The most obvious is when someone rates a product 1/5 because they dislike the color or something like that. Additionally, something like “Beautiful color, love it!” is not helpful at all.
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Product reviews without specifics. Can you tell me why? Also please show me swatches! I am not buying anything without knowing what it looks like and how it goes on!
When they never criticize anything. Or maybe just too nice? It’s a product, you won’t hurt its feelings…LOL. But I guess you could ruffle someone’s feathers…
Could be the reviewer has a relationship with the brand/company or is getting free product, and thus is reluctant to be too critical. Which in of itself is a problem.
I dislike unverified/influencer/gift interviews. They rarely criticize. “This product is amazing! I got 8 compliments! All of my friends asked me about it. It’s perfect” etc. These often come with photos of the packaging but no swatches or pictures of it on. Sometimes it’s photos of non-retail sample sizes in a gift box of tinsel from the company. So useful.
Lighting or swatches that aren’t realistic or have been doctored.
Reviews that don’t take into account the product’s claims. Eg. Y-tubers that complain about the product being matte, but not realising it’s intended to be, and then complain about it being drying on their skin when the recommended target consumer is norm, combo or oily skin ppl. Or going on about lasting power when it doesn’t state to be long wearing.
Reviewers that don’t state when they may have a conflict of interest, have been sponsored for that item or by that brand in the past, been sent a particular item in pr.
Every single thing you wrote are also my own personal pet peeves, too! And YT is notorious for having these types of reviews. It’s gotten to where I have a good idea of who’s who on that platform, and avoid some specific reviewers because of these maddening issues. And yes to your 2nd comment as well!
Addendum,
When reviewers complain about how pricey a luxury item is when reviewing it , knowing full well they purchased a luxury item. …….Well…. It is meant to be luxe, and price is a factor that doesn’t really come into play in the review cos you’d expect it to be pricey. What do they think? You can get cheap luxury items? There would be only a few exceptions, eg, if comparing luxury items to similar luxury items. Then it would make sense mentioning the $factor.
Same thing about the color! I think an even bigger pet peeve for me is when a product just doesn’t work for what someone wants and they give it a bad review, even if it’s as advertised. Like if a foundation is described as sheer, and someone gives it a bad review because it’s not full-coverage.
Low ratings because the shade didn’t suit them. Reviews that gush about how great or how bad a product is without giving any concrete reasons.
No objectivity, right!!!! That type of a review is not helpful at all and benefits no one. That’s only one of the reasons i enjoy Temptalia’s reviews. She looks at the claims, and assesses if they are such and doesn’t fill the review with bias.
Definitely no specifics! What works wonderfully on someone with one skin type might be terrible on someone with another. The same goes for skin coloring….A cosmetic color might be great for a fair skinned blonde but not a darker skin brunette, or vice versa. Same goes for clothing…a style might be described as “frumpy” but without knowing someone’s body type it might look fantastic on another.
Prices are going up all the time and we all want to spend out money on something we will be happy with…The more info in reviews the better….People seem to forget when they say “great color” we can’t read their mind and know what color they selected……
Great color is so unhelpful. What is the color like? How does the product apply? How long does it wear? Tell me SOMETHING!
* When people post a 5 star review for a product they just received and state “just got this in the mail and excited to try this”
* Reviews that are not reviews. “5 star” “love it” ” worst product ever” are not reviews, they are statements. Tell me how did you tried the product, your routine, your skin type, what exactly you liked,
1.) Brand/Sephora/Ulta “incentives” reviews that are too poppy, too positive, too “perfect”, but without explaining in what way! I immediately disregard those.
2.) As many have mentioned before me, reviewers who base their “fails” on a product that clearly describes its use for a completely different skin type/depth than their own or personal preference instead of the actual indications in the product description!
3.) When sponsored reviews are all over the moon, saying that “you need to get this!”, but without an adequate wear test, showing the progression over the course of the day. Also, without good, well done real life swatches, as in: please show us how it looks in outdoor daylight, not just studio lighting with the intense ring light!
Nod, nod, nod!
sick and tired of reviewers saying hw wonderful and great everything is… disingenuous to say the least when they have an entire ROOM from floor to ceiling of products.. give me a break.. like drug pushers. I only have one face I dont need EVERY new launch.. really.
I generally don’t read product reviews for makeup unless it happens here. It is soo subjective. I do dislike it when there are no photos of swatches – that is my greatest annoyance.
PS Christine – is there no Survey this week?
Forgot! Published now!
When it’s a free product provided for review and the review is glowing with lots! of extra! punctuation! It just screams phony. Rife on Amazon.
Also when a product is downrated for something that has nothing to do with the actual product but something ridiculous like shipping time.
When they completely trash a product because it didn’t work for them, like tell us what happened, just because it didn’t work for you doesn’t mean it’s trash or not worth the hype.
I feel like I can’t trust them at all. I hate it when a product hasn’t quite launched yet, and people start posting 5 star reviews and “I love (brand or collaborator name)!!! I can’t wait for this to come out!!!!!”
Like Ana and others have mentioned, new reviews for something you’ve just purchased (unless you qualify it by saying that so far it’s…) and one that really bothers me, review about shipping or customer service rather than the product. It’s not that that isn’t important, but first tell me about the product, rate it, then you can add the rest.
Not doing a before pic. Not having swatches and final product in good lighting. And most importantly- saying “I love this” and being very general when it’s painfully obvious the item was received from company for free/promotion.
Lack of disclosure. Hate, hate, hate how prevalent it still is that people (in many industries, not just beauty) don’t respect their audience enough to follow the FTC’s guidelines. At this point it’s safest for one to assume that every and any mention of a product or company online is an ad!