What will make you lose trust in a beauty reviewer/influencer?
1.) Regurgitation of press releases/marketing spiels (without context,
e.g. quoting from the release is fine but making them sound like their own words, no). 2.) Rating a product poorly because color/shade was unflattering (that’s nice to know but I could have totally different coloring and would care more about how it performed/how was the formula). 3.) Lack of transparency – whether the post/video was sponsored or if product was sent. 4.) Hyperbole of “you need this” for anything ultra high-end/luxury (nobody needs a $200 eyeshadow palette; one can personally justify it but to tell anyone else they need it full stop tells me they lack awareness of their audience and their influence. 5.) Loving everything, never having a critical thing to say,
and having no “negative” reviews.
Please use this as a place to discuss where influencers lose your trust generally, at a high level, and not as a platform to callout specific individuals (as that often results in a speedy decline in civility). Thank you!
Insincerity and overkill! So pretty much what you said, Christine. And that attitude of “don’t you wish you were MEEEE and getting all this stuff for free because I’m so great” that seems to pervade some blogs/youtube channels.
Some reviewers only write positive reviews because they “don’t wont to spoil their perfect place with negativity”. F*ck that I’d say, this is only an excuse.
I lose trust when I feel like an influencer is trying super hard to convince me that they are the epitome of honest, but display gas-lighting or deceiving behaviors.
1. Sponsorships and the various ways that influencers disclose or not disclose when they’re paid to review or showcase a product.
2. When an influencer becomes embroiled in drama/controversy related to other beauty bloggers, brands, subscribers, etc., but in a way that reflects a lack of critical thinking or common decency.
3. When they start to lose touch with reality i.e. pushing products that are very pricey/luxurious, as if it’s totally normal to drop hundreds and thousands of dollars on products, designer clothes and jewelry, etc.
4. I struggled to put this one into words, but when influencers get plastic surgery and other cosmetic enhancements, but act like specific skincare and beauty products are responsible for their appearance. There seems to be a craze of very young people getting work done on their faces and bodies. I don’t think it’s helpful to wholly demonize this, but I do think it deserves our critical thought and attention. There’s something about it that makes me uneasy… for lack of a better word.
I feel you on number four. People should get whatever procedures they want, but don’t try to convince me the $100 eye cream from a sponsored brand is magic when I can see that you’ve had filler put in to cover your dark circles.
Re: #4, something I’ve seen pointed out by a few people recently is that lip fillers make almost every lipstick look better, even liquid mattes. If your lips don’t have any uneven texture for a lipstick to emphasize, you’re not going to tell your viewers it does that!! That was a lightbulb moment for me.
I drop a beauty influencer once they stir towards the entertainment segment for views. What I mean is a few things that occur almost simultaneously: suddenly the editing is faster, more flashy, louder, memes and emojis everywhere, the influencer tries too hard to be funny. Their language becomes a poor copy of RuPaul Drag Race (nothing against RPDR, I love the show). Everything is yaaas, snapfam, guuurl, it’s lit, shook, highlight seen from space etc. There’s just something sad about people in their late twenties/early thirties pandering to teen audience. But hey, that’s where the internet money is nowadays so I don’t judge too harshly. Everyone likes to make money. That type of content is just not my cup of tea.
Oh boy, there are a lot of influencers I’ve had to unsubscribe to for the following reasons:
1) Complaining about a lack of PR – I understand that you would like to be on PR lists, free things are fun. But if you complain about being taken off of a PR list or not being placed on one, I feel like you’re only in it for the free things. You review won’t be as unbiased as you would think, you know?
2) Never saying a bad thing about an item – if the item is bad, be honest. A fear of being pulled off of a PR list should NOT stop you from saying what’s true. “It’s not my favorite/I don’t hate it” isn’t an objective review.
3) When giving a (rare) bad review, you give it to the item because you did not apply it correctly or it is in the wrong shade – that’s not the item’s fault.
4) PR trips – the SECOND you go on a trip sponsored by a company’s PR I will unsubscribe to you. You just went on a very expensive vacation at no cost to you – you won’t give objective reviews at that point. You’ll only give glowing reviews because you want another free trip.
