Sydney Grace x Glitzy Frizy Blessed Palette Swatches
Sydney Grace x Glitzy Frizy Blessed Palette debuted earlier this week and is available in a Light version and a Deep version. Five of the matte shades are different between the two versions.
Given the aggressive legislation being pushed in the US that targets and harms the LGBTQIA+ community and it being Pride month, and without a long history of loud and proud support of LGBTQIA+, several readers expressed concerns over this release’s use of religious themes and language. I know some of the readers who were the most supportive of my collaboration with the brand are no longer comfortable purchasing from the brand.
I hope that the religious-leanings of the palette and the collaborator’s note that was included in some of the press packages (I did not receive a note, but I confirmed that others did) is something that is limited to this collaboration. I can appreciate someone’s religion being a major part of their life and their identity, and thus wanting to include it in their collaboration, but I also can understand that others have been alienated and traumatized by religion, particularly forms of Christianity. It is understandable that it’s not something they’d want mixed in with makeup, which is often a place of joy and escapism, especially when the beauty community (in general) has been working towards greater inclusivity.
Christine, just want to say how much I always appreciate your thoughtful commentary and also the integrity it takes to question a brand when you’ve worked so closely with them!
Thank you, Misha!
Especially, given C’s collab w/SG
Personally, I have no issues with the slightly religious sounding names. Same goes for slightly suggestive names like Nars Fetishized or Orgasm. I DO care about the the quality and shades a bit more than names, unless those are either defamatory, racist, overtly vulgar, misogynistic, or insulting towards ANY group of individuals. That said, I’m just not seeing a real cohesiveness with this color story for me to plunk down that amount of $’s on.
Agree with this
I agree.
Hm. Haven’t paid much attention to Sydney Grace after the couple of shadows I tried ended up irritating my eyelids, but I don’t recall any overt religious messaging coming from them? And I have zero familiarity with “Glitzy Fritzy,” so I don’t know if that’s part of her public persona, and even if it is, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s antagonistic toward the LGBT+ community. I live in the south, which is EXTREMELY Christian on the whole, and my partner and I are frequently told “have a blessed day” by shop owners and food delivery drivers and such, so I’m somewhat inured to what others might see as an odd public display of religiosity. (He and I are both agnostic/atheist.) I can say that I regularly see examples of older (usually) white (usually) Christian women being very politically active — like the handful protesting at our low-key Pride events last weekend (STEP BACK, ANGRY MAMAWS – I WORKED MY ASS OFF ON ALL THOSE GRAPHICS AND POSTERS) and the ones who screamed “MURDERERS” in our faces at a protest after Roe was overturned — but I also regularly see members of that demographic who are pretty apolitical, at least in public, and overall seem quite kindly and accepting so I don’t take offense at them Jesusing-up my latte purchase, you know? “Blessed” and “be a blessing” seem pretty harmless (tho I can’t understand why a devout Christian would name a pinky-nude shadow “Savior” which sounds … diminishing/flippant to me?).
It’s reasonable to not want to support brands whose ideals (and thus whose politically-oriented donations or activism) are antithetical to your own. But it’s also reasonable to wait and be SURE that this is the case before pillorying anyone. The makeup community has ample space for proud LGBT+ members and allies, and it also has room for people whose lives are centered around their faith…so long as its practice doesn’t extend to harming other people and communities. Does religious-themed makeup appeal to me? Biiiiig nope. But that doesn’t mean it should be shut out of the beauty space. The makeup brand/guru/influencer world is RIFE with appallingly toxic mean-spirited or outright abusive jerks. Assuming she’s not actually a bigot or an anti-gay crusader, I’d much rather have the happy good-vibes Christian lady around than [redacted] or [redacted] or [also redacted bc who has the time to argue with Influencer Stans on the internet?].
I agree with you, as well. From all I know of Glitzy Fritzy, she’s a woman in her 60s, and very kind and thoughtful. It seems like she would be horrified to think she is being aligned with anything anti-LGBTQ+ because she is Christian.
I very much hope that’s the case! The little bit I saw about her online seems to indicate that she’s super positive and sunshine-y and helpful, and hoo boy does the world need more of that right now, whether “Christian” or not!
I’ve only watched a couple videos of Mary’s (Glitzy Fritzy), so I wasn’t aware of her faith, since that wasn’t addressed in the ones that I saw. I have no problem with religion, but I do think it’s weird to bring it into the makeup. Especially given how it could be interpreted as anti-LGBTQ. I really do like Sydney Grace as a brand and hope this doesn’t also become their identity.
I watched her announcement video, since I was not familiar with the creator previously, which went over the names along with sharing a note that went out as part of the press release to those who received press samples (the video made it sound like it was included in the actual palette though). I know when I reached out to SG about whether her note was going out to customers or just PR, they confirmed it was just PR and that they gave her creative control as they do with their collaborators and that SG respects everyone and their beliefs.
