Should You Trust Beauty Journalists?

It is quite frightening to talk to journalists who you assume know stuff, particularly when it’s their job to inform the average consumer about what is going on out there – what are the latest treatments, what works, what doesn’t, what products are out there, what do they do and how do they do it etc.

Therefore I nearly fell off my chair when 90% of the journalists did not know what cosmeceuticals were, did not “get” the importance of them or indeed had no understanding of what constitutes good skin.

Some of the self-anointed make-up artists frankly could not have been make-up artists. How can you be a make-up artist and have 'bad skin' and not even have the most basic of skincare knowledge? Make-up can only enhance great skin – it should not “mask” what you have. If you have a problem with your skin – get it treated!

Many of these journalists seemed to be more interested in nail products and sparkles!

It makes our jobs – all of our jobs so hard – how can we promote what we do to an audience of consumers who are either a) not informed or b) misinformed?

One journalist after, having spent 25 minutes with her talking about mineral make-up, growth factors, products for redness etc. said she would “try and slot it in if she could find an angle or story”. My colleague and I immediately bombarded her with “stories”, including talking about the change in the market, why women are demanding treatments and products that actually do something and are looking for treatments to treat real skin issues.

Blimey what an eye opener!