I am both mortified and mesmerized by these makeup destruction videos

As Pablo Picasso once said, and as I now whisper to myself at my computer, "Every act of creation is first an act of destruction."

Including these videos of makeup being crushed into dust.

"Makeup Breakup" is the brainchild of beauty bloggers Kat and Hailey, who run the Beauty News YouTube channel. As far as we can tell, it's the first makeup destruction series of its kind -- and the videos, in which Kat and Hailey steadily crush expensive blushes, eyeshadows, and stick foundations with a small metal knife, are mesmerizing.

Witness, for instance, the destruction of the infamously smelly Kylie Cosmetics Royal Peach Palette. It's immensely satisfying to watch -- in the same way paint mixing videos are satisfying, for example, or fancy clips of candle carving.

If you've already broken into a cold sweat thinking about a $45 product ended up in useless smithereens, fear not. Kat and Hailey aren't out to generate waste. In fact, they want to help beauty consumers spend their money wisely. That's why, once the makeup has been crushed into a fine powder, the two weigh the empty case -- just to make sure the usable makeup itself weighs as much as the company claims.

Sometimes, Kat and Hailey mix the powder with liquid and try to fit the makeup back into its original packaging. Some products shrink. Others expand, barely fitting back into their container. This Chanel blush, however, looks perfectly usable at the end of its journey -- if less colorful.

So, yes, makeup destruction videos are fun -- cathartic, even -- to watch. But, for the budget-conscious beauty enthusiast, they're also useful ways to discover a product's texture, thickness, and the veracity of its marketing without dropping dollars first.

A worthy YouTube vortex, for sure.