Wow, sorry for this novel. I just feel like the honesty is gone in the beauty community. Nothing feels honest when you’re chasing free items and trips.
Could not agree more on the PR trips. Especially when accompanied by pics of your ass in a bikini applying the products on a beach. Nope.
Consistently receiving free items for review. And then glowingly write great reviews on them.
Also, not printing my comments. Unlike you…who will post our opinions if the comments are professionally wriiten (no verbal attacks on others), these bloggers won’t post them… Hah hah hah, after a while, I think other readers also stop visiting their blogs too…the bloggers ultimately won’t write or post so much either. They remind me of Sephora….fake reviews. Fake Fake Fake.
Everything you said, Christine, especially #1 and #5. Plus what turns me off is calling an unboxing a review. No, it isn’t. If you’re pressed for time, admit it, and don’t call it a review.
And although it doesn’t make me lose trust, per se, in a beauty reviewer, a big thing that bothers me is the inability to correctly pronounce various words and names, and the apparent disinterest in learning. It’s amazing how horribly these words can be butchered: Givenchy, bordeaux, ochre, shea, even taupe and mauve.
Susan, I agree with that last bit about mispronouncing names and words. I won’t leave but it always makes me wince. If I were going on a job interview, I would research the company and learn things about it, especially how to pronounce its name. I don’t understand why beauty reviewers don’t do their research before they review a product.
I agree about pronunciation. Now, it’s so easy to check/verify how to pronounce words and foreign phrases. I realize not all countries learn French but a few years back, watching a Youtube video about a Bare Minerals palette, the person pronounced “Carte Blanche” (a word that’s in fairly common use in English) as “Cartay Blonshay” and I just cringed. Another pronounced MAC’s Mulch as “Mulk”. I realize it’s not a big thing to everyone but it sure is to me and it makes the presenter look pretty unprofessional.
Just keep in mind that there are some people (like myself) that struggle to emulate the pronunciation even after hearing it, and others genuinely may not realize that the phrase is in another language (like carte blanche). There are even words that I’ve only read but have never heard aloud and then I say them completely wrong (without knowing it or thinking that I’m saying them wrong) as they’re English words!
I took French for four or five years, and I could never, ever get pronunciation right no matter how much I practiced and had a teacher stand there and try to help me. It’s one thing not to take time to try and learn, but it’s very often that people do and end up getting criticized for it – that’s why you see so many people preemptively state that they’re bad at pronunciation, etc. I try to have sympathy for everyone who makes an attempt to say words foreign to them, especially if they’re willing to learn, but maybe that’s because my mother’s side of the family all speak English as a second language and I’m particularly sensitive to the struggle of wanting to say something properly but not being able to or feeling self-conscious about it that you don’t even bother (because you always fail based on how others react to you).
I think that is my biggest pet peeve about most influencers: when they tell you that you NEED something. No, you don’t really need it. If you can’t afford it, you probably don’t need it. If you have any kind of make up collection, you probably have dupes.
I hate the *need* thing, and I also hate when they constantly tell me that super expensive products are an investment. My 401k is an investment. Eyeshadow is not (and I love an expensive eyeshadow palette).
1. When they start to/fully become the cookie cutter influencer. When the background, lighting, personality, cheesy intros, etc, become the same as all the other big influencers, I stop watching. It becomes very generic and scripted and I’m not gunna trust the person if I feel like it’s scripted.
2. I agree with the lack of transparency. If an influencer can’t be straight up about a product or the parameters surrounding it, I’m not interested because I’m already being lied to.
3. Being under informed about a product. If a person just swatches it and tries it on themselves, I’m not gunna watch the person. I want all the full details (pan size, product amount, ingredients, price, price/gram,…basically Stephanie Nicole style). Seeing how the product performs on just themselves does me no help at all.
Any review where its clear the reviewer has only done finger swatches on their arm and hasn’t actually used the product! That’s not how I intend to use the product, so it doesn’t tell me anything about wear or blendability or anything that might affect my decision to purchase aside from color.
*Not talking about first impression or pre review swatches, but when someone does an arm swatch and gushes about how amazing the product is and reviews based on that. I love first impression swatches for formulas I already own when a color line expands, but don’t tell me something is long wearing when its only been on your arm for five minutes.
