On May 15th, Jeffree Star released the details of his new collection "Cremated." This was a unique collection that included a large twenty-four shade eyeshadow palette, lip glosses, lipstick, makeup bags, hand mirrors, and a straw set. But what made this collection so controversial compared to its predecessors was that it was themed after delicate topics for many - death, funerals, and most obvious, cremation.

While many might not have held concerns about this theme any other summer, 2020 was to hold a different reaction for Jeffree's newest reveal. With the media constantly reminding us of the death toll caused from the COVID-19 virus, many were questioning Jeffree's creative decisions, saying things like:

Why would he release this now, in the midst of a pandemic?
Could this be insensitive to people that are dying and getting cremated?
Wouldn't the smart thing be to move this launch to a later date?

Since all were valid questions and concerns, Jeffree took to YouTube to address the negative backlash he faced. The thing many people forget about is that makeup takes months to be created, he reminds his viewers in the video. This "Cremated" concept was trademarked by Jeffree some time ago, and he started creating this new collection months before anyone knew about COVID-19.

But still, many wonder why he did not just push back the release? Well, he also had two reasons for that. The first is that he is all set up on scheduled collection launches, so if he pushed it back, it would be released over a year later. And if he did that, it would mean old and expired makeup, which is not Jeffree Star approved. So the launch date was kept for May.

On May 23rd, the collection became available on his website, and the majority of the products sold out that day, including the controversial palette and lipsticks. Despite the initial backlash, Jeffree's high-quality products still sold out the day they launched on virtual shelves.