Jaclyn Hill Reflects on Launching Jaclyn Cosmetics; ‘It Was a Total Flop’
Jaclyn Hill’s future looked promising when she launched her own beauty brand, Jaclyn Cosmetics, back in mid-2019. Her So Rich Lipsticks (a collection of nude lip colors) were extremely successful at first launch, and Hill sold out of all the products in mere minutes. Unfortunately, the success of the original launch was short-lived. Reports of contaminants within the lipsticks came in by the droves. Customers reported finding everything from animal hair to shards of glass and plastic in their products, making the lipstick a safety and health hazard.
The lipstick drama
The situation wasn’t helped by Hill’s response. First, she denied that there was anything wrong with her cosmetics. Then she elected not to comment further until she had all the necessary information. Following that, she issued an excuse that didn’t add up. Finally, she stopped production and promised each and every customer a full refund for their products before taking a social media hiatus for nearly a month. All the while, she refused to recall the lipsticks, maintaining that they were safe to use. Despite all the controversy, Jaclyn Cosmetics has re-launched since this snafu, and many of Hill’s fans seem open to giving her a second chance.
Jaclyn Hill reflects on Jaclyn Cosmetics with an Instagram post
Months later, Hill is reflecting on her 2019. On January 24, 2020, she penned a message to her fans sharing how difficult the past few months have been for her and her hopes for the future. “2019 was the hardest year of my life for many reasons. As you guys all witnessed last year, I launched my own cosmetic line, which has been a dream of mine for soooo long! And it was a total flop. I’ve never felt that kind of humiliation, embarrassment & disappointment in myself before. I totally crumbled. I didn’t know how to address it, I wanted to crawl into a hole & disappear. I’m still ashamed of the way I handled it, but I’m learning! I can’t control the past, but I can be better in the future. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me for the past year. You are incredible!!!! I can’t wait for you to see what’s in store for 2020!” Hill shared to her Instagram page.
The video garnered over 200,000 likes and a whole host of comments. Many of the comments were positive and praised Hill for her continued persistence. “You really are so strong. I have admired and looked up to you for so many years. We all love and believe in you no matter what. You never give up, you always keep fighting. I can’t wait to watch you grow more and more❤️ you will always have my support. Much love, 😘” one fan wrote on Instagram.
Critics express outrage on Twitter
However, not everyone was sympathetic to Hill. Some former fans and critics felt she was playing the victim once again. “What the too little too late fresh hell is this? An ad? Exploiting your failure? Novel idea. Are we supposed to feel sorry for her? I get what she’s trying to do, but it’s not working. nope-still don’t feel bad. Still handled it POORLY,” one user wrote on Twitter.
Others took offense to the way she handled the Jaclyn Cosmetics lipstick controversy. “1 main reason I can’t with #jaclynhill is the ghosting during lipstickgate. When there’s a crisis w a product, you don’t shut down social media & take a 30-day breather. Wanna be a CEO? Deal with the issue like a grown woman. Your supporters deserve more than your victim role,” a critic tweeted out. Even though Hill has plenty of critics, she seems to have enough fans who are willing to support her and are excited to see what Jaclyn Cosmetics comes out within the coming months.