When I find out that they have a criminal record and have lied continuously about their former careers. Also, when they tell you they’ve tried something one time and in their next sentence, that same product is their all time favorite.
Some of the most upstanding people I’ve known personally have had some type of “criminal record”, so I don’t see how that is relevant to someone’s review of beauty products… Besides, unless you run a full background check on everyone you deal with on a regular basis, which could get quite expensive, you may be surprised at what may be in someone’s past…
Agreed with xamyx- I would add, however, that there are some influencers who have displayed some rather disturbing attitudes towards other groups of people rather publicly and that’s an automatic no from me. Lack of common decency people!
Also the YAAAS and the screeching and the you HAVE TO HAVE THIS behavior… no thank you .
(Also I’m a different Hollie than the OP Hollie)
Basically all of these things, but also the personal skill of the reviewer based on images of their looks with the reviewed product. If you clearly don’t know what you’re doing, why should I trust your opinion on whether or not I should buy something?
Anyone who suggests that everything a brand does is good – thinking that one good palette or product, or even a history of good products, guarantees that the product under review will be just as good.
Declaring that a product is no good (or perfect) based only on how it works for you. This applies for the most part to foundations, primers, and other products which are strongly affected by skin type. If a dewy foundation doesn’t work for you because you have oily skin, that doesn’t mean that it is not going to be ideal for people with dry skin.
Same for skincare products. A lot of people recommend gel moisturizers as the best/only good ones to use, but my skin is super dry and gel moisturizer is typically not enough for me in the dryest months. I want to hear an assessment of the product as it worked for the reviewer, but also how it could work for someone with a different skin type based on your general knowledge of how certain ingredients tend to work.
Finally, people who only review high end or luxury brands and universally denounce dupes, drugstore products, etc. If you believe that all expensive products will be good by virtue of their price, and inexpensive products will be poor for the same reason, chances are I won’t trust anything you have to say about makeup.
Very true. I’ve felt the same way you do ever since I heard (early on in watching videos/reading blogs by makeup artists) that almost all makeup artists use drugstore products for certain functions… and almost all makeup artists are capable of doing a beautiful look with all low-priced items (Lisa Eldridge and Wayne Goss both off videos where they do this occasionally, especially for things like prom or back-to-school looks).
I immediately delete a person’s information if they state that anything is ‘must have’. Makeup, by definition, is NOT ‘must have’; it’s pure luxury and fun. I like Christine’s system of A+ ratings (which I have had 100-percent success following!), but I discount any review if it screams ‘get this now’ or ‘you have to have this’, etc.
I agree with all of those, and I would also add if they seem to do too many sponsored videos, especially if it is with a brand that they hadn’t talked about much before. If it’s a brand that they seem to have truly liked before the sponsored video, then I’m all for it. If not, I see them more as a spokesperson than someone I would look to for beauty advice or reviews.
Some things that make me think twice and stop watching – 1. an influencer who does not use any of their own money to buy products. I really want to see what a person really wants to buy for themselves rather than all PR products; 2. introducing drama into a channel/blog; 3. rating a product poorly when it’s personal preference or individual differences that make it not quite work (esp with skincare); 4. transparency – I think this is one for regulators to enforce – require influencers to clarify if they are salespeople or not with very specific, up front wording, this is just beyond 1 or 2 sponsored videos; 5. only reviewing social media hyped brands – there are a lot more beauty products out there, indie, mid-level, high-end, etc. Let’s get some variety when possible (stay within your budget!).
No negative reviews is the biggest one for me for losing trust in a reviewer’s integrity, as well as positive reviews of products that are unethical or that I know are of poor quality. If someone’s comfortable pushing laxative teas for weight loss, I don’t trust anything they say about anything.
Reviewing products relative to cost (like a lipstick not being good, but being good “for the price”) doesn’t make me question someone’s integrity, but it does make me question the quality of their review. I personally don’t shop that way – I’d rather buy nothing than buy junk, even if it’s cheap junk – so that perspective isn’t useful to me. This one is the most frustrating to me with clothes, but it applies to makeup, too.
