lack of success on ✨the industry✨, other brands advertising with influencers, how much influencers charge for marketing, and a myriad of other things rather than the fact that her own brand didn’t innovate or keep up with trends
I think back in 2014 MUG did really well because there was less competition, but also because they were the more affordable alternative to MAC single eyeshadows. Back then, MAC was still the It girl of makeup but their $18 a piece shadows were too much for a lot of people to buy a good quantity of them. Then MUG started offering CF, made in USA dupes for MAC which were $6 a shade ($10 for the foils), and that was a good deal at the time. I did buy some MUG shadows in 2016 BUT by the end of the year, I lost interest in the brand because even $6 a shadow started getting too expensive for me. I would rather have spent $18 - $48 on a BH palette or a Too Faced palette from ULTA and buy it in store or get free shipping. I remember in 2017, Colourpop started doing single eyeshadows for $4 which was cheaper than $6 MUG AND they had a way better color selection. They had a lot of peaches which was very trendy back then, and MUG didn’t have that many new trendy colors or new duochromes. Now they are $5 a piece but thats still cheaper than MUG. I think overall what led to the decline: -was not keeping up with trends, -bad business decisions of mixing friendship and business (JH making her lose 1 million dollars because she pulled out of the collab and Marlena didn’t have a contract), -expecting big A list influencers (like Manny MUA and Kathleen Lights) to keep on promoting her brand for free and without PR because she felt entitled to it since she helped them in the beginning, -the negative publicity she brought to herself by going after influencers for not supporting her anymore and that copyright strike she did on Tina because she didn’t like that her name was mentioned in her video. -the supply chain issues with the pandemic
Exactly what happened!!! Marlena just made a series of bad business decisions. I think Kelly needs to do a bit more research (and not just focus on personal opinion) before making this type of videos because I feel like the ones before were also missing a lot of clever facts that happened with the brand in question. I mean, it is her choice, but I think these videos could include more factual information.
@@roselynmvm I agree with you. I always appreciate the videos on brands that Kelly does, but I think they’d be better if she did more research before posting them to make them more accurate. But like you said, it’s her decision. 🙂 I think Marlena should’ve hired someone with a marketing background and also someone with product development experience to help her more especially when she started having those health issues after her divorce (stomach issues and panic attacks). I think during this time, the brand fell behind and she wasn’t releasing anything new because she didn’t feel well. They could’ve helped her with her business decisions as educated and experienced professionals. This is based on what Marlena said in some of her older videos. I think she’s a natural born saleswoman, but that’s not always enough when you’re running a million dollar business in a very saturated market.
@@roselynmvm I also think she didn’t really need a rebrand. She just needed to release more in trend products. Instead of that matrix palette, she could have released a line of sparkly shifty textured shadows like JD Glow has and some cream serum type blushes.
@@celestecelestial90 Yeap, you couldn’t have say it better. I wish things wouldn’t have taken a turn for the worst for her. No real need for rebranding but actually coming out with more clever products cause that matrix palette was definitely not the best choice for a new launch. Oh well. Hopefully she doesn’t make the same mistakes again on any of her new business endeavors.
@@roselynmvm I wish the best for her too, and hopefully her next business is successful in the long term. Hopefully she learns from her mistakes because she’s had 2 businesses that went under already (MUG and Marste), and she could learn what she did wrong to be successful with the next one. I could see her doing a perfume line because she loves perfumes. The matrix thing wasn’t that innovative and it was still expensive considering the other options on the market, so I can see why it wasn’t a good choice.
You forgot to mentioned she lost a lot of $ bcs of the failed collab she was going to have with Jaclyn Hill. It went down hill after that from a viewer perspective. She had a video called "Dear Influenceers" when she breaks down what happened. There's her reason as to why she couldn't create new products bcs she had already invested in that collab and had to utilize the packaging etc. The one you talked about was The Beaty Community, and that was about how toxic the beauty community became. But yes you're right, the brand didn't involved. I honestly feel after the Jacklyn Drama we stopped hearing about makeup geek. Other bands took over.
I feel like that video also hurt her with influencers in the community. I think a lot of them felt like "damn if this is how she talks about people who worked with her in the past, why would I work with her or promote her product." Not to mention it felt like she was blaming low sales on people not promoting her product instead of acknowledging her own short comings with the brand.
Bringing out the matrix system in 2020 was a sign that Marlena wasn’t keeping up with trends in the community. If she had been paying attention to what gets attention, she would have realized that for eyeshadow, it’s the curated palette that generates excitement, especially with attractive packaging. And myriad other interesting products. I agree with some others here that she kept making products that appealed to her, but her preferences never really changed as the years went on.
The other side of that from a business perspective though is doing what everybody else is doing isn't going to work out in the long run either because then everybody gets bored with what's being produced.
@@loritr I agree! She should have focused on producing more special shades and on collaborating with smaller influencers like Samantha March and women of color like Kelsey Briana Jai.
But I thought the thought behind that was being a more conscious consumer. If she followed the trend, she would have done what her heart would against it
I'm so sad to see MUG go, because that eyeshadow formula is one of my favorites, and I love Marlena. I've seen a few influencers discussing this, and nobody is talking about how the Jacyln Hill palette that never launched and how it really took a chunk out of MUG. It's not just that the palette didn't release, it's that they were in full pre-production and got shafted with pans and actual palette components that MUG had to then use up for YEARS. Remember when she kept releasing nine-pans? Yeah? Those were all supposed to be used for the JH palette. I think also no one is giving Marlena credit that her company was a true indie brand. It was just her. She didn't have the backing or the R&D to really grow beyond what she was already offering. MUG released what it could in order to keep the business running. If you can get your hands on the mascara or any of the eyeliners, they're amazing products too.
When she started her clothing company, I knew that makeupgeek would slowly end bc she stopped focusing on it. I think that she thought that MUG was a well oiled machine that didn’t need her constant focus… she released products too slowly and too few new releases. She would tease products like a year before they would launch and most of them never launched bc of supply or formula issues. A basic rule of business is not to share news of new products until you know it’s completely perfected. It feels like she teased them while she was still designing them. Overall I feel like she had a good business sense when she started the company but lost it after a few years. It may have also been due to her bf/ husband and the stress associated with it but honestly I’m surprised she didn’t close the business 3 years ago. I loved her products so much and I hope she creates something else now that she is in a good place with her kid and hubby.
Releasing a clothing line when her clothes were so bland and overpriced was not the best choice. A clothing line should be established when there is nothing else on her plate. She could have waited until MUG was fully established. There were incomplete launches and the lack of videos focusing on her products and more on drama.
She closed her clothing company in March 2020...i got some of the clothing items for like $5 to $20 and some i never wore and already ended up im the charity shop. The quality was fantastic but they were made for a woman who is about 6ft tall and the colour were an awful lilac shade or black which didnt suit me. Like it was black dresses for summer - if its warm enough to wear a dress in summer...black, grey or lilac is not the colours you are going to wear. Even though i felt sad and got the clothes on discount (paid a huge customs and import tax on them) - i was so sad that even at the discount i would have prefered to pay more for lululemon clothes.
@@traceymarshall5886 omg yes I forgot about the colors. The thing is that women of 6ft can’t really find good quality clothes in the USA so I get what she was trying to do and the idea was good. However, the execution was so wrong. The colors, styles, prices, limited choices, etc. It’s really hard to create a clothing brand with limited funds and needing so many sizes. But I feel like after starting her makeup company she should have known or at least have had the right people to advise her against it. It was a strange time. Lol.
Illuminaughtii did a video about the brand about a year ago - there are definitely problems with the content (the whole Billie Joe collab was completely misinterpreted), but if you want to scratch that itch, it's worth watching.
I appreciate how respectfully you presented this content, Kelly. I don’t have any makeup geek in my collection, but always enjoy your videos and perspective! I think you make great points in this video. Thanks!
I started consuming makeup in the heyday of MUG. It was a better (higher quality) than MAC imo. Colourpop really ate into that market, and because of their on-site labs they were able to being on the cutting edge of trends. MUG seemed to be unable to branch out into newer shades. I still prefer singles to palettes, and made one final order last week with MUG. So sad to see it go, and I wish all the best to her in the future.
As someone who is trying to support companies with less wasteful packaging it is sad to me. Make up geek was one of the few brands that offers reusable pallets and refills. I only tried their eyeshadows which were a good quality I wish more brands would follow their example and make pallets reusable and refillable. I watched Marlena when she probably first started out and have a lot of respect for her
Totally support that! I think Lethal is a brand doing an amazing job with the refillable palettes and single shadows. Clionadh as well. Their stained glass shadows get a lot of hype but their circle pan shadows are wonderful and much more affordable. Both companies have great formulas.
@@Rain_Reign Lethal shimmers are really underwhelming and Clionadh is way too expensive and the wait til you get your order is way too long. MUG easily checks all boxes here.
I still think her refillable Mega palettes are the best on the market. Singles will come back around in a minute as I find so many "popular" palettes in Tj Maxx these days. I say stock up on the refillable palettes at $12 a pop because you know that when Natasha Denona or Pat McGrath come out with one, it will be at least 50 bucks.
