A quick scroll through Instagram or TikTok will flood your feed with sponsored content, paid partnerships, and influencers sharing updates from brand events and gifting suites – but consumers are craving something more authentic from their favourite brands.
This means that, when celebrities do share insight into the products they truly use, fans find themselves more inclined to seek out the product, with higher levels of trust and interest into what their idols have been using.
However, air-tight brand contracts, prior commitments and partnerships at times mean these products are pictured in the background, leaving fans to turn into investigators as they uncover the beauty products A-listers and influencers alike truly swear by.
An appetite for unsponsored endorsements
Consumer trust is at an all time low when it comes to product sponsorships and partnerships, as beauty lovers become more clued up on how these endorsements really work.
“When it comes to the beauty industry consumers are accustomed to brands paying for publicity, and to influencers promoting products; they are therefore a lot more selective about the information they trust and believe in,” explains Janet Milner-Walker, founder and Managing Director of beauty brand consultancy Bespoke Advantage.
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“When a product is not tied to a promotion, consumers are more inclined to believe that recommendations are based on personal experience and views, rather than perceived as a marketing initiative.
“Personal views tend to spread organic-word-of-mouth very quickly across social media channels, and consumers trust peer recommendations, so this is far more inclined to become a viral post.”
This is something that Freelance Beauty Editor Laura Capon has seen first hand through her popular social media series highlighting unsponsored products across celebrity social media posts, reality television and more.
It lifts the curtain on what really goes on behind the scenes
“I was becoming frustrated as it was getting harder to actually find out what celebs really use, due to their own beauty brand contracts and the partnerships their makeup and hair artists also had,” she explains.
“I was watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians one day and because they always film their glam sessions, there would be
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