Jeffree Star’s new eyeshadow palette is problematic, naturally

Whenever Jeffree Star is making headlines, you know it’s not for something good. In the past, he’s been called out and dragged for using racial slurs, for selling faulty products and for resorting to violence during fights with former friends. And now, the owner of Jeffree Star Cosmetics is under fire for an eyeshadow palette with an extremely problematic name.

On May 16, Star took to social media to announce the launch of a new “eyeshadow palette and collection.” Its name? Cremated.

“Introducing the CREMATED eyeshadow palette & collection!!!!” Star wrote on Instagram. “This one of a kind spooky 24 pan gothic dream will wake up the makeup world!”

The name “Cremated” is problematic no matter how you spin it, but especially during a global pandemic, during which more than 317,000 people have died.

“It’s horrible! you can’t release such things into a pandemic!” one person commented. “Millions of people are dying of coronavirus now, and you are making fun of death. Disgusting.”

“You couldn’t have thought of ANY other names?” another person said. “I can give you ten right now for a Smokey pallet.”

“I- during a global pandemic. While people are dying,” a third person wrote. “Girl I cannot.”

“Its a beautiful palette, but isn’t the timing painfully bad?” a fourth person added. “Am I the only one that sees this or am I just sensitive…”

According to one observant Jeffree Star fan, the makeup mogul apparently trademarked the name back in September 2019, before the pandemic started.

However, this information hardly placated angry individuals, who noted that “THERE IS NO TIME THIS WOULD NOT BE TACKY, DISGUSTING AND INAPPROPRIATE.”

Star addressed the controversy surrounding his new palette via Instagram Stories.

“There’s a lot of talk on Twitter. Now listen, Cremated, and any palette I’ve ever created, it’s my art,” he said, according to the Independent. “To me, it’s not just an eyeshadow palette, it’s way more than that. There’s always so many meetings with my art and that’s what it is, it’s mine. I created it for the world and it is allowed to be interpreted any way that anyone wants to take it, but I always come from a good place.”

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