Same. I really like MUG. One of my favorite single shades is Creme Brulee. I use it every day and have yet to find a shade just like it. I have depotted all my palettes. I like to see them all in one place so I actually use them
You can also get makeup geek at JC Penney online. They still have a decent selection of shadow singles and some other items left. I placed an order there and got everything really quickly 👍🏻
I am one of those who have been following Marlena since the beginning. I bought eye shadows and brushes way back when, and have continued to buy the brand. I'm sorry that she didn't get to expand the line, as she originally planned, to include foundation, etc. I am sad to see MUG go, but will look forward to seeing what's to come for her.
i didn't own anything from makeup geek but i'm still sad to see the news of them closing down. i remember when i first got into makeup and watching makeup tutorials on youtube, everyone were using their single shadows. hoping the best for marlena and her team ❤❤
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Jaclyn hill collab that was suppose to happen but was cancelled last minute, Marlena came out and said it was devastating for the brand, I forget what year though
Well maybe that’s why, I think it’s been more than a couple of years. So while it would’ve hurt, she also had “ample” time to recover from that ever since. I say ample loosely of course, but with so many brands and products launching constantly, it does feel like ample time.
I think Marlena and MUG weren't able to keep up formula wise either. All of these indie brands like Terra Moons, Clionadh, JD Glow, insert more sparkly eyeshadow brands here were changing the game. I think if she had developed some more unique formulas before her big rebrand people would've been more excited for the future of MUG. I think Marlena was developing makeup for herself rather than the consumer. She said it was difficult for makeup companies to make lighter coverage/more natural products to suit that need but so many companies have made a name for themselves in that market (Tower28, Kosas, Milk, Rare). I'm sure so much other stuff went on behind the scenes. I remember her mentioning in a video that she worked with a subpar lab that produced a bunch of compromised product and she had to junk it all.
Not everyone likes sparkles, in fact there are a lot of consumers who dont. Many regular people outside of beauty youtube do not wear sparkles on a daily basis. Also MUF foiled shadows formula is quite unique, you can find a ton of chunky sparkles shadows now but nothing close to MUG smooth shiny foiled shadows. Not everyone wants Clionadh let alone for that money and wait. Dont speak for everyone.
I was so disappointed she didn't take the foil Whimsical (most popular) and make it in several shades like we begged for every video?! She wouldn't do it, but Sydney Grace did 🤍
Even aside from sparkles I don't think they kept up with other indies. I was getting into single eyeshadows several years ago (right before the rebrand I think) and got a bunch of mattes from MUG and Sydney Grace. SG was a little cheaper and there was just no comparison for the formulas... Or how the shadows performed over time as it turns out.
I will miss Marlena- I tried to order a couple of the color crème brûlée but it was already sold out. I know she was supposed to collaborate with JH but she pulled out and Marlena lost a ton of $ and product. I know Brianna Fox continues to use a lot of her shadows consistently if y’all want a few tutorials with her shadows
i’ve actually never tried anything from makeup geek, but then again i just got back into makeup a few years ago, and i never really heard about them. my heart goes out to marlena. soooo many businesses are closing and it’s so saddening.
I'm 45. Yes it was often a family member that taught us how to do makeup but for my age, magazines like Allure were huge. Also books like Kevin Aucoin's book which was revolutionary at the time. For me personally my mother took me to the Clinique counter at my local department store. I was 13 and it was there that I got my first makeup lesson.
It’s kind of sad, but Makeup Geek never innovated in the direction that the consumer and their audience were going in. The price point also (to me) doesn’t justify the product. I could get the same colors at colourpop or from Elf. As a marketer, it really doesn’t seem like she was making makeup for US. But she was making makeup for herself.
colourpop shadows being thought of as affordable is one of the biggest scams in makeup. Ounce for ounce, it is not cheap. The singles cost about as much as UD singles. The quality is extremely inconsistent and ranges from wearable to total shit, but on average is only kind of adequate. Furthermore, colourpop's model will cost you much more than buying a custom palette of 6$ singles. Colourpop's model is based on trying to get you addicted to spending and socially engineering you to buy just so you wont miss out: with limited releases, and constant discontinuations of even popular products.
If you ask an older person they are not saying "their mother, their aunt" they are saying Magazines. Magazines were the influencers before the internet Seventeen, YM, Sassy, etc.
you said 2 of my faves, make up geek and Coastal Scents...I would have never guessed that 2020 Black Friday sale was going to be my last purchase. Marlena rocked it and did fantastic. Taking the industry as far as she could with what she had, kudos to her & her team.
I bought my favorite shades in a 9 pan when they re-launched and it was not cheap but I’m so glad I supported her and I have it for myself...💋🧚🏻♀️❤️🇺🇸
It's sad that they are closing. But it kind of feels like she blamed a lot of their failure on outside forces. Instead of taking responsibility for the their lack of creativity/ keeping up with trends. Keep in mind I don't have a emotional connection to the brand or Marlena because I didn't start watching beauty youtube until 2017.
I ordered a few things from her closing sale- highlighter, eye liners and a face brush. No single shadows, I have so many and I just don’t use them. I wish Marlena well ❤️
I love singles. Especially when I am making a makeup bag for a show, I can use just the shades I want in a magnetic palette and not have a huge palette (or more than one if i am switching my makeup between characters or scenes) in my makeup bag. But there are so many fun indie brands that have nice formulas that I never needed to try Makeup Geek. I have singles from depotted palettes, I have singles from Looxi, I have singles from Coastal Scents (RIP), I have singles from Colourpop, and I am good. And I also got a bad taste in my mouth learning about Marlena and her entitlement. I have so many brands to buy from, if someone tries to guilt me into buying their products, I will choose another brand to buy from.
I ordered several shades when I heard the brand was closing. I like her products and sad to see them go. I also really liked the tutorials on her website. It was a great way to get inspiration and something no other brand does.
I learned to do makeup while watching performers at a gay bar paint themselves before a show. A friend was doing stints there to partially support his college funds (his family doesn't know he does it to avoid a scandal). They gave me a lot of beauty tips.🥰
I also LOVE singles-Lauren Mae has a lot of content on single shadows which I love-but def feel that it wasn’t/isn’t as popular for the last few years. I did grab some Makeup Geek shadows when I heard they were closing cause I had always wanted to try them, and have only heard good things about the quality. So sad to hear her close 💔
@@theresas2520 oh no! I got mine week before last. I’m actually wearing one of loose pigments (tin man!) today! Idk when you ordered but I got mine almost three weeks after I put in my order.
I actually loved her cheek powder products too! The ingredients were better for my skin than most other brands. So they didn't break me out like most from Sephora did.
I can somewhat I agree that their focus on singles became both Makeup Geek's strength and weakness. I got into makeup at the peak of the beauty community (2012/2013). I would always hear about makeup geek but couldn't get into it. As a beginner, at that time, buying singles and creating your own palette is really intimidating and costly. By the time my make up skills have improved, I have more than enough makeup that I didn't need to create my own palette. It's sad too see an icon like the brand makeup geek disappear but I'm glad Marlena is stays positive about the whole situation.
I didn't like Marlena's attitude about influencers not pushing her products. If you don't at least send PR what do you expect? I never bought Makup Geeks original singles. I considered their blushes before they rebranded but didn't like that I'd have to but packaging to go with it. I've bought a fair amount since here relaunch and everything has been decluttered. I did really like her shimmers / metallics but I thought the mattes were just fine.
When Marlena started publicly finger-pointing at influencers for her ROI (return on investment) it sealed her company downfall. She also relied heavily on public sympathy for multiple issues.
Hi Kelly! Yeah, I think lots of people should get a “do over” for 2020. We (my husband and I), lost our motel of eight years when the pandemic hit. If just seems sooooo unfair for a lot of people. Ever since then we have been struggling as that was our nest egg. We had everything invested in that motel. Everything. It was what our children we going to inherit. It was two houses, an apartment and eight motel rooms. We rented them all just like motel rooms or long term. And we figured if they didn’t want to run it as a motel/business, they could live there and/or sell it. But bam, Covid hit and all that went right out the window. We were able to sell and we did make a small profit but nothing as to what it was worth and what should have been made. We are fifty eight and fifty nine. Nobody wants to hire old people. And working for someone else after being our own boss sucks. My husband has employment now but we barely get by. Covid really messed things up for so many people. And I have to say, I’m bitter over it. We had a good thing going and on the road to a good retirement and something for our children. Which is more than I could say for how my parents and my husbands parents left us. Oh well, it is what it is and it sucks! ❤️💜💚
Oh Paige I’m so sorry that happened to you. We have 2 Airbnbs on the east coast and we had a huge BOOM during covid…booked every night. Airbnb never shut down and people poured in. I wish I had known you then :(
Oh I'm sorry. I don't what it is about us in our 50's but we really got screwed when it comes to career and retirement. Almost all the people I went to school with are living paycheck to paycheck. Being middle aged isn't what I thought it was going to be.
