The Ethics of Beauty Dupes & Copycats | Rivet Rant

ABC News Sydney exposed an ugly side of the beauty industry that we bloggers (and influencers), have definitely contributed to in a way, but even if it's legally okay, is it ethical?

ID: An infographic of an edited image of beauty products superimposed on a dreamy watercolour background (full image further down with description) with a big red X on it and text next to it that reads "Nah, I'm done with this lot". There is handwritten text at the top that reads "#RivetRant" and bottom that reads “(at)rivetlicker”, a sparkly pastel pink/purple/blue border, and an illustration of Lara with an angry expression, holding her palm up in the bottom right corner.

Let's wake up the old school blog format with a good ol' #RivetRant!

10 THINGS BEAUTY BRANDS NEED TO STOP DOING IN 2020 || #RivetRant

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Image description: Rivet Licker logo on a white background with text above that reads "10 THINGS BEAUTY BRANDS NEED TO STOP DOING IN 2020"

I hope everybody had a wonderful end of year holiday season and are ready to rock in 2020! Since it's tradition to make new years resolutions, here are some that I'd love to see from beauty brands!

10 More Shitty Things Nobody Tells You About Life With Chronic Illness || #RivetRant

Here we are, back again, with a chronic illness post on a platform independent to a problematic website whose name rhymes with 'She Fighty'. Last year, I brought you 10 Shitty Things Nobody Tells You About Life With Chronic Illness, now here are another 10 things that are just as shitty as the last! 

Cartoon depiction of Rivet Licker, the author of this blog. She is a tired looking woman with short purple/pink hair and has thermometer in her mouth. She is wearing a bath robe and holding a mug of coffee in one hand, and the other is placed on her face. Text reads "Chronic Illness Is Shitty". An additional purple box is superimposed over the bottom of the image that reads 'now with even more shit! poo emoji'.

This post contains many trigger warnings, including, but not limited to discussion of mental health, dismissive doctors, financial woes, ableism, quackery, bodily functions, hormones, flashy GIFs, and a shitload of swearing.

10 Shitty Things Nobody Tells You About Life With Chronic Illness || #RivetRant

Everyone thinks that chronic illness is a one way ticket to Lazy Town (not to be confused with the children's television series that appealed to creepers on the internet), but it's no cakewalk. Most chronically ill people are working harder to achieve the same results with half the resources, and that's just to survive the day.

Image Description: Cartoon depiction of Rivet Licker, the author of this blog. She is a tired looking woman with short purple/pink hair and has thermometer in her mouth. She is wearing a bath robe and holding a mug of coffee in one hand, and the other is placed on her face. Text reads "Chronic Illness Is Shitty".

I know it's not beauty related, but I don't really want to publish a story with a well known chronic illness website that is pretty crappy to neurodivergent people and rhymes with 'She Fighty'. Better published on an independent platform!

This post comes with a massive trigger warning for lots of swearing, mental health, suicidal ideation, drugs, bodily functions, dismissive doctors, ableism (naturally), financial woes, inspiration porn, flashy GIFs, etc.

Cultural Beauty Trends || Skin Whitening: Racism, Class Warfare, WHAT? || Rivet Licker

I have been putting off this post for a while because of its sensitive nature, and I respectfully want to open the discussion. We've come to see different world views on the beauty industry because of the mainstream boom in Asian beauty trends. We were once pretty much sold an ideal created in Europe, but now we are finding ourselves immersed in different standards of beauty from around the world, but unfortunately, they're still very limited (as standards usually are). Black and brown skin still needs pride movements and representation; tanned skin is accepted and desired; but light skin is still the winner in some parts of the world.

Where does skin whitening stem from?

DISAPPOINTING PRODUCTS || Makeup, Skincare, Haircare || #RivetReview

I get to try out a lot of products as a blogger, and while I don't like to be negative (without constructive feedback), I do like to be honest.

Here we have some products that just did not cut it; whether it be the formula, the colour, the fragrance, or just the general consensus of being poor performing. NO BRANDS ARE SAFE! LET THE HONESTY HOUR BEGIN!

It's skinCARE, not skinSHAMING! || Rivet Licker

Why is shaming natural processes the default form for getting people to buy cosmetics? Sure, even I thought that if I didn't wear makeup or care for my skin, I would never be beautiful. In fact, I feel more beautiful now because I can make the choice to wear makeup and make sure my skin is healthy.

Skincare is probably one of the major culprits, with tag-lines such as "anti-ageing", "anti-wrinkle", and "pore minimizing" etc, being the reason we are being conned into buying products to stay "youthful". On top of this, I go into depth about how I feel about the appearance of my own skin.

