The #1 Thing You Need To Know Before Considering Your Next Online Beauty Purchase

Before shelling out money for products, we break down how to spot real and reputable beauty product reviews.

In the overwhelming world of online beauty reviews, who can you trust? It’s not easy to identify an honest, unpaid, and meaningful product reviewer. We share how to discover helpful and authentic reviews to help you make informed decisions before making a purchase. 

Even before COVID-19, online sales were outpacing in-store sales considerably. Since so many purchases are made online, it’s essential to find quality reviews to rely upon, especially when you’re about to splurge on a high-ticket item. Star ratings and personal feedback make informed buying more effective, but it can be difficult to know who to trust when reading reviews. 

One of the first things you probably learned in school was to cite quality sources when writing essays or arguing your point of view. In academic situations, you most likely selected information after analyzing who wrote it. Finding a trustworthy online reviewer can be tricky, but a few key traits carry over to this realm. First, the reviewer’s credentials, and second, the level of detail conveyed in his or her reviews. 

Most reviewers on Beautytap are Verified Beauty Experts and Beauty Professionals (facialists, makeup artists, aestheticians, hairstylists, beauty industry veterans, and counter retail specialists with a minimum of two years of experience). 

Here are the Top 7 things to do before putting your faith in someone else’s opinion. 

1. Scrutinize Your Reviewer’s Profile

When you find a review that sounds particularly compelling, before you pop that item into your cart based on glowing praise alone, visit the reviewer’s profile page. On Beautytap, you’ll find different types of profiles. Those belonging to customers, seasoned editorial writers, and Verified Beauty Experts. Reputable reviewers will have extensive profile pages that include their photograph, name, title, field of expertise, education, and certifications, and social media handles. If the profile resembles a résumé or LinkedIn page, you’re off to a good start.

2. Look For A Professional’s Ongoing Commitment To The Beauty Community

A key component of any profession is to remain current about new offerings and trends and to share that knowledge with others. Beautytap’s Verified Beauty Experts engage with people on the platform by posting tips and answering questions. Click the “Q&A Tips” tab on any bio, and you’ll be able to scroll through that professional’s posting history. Current comments, tips, mini-articles, tutorials, product photos, and IG or YouTube videos are all signs of a reputable, dedicated professional.

3. Peruse Your Reviewer’s Other Reviews

Any professional truly committed to his or her craft will be writing reviews on a regular basis. On Beautytap, product reviews, as well as comments, on articles can be found by clicking the “Reviews” tab on any Verified Expert’s profile. Scroll through the reviews and see if the reviewer frequently rates similar products, like hair care, for instance. You wouldn’t necessarily trust an automotive parts reviewer to give you advice on eye shadow, so look for consistency among the reviewer’s comments. 

4. Look For The “Meat”

You know how certain foods never fill you up? Like cotton candy, for instance. The carnival confection may taste great, but it’s primarily air. A good review has substance and detail. Verified Beauty Experts have undergone training to ensure that they convey their honest opinions even when receiving complementary products for testing purposes. 

A trustworthy five-star review also answers all the “who and why” questions, such as who would benefit from using the product and why the reviewer liked it. Reviews that simply say, “I love this,” or “Great product” may be authentic, but they don’t include the supplemental material that justifies why you should buy it. If you find yourself asking, “What exactly did you like about it?” then keep researching until you get a good answer – and then follow that person.

5. High-Quality Reviewers Like To Talk … A Lot!

Star ratings are important, and the most trustworthy reviews justify the rating. Longer reviews aren’t necessarily better, especially if they simply recap key claims or language found in the product description. After all, you already read that part and are counting on others to share relatable experiences and add supplemental details in order to justify your own purchase. Reputable beauty reviewers are passionate and tend to write at least 3-5 sentences about the product, usually more. 

6. Celebrate Transparency

Skincare reviews often mention a product’s texture and scent as well as whether or not it lived up to the manufacturer’s claims. Beyond that, reviewers are required to mention if they received the product in exchange for their opinions. At Beautytap, reviewers are not compensated for writing reviews, so don’t dismiss a five-star review on a complimentary product sample. Given these are professionals and experts with a minimum of two years of experience, their opinions are highly credible. And, there’s no one “behind the curtain” requiring reviewers to give glowing praise on everything they try either. Honest and transparency are of the utmost importance. 

In many cases, Beauty Experts receive products that don’t necessarily work for their own personal use, but their professional experience helps them determine who would benefit from using that product. Reviewing products is a global practice that is intended to help consumers make better decisions, and reputable professionals who are writing these reviews always keep that in mind.

7. Having Doubts? Reach Out!

If you do all of the above and still have questions, get in touch with the reviewer directly. Qualified Beauty Experts LOVE to talk about products. Given the opportunity, professionals worth their salt will respond to your questions and give more details about whether or not a product is right for you. After all, that’s why we’re here.