@@chrissyellem7397 AMEN sister!! I say that everyday damn near. I mean surely we had qualities like they do. We just didn’t have the internet!! And I’m all the time hearing about some career that seems fabulous and I never even heard of it!! What the hell or where in the hell was my guidance counselor??? We definitely got screwed!!!! ❤️💜💚
I think single eyeshadows were so coveted back then because only people with the MAC artist discount had most of them. MAC was so big, and then MUG offered theirs for $6. But the Matrix system wasn't what people were looking for in cosmetics in 2020, or even now. With tiny palettes being so wanted.
I think it’s very difficult for the “influencer craze” based brands to have long term success with how often the trends change on social media. Gerard cosmetics, makeup geek, morphe, ofra, Juvias place were all brands that’s huge popularity solely came from the YT beauty community. Majority of their customers are from this space so as trends come and go, it takes something serious to keep that momentum going. Colourpop is the only YT beauty community based brand that has remained just as relevant over the years. & it’s bc they have kept up with the times while keeping affordable prices. Yes ppl still buy from those other brands but not nearly as much as they used to. Juvias place and morphe are probably doing the best out of all the others I named but ppl barely talk about their products now like they used to. At least they’re both in Ulta with displays so non YT beauty community ppl have a chance to have exposure to their brands. Especially with morphe being so affordable, having brushes and having a huge display in Ulta they are able to somewhat keep up even though it’s not on the level it once was. While social media can be a great tool for newer businesses, it seems like most of them fall off as quick as they come into success.
I learned how to do makeup at the beauty counters in department stores (I'm an oldie who learned makeup pre-RUclips/Internet). The other thing with Natasha Denona is that the pre-made palettes are customizable since all the shadows pop out of the palette and you can rearrange them or put them in a magnetic palette and take them around if you want to. It's really the best of both worlds. It's a shame that Marlena didn't have that kind of idea earlier.
I love this kind of videos of yours, about make up industries, brands, what's happening to them. I hope you will continue doing these very interesting videos 👏🏻
If they had been able to launch foundation and concealer they might still be around. Marlena talked about base products for years, especially an under eye colour corrector but it never happened. I also think they should have included the foiled shadows and duochromes as part of their re-brand. All they needed was a few swatches of the foiled shadows on tik tok and they would have flown off the shelves. But not being able to keep products in stock was probably the biggest issue and I wonder if that's because the bigger brands had the buying power to keep the labs too busy to produce for a smaller brand.
Agree that eyeshadows (and powders in general) last forever and repurchase is rare. The only repurchases I make regularly are setting spray, foundation, concealer and mascara - mostly because some of them expire in a visible manner. Mascara turns dry. But you can use shadows for years past the stated expiry date. I have an Elizabeth Arden palette that’s a decade old and still seems fine.
I bought both Matrix palettes last year when I first got into singles. After watching so many videos of buying the latest palettes, I couldn't imagine to have such a big collection. I have a decent collection of singles mixed with Colourpop and Alter Ego. I just think the market has changed so much.
U made a really good point here. I wish MUG should create something new like whats in & whats out. I learned that talc in the ingredient is bad for eyes and face because mug has talc-free makeup. Its very expensive quality to make. Talc can lead to cancer on eyes or under eyes or red face, I had to re-order again from mug and stock up to use it for lifetime. I had to discarded elf and other brands, they have talc. Its really sad to see mug is no longer and no one believes her lines. But I do!
I wish her only the best! She was such a good teacher and such a class act! I keep her Penelope Cruz makeup tutorial video she did 13 years ago and play it regularly! The make up she did in that video is how I like to wear mine and it was done beautifully, experly and so professionally! I’m so sad to see MUG go.
Totally agree. When you sell consumable products, you need either need to sell something ppl actually need more of (food) or you convince ppl they need more of. Makeup.
I love Makeup Geek products. Mainly their shadows, brushes & eyeliners. Her eyeliners are awesome! I own most all of her shadows & placed another order when she announced she was closing. I use my MUG shadows at least 2 x a week. They are a staple in my collection. (even tho I own SO many other brands) So this makes me very sad. The shadows blend easily & you can do a look very quickly.
I don't live in the US so I don't own any makupgeek but I'm still sad she has to close her business down. Marlena has always been one of the only completely profesional and positive people in the make-up RUclips world. Hopefully she'll be able to reopen soon.
I love your brand deepdive videos! They are very infomative and interesting. I would love some more pictures as you talk about collections or specific products (if it's possible). I'm a vsual person and I think some additional pics would help.
So sad to see MUG close but they really didn’t keep up with consumer preferences. 😕 I’ve ordered a few times from them and the shipping was slow compared to other companies. I think if she focused on palettes and other products she could have had a little more success.
The market is soooooo oversaturated that us as consumers are just over it. We only need so much make up and I am definitely spending more money on skincare now then I am makeup.
Completely agree with that sentiment. And even though there are an unnecessary number of makeup brands and more coming out, it boggles my mind that people still find reasons to complain. They want every brand to carry a hundred skin shades because you're racists if you don't. I'm so over makeup influencers making drama over everything. That is why the industry is dying off in my opinion. We are living in a generation of cry babies. I can't think of a worse industry to get into these days.
You are very pretty, like really pretty. I love how you cover these stories, but today I was particularly distracted by your eye makeup. Simply beautiful!
I don’t own a single product from Makeup Geek, but this has to be one of the saddest closings. I hate that Marlena was among the originals and her brand is going out of business - whereas Michelle Phan and Jackie Aina are doing so well in their businesses. It’s so unfair, but I understand, that’s business. I appreciated when she made her video because it was nice to see the perspective of someone who was an influencer - turned business owner, and how she was treated by *certain* influencers. I hope she is doing okay and I hope she is able to fulfill herself in another way. Also, great video!! Thanks for the Grade A content, like always. I hope you’re doing well ❤️
The shadows were really hard to get in the UK, they were stock on a British website but always out of stock and took a long time to get new products and shades over. I went to an event she did in Manchester and it was great seeing her but I can’t buy what’s not easily available to me.
I do not own any MUG products but I’m actually debating getting the facial elixir. Scrolling down through the website I came across this product, and how people are describing it in their reviews it sounds like I would love it and since I’m not able to repurchase my beloved Becca first light primer anymore which is my favorite makeup product behind mascara I’m thinking to give this a try. Idk this whole thing makes me so sad.
The reliance on single shadows probably hurt the brand a lot as consumers shifted towards buying palettes. Makeup Geek did a few palettes but that was years ago. The relaunch was confusing because it was so matte focused that only a few shimmers were initially released. A lot of favorite original shadows were not included in the relaunch. I personally like single shadows because it is nice to be able to customize a palette and replace one shadow or a few if those are shades that get heavy use. I also own quite a few palettes from various brands. A few other indie brands elected to get rid of their single shadows and focus on palettes when sales of singles went down. Coloured Raine did that, I think last year.
I have many many makeup geek singles. I love them. I’m glad I hoarded the round singles when I did. I have the matrix palettes too. I will miss Marlena and makeup geek. I love the formula and the color selections.
MUG was doing wonderful until the Jaclyn Hill palette that never got released. The Manny MUA palette was a hit prior. Marlana scrapped the palette then the square pans. I know I and everyone else had circle Mac palette storage.
I tried to purchase from her website several times over the years - always sold out of what I wanted. I would spend an hour building an eye or face palette only to find that one or two of the main shades I wanted were sold out. Got frustrated and left. Sadly it's the same with Colorpop - they never keep the basics in stock. One day (when $ isn't tight) I would love to go to MAC and build a palette. Thank you Kelly!
Their shift is great actually being conscious about consumerism but nobody is going to keep coming back to you because most of the time those products would last people a long time. And during that in between, you’re not attracting enough to even out the loss and non-returning customers
This is the first video I've watched of yours and I have to say you're really knowledgable and easy to watch! I've been watching lots of videos about the beauty industry and the downfall of the community so I'm going to be checking out some of the other videos in this series.
It’s funny I didn’t even know Marlena started off as an influencer and I didn’t know that makeup geek was her brand until a while after it opened. I only really looked into the brand after the Manny MUA collab and then I never really purchased anything after but I really do like Marlena as a person, I don’t think she’s shady like a lot of other influencers/brand owners and I really do hope she does well on her next endeavor
Just a note Jcpenneys is also selling makeup geek online I’ve made several orders from makeup geek when Marlena announced their closing and they still haven’t shipped but I’ve received all my JCPenneys orders already so just saying!!! And I do really enjoy makeup geek I’m sad to see them closing btw JCPenney doesn’t carry ALL the stuff the MUG website has but they still have most of it.
I never bought make up geek because I felt it was overpriced but I like what she's doing now. She's giving real Intel into the industry and products to splurge. It feels honest
SAME! I tried to purchase them multiple times and they were never in stock. I would have spent several hundreds of dollars, but was always disappointed everything was always out of stock.
I think about the same thing happened with BH cosmetics. They are known mostly for their eyeshadows and that’s just not something people repurchase a lot.
I totally agree. Also I think people are more conscious about their makeup purchases nowadays and the market is oversaturated. Also, this race to the bottom to keep offering cheap prices and encourage people to buy more, is difficult to maintain.
its crazy how the beauty spce has changed over the years. i remember makeup geek being huge especially after the manny mua palette which I really wanted.
