FYI - the brand also had a name prior to Ensley Reign that included the term g*psy in it. This is considered a derogatory word. The brand changed their name, but I have had friends say that the old name shows up in the UPS e-mails they receive when they are getting items shipped to them. I had a lot less info on this particular topic so I didn't include it in my list but I meant to at least mention it. Upon editing I realized I forget so wanted to add that here. Additionally, my intent is not to stir up more drama. I just felt like I needed to share what I know and my feelings about it to feel comfortable featuring this palette on my channel. If you agree/disagree with me, totally fine! Just keep it respectful in the comments please :)
Amazing review❤ I appreciate you giving us all the facts and your thoughts. You handled this very respectfully. ER is one of my fav brands, like top 3! The brand owner is so sweet and supportive. There are so many brands who do not give affiliates their earnings.. idk why so many people are coming for them about that.. I will continue to support them. I invest in their shadows. They are incredible. I could order a handful of singles from adored single shadow brands and spend $100 at minimum. At least with ER I get a beautiful palette, color story, and formula. Thank you for your review. I love the look you created!✨
Thank you so much!! I think just because they’re pricey and then are in the spotlight for some other things people want to nitpick everything. I also didn’t say this but as a society we don’t like when people rise to the top and just always have factions of people doing what they can to tear people down. We do this to women in particular (Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, etc). So I also think Ensley Reign quickly rising to the top of a lot of people’s favorites lists can make some people be more critical overall.
I know there are discount codes and affiliate codes. If I knew there were other brands that were not giving creators what they had promised, I’d be happy to criticize them too because that is just dishonest, give discount codes and not affiliate codes then. There was another brand that did this and I never bought from them. However, if the creator doesn’t care then that’s not a problem for them. I also know that being sweet is not necessarily an indicator of one’s true character. I do think their color stories are very appealing and it is everyone’s right to support them or not. We all have different values after all. For me as a consumer who doesnt have a channel and doesn’t need to buy everything that comes out I can be very picky with what I buy.
$11 USD shipping would be a dream as an Aussie - it’s $80 AUD to oz unfortunately which is basically a Natasha Denona mid palette if you buy on sale of which there are many or a GC palette with duochromes. I find it hard to justify in comparison to what other brands including Indi brands charge for shipping which is far less. I don’t like how the brand is yet to address the AI and I would rather plain packaging over AI with the impact on artists. I’ve been plagiarised twice and it is a horrible experience particularly when you worry about how it will affect your career. It is a huge sticking point for me. It’s a pretty palette and I appreciate you addressing the situation here.
I definitely think a higher cost for shipping internationally would steer me away for sure!! It’s crazy how much it costs to ship these items internationally. Also I am so sorry you’ve been plagiarized!! What an awful experience ❤️
We are business owners (different industry). We import from all over the world and the costs of raw materials, manufacturing, shipping etc have sky rocketed in the last few years, particularly since Covid. We just had a 20% price increase from one of our European suppliers. The costs are insane. The other thing that has happened is that China has reduced the number of days that manufacturing plants can operate to meet climate regulations and power rationing. This has caused huge delays, unpredictable ETAs and increased costs. additionally we have had massive increases in our energy prices, our electricity bill has tripled since Covid, our domestic freight costs have also doubled since Covid. Don’t even get me started on wage expenses. The consumer is often not aware of the huge pressures business are under to manage their overhead costs and we often absorb the price increases…until we just can’t. Businesses generally don’t like to annoy their customers with price increases but it is inevitable in these times we live in.
Thank you so much for sharing this insight!! You’re so right as consumers we don’t know about these things but this is really great to know. Also I am sorry you’re having to navigate all of this for your own business. Hope things get easier soon ❤️
@@KatelynhousemakeupThank you Katelyn 😊, thankfully despite all that we are still growing and doing well. All businesses are in the same boat and most have had to increase prices so unfortunately the poor consumers are also suffering in under these global economic conditions.
I also feel like I should get free shipping whenever I hit $100 😂 if not sooner! Being in Guam, I’ve been blaming the shipping on that but I do love that they secure it so well. Please share your spreadsheet! I love a good spreadsheet and have been trying to figure out how I want to track my makeup. I don’t worry about private vs public labeled, as long as the shadows preform as expected for the price tag. I do think that (for the price tag especially), it would be nice to see the brand support artists. I personally like the look of their packaging but would have loved to see an actual artist’s take on those briefs. I was a couple hours late to launch and just missed the first round. I got the preorder for this launch and am glad to know I have one reserved as soon they get back in stock. Preorders aren’t for everyone, for every launch, but I don’t think them being offered is bad. (Your look is gorgeous! I can’t wait for mine to get here!!) I skipped Strawberry Moon but bought 6 other palettes from them last year. Compared to my Natasha Denona and Pat McGrath palettes, they were much better values and I reach for one of them almost everyday. (I love the fact that their last 4 have been magnetic! Definitely a huge plus for me!)
Yes magnetic pans for the win!! Haha definitely a more important feature for me than a mirror although I would love both 😂 I might try and do a live to share my spreadsheet!
I'm very chatty tonight but I also know it helps your engagement to have more comments so I have another one. If I was your friend in real life, I would tell you to stop apologizing for your opinions, to stop caring about the people that complain about your opinions, and to stop thinking there aren't people in your audience that want to hear what you have to say. I watch your videos because you give different perspectives than other creators. I've watched a lot of videos about the Cold Moon palette and you are the only one that made insightful comments about the palette, the brand, their other palettes, other indie companies, etc. I appreciate your viewpoint. Stop apologizing. If someone has a problem with it, then they don't have to watch. Just remember, there are people in this world that complain about everything. You can't please everyone, so don't apologize because there are people that want to hear what you have to say.
@@Katelynhousemakeup you're welcome. If you want to talk about another indie brand, talk about Shroud. They announced a new palette in November, then disappeared off of social media. I ordered the palette at launch, and I never received it. I've emailed multiple times, sent DMs, posted on their IG and they haven't responded. I ended up doing a chargeback on my credit card. I'm still waiting for permanent credit.
@@WendyandBradPitt omg what!? That is absolutely wild… I know when I did one of the Betty Jean palette preorders it took like 8 months and the owner disappeared on social media for a bit then too.. That’s so sketchy that there is 0 communication now!
I had no idea there was drama surrounding them... I dont follow too closely on IG, so I'm glad you brough it up. I personally dont have any problems with private labelling as long as the brand is involved in the process and do their own packaging and makes sure the formulas work well. As for the packaging... I think its totally fair game to use AI created art. Its probably a lot cheaper for them, and they know the quality is gonna be fantastic. As a brand, their main goal is to create good products and to make money, not make sure that small artists get paid or whatever else people say. Sure, that would be nice if they did, but at the end of the day, they are a business and people have to remember that. If someone decides they dont want to support them or that their palettes are too over priced and what not, then they can just not buy from them and thats that lol. Not every brand will be for everyone 🤷♀
Agreed! I personally think you’re more likely to get better quality art paying for an artist vs AI. There’s something about AI art to me that just doesn’t typically look as pretty to me! But you’re absolutely right if people don’t want to buy they don’t have to!
I 100% agree!!! There are other brands that sell less shades for more money. I feel like we hold indie brands are held at unfair standards. Private label definitely should not have a high price tag, but when you're developing your own formula, creating the colors you want, its going to cost more. I won't mention names, but in my opinion Ensley is just as good as the all shimmer palette I bought for $125 with no mattes and less shades. I would care more about these 'issue's' if all brands were held to the same standards.
@@omegasobsessions so true!! That’s why I wanted to break down the different formulas at each palette price point since I think the formula discrepancies speak to the price discrepancies
That was a great video. I like how you're just honest. No drama, no negativity. I have emailed Ensley a couple times and i too thought she was really nice. They answer quick. Of course I wish they cost less, but at the end of the day I buyv their palettes cuz they are such good quality. I get more use out of them than i do higher priced palettes lol. So it could be worse. Great video!
As far as cost is concerned, I think the quality/formulation of the shadows justifies it. There are main stream brands out here charging $128 for a 10 color palette that is the same boring pink and gold color story that has been pushed for years, lying about pre-orders, and having horrible customer service and shipping/packaging. ER is very upfront about pre-orders and their packaging to ship products is very thoughtful. The AI art isn't really an issue for me, and this is coming from someone who has a background in fine art and graphic design. At the end of the day, they're selling beautiful eyeshadows, at a competitive price point, whether you wish to purchase it or not is completely up to you.
Very thoughtful video, I appreciate everything you said and the eye look you created is STUNNING! I want to recreate this when I eventually get the palette, I’m hoping for later this year.