I don’t really look at it as reviewers/influencers losing my trust, because there are so many people reviewing products, and so many of them doing so dishonestly or incompetently, that it’s more like a reviewer has to earn my trust in the first place. Sometimes I look elsewhere for foundation shade swatches, but Temptalia is the only place I totally trust for makeup reviews.
I feel once an influencer receives a free all-inclusive vacation (looking at you, Tarte) or releases a collab with a brand (Morphe, Mac, Ofra, Too Faced) all future reviews of that brand are compromised. I also feel an influencer that gives positive reviews for EVERY product, is looking for free PR. I also have to roll my eyes when an influencer states that “Brand X is sponsoring this video, but I TRULY love this product and you need to buy this right away.”
Lately I’ve really been bothered by the transparency issue in particular. One video popped up in my recommendations recently where the influencer stated, “These products were sent to me by [brand]” giving one the impression that she simply received them in PR. When I read the description box, the very last line (so it seemed she was trying to bury it) stated the video was a paid advertorial with [brand]. Some people don’t read down that far and would never have known. I wonder if we need clearer rules governing this sort of thing? I don’t drop people for sponsorships or brand trips– I get that it’s a business and people have to make rent. I just think we as viewers deserve transparency and full disclosure.
Beyond that, I agree with everything you said– there’s a difference between a bad product and a product that just didn’t do it for you personally. I don’t want to watch influencers who push an unsustainable lifestyle on their audience. I am also sick of clickbaity thumbnails with giant emoji faces and “yaasss” etc. etc. I won’t watch that sort of thing. I am not interested in watching influencers who spend their extracurricular time embroiled in drama of whatever sort. I also kind of think maybe influencers shouldn’t review products created by their friends, because I just don’t know how you can be objective in that situation.
Something that has also bothered me lately is the “PR hauls.” What? I won’t watch those. I don’t know if it makes me lose trust in an influencer necessarily but it does make me question their motivation and judgment. I learned in the past year that I really don’t need all that much stuff (and for the most part, I choose my purchases well and am happy with them) and watching PR unboxings makes me unhappy and makes me feel I need things that I know I don’t. I’ve heard that these can also be a space for influencers to fit in sponsorships without formally declaring them, which kind of makes sense to me.
I truly appreciate your comments on the matter, Christine. Thank you for always being honest and keeping it civil! With that said, I have a few thoughts to share too. LOL
I have stopped watching YouTube videos like I used to and I’m not really keeping up with influencers on social media platforms. I’m tired of being lied to and deceived. It’s hard to tell who is being honest and who is pushing products and brands for the sake of making money. I can appreciate a person turning their passion for beauty into a career, but it’s gotten out of hand. The brand collaborations are getting to be too much, too. I still want to pursue my passion as a makeup artist but I know what NOT to do based on what I’m seeing these days. I may not reach 100k followers or 1 million but at least I want to be honest while doing what I love… AND, being genuine to myself and not copying what others are doing. In other words, sticking to own style and not going with the rest of the crowd.
Using clickbait titles to get views/hits on their video/blog. >:(
Plus everything Christine detailed!
Oh, yes, clickbait titles! Grrrrrrrrrr
The no criticism part is where I stop reading. If everything’s great, you’re a shill.
(Sorry, thought I was done.)
The lifestyleization of beauty blogs. I’m there for the lipstick, Becky, not to read about how you decorate your house with free stuff from Target or your deep thoughts on motherhood or how a bullet journal (with items like Take Out Trash and Lunch with Matilda, Whee!) is going to turn me into a Smart Successful Businesswoman just like you.
(I love your behind-the-scenes snippets, Christine, just to be clear. All respect.)
*Not disclosing if a video/post is sponsored content. It’s unethical and illegal. I’m also wary of channels that have NOTHING but sponsored content.
*They use filters on their videos/photos. I’m OK with someone removing a zit, or stray hair, but when their whole face is filtered, it’s pointless. How am I supposed to tell if the great skin is due to the a foundation they’re reviewing, or a filter?
