Do you ever have one of those days, when you realize everything you've been led to believe is actually a group of stretched truths? I know I have. In fact, today, I'm calling bulls**t on myself! A few weeks ago, I wrote this article about Jeffree Star. I, somehow, got caught up in the hype associated with his brand without vetting it first. To be honest, I've only bought one product from the brand and I have been extremely pleased with its performance (for anyone curious, it is "Redrum," one of the liquid lipsticks). Now, some may be asking why I have not deleted the first article, and why I have decided to write this. The answer is simple: I made an error in judgement, and while I might not purchase products from the brand in the future, I think it is important to give credit where credit is due (i.e., the product I ordered, and the experience I had with the brand/company was not one that I would consider "bad" in nature).
You see, I was not aware of Jeffree Star's myspace past, and I was also not aware of his customer service snafus -- to give those events a nice name. (Full disclosure: I was aware of the Snapchat rant, which you can view in the linked video, found in the following paragraph). I fell victim (I use that term very loosely, let's say for dramatic purposes) to the "hive mind" mentality, and common sense seemed to allude me.
A video that is worth your time, is the following. In it, Stephanie Nicole thoroughly reviews the newest additions to the Jeffree Star line (the "Beauty Killer" palette, and one of the highlighters), as well as the brand itself. She is worth subscribing to in general, as she does not rely on YouTube as her primary source of income (which in reality, means that she can be as brutal and honest as she wants). Unlike many so-called "beauty gurus," she actually works within the cosmetics industry, and it shows, as she shares knowledge with the world. She is blatantly honest about her opinions, which is quite refreshing. Too many so-called "gurus" form incestuous relationships with one another, which leads to overly positive reviews, without any real merit. I'm not trying to bash anyone, nor am I saying that collaborations are bad. I am, however, stating that if you've branded yourself to be someone who is unafraid of the truth, and then give a good review to a crappy product, then there is an inherent issue.
All in all, I suggest that if this matters to you, that you do your own research. I seriously mis-stepped in not doing my background research, and now I live with the consequence(s), if any arise. Please do not make the mistake(s) I have made! Due diligence is necessary. While I will continue to follow both Jeffree and Stephanie on social media (Jeffree, because it is entertaining, and Stephanie because it is informative), I don't think further purchases will be made of Jeffree Star products.