First off please share your spreadsheet lol, I love spreadsheets. I appreciate you brought everything up when talking about the palette in a way that’s just informative and having a discussion. Here’s what I think about the AI issue. First of all I think artists are super valuable. I love art, I love buying from artists instead of buying pictures at target or whatever, for example. And I think whatever artists feel about the AI issue is valid. That being said I do wonder a few things about people’s thought process with AI. Are we feeling the same way about ALL AI stuff? What about writing? Any AI content that’s written is going to be based on stuff written by writers. Im a software engineer, ALL the technology you and I use in our everyday lives is based on already existing code that someone slaved over. all im thinking is that its easy to cancel a makeup brand for that but are we also boycotting everything else that AI has stollen property from individuals without pay? like id prefer this controversy csuses them to reevaluate this and start paying artidts but it IS a small brand. they have to start somewherr maybe we should be a bit more understsnding
I also love spreadsheets so you are my people 😂 That’s a great point about how AI is used in other ways! For myself I have definitely used like ChatGPT to help make my work emails sound nicer 😂 My husband uses it for meal planning/recipes when it’s his turn to meal plan or prep. So we definitely use it a lot! You’ve given me something to noodle on 😊
Because they are at the top of their game, i mean everything is on point. They are killing it. Haters just need shutting down, thry dont have power unless they are given it. Every brand gets hate it seems at some point. People just go in for the jugular instead of being respectful. Says more about them than the brand.
I agree! If you spend $100 the shipping should be absolutely free. Even if it’s wrapped well! I have a problem with the A.I. art. It is common knowledge that A.I.is trained by stealing artists’ work. So for a small indie brand to use it, it seems like a betrayal. I am so sick of preorders! Especially when you have to wait months for the product. I get it for very small brands but I am now thinking of not buying from brands who mostly do preorders. The high price tag for Ensley Reign has caused me to pause, however, I have heard they are great quality. I have and enjoy their pigment singles but they didn’t break the bank. Once I order the various moon palettes (if they are available in June) I will see if I want to keep purchasing from them. I love the eye look so much!!💚 you look lovely 💃🏿 I enjoyed this video!
Great video! I think its good to be thinking of all these things and keep the conversation open. You vote with your money. So if you don't agree with or want to support someone or a brand, then don't. We're all human and are capable of mistakes but also change and growth.
I used to have one color shift shimmer eyeshadow. It was from a company in France that used to be available mail order but after 2001 things changed. It was green with a dark pink shift. I’ve never found anything like it except Agnes B.
I don’t care about any of the criticism towards the brand. I love their formula and also, I don’t think too much into the private label or the ai art. I think it’s cute. I really like the brand.
I honestly don't care if there is a mirror in the palette. I almost prefer if there isn't a mirror. Mirrors add weight to the palette and there's a chance it could break. I'm blind as a bat without my glasses so I use a hand mirror to do my eyeshadow. I basically have to hold the mirror next to my face to see. It's awkward to do that with a palette.
I’ve never had a mirror break in a palette so I’ve honestly never thought of that as a potential issue!! I prefer mirrors in palettes because I like to be able to dip into the shades with the brush multiple times and having to go back in is annoying to me but we all have our own processes for our makeup lol
@@Katelynhousemakeup tell me about it. Having to do my makeup with a hand mirror is a pain in the butt. I'm constantly taking off my glasses, picking up the mirror, putting the mirror down, putting my glasses back on. I wish I had better eyesight. I can't even wear contacts anymore. The downside of aging. I turn 50 this year.
Haha to each their own!! I think if the palettes were cheaper it’d be less of an issue but $80, cardboard packaging, no mirror makes people question the price! I think it can be worth it quality wise and I’d pick magnetic pans over a mirror any day 😂
For me I want a mirror is a quad as it is easy to hold in hand and use it, otherwise I don’t want one as holding it to use is annoying. I’m not going to be holding up a 21 pan to use the mirror, nope, I have a lighter handheld or no hand tabletop one that works much nicer and I can have my pans on counter to use easily too!
@@omegasobsessions that makes total sense I am not holding up a larger palette, and I wouldn't want to risk dropping it on top of holding up such a cumbersome palette.
That’s exactly how I feel about small business should support other small businesses. let’s be honest they’re a very expensive brand! I understand it’s a small business and they need to make money. However, I think they need to get their prices more in line with other Indy brands. It’s not my business to run, they free to do as they choose. For me personally because they choose not to support local artist, charge more than actual shipping cost, pre-orders; are basically interest fee business loans from us the public. Banks don’t loan for free. But brands now expect us to preorder in exchange for what?? Nothing. We don’t get a break on their shipping cost. So we’re loaning them for free. That’s not a win/win. I’ve decided not to support them. me personally, I would love to own one of their pallets…$100/pallet after shipping?!? I can’t justify $100 on an eyeshadow palette no mirror made in PRC or China. I’ll pass
I've used a spreadsheet to track my spending on makeup since 2021 I think. Last year I also kept track of eyeshadow pallete usage, and did a makeup inventory so that I can see how my collection changes each year.
@hair2show1031 looks like I actually have since 2020 2020 I spent $978.82 2021 I spent $975.62 2022 I spent $1,853.86 2023 I spent $1,886.49 When I started tracking in 2020 I was making significantly less money, and I also owned a house on my own. 2022 is when I started trying some more higher end makeup as well. That 2021 to 2022 jump is wild 😅
Also 2022 I know I made a few impulse/soothe shopping purchases when my cat was sick, and eventually had to be put down. You'd think I would have spent less with all the vet bills, but 🤷♀️
I’m an artist so I hate the AI art issue…wish it wasn’t even available to use…it makes it so difficult for an already underrated small business. I love Ensley Reign products, I feel they are at the top of their game! So coming from a business standpoint, I’m sure using AI art is a lot cheaper….although there are probably some artist that would compete for the work to get their foot in the door.
Yeah the AI stuff made me sad. They did post on insta since I made this video that they were looking for artists to work with so hopefully we will see them stop using AI art soon 😊 I say soon because im sure a lot of their upcoming launches were already in production
I totally agree about paying for shipping when the pallet is so expensive. Also living in Canada a lot of time I had to pay additional duties for indi eyeshadows. You know why they packaged it so well?! I bet you it's because the eyeshadows cab easily break. Tbh I am Chinese and u try to stay away from buying anything made in China because there are no controls on the material . Don't want to risk getting some kind of cancer or something. Sorry, I know there will be people slashing me for saying that, but there are just too many horror stories with personal products made in China that most North American are nor aware.
I live in Europe (Germany) and I also try to avoide Made in PRC, because I was told such things by a chinese-german co-worker. So I prefer made in canada, usa, italy, poland, france, germany or belgium. The only PRC made brand I regularly buy from is Danessa Myricks.
@rena7123 it's very unfortunate because China could really do well if they care about the ingredients they put into the products. I am also at essr with products made in USA Canana, Italy. Notice products come from these places don't come cheap? It's because they don't sacrifice quality. In short, you get what you pay for
I thought cold moon was always on preorder bc I ordered it on launch day and I’m still waiting for it to be shipped and mailed to me. Unless that palette did sell out super fast and I had to get it on preorder. But I honestly don’t mind preorders and waiting. Im not trying to keep up with beauty influencers on palette consumption
From everything I've read, private labeling is they have a certain selection of colors in a certain selection of formulas. So they can pick a color story out of their options, and in the formula they choose. Which would explain so many similar color stories in similar formulas. Most brands use labs, so I don't think using a lab is private label, it's just the smaller selection of colors and formulas. If you have several brands using it, there won't be much difference. When they are not private label they can tweak their formula and create colors. So the end result is their surgical formula and their specific colors. *Again, that's how it was explained to me and what I've found online.
Okay I think that makes sense! Because I remembered reading that private labeling means they can pick color stories and formulas but what you said makes sense where it’s just a variety of formula options!
Yes, preexisting “catalog” of color/formula combos slapped into a premade carton then you slap your label on it is private label. If you take a formula/color and have it adjusted in any way it is no longer private label. Reddit is claiming that ensley palettes are private label from Ali babba or something. They say the single shadows the brand started out with are actually their own formula that they made but the palettes are not. If that is accurate the pricing is insane. The Ali babba singles are $1.60 and down when you buy in bulk…
Klarity Kosmetics, Blend Bunny, cosmic brushes, Sydney Grace, fantasy Cosmetics all have great nice owners, quality products, affordable products, sales, support local artist. & affordable prices. So this is where I personally choose to spend my money. Also I’ll mention Rephr; I love love love their products! Their customer service is off the hook exceptional! Quality products at very affordable prices. I don’t understand why synthetic brushes I knew brands are now charging more than natural hair or choices and this is America so we are still free to choose. That’s just my opinion which I know opinions are like assholes everybody has one and they all stink but I thought I’d share mine. Have a blessed day.
