The makeup world is now almost entirely reliant on a web of social media influencers, Youtube review videos, and #ads. At first, beauty Youtube was a way for audiences to watch real people review products without having to leave the comfort of their homes. However, it’s since deteriorated into something far more transactional — it’s no longer clear which product reviews are rooted in truly unbiased opinions and which are simply paid adverts. In August 2018, Youtuber and CEO of Makeup Geek Cosmetics Marlena Stell revealed that some influencers ask for as much as $60,000 for a positive product-dedicated video. In a follow-up post, a brand consultant added that for a given sum, some influencers will even offer a “dedicated negative review of a competitor’s product.” These exposés demonstrate that influencer-brand interactions are slowly but surely changing the makeup industry functions at an infrastructural level.
Bias in makeup isn’t a new thing. The industry has always been inherently skewed, at least when it’s evaluated according to Professor Philip Brey’s definition in “Values in technology and disclosive computer ethics,” which states that bias systematically and unfairly discriminates against certain group members. Shades of foundation and other face products alone have been rife with user bias — instead of colors spanning the full range of skin tones, products (intentionally or unintentionally) tend to focus on a tiny subsection of lighter, pink-toned shades, which implicitly excludes darker-skinned and olive-toned users. Recent beauty events take this even further (see Tarte’s 2018 shade controversy and Nyma Tang’s The Darkest Shade series).
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| A typical drugstore makeup aisle. Link |
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| Tarte's shade controversy. Link |
Hi Sam,
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was interesting. I didn’t know anything about the makeup industry before reading it, and I can see where there may be ethical concerns with this topic. I would like to see another picture toward the top of the post because those three large paragraphs make it look like a boring post from the start, even though it isn’t. Your argument seems split between lies and bias, and I think it would be better to stick with one throughout. The first half talks about lying to make money, while the second half is about bias with color. While these are both important ethical issues, I think you should choose one to discuss and stick with it. Overall, I enjoyed reading the post.
Hi Sam, I enjoyed reading your post as I have thought about the influence of social media influencers on products, but not necessarily makeup. I think you do a good job of introducing your topic and explaining it to someone who might not have much background information. You also do a good job of explaining what may be wrong with what is happening in the makeup industry and its involvement with social media influencers. However, I suggest you spend a bit more time connecting the post to the reading. Overall, I think you did a very good job with this post.
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