Where to Find Real, Trustworthy Beauty Product Reviews

Buyers beware. Fake reviews are everywhere. CNBC recently reported that Amazon filed a lawsuit against thousands of Facebook group administrators who have been brokering false reviews. Given the beauty industry alone is currently valued at over $500 billion, this comes as no surprise.

The majority of people want to know what others liked or disliked about a product before whipping out their credit cards, especially during uncertain times such as these, which makes real, thoughtful reviews from a diverse range of individuals an integral step toward achieving consumer loyalty.

In a world of product placement, advertorials, and sponsored social content, today’s consumers are hyper-conscious about “the pitch,” which makes it crucial for brands to develop a bond with customers in a non-traditional way. Advertising won’t make that happen, so establishing trust often relies on the words, knowledge, and recommendations of experts with trusted credentials and no permanent ties to the company.

With inflation rising at its fastest pace in 40 years, consumers are growing more cautious with their spending. And according to a 2019 study on brands and trust, 77 percent said that good reviews were a “deciding factor in their brand buying decision.” More than ever, honest, unpaid, authentic reviews are a precious commodity.

Before making a purchase, the vast majority of consumers turn to reviews for guidance. According to a 2020 BrightLocal survey, nearly 80 percent of consumers “trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family.” And since shopping online has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, retailers with an eye for growth and longevity need to tap into the review marketplace in ways that align with their goals and objectives. That means getting products into the hands of professionals, not just influencers who seemingly have many followers. When a reviewer’s experience aligns with both a brand’s values and a consumer’s desire, magic happens.

Scroll through a makeup or skincare subreddit, and you’ll quickly learn how people feel about unvetted or celebrity reviewers. Many consumers distrust the opinions and feel as though the posting parties weren’t entirely honest. This is a classic example of the disconnect that happens when a brand focuses more on macro-influencers than working with those who would actually be looking for that specific product in the first place. Partnering with a single influencer may gain a brand temporary traction but tapping recognized industry professionals offers stronger, more meaningful results.

Beautytap’s experts span the entire beauty gamut with specialized skills and expertise in social media micro-communities. Not only do reviewers have their own following and profile pages which consumers can click to learn more about their skin type, hair type, etc., but they also have better one-on-one engagement. Community members often trust them precisely because they know their input is highly valued and appreciated, given they learn about the products via a multi-tier approach: through master classes with the brands themselves, deep dive editorials and personally experiencing the products.

As much as people joke and say, “Will work for product,” the truth is there’s a lot more at stake than just getting a jar of night cream or a new supplement. Any product that a reviewer is willing to put through its paces and then share their honest observations about impacts their overall reputation. Beauty professionals don’t accept every offer that comes their way, nor do they want to, because reviewing is not an effortless undertaking; it requires passion and commitment.

Crafting an organized review with genuine touchpoints that will resonate for others is akin to writing a cover letter for a résumé. It’s not a free-for-all, anything-goes task. Many reviewers, including me, spend hours gathering their thoughts, looking up ingredients, analyzing textures, imagining the real-life human being the product will appeal to, and creating compelling images and content for their own social pages.

And you will only find dedicated, professional product reviewers at Beautytap.

There will always be people who are willing to exchange their thoughts for a product, but the Beauty Experts in the Beautytap community are evaluated heavily and then held accountable for writing timely, substantive reviews (at least 750 characters) or they can be removed from the program.

According to Cliff Beach, VP of Digital & Operations for Beautytap, “Our community of Beauty Experts are vetted to check for significant beauty industry experience before joining our network; they are given vast product knowledge education and are also coached on how to best write deep-dive, honest reviews. We also thoroughly check all of our content on Beautytap.com to strive for 100% quality assurance that each review is authentic and well-written. The focus is always quality over quantity, providing more meaning and value to the reader to be able to make better informed product decisions.”

Not every reviewer makes a career of sharing their insights and observations with others, but most industry professionals – especially beauty professionals – recognize that educating their clients includes a certain amount of personal experimentation. Brand awareness doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and since our integrity is on the line, we’re vigilant about staying attuned to new releases and trends as well as the concerns of the people who rely on us for guidance. Reviewing products gives us a portfolio of experience that is often forgotten when recapping our responsibilities in a given role.

Thoughtful written opinions by diverse, educated reviewers, however, are evidence of Beautytap’s engagement and commitment to the beauty industry as a whole. What more could a consumer or beauty brand ask for?

Learn more about Beautytap’s Beauty Expert Program and how to apply here.

For brands interested in learning more about how to partner with Beautytap’s community of professional beauty experts for detailed, honest, SEO-driven reviews, click here.