*No negative reviews. When they say things like, “I hate to say anything bad, because they sent me free stuff.” Then don’t review things. It’s not a review if you don’t tell us what you think.
*When their channel turns into a reality show. Too much drama. Show me that you’re in it for a love of makeup, not fame and attention.
*They are doing tons of PR unboxings, going on trips sponsored by brands, etc. It’s ostentatious and makes it look like they’re just in it for free products/perks and money.
*Not having heard of well-known brands. Not knowing how to pronounce brand names or color names. Not knowing what they’re talking about. Show me you have knowledge of the brands: At least learn how to say their names. Or how many vloggers did I hear say things like, “This is the new UD Basquiat Collection. I have no idea who that is. The makeup is pretty, but the packaging is ugly.” Now, they don’t have to be art experts, but it takes 5 freaking minutes to google who Basquiat was. That type of thing happens a lot, and it’s just laziness, IMHO.
*Or can’t pronounce everyday words. I was on the fence about one blogger who couldn’t figure how to pronounce the color name “Raisin.” Nope. I’m done. Vloggers are internet savvy; no excuse for not googling it.
Oh my GOD the Basquiat collection was such a disaster on youtube. I am not naming ANY names but one youtuber included this collection in a video on “celeb collabs,” and described it as “a collaboration with Jean [“Gene”] Michael, who is a famous artist.” Sometimes youtube brings out the snob in me!
YES, I heard that grating, nails-on-chalkboard “Gene Michael” pronunciation, and I gave it a side-eye the likes of which we’ve only seen on a Billy Idol video!
Oh, dear. That’s pretty bad.
Rachel, between your comment and Christine’s, I believe you both covered just about everything I’ve taken issue with while watching many a YT video! And why I’ve unfollowed several vloggers.
I think everyone hear has mentioned really valid points.
*here
D’oh!
*Slow clap* YES it only takes a few seconds to look up the phonetic spelling of a word. I certainly don’t know how to pronounce most Chanel product names, but I could look it up with very little effort… I also can’t stand when influencers say they don’t know the price of an item. Then look it up! Geez. It was obviously free for them… LOL.
Yes! No excuse for not knowing price, either.
I can forgive really tricky product names in a foreign language, that it may be hard to know how to pronounce. But native English speakers messing up English words bugs me.
The Basquiat thing made me so mad. Google is free! At the end of the day, it just felt kind of disrespectful and lazy.
That’s how it felt to me, too. And so many people calling it “ugly.” I get that to some it is, and is not to their tastes. However, his art was never meant to be pretty. That wasn’t the point.
Lack of transparency is the biggest for me. I can’t trust someone who doesn’t disclose press samples and sponsored products, or relationships with brands. I also have trouble trusting people who *only* review things they get for free. If you’re never buying anything with your own money, I think it really skews your ability to say whether something is worth purchasing or not.
I know reviewers have to use press samples, etc. to be able to review a large quantity of products, I just want to know about it and want to hear about things they actually bought as well.
So many valid points have already been made that there is little to add other than my personal pet peeve. I really dislike it when bloggers post more pictures of themelves hair flicking, mugging for the camera, and posing as opposed to pictures featuring the products. In other words, posts that promote the blogger rather than the products. I love seeing the products actually being worn by the blogger, but there needs to be a balance. Blogger-centric, narsacistic posts waste my time and are of little to no value to me.
This holiday season I saw a youtube influencer highly recommend a product that you had given an F, and I could not believe that that could just be a difference of opinion! (It could have been a huge difference in standards, but either way I stopped watching them!)
It really shocks me how much beauty youtubers talk about brands as if they are people, beyond simple transparent sucking up for PR. It’s chilling and I think it’s a sign of something way more sinister about our culture. Thanking a megacorporation for their generosity? Scolding people for speaking negatively about a product, as if the product’s feelings can be hurt? In “disappointing product”-style roundups I have watched youtubers apologize to [Too Faced, Smashbox, whatever] for not liking a product, and it’s becoming common in this type of video to say things like, “to show that I don’t have anything against this brand, I will also tell you some products I did like from them.”
