Temptalia’s Christine Mielke Has Tried More Makeup Than Almost Anyone. Now, She’s Released Her Own With Sydney Grace.

A decade after Temptalia founder Christine Mielke collaborated with MAC Cosmetics on a single eyeshadow, Jealousy Wakes, for no compensation, perhaps the most prolific makeup reviewer in the world is back with another collaboration. This time, she teamed up with Sydney Grace, a brand not yet as well known as MAC that Temptalia’s readers are wild about—and the blog started in 2016 has quite a few readers, to say the least. It draws 1 million unique visitors per month who flock to its swatches, dupes, foundation-matching tool and graded product write-ups. According to statistics supplied to Allure, Temptalia is brimming with over 30,000 reviews and 70,000 swatches.

The collection Miekle created with Sydney Grace contains three $40 eyeshadow palettes each in light and deep varieties with 12 shades. The colors and packaging are inspired by space because, as Mielke explains in the extensive origin story she provides on Temptalia, “space is awesome.” She elaborates, “There’s just something about it that inspires colors, textures, and names.” The palettes are available at Sydney Grace’s website and professional makeup store Camera Ready Cosmetics. Unlike with the MAC collaboration, Temptalia receives a commission on sales from the Sydney Grace tie-in. Beauty Independent wanted to learn more about Mielke’s partnership with Sydney Grace, her experience during the pandemic, opportunities she identifies in the makeup market and her read on the cosmetics slump. She was kind enough to take an hour out of product testing to speak with us.

The collaboration with Sydney Grace is only your second collaboration. Why did you decide to do it?

I just really had the desire to create something. I’ve been looking to see what brand I would want to pitch the idea to, and some of my readers were like, “You should collaborate with Sydney Grace.” They pushed me that extra bit to reach out to Sydney Grace to ask how they felt about working together.

What were you looking for in a collaborator?

I was looking for a brand that I could align with and that I could trust in terms of putting out a quality product. Sydney Grace has amazingly consistent product quality. I knew the quality was not going to be a problem, and it was nice to not be concerned about how it was going to be when it was scaled up.

It’s a small team at Sydney Grace, so I have direct contact with who is developing the colors. I can have those conversations of, “Why is it turning out like this?” I’m really detail-oriented and very specific about what I want. I am willing to be flexible and adjust where we need to go depending on what’s available or possible, but, at the same time, I like to try as much I can to get to my original vision. So, working with a smaller brand seemed like it would be a great fit for my criteria and how I like to work.

What was your vision for the palettes?

They are pretty close to my original vision. It started with 10 eyeshadows per palette, and it expanded to 12. Some of the colors we were looking at aren’t possible with the current color additives approved by the FDA. Pressed pigments contain color additives that aren’t intended for the eye area, and I wanted to stay with what is approved by the FDA for color additives. To create matte red eyeshadows, you have to use color additives that aren’t FDA approved. They are approved in Europe and Canada, but not the U.S.

Temptalia founder Christine Mielke

How has the collaboration gone so far?

We had estimated a quantity that was plenty. We really wanted there to be enough stock for everyone to purchase so people didn’t feel they could only buy it the day it launched and would have an opportunity to purchase it after that. Even in the worst case and it did sell out really quickly, we have a little bit of reserve packaging so it could be restocked without it being two to three months. There was plenty that sold, and we met our goal of still having some stock available.

What do you think about brands accumulating big waiting lists sometimes as a result of planned scarcity?

A lot of people are used to that, but it goes against what I do at Temptalia. I don’t encourage the fear of missing out and buying on impulse. I don’t want people to feel like they have to get it right away. That is why we didn’t make the palette a limited edition. We will continue to have it restocked as long as there is interest. If you don’t have money today, I don’t want you to spend money that you don’t have or feel like you have to go looking for pennies in the couch. I want people to be able to purchase it if they feel like it and when they are comfortable doing so. It’s easy to create an artificial sellout. You never know, someone could be making a quantity of 100 and sell it out in a second while others could be making a quantity of 10,000 and selling it out in a second.