The Target near me use to carry MUG then all of a sudden not anymore. This was sometime last yr I noticed it. Even online really couldn’t get products from targets site
MUG is one of my favorite brands, I had actually never bought anything until the rebrand because I was so broke until that point. I appreciate the rejection of being "on trend" because I find brands like ColourPop exhausting. I can dupe anything they release with singles. I feel like the makeup market is just so saturated right now we'll see a lot of brands go under. I feel really underwhelmed by most brands because they're not releasing quality staples or anything actually exciting like trichromes which only the indie market is crushing. The only time an influencer has inspired me to buy anything was from a look/tutorial when I didn't have something dupeable. I don't trust their opinions or reviews because I know they've been paid for.
I feel stila will be next to close down. Just like Becca they haven’t launched anything in two, three years. Since the liquid shadows launched I haven’t heard of anything else launching. Buxom too.
Omg you have a baby face like me!! Alas, I now look more my age range but for years I had a little child face. It’s so nice to see another human being with the same baby face (style) enjoy the blessing!
I love the choice of single pan . That's how I started buying makeup back in the day. I'm sorry to see her leave this part of her business. I did buy some beautiful shades ( while I had the chance) that I absolutely love. Best wishes for her next endeavor. She seems like a reputable brand that cares about the quality she provides to her customers. ❤
I like single eyeshadows - IF I can store them in a perfectly fitting attractive palette. Basically a Natasha Denona palette with singles would be awesome.
I just placed an order on their items and it will be my first time ever to try her eyeshadows. I'd be so bummed if I end up loving her shadows and loose pigments and won't be able to repurchase anymore.
Before all the sugar bear drama James Charles was on Tati channel and he explained why it’s much cheaper to use an influencer than to make a commercial and it made so much sense. I don’t know if it’s still up but basically he explained that paying a flat fee is much cheaper than hiring models, a film crew, editor, and paying the TV network to play the ads. It also made sense that when you click on a makeup video you are looking for makeup so you are going straight to your target audience.
I think she meant that the return on investment wasn’t worth it because the “investment” was so much more now to sponsor influencer videos. If you don’t have products that are exciting enough to be talked about without paying people to do it, maybe reevaluate your launches. I’m not faulting her for this one, but I think the fact that the matrix palettes were $125 also threw people off. I believe that introduced the brand to a lot of people that hadn’t heard of MuG before, so to see a “palette” have Natasha denona prices was off putting to what would’ve been new customers.
im so sad their closing i did purchase a 9 pan when they rebranded in 2020 and since i heard they closing i purchased in march 6 individual eyeshadow pans. i wish Marlena all the best with her family
Hi Kelly I love your makeup brand rise and fall videos I didn't know that makeup geek went out of business that's so sad I've always wanted their makeup
I think that this video might have touched on the situation with Jaclyn Hill, especially considering 2 major brands she worked with, or had an agreement to work with, have now closed. I think it might be more than coincidence.
Unpopular opinion, but I don't like Marlena at all. I wasn't here for the MUG original boom and never was really interested bc I joined in 2017 and they weren't relevant anymore. But when I heard about the My Truth video I thought it was really entitled; I'd literally NEVER seen them launch anything exciting, she was complaining that nobody talked about her products (duh, because they were boring!) and then proceeded to say everyone was charging 60k for a video... well, you can't expect to launch nothing new and have every macro influencer ever rave about it! Lots of medium sized youtubers could've done it for less. I felt like she was expecting the top 5 influencers to advertise her for literally no reason, as if medium sized or micro influencers weren't worthy of her collabs. I understand that I was late for MUG and also being european they're not a thing here at all, but I follow launches really closely since 2017 and even in my max consumerism era they were absolutely irrelevant to me, and I think that says something about who they were then and who Marlena thought they still were.
I agree with much of what you said about the closing of this business endeavor. And many are treating this closure with kid gloves because of the attachment to the person who started the company. I think the reference is Tina from The Fancy Face. She has great insights into the growth and end of this Brand.
Marlena was one of the OGs on RUclips and the space was sooooo different back when she started. This was before the Urban Decay Naked 1. Everyone was basically using Mac and Costal Scents eyeshadows back then. And MUA did really well in that eviorment. I don't think she realized she was coming off as entitled in the video you were talking about. I just think she couldn't adapt with a rapidly growing industry and she was kind of left in the dust. And she didn't quite know why so she attributed that to the big influencers not covering her products. Also the video was made back in 2018, at the hight of the make-up guru craze when brands were sending out insane PR packages to influencers in the hopes of being promoted on their channel. And in terms of the midsized youtubers ... Again this was pre the downfall of the big make-up influencers so smaller channels really didn't have the credibility and sway they have today.
I’m with you, I only heard of them here and there but never saw any of their products. So I have zero attachments to the owner or the brand. Also that matrix thing sounds so complicated and boring. Yep not a brand I would be buying from now.
MG used to be my absolute fave brand! The quality was superb, but the rebrand was terrible! The matrix system was so overhyped and then when it came out she basically just changed the shape of the eyeshadow pan, put the price up and the quality down! She got rid of way too many of her bestsellers too!
Omg, I think the originals were better too!! I still have mine & the reformulations. I almost cried when she cut Concrete Jungle!! As a super cool-tone that layer on Bedrock with Whimsical on the lid & Shimma Shimma in the inner corner was an everyday look I could do in the dark! But she wouldn't listen...
Kelly you challenged MGs plan for the company’s guy and stated you didn’t know where repeat consumers would come from. Yes, the person’s ideal palette is initially created, but do you wear the exact same makeup every day? Do you not change with trends? Do you not refresh old pans of your favorite color for reasons other than hitting pan? Do you not ever just want to try something different? My point is, repeat business is also cyclical just associated with time and trend change. The vehicle for delivery seems could be marketed to the consumer on quality in a cost effective manner that allows you the easily change with the trends because you can afford to.
![[SFM] Risky Recital](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RzNkY1_Nk3o/mqdefault.jpg)
I honestly like Marlena as a person and I'm so sad to see Makeup Geek close it's doors. 😥 She worked so hard and paved the way for so many others after her to be successful. She really set the standard for quality at an affordable price when MAC had the market for single eyeshadows. I've already put my order in and stocked up on my favorite MUG singles. I will miss her brand but glad she's staying on RUclips. It's the end of an era indeed. Make up is changing so much, but I still love my single shadows. I use them to create dupes of palettes that come out when I get FOMO and I know I don't need them. 😉
Hopefully she will do teaser her in there with her eyeshadows. Regardless of the drama, her products are too good to be gone forever.
I think she has the best eye shadows
Why is she staying on RUclips? What's the point
@@beautyonabarnbudget She's been on YT since 2008/2009, before her makeup line was even a thing. I've been following her since then. She's where I learned beyond the "basics" of makeup. She still offers info and tutorials.
The makeup community was over saturated for too long, and unfortunately now it’s correcting, which means brands will continue to close.
Kinda sad that it hit two bigger cruelty free brands and not brands that test on animals like Nars and Mac
I agree
Completely disagree. The makeup community and makeup industry have never been as saturated as they are now. The brands that are going away are the ones that can’t afford fast trends and constant launching of products to keep up with the obsessive demand of “newness”. Styles can change and some brands can’t catch up with those changes, but the market is so saturated that any small delay can set behind a brand to a point of closing business. It’s unfortunate that we aren’t really correcting anything. We have become one of the most wasteful and unappreciative communities ever. It’s all about buying and buying, even the same products with different packaging over and over again. Absolutely sad.
@@roselynmvm the newness which is being marketed by the very beauty RUclipsrs themselves. The very same as now pans and multi eyeshadows are a fad (and they were forty years ago) will bring back single eyeshadows eventually. Except for the fact that they make more profit from multipans and splitting products up into multiple ones.
Agreed. And it’s kind of called for. We don’t need this much make up! It’s too much going on
I think that artists often fail to see the value in their own creativity. Marlena marketed a supply (like art supplies) instead of seeing the value consumers place in the artist’s creativity and curation. Most people don’t have that deep well of creativity. On a curated palette, they are paying for someone else’s inspiration. For a lot of people, customizing a palette is stressful and lacks the thrill that an artist may find in it. I think that’s what Lethal Cosmetics is doing right on the single shadow game.
Oh my gawd that’s exactly why I’m addicted to palettes.😳So eye opening! Thanks! I love applying colors but I’m clueless about combining them and curating a combo. Palettes do that for me. Makes perfect sense! ☺️
Spot on analysis on why palettes are attractive
So true ! I see single shadows and have no interest and yet the same shades placed in a palette by someone else, creatively, I will grab. I grab my palettes way more than my singles- I feel disconnected from my singles floating around in my z palette.
That’s a really nice way to look at it 😅 but in reality is just how capitalism make us consume for the sake of consuming and is always creating the “need” for the newest hot release.
Wow as a creative who loves the possibility to tailor my tools to my needs, your comment is what finally made me understand why people want palettes instead of single shades so much.
i feel like marlena blames lack of influenced marketing for her brand falling off but in reality she was barely releasing items, failing to create new relevant products, and sticking to the same stick. single shadows have had a boom in indie communities bc of extreme sparkle and multi chrome shadows but in the matrix launch it was all very basic shadows
Exactly!
