Material Culture: Everyday Life

 Laura Oswald: “Consumers shop for meaning, not stuff.”

With the current state of the world, I only leave the house when I am going out to buy something. It is not only a task to do, but the way to entertain myself and get some fresh air.  The last three things I have bought are a new set of pens, new skin serum and a candle.

I am picky about the pens I buy. As a student, I have to write a lot and I need a good pencil that will last and not smudge. I bought a set of four pencils and I bought them because of the price and their looks, but also the experience I had with this kind of pens. I have used this type of pens for a while now and have not been disappointed. However, the first time I bought them it was only because the price was good and they were colourful. I got four pens: yellow, turquoise, blue and pink. I don’t think the way they look matters, but if I am going to use the pen a lot, I would also like it to look pretty. I study easier when my surroundings are aesthetically pleasing and these pens match my notebook.

The second product I have recently bought is a new skin serum. I did my research before going to the store and checked all the ingredients. I am cautious about what I put on my skin and I need my skincare products to be paraben and perfume free, vegan and cruelty free and suitable for my skin type. The store I went to was a trusted one and the packaging of the product was reassuring (white and grey, with big letters to allude that the product met all my criteria). I trust a skincare product more when its packaging seems professional, classic, simple.

Finally, I recently purchased a new candle. I am a fan of candles and use them on a daily basis. I have tried a few different kinds, but I always seem to go back to one. The first time I bought it I immediately picked it from a bunch of others because of its packaging. It was a round candle in a glass container and it was wrapped in a square shaped cardboard. The front was open, so you could smell the candle and all over the packaging you could see the scent the candle had (flowers, ocean, fruit, different sweets). The packaging was white with purple cursive letters explaining different undertones the candle is to have, followed with a visual representation of the same. I appreciate that the candle had such nice packaging and that it came in a glass container, making it safer for me to use (many times I spilled the wax all over the carpet when a candle didn’t come with one) and the fact the cardboard did not cover the entire candle, so I can smell it myself and decide which one I like the most, which was not the case with all candles in the store.

I think that all three of these products are not necessarily better or worse than the products that sat next to them on a display, but certain packaging and my personal habits played the role in me choosing to buy them. Whether it is the products being more colourful, their packaging seeming more professional or them being displayed in a smarter way doesn’t really matter in the big picture, but as a consumer, I will gravitate towards them regardless.