Welcome to the golden age of word-of-mouth marketing. These days, it’s rare to make a purchase without first taking ample time to research a product online, read a plethora of reviews, watch a few YouTube videos and ask friends and family for their opinions. In fact, 92% of all consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising (Forbes, 2018).
Well, I’m here to share some word-of-mouth marketing with you. Recently, you may have noticed that your social feeds are sprinkled with perfectly aesthetic photos of bathroom vanities adorned with an abundance of skin care products. The beauty blog Into the Gloss coined the term “Top Shelfie” in 2010, and since then the trend of posting a peek into your perfectly-curated bathroom vanity has taken over the internet (Into the Gloss, 2010). It’s no surprise that this aesthetically pleasing trend has gone viral, as the human brain is naturally a visual being and processes visuals 60,000 times faster than written language (Luttrell, 2018).
I’ve decided to jump on the #TopShelfie bandwagon and share my holy grail, all-time favorite skincare products with you today.
By now I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz over Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion, the miracle-working overnight pimple solution. While I am an avid Drying Lotion user, I believe that Mario Badescu’s best-kept secret is the Buffering Lotion. This product works wonders on painful under-the-skin pimples and cystic acne. The best part is that the product comes out as a thin, milky substance, but dries completely clear, making daytime use possible. I’ve struggled over the years to find a solution to stubborn under-the-skin pimples, and this product has been my saving grace.
If there’s anything that you should know about me, it’s that I am a die-hard Glossier fan. Aside from owning and loving just about every single product in its portfolio, I absolutely love Glossier’s mission and message, as well as its use of social media and marketing tactics. One of my all-time favorite Glossier products is the Exfoliating Solution. The solution prides itself on being a gentle exfoliator, as opposed to harsh exfoliating scrubs that scrape off the surface of your skin. Just a simple swipe of a cotton pad at night rids your skin of dead skin cells through chemical exfoliation. I am a firm believer that this product has changed my skin for the better. The exfoliant cleans away dead skin to prevent pimples and breakouts in the future, and, really, what more could you want out of a product? There’s a reason that this product is so often listed as out of stock, and it’s because of just how good it really is.
Before discovering Thayer’s Witch Hazel Toner, I had never used a toner. I was always under the impression that my skin was much too sensitive to be lathering it in harsh alcohol every morning and evening. This toner was the singular product that kickstarted my love for skincare products about two years back. Natural and soothing with a subtle but delicious rose petal scent, this product is an absolute staple in my skincare routine. And, at just $8 a bottle, there’s not a single downfall in sight.
A year ago if you had told me I’d be dropping $80 on vitamin C serum, I would’ve thought you were crazy. Well, I must be the crazy one now, but I’d be even more crazy to skip out on Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Day Serum. After searching for months for a product to get rid of my acne scars and even out my skin tone, I finally took the leap and jumped onto the Drunk Elephant bandwagon. This product has truly transformed my skin. The lightweight formula makes it easy to wear under makeup, and you only have to use it once a day to see results. If you can’t bring yourself to spend $80 on a skincare product, I would definitely recommend checking out the Rise + Glow Duo at Sephora, where you can snag a mini version of the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Solution and the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum for just $23.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2014/07/17/why-word-of-mouth-marketing-is-the-most-important-social-media/#4860ab2d54a8
https://intothegloss.com/
Luttrell, Regina. Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.
