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How do you tend to react when a product gets a lot of marketing, hype, or buzz?
How do you tend to react when a product gets a lot of marketing, hype, or buzz? Are you more or less inclined to check it out? Share!
I’m pretty skeptical of anything that gets a lot of buzz before it’s even in the hands of people, but I’ve seen too many brands riding high on the success of their last product put out something less impressive the next time, so past performance doesn’t convince me to buy into something new.
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*Same here. If the product hasn’t even been released to the public yet, then all that hype is probably generated by the brand’s PR department. But if it’s been released to the public, and the honest bloggers and customers are raving about it online, then I think it’s worth looking into that product.
*I like it when little known brands sink all their money into the product and depend on happy customers to spread the word. I don’t like seeing big giant cosmetic companies that are kind of resting on their logos, spending most of their money on fancy packaging, advertising, and celebrity spokespeople but are launching overpriced, inconsistent, or fairly mediocre products (you know who you are)
Neither? I have a pretty big makeup collection, and I’ve gotten to the point that there’s little I’m willing to buy without checking it out in person first regardless of buzz or hype. I’ve just spent too much money buying like 15 variations of the same shade of eye shadow and lipstick to buy on product images or even swatches alone (unless they’re swatched side by side next to stuff I already own), that I really feel like I need to try before I buy. Buzz may make me more likely to make a trip to Sephora or Ulta just to check something out when it’s new, but I just as often decide in store that something isn’t for me during those special trips as I decide to make the purchase.
The only thing that hype does to me is make me want to do more research.
I’m not sceptical, or try to avoid it purely because it’s hyped up, it just makes me keen to make a more educated decision on it. Sure, that means I won’t be the first to have it, but that doesn’t bother me, I’d rather save my money.
A prime example is the Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour palette (and now, every dupe contour palette). Everyone wants or has it and after doing a lot of research on it from people with a similar skin tone to me, I found that most of the palette wont suit my skin tone. So now I’m going to make my own custom palette from the website. Win win!
I definitely wait it out! Let the hype subside and then if the brand is available.. go for it!
I am always eager to check out anything new and with a lot of “buzz” around it but I’ll check it out in-store. It’s not my preference to purchase anything on-line; I am from that generation that wants and needs to check things out in person and this applies to skin care or colour cosmetics. Rarely to I let the “buzz” sway me – it might pique my interest but then I have to check it out for myself.
Yeah, me, too. I need to see the color in person, test it out for texture, wear, and if Sephora carries the brand I like to get a sample so I can use it for a couple of days to see if it wears well, doesn’t end up looking funky, and then if I still like it, I’ll get one. Especially with more expensive products, I don’t want to be wasting my money on something I end up not liking much. Plus, I read the reviews in blogs and see what people who have actually used it have to say about it. I’ve been convinced to try something from blogs and also persuaded to keep my money in my wallet by reading reviews. So, THANKS!
It depends on my knowledge of said brand and their consistency to put out quality products.
honestly I tend to avoid it. It’s this very reason that I’ve never ventured into Benefit.
I totally agree. I more often than not avoid the bannered trendy stuff and stick to products I need when I need them. I would rather spend $40 on a high end blush that I will use every day than save a few bucks and buy a trendier item with a celebrity endorsement.
I’m less inclined to try it out until I see a LOT of reviews from people I trust on the product. Even then, I worry it’s all hype. The biggest thing is if I see a lot of people reviewing a product that the brand sent out for free to try/review, that’s when I hesitate the most. It took me a long time before I finally bought some Colour Pop shadows (just placed my order yesterday, in fact) as it seemed like EVERYONE on YouTube was reviewing and “obsessed” with them.
I’m the perfect consumer-I pay attention when a company promotes their product
Ditto!