Part of this is that I think that a lot of these influencers–many of them very young, inexperienced women anointed “experts” nearly overnight–don’t understand or appreciate how much essentially free labor they are doing for huge companies. The beauty industry relies on social media reviews and chatter in a way that is almost unprecedented across time and industries, and companies depend on influencers feeling insecure/indebted to companies and their “generosity.” I would love to know how much cheaper and more effective it is to send 30 influencers a palette that cost a few bucks to make compared to buying ad space. Even flying ten of them to some island, giving them a Canon and a Cartier bracelet, so they might tell a million 19 year-old girls that they *need* this particular $29 concealer… it seems to be a successful business model!
Perhaps we should raise a little class consciousness among the youtubers 😉
As I’m super late to this party, I feel that I have very little to add that hasn’t been covered above by Christine and others here. But I’ll try to add my 2 cents the best I can!
1.) When 99.9% of what they review is sponsored or sent to them to be reviewed, and the resulting reviews are forever “all’s good”.
2.) If I hear the words shook or gurrrrl, that is such a turnoff! Especially when one of them says it in almost every sentence. Oy!
3.) Over use of profanity. Yes, I do mean a few very *specific* vloggers. I am subjected to enough of that language when I’m out and about in the Greater Phoenix area, I do not want to hear it during a makeup review! Because even if your take on a product is coming from a place of honest objectivity, I have to wonder whether you’re just being an edgy drama-mama or if you’re for real.
4.) Unboxings. Good grief. When they unbox, do a few quick finger swatches, ooh and ahh, and call THAT a review. (Where’s the facepalm emoji when you need it?)
5.) No, I don’t *need* whatever the heck it is that you’re a bit too busy trying to sell me on! Stop shoving stuff down our figurative throats, mkay?!?
6.) I’m sure there’s more if I could call it to mind, but right now, I think I’ll need some more caffeine to bring it back to me!
Ugh, I have so many things. I’m prepared for this to be a total rant, so I apologize in advance for the length. I’m also fully aware that a lot of this stuff is a bit petty, but it really irks me. Unfortunately, if I unfollowed everyone who did this stuff, I’d basically just be left with Temptalia and maybe one or two YouTubers!
“First impression reviews.” How can you possibly know if a product is good or not just by putting it on? There are products that look amazing in the first five minutes but then fall apart after an hour. Even after that, I like to reserve judgement on products unless I’ve used them a few times to see if any problems arise or if a different method makes it work better (like how if an eyeshadow doesn’t work for you, Christine, sometimes you’ll try it with a few eye bases to see how it works under different circumstances). I also cannot stand when an influencer does “full face first impressions.” How can you review a foundation AND a primer AND a concealer AND a powder all at the same time? They all influence each other so if something is bad, you won’t know what’s causing it! What a waste of time.
Reviewing the color of something, not the formula. “This lipstick is bad because it washes me out.” But how’s the formula? I’m sure the range has other colors, and maybe someone likes that shade! The one exception is base products, since I think it’s more than fair (important, even) to take into account foundation and concealer shade ranges as well as the actual formula.
Vagueness. Don’t just say something’s good or bad, tell me why. Everyone has different preferences. I’ve noticed a lot of influencers will say (for example) a highlighter is “bad,” and then say that it’s because it’s sheer or subtle. Well, lots of people like sheer and subtle, so that’s super important to make clear!
A huge pet peeve of mine is influencers using something that’s clearly not meant for their skin type/preferences, and then saying a product is bad for not fulfilling that. I get so incredibly irritated if, for example, an influencer reviewed a foundation that’s marketed as sheer and dewy and then said it was a bad product because they have oily skin and like full coverage, matte products! No, duh you don’t like it personally but can you describe how it feels and works so that people who do like sheer and dewy can still decide? You can still say if it’s good for what it is rather than for what you like. Or an influencer will use a moisturizer marketed for oily skin and complain it wasn’t hydrating enough for their very dry skin. What??
Kind of continuing off that, clearly using a product not the way it was intended and then reviewing it based off that performance. If a foundation says to apply with a dense brush, I want reviews to be based off of applying it with a dense brush, not just a sponge. I understand people have personal preferences for application of products, but it’s not fair to review a product based on things it was never meant to do.
