Right Brain says…
This bit of science might make even a skeptic like Left Brain re-evaluate feelings about beauty product reviews. It turns out that psychologists have demonstrated strangers are more reliable predictors of what you’ll like than you are.
Science of Choice
Harvard researchers investigated women’s ability to predict how well they would enjoy a specific date. In one study, they gave some women typical online dating information like a picture & profile. Other women got no information except the opinion of a stranger who had already dated the person. It turns out, the women who got the stranger’s evaluation were better able to predict whether they would enjoy the date or not versus the one’s who got the picture & profile information.
According to the scientists,
“If you want to know how much you will enjoy an experience, you are better off knowing how much someone else enjoyed it than knowing anything about the experience itself,” says [Daniel] Gilbert. “Rather than closing our eyes and imagining the future, we should examine the experience of those who have been there.”
Beauty Reviews
So, how does this relate to beauty reviews? Well, if this research is applicable it suggests that rather than reading sales information & listening to advertisements about products, you’ll be much more satisfied if you listen to the advice of a beauty product reviewer.
Limitations
Of course, beauty product reviews have their limitations as we’ve previously discussed. But if you can find a beauty reviewer that you trust & who has similar hair, skin, or other needs as you, you’re going to be much better off if you reviewed their experience before making beauty product buying decisions.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Although beauty reviews can sometimes be misleading, science shows that the opinion of people with experience can be a better predictor of whether you’ll like something than your own imagination.
What’s your favorite source when it comes to beauty product reviews? Do you use them? Do YOU think they’re accurate? Leave your comments for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
Loading ...
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
As a reviewer myself, I look for certain features in reviews to determine whether I trust them and if they’re relevant for me. I always need a description of their skin/hair/eyelash type so that I know if I’m facing the same problem as they are and I don’t want to see marketing/product copy written verbatim in a review unless they’re parsing it to assess the claims. Does a review come from a person or is it endorsed by a magazine? Those also raise red flags for me since they’re so tied into sponsorship/advertiser issues.
That said, there are great reviews on Essential Day Spa and MakeupAlley if you can sift through the sheer volume of it all.
As a reviewer myself I know the importance of having used the product that you are writing or speaking about. Someone who has used the product they are reviewing always presents a more compelling case and it shows through in the presentation of their analysis.
In deciding whether to trust the review I always look for a balance of points. If there is some evaluation taking account of positives and negatives
I find it easier to believe than empty hyperbole. I guess it is a case of not automatically taking every statement at face value.