I get curious, want to read what people who have actually tried the product have to say about it. So far, I haven’t pre-ordered anything, or ordered something without reading about it or having a chance to at least swatch it myself first. But you never know! If a product comes out that sounds like the answer to a problem I’m having, and I can order from a vendor with a good return policy, I might try something sight unseen/unread-about. But it’s not very likely. Trying to keep some control of my collection so that I only have things that I actually use feels right to me, plus the whole process of deciding what’s really worth adding to it is part of the fun for me. I feel bad when I end up with stuff that I don’t use not because it’s really bad, but because I have other things that I like more. I do have someone that I eventually pass those things on to. And, although I do return things that don’t work for me, it’s not my favorite thing to do. I like to do my research, get samples, try things out in-store, so that I return as little as possible. But, if I couldn’t return, I just wouldn’t even be buying makeup, I’d be too scared of months of struggling to use up duds before I can even afford try something else. Sephora’s generous trying-it-out, sampling, and return policy really changed my makeup life. Drugstores were hazardous sites of things under plastic that I couldn’t tell what color they would even look like on me, department store counters felt like intimidating places to over-spend and end up with regret and guilt. I will say that different Sephora stores can be really different from each other. Until a couple of weeks ago, I’d only been to the one on Chestnut St. in Philadelphia. And, although that one can get crowded and crazy, and although the staff are usually good to fantastic but occasionally really crabby and unhelpful, it’s really set up so that you can try things to your heart’s content, and they almost always give me really generous samples of anything I ask for. Even though I only go in once a month or so, the MUAs remember me and make it fun. I recently tried another store, and most of the MUAs were nice (one was really helpful), the manager acted really suspicious that I had a coupon code for a coupon that my printer wouldn’t print, and that I didn’t have a cell phone that I could show her the email with the coupon with. If she had just said, ‘sorry, I have to see the coupon’ it would have been better than honoring it but acting like she was sure I was lying. Plus, there weren’t stations with mirrors and make-up remover, cotton pads and Q-tips, etc. all over the place for you to try stuff yourself easily, just the big MUA station in the middle of the store. It’s just not set up to make it as easy and fun to play with the makeup while deciding what to purchase. With the amount of new stuff that comes out every season and the limited size of most peoples’ budgets, getting to really try before you buy (apply it yourself, feel how it works, rather than have someone else put it on you) really matters. Now I appreciate the Chestnut St. store a lot more, occasional flaws and all. Whew! Sorry for the essay! I guess the answer is, the bigger the hype, the more careful I want to be about actually checking out the product before I buy it, and not everyone makes that easy to do! I love my local ULTA, everyone there is friendly and helpful, and they make it easy to try stuff before I buy, but I wish they would dispense samples of things I want to try at home like Sephora does. Instead they take returns with a smile, which is OK, but I would rather not waste product like that.
Annoyed. Less inclined.
I’m a sucker for a good hype, lol… Which is why I often get disappointed.
I need to learn to be more skeptical and not buy into the hype. I think the incident with the Anastasia liquid lipsticks taught me. I am now holding back and waiting to hear some honest reviews. I have to remember it’s cosmetics. I don’t t think there will be a shortage any time soon!
If it’s just new shades from a brand I’m already fond of, I’m more likely to jump on it (ie, UD Naked & Vice palettes), but if it’s a whole new product, or a brand I don’t know/already love, I have to do my research. If a product seems to perform well, but is really expensive, I’m more likely to look into the ingredients, particularly skincare; it can be loaded with “skin-loving ingredients”, but if it’s in a cheap base of petroleum, they’ll never penetrate the skin…
Oh, and if I do cave and buy something based on hype, I only buy one, and if I like, only then I’ll try more.
I’m usually curious to try it to see if it’s worth the hype. I do think too much hype can backfire though. I’ve tried a few products hoping for amazing results only to be disappointed
I guess I react the same way I do when any new product is released, regardless of hype. My interest is based on several factors, a brand that I regularly buy from; available in colours I’d wear; formula that suits me; and it also has to be something I’d actually use. I’m more inclined to buy a hyped red lipstick than a contour palette. I will admit that hype might make me a little bit more curious to read reviews if it seems like something I might want to buy. I tend to overanalyze everything and makeup is no exception. 😉
I wait for Temptalia to review it.
<3
Me too.
The initial buzz usually turns me off and I wont look at that product until its been there for a WHILE and I STILL see the buzz about it. Thats how I felt about the Color pop cosmetics recently too!
if anything, it puts me off
With skepticism!
Honestly I wait until I can check it out for myself in person or I do extensive research first. It may sound silly but if I really want to know about something I wait until it’s reviewed by temptalia or nordstroms. I’m very picky and if it doesn’t get at least a B+ rating I pass. I have to love it or it has to go back, no exceptions.
Thank you! 🙂
You are so welcome. I appreciate the honesty you give as well as the informational insights. Its really helpful for someone like me who loves beauty but can do without pushy beauty gurus who don’t even like half the stuff they promote. I have probably read 100s of your reviews and all of them were on point. Keep doing what you do and I’ll keep reading. Hugs
Thank you again and again 🙂 I am so humbled! xoxo
The only buzz I care about is reviews from bloggers who haven’t been compensated. If tons of them love a product, well then I might get excited.
Usually I just ignore it, especially if it’s before release to the general public. The pre-release hype is almost always marketing and compensated reviews. Even after release to the GP, I take it with a grain of salt, but I’m more likely to check it out. I find I often don’t agree with the general consensus on products.
I’m usually skeptical if it’s a new product that’s either not even out yet or just came out so recently that it seems hard to have a solid opinion on a product that early. I watch a big handful of beauty vloggers and I try to take a lot of words with a grain of salt when their vibe just screams “sponsored” to me. Some sound more genuine and honest than others do, but that’s why I like watching multiple people’s reviews, because then I can compare and gather my own thoughts.
Often times, I’ll wait until hype starts to dwindle on a product before checking it out (like ColourPop, which I’m so far glad I finally tried!) because I usually think, “can it really be THAT good?”
