This Ulta employee is sharing her predictions for what brands she thinks will go out of business. Your beauty fave might be on the chopping block.
Ulta is a beauty retailer that offers a mix of high-end and drugstore brands in one place (unlike Sephora, which tends to be more expensive). It sells a variety of beauty products, including makeup, skincare, and haircare.
While the employees in the retail stores may not be tracking sales the way corporate is, they do have a live pulse on what is and isn’t selling. So when they say a brand is flopping, you may want to listen up.
In a viral TikTok series, Ulta employee Gisselle (@gizzelle.22) shared her insight into what brands she thinks will downsize or close soon.
1. Beautyblender
Beautyblender exploded in popularity in the early 2000s when they revolutionized the makeup game with their signature Beautyblender sponge.
The iconic sponge became a favorite for its versatility in applying makeup. It can seamlessly blend liquid, cream, and powder makeup, creating a smooth, airbrushed finish.
Its tear-drop shape also made it useful for a variety of applications, from blending in entire face makeup to baking even the crevices of your eyes and nose.
The special latex-free material made it stand out from any other sponge on the market. The design made it durable, soft, and reusable.
“She was revolutionary, but now it’s duped by every single company,” Gisselle said. “I know they have more products than just a sponge, but the lack of variety in store makes me believe she won’t hold up much longer.”
Gisselle added that the $20 price point for a single sponge is also a huge deterrent. Especially when you can get an imitation for $10 or less. She agrees with commenters who said the brand might be more successful if it adjusted its price point to be more competitive with its imitators.
@gizzelle.22 dont get me wrong i still love a good beauty blender but shes coasting at this point 😔 #fyp #f #foryou #fypage #fypviralシ゚ #foryoupage❤️❤️ #foryoupage #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trendingvideo #trending #ulta #ultabeauty #ultaemployee #ultabeautyhaul #ultabeautyproducts #ultabeautyfinds #beautyblender #beautyblendercleaning ♬ Es Demasiado Tarde – Ana Gabriel
2. Mario Badescu
Mario Badescu is an established skincare brand that offers simple but allegedly effective ingredients. These include aloe vera, rosewater, and cucumber. They market their products as great for sensitive skin.
“Before Starface was the common way to treat acne, Kylie Jenner has us commoners flocking to the Mario Badescu aisle for that infamous drying lotion,” Gisselle said in her clip.
Gisselle noted that Badescu products were a status symbol among teen girls around 2017 (like Stanley cups are today’s ‘it’ item), especially with rose water making its way into beauty influencers’ routines and even being sold at Urban Outfitters.
“But since then, Mario Badescu has fallen from grace,” Gisselle said, adding that they’re being drowned out by all the other skincare brands popping up.
Gisselle also blamed the 2014 lawsuit as part of their downfall. The suit filed against them claimed there were undisclosed steroids in their products.
3. Florence by Mills
“I don’t know what’s stranger. The fact that it’s taken nine years … to make five seasons of Stranger Things, Drake’s weird underage friendship with Millie Bobby Brown Bon Jovi, or the fact that Florence hasn’t filed for whatever chapter of bankruptcy,” Gisselle said.
Florence by Mills is a skincare and beauty brand founded by actress Millie Bobby Brown in 2019. Aimed at a Gen Z audience, Florence’s products are meant to enhance natural beauty instead of covering it with items like their skin tint and cream blush.
However, it soon faced controversy when Bobby Brown dropped a skincare video where she seemed to fake using her own products.
“This solidified that fact that she’s just the face of the company and not a passion project,” Gisselle said.
Gisselle added that while not all celebrity beauty brands are bad, Florence doesn’t have the authentic feel of a brand like Fenty and Rare Beauty. She also said it might be time for the brand to evolve as Bobby Brown grows up.
The Daily Dot reached out to Gisselle for comment via email and Instagram direct message. We also reached out to Beautyblender, Mario Badescu, and Florence by Mills via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