I bought 2 palettes, no free shipping 😢. I was gonna just buy one palette but when i saw the $13 shipping i decided to just get cold moon and harvest moon lol. Instead of ordering the harvest moon later and paying for shipping again. I guess it worked out in their favor 🙄😂
AI is a tricky subject because it's going the be present in our life and we have to accept that, but at the same time we can choose to be informed and make a decision about how do we want to approach it. And before everything else, I just want to say, to get AI generated images you're paying circa 10$ monthly subscription, you type in your keywords and it generates the image you want. That's how much is that brand willing to spend on the artwork. The way machine learning works is that they used a ton of different artists, used their art and now AI is generating new images from those references. Those artists posted those images online for years, spend thousands of hours honing their skills, working on their artwork, building the followers etc. not to mention that many of them actually paid for education and got their art degrees... only for some AI company to take and use their artwork without their knowledge and start selling it. Currently there's a big lawsuit going on against one of those AI company and they had to disclose the names of the artists who's artwork they used, it's a list of 16000 non consenting artists. And that's just one company. I mean, we can all draw parallels with the fields we're in... I can't take your IG images or videos, put a new filter on them, repost them and claim them my own, and then build a channel that's larger than yours while you're doing all the work, right... And here's another interesting point... I stumbled upon a very small makeup brand on IG and noticed that they used AI generated models to show their makeup products. So, they are selling makeup but they did not hire models of different skin tones and did not took photographs of them, but just typed a few keywords and generated images of their newest lipstick shade, which who knows how it looks in real life. That's a full scam and I think we're going to see more of that in the future, even with some larger brands. And just to clarify, I am in the field of graphic design and illustration so I can notice that something is an AI but not everyone can... Also, this was not necessarily related to ER makeup brand, just a general statement that I felt I had to get out there. :D sorry Katelyn for using your platform for this, I hope you won't mind.
I am very conflicted about this brand. I think their products seem very beautiful but a couple of things bother me. The preorders are a loan to the company. They release new palettes and yet their older ones are still on preorders as well. Right now they have several on preorder. The AI issue I could understand in a $30 palette but at this price point I would respect a much plainer packaging rather than AI. But to me the worse thing is that the affiliate code is not given to the content creator in cash but in store credit. This essentially forces the creator to buy and then once they have the new product, of course they are going to review it and create with it, so free advertising for them even when they have not sent out PR. I do not know if this is true or not, but the rumor is that Brittany Huffman was paid in store credit for her collab. I do think the Cold Moon is lovely.
I really hope she wasn’t just paid in store credit for the collab… that’s crazy. And I think those are all valid concerns! I agree that the AI art on such an expensive product isn’t great
Agree on all points. In 2024, I am not giving loans to indie makeup brands. If I pre order from say Madewell, they charge my card only when it ships. I know it’s hard to launch a business and to guess how much stock you need but I think maybe they should consider a small business loan and learn how to forecast a bit better. It’s hard for me to take them seriously with this business strategy that moves all risk to the consumer.
@@dariavision I agree with that! And like I said in the video, I’ll give you a pass if there’s one launch that like totally exceeds your expectations but if every one of your launches sells so fast you have to switch to preorder right away I’m like how are you not ordering more stock at this point? Or if we are launching straight up preorder only that bugs me even more!
Hi, Katelyn. First, I wish you the best on the upcoming birth of your baby. On the topic of the makeup spreadsheet, will you be including price per gram of shadows in a palette? I wonder what would be the true cost breakdown of mattes vs shimmers (as a catch all)? Looking forward to your analysis.
This is a great idea! I hadn’t thought of it. I so far just have a column for total price I paid (to acknowledge sales/discounts) and then price per shadow based on the MSRP. I could (if I can find the weight of the shadows) easily add a column with weight information! I’ll make that my project today 🤓
So I think there is a lot of different concerns for me but I am not a business owner ,know nothing about producing make up but here is my thoughts Unearthly does the art situation so good. The Dreamer palette and packaging is so pretty its displaying in my bedroom 😍 I love the comment your friend made its a valid point. The shipping issue I don't understand with Unearthly I bought Sorcerer Smoke and shipping was $12 & ordered Dreamer and it was $8 something...I think Amanda had to fix something with warehouse (not 100% sure) ... the preorder while producing a lot of new releases i dont understand...if you as the person who has an affiliate code for people to use is aware it's only store credit and is ok with it then it's their choice if the brand is transparent... idk it bothers me as someone else commented said its basically free advertising. The packaging the shadows are in doesn't look good quality but i dont own one so I cant speak with certainty. Deleted comments is not cool if they are doing that. Its not a good look. Sorry this is all over the place. But i will say their quality looks amazing and high quality
I cannot order the Cold moon right away when it launched since we were traveling. I had to pre-order it at roughly 6pm pst. I know to sold out in launch day within a few hours of launching.
I had this playing in the background while multi-tasking, and I'm going to need to rewatch it properly. I can't get behind the AI artwork, and it actually bothers me seeing so many people defending Ensley Reign choosing to take that route. At this point people are aknowledging that the artwork is stolen, but essentially stating that they don't care. At the price point of Ensley Reign, there is no excuse for the artwork to not be paid for. Ethically it should be done at every price point (If you can't afford to pay artists, then keep packaging simple). I say this as I am conflicted, I am in love with the fairy aesthetic of the brand, and am such a sucker for theming. The brand is already out of my price point, but if the brand shared my values, I'd have likely put them on my wishlist, where sooner or later I might cave. It just feels yucky to me, the brand is going for a very specific aesthetic as opposed to simple packaging. If they want to lure in fairy-core customers, they should have looked for an artist whose style matches. I like how you compared Unearthly, who have beautiful packaging and work with artists. The brand is giving a really generic excuse for an explanation on instagram trying to defend the use of AI - My guess is they were hoping nobody would notice and they wouldn't get called out for it.
I haven’t seen the statement they put out? Of all the points I shared this is the one that sticks with me the most. I also agree with you there are a lot of artists that could have partnered with them for all of the palettes. I think it’s hard when so many people don’t care about AI art so it’s not going to make the brand care either!
@@Katelynhousemakeup they haven't made a statement but there was a recent post on their Instagram regarding private label, a lot of commenters asked Ensley Reign to address the stolen AI artwork and they gave some very poor responses trying to justify why they chose that route, it was a lot of excuses essentially. I just hope they listen and learn from it, and chose an artist with their future palettes. It would be lovely if their palettes became works of art we could proudly display. (No pride in it currently)
First of all, great video and beautiful look. I've pre-ordered the palette myself and look forward to it being dispatched. Let's move on to the actual topic. I thought the post in which they explained the labelling was good, it clarified things. For me, that's done and dusted for now. Topic of linked codes/ codes on the left etc. The concept is fine and reminds me of my former employer. There you also got commission according to the sales value absolutely ok I don't think it's bad. Topic PR it will probably be that they have so and so much PR in advance to send them. All other pallets are then intended for the launch. I think they can't really estimate the quantities, which is why the pre-order is ok. Other brands have the same length could be shorter yes but I think that's partly due to production. It still takes too long at the moment, which is annoying but bearable. You know what you're getting into when you pre-order something. So I don't quite understand the moaning. I like their quality and am happy to pay for it, other indie brands are not cheaper or come very close to this price range, e.g. bbb or Adept are more expensive indie brands. AI art, first of all I like manual and digital art, so I like pretty much everything. Whether with pencil, chalk, different colours on a canvas or with a digital drawing tablet. I don't mind AI and think it's ok when it's used. I also like supporting artists and seeing them on palettes. But AI has just as much right to be there as real artists. Both can co-exist and I don't see a problem with that. But it should be labelled, i.e. the design was created by an independent artist, by our designers or by an AI company. Then the outcry wouldn't have been so great. So I think it's good that they have admitted it and will make a statement AI is currently very present and will not disappear in the foreseeable future. That's why transparency is extremely important and they failed to mention that in the past. Their mistake was not ok, I hope they learn from it and do better in the future. I like them as a brand very much quality is great packaging I like the kitschy design and that's why I will continue to order from them. Still understand the criticism and think it is justified and good that it has been addressed.
Thanks! And appreciate the other perspective!! I would classify them as just as expensive as Adept and BBB if not more expensive personally. But I think Ensley Reign, Adept, BBB, and Unearthly are all in a similar ballpark price wise. I agree AI is here to stay but I definitely see a quality difference in AI generated art vs the art that is commissioned by an artist (whether digital or not). I think it’s fine if that’s the route they want to go and people who are against AI art can just not shop the brand! We all can communicate with our dollars 😊
Absolutely agree that there is a difference between real art and AI. You can definitely tell what's real and what's generated. If that's her gone ok, no problem just it needs to be labelled. I see prices in a similar way, I first ordered from unearthly and it was a lot more expensive than before. But in the end, everyone can decide for themselves what to do with their money. My limit is $150 for a single palette and that's ok. If someone else only wants to spend $30 that's ok too. Criticism is definitely justified and important - there needs to be more transparency in the cosmetics sector. ❤
I'm still watching, so hopefully, I'm not saying something you mention(ed). From what people say, I thought private label was buying a product and putting your brand's label in it and selling it as your own. A Google search says the opposite. It says private label is something being created specific to that brand and only for that brand. And, it says, white label is purchasing something and branding it as their own. Confusing because of what people say. Ironic, my video aired today of the brand not being good for sensitive lids. I didn't see anywhere on the website that Harvest Moon was "a pressed pigment palette." My lids have a bad reaction to pressed pigments as shadows. On the back of the palette, it says, "A Pressed Pigment Palette." My video discusses the differences between "eyeshadow" and "pressed pigments" as part of the formulation as well as FDA regulation/guidelines. It was an expensive lesson for me. And, since my lids don't tolerate their pressed pigment formula, I won't be purchasing other items from them. I did think it was suspicious they addressed labeling and not the use of AI artwork. Thanks for this video.