Do you worry your readers will feel you are compromised by collaborations?

I don’t. I think that influencer collaborations are generally acceptable these day. They’re par for the course. A lot readers have wanted me to do the collaboration. I think it’s all about transparency. When I announced the collaboration last year, we adjusted all of our Sydney Grace content to say we are working with them on a collaboration. It was all past content, not just future content. Any time you go to a Sydney Grace review, you will see the disclosure.

Would you do other collaborations in the future?

It’s always hard to say. It’s really fun to do, but it takes a lot of effort. I have to feel like I have a great idea and that I’m contributing to the community. It would have to be the right brand partnership. I wouldn’t say no, but I’m not furiously looking for the next one.

During the pandemic, makeup sales decreased. Did that impact you?

Initially, when things started shutting down across the United States, there were a few weeks where it was like, “Oh my god, what’s happening?” A lot of retailers shut down their affiliate programs or went to 0% commissions. I’ve never seen affiliate programs shut down in the 15 years I’ve done this. There was no timeline for how long it was going to last. Thankfully, within a month, things started to get better, and programs began to restart.

Everything was still lower than it used to be a couple of years ago, but at least it wasn’t 0%. Obviously, advertisers reduced their budgets, too. All the potential revenue streams declined. So, it was a little dicey, but, as brands started to see we were going to going to in that mode for a while and people at home shopped online, things got to a new normal. For us, now, the new normal is business as usual. It’s really about staying within a budget and making it work. We haven’t made any major adjustments.

Even before the pandemic, makeup sales were sliding. What do you believe has happened with the category?

From what I understand, there is a cyclical nature to the way beauty works. NPD says it is a 7-year cycle. We will go really all in on makeup and, then, we are over makeup. Makeup was already in the later stage of that cycle before the pandemic and, with the pandemic, that accelerated skincare and haircare. I think makeup is still a very strong space, it’s just not at the level it was three or four years ago. There is still a huge amount of opportunity, and we still see so many new brands launching. So, clearly, the people funding these brands see plenty of opportunity ahead.

Temptalia has partnered with Sydney Grace on three 12-shade eyeshadow palettes—Quintessence, On The Horizon and Radiant Reflection—in light and deep varieties. They are priced at $40 each.

Do you see changes in the types of makeup products people are interested in today?

There’s a cycle away from liquid lipsticks. In a way, you would have thought that they would have had a resurgence because of the pandemic, but I don’t see that. Right now, because we are into skincare more, we are seeing blush, highlighter and sheerer foundation for dewier skin. We are in that trend of going toward lighter weight, glowy products.

Are current products better than they were say a decade ago?

To some degree, yes. To other degrees, no. I think some brands have improved, and some brands have become more inconsistent. It really just depends on the brand and the type of product. Overall, an eyeshadow today is better than an eyeshadow was 10 years ago. There are still so-so eyeshadows today, but a so-so eyeshadow today is better than a so-so eyeshadow from 10 years ago.

Are Temptalia readers price sensitive?

My readers represent very informed consumers. I think they are willing to spend more if they are getting a fantastic product, but they have less tolerance for spending a lot and getting something so-so. They don’t want to buy Tom Ford and have it feel like they have wasted their money, but absolutely my readers purchase Tom Ford, which is a very expensive makeup brand.

Tell us more about your audience.

My audience is 50% in the U.S. and 15% in English-speaking countries like Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. The next 35% is from somewhere else. It’s really driven by what brands they like the most. They’re adding them to their vanity and wish list. I look at what types of products are going to do well. I think, “Is this going to be a product that few people are interested in, but most aren’t?” I don’t review a lot of self-tanners because most people aren’t looking for that kind of review from me. I try to have a variety of brands and types of products so there are more affordable and luxury options, and neutral everyday to colorful products. I like to have a good mix to address different needs.

What are the most popular brands on Temptalia?

It changes every year. Sometimes, it changes launch by launch, especially because my readership is the enthusiast. It’s not somebody who buys one palette every couple of years. I’m reaching people who are really into makeup. They love it and live it. It’s a hobby for them. I think, with the increases in the accessibility of brands and information about products, a brand that was hot six months ago may not be hot six months later. People only have bandwidth for so many brands at a given moment. If a brand is putting out the same thing, interest in them will be lost, especially if another brand puts out something a bit different.