Clearly knowing nothing about the products they’re talking about. I’d like some background info – what are the brand’s claims about the product, how much do you get, how much does it cost, is it limited edition, where can you buy it, etc. Don’t tell me “I’m not sure” when you can find the info on Google in 10 seconds. It’s not like YouTube videos are live, and you can write down some notes ahead of time to look at. Sometimes I get the feeling that some influencers don’t want to put any actual work into their reviews and think just sitting down and filming on the spot is enough. It makes me feel like they just don’t care enough.
Kind of a petty little thing, but also reviewers who don’t even attempt to learn how to pronounce things correctly. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter, but if it’s something well-known or if Google can tell you, it’s worth trying because it makes me think of you as more professional. I think these influencers don’t necessarily think of it as a job where they have to do hard work but just like a real job, you have to do your homework and learn about the industry you work in. I get a little incredulous when I see that someone who’s worked in the beauty world for years (and like it or not, influencers are part of the industry nowadays) never bothered to learn how to pronounce big brand names like Givenchy or Shiseido, or doesn’t know who iconic makeup artists like Kevyn Aucoin are. I don’t know any other job where you can allow yourself to remain completely oblivious of the rest of the industry. It’s fine not to know something, but if you are reviewing a Pat McGrath product and you didn’t know who she is prior, I’d expected you at least to throw the name into Google.
ALL OF THIS is so on point!
Lack of transparency about sponsorships.
Pushing any product, idgaf about its price tags, no one “needs” beauty items… I understand that sometimes you’re super hype about a product and tell people that they “need” something in a “omg this is fantastic!” kind of way but you can make the distinction between really enjoying a product versus being pushy about it.
Overtly talking about how “honest”/”real”/”no bs” their review is… is that to say that others’ reviews/your reviews where you don’t say you’re being “honest” are… dishonest? Just review the product…
Aggressively trashing products they didn’t like that they themselves bought but being mega apologetic when it’s a product that a brand sent them… I think that with any product, there’s a way to review it in a constructive manner or simply state that the particular product didn’t work for you without apologizing for it or listing off the products you like from the brand. If a brand thinks that you saying a product just didn’t jive with you is you being “negative” and takes you off their PR it speaks volumes about their values…
Participating in drama/gossip – I come here for the beauty reviews/tutorials… if someone wants to be about drama/gossip that is fine and they can do it on their own time but I don’t care for it to be on their main channel. To me, it also is a sign that instead of taking care of themselves and their own content they’re busy trying to “out” people and I’m not here for it.
Being inconsistent with reviews. Forgiving a favored brand for flaws that another brand was panned for. For example, say a shadow is patchy, but can be worked with, and it is equally true for two different brands, but one brand gets allowance for it while another gets cut. The particular situation I’m thinking of involves two excellent-quality brands, but there was clear favoritism.
what i dislike are
1. blogging for the sake of getting freebies. Many influenZers are “blogging” to get more beauty freebies and not out of passion for make up.
2. review products based on their own colouring and not how it would look on others with different colouring as well.
3. behave as though as if they were pro MUAs but in reality they can only do make up on themselves but not on people with different facial features. yeah.. it is easy to do.a perfect make up tutorial if u have the perfect eye shape. how about those who do not?
4. Not giving honest reviews.
When youtubers / bloggers are getting pregnant and stop talking about make-up (but are talking about diapers instead). I had to unsubscribe a lot of channels because they’ve started only to post vlogs about their happy family (which, of course, is the happiest and best family in the world) and burb clothes they were sent. I’m not interested in this kind of content.
I also don’t like Youtubers who get themselves pets just to show them off (and get more views). I’ve noticed Pomeranians are particularly popular for this purpose.
(I am not talking about Youtubers who got pets before starting their channel but about people who got a pet just for Youtube – that shouldn’t be the reason for someone to get a pet)
Generally I follow and watch YouTubers and beauty reviewers NOT for their reviews on the product but because I want to see the product used if that makes sense. Watching YT reviews is a past time for me that I don’t take seriously like how I take you seriously Christine, I actually will buy or not buy something if I see your write up because you are in depth but when I watch videos it’s not because I trust their opinion. The beauty industry is so oversaturated and fake right now and these companies kiss so many backsides that I can’t trust any of them to be completely honest without an agenda.