Yes that’s what I had read but then people talk about it differently so I get confused!! Ahhh no I haven’t seen your video yet but that really sucks 🤦🏼♀️ I wish they were more clear that they were pressed pigments not eyeshadows
@Katelynhousemakeup Hi 👋🏽. I think it's a thing of if enough people say a certain thing ... that's what it is ... even when it's not. If that makes sense. Thanks. What frustrates me is according to FDA regulation/guidelines US brands are to say when it's pressed pigments and not considered safe for the eye area. I've come across other brands that omit that information, too. It's a shame.
When you mentioned the shipping cost, the first one I thought of was Unearthly. I ordered from them last year and I know it was cheaper then. I was going to order from them this year until I saw what shipping was going to cost me. I did give Unearthly a bit of a break because they package their items unbelievably well, but still. Shipping costs must have gone up in the past year.
I noticed that when I just ordered from Unearthly! I didn’t remember having an issue with shipping costs before but it’s pretty comparable to Ensley Reign. I do feel like the unearthly packaging is a little bit more luxe but they’re close!
I really appreciate you touching on the controversy! I don’t really care how shadows are made, lol I just want them to be pretty. Honestly for me, none of the issues with Ensley reign would have been ones that would stop me from considering them in the future if they addressed it (I don’t think there’s such a thing as a perfect brand). But instead, my issue was them doubling down / encouraging rude comments by liking specific messages & ignoring other respectful critiques. But everyone can do what they want with their own money! For me, there’s just soo many indie brands with beautiful makeup and sometimes reasons like this (even if others find them to be petty) just help keep me in check (lol I wish I could but sadly I can’t keep spending thousands on makeup. My self-control with makeup purchases was not great last year so taking a breather from specific brands will hopefully help me reduce what Im tempted by!)
Oh jeez idk if I’ve seen all of the stuff about the comment interactions! That’s my pet peeve with brands too. I don’t mind ignoring comments if you don’t have a great response but the rest of the stuff I’m not a fan of ☹️
I have asked Ensley Reign about the weights now on Instagram at least 3 times, and I think maybe I commented on their facebook or something as well.. Anywho, I've made numerous attempts to inquire about the palette weights, but have been ignored. Whether or not it's intentional I'm not sure, I don't own any of their palettes so maybe I'm just not looking in the right place.. but it is certainly rubbing me the wrong way!
I spent $149.44 ($166.05 - $16.61 discount) and I was charged $13.29 in shipping 😂 I guess it's by weight. I'm going to be pissed at myself if $150 is the mark for free shipping!
My order total was similar. I think mine was $161.10 minus $16.11 and I paid $14.29 shipping. I'm okay with the shipping only because I ordered 2 palettes. I figured if you divide that cost by 2 then you are only paying around $7.15 each. And like you said, it was packed really well, similar to how I've received packages from Adept and Unearthly.
I don't care about any of this criticism. It really comes down to deciding what's worth it to you as a consumer. It's ridiculous to expect any brand to be low cost, sustainable, moral, and whatever else.
Totally agree! We decide what we purchase and if we don’t like a brand we can just not purchase from them. It’s not like there is a shortage of makeup out there!
Still watching the video, but I know Aleisha knows a lot about what private label is… she’s given me a lot of insight on it, but I also don’t want to misquote her
That’s too much for shipping! You and I both know that’s more than the actual shipping cost. @$89/pallet $11 shipping why not just have it priced @ $100/free shipping 😮🫢😏🤨😩😩😂😂
I love you and your videos but I feel like You’re trying to justify and protect the brand because of emotions not because of reason. I recently bought from Nomad Cosmetics US site, the shipping was free because I ordered more than -i don’t remember how much- €€ and I am from Europe so I was mindblown. I’ve got a package from Gourmande Girls from US to EU and paid like 20€ for shipping and 9€ VAT when collecting my order. Everything was wrapped in so many bubble wraps and came ok (haven’t got my Nomad order so we will see). So I think if these companies can do shipping to EU for what I’ve paid, you in US can get free shipping when ordering such expensive palette. Another thing, no one ever mentions that this Cold Moon palette has less special shimmers than their other palettes but it is still so expensive. The palette doesn’t have a mirror (don’t need one, just pointing out), they don’t pay any artist to do the cover and the magnetic pans are not expensive (it’s only expensive when shipped cause it’s heavier), so where exactly the money go? IMO it is so overpriced that it is riddiculous to even have the debate about it. I don’t mean bad and I don’t wanna argue with anybody or “stir the pot”, but if we’ll keep justifying these riddiculous prices, what’s stopping other brands to riade up their prices to make more money if the customers are willing to give it to them? The palette is beautiful and everything, but I feel like people cannot see the scam behind those beautiful shades
I am of the firm belief that if anyone has an issue of any of the things I presented then they should not purchase from the brand. I am not going to sit here and bash any brand when I don’t own a business and don’t actually know what their mark up is. It’s our responsibility as consumers to think through these things and decide if it’s worth it to you or not! For me, I’ve found the quality to be there and for the cost of these palettes to be worth it. Although I did specify in the video there were a couple of question marks for me on some of their other palettes. You also don’t have to believe me and can think I’m protecting the brand if you want to lol. I can’t control that but if I was actually doing that I wouldn’t have bothered making a video that addresses all of the concerns I’ve seen. I also don’t view it as my job to sway anyone either way on if these issues should/should not sway them from purchasing. We are all adults with our own money. My goal is for everyone to take the info and form their own opinion.
I'm sorry but I have a hard time feeling bad for your $11, I live in southern Canada so probably the same distance geographically if not less than a lot of the customers in the US. I just ordered my first palette from adept and it cost over $100 with $30 shipping and customs another $30 and it's taken almost a full month and I haven't actually received the palette yet. All said and done. I will have spent $170 on one eyeshadow palette.
I definitely wasn’t asking for any sympathy with the shipping cost! I know for Canadians in particular it’s a pretty ridiculous cost given how close you’re located to where these items are shipping from. For those of us in the US that are used to free shipping at certain price points we are still allowed to not want to pay for increased shipping costs. Just because shipping prices are ridiculous for you doesn’t mean that we all have to accept an increase in our own shipping costs 🤷🏼♀️
For perspective, I live in Europe but have ordered Glamlite to a USA address - shipping was 5 or 6 dollars. $11 is expensive. International shipping is absurdly expensive (which is why I don't send things internationally, I patiently wait for my friends to travel to me) - that does not mean we can not complain about high national shipping costs. Some brands in Germany cost 5euro to post, so when I see some stores charging between 8 - 12 euro, I am going to complain that it is expensive, when there are 5euro options out there. Katelyn is justified by saying that $11 is expensive, because it IS.
FYI - the brand also had a name prior to Ensley Reign that included the term g*psy in it. This is considered a derogatory word. The brand changed their name, but I have had friends say that the old name shows up in the UPS e-mails they receive when they are getting items shipped to them. I had a lot less info on this particular topic so I didn't include it in my list but I meant to at least mention it. Upon editing I realized I forget so wanted to add that here.
Additionally, my intent is not to stir up more drama. I just felt like I needed to share what I know and my feelings about it to feel comfortable featuring this palette on my channel.
If you agree/disagree with me, totally fine! Just keep it respectful in the comments please :)
They likely had a shipping contract in place with ups, costs more to change the name than let contract run out and start new one with new name.
@@omegasobsessions thank you! Appreciate the insight ❤️
Amazing review❤ I appreciate you giving us all the facts and your thoughts. You handled this very respectfully. ER is one of my fav brands, like top 3! The brand owner is so sweet and supportive. There are so many brands who do not give affiliates their earnings.. idk why so many people are coming for them about that.. I will continue to support them. I invest in their shadows. They are incredible. I could order a handful of singles from adored single shadow brands and spend $100 at minimum. At least with ER I get a beautiful palette, color story, and formula. Thank you for your review. I love the look you created!✨
Thank you so much!! I think just because they’re pricey and then are in the spotlight for some other things people want to nitpick everything.
I also didn’t say this but as a society we don’t like when people rise to the top and just always have factions of people doing what they can to tear people down. We do this to women in particular (Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, etc).
So I also think Ensley Reign quickly rising to the top of a lot of people’s favorites lists can make some people be more critical overall.