But some of the most popular brands are PatMcGrath and Fenty. ColourPop is still quite popular, although I think sometimes people are overwhelmed by how much they release. It’s still a brand that’s affordable and putting out on-trend launches, and there are still people interested each time. My readers really like Sydney Grace as well. I learned about Sydney Grace from my readers. I’m pretty selective about indies. When I do them, I buy a bunch of stuff, and I wait to see how I like it and, then, go from there.

What opportunities in the market do you feel makeup brands are missing?

Brands are not thinking about all of their products being inclusive. We are starting to see more inclusivity in bronzers, but it should be reflected in blushes and highlighters—and it should be in eyeshadows, too. They should be structured for people with light to medium and medium to dark skin tones. For example, you might want to do quads of basic shades for light skin, medium skin and deep skin. That could change how people consume and think about eyeshadow palettes.

Started in 2006, the beauty blog Temptalia draws 1 million unique visitors per month who flock to its swatches, dupes, foundation-matching tool and graded reviews of products from the likes of MAC Cosmetics, ColourPop, Pat McGrath Labs, ColourPop Cosmetics, Fenty Beauty, Laura Mercier, Makeup by Mario and many, many, many more.

How much are you posting?

I try to write four review posts a day. A review could be one blush. It could be an eyeshadow palette. In a review of an eyeshadow palette has 20 shades, a review would be 20 shades. It could be three lipsticks. I review 3,000 to 4,000 products a year.

The Dupe List is an integral part of Temptalia. Are more or less people interested in dupes today compared to when you started it?

There are more people interested in them. There are just so many products that come and go, so people who missed out on something are interested in them. They might like four colors of something and might want to look in their stash for something like them. Then, there are brands that are hard to get. People might like indie brands that have a three- or four-month pre-order process. People think, “I can’t do that or I’m not going to pay $15 shipping for one eyeshadow product.” They will look for dupes in what they already own.

Do brands ask you to change content?

They don’t. I cannot recall an instance where a brand has said, “Please change this. Please don’t say this.” The only thing I have had happen is where a brand will say, “Hey, we saw this review, and we think this unit is defective. Could we send you another one to see if it is better? We will send it your way and, if you take a look, that would be great.”

How do you like brands to interact with you?

I’m really simple. I like less interaction. The thing that helps me is having products in my hand before launch so I have time to photograph and test them, and write the review. I want all the shades in a product line. I purchase about half the products I review, maybe more, myself. It’s easier for me to get what I need when I need it. I don’t like fluff or frills.

Where do your readers purchase their beauty products?

It’s very much divided between Sephora and Ulta. You have some people that prefer shopping at department stores like Nordstrom and Saks. My readers tend to shop where there is a deal. If a brand has a sale going on, they are happy to shop direct. My readers are looking for incentives to purchase unless it’s a new item.

Are there ways that brands can boost sales of existing products?

MAC will include existing products in a new launch. Recently, with the Botanic Panic Collection, it has two existing lipstick shades—Ruby Woo and Skew—that are being re-promoted. They are in special packaging, but they are long-time shades. In a collection where not every single shade is a re-promote, it can be a good way to reintroduce existing shades to people, but it’s got to be something that everyone doesn’t already know about. I feel like Nars’ Orgasm Blush is something we all know about, but they re-promote it all the time to the extent where people are like, “Can we get anything other than a derivative of Orgasm?” MAC does it in a great way with their core products because MAC has a particularly strong range of core products.

Temptalia is brimming with over 30,000 reviews and 70,000 swatches. The blog also collects information on deals and directs readers to shop for beauty products at retailers like Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Beautylish, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. It earns commissions on sales via affiliate programs.

What goals do you have for Temptalia?

My goals have been the same for a long time. I like to help my readers make better purchases or save money to make a better purchase in the future. I want them to buy products they love and use them in ways they love.