As the world of influencers has grown, our trust in them has inevitably decreased. The biggest ones out there, particularly in beauty, are almost always tied to a brand in some form or fashion; they praise its products even if they've never even used them before. But we're not judging — their careers depend on brand deals, and one positive review can add up to millions of dollars in their pockets.
However, it doesn't make them immune from criticism, especially when it's clear that the products they're praising on social media are not their favorites in real-life. And that's why Patrick Starrr is catching some heat. After a recent Kylie Skin review, his subscribers are calling him out for what they think was a less than genuine video.
We've all been waiting to hear the real verdict on Kylie Skin.
Much in part because most of us are afraid to try it ourselves. Since its first products were announced, those more serious about skin care than supporting Kylie Jenner have been rather concerned about just how safe these products really are. Most notably, people have ripped the Walnut Face Scrub to shreds for being potentially extremely harmful. And just earlier this week, Jenner released a video using the foaming wash herself, but it seemed that not even she wanted it on her skin for an extended period of time. This further added to the narrative that her new brand may not really live up to the hype.
Basically, there hasn't been anyone to turn to for the real tea on whether the products really work. So when Patrick Starrr reviewed the line, in a video titled "Kylie Skin Review and First Impressions," we were optimistic that the outspoken influencer would be fully transparent. However, many of his fans and viewers of the video felt the exact opposite.
Let's note that Jenner and Starrr are longtime friends.
At this point, Starrr might as well be the newest edition to the Kardashian/Jenner family. In May of last year, he did Kris Jenner's makeup on his channel, and not even a few months later, he released his most watched video, featuring Kim Kardashian. So needless to say, he's on good terms with them — very good.
He also attended the lavish Kylie Skin launch party last week, living it up with Kylie and endearingly calling her a "Mother. Sister. Daughter. Mogul. Queen" in his Instagram caption.
And while we all completely understand Starrr's loyalty to his (very powerful) friend, commenters are vocalizing that it also lies with his subscribers.
It's worth mentioning that Starrr has 4.3 million YouTube subscribers who hang onto his every word.
There's no telling how many people have immediately clicked the buy button after hearing a review from Starrr; even we have. His opinion is highly respected, so the very general yet positive review seemed like a slap in the face to some.
"I understand it's hard to say anything bad about your friends' products but always be honest! You have a big following and people will actually believe anything you say," someone said in the comments of the review.
For the first time in just about ever, Starrr didn't have a whole lot to say, and people noticed.
Starrr couldn't really seem to find the words to express exactly why he liked the skin-care line, and unfortunately it was easy to tell that he probably preferred a slew of other brands' products over Kylie's.
"So much for the 'HONEST REVIEW,'" a visibly irritated viewer commented.
Starrr also noted that the products were "dermatologist-tested."
However, anyone with deeper skin-care knowledge knows that the industry is loosely, if at all regulated, therefore the claims don't really say much.
"'Dermatologist-tested' means nothing. Especially because dermatologists on social media are ripping this skincare set apart," someone noted.
And remember how Kylie said you only need one pump of the cleansing foam for an adequate layer?
Well, Starrr reiterated those sentiments and then proceed to apply a heaping 10 pumps to his skin. It was all a bit confusing, to say the least.
"Jesus Christ the amount of pumps you used for the foaming pump gave me major anxiety," a subscriber said.
It sounded to many like he was reading directly from the brand's promotional materials.
His insight was really nothing that we couldn't find ourselves on the brand's website. What was missing from the video was Starrr's candor and believability that just about all of us have come to love so much.
"Kylie: this is a milk toner patrick: ohh this is like a milky toner," a viewer of the video joked.
He made the bold move of comparing Kylie Skin to a beloved luxury skin care brand, and that's where a lot of fans drew the line.
Starrr mentioning that Kylie Skin was like a more affordable version of Tatcha was just about the last straw for everyone. Tatcha, which has proven itself to be one of the most respected prestige skin-care brands out there, bears no resemblance nor comparable ingredients to the junior brand.
"This review is so biased cuz kylie’s his friend so ofc he recommends everything expensive," a critic noted in the video's comments.
Some even went so far as to call him a "sellout." Way harsh, Tai.
"Sad you became a sellout just because a kardashian, this isnt honest AT ALL," someone angrily commented.
And while we wouldn't quite go that far, it's clear that Starrr's friendship with Kylie Jenner had a large impact on the review.
But hey, it's not easy getting on Kylie's PR list, and it's even harder to stay on it.
Influencers everywhere would legit sell their first born child for the opportunity to be recognized by the young billionaire, so does that mean that the credibility of those that are should always be criticized?
"Never trust anyone who had a PR package from Kylie, they will do ANYTHING to stay on it," someone said.
But still, based on his positive history, we will continue to stan Starrr. However, this one review here we're going to have to disregard.