I know there are discount codes and affiliate codes. If I knew there were other brands that were not giving creators what they had promised, I’d be happy to criticize them too because that is just dishonest, give discount codes and not affiliate codes then. There was another brand that did this and I never bought from them. However, if the creator doesn’t care then that’s not a problem for them. I also know that being sweet is not necessarily an indicator of one’s true character. I do think their color stories are very appealing and it is everyone’s right to support them or not. We all have different values after all. For me as a consumer who doesnt have a channel and doesn’t need to buy everything that comes out I can be very picky with what I buy.
@@pilcas1 yes absolutely! Be as picky as you want 😊
$11 USD shipping would be a dream as an Aussie - it’s $80 AUD to oz unfortunately which is basically a Natasha Denona mid palette if you buy on sale of which there are many or a GC palette with duochromes. I find it hard to justify in comparison to what other brands including Indi brands charge for shipping which is far less. I don’t like how the brand is yet to address the AI and I would rather plain packaging over AI with the impact on artists. I’ve been plagiarised twice and it is a horrible experience particularly when you worry about how it will affect your career. It is a huge sticking point for me. It’s a pretty palette and I appreciate you addressing the situation here.
I definitely think a higher cost for shipping internationally would steer me away for sure!! It’s crazy how much it costs to ship these items internationally.
Also I am so sorry you’ve been plagiarized!! What an awful experience ❤️
We are business owners (different industry). We import from all over the world and the costs of raw materials, manufacturing, shipping etc have sky rocketed in the last few years, particularly since Covid. We just had a 20% price increase from one of our European suppliers. The costs are insane. The other thing that has happened is that China has reduced the number of days that manufacturing plants can operate to meet climate regulations and power rationing. This has caused huge delays, unpredictable ETAs and increased costs. additionally we have had massive increases in our energy prices, our electricity bill has tripled since Covid, our domestic freight costs have also doubled since Covid. Don’t even get me started on wage expenses. The consumer is often not aware of the huge pressures business are under to manage their overhead costs and we often absorb the price increases…until we just can’t. Businesses generally don’t like to annoy their customers with price increases but it is inevitable in these times we live in.
Thank you so much for sharing this insight!!
You’re so right as consumers we don’t know about these things but this is really great to know.
Also I am sorry you’re having to navigate all of this for your own business. Hope things get easier soon ❤️
@@KatelynhousemakeupThank you Katelyn 😊, thankfully despite all that we are still growing and doing well. All businesses are in the same boat and most have had to increase prices so unfortunately the poor consumers are also suffering in under these global economic conditions.
@@kimmyg3483 I’m glad to hear you’re still doing well!!
I also feel like I should get free shipping whenever I hit $100 😂 if not sooner! Being in Guam, I’ve been blaming the shipping on that but I do love that they secure it so well.
Please share your spreadsheet! I love a good spreadsheet and have been trying to figure out how I want to track my makeup.
I don’t worry about private vs public labeled, as long as the shadows preform as expected for the price tag.
I do think that (for the price tag especially), it would be nice to see the brand support artists. I personally like the look of their packaging but would have loved to see an actual artist’s take on those briefs.
I was a couple hours late to launch and just missed the first round. I got the preorder for this launch and am glad to know I have one reserved as soon they get back in stock. Preorders aren’t for everyone, for every launch, but I don’t think them being offered is bad. (Your look is gorgeous! I can’t wait for mine to get here!!)
I skipped Strawberry Moon but bought 6 other palettes from them last year. Compared to my Natasha Denona and Pat McGrath palettes, they were much better values and I reach for one of them almost everyday.
(I love the fact that their last 4 have been magnetic! Definitely a huge plus for me!)
Yes magnetic pans for the win!! Haha definitely a more important feature for me than a mirror although I would love both 😂
I might try and do a live to share my spreadsheet!
I'm very chatty tonight but I also know it helps your engagement to have more comments so I have another one.
If I was your friend in real life, I would tell you to stop apologizing for your opinions, to stop caring about the people that complain about your opinions, and to stop thinking there aren't people in your audience that want to hear what you have to say. I watch your videos because you give different perspectives than other creators. I've watched a lot of videos about the Cold Moon palette and you are the only one that made insightful comments about the palette, the brand, their other palettes, other indie companies, etc. I appreciate your viewpoint. Stop apologizing. If someone has a problem with it, then they don't have to watch.
Just remember, there are people in this world that complain about everything. You can't please everyone, so don't apologize because there are people that want to hear what you have to say.
Aw thank you so much!! ❤️❤️
@@Katelynhousemakeup you're welcome. If you want to talk about another indie brand, talk about Shroud. They announced a new palette in November, then disappeared off of social media. I ordered the palette at launch, and I never received it. I've emailed multiple times, sent DMs, posted on their IG and they haven't responded. I ended up doing a chargeback on my credit card. I'm still waiting for permanent credit.
@@WendyandBradPitt omg what!? That is absolutely wild… I know when I did one of the Betty Jean palette preorders it took like 8 months and the owner disappeared on social media for a bit then too..
That’s so sketchy that there is 0 communication now!
Which other YTers have videoed with this palette?
@@MyCleverHandle Cold Moon or the Shroud one Wendy was referring to?
I had no idea there was drama surrounding them... I dont follow too closely on IG, so I'm glad you brough it up. I personally dont have any problems with private labelling as long as the brand is involved in the process and do their own packaging and makes sure the formulas work well. As for the packaging... I think its totally fair game to use AI created art. Its probably a lot cheaper for them, and they know the quality is gonna be fantastic. As a brand, their main goal is to create good products and to make money, not make sure that small artists get paid or whatever else people say. Sure, that would be nice if they did, but at the end of the day, they are a business and people have to remember that. If someone decides they dont want to support them or that their palettes are too over priced and what not, then they can just not buy from them and thats that lol. Not every brand will be for everyone 🤷♀
Agreed! I personally think you’re more likely to get better quality art paying for an artist vs AI. There’s something about AI art to me that just doesn’t typically look as pretty to me! But you’re absolutely right if people don’t want to buy they don’t have to!
I 100% agree!!! There are other brands that sell less shades for more money. I feel like we hold indie brands are held at unfair standards. Private label definitely should not have a high price tag, but when you're developing your own formula, creating the colors you want, its going to cost more. I won't mention names, but in my opinion Ensley is just as good as the all shimmer palette I bought for $125 with no mattes and less shades. I would care more about these 'issue's' if all brands were held to the same standards.
I’m willing to pay more as long as the quality is there 🥰
An all special shade palette will always be more than one with mattes mixed in. Look at the crazy pricing of single special shades :p yikes.
@@omegasobsessions so true!! That’s why I wanted to break down the different formulas at each palette price point since I think the formula discrepancies speak to the price discrepancies
That was a great video. I like how you're just honest. No drama, no negativity. I have emailed Ensley a couple times and i too thought she was really nice. They answer quick. Of course I wish they cost less, but at the end of the day I buyv their palettes cuz they are such good quality. I get more use out of them than i do higher priced palettes lol. So it could be worse. Great video!
Thank you so much!! Glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
As far as cost is concerned, I think the quality/formulation of the shadows justifies it. There are main stream brands out here charging $128 for a 10 color palette that is the same boring pink and gold color story that has been pushed for years, lying about pre-orders, and having horrible customer service and shipping/packaging. ER is very upfront about pre-orders and their packaging to ship products is very thoughtful. The AI art isn't really an issue for me, and this is coming from someone who has a background in fine art and graphic design. At the end of the day, they're selling beautiful eyeshadows, at a competitive price point, whether you wish to purchase it or not is completely up to you.
I totally agree that to me the quality is there with the shadows! 😊
Very thoughtful video, I appreciate everything you said and the eye look you created is STUNNING! I want to recreate this when I eventually get the palette, I’m hoping for later this year.
Thank you so much! 🥰
First off please share your spreadsheet lol, I love spreadsheets. I appreciate you brought everything up when talking about the palette in a way that’s just informative and having a discussion.
Here’s what I think about the AI issue. First of all I think artists are super valuable. I love art, I love buying from artists instead of buying pictures at target or whatever, for example. And I think whatever artists feel about the AI issue is valid. That being said I do wonder a few things about people’s thought process with AI. Are we feeling the same way about ALL AI stuff? What about writing? Any AI content that’s written is going to be based on stuff written by writers. Im a software engineer, ALL the technology you and I use in our everyday lives is based on already existing code that someone slaved over. all im thinking is that its easy to cancel a makeup brand for that but are we also boycotting everything else that AI has stollen property from individuals without pay? like id prefer this controversy csuses them to reevaluate this and start paying artidts but it IS a small brand. they have to start somewherr maybe we should be a bit more understsnding
I also love spreadsheets so you are my people 😂
That’s a great point about how AI is used in other ways! For myself I have definitely used like ChatGPT to help make my work emails sound nicer 😂
My husband uses it for meal planning/recipes when it’s his turn to meal plan or prep. So we definitely use it a lot!
You’ve given me something to noodle on 😊
Because they are at the top of their game, i mean everything is on point. They are killing it. Haters just need shutting down, thry dont have power unless they are given it. Every brand gets hate it seems at some point. People just go in for the jugular instead of being respectful. Says more about them than the brand.