Hi,
I was curious if you were going to post swatches/review this palette.
Full disclosure: I’m a part of the LGBTQIA and I’m a Christian specifically United Methodist where the denomination is splitting over LGBTQIA. I live in the south and my church is staying UMC which means we open to all and UMC will allow gay pastors and perform gay weddings. I realize this is not the norm and I’m blessed to have a loving family and an open church. I also watch Mary’s channel. She ends her videos encouraging people to be a blessing.
I was happy Sydney Grace allowed Mary’s palette to be designed as she wanted: her shades and the names Mary wanted to use. They allowed her vision, her dream palette to come true. I think that says a lot about Sydney Grace. I’m sure having a palette with a Christian tone is going to sell less palettes. They knew this and still moved forward with it.
I love the idea of seeing this palette daily (mine will be here Monday). For me, it’s a sweet reminder of a loving God and a sweet person. I know some have been hurt by the Christian church and my heart breaks for them, but there are also people like me who embrace their faith and have been accepted by their faith.
I would rather have this on my vanity than the some of the “edgier” Nars products. BH Cosmetics did an F bomb palettes a few years ago. Loved the blue purplely one, but I didn’t want to start my day with negative angry names.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Robin! I know that someone’s religion, spirituality, and/or faith can be an important part of who they are, and it is so great that you’ve been able to find a place where you can embrace your faith and feel accepted.
Frankly I had always assumed the people behind Sydney Grace were pretty Christian from some of the previous product names, which read to me as coded Christian, like Heaven, Restored Fully, Angelic, Miraculous, Pardoned Completely, Deep Devotion, Deliverer, Faithful, Miracle, Alluring Paradise, Delivered Freely, Redeemed, Redeemer, Guardian Angels, etc. That they would collaborate with an overtly Christian Youtuber just doesn’t surprise me. I am an atheist from a non-Christian background living in a red rural state and it is just part of the texture of the sand here. I’ve had to be aware of subtle coding like this in my life to be safe. It reminds me of how different urban life is from rural – it would never occur to me that I could escape overt displays of Christian religiosity. For me, as long as it is not toxic and bigoted or proselytizing, I don’t react to it. It’s not possible to escape it, in any case. If someone comes at me with hostility, they get that in return, but if they are minding their business I mind mine. I can understand how for some former Christians who suffered abuse, this language can be triggering.
Hmm. This collaborator is yet another one I haven’t heard of before, so I went to that announcement video to see what the message was. Yes, it’s overtly religious; however, not knowing anything about this person, I don’t automatically assume religious = anti-LGBT+ (but that could be my privilege, living in a progressive area, where *most* people are pro-LGBT+ regardless of spirituality). The God stuff doesn’t give me pause as a queer person, just as an agnostic one.
If anything about Sydney Grace has ever made me uncomfortable, it’s the military-inspired shade names, so I guess I already had a vibe that the founders’ beliefs probably aren’t exactly in line with my own. I didn’t give it much mind, because I don’t know if they even interact with the public as individuals, let alone espouse whatever their beliefs may be.
From my perspective, religious and spiritual themes seem to be pretty common in makeup- zodiac, pagan, witchcraft, sometimes Abrahamic religions. It doesn’t strike me as offensive to include religious themes that are meaningful to a collaborator.
Yes exactly! Inclusive for all…..for sure!
Personally, living in Aus as I do, I am not familiar with the references, other than the overtly religious names of the shades, which I don’t find offensive or even overly religious (I grew up in a Catholic household and went to Catholic schools, but now consider myself to be a non demoninational Christian).
Sometimes I think it is just better to just name an eyeshadow palette without any references to contraversial issues within the community – look at how ND’s Glam went, or some of Nars’s and MAC’s collaborations have done in the past? As you have said Christine, beauty products are meant to be associated with joy and escapism.
It was a very thoughtful and well written comment that you have posted Christine and your integrity shines through.
As to the palette itself, it is not, unfortunately my cup of tea with the pastel shades and mattes in it.
Knowing how the Republican Evangelical movement in America has targeted and harmed women, minorities, LGBTQIA+ folks, the poor, the disabled, the chronically ill…I am not at all surprised that the religious overtones would cause suspicion and distrust.
I first noticed a Christian themes in Sydney Grace product names last year. Even as a believer myself, the names feel a bit awkward, though I cannot precisely pinpoint why. But those feelings would obviously be painfully amplified for anyone who has been harmed by churches, church figures, or evangelical politics.
I hope their collaborator is a kind and loving soul who would denounce the kind of hatred some have done in the name of God. But unless that stance is obvious, this makeup mayremain offputting to people for good reasons.
