Jaclyn Hill is one of the most influential beauty vloggers on YouTube today. And in 2019, Hill answered fan demand by releasing her own cosmetics line. While the line was hotly anticipated, Hill's makeup launch quickly became one of the biggest scandals to hit YouTube's beauty community.
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00:00Jaclyn Hill is one of the most influential beauty vloggers on YouTube.
00:05In July of 2019, Hill deleted her Twitter and Instagram accounts, according to Teen
00:09Vogue.
00:10While the line was hotly anticipated, Hill's makeup launch quickly became one of the biggest
00:14scandals to hit YouTube's beauty community.
00:17Here's the truth about Jaclyn Hill's cosmetics line.
00:21After a successful collaboration with Becca Cosmetics, fans were hungry for Hill to create
00:26her own beauty line.
00:28The YouTube star initially announced she was creating her own cosmetics brand, called
00:32Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics, in 2015, with a goal to launch the line in 2016.
00:38As Refinery29 reported in July 2015, the makeup mogul made the announcement at a Becca welcome
00:44reception, explaining that she had been working on the line for two years at the time, and
00:49she had been saving up for it with her own funds rather than working with investors.
00:53Hill said,
00:54I didn't want people telling me what to do or controlling me.
00:58I wanted to make sure that I stayed true to myself."
01:01Hill went on to explain that the first products of her line would be lipsticks, and they would
01:06come in glamorous packaging.
01:08While the news was exciting, Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics did not launch in 2016, and it would take
01:14three more years before it was released.
01:17In 2017, Hill collaborated with Morphe on an eyeshadow palette.
01:22Like her partnership with Becca Cosmetics, Hill's Morphe release was a monumental success.
01:27According to Revelist, the YouTube star shared the exciting news in a tweet, writing,
01:31"...as of this week, we have officially sold 1 million Jaclyn Hill palettes."
01:36While Hill's first project with Morphe was a huge hit, her second collaboration with
01:41the brand was a dud.
01:43Initially set to release on June 26th, 2018, Hill's next Morphe palette, The Vault, was
01:49quickly delayed after receiving a negative response from beauty influencers on YouTube.
01:54According to Cosmopolitan, Morphe recalled the palette to fix issues, but some fans still
01:58complained about poor quality after the palette was finally released in August 2018.
02:03Hill addressed the drama over her Vault collection in a September 2018 YouTube video, expressing
02:09her sadness about the poor response and apologizing to fans who felt she was shoving the Morphe
02:14brand down their throats.
02:16"...the fact that these are not absolutely perfect, it makes me very sad, and I am so
02:23sorry if you are unhappy."
02:26Hill initially teased she was creating her own cosmetics line back in 2015, but after
02:31she continued to focus on brand collaborations with Morphe, it seemed as though the line
02:36was placed on the back burner.
02:38That all changed when Hill gave fans a major hint during an Instagram Q&A in January 2019.
02:44During the Q&A, a fan asked what the first product in her cosmetics line would be.
02:50Hill coyly responded with a lipstick emoji and a red lips emoji, as Bustle reported.
02:55The vague response sent fans into a tizzy as they theorized about the kind of lipstick
03:00Hill would release.
03:02Hill remained mum on the topic as speculation brewed throughout the beauty community.
03:06Then, according to Life & Style, Hill posted a since-deleted video on her Instagram in
03:11May 2019 with the caption,
03:13"...it's really happening.
03:15Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics."
03:17On May 23rd, 2019, Hill released a YouTube video and announced that Jaclyn Cosmetics
03:22was finally happening.
03:24The emotional Hill was understandably excited to share the news that one of her dreams was
03:28becoming a reality, and she revealed she was kicking off her makeup line with a 20-shade
03:33nude lipstick collection.
03:35In the video, Hill recalled the exact moment she decided she was going to create her own
03:40makeup line.
03:41She had been at a MAC store in the mall holding a lipstick in her hand, telling herself that
03:46she'd have a brand of her own one day.
03:48At the time, I was on food stamps, and there was no brand in mind whatsoever."
03:55The young makeup artist spent eight years perfecting her brand and makeup line to deliver
04:00a product she was sure fans would love.
04:02I don't say anything with that much confidence, but after several years, I finally had the
04:07confidence to say that this is an incredible brand."
04:10After Hill announced she was launching her cosmetics line with a collection of nude lipsticks,
04:15excitement sparked throughout the internet.
04:17Fans wanted to know everything about the buttery, so rich lipstick collection, and they were
04:22chomping at the bit to get their hands on the long-awaited makeup products from their
04:26queen.
04:27Before long, the Jaclyn Cosmetics Instagram account accrued over 500,000 followers.
04:34Within 24 hours of the launch, several of the lipsticks sold out, which shouldn't have
04:39come as a surprise to fans of the makeup maven.
04:42Her previous beauty launches with both Becca and Morphe also sold out quickly.