Totally agree there are ways to express concerns respectfully vs being rude in Instagram comments!
For me it’s the size that puts me off. Would rather have a curated 9/12 pan version x
Totally fair!! I’m like a 10 shadow minimum person. I think my sweet spot is 12-18 but I’m willing to range outside of that clearly 😂
I agree! If you spend $100 the shipping should be absolutely free. Even if it’s wrapped well!
I have a problem with the A.I. art. It is common knowledge that A.I.is trained by stealing artists’ work. So for a small indie brand to use it, it seems like a betrayal.
I am so sick of preorders! Especially when you have to wait months for the product. I get it for very small brands but I am now thinking of not buying from brands who mostly do preorders.
The high price tag for Ensley Reign has caused me to pause, however, I have heard they are great quality. I have and enjoy their pigment singles but they didn’t break the bank. Once I order the various moon palettes (if they are available in June) I will see if I want to keep purchasing from them.
I love the eye look so much!!💚 you look lovely 💃🏿
I enjoyed this video!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🥰 I’m skipping preorders this year too!
Great video! I think its good to be thinking of all these things and keep the conversation open. You vote with your money. So if you don't agree with or want to support someone or a brand, then don't. We're all human and are capable of mistakes but also change and growth.
100% agree!!
I used to have one color shift shimmer eyeshadow. It was from a company in France that used to be available mail order but after 2001 things changed. It was green with a dark pink shift. I’ve never found anything like it except Agnes B.
That sounds super pretty!
I don’t care about any of the criticism towards the brand. I love their formula and also, I don’t think too much into the private label or the ai art. I think it’s cute. I really like the brand.
Thank you for sharing your perspective! 😊
I honestly don't care if there is a mirror in the palette. I almost prefer if there isn't a mirror. Mirrors add weight to the palette and there's a chance it could break. I'm blind as a bat without my glasses so I use a hand mirror to do my eyeshadow. I basically have to hold the mirror next to my face to see. It's awkward to do that with a palette.
I’ve never had a mirror break in a palette so I’ve honestly never thought of that as a potential issue!!
I prefer mirrors in palettes because I like to be able to dip into the shades with the brush multiple times and having to go back in is annoying to me but we all have our own processes for our makeup lol
@@Katelynhousemakeup tell me about it. Having to do my makeup with a hand mirror is a pain in the butt. I'm constantly taking off my glasses, picking up the mirror, putting the mirror down, putting my glasses back on. I wish I had better eyesight. I can't even wear contacts anymore. The downside of aging. I turn 50 this year.
I do not care about mirrors lol 😂
Haha to each their own!! I think if the palettes were cheaper it’d be less of an issue but $80, cardboard packaging, no mirror makes people question the price!
I think it can be worth it quality wise and I’d pick magnetic pans over a mirror any day 😂
For me I want a mirror is a quad as it is easy to hold in hand and use it, otherwise I don’t want one as holding it to use is annoying. I’m not going to be holding up a 21 pan to use the mirror, nope, I have a lighter handheld or no hand tabletop one that works much nicer and I can have my pans on counter to use easily too!
@@omegasobsessions that makes total sense I am not holding up a larger palette, and I wouldn't want to risk dropping it on top of holding up such a cumbersome palette.
I know it’s 3 months later, but my shipping was $14 for this palette! But of course I bought it anyway 😊
It is really beautiful!!
That’s exactly how I feel about small business should support other small businesses. let’s be honest they’re a very expensive brand! I understand it’s a small business and they need to make money. However, I think they need to get their prices more in line with other Indy brands. It’s not my business to run, they free to do as they choose. For me personally because they choose not to support local artist, charge more than actual shipping cost, pre-orders; are basically interest fee business loans from us the public. Banks don’t loan for free. But brands now expect us to preorder in exchange for what?? Nothing. We don’t get a break on their shipping cost. So we’re loaning them for free. That’s not a win/win. I’ve decided not to support them. me personally, I would love to own one of their pallets…$100/pallet after shipping?!? I can’t justify $100 on an eyeshadow palette no mirror made in PRC or China. I’ll pass
Preorders are driving me crazy too! I totally agree it feels like an interest free loan.
Fantastic work
Thank you!!
I've used a spreadsheet to track my spending on makeup since 2021 I think. Last year I also kept track of eyeshadow pallete usage, and did a makeup inventory so that I can see how my collection changes each year.
I’ve always kept track of my makeup usage but never kept track of cost/shipping/etc!
I love this. I love to make spreadsheets and track darn near everything. I think I found my people here haha.
Would be curious what you spent years 21, 22 and 23 :)
@hair2show1031 looks like I actually have since 2020
2020 I spent $978.82
2021 I spent $975.62
2022 I spent $1,853.86
2023 I spent $1,886.49
When I started tracking in 2020 I was making significantly less money, and I also owned a house on my own. 2022 is when I started trying some more higher end makeup as well. That 2021 to 2022 jump is wild 😅
Also 2022 I know I made a few impulse/soothe shopping purchases when my cat was sick, and eventually had to be put down.
You'd think I would have spent less with all the vet bills, but 🤷♀️
I’m an artist so I hate the AI art issue…wish it wasn’t even available to use…it makes it so difficult for an already underrated small business. I love Ensley Reign products, I feel they are at the top of their game! So coming from a business standpoint, I’m sure using AI art is a lot cheaper….although there are probably some artist that would compete for the work to get their foot in the door.
Yeah the AI stuff made me sad. They did post on insta since I made this video that they were looking for artists to work with so hopefully we will see them stop using AI art soon 😊 I say soon because im sure a lot of their upcoming launches were already in production
I totally agree about paying for shipping when the pallet is so expensive. Also living in Canada a lot of time I had to pay additional duties for indi eyeshadows. You know why they packaged it so well?! I bet you it's because the eyeshadows cab easily break. Tbh I am Chinese and u try to stay away from buying anything made in China because there are no controls on the material . Don't want to risk getting some kind of cancer or something. Sorry, I know there will be people slashing me for saying that, but there are just too many horror stories with personal products made in China that most North American are nor aware.
I’ll have to look into that more! I hadn’t heard that there were those kinds of concerns with items made in China
I live in Europe (Germany) and I also try to avoide Made in PRC, because I was told such things by a chinese-german co-worker. So I prefer made in canada, usa, italy, poland, france, germany or belgium. The only PRC made brand I regularly buy from is Danessa Myricks.
@rena7123 it's very unfortunate because China could really do well if they care about the ingredients they put into the products. I am also at essr with products made in USA Canana, Italy. Notice products come from these places don't come cheap? It's because they don't sacrifice quality. In short, you get what you pay for
I thought cold moon was always on preorder bc I ordered it on launch day and I’m still waiting for it to be shipped and mailed to me. Unless that palette did sell out super fast and I had to get it on preorder. But I honestly don’t mind preorders and waiting. Im not trying to keep up with beauty influencers on palette consumption
It wasn’t preorder when I ordered but that was right around launch time! And based on other comments it looks like it sold out midday!
From everything I've read, private labeling is they have a certain selection of colors in a certain selection of formulas. So they can pick a color story out of their options, and in the formula they choose. Which would explain so many similar color stories in similar formulas. Most brands use labs, so I don't think using a lab is private label, it's just the smaller selection of colors and formulas. If you have several brands using it, there won't be much difference. When they are not private label they can tweak their formula and create colors. So the end result is their surgical formula and their specific colors. *Again, that's how it was explained to me and what I've found online.
Okay I think that makes sense! Because I remembered reading that private labeling means they can pick color stories and formulas but what you said makes sense where it’s just a variety of formula options!
Yes, preexisting “catalog” of color/formula combos slapped into a premade carton then you slap your label on it is private label. If you take a formula/color and have it adjusted in any way it is no longer private label.
Reddit is claiming that ensley palettes are private label from Ali babba or something. They say the single shadows the brand started out with are actually their own formula that they made but the palettes are not. If that is accurate the pricing is insane. The Ali babba singles are $1.60 and down when you buy in bulk…
Klarity Kosmetics, Blend Bunny, cosmic brushes, Sydney Grace, fantasy Cosmetics all have great nice owners, quality products, affordable products, sales, support local artist. & affordable prices. So this is where I personally choose to spend my money. Also I’ll mention Rephr; I love love love their products! Their customer service is off the hook exceptional! Quality products at very affordable prices. I don’t understand why synthetic brushes I knew brands are now charging more than natural hair or choices and this is America so we are still free to choose. That’s just my opinion which I know opinions are like assholes everybody has one and they all stink but I thought I’d share mine. Have a blessed day.
I’m glad you have brands you love! I have never tried Rephr but I really want to!
I bought 2 palettes, no free shipping 😢. I was gonna just buy one palette but when i saw the $13 shipping i decided to just get cold moon and harvest moon lol. Instead of ordering the harvest moon later and paying for shipping again. I guess it worked out in their favor 🙄😂
Ugh so annoying lol but I’m sure you’ll enjoy both palettes!