100%. And as a consumer I was off put by her need to blame her lack of success on everything and everyone except herself
@@JennyWas13 Who did she blame it on? I must have missed that.
@@courbry123 I don’t know if this is a genuine question or not? She just tried to blame her lack of success on ✨the industry✨, other brands advertising with influencers, how much influencers charge for marketing, and a myriad of other things rather than the fact that her own brand didn’t innovate or keep up with trends
I think she wanted to start a new trend than being a mindless follower
I think back in 2014 MUG did really well because there was less competition, but also because they were the more affordable alternative to MAC single eyeshadows. Back then, MAC was still the It girl of makeup but their $18 a piece shadows were too much for a lot of people to buy a good quantity of them. Then MUG started offering CF, made in USA dupes for MAC which were $6 a shade ($10 for the foils), and that was a good deal at the time. I did buy some MUG shadows in 2016 BUT by the end of the year, I lost interest in the brand because even $6 a shadow started getting too expensive for me. I would rather have spent $18 - $48 on a BH palette or a Too Faced palette from ULTA and buy it in store or get free shipping. I remember in 2017, Colourpop started doing single eyeshadows for $4 which was cheaper than $6 MUG AND they had a way better color selection. They had a lot of peaches which was very trendy back then, and MUG didn’t have that many new trendy colors or new duochromes. Now they are $5 a piece but thats still cheaper than MUG.
I think overall what led to the decline:
-was not keeping up with trends,
-bad business decisions of mixing friendship and business (JH making her lose 1 million dollars because she pulled out of the collab and Marlena didn’t have a contract),
-expecting big A list influencers (like Manny MUA and Kathleen Lights) to keep on promoting her brand for free and without PR because she felt entitled to it since she helped them in the beginning,
-the negative publicity she brought to herself by going after influencers for not supporting her anymore and that copyright strike she did on Tina because she didn’t like that her name was mentioned in her video.
-the supply chain issues with the pandemic
Exactly what happened!!! Marlena just made a series of bad business decisions.
I think Kelly needs to do a bit more research (and not just focus on personal opinion) before making this type of videos because I feel like the ones before were also missing a lot of clever facts that happened with the brand in question. I mean, it is her choice, but I think these videos could include more factual information.
@@roselynmvm I agree with you. I always appreciate the videos on brands that Kelly does, but I think they’d be better if she did more research before posting them to make them more accurate. But like you said, it’s her decision. 🙂 I think Marlena should’ve hired someone with a marketing background and also someone with product development experience to help her more especially when she started having those health issues after her divorce (stomach issues and panic attacks). I think during this time, the brand fell behind and she wasn’t releasing anything new because she didn’t feel well. They could’ve helped her with her business decisions as educated and experienced professionals. This is based on what Marlena said in some of her older videos. I think she’s a natural born saleswoman, but that’s not always enough when you’re running a million dollar business in a very saturated market.
@@roselynmvm I also think she didn’t really need a rebrand. She just needed to release more in trend products. Instead of that matrix palette, she could have released a line of sparkly shifty textured shadows like JD Glow has and some cream serum type blushes.
@@celestecelestial90 Yeap, you couldn’t have say it better. I wish things wouldn’t have taken a turn for the worst for her. No real need for rebranding but actually coming out with more clever products cause that matrix palette was definitely not the best choice for a new launch. Oh well. Hopefully she doesn’t make the same mistakes again on any of her new business endeavors.
@@roselynmvm I wish the best for her too, and hopefully her next business is successful in the long term. Hopefully she learns from her mistakes because she’s had 2 businesses that went under already (MUG and Marste), and she could learn what she did wrong to be successful with the next one. I could see her doing a perfume line because she loves perfumes. The matrix thing wasn’t that innovative and it was still expensive considering the other options on the market, so I can see why it wasn’t a good choice.
You forgot to mentioned she lost a lot of $ bcs of the failed collab she was going to have with Jaclyn Hill. It went down hill after that from a viewer perspective. She had a video called "Dear Influenceers" when she breaks down what happened. There's her reason as to why she couldn't create new products bcs she had already invested in that collab and had to utilize the packaging etc. The one you talked about was The Beaty Community, and that was about how toxic the beauty community became. But yes you're right, the brand didn't involved. I honestly feel after the Jacklyn Drama we stopped hearing about makeup geek. Other bands took over.
I feel like that video also hurt her with influencers in the community. I think a lot of them felt like "damn if this is how she talks about people who worked with her in the past, why would I work with her or promote her product." Not to mention it felt like she was blaming low sales on people not promoting her product instead of acknowledging her own short comings with the brand.
Bringing out the matrix system in 2020 was a sign that Marlena wasn’t keeping up with trends in the community. If she had been paying attention to what gets attention, she would have realized that for eyeshadow, it’s the curated palette that generates excitement, especially with attractive packaging. And myriad other interesting products. I agree with some others here that she kept making products that appealed to her, but her preferences never really changed as the years went on.
The other side of that from a business perspective though is doing what everybody else is doing isn't going to work out in the long run either because then everybody gets bored with what's being produced.
@@loritr I agree! She should have focused on producing more special shades and on collaborating with smaller influencers like Samantha March and women of color like Kelsey Briana Jai.
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But I thought the thought behind that was being a more conscious consumer. If she followed the trend, she would have done what her heart would against it
I'm so sad to see MUG go, because that eyeshadow formula is one of my favorites, and I love Marlena. I've seen a few influencers discussing this, and nobody is talking about how the Jacyln Hill palette that never launched and how it really took a chunk out of MUG. It's not just that the palette didn't release, it's that they were in full pre-production and got shafted with pans and actual palette components that MUG had to then use up for YEARS. Remember when she kept releasing nine-pans? Yeah? Those were all supposed to be used for the JH palette. I think also no one is giving Marlena credit that her company was a true indie brand. It was just her. She didn't have the backing or the R&D to really grow beyond what she was already offering. MUG released what it could in order to keep the business running.
If you can get your hands on the mascara or any of the eyeliners, they're amazing products too.
When she started her clothing company, I knew that makeupgeek would slowly end bc she stopped focusing on it. I think that she thought that MUG was a well oiled machine that didn’t need her constant focus… she released products too slowly and too few new releases. She would tease products like a year before they would launch and most of them never launched bc of supply or formula issues. A basic rule of business is not to share news of new products until you know it’s completely perfected. It feels like she teased them while she was still designing them. Overall I feel like she had a good business sense when she started the company but lost it after a few years. It may have also been due to her bf/ husband and the stress associated with it but honestly I’m surprised she didn’t close the business 3 years ago. I loved her products so much and I hope she creates something else now that she is in a good place with her kid and hubby.
I felt teh same way. If MUG is struggling then why buy a clothing company. I understand you r are purchasing profits but you also absorb they debt too
Releasing a clothing line when her clothes were so bland and overpriced was not the best choice. A clothing line should be established when there is nothing else on her plate.
She could have waited until MUG was fully established. There were incomplete launches and the lack of videos focusing on her products and more on drama.
She closed her clothing company in March 2020...i got some of the clothing items for like $5 to $20 and some i never wore and already ended up im the charity shop. The quality was fantastic but they were made for a woman who is about 6ft tall and the colour were an awful lilac shade or black which didnt suit me. Like it was black dresses for summer - if its warm enough to wear a dress in summer...black, grey or lilac is not the colours you are going to wear. Even though i felt sad and got the clothes on discount (paid a huge customs and import tax on them) - i was so sad that even at the discount i would have prefered to pay more for lululemon clothes.
@@traceymarshall5886 omg yes I forgot about the colors. The thing is that women of 6ft can’t really find good quality clothes in the USA so I get what she was trying to do and the idea was good. However, the execution was so wrong. The colors, styles, prices, limited choices, etc. It’s really hard to create a clothing brand with limited funds and needing so many sizes. But I feel like after starting her makeup company she should have known or at least have had the right people to advise her against it. It was a strange time. Lol.
I would love if you could do KVD Beauty in this series!
Illuminaughtii did a video about the brand about a year ago - there are definitely problems with the content (the whole Billie Joe collab was completely misinterpreted), but if you want to scratch that itch, it's worth watching.
@@gasparinha thanks!
I appreciate how respectfully you presented this content, Kelly. I don’t have any makeup geek in my collection, but always enjoy your videos and perspective! I think you make great points in this video. Thanks!
I started consuming makeup in the heyday of MUG. It was a better (higher quality) than MAC imo. Colourpop really ate into that market, and because of their on-site labs they were able to being on the cutting edge of trends. MUG seemed to be unable to branch out into newer shades. I still prefer singles to palettes, and made one final order last week with MUG. So sad to see it go, and I wish all the best to her in the future.
As someone who is trying to support companies with less wasteful packaging it is sad to me. Make up geek was one of the few brands that offers reusable pallets and refills. I only tried their eyeshadows which were a good quality I wish more brands would follow their example and make pallets reusable and refillable. I watched Marlena when she probably first started out and have a lot of respect for her
Totally support that! I think Lethal is a brand doing an amazing job with the refillable palettes and single shadows. Clionadh as well. Their stained glass shadows get a lot of hype but their circle pan shadows are wonderful and much more affordable. Both companies have great formulas.