04:47Elated with fan reception, Jaclyn Cosmetics shared a happy message on Instagram, saying,
04:53"...thank you to everyone who showed us so much love today.
04:56We can't wait to see you all wearing your so rich lipsticks.
05:00And don't worry, we have restocks coming really soon."
05:05After the Jaclyn Cosmetics lipstick collection quickly sold out and received initial widespread
05:10praise, it seemed like Hill's first product launch from her own brand was a massive success.
05:16However, as fans began receiving their products, the response became less than stellar.
05:22One by one, fans and beauty influencers around the internet expressed their concerns and
05:27aired their complaints about the lipsticks, and the criticism spread like wildfire across
05:31social media.
05:33On June 5th, 2019, a fan tweeted an image of her lipstick, which appeared to have lumps
05:39in it.
05:40According to Refinery29, Hill responded in a now-deleted tweet, saying,
05:45"...you posted swatches two days ago loving the lipsticks?
05:49Now you're wondering why it's lumpy.
05:51It's obvious this lipstick is used and not fresh from the factory.
05:56Like any other lipstick, if you use it over other products, have dry lips, etc., things
06:02like this can happen."
06:03While Hill denied there were issues with her products, the concern from fans continued
06:08rolling in.
06:09Just two days later, on June 7th, 2019, another fan tweeted an image of her lipstick with
06:15a hard ball inside of it.
06:18There appeared to be problems with more than just one product.
06:22As fan concern over Hill's lipstick collection continued popping up across social media,
06:27beauty influencers on YouTube began testing the Jaclyn Cosmetics collection for themselves.
06:33YouTube star Raw Beauty Christy provided an in-depth look into the so-rich lipstick collection,
06:38and the results were upsetting.
06:41In a YouTube video posted on June 8th, 2019, Christy used a microscope to thoroughly examine
06:47the lipsticks and give viewers an up-close look at the discrepancies with the products.
06:53Similar to fan complaints, she found hair, bubbles, holes, and lumps within the Jaclyn
06:59Cosmetics lipsticks.
07:00"...do I feel comfortable recommending these to you off of my first impression?
07:04Absolutely not."
07:05While she stated that the lipsticks look incredible on Jaclyn, she repeated customers' concerns.
07:10"...the product itself is unstable and not quality tested in any way."
07:16She also tweeted a photo of her hairy lipstick with the caption,
07:20All I can say is WTF.
07:23There was no more denying that the lipsticks were unsightly, and it prompted many fans
07:27to worry about the safety and sanitation of the products.
07:31Raw Beauty Christy's YouTube video has been viewed over 4 million times as of July 2019.
07:37Several other influencers have also shared their insight regarding the Jaclyn Cosmetics
07:41lipstick collection.
07:42Still, Hill has continued to defend herself.
07:45She initially responded to Raw Beauty Christy's tweet with the hairy lipstick picture, blaming
07:50the cosmetics lab for the issue and saying,
07:53"...if any of you are receiving lipsticks like this, please know that this is NOT hair.
07:59My factory used brand new white gloves to do quality control and they shed all over
08:04my product.
08:06We switched to rubber gloves two days ago and will make sure this never happens again."
08:11Fellow beauty influencer and CEO of Makeup Geek Marlena Stel tweeted a response, saying,
08:17"...I'm going to get scorched for speaking out.
08:20WTF Lab ever has used furry gloves.
08:24In my 11 years I've never once seen furry gloves on production floor.
08:29And why is that hair so damn long?
08:32If it was a furry glove it would be very slight fuzz.
08:36And it's embedded in the lipstick."
08:40Despite widespread criticism over the Jaclyn Cosmetics lipstick collection, Hill stayed
08:45relatively silent, especially on her YouTube channel.
08:48Her brand kept a brave face toward the media, maintaining the product launch was a success,
08:53and did not acknowledge that there was an alleged widespread issue with the collection.
08:58In a statement shared with People on June 11th, 2019, Jaclyn Cosmetics said,
09:03"...the response to the launch of Jaclyn Cosmetics has been incredible.
09:07With the incredible volume of orders that were placed at launch, we believe less than
09:12half of 1% of orders were impacted by compromised product.
09:17We are actively reaching out to our customers with questions and concerns.
09:21We love our customers and are proud of our successful launch."
09:24Jaclyn Cosmetics also responded to complaints in a tweet posted on June 7th, 2019, explaining
09:30that high temperatures were to blame for some of the lipstick defects in the collection.
09:35After numerous complaints about the quality of the Jaclyn Cosmetics lipstick collection
09:39flooded social media, Hill finally addressed the controversy in a YouTube video titled
09:44My Lipsticks, on June 12th, 2019.
09:48In the 14-minute video, a bare-faced Hill opened up about what happened with the cosmetics
09:52lab, and she addressed concerns that her lipsticks had been contaminated.
