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While I have largely reduced makeup purchases over the course of the last few years, I have kept myself on the mailing lists of brands I enjoy because I like to keep up with new product launches and also to see sales when they are happening.

One of the few makeup purchases I made in 2020 was the RawBeautiKristi and ColourPop palette because I have been watching her on YouTube for years and the palette and the eyeliners were right up my alley.

Cut to December 10, 2021, and obviously I open an email from ColourPop with the subject line “20% off RawBeautyKristi fave Colourmom Products.”

I’ve dropped the email below, and I’ll continue below the image.

Oh ColourPop, why. Why did you create a sneaky and confusing email?

Big picture of Kristi at the top, from her product launch in 2020, which is fine. I’m going to get 20% off on her faves with their code, great!

Then the only product that they show is her makeup palette from last year’s collaboration which is back in stock! GREAT!

…until I see the fine print.

*Offer excludes RawBeautyKristi x ColourPop Collection.

Get the entire hell out of here ColourPop! This is shady at best. When you click the email, the first thing on the page is the palette that isn’t included in the sale!!!

I create sale emails on a regular basis, and one of the things I’m SO deeply committed to is trying to make my messaging clear. This feels like the opposite of that. Sure, ColourPop can point to the tiny disclaimer on the palette, but to only feature one product in the email and have it be the one that isn’t included in the sale they are touting frankly sucks.

My ideas for improving this:

  • Keep the subject line and keep the top of the email. However, add a huge indicator of “This one is not on sale, but you can also take advantage of the restock of this palette.” (Something along these lines.)
  • Keep the subject line and the top of the email, but show other products that are actually included in the sale with a “shop now” button, and have that link only show items on sale. At the bottom of that email, promote the re-stock of the eyeshadow palette, and perhaps be a bit more generous with the font size on the messaging that the palette is not included in the previously-mentioned sale.
  • Make 2 emails, one promoting the sale and one promoting the restock. I understand the interest in limiting to one email, but I doubt that ColourPop would regret a separate email promoting an item that was so popular that they are restocking it an entire year later.

I will now be keeping a closer eye on the ColourPop emails to see if this is a regular occurrence or if they simply got it wrong this time.