I know most people think being a beauty influencer is just about receiving free products and posting cute shelfies. And don’t get me wrong — the perks are real. But the reality? It’s so much messier than what you see on your feed.

I once filmed a sponsored reel at 2 a.m. in my kitchen because I didn’t have daylight hours left. I had to re-shoot the final scene three times because the product texture didn’t “show up enough.” The brand wanted visible absorption — but not so much that it disappeared. They wanted the cap in frame, the label forward, and the skin prepped but not dewy. Oh, and no music unless I had full licensing.

And I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve had briefs that respected my tone of voice, that allowed for disclaimers if the product didn’t suit my skin. But I’ve also been ghosted by PR teams after negotiating rates, sent “gifts” with five-slide content asks, and told I was “too skin-neutral” for a dewy skin campaign.

There’s pressure — not just to look good, but to know everything. To keep up with INCI lists, SPF filter updates, ingredient studies, global formulations. And also: what’s trending in Seoul, what’s trending on TikTok, and what hasn’t gone viral yet but should.

But here’s the thing I love: when someone DMs me and says, “Hey, that product you recommended? It fixed my barrier.” Or “Thank you for showing a no-makeup version of that serum — I thought I was the only one it pilled on.”

It’s not about perfect skin or perfect content. It’s about real conversations. And that’s the part I’ll keep showing up for — even if it means filming texture shots with one hand and holding a mirror with the other.