09:56"...the first thing that I want to address before anything else is the accusations that
10:00my lipsticks are expired, moldy, or hazardous in any way, shape, or form."
10:05She claimed her lipsticks were not moldy, hazardous, contaminated, or unsafe.
10:10She went on to explain that the black holes people were seeing in the lipsticks were actually
10:14oxygen bubbles, not mold.
10:16As for the hair found in the lipsticks?
10:19Hill claimed that it isn't actually hair, but rather fuzz from the white gloves worn
10:23by workers at the lab.
10:25Hill has since cut ties with that cosmetics lab and urged anyone who is still finding
10:29issues with their lipsticks to reach out to Jaclyn Cosmetics directly.
10:33After releasing her official apology on YouTube, Hill took to Instagram Stories to apologize
10:38to her fans again on Saturday, June 22nd, 2019.
10:41She announced that she was refunding all orders and claimed that she didn't care about the
10:45loss of money.
10:47On the same day, Jaclyn Cosmetics tweeted,
10:49"...Jaclyn Cosmetics takes consumer feedback very seriously.
10:54We've reviewed the quality issues related to our so-rich lipsticks and believe our production
10:58did not meet our brand standards.
11:00We'll be issuing a full refund, including shipping charges, to everyone who purchased
11:04the product."
11:06The makeup brand also issued a statement on the company's website informing customers
11:10that a product recall would not be happening because it was not necessary.
11:15After experiencing weeks of heavy criticism from fans across social media over her failed
11:20lipstick collection, Jaclyn Hill seemed to have had enough.
11:24In 2019, the makeup mogul deleted her personal Twitter and Instagram accounts, leaving her
11:29YouTube channel, as well as Jaclyn Cosmetics' Instagram and Twitter accounts, unaffected
11:34by the social media purge.
11:36Hill remained silent across all platforms without a clue about the future.
11:40On June 29th, 2019, Hill's mom took to Instagram, writing,
11:45"...please know that Jaclyn needs time but she will be back stronger than ever."
11:49While the popular beauty vlogger had presumably hoped to make a splash on the makeup scene
11:53with the launch of her brand, she probably never imagined things would turn out as they
11:57had.
11:58And although she likely hoped her cosmetics line would get people talking, this was most
12:03definitely not what she had in mind.
12:06As promised, the beauty guru returned to the social media scene after a hiatus.
12:11On August 16th, 2019, Jaclyn Cosmetics issued a statement on Instagram,
12:16"...at Jaclyn Cosmetics, we're dedicated to giving you the best products and customer
12:20experience.
12:21It is clear that our first launch did not meet the standards we've set as a brand and
12:25for that we are truly sorry."
12:27However, this post wasn't just an apology.
12:30The cosmetics label also announced that it would be taking, quote, "...a moment to rebuild,"
12:35with a vague promise,
12:36"...the future is bright and we're so excited for what's to come."
12:41The post garnered over 100,000 likes, but the comments were understandably mixed.
12:47While Jaclyn Hill was away, she spent time consulting fellow beauty business owners like
12:51Jen Atkin of Ouai Haircare and Claudia Soar of Anastasia Beverly Hills.
12:56In November 2019, Hill revealed to Allure,
12:59"...it meant so much to have those two women who are so successful really have my back
13:04behind the scenes, and it's encouraged me because I felt like my life is over."
13:08During Hill's online blackout, she also went to therapy, telling Allure,
13:13"...I really, really have PTSD and I'm kind of scarred from lipsticks, so we are really
13:19going to take our time diving into that.
13:21We've added over 20 people to Jaclyn Cosmetics to make sure that what happened in the past
13:26never happens again and it can be a successful launch, and I can prove myself as a brand
13:31and as a CEO."
13:33While the beauty guru said she does plan to re-release lipsticks eventually, Hill pivoted
13:38away from lip products altogether and, instead, relaunched Jaclyn Cosmetics in November of
13:432019 with a holiday highlighter and brush collection.
13:47As Hill hinted in her brand's August 2019 statement, the future was literally bright.
13:53So was the holiday collection able to revive the cosmetics label?
13:57Although beauty influencer Jeffree Star complimented the Accent Light Highlighter Palette's formula,
14:02he didn't think the palette was unique.
14:05He also found the Mood Light Luminous Powder too sheer and the Bring the Light Brush Trio
14:09to be unnecessary.
14:11Additionally, there were some PR concerns from other influencers and some shipping issues
14:15noted by customers.
14:17Of course, it's not unusual for a brand to receive feedback via social media, and despite
14:22some seemingly valid complaints, the Jaclyn Cosmetics customer service team has made sure
14:27to keep the lines of communication open.
14:30Even with a few hiccups, the launch of the holiday collection was overall successful.
14:34Jeffree Star even awarded the brand's Beaming Light Loose Highlighter his approval.
14:38Along with a slew of other good reviews, the highlighters partially sold out just a few
14:43days after launch.