AI is a tricky subject because it's going the be present in our life and we have to accept that, but at the same time we can choose to be informed and make a decision about how do we want to approach it. And before everything else, I just want to say, to get AI generated images you're paying circa 10$ monthly subscription, you type in your keywords and it generates the image you want. That's how much is that brand willing to spend on the artwork. The way machine learning works is that they used a ton of different artists, used their art and now AI is generating new images from those references. Those artists posted those images online for years, spend thousands of hours honing their skills, working on their artwork, building the followers etc. not to mention that many of them actually paid for education and got their art degrees... only for some AI company to take and use their artwork without their knowledge and start selling it. Currently there's a big lawsuit going on against one of those AI company and they had to disclose the names of the artists who's artwork they used, it's a list of 16000 non consenting artists. And that's just one company. I mean, we can all draw parallels with the fields we're in... I can't take your IG images or videos, put a new filter on them, repost them and claim them my own, and then build a channel that's larger than yours while you're doing all the work, right... And here's another interesting point... I stumbled upon a very small makeup brand on IG and noticed that they used AI generated models to show their makeup products. So, they are selling makeup but they did not hire models of different skin tones and did not took photographs of them, but just typed a few keywords and generated images of their newest lipstick shade, which who knows how it looks in real life. That's a full scam and I think we're going to see more of that in the future, even with some larger brands. And just to clarify, I am in the field of graphic design and illustration so I can notice that something is an AI but not everyone can... Also, this was not necessarily related to ER makeup brand, just a general statement that I felt I had to get out there. :D sorry Katelyn for using your platform for this, I hope you won't mind.
Please don’t apologize! That’s all super helpful information. Thank you for sharing!
I am very conflicted about this brand. I think their products seem very beautiful but a couple of things bother me. The preorders are a loan to the company. They release new palettes and yet their older ones are still on preorders as well. Right now they have several on preorder. The AI issue I could understand in a $30 palette but at this price point I would respect a much plainer packaging rather than AI. But to me the worse thing is that the affiliate code is not given to the content creator in cash but in store credit. This essentially forces the creator to buy and then once they have the new product, of course they are going to review it and create with it, so free advertising for them even when they have not sent out PR. I do not know if this is true or not, but the rumor is that Brittany Huffman was paid in store credit for her collab. I do think the Cold Moon is lovely.
I really hope she wasn’t just paid in store credit for the collab… that’s crazy.
And I think those are all valid concerns! I agree that the AI art on such an expensive product isn’t great
Agree on all points. In 2024, I am not giving loans to indie makeup brands. If I pre order from say Madewell, they charge my card only when it ships. I know it’s hard to launch a business and to guess how much stock you need but I think maybe they should consider a small business loan and learn how to forecast a bit better. It’s hard for me to take them seriously with this business strategy that moves all risk to the consumer.
@@dariavision I agree with that! And like I said in the video, I’ll give you a pass if there’s one launch that like totally exceeds your expectations but if every one of your launches sells so fast you have to switch to preorder right away I’m like how are you not ordering more stock at this point?
Or if we are launching straight up preorder only that bugs me even more!
Hi, Katelyn. First, I wish you the best on the upcoming birth of your baby. On the topic of the makeup spreadsheet, will you be including price per gram of shadows in a palette? I wonder what would be the true cost breakdown of mattes vs shimmers (as a catch all)? Looking forward to your analysis.
This is a great idea! I hadn’t thought of it. I so far just have a column for total price I paid (to acknowledge sales/discounts) and then price per shadow based on the MSRP.
I could (if I can find the weight of the shadows) easily add a column with weight information!
I’ll make that my project today 🤓
So I think there is a lot of different concerns for me but I am not a business owner ,know nothing about producing make up but here is my thoughts Unearthly does the art situation so good. The Dreamer palette and packaging is so pretty its displaying in my bedroom 😍 I love the comment your friend made its a valid point. The shipping issue I don't understand with Unearthly I bought Sorcerer Smoke and shipping was $12 & ordered Dreamer and it was $8 something...I think Amanda had to fix something with warehouse (not 100% sure) ... the preorder while producing a lot of new releases i dont understand...if you as the person who has an affiliate code for people to use is aware it's only store credit and is ok with it then it's their choice if the brand is transparent... idk it bothers me as someone else commented said its basically free advertising. The packaging the shadows are in doesn't look good quality but i dont own one so I cant speak with certainty. Deleted comments is not cool if they are doing that. Its not a good look. Sorry this is all over the place. But i will say their quality looks amazing and high quality
I agree Unearthly’s products are so beautiful!! They work with really great artists!
Shout out to spreadsheet girlies 🎉🤓
Yes!!! Love a good spreadsheet 🥰
I cannot order the Cold moon right away when it launched since we were traveling. I had to pre-order it at roughly 6pm pst. I know to sold out in launch day within a few hours of launching.
Ugh I hate that!!
I had this playing in the background while multi-tasking, and I'm going to need to rewatch it properly. I can't get behind the AI artwork, and it actually bothers me seeing so many people defending Ensley Reign choosing to take that route. At this point people are aknowledging that the artwork is stolen, but essentially stating that they don't care.
At the price point of Ensley Reign, there is no excuse for the artwork to not be paid for. Ethically it should be done at every price point (If you can't afford to pay artists, then keep packaging simple). I say this as I am conflicted, I am in love with the fairy aesthetic of the brand, and am such a sucker for theming. The brand is already out of my price point, but if the brand shared my values, I'd have likely put them on my wishlist, where sooner or later I might cave.
It just feels yucky to me, the brand is going for a very specific aesthetic as opposed to simple packaging. If they want to lure in fairy-core customers, they should have looked for an artist whose style matches. I like how you compared Unearthly, who have beautiful packaging and work with artists.
The brand is giving a really generic excuse for an explanation on instagram trying to defend the use of AI - My guess is they were hoping nobody would notice and they wouldn't get called out for it.
I haven’t seen the statement they put out?
Of all the points I shared this is the one that sticks with me the most. I also agree with you there are a lot of artists that could have partnered with them for all of the palettes.
I think it’s hard when so many people don’t care about AI art so it’s not going to make the brand care either!
@@Katelynhousemakeup they haven't made a statement but there was a recent post on their Instagram regarding private label, a lot of commenters asked Ensley Reign to address the stolen AI artwork and they gave some very poor responses trying to justify why they chose that route, it was a lot of excuses essentially. I just hope they listen and learn from it, and chose an artist with their future palettes. It would be lovely if their palettes became works of art we could proudly display. (No pride in it currently)
First of all, great video and beautiful look.
I've pre-ordered the palette myself and look forward to it being dispatched.
Let's move on to the actual topic.
I thought the post in which they explained the labelling was good, it clarified things.
For me, that's done and dusted for now.
Topic of linked codes/ codes on the left etc. The concept is fine and reminds me of my former employer. There you also got commission according to the sales value absolutely ok I don't think it's bad.
Topic PR it will probably be that they have so and so much PR in advance to send them.
All other pallets are then intended for the launch. I think they can't really estimate the quantities, which is why the pre-order is ok. Other brands have the same length could be shorter yes but I think that's partly due to production.
It still takes too long at the moment, which is annoying but bearable.
You know what you're getting into when you pre-order something. So I don't quite understand the moaning.
I like their quality and am happy to pay for it, other indie brands are not cheaper or come very close to this price range, e.g. bbb or Adept are more expensive indie brands.
AI art, first of all I like manual and digital art, so I like pretty much everything.
Whether with pencil, chalk, different colours on a canvas or with a digital drawing tablet.
I don't mind AI and think it's ok when it's used.
I also like supporting artists and seeing them on palettes.
But AI has just as much right to be there as real artists.
Both can co-exist and I don't see a problem with that.
But it should be labelled, i.e. the design was created by an independent artist, by our designers or by an AI company.
Then the outcry wouldn't have been so great.
So I think it's good that they have admitted it and will make a statement
AI is currently very present and will not disappear in the foreseeable future.
That's why transparency is extremely important and they failed to mention that in the past.
Their mistake was not ok, I hope they learn from it and do better in the future. I like them as a brand very much quality is great packaging I like the kitschy design and that's why I will continue to order from them.
Still understand the criticism and think it is justified and good that it has been addressed.
Thanks! And appreciate the other perspective!! I would classify them as just as expensive as Adept and BBB if not more expensive personally. But I think Ensley Reign, Adept, BBB, and Unearthly are all in a similar ballpark price wise.
I agree AI is here to stay but I definitely see a quality difference in AI generated art vs the art that is commissioned by an artist (whether digital or not). I think it’s fine if that’s the route they want to go and people who are against AI art can just not shop the brand!
We all can communicate with our dollars 😊
Absolutely agree that there is a difference between real art and AI.
You can definitely tell what's real and what's generated.
If that's her gone ok, no problem just it needs to be labelled.
I see prices in a similar way, I first ordered from unearthly and it was a lot more expensive than before.
But in the end, everyone can decide for themselves what to do with their money.
My limit is $150 for a single palette and that's ok.
If someone else only wants to spend $30 that's ok too.
Criticism is definitely justified and important - there needs to be more transparency in the cosmetics sector.
❤
I'm still watching, so hopefully, I'm not saying something you mention(ed).
From what people say, I thought private label was buying a product and putting your brand's label in it and selling it as your own. A Google search says the opposite. It says private label is something being created specific to that brand and only for that brand. And, it says, white label is purchasing something and branding it as their own. Confusing because of what people say.
Ironic, my video aired today of the brand not being good for sensitive lids. I didn't see anywhere on the website that Harvest Moon was "a pressed pigment palette." My lids have a bad reaction to pressed pigments as shadows. On the back of the palette, it says, "A Pressed Pigment Palette." My video discusses the differences between "eyeshadow" and "pressed pigments" as part of the formulation as well as FDA regulation/guidelines. It was an expensive lesson for me. And, since my lids don't tolerate their pressed pigment formula, I won't be purchasing other items from them.
I did think it was suspicious they addressed labeling and not the use of AI artwork.
Thanks for this video.
Yes that’s what I had read but then people talk about it differently so I get confused!!
Ahhh no I haven’t seen your video yet but that really sucks 🤦🏼♀️ I wish they were more clear that they were pressed pigments not eyeshadows
@Katelynhousemakeup Hi 👋🏽. I think it's a thing of if enough people say a certain thing ... that's what it is ... even when it's not. If that makes sense.
Thanks. What frustrates me is according to FDA regulation/guidelines US brands are to say when it's pressed pigments and not considered safe for the eye area. I've come across other brands that omit that information, too. It's a shame.
@@DionLuvsMakeup that really is so frustrating!
It seems we have all been using the wrong term!
Yesss this is how I feel about pr in general by the time I get it no one cares lol
Yeah it’s a super unfortunate thing that the beauty community has going for it right now!
When you mentioned the shipping cost, the first one I thought of was Unearthly. I ordered from them last year and I know it was cheaper then. I was going to order from them this year until I saw what shipping was going to cost me. I did give Unearthly a bit of a break because they package their items unbelievably well, but still. Shipping costs must have gone up in the past year.
I noticed that when I just ordered from Unearthly! I didn’t remember having an issue with shipping costs before but it’s pretty comparable to Ensley Reign. I do feel like the unearthly packaging is a little bit more luxe but they’re close!
I really appreciate you touching on the controversy! I don’t really care how shadows are made, lol I just want them to be pretty. Honestly for me, none of the issues with Ensley reign would have been ones that would stop me from considering them in the future if they addressed it (I don’t think there’s such a thing as a perfect brand). But instead, my issue was them doubling down / encouraging rude comments by liking specific messages & ignoring other respectful critiques. But everyone can do what they want with their own money! For me, there’s just soo many indie brands with beautiful makeup and sometimes reasons like this (even if others find them to be petty) just help keep me in check (lol I wish I could but sadly I can’t keep spending thousands on makeup. My self-control with makeup purchases was not great last year so taking a breather from specific brands will hopefully help me reduce what Im tempted by!)
Oh jeez idk if I’ve seen all of the stuff about the comment interactions! That’s my pet peeve with brands too. I don’t mind ignoring comments if you don’t have a great response but the rest of the stuff I’m not a fan of ☹️
Also I agree!! So much gorgeous makeup sometimes it’s helpful to be like yeah this brand is just a no for me lol
I have asked Ensley Reign about the weights now on Instagram at least 3 times, and I think maybe I commented on their facebook or something as well.. Anywho, I've made numerous attempts to inquire about the palette weights, but have been ignored. Whether or not it's intentional I'm not sure, I don't own any of their palettes so maybe I'm just not looking in the right place.. but it is certainly rubbing me the wrong way!
Oh no that’s so frustrating! Was there a specific palette you wanted weight info on? I can see if it’s on my packaging if I have it!
I spent $149.44 ($166.05 - $16.61 discount) and I was charged $13.29 in shipping 😂 I guess it's by weight. I'm going to be pissed at myself if $150 is the mark for free shipping!
I don’t think it is lol but I can test run it for you 😂
My order total was similar. I think mine was $161.10 minus $16.11 and I paid $14.29 shipping. I'm okay with the shipping only because I ordered 2 palettes. I figured if you divide that cost by 2 then you are only paying around $7.15 each. And like you said, it was packed really well, similar to how I've received packages from Adept and Unearthly.
Yes, it is by weight and your zip code combined, as well as the carrier. Speaking as someone who used to ship stuff for a horse tack brand.
I don't care about any of this criticism. It really comes down to deciding what's worth it to you as a consumer. It's ridiculous to expect any brand to be low cost, sustainable, moral, and whatever else.
Totally agree! We decide what we purchase and if we don’t like a brand we can just not purchase from them. It’s not like there is a shortage of makeup out there!
But some brands are all that, without a higher price. So indeed you choose where you wanna put your money
Private label and white label are interchangeable terms in the industry
Where have you seen that? Asking just because I’ve seen conflicting info on that in most of the research I’ve done 😊
Still watching the video, but I know Aleisha knows a lot about what private label is… she’s given me a lot of insight on it, but I also don’t want to misquote her
I think I’ve watched one of her videos about it… I know I’ve heard her mention it but I think she did an in depth video too!
That’s too much for shipping! You and I both know that’s more than the actual shipping cost. @$89/pallet $11 shipping why not just have it priced @ $100/free shipping 😮🫢😏🤨😩😩😂😂
And then to not even offer free shipping at $100! That’s my real issue 😂😂😂
I love you and your videos but I feel like You’re trying to justify and protect the brand because of emotions not because of reason. I recently bought from Nomad Cosmetics US site, the shipping was free because I ordered more than -i don’t remember how much- €€ and I am from Europe so I was mindblown. I’ve got a package from Gourmande Girls from US to EU and paid like 20€ for shipping and 9€ VAT when collecting my order. Everything was wrapped in so many bubble wraps and came ok (haven’t got my Nomad order so we will see). So I think if these companies can do shipping to EU for what I’ve paid, you in US can get free shipping when ordering such expensive palette.
Another thing, no one ever mentions that this Cold Moon palette has less special shimmers than their other palettes but it is still so expensive.
The palette doesn’t have a mirror (don’t need one, just pointing out), they don’t pay any artist to do the cover and the magnetic pans are not expensive (it’s only expensive when shipped cause it’s heavier), so where exactly the money go? IMO it is so overpriced that it is riddiculous to even have the debate about it.
I don’t mean bad and I don’t wanna argue with anybody or “stir the pot”, but if we’ll keep justifying these riddiculous prices, what’s stopping other brands to riade up their prices to make more money if the customers are willing to give it to them?
The palette is beautiful and everything, but I feel like people cannot see the scam behind those beautiful shades
*to rise up their prices
I am of the firm belief that if anyone has an issue of any of the things I presented then they should not purchase from the brand.
I am not going to sit here and bash any brand when I don’t own a business and don’t actually know what their mark up is.
It’s our responsibility as consumers to think through these things and decide if it’s worth it to you or not! For me, I’ve found the quality to be there and for the cost of these palettes to be worth it. Although I did specify in the video there were a couple of question marks for me on some of their other palettes.
You also don’t have to believe me and can think I’m protecting the brand if you want to lol. I can’t control that but if I was actually doing that I wouldn’t have bothered making a video that addresses all of the concerns I’ve seen.
I also don’t view it as my job to sway anyone either way on if these issues should/should not sway them from purchasing. We are all adults with our own money. My goal is for everyone to take the info and form their own opinion.
I'm sorry but I have a hard time feeling bad for your $11, I live in southern Canada so probably the same distance geographically if not less than a lot of the customers in the US. I just ordered my first palette from adept and it cost over $100 with $30 shipping and customs another $30 and it's taken almost a full month and I haven't actually received the palette yet. All said and done. I will have spent $170 on one eyeshadow palette.
I definitely wasn’t asking for any sympathy with the shipping cost! I know for Canadians in particular it’s a pretty ridiculous cost given how close you’re located to where these items are shipping from.
For those of us in the US that are used to free shipping at certain price points we are still allowed to not want to pay for increased shipping costs.
Just because shipping prices are ridiculous for you doesn’t mean that we all have to accept an increase in our own shipping costs 🤷🏼♀️
For perspective, I live in Europe but have ordered Glamlite to a USA address - shipping was 5 or 6 dollars. $11 is expensive. International shipping is absurdly expensive (which is why I don't send things internationally, I patiently wait for my friends to travel to me) - that does not mean we can not complain about high national shipping costs. Some brands in Germany cost 5euro to post, so when I see some stores charging between 8 - 12 euro, I am going to complain that it is expensive, when there are 5euro options out there. Katelyn is justified by saying that $11 is expensive, because it IS.
You convinced me on the ai art!
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