One Video, Million Views: The Impact of One Honest Review.

In today's world, the reputation of brands is often shaped by what influencers have to say about them.

Jeffrey Star, 39, widely known for being the most unfiltered makeup reviewer in the beauty industry, once again made a brutal review on his new TikTok video, where he reviewed Rhode’s newest lip product, a lip contour pencil priced at $24.

On Feb. 2, Star uploaded a new makeup review TikTok video to his collection of “Is it Jeffree Star Approved?” The video quickly reached over 15 million views, with many fans agreeing with his statements. “The formula literally vanished, hello?” Star said, “It literally came raggedy, raggedy, right?… they’re literally made out of air.” The product was, in fact, not Jeffree Star-approved.

The fan bases of both Star and Hailey Bieber, the owner of Rhode, became divided. Some agreed that $24 wasn’t worth the price for a lip pencil with poor retention, while others argued that it wasn’t what Bieber had advertised.

However, the harsh and sarcastic review just kept coming one after another.“This is the cheapest piece of plastic,” Star said, then directly questioned Bieber, “Did you collab with Houdini? Because, baby, this is a fucking magic trick.” The video itself was as chaotic as the product, making the audience engage and search for other reviews of the product.

Bieber’s celebrity friends, like makeup artist Ariel Tejeda, jumped on the trend of reviewing the product to defend her. Slowly but surely, Star’s fans flooded his comment section, asking how much Bieber had paid him to clear the product’s name.

With the history Star has built on truthful reviews and the strong fan base he commands in the makeup world, makeup brands should certainly be more cautious about what they send out before Star calls their product “raggedy.”

So, what does this teach us? In a world full of influencer endorsement, the truth about a product or service will reflect upon reviews watched by millions. Influencers may unintentionally create savage takedowns that will make the brand suffer, so be aware of any controversial reviews that may come your way.

Bio: Susely Argueta is a senior at CSUN majoring in Journalism and Public Relations. Passionate about the beauty and travel industry. She is eager to contribute to the PR world, utilizing her expertise and diverse knowledge.