I am okay with them telling me it was sponsored or not, I don’t care how they got it I just want to see it in action and I know that I’m not going to use their review as a basis for whether or not I buy something.
I also don’t like hyperbole…I don’t care if they think it’s the best product in the world for $600 just tell me how it performs AFTER you’ve actually worn it for more than 4 mins.
Beauty Guru Sponsored Trips: UGH I am not mad at the influencers who go on expensive trips, I’d love to go to Bora Bora or Dubai for free over makeup, heck yea and I’d snap chat it away and enjoy every minute of it what I don’t like is that beauty companies feel they have to do this. It’s insane to showcase this to those who are watching – you’re giving them an unrealistic view of the beauty world because not all beauty reviewers will experience this.
I am annoyed when reviewers are EXTRA. I like a little personality in a video but I don’t need it to show me how makeup performed. I also don’t need the GRWM – why do I need to see you put on makeup (for the 1st time sometimes) while you not talk about the makeup and how it’s performing but talk about your life. Why do I need that? LOL that baffles me Christine like, a lot.
there is more but I’ve said enough!
On your last point, it’s probably that you aren’t the typical consumer of YouTube – you want the information but not the entertainment whereas I think the core audience (based on what/who is popular, what brands look for when engaging with influencers) looks to be entertained first with information as a secondary benefit.
For some, too, I know that having a GRWM playing can be like having a friend in the room with you, and it can bring a lot of comfort for those who may need an extra friend around.
That makes sense, I def am not the typical youtube consumer which means they def are not targeting people like me.
I didn’t think of the GRWM like that but it makes sense as well kind of like how I like to have my favorite sitcoms playing while I get ready for work.
I cannot stand when people test wear by swatching on their hand and running the hand under a faucet. It’s useless and makes their credibility tank. Fingertip swatches: useless. Makeup is painting on moving canvas that changes texture, temperature, moves, and adds it’s own heated water, saline, and oil solutions. Test an eye product on your eye and tell me what happened by hour x.
Lipstick, same really.
Also, I gotta know what things smell and taste like. People are perfuming eye shadow, mascara, and blush now? Some customers may love that, but I will be allergic to it, so it’s worth mentioning both ways.
They must disclose how they came by the product. Basic journalism. Did they buy it? Did the company send it?
This may just be me but I like a photo of the inner and outer packaging. A lot of counterfeit runs around. I use it as reference. There are still discontinued things I want to buy.
Being the same as everyone else.
Over-focus on personal vanity. Meaning a beauty blogger can be anyone, any color, any size, any look, any age, any nationality, any gender. I don’t need to see that the blogger is beautiful. I need to see how the makeup performs across a range of features. Do they have acne, dry skin, discoloration, hooded or unhooded lids. Any true info helps a review.
Intelligence shines through no matter what one is doing, and sincerity and passion, and Consistency. Christine, I honestly think in a lot of ways you were born to do this because of your intelligence and integrity, but also because you are biracial and have a base skintone that one can calibrate off of easily. Your beauty marks show level of pigmentation and your lip freckle shows opaqueness. Mashallah. Then you formed a relationship with a computer professional and got a law degree. All of that shows in the work here.
People’s personal gifts and styles are very valuable to me. I like honesty.
Lack of transparency – not stating that the post is sponsored or that you have an affiliate link listed below, but also not mentioning things that impact your review. I saw a review on the best skincare for clearing acne by someone on acutane but that wasn’t mentioned in that review. How can you know what skincare helps with acne when you’re on an acne med? Same for saying something is amazing for wrinkles when you’re 20, etc.
Too many sponsored posts. How can I trust your review of you’re willing to do sponsored posts for *anyone*? Why are you promoting a floor cleaner on a beauty blog?
Huge brand loyalty. If you say constantly that you love X brand, and review everything from them as amazing and never finding a dud… can you really be telling the truth?
One of my favorites now does videos that seem like infomercials, and another does so many sponsored posts that I’m surprised when one says not sponsored. I don’t really follow them anymore.