@@Rain_Reign Lethal shimmers are really underwhelming and Clionadh is way too expensive and the wait til you get your order is way too long. MUG easily checks all boxes here.
I still think her refillable Mega palettes are the best on the market. Singles will come back around in a minute as I find so many "popular" palettes in Tj Maxx these days. I say stock up on the refillable palettes at $12 a pop because you know that when Natasha Denona or Pat McGrath come out with one, it will be at least 50 bucks.
Same. I really like MUG. One of my favorite single shades is Creme Brulee. I use it every day and have yet to find a shade just like it. I have depotted all my palettes. I like to see them all in one place so I actually use them
I agree. Less waste and less consumption is in our near future. We will return to the same logic that is behind makeup geek.
You can also get makeup geek at JC Penney online. They still have a decent selection of shadow singles and some other items left. I placed an order there and got everything really quickly 👍🏻
I am one of those who have been following Marlena since the beginning. I bought eye shadows and brushes way back when, and have continued to buy the brand. I'm sorry that she didn't get to expand the line, as she originally planned, to include foundation, etc. I am sad to see MUG go, but will look forward to seeing what's to come for her.
i didn't own anything from makeup geek but i'm still sad to see the news of them closing down. i remember when i first got into makeup and watching makeup tutorials on youtube, everyone were using their single shadows. hoping the best for marlena and her team ❤❤
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Jaclyn hill collab that was suppose to happen but was cancelled last minute, Marlena came out and said it was devastating for the brand, I forget what year though
Well maybe that’s why, I think it’s been more than a couple of years. So while it would’ve hurt, she also had “ample” time to recover from that ever since. I say ample loosely of course, but with so many brands and products launching constantly, it does feel like ample time.
Right! She lost a lot with this collab.
I agree that was such good tea
I think Marlena and MUG weren't able to keep up formula wise either. All of these indie brands like Terra Moons, Clionadh, JD Glow, insert more sparkly eyeshadow brands here were changing the game. I think if she had developed some more unique formulas before her big rebrand people would've been more excited for the future of MUG. I think Marlena was developing makeup for herself rather than the consumer. She said it was difficult for makeup companies to make lighter coverage/more natural products to suit that need but so many companies have made a name for themselves in that market (Tower28, Kosas, Milk, Rare).
I'm sure so much other stuff went on behind the scenes. I remember her mentioning in a video that she worked with a subpar lab that produced a bunch of compromised product and she had to junk it all.
Not everyone likes sparkles, in fact there are a lot of consumers who dont. Many regular people outside of beauty youtube do not wear sparkles on a daily basis. Also MUF foiled shadows formula is quite unique, you can find a ton of chunky sparkles shadows now but nothing close to MUG smooth shiny foiled shadows. Not everyone wants Clionadh let alone for that money and wait. Dont speak for everyone.
@@jslilimauve lol relax
I was so disappointed she didn't take the foil Whimsical (most popular) and make it in several shades like we begged for every video?! She wouldn't do it, but Sydney Grace did 🤍
@@jslilimauve hi Marlena 👋
Even aside from sparkles I don't think they kept up with other indies. I was getting into single eyeshadows several years ago (right before the rebrand I think) and got a bunch of mattes from MUG and Sydney Grace. SG was a little cheaper and there was just no comparison for the formulas... Or how the shadows performed over time as it turns out.
I will miss Marlena- I tried to order a couple of the color crème brûlée but it was already sold out. I know she was supposed to collaborate with JH but she pulled out and Marlena lost a ton of $ and product. I know Brianna Fox continues to use a lot of her shadows consistently if y’all want a few tutorials with her shadows
i’ve actually never tried anything from makeup geek, but then again i just got back into makeup a few years ago, and i never really heard about them. my heart goes out to marlena. soooo many businesses are closing and it’s so saddening.
I'm 45. Yes it was often a family member that taught us how to do makeup but for my age, magazines like Allure were huge. Also books like Kevin Aucoin's book which was revolutionary at the time. For me personally my mother took me to the Clinique counter at my local department store. I was 13 and it was there that I got my first makeup lesson.
It’s kind of sad, but Makeup Geek never innovated in the direction that the consumer and their audience were going in. The price point also (to me) doesn’t justify the product. I could get the same colors at colourpop or from Elf. As a marketer, it really doesn’t seem like she was making makeup for US. But she was making makeup for herself.
colourpop shadows being thought of as affordable is one of the biggest scams in makeup. Ounce for ounce, it is not cheap. The singles cost about as much as UD singles. The quality is extremely inconsistent and ranges from wearable to total shit, but on average is only kind of adequate. Furthermore, colourpop's model will cost you much more than buying a custom palette of 6$ singles. Colourpop's model is based on trying to get you addicted to spending and socially engineering you to buy just so you wont miss out: with limited releases, and constant discontinuations of even popular products.
If you ask an older person they are not saying "their mother, their aunt" they are saying Magazines. Magazines were the influencers before the internet Seventeen, YM, Sassy, etc.
you said 2 of my faves, make up geek and Coastal Scents...I would have never guessed that 2020 Black Friday sale was going to be my last purchase.
Marlena rocked it and did fantastic. Taking the industry as far as she could with what she had, kudos to her & her team.
I bought my favorite shades in a 9 pan when they re-launched and it was not cheap but I’m so glad I supported her and I have it for myself...💋🧚🏻♀️❤️🇺🇸
It's sad that they are closing. But it kind of feels like she blamed a lot of their failure on outside forces. Instead of taking responsibility for the their lack of creativity/ keeping up with trends. Keep in mind I don't have a emotional connection to the brand or Marlena because I didn't start watching beauty youtube until 2017.
YESSSSS! She never takes any personal responsibility
I appreciate single shadows so much. I hate buying palettes and not using all the colors. I'm gonna miss mug so much. Rip creme brule
I ordered a few things from her closing sale- highlighter, eye liners and a face brush. No single shadows, I have so many and I just don’t use them. I wish Marlena well ❤️
I love singles. Especially when I am making a makeup bag for a show, I can use just the shades I want in a magnetic palette and not have a huge palette (or more than one if i am switching my makeup between characters or scenes) in my makeup bag. But there are so many fun indie brands that have nice formulas that I never needed to try Makeup Geek. I have singles from depotted palettes, I have singles from Looxi, I have singles from Coastal Scents (RIP), I have singles from Colourpop, and I am good. And I also got a bad taste in my mouth learning about Marlena and her entitlement. I have so many brands to buy from, if someone tries to guilt me into buying their products, I will choose another brand to buy from.
I ordered several shades when I heard the brand was closing. I like her products and sad to see them go. I also really liked the tutorials on her website. It was a great way to get inspiration and something no other brand does.
I learned to do makeup while watching performers at a gay bar paint themselves before a show. A friend was doing stints there to partially support his college funds (his family doesn't know he does it to avoid a scandal). They gave me a lot of beauty tips.🥰
I also LOVE singles-Lauren Mae has a lot of content on single shadows which I love-but def feel that it wasn’t/isn’t as popular for the last few years. I did grab some Makeup Geek shadows when I heard they were closing cause I had always wanted to try them, and have only heard good things about the quality.
So sad to hear her close 💔
I have yet to receive my order
@@theresas2520 oh no! I got mine week before last. I’m actually wearing one of loose pigments (tin man!) today! Idk when you ordered but I got mine almost three weeks after I put in my order.
I actually loved her cheek powder products too! The ingredients were better for my skin than most other brands. So they didn't break me out like most from Sephora did.
I can somewhat I agree that their focus on singles became both Makeup Geek's strength and weakness. I got into makeup at the peak of the beauty community (2012/2013). I would always hear about makeup geek but couldn't get into it. As a beginner, at that time, buying singles and creating your own palette is really intimidating and costly. By the time my make up skills have improved, I have more than enough makeup that I didn't need to create my own palette. It's sad too see an icon like the brand makeup geek disappear but I'm glad Marlena is stays positive about the whole situation.
I didn't like Marlena's attitude about influencers not pushing her products. If you don't at least send PR what do you expect?
I never bought Makup Geeks original singles. I considered their blushes before they rebranded but didn't like that I'd have to but packaging to go with it.
I've bought a fair amount since here relaunch and everything has been decluttered. I did really like her shimmers / metallics but I thought the mattes were just fine.
I loved to support her brand and I’ll be excited to support her future endeavors. Loved the video. It was very well done and respectful.
I do think we are seeing a hybrid of singles vs palettes: removable shadows within a palette. Like the ND palettes, or some of the colourpop ones.
When Marlena started publicly finger-pointing at influencers for her ROI (return on investment) it sealed her company downfall. She also relied heavily on public sympathy for multiple issues.
