What is the beauty equivalent of the Uniqlo bag?
And why brands need to look more closely at our daily routines
A video came up on my TikTok recently, of a guy asking girls why they were so obsessed with the Uniqlo banana and Lululemon Belt bag.
“Every single girl that I help, who is between the ages of 25 and 35, is wearing the Uniqlo or Lululemon bag. Why is this the case, I need to know?”
He was a designer sales assistant and explained that he was struggling to get customers to even look at other bags because they were so attached.
It made me smile because it’s the perfect example of men not understanding women.
I then saw another video of a man giving his take on the viral Uniqlo bag. He was so confident in his delivery about social conditioning and mirroring, that, if I wasn’t a woman, I might have almost believed him.
For all these men who are mystified, we love these bags because they are functional and in a world where most things aren’t designed with women in mind, our Uniqlo bags are the exact opposite.
We have to carry a lot of stuff around, so having a bag that’s as light as possible, really does make a noticeable difference. We also need room, but again don’t want to lug something massive around all day.
The deceptive size of the Uniqlo bag, means it looks small but my god is it roomy in there. It fits everything you carry on the daily, along with anything you might end up picking up.
It’s cross body, which, means you don’t have to constantly hoick it up your arm or even worse, risk getting your hair caught in the strap.
Finally, it’s available in multiple colour ways, so it can go with any outfit and of course, it’s affordable to almost everyone at £15.
We’re not all mirroring one another because of some Freudian hypothesis, we’re all wearing the same bag because as soon as you have one, you feel this sense of urgency to recommend it to every other woman in your life.
For me, it was my friend Chloe who started it. After she raved about it, I bought myself one, but I also bought my mum and sister one at the same time, because I knew they would both love and use it.
It transcends age, it transcends individual style and it does not surprise me at all that Uniqlo just announced its UK and European profits soared by £66m because of it.
But what is the beauty equivalent? What is the product that is affordable to all, diverse enough for every age and style, functional, practical and yet covetable?
I don’t think I have the exact answer and would really love to hear your thoughts, but 5 products that came to mind were:
elf Lip Oil, £8
In terms of recommendations, this is number one on my list currently. I’ve got my mum and three of my best friends converted to the shade ‘Rose Envy’ and maybe even some of you?
For me, it’s a product that really has made me question, why pay more? I would never know the difference between this and a high end lip oil. Plus, it comes in a shade to suit everyone.
CeraVe Cleansers, from £12.50
Much like elf, Cerave cleansers prove you don’t need to spend a lot for an effective, derm-approved routine.
Like Uniqlo they fit the functional brief and transcend ages and genders. I also recommend them all the time to people asking for a skincare suggestion as I know they are affordable and effective.
Glossier Balm Dot Com, £14
Glossier really did make lip balm fun again with their Balm Dot Coms and like the Uniqlo bag, the different versions really do make you want to collect them all.
Limited edition flavours and Ikea style hacks to add it to your keychain, are what keep people coming back for more.
Garnier Micellar Water, from £3
Like the Uniqlo bags (and the elf lip oil), Garnier is the reason you’d never spend more on a micellar water.
It also, solved a problem in our routines. Before this came along, makeup wipes were the most common way of cleansing. Turns out, swiping this is easier, quicker and kinder to your skin.
It’s not exciting, but it’s practical, functional, affordable and it improved our daily routines.
In fact, I can guarantee you will find this in the home of almost every single woman you know.
Maybelline Mascaras
I hope this isn’t considered a cop out, but I honestly am so torn between Lash Sensational and Sky High, that I can’t pick between the two.
When I think of mascara, I think of Maybelline. Whenever they launch a new formula, I always want to try it straight away and I know family and friends who are so loyal to one particular range, they will never even consider branching out.
Plus, the new range of colours in the Sky High version, makes me think of Uniqlo continually extending their range.
What are your thoughts on my 5? I can’t wait to read what brands and products you suggest.
And if I was a beauty brand, I’d definitely look at women’s real routines and how I could improve on existing products out there, the ones that no one has ever thought to change.
It's the same reason when someone compliments your dress it's the law to reply 'thanks, it has pockets!' or to tell someone 'it's actually a jumpsuit!' We never get practical things!
I’ve tried 1000 mascaras and Sky High waterproof is my ride or die