If you frequent the makeup and beauty side of TikTok, chances are you have seen all the Jones Road Beauty drama this past week.
ICYMI, Jones Road Beauty – a brand founded by iconic makeup artist Bobbi Brown – has sent TikTok into a tailspin with the launch of its first base product, What The Foundation.
Jones Road Beauty describes the product as a “tinted moisture balm meets traditional foundation.” Infused with “skin-nourishing” ingredients like Jojoba Oil and Sodium Hyaluronate, What The Foundation is perfect for light-medium coverage.
The controversy began when some of the TikTok’s biggest beauty creators started receiving and reviewing the product. Meredith Duxbury and Mikayla Nogueira were among some of the influencers who went viral for posting negative reviews.
After sharing their thoughts on the product, the TikTokers quickly found themselves in hot water. With other beauty creators like Tyler Hysko giving the product a positive review, many makeup artists and lovers claim that Meredith and Mikayla used the foundation incorrectly.
In the era of “all publicity is good publicity,” TikTok users have even started questioning whether the controversy around the foundation is a part of Jones Road Beauty’s marketing strategy.
TikTok creator and professional makeup artist, Delaney Kalea, has gone viral for pointing out how Jones Road Beauty is offering to buy content from TikTok users who post about the product.
Delaney shared a screenshot of the James Road Beauty website reading, “Get paid when you post on TikTok.”
“If you are seeing all these ridiculously positive reviews, remember this”, she went on to say. “Remember, there is also something called reverse marketing, which means you give a negative review, and it makes it so controversial that you also get paid for it.”
On a short-platform video app dominated by hot takes and eye-catching visuals, it’s hard to discern what is an advertisement and what isn’t, especially when bundled in with accusations of unethical promotion stemming directly from the brand.
Here’s hoping the TikTok beauty community will embrace the authenticity and honesty it was once known for.