Hi Kelly! Yeah, I think lots of people should get a “do over” for 2020. We (my husband and I), lost our motel of eight years when the pandemic hit. If just seems sooooo unfair for a lot of people. Ever since then we have been struggling as that was our nest egg. We had everything invested in that motel. Everything. It was what our children we going to inherit. It was two houses, an apartment and eight motel rooms. We rented them all just like motel rooms or long term. And we figured if they didn’t want to run it as a motel/business, they could live there and/or sell it. But bam, Covid hit and all that went right out the window. We were able to sell and we did make a small profit but nothing as to what it was worth and what should have been made. We are fifty eight and fifty nine. Nobody wants to hire old people. And working for someone else after being our own boss sucks. My husband has employment now but we barely get by. Covid really messed things up for so many people. And I have to say, I’m bitter over it. We had a good thing going and on the road to a good retirement and something for our children. Which is more than I could say for how my parents and my husbands parents left us. Oh well, it is what it is and it sucks!
❤️💜💚
Oh Paige I’m so sorry that happened to you. We have 2 Airbnbs on the east coast and we had a huge BOOM during covid…booked every night. Airbnb never shut down and people poured in. I wish I had known you then :(
Oh I'm sorry. I don't what it is about us in our 50's but we really got screwed when it comes to career and retirement. Almost all the people I went to school with are living paycheck to paycheck. Being middle aged isn't what I thought it was going to be.
@@chrissyellem7397 AMEN sister!! I say that everyday damn near. I mean surely we had qualities like they do. We just didn’t have the internet!! And I’m all the time hearing about some career that seems fabulous and I never even heard of it!! What the hell or where in the hell was my guidance counselor??? We definitely got screwed!!!!
❤️💜💚
@@austenpoet Me too!
❤️💜💚
I think single eyeshadows were so coveted back then because only people with the MAC artist discount had most of them. MAC was so big, and then MUG offered theirs for $6. But the Matrix system wasn't what people were looking for in cosmetics in 2020, or even now. With tiny palettes being so wanted.
So sad to see a brand started from scratch by one person who was very conscious close down. Wish her all the success in the world in her new ventures
I think it’s very difficult for the “influencer craze” based brands to have long term success with how often the trends change on social media. Gerard cosmetics, makeup geek, morphe, ofra, Juvias place were all brands that’s huge popularity solely came from the YT beauty community. Majority of their customers are from this space so as trends come and go, it takes something serious to keep that momentum going. Colourpop is the only YT beauty community based brand that has remained just as relevant over the years. & it’s bc they have kept up with the times while keeping affordable prices. Yes ppl still buy from those other brands but not nearly as much as they used to. Juvias place and morphe are probably doing the best out of all the others I named but ppl barely talk about their products now like they used to. At least they’re both in Ulta with displays so non YT beauty community ppl have a chance to have exposure to their brands. Especially with morphe being so affordable, having brushes and having a huge display in Ulta they are able to somewhat keep up even though it’s not on the level it once was.
While social media can be a great tool for newer businesses, it seems like most of them fall off as quick as they come into success.
I learned how to do makeup at the beauty counters in department stores (I'm an oldie who learned makeup pre-RUclips/Internet). The other thing with Natasha Denona is that the pre-made palettes are customizable since all the shadows pop out of the palette and you can rearrange them or put them in a magnetic palette and take them around if you want to. It's really the best of both worlds. It's a shame that Marlena didn't have that kind of idea earlier.
I love this kind of videos of yours, about make up industries, brands, what's happening to them. I hope you will continue doing these very interesting videos 👏🏻
If they had been able to launch foundation and concealer they might still be around. Marlena talked about base products for years, especially an under eye colour corrector but it never happened. I also think they should have included the foiled shadows and duochromes as part of their re-brand. All they needed was a few swatches of the foiled shadows on tik tok and they would have flown off the shelves. But not being able to keep products in stock was probably the biggest issue and I wonder if that's because the bigger brands had the buying power to keep the labs too busy to produce for a smaller brand.
I agree. And creating more shades of Whimsical, what I consider the most famous foil. A foundation & under eye corrector would have kept them alive. 🤍
Agree that eyeshadows (and powders in general) last forever and repurchase is rare. The only repurchases I make regularly are setting spray, foundation, concealer and mascara - mostly because some of them expire in a visible manner. Mascara turns dry. But you can use shadows for years past the stated expiry date. I have an Elizabeth Arden palette that’s a decade old and still seems fine.
I bought both Matrix palettes last year when I first got into singles. After watching so many videos of buying the latest palettes, I couldn't imagine to have such a big collection. I have a decent collection of singles mixed with Colourpop and Alter Ego. I just think the market has changed so much.
U made a really good point here. I wish MUG should create something new like whats in & whats out. I learned that talc in the ingredient is bad for eyes and face because mug has talc-free makeup. Its very expensive quality to make. Talc can lead to cancer on eyes or under eyes or red face, I had to re-order again from mug and stock up to use it for lifetime. I had to discarded elf and other brands, they have talc. Its really sad to see mug is no longer and no one believes her lines. But I do!
I wish her only the best! She was such a good teacher and such a class act! I keep her Penelope Cruz makeup tutorial video she did 13 years ago and play it regularly! The make up she did in that video is how I like to wear mine and it was done beautifully, experly and so professionally! I’m so sad to see MUG go.
Totally agree. When you sell consumable products, you need either need to sell something ppl actually need more of (food) or you convince ppl they need more of. Makeup.
I love Makeup Geek products. Mainly their shadows, brushes & eyeliners. Her eyeliners are awesome! I own most all of her shadows & placed another order when she announced she was closing. I use my MUG shadows at least 2 x a week. They are a staple in my collection. (even tho I own SO many other brands) So this makes me very sad. The shadows blend easily & you can do a look very quickly.
I don't live in the US so I don't own any makupgeek but I'm still sad she has to close her business down. Marlena has always been one of the only completely profesional and positive people in the make-up RUclips world. Hopefully she'll be able to reopen soon.
A lot of the products are sold out on the MG site, but JCPenny has many of the eye shadows available FYI.
You should definitely give it a try you won’t regret it 💜 the eyeshadow are amazing
I first learned how to do makeup from a Mary Kay party 😅 I don’t support them now but it was the early 2000s and my mom’s friends sold it.
Same. The neighbor down the road that was friends with my grandma sold Mary Kay. Lol
Yes! They had refillable palettes too. Other than that, I learned all my makeup styles from YM, Seventeen, and Sassy.
Omg same unlocked a memory
Loved Merle Norman. There was a shop 15 minutes from me in a very nice mall space. I miss it!
I love your brand deepdive videos! They are very infomative and interesting. I would love some more pictures as you talk about collections or specific products (if it's possible). I'm a vsual person and I think some additional pics would help.
So sad to see MUG close but they really didn’t keep up with consumer preferences. 😕 I’ve ordered a few times from them and the shipping was slow compared to other companies. I think if she focused on palettes and other products she could have had a little more success.
I agree. Nice idea but lacking in the execution
I really enjoy this series! Hoping you’ll do Dose of Colors next ☺️
The market is soooooo oversaturated that us as consumers are just over it. We only need so much make up and I am definitely spending more money on skincare now then I am makeup.
Completely agree with that sentiment. And even though there are an unnecessary number of makeup brands and more coming out, it boggles my mind that people still find reasons to complain. They want every brand to carry a hundred skin shades because you're racists if you don't. I'm so over makeup influencers making drama over everything. That is why the industry is dying off in my opinion. We are living in a generation of cry babies. I can't think of a worse industry to get into these days.
You are very pretty, like really pretty. I love how you cover these stories, but today I was particularly distracted by your eye makeup. Simply beautiful!
I don’t own a single product from Makeup Geek, but this has to be one of the saddest closings. I hate that Marlena was among the originals and her brand is going out of business - whereas Michelle Phan and Jackie Aina are doing so well in their businesses. It’s so unfair, but I understand, that’s business. I appreciated when she made her video because it was nice to see the perspective of someone who was an influencer - turned business owner, and how she was treated by *certain* influencers. I hope she is doing okay and I hope she is able to fulfill herself in another way.
Also, great video!! Thanks for the Grade A content, like always. I hope you’re doing well ❤️
The shadows were really hard to get in the UK, they were stock on a British website but always out of stock and took a long time to get new products and shades over. I went to an event she did in Manchester and it was great seeing her but I can’t buy what’s not easily available to me.
I do not own any MUG products but I’m actually debating getting the facial elixir. Scrolling down through the website I came across this product, and how people are describing it in their reviews it sounds like I would love it and since I’m not able to repurchase my beloved Becca first light primer anymore which is my favorite makeup product behind mascara I’m thinking to give this a try. Idk this whole thing makes me so sad.
The reliance on single shadows probably hurt the brand a lot as consumers shifted towards buying palettes. Makeup Geek did a few palettes but that was years ago. The relaunch was confusing because it was so matte focused that only a few shimmers were initially released. A lot of favorite original shadows were not included in the relaunch.
I personally like single shadows because it is nice to be able to customize a palette and replace one shadow or a few if those are shades that get heavy use. I also own quite a few palettes from various brands. A few other indie brands elected to get rid of their single shadows and focus on palettes when sales of singles went down. Coloured Raine did that, I think last year.
I have many many makeup geek singles. I love them. I’m glad I hoarded the round singles when I did. I have the matrix palettes too. I will miss Marlena and makeup geek. I love the formula and the color selections.
