Disclaimer: These are only my opinions; they are just speculations and my thoughts on the matter.
UPDATED 6/12 – Jaclyn released a video on her Youtube channel addressing the quality issues surrounding her lipsticks.
If you’re reading this, you know about Jaclyn Hill’s newest venture–Jaclyn Cosmetics’ lipstick launch. Since the launch and since the concerning discoveries about the product, I’ve been trying to wrap my own head around its thoughts. But I think I’ve decided my thoughts are less about the product issues (because I don’t know) and more about trust.
I don’t like to participate in the “cancelled” culture. And I don’t plan to. I don’t want to speak about things I don’t actually know about. And I don’t plan to. I’m not a beauty chemist; I don’t know what goes into creating beauty product. I don’t own a beauty brand; and again, I don’t truly know what goes into creating product. But I am a consumer. I am a fan. I do know about business. And I do have a very strong opinion about all of this. I hope the best for Jaclyn, but this is an incredibly problematic situation
I also want to note I didn’t purchase the lipsticks nor have I tried them, so I can’t speak to the actual product. I only have thoughts about the situation in general.
I apologize if this post is messy and out of order — I have a lot of conflicting thoughts, and the problems with this launch stem into a million different directions. But I’m going to try to explain my thoughts about the Jaclyn Cosmetics lipstick launch and why I can no longer trust Jaclyn Hill.
The Product – Jaclyn Cosmetics Nude Lipstick Collection –
Jaclyn Hill’s long awaited cosmetics brand has been years in the making, according to her, and is finally here. The brand launched with a collection of 20 nude lipsticks meant to flatter all skin tones, priced at $18 per lipstick.
When she posted her reveal video, you can bet your bottom dollar I dropped what I was doing to see the swatches. And they were beautiful!
I wasn’t intending on purchasing any of these lipsticks–not because I was against them, but because your girl is broke AF and I just wasn’t in the market for this particular product. But I sure as hell won’t be purchasing them now.
In terms of packaging — I didn’t like it at all. But I’m not going to knock a product for its packaging. The glittery, silver, glam packaging is very Jaclyn Hill, very on brand.
The Problem – Melting and Plastic and Hair!? Oh My! –
There were glowing reviews initially…until there weren’t. A lot of consumers were realizing very unsettling things about their new lipsticks. Aside from melting and breaking, people started noticing unknown fibers/hairs on the surface and within their lipsticks, gritty textures and foreign beads/plastic (undetermined), moisture spots, and an potential mold have all been reported from people who’ve purchased/used the products. It’s been speculated she’s sold expired product that have become a public safety concern.
On Jaclyn Responding to a Fan:
A fan voiced her concerns about the lipsticks to Jaclyn on Twitter, and Jaclyn responded by citing user error and intentionally or not unleashing her fanbase on this poor girl.
Jaclyn Hill fans immediately began with comments about the girl’s “crusty lips” being the problem, not the lipstick. And I have a huge problem with this.
- Jaclyn Hill isn’t an influencer anymore. She’s not also a brand owner. Snippy comments in response to criticism isn’t OK from an influencer, but it is DEFINITELY not acceptable from a brand owner. It’s not.
- I believe Jaclyn knew exactly what she was doing when she responded to this girl. She knew her fanbase would attack her. She knew that would happen!
- This was a girl who was a true fan of Jaclyn; she was excited to receive the product and questioning the quality to make sure she didn’t have a defective item. There is NO reason for a brand owner to respond to a customer this way.
On melting:
I don’t actually have a lot to say in regards to this–especially because I haven’t actually touched the product.
Soft formulas are fine. My Marc Jacobs gloss stick gets melty when I use it. I have tons of products that are super creamy and seemingly melt upon application. I don’t have a problem with that. But the brand is claiming the problem is simply due to butters exceeding a melting point. If that were the case…why didn’t any of hers melt and break? The lipsticks are melting in Florida, Georgia, places hotter than the lab. But she lives in FL. Why was it NEVER an issue for her?
Shipping, Refunds, and Customer Service
PR was sent out late then the website had glitches on launch day. Expedited shipping was pretty useless in getting your order to you faster. Honestly, all of these things are excused, in my opinion. It’s her brand’s very first launch. These are problems that will be resolved with a little finesse.
Jaclyn urged customers unhappy with their product to email her customer service team for refunds and to have new products sent. However, it seems to be easier said than done.
Some customers have emailed the customer service email only to receive automated responses, some from other companies entirely. And in regard to refunds? Other customers have reported being denied refunds and instead being sent new product.
[ I wanted to include a screenshot, but I forgot who said it and couldn’t find the tweet.]
I Can’t Trust Jaclyn Hill Anymore.
This is where I am having trouble putting my thoughts into words, but here it goes.
I have never seen a product launch go down like this. That’s not to say they haven’t, but I’ve never seen it. Other influencers have successfully created makeup brands and launched product without going through this. Jeffree, Manny, Huda, Marlena and Makeup Geek have all launched successful brands. They may have had some “scandal,” but nothing has become a public health concern.
There is ALWAYS something with Jaclyn Hill launches. Always.
I’ve felt sympathetic toward Jaclyn with some of her early launch mishaps–like Becca. I gave her the benefit of the doubt she wasn’t aware of the intention to make her collaboration permanent. I, again, gave her the benefit of the doubt when she released her vault with Morphe–that she honestly was fed incorrect information by the brand.
But this is her brand. She is the brand owner. And it is her responsibility, and her responsibility alone, to make sure her products are safe. I can only place a small amount of blame on the lab, because she is responsible for quality control. She hired the lab. She tested the samples. She knew, and it’s no one’s responsibility but hers.
It’s always the same thing:
Jaclyn’s products are perfect. Her family’s product, her friend’s product, the lab samples are all perfected product. But once it falls into the customer’s hands, the product is flawed. How? How does this happen every time?
In my opinion 1 of 2 things happened:
- Her samples were perfect, and they cut corners when providing to the public.
- Or the products she sampled were also flawed, and she proceeded anyway–and lied about the quality.
Both are lies. She’s a liar either way. And neither of those situations are acceptable.
Final Thoughts:
I think it comes down to a dirty and irresponsible lab and a money hungry influencer.
I can excuse some of the problems this launch had, like delayed shipping, website glitches, even product mishaps. But those mistakes have to be acknowledged by the brand as soon as they come to light.
Something else that’s bothering me is that, as of now (when I’m writing this at 2:30 6/12), there has yet to be a statement made by Jaclyn or the brand.
The problem is we don’t know what actually went down. She knows the truth, and we can only speculate until she tells us further. If she comes out and makes a statement, it’s fact. There is a problem, and she will probably lose fans and customers (money). However, if she stays quiet, there is still a lingering benefit of the doubt. Maybe it was a fluke? Maybe she didn’t know.
I can trust Jaclyn’s tutorials–she is great at those. And I can trust product recommendations about non Morphe/non Jaclyn Hill branded products. But I can no longer trust anything with Jaclyn Hill’s name on it.
All of these opinions are my own, and I don’t want you to take my word, or anyone else who has spoken out on this, as gospel. However, I wouldn’t blindly trust her, or any influencer. You have to do your own research and develop your own opinion, make your own choices.
Like I said, I won’t be “cancelling” Jaclyn Hill. I won’t be trusting her as much either.
If you would like to know more about the Jaclyn Hill launch, see these videos for reference (they are the videos I’ve found most useful):
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