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Trending short videosExpert demonstrates makeup shade evaluation
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@thelipsticklesbians

TikTok · Speaker address

@thelipsticklesbians Beauty queens! The moment these @essence.cosmetics foundations came in PR I thought to myself, wow, this what a shade range! So naturally, I wanted to swatch the deeper shades, especially the deepest one, to get a quick understanding if my thoughts were correct. Now, I am going to be honest beauty queens, my last corporate job I was part of the team that led a major complexion relaunch. We developed over 40 shades, and not all of them launched. And complexion is COMPLEX, if you’ve been following me for a while y’all know I love a challenge 🤪It was through this experience and many many more that I really got to understand the nuances of shade development. Now, I am not saying this is how shade development begins and ends at all because it is IMPERATIVE, ESSENTIAL, and it MUST be a part of the process that these shades are tested, tried, and evaluated on the skin they were intended for. But this process shown here is how beauty product developers evaluate shades especially against other benchmarks on the market that are like-as from a shade perspective. So took this as an opportunity to show you. We create four squares, where we diagonally swatch the products so that they are compared directly next to each other above and below. It gives you the best view comparatively by the eye to tell the differences. And just taking a look at the darkest shade here against another on the market with Haus Labs, the darkest shade of Essence is super rich and neutral. And at $6.99, she also feels like a great accessible purchase! I’m impressed! Now from a shade perspective, the true test will be checking out if all of these shades are in store, or at least the darkest shades for our most melanated queens. But in the meantime, I am impressed enough here to actively evaluate the shade match for me personally. What do y’all think beauty queens, have you tried this foundation? Essence came in strong with this one! #beautytok #inclusivebeauty #makeupreview #productdevelopment #beautyindustry #foundation #drugstoremakeup

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Performance

Views
1.1M
Likes
112.2K
Comments
354
Engagement
10.7%
Outlier
1348.4×
Length · 25 Jul 2025
2:06

Video #33199 · Speaker address

Expert demonstrates makeup shade evaluationfrom @thelipsticklesbians

[01]

Overview

The creator, a beauty product developer, explains and demonstrates the initial process for evaluating the inclusivity of a foundation shade range. She uses a new 43-shade foundation stick line from Essence as a case study, comparing its darkest shade to a market benchmark (Haus Labs) using a four-square swatching technique on her arm to assess its richness and undertone.

[02]

Simple outline

  1. 1Promise insider knowledge
  2. 2Challenge common assumption
  3. 3Demonstrate 'real' method
  4. 4Deliver expert verdict

[03]

Related videos

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[04]

Classification

Format
Speaker address
Concepts
Tutorial / How ToBreakdownCase Study Breakdown
Elements
Physical Product DemonstrationJump Cut
Account
Personal Brand
Topics
BeautyProduct DevelopmentMakeup

[05]

Hook analysis

What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds

Title hook · 48%

beauty queens this is how beauty product developers evaluate whether or not a shade range is inclusive

Verbal hook · 27%

Beauty queens, this is how beauty product developers evaluate whether or not a shade range is inclusive.

Visual hook · 25%

A quick cut to a close-up of four distinct, dark brown foundation swatches on the creator's lighter-toned arm, creating immediate visual contrast and curiosity.

[06]

Hook template

Steal this for your own video

[identity label], this is how [insider role] actually evaluate [industry standard claim]

  • — Sneakerheads, this is how authentication experts actually evaluate whether a pair is fake.
  • — Home cooks, this is how Michelin inspectors actually evaluate a restaurant's quality.
  • — Job seekers, this is how hiring managers actually evaluate whether your resume gets read.

[07]

Hook and payoff

The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back

Hook

A bold declaration promising to reveal an exclusive, professional process or secret knowledge, creating an immediate knowledge gap for the viewer.

Payoff

Delivering the final, expert verdict based on the visual evidence created during the demonstration, satisfying the viewer's curiosity and closing the knowledge gap from the hook.

[08]

Narrative framework

The structural pattern this video runs on

Framework

The Expert's Deconstruction

Revealing a professional, 'behind-the-scenes' methodology to evaluate a common subject, thereby challenging surface-level assumptions and establishing authority.

  1. 1

    The Surface-Level Setup

    Presenting a common or widely accepted fact, product, or situation as the initial subject of analysis.

  2. 2

    The Assumption Invalidation

    Immediately undermining the initial setup by introducing a more complex problem or a higher standard, proving the common assumption is insufficient.

  3. 3

    The Professional Framework

    Establishing the creator's authority by introducing their expert methodology, tools, or 'library' of knowledge that will be used for the 'real' evaluation.

  4. 4

    The Process Reframe

    Correcting a potential viewer misconception about the process, elevating the importance and complexity of the demonstration to follow.

  5. 5

    The Method Demonstration

    A step-by-step walkthrough of the creator's unique or professