What was your first Claire’s purchase? Coming from a family against such “frivolity,” I had not choice but to steal glitter encrusted “makeup palettes” from the outlet store in my hometown and pretend they were the ever-popular Sailor Moon Crystal Cosmic Heart Compact Mirrors. This morning, however, I’m hoping that adolescent thieves have better taste in marks, or parents with good judgement, as People reports that JoJo Siwa’s makeup kit has been officially recalled by the FDA for “dangerous” levels of asbestos. In a formal statement on their website, they claim:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers about cosmetic products recalled due to the presence of asbestos. On March 5, 2019 the FDA issued a Safety Alert warning consumers not to use certain Claire’s products. Today the FDA has updated its Safety Alert to warn consumers not to use two additional products: Beauty Plus Global Contour Effects Palette 2, Batch No. S1603002/PD-C1179; Claire’s JoJo Siwa Makeup Set, SKU #888711136337, Batch/Lot No. S180109 because they tested positive for asbestos. Last week both Beauty Plus and Claire’s recalled their respective products, and consumers who have these batches/Lots of Claire’s or Beauty Plus products should stop using them.
The government agency further elaborated on Twitter, warning consumers of the “continued testing of cosmetic products for asbestos.”
While parsing the FDA’s official statement, I couldn’t help but remember JoJo Siwa’s appearance on Jimmy Fallon, where she claimed: “Just imagine what Spongebob’s face is on, that’s what my face is on.” The profits from this merch net her almost $8 million year, and she routinely posts “hauls” where she buys every product in Walmart and Target.
Her brand’s focus on the capitalistic strategies of Disney-like merchandising practices are unsurprising, and probably not her original idea (considering she’s 17.) But isn’t it worrisome that her products are now included in a wave of FDA recalls sweeping a post-bankruptcy Claire’s? In fact, just 3 months ago, USA Today reported that filing Chapter 11 is a way to “avoid liability” when issues like this arise after asbestos was first discovered in Claire’s products. You might also ask: Did JoJo Siwa’s team not consider the implications of working under a distributor like Claire’s? The obvious answer is the long and lucrative deal she’s had with the company since 2016, when she discussed the upcoming partnership on the Kids Choice Awards “Orange Carpet.” It could even be said that Claire’s helped Siwa become a household name, as her signature bow was sold exclusively in their stores throughout much of her early career.
JoJo Siwa and her team have yet to comment. (I’m guessing this playlist on the official Claire’s Youtube channel will certainly not age well!)
