Friday, January 15, 2010

This is a total and complete BUMMER!

Oh, babyheads - this sucks!

Have you heard the news? It truly blows - apparently our beloved Bare Escentuals has been purchased by one of the worst animal testers in the biz, Shiseido. Here's the whole gloomy story if you want to see for yourself:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100115/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_shiseido_bare_escentuals

So where does this leave one of the best CF brands out there? My guess is that BE will probably go the route that other non-animal tested brands go when they're acquired by a parent company that tests - namely, BE will probably continue to not test, I'm sure, and will probably be listed just like Kiehl's is with L'Oreal; namely, "a cruelty-free subsidiary of a parent company that tests."

What does that mean for you? Well, as I mentioned in my 4/27/09 blog, I think it all depends on your personal comfort level. I'm sure BE isn't going to suddenly start testing on "Les Bunny Rabbits" just because this dipshit of a company bought them out. So no, I'm sure the makeup itself will continue to be CF. But it's a personal comfort level of whether or not you want to give your money to a brand supported by a parent company that tests.

I'm also kind of disappointed in BE CEO Leslie Blodgett - boy, does that lady not seem like a good match for a brand like Shiseido! Maybe it's just me, but if I were in her position, and I had one of the best natural brands that started off right out of the gate as a CF brand, why the hell would I sell myself out to a company who, in this day and age, refuses to give up this barbaric practice? Are the big bucks that important to her? I'm sure the BE brand was doing just fine on it's own. All you had to do was check out the BE sections at any given Sephora - you couldn't get near the testers for all the women crowded around them. Check out any BE show on QVC - the stuff would sell out before you even knew what happened. Independent BE stores are popping up all over the place. Why give in to a cash cow (pun intended) who doesn't give a crap about how many animals they harm?

Okay, sorry, I know I'm getting all ranty. I loved this brand to bits for six years. So as for my own comfort level, I'm not cool with this. I'm heading straight for the Estee Lauder counter after work tonight!

Have a good weekend, sweeties!

Lisa

2 comments:

  1. Im on your side with this one...this is extremely shocking for someone that has supported BE from day one. I have taken pride in the fact that I own more of their products than any other...but now, I don't know if I will give in to the money hungry suits. Thanks for the update.

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  2. Laura - thanks! I did send a short note to BE customer service last night, and said, "Sorry, you've lost a customer." They actually wrote back, with the defense that I'd already guessed they would fall back on - "Oh, but the testing policies won't change!" I sent a short reply saying, "I do understand that, but I can't feel good about using a brand who's parent company tests."

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