I usually get annoyed by the hype because I feel bombarded by it & turn to @temptalia to wait for (what I feel like are) real reviews. I watch a lot of beauty YouTube videos & follow a lot of blogs. A lot of beauty b/vloggers get their hands on products first (obviously) but it’s annoying when everyone raves about a product, then it gets a poor rating from Christine. For example with the Hourglass eye shadow palettes, everyone I follow online seemed to be loving them; the palettes got a bad reviews, and they’re permanent so if I really want to I can check them out for myself in person when I get a chance. And I’m really not able to rely on accessing things in person frequently since I’m in a remote area & buy a lot of beauty products online. But I’m not about to jump on the hype bandwagon (even though I really wanted to because of Hourglass’ reputation!). I’m not saying I don’t buy things when Christine doesn’t have a review of it, I just might be a bit more reserved/ conservative & I’ll really scope out the reviews or wait to see it in person. I’ll ask “What are the best things people are saying? What are the worst?” That said, I take most people’s recommendations with a grain of salt, something that works for someone else may not always work for me & vice versa.
xoxo
when i see a lot of buzz, it makes me interested of course but more so in finding reviews online from people that have tested the product. I’ve made the mistake of jumping on something thinking ‘its gonna run out’ and then being disappointed. You’d tend to think that more hype means its amazing but that’s not always the case.
I’m always a bit sceptical when suddenly all the youtubers and bloggers tell you to buy something because.. they get paid to do that. I usually don’t believe everything they say and I just wait what certain real makeup artists have to say about it because they’re usually very honest and they approach products differently from people who just do youtube with no background in the makeup artistry scene. I also trust you, Christine! You’re always very honest 🙂
Thank you, Maura!
I am usually rather skeptical, really.
Personally, no matter what anyone says about a product, I have to personally really like it to rush out and get it. Sometimes, I may not care for a product after viewing it online, but if I see swatches that I love, or I see it in person and I love it – then I run out and buy that baby.
Very much an “it depends” for me. What it depends on:
a) type of product, e.g., if it’s something I would even be interested in (I have zero desire for the Anastasia contour palette, for example);
b) who is generating the buzz, e.g., is it straight from the company or is it also bloggers;
c) tone of the PR. By which I mean, there is a difference between copy that claims to be the best new thing, and copy that subtly slags off all other versions of this new thing, and the latter just pisses me off. Can’t think of an example off the top of my head, sorry.
In regards to b), if the buzz is coming from one of the bloggers whose opinion I really trust when it comes to that product type, then I am more inclined to buy it, assuming that it is something I’d use and the company hasn’t pissed me off! But, for example, I managed to get my hands on a Raspberry limited edition of the new Clarins lip oil because a blogger whose opinion I value on lip products reviewed the Honey shade and mentioned there was an LE Raspberry. Less than a week after I ordered it, Clarins UK was pretty much out of the Raspberry altogether. (Said blogger is Gemma of London Beauty Review.)
I’ve bought into hype quite a few times and it’s never done me wrong. I’ve yet to come across a product that is entirely awful and useless, so maybe I’ve been buying into the right sort of hype. Other than that, I must admit I only buy things from LE Mac collections if everyone’s like “yaaaaassss I want!”
I get very excited — but in the end, it’s the product that dictates whether I’ll buy it or not. Usually.
Test it out myself! If the people reviewing aren’t the same skin tone, have the same taste,ect… There is going to be a difference in opinion on a product. Prime example the new Hourglass Shadows don’t really show up on my skin tone but I hear some say how AWESOME they look on them:)
I generally want to see something in person to see the color and how it looks on me first. Unless I’ve already used a brand, I definitely need to see it in person. Like any new Color Tattoos, I’m there. But on more expensive stuff, not so fast. I love how Sephora gives samples so I can use something for a couple days, first. I have to watch my money these days so spending on something that I end up not using isn’t a good choice for me. Right now I’m curious about some new stuff I’ve just seen advertized by Clinique and am definitely going to have to see it in the store, try it and get a sample before I decide whether to purchase it or not. And if it gets reviewed on blogs, I’d definitely read about it and take the reviews into consideration, too. I definitely wouldn’t order it because I want to see what color I’d need and give it a trial run first.
The more the company hypes something, the more skeptical I get. If it’s something from a company I already like or, even better from a line I like, like UD’s Naked, I’ll buy it regardless of the hype. Mostly though, if something’s super hyped I’ll wait for it to be reviewed here or by other bloggers I really trust.
I enjoy seeing all the hype just for fun, but it doesn’t really influence what I buy. Reviews are much more crucial to me than hype for purchasing decisions, but it’s fun sometimes just to see what’s new and how companies are promoting products.
If I’ve had time to test and review it on my own I feel a lot better. If stores have been sending me tons of adverts and heavily advertise it online I start to think about how much if the product cost is due to all the advertising. So many brands that don’t have ads errywhere make really great products so i remain loyal to whoever’s got the best quality stuff that will not break the bank or conflict with my values.
I’m on a “smart buy,” so rather than get caught up in the hype, I wait until friends or bloggers/youtubers whom I trust come out with their reviews. This way, I’ve managed to pass up a lot of things I likely would have bought based on the hype alone. If something is super-hyped and it’s ultra-limited (like the UD Ltd. palette), then I figure it’s just not for me and chances are, I probably have similar products/colors anyway.