Andrelina Hsu Week 10 - Sephora Spectacle

Sephora Spectacle

When I was growing up, slime was the big thing that was at the top of almost every other kid’s wish lists—including mine. Nevertheless, these gooey containers of fun have long since died as a trend and have been unexpectedly replaced by the new generation with a twist: makeup.

There is no doubt that the 21st century is characterized by an ever-evolving dynamic of power, specifically through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. These sites have emerged as powerful tools for shaping the way people of all ages think and act, in both a positive and negative light. A current trend has been taking over the internet, where little girls ranging in age from 10 to 13 are rampaging Sephora stores and trying to get their hands on trendy makeup products such as Glow Recipe, Drunk Elephant, Rare Beauty, and many more.

Predominantly Gen-Z and Millennial influencers have been the first to speak out, stating two main problems with the “Sephora 10-year-olds": The ingredients inside these products are harming their young skins rather than helping, and the prices are not something a 10-year-old should be getting their parents to spend.

Almost all of the previously listed makeup brands include retinol as an ingredient in their skin care products, which is damaging to young skin. All sorts of sites argue for both sides of the issue, that retinol is safe to use or that it should be avoided at all costs; however, regardless of their opinions, they all come to terms with how powerful an ingredient retinol actually is. Additionally, in comparison to other products that are truly beneficial to young skin, such as CeraVe moisturizers, the pricing for these popular skin care items is outrageous. Spending thousands of dollars on a trip to Sephora just to buy makeup products that will only harm their young skin is undeniably contradictory.

And that’s not the end of it, because this trend has taken over the minds of these kids so much that they quite literally rampage Sephora stores, destroying their tester products and being rude to sales associates all so that they can “be like the other girls.”

TikTok actually censored any results when you go and look up “Sephora 10 Year Olds,” which I don’t really understand (searching “Sephora 10 years” works), as the issue originated from their own platform. This is just one of the many examples of the power of social media, as these little girls are only trying to follow the trend of older teenage girls and their “GRWM videos.” Personally, I hope that this imitates the footsteps of slime.

Comments

  1. Aarya PatilFebruary 6, 2024 at 3:23 PM

    Hi Andrelina! I found your blog post intriguing as it looks at the shifting trends amongst children this day, from slime to makeup, and it further explores the impact of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram on these trends. First off, the introduction effectively sets up your blog by looking back at a childhood memory about the trends of slime and introducing the publication of makeup as the big new trend among young kids. The comparison was stark and provided a clear difference between old and new trends, bringing readers into the discussion. I found your analysis of social media’s aspect in influencing these trends to be informative, and mention of influencers who spoke up against the trend to be impactful. By raising the issues about harmful ingredients that are used in makeup products your blog addresses both the positive and negative aspects of this event. The exploration of “retinol” and how it can cause harm to young skin adds to the credibility of your argument. Furthermore, by discussing the pricing comparisons between popular makeup brands and more helpful skincare products like CeraVe, you looked at the financial implications of this trend not just for the children, but also for their parents. The example of how children are “rampaging” Sephora stores is an extremely good point as it shows the extent to which kids these days will go just to fit into social expectations. I had noticed the censorship of the search results of “Sephora 10-Year-Olds” as well, and your post shed light as to why they may have done this. Overall, your blog post provides a strong analysis of the makeup trends, your writing style is extremely engaging, and your arguments are supported by relevant examples. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sampan MehtaFebruary 7, 2024 at 9:39 PM

    Hi Andrelina,
    I had been hearing this phrase, “Sephora 10-year olds”, circulating through social media recently, but I never understood what it actually meant or what the ten year olds were even doing at Sephora. Your blog cleared up all the questions and I actually understand now what this phrase was truly about. It is shocking that ten year olds are constantly on social media and imitating older influencers, especially with beauty products that can damage their skin. Of course, I don't really know much about trending products, but from what you have described it seems like quite a common problem for Sephora and the health of the ten year olds. The main question I had in mind while reading your blog was who was even allowing these kids to buy all these expensive makeup products and making videos on social media promoting the makeup? Then I realized that it is the parents who have been allowing their kids to do this. The kids had most likely gotten permission and money to buy these products from their parents, so I see that the root cause is not just the influence of social media, but it is rather the parents’ fault for allowing their kids to partake in such trends. Restricting these kids on social media might not be the best solution, but the parents have power over the money which is being used to buy these products, so the parents are encouraging their kids to buy the makeup and make promotional videos. I was wondering why parents would allow this, and it could just be that they enjoy spoiling their kids, or they intentionally encourage their kids to do this as it will increase the amount of followers and popularity on these social media platforms. While the solution is not clear, it is clear that the parents play a significant role in allowing their child to spend money on products that can harm their skin, and they should take action rather than ignoring the problem.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Andrelina Hsu Week 9 - Beyond Muscles

Image
Beyond Muscles      When it comes to sports, power is often associated with physical strength. However, muscles and agility are not the only requirements for a successful athletic career. Power extends beyond sheer physical capabilities, as it includes resilience, determination, and the capability to push through hard times. Take snowboarding as an example; balance, coordination, and muscular endurance are some of the most basic demands required to be good at this sport. Yet, hidden within the heart and mind of a successful snowboarder is the unspoken attribute of perseverance.      Marcus Kleveland , a 24-year-old snowboarder who is arguably one of the best in the world as of today, suffered a detrimental injury during the early stages of his career. As a rookie, Kleveland came into people’s sights during the 2017 Winter X Games in Aspen, when he landed the first ever quad cork in competition history. However, at a practice the following year, Kleveland sustained a major injury to h
Read more

Allison Mao Week 9: What Made Martin Luther King, Jr A Powerful Speaker

Image
Being a persuasive speaker may not always seem as important as being extremely intelligent or physically strong. Nevertheless, many people in history have proven that a silver tongue can do much to persuade, or even manipulate, the people around them.  With the holiday honoring his memory being yesterday, it makes sense to mention Martin Luther King, Jr; his “I Have A Dream” speech is remembered for being excellently persuasive to his cause. I wondered what qualities of his speeches, aside from simply looking at the important topics he covers, make them so memorable.  According to an article by Scott Elbin, six qualities make Martin Luther King, Jr a great speaker. One, he utilizes careful control of his cadence during his speeches, starting many of his speeches with a slow pace before beginning to speak more quickly. This helps draw in the audience’s attention and increase their sense of urgency. Two, King makes good use of context, often mentioning stories from the Old Testament and
Read more

Sampan Mehta Week 13: Haunting Memories of Flight MH370 Ten Years Later

Image
On March 8, 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was scheduled for an overnight departure from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The flight took off shortly after midnight, and just shortly after takeoff as the flight reached the end of Malaysian airspace, the pilot said: “Good Night. Malaysia Three Seven Zero.” This was the last spoken communication received from the aircraft and soon after, the plane mysteriously vanished from radar over the South China Sea. What was thought to be a few days of searching for the final location later turned into one of the largest, most expensive searches in human history with thousands of miles of ocean searched with the support of many different countries around the world. Ten years later, on March 8, 2024, there has yet to be any conclusive proof of what really happened on March 8, 2014, and the haunting memory remains.   Onboard flight MH370 were 227 passengers and 12 Malaysian crew members. The flight had passengers from around t
Read more