Why Can't All Cosmetics Be Cruelty Free? || #RivetRant

NARS has just announced it will be retailing their brand in mainland China, the only territory in the world where animal testing is a mandatory regulation to assure safety of products entering the market.

The flaws are obvious with this legislation, and here is why.

Rivet Rant: An Open Letter to PR || Rivet Licker

An open letter to brands and PR agencies who use influencer marketing.

A portfolio can speak far more words than a number of followers.

I wrote this around the same time that I published my first Rivet Rant on this topic, but it has become way more relevant now that I have reached out to some new brands and got knocked back because of my following. Not everybody will agree with me, but time and audience growth isn't the same for everybody.

*SPONSORED* RIVET RANT: Minimum 3000 followers to make $$$?!?!

My follower count is small because I keep it honest.

I get rid of the bots and the MLM representatives on Instagram.

I do everything on my blog without deception.

My worth as an influencer is minimal because of this.

I don't have that sociopathic trait that decimates everybody in the way for advancement.

I am a terrible liar.

If it's not the truth, I cannot say it.

I won't do it just for the money.

I wanted to do it because I related to it.

I tried to do it because I could have a small double-digit amount of dollars to put away for financial emergencies.

I tried so damn hard to stay awake and ready to do this.

What am I talking about?

Rivet Rant: A WASH OF GREEN SUDDENLY MAKES EVERYTHING OKAY

I can think of several brands who make a stock standard line of products, then release a line of "naturals" or "botanics" into the range and use those buzzwords to attempt to sell a product that's supposed to be better for you or the environment. Stick a tree or a leaf on the packaging, and voila, you have a green product!

Greenwashing is rampant.

Tying in with the theme of chemicals = bad and natural = good, here are some terms that definitely don't have a say in how eco-friendly a product is.

Rivet Rant: CHEMICALS, AND TOXINS, AND SCARES, OH MY!

Ever look at a product and think "oh wow, they've really got a gripe on consumers with their scare tactic sales pitch"? 

If there is anything I have learned from being a science nerd my whole life, is that there is a very fine line between the truth and things pretending to be the truth (“Alternative Facts”). Science is a discipline where evidence is collected and can be replicated each and every time. It teaches you to be critical – and when you're surrounded by marketing buzzwords all the time, being critical is REALLY important.

My little piece of work that went viral, reposted by Nihilist Memes and Insufferably Intolerant Science Nerd on Facebook.

I honestly don't blame consumers for having an idea that certain things are bad – I blame the people who are purposely making up their own facts and philosophies, projecting them as the truth.

Here are a few common terms thrown around in marketing that really annoy me to tears.

Rivet Rant: My Beauty School shut down and now I am "Schrödinger's Student"

I made it public knowledge that I attended The Australasian College Broadway [TACB] as a Beauty Therapy student. I even wrote articles for the college as one of their Student Bloggers^ – kick starting what I have here with Rivet Licker. I enjoyed my time there, until I felt that I had exhausted my avenues of learning salon and spa type treatments enough to warrant applying to their higher education Bachelor Degree in Clinical Aesthetics – where the real fun is. Reality bites.

Guess which one I am. Screenshot: @the_australasian_college student blogger promotion. [Account deactivated]

10 Misconceptions about Beauty Bloggers as told by Rivet Licker

We're all one and the same when it comes to beauty communications. A blog, a YouTube video, a social media #sponsored post; whatever platform; somebody in the public is going to make assumptions about what we do, how we act, where we congregate. I don't speak for everybody, but in my experiences as an almost socially incompatible human attempting to communicate thoughts I have when washing my face, I had a lot of assumptions myself, until I met the people who play the same field. 

The life you THINK I live.

 

Rivet Rant: PLEASE STOP APPLYING TESTERS TO YOUR FACE AND DON'T OPEN MERCHANDISE!

Have you ever gone to Priceline or any store that sells budget through moderately priced cosmetics and you see people applying testers directly onto their faces? Do you find opened merchandise that appears to have been used or witness somebody using it? Do you have an urge to react in an anti-social manner but use every strength to not punch the perp in the face, or at least hope they contract an infectious disease so they learn their lesson? Do you alert staff to suspected theft and merchandise damage?

Reenactment of in-store tester application directly to eyes and lips using my own products.

I'm a consumer. I tell it like it is. I alert staff to asinine acts that take place in the makeup aisle because I don't want to get sick from irresponsible citizens who think applying testers to their face, or worse still, opening merchandise to use as testers is okay. You're just ruining it for everybody.