I agree with many of the commenters in this thread, Nancy T, ac, Robin, polishedhippy, Helena and Laurie who all of them express a rather reasonable take on how to view names attached to makeup products in my opinion. In essence not to read too much into everything and try to prevent oneself from jumping to conclusions and thus replace one form of persecution with another. Like some of them say clearly. The majority of Christian’s in the world are not persecuting people of the LBTQIA+ community and do not stand by such ideas and do not consider their religion to do so either – so why try to push a very body into the same corner?
I might also want to add that you can find people from all forms or belief systems from atheism and humanism all the way through all religions to the new age movement and even the LBTQIA+ movements who have been traumatised by people within all of these groups. So it would be nice (for once) if some community (like the makeup community) could allow ourselves to actually be inclusive instead of keeping on feeding the diversity monster by constantly replacing one persecution with another. As the world will not be a better place if we keep repeating the same stupid mistakes over and over.
I can’t find anywhere that this youtuber (whom I have never heard of before) has in any way expressed anything against anything concerning the LBTQIA+ community, so why try to smear that on her or onto her palette? I find that very odd. Especially in a day and age where people are trying so hard to hold fourth individualism (after all the American credo above all else is freedom of expression) as a form of religion, a k a to be able to express oneself any way one sees fit. As that must also include people like GlitzyFritzy – should it not?
So why insinuate something that is very far fetched as there are so far no signs pointing to this youtuber being in any way against the LBTQIA+ community?
Just like with any artist’s work. We as spectators or users are allowed to put our own meanings on things. So why get bothered with a name of an eye shadow… at all? I mean it might be somewhat dorky to name an eye shadow my saviour, but not more dorky than naming it orgasm or daemon’s venom… or whatever else really. Let’s just get above that…
What I would be more interested in is in what these shadows actually look like on people in their 50’s and 60’s as this is a rather bold palette with lots of shimmers and colours which I think is fun and more playful than many other iterations of palettes made to suit the more mature crowd. I do however agree with Nancy T that the colour story does not directly speak to me. But I have been known to be persuaded before…😘
I did not smear nor say anyone was anti-, but without clear support, I can absolutely see why some long-time Temptalia members, some of the ones that were most there for me when I struggled mentally and have given so much of their time to educate me on the queer community, that they felt that the silence became deafening when it was released during Pride month and there was no celebration of Pride, no mention of the queer community by the brand.
I specifically wrote that I can understand the inclusion from the collaborator’s end, though the note that was sent in PR did cross a line for me, even if it only had the best intentions – it still indicates a high level of privilege to not have considered the diversity of faith and spirituality of our community.
It’s important to me to acknowledge and support those Temptalia readers, and I would not be an ally to them if I did provide a platform for that viewpoint to be heard. While some may only know people who don’t care or wouldn’t be bothered, that doesn’t mean there aren’t or that we shouldn’t consider that viewpoint. I wrote my post to give space to those who felt they did not have space as the only comment regarding it (which was civil and along the lines of preferring to keep makeup and religion separate) that I saw left on SG’s Instagram did eventually get deleted (and all the comments under it, so I don’t know what the reasoning for deleting it – whether it was the thread or not).
For example, there’s a TikTok creator, Ophelia, who is clearly very religious, but she has unwavering, loud and proud support of LGBTQIA+ so at a minimum, people know that her religious values are inclusive and not being used as a way to do harm to a vulnerable community who is facing unprecedented amount of laws being introduced/passed this year.
I welcome people to disagree and to share their opinions, but there’s no need for it to come at the expense of how someone else might feel – there’s just no need to say one person’s feelings are more valid than another’s because it aligns with how you feel.
This surprises me for SG. I haven’t yet googled the content creator. Imo, not only church and state, but also church and m/u. Pride month often saddens me. So much (not this, methinks) is a shameful cash grab. These days this country has become so fractured/dichotomized that I fear a second civil war. Thanks, he who was indicted again! Protestant churches seem to split in half, too, according to Bible literalist lines. Churches that are liberal or socially conscious support the Pride community. All the Boston area Congos and UUs have support flags all year round. They have written messages of openness and affirmation. Then there’s Westboro and their allies who are shameful and hurtful. Makeup, etc. have come a long way in diversity. Then there’s representation. I cheer when I see a Down syndrome model. I gag when I realize that the Pride community is represented as those who need HIV medication. And that Bud Light Mandy the company may fail due to use of a trans spokesperson. There’s always a Dylan quote (age clue here): Everybody wants to know which side are you on? How can the supposed values be trampled on? How an there be such hate, when there should be at the very least tolerance. Between this schism and the environmental crisis, i’m actually glad I will die before the S#1+ hits the fan.
Excuse typos and Happy Pride month to all. I’m so sick of the knee jerk reaction that the news media fires up. But do I defend SG’s decision to do this palette? Yes, and suffer the consequences. If we do not support their right to do this, we’ve trashed the fifth amendment and sunk to the level of the haters.