Marlena made a version of Inglot’s Matrix customizable palettes.
MUG was doing wonderful until the Jaclyn Hill palette that never got released. The Manny MUA palette was a hit prior. Marlana scrapped the palette then the square pans. I know I and everyone else had circle Mac palette storage.
I tried to purchase from her website several times over the years - always sold out of what I wanted. I would spend an hour building an eye or face palette only to find that one or two of the main shades I wanted were sold out. Got frustrated and left. Sadly it's the same with Colorpop - they never keep the basics in stock. One day (when $ isn't tight) I would love to go to MAC and build a palette. Thank you Kelly!
Yes! Colourpop singles are always out of stock!
Their shift is great actually being conscious about consumerism but nobody is going to keep coming back to you because most of the time those products would last people a long time. And during that in between, you’re not attracting enough to even out the loss and non-returning customers
This is the first video I've watched of yours and I have to say you're really knowledgable and easy to watch! I've been watching lots of videos about the beauty industry and the downfall of the community so I'm going to be checking out some of the other videos in this series.
She’s the best!
It’s funny I didn’t even know Marlena started off as an influencer and I didn’t know that makeup geek was her brand until a while after it opened. I only really looked into the brand after the Manny MUA collab and then I never really purchased anything after but I really do like Marlena as a person, I don’t think she’s shady like a lot of other influencers/brand owners and I really do hope she does well on her next endeavor
Just a note Jcpenneys is also selling makeup geek online I’ve made several orders from makeup geek when Marlena announced their closing and they still haven’t shipped but I’ve received all my JCPenneys orders already so just saying!!! And I do really enjoy makeup geek I’m sad to see them closing btw JCPenney doesn’t carry ALL the stuff the MUG website has but they still have most of it.
I never bought make up geek because I felt it was overpriced but I like what she's doing now. She's giving real Intel into the industry and products to splurge. It feels honest
I still want those 2 matrix systems! I have never caught them in stock, otherwise they would be in my collection!!
SAME! I tried to purchase them multiple times and they were never in stock. I would have spent several hundreds of dollars, but was always disappointed everything was always out of stock.
I am hooked with your videos!!! They are so good!
I think about the same thing happened with BH cosmetics. They are known mostly for their eyeshadows and that’s just not something people repurchase a lot.
I totally agree. Also I think people are more conscious about their makeup purchases nowadays and the market is oversaturated. Also, this race to the bottom to keep offering cheap prices and encourage people to buy more, is difficult to maintain.
its crazy how the beauty spce has changed over the years. i remember makeup geek being huge especially after the manny mua palette which I really wanted.
Ahh The Time Before TikTok.. the good ol' days..
The Target near me use to carry MUG then all of a sudden not anymore. This was sometime last yr I noticed it. Even online really couldn’t get products from targets site
MUG is one of my favorite brands, I had actually never bought anything until the rebrand because I was so broke until that point. I appreciate the rejection of being "on trend" because I find brands like ColourPop exhausting. I can dupe anything they release with singles.
I feel like the makeup market is just so saturated right now we'll see a lot of brands go under. I feel really underwhelmed by most brands because they're not releasing quality staples or anything actually exciting like trichromes which only the indie market is crushing.
The only time an influencer has inspired me to buy anything was from a look/tutorial when I didn't have something dupeable. I don't trust their opinions or reviews because I know they've been paid for.
I feel stila will be next to close down. Just like Becca they haven’t launched anything in two, three years. Since the liquid shadows launched I haven’t heard of anything else launching. Buxom too.
Omg you have a baby face like me!! Alas, I now look more my age range but for years I had a little child face.
It’s so nice to see another human being with the same baby face (style) enjoy the blessing!
I love the choice of single pan . That's how I started buying makeup back in the day. I'm sorry to see her leave this part of her business. I did buy some beautiful shades ( while I had the chance) that I absolutely love.
Best wishes for her next endeavor. She seems like a reputable brand that cares about the quality she provides to her customers. ❤
You did a great job presenting this video. Well done! I’m enjoying this series.
I like single eyeshadows - IF I can store them in a perfectly fitting attractive palette. Basically a Natasha Denona palette with singles would be awesome.
I personally used Mac for single shadow for many years before turning to actual palettes.
I just placed an order on their items and it will be my first time ever to try her eyeshadows. I'd be so bummed if I end up loving her shadows and loose pigments and won't be able to repurchase anymore.
I have a couple of 9 pan shadows, and I ordered some singles. The makeup geek mascara s fantastic!!
Before all the sugar bear drama James Charles was on Tati channel and he explained why it’s much cheaper to use an influencer than to make a commercial and it made so much sense. I don’t know if it’s still up but basically he explained that paying a flat fee is much cheaper than hiring models, a film crew, editor, and paying the TV network to play the ads. It also made sense that when you click on a makeup video you are looking for makeup so you are going straight to your target audience.
This 'rise & fall' series is amazing!!
I think she meant that the return on investment wasn’t worth it because the “investment” was so much more now to sponsor influencer videos. If you don’t have products that are exciting enough to be talked about without paying people to do it, maybe reevaluate your launches. I’m not faulting her for this one, but I think the fact that the matrix palettes were $125 also threw people off. I believe that introduced the brand to a lot of people that hadn’t heard of MuG before, so to see a “palette” have Natasha denona prices was off putting to what would’ve been new customers.
im so sad their closing i did purchase a 9 pan when they rebranded in 2020 and since i heard they closing i purchased in march 6 individual eyeshadow pans. i wish Marlena all the best with her family
Hi Kelly I love your makeup brand rise and fall videos I didn't know that makeup geek went out of business that's so sad I've always wanted their makeup
I am so sad to see Makeup Geek close up. Their single shadow formula is my absolute favorite! The foils are amazing and the mattes are incredible. 😥😥😔
I think that this video might have touched on the situation with Jaclyn Hill, especially considering 2 major brands she worked with, or had an agreement to work with, have now closed. I think it might be more than coincidence.
Unpopular opinion, but I don't like Marlena at all. I wasn't here for the MUG original boom and never was really interested bc I joined in 2017 and they weren't relevant anymore. But when I heard about the My Truth video I thought it was really entitled; I'd literally NEVER seen them launch anything exciting, she was complaining that nobody talked about her products (duh, because they were boring!) and then proceeded to say everyone was charging 60k for a video... well, you can't expect to launch nothing new and have every macro influencer ever rave about it! Lots of medium sized youtubers could've done it for less. I felt like she was expecting the top 5 influencers to advertise her for literally no reason, as if medium sized or micro influencers weren't worthy of her collabs. I understand that I was late for MUG and also being european they're not a thing here at all, but I follow launches really closely since 2017 and even in my max consumerism era they were absolutely irrelevant to me, and I think that says something about who they were then and who Marlena thought they still were.
Tina make a video talking about this too
@@yapyiting5716 who is Tina? Can you link?
I agree with much of what you said about the closing of this business endeavor. And many are treating this closure with kid gloves because of the attachment to the person who started the company.
I think the reference is Tina from The Fancy Face. She has great insights into the growth and end of this Brand.
Marlena was one of the OGs on RUclips and the space was sooooo different back when she started. This was before the Urban Decay Naked 1. Everyone was basically using Mac and Costal Scents eyeshadows back then. And MUA did really well in that eviorment. I don't think she realized she was coming off as entitled in the video you were talking about. I just think she couldn't adapt with a rapidly growing industry and she was kind of left in the dust. And she didn't quite know why so she attributed that to the big influencers not covering her products. Also the video was made back in 2018, at the hight of the make-up guru craze when brands were sending out insane PR packages to influencers in the hopes of being promoted on their channel. And in terms of the midsized youtubers ... Again this was pre the downfall of the big make-up influencers so smaller channels really didn't have the credibility and sway they have today.
I’m with you, I only heard of them here and there but never saw any of their products. So I have zero attachments to the owner or the brand. Also that matrix thing sounds so complicated and boring. Yep not a brand I would be buying from now.
I've never owned any Makeup Geek but find these videos so interesting!
MG used to be my absolute fave brand! The quality was superb, but the rebrand was terrible! The matrix system was so overhyped and then when it came out she basically just changed the shape of the eyeshadow pan, put the price up and the quality down! She got rid of way too many of her bestsellers too!
Omg, I think the originals were better too!! I still have mine & the reformulations. I almost cried when she cut Concrete Jungle!! As a super cool-tone that layer on Bedrock with Whimsical on the lid & Shimma Shimma in the inner corner was an everyday look I could do in the dark! But she wouldn't listen...
Will you do a video on the rise and fall of the founder of the ordinary, Brandon Truaxe? That would be very interesting.
Kelly you challenged MGs plan for the company’s guy and stated you didn’t know where repeat consumers would come from.
Yes, the person’s ideal palette is initially created, but do you wear the exact same makeup every day? Do you not change with trends? Do you not refresh old pans of your favorite color for reasons other than hitting pan? Do you not ever just want to try something different? My point is, repeat business is also cyclical just associated with time and trend change. The vehicle for delivery seems could be marketed to the consumer on quality in a cost effective manner that allows you the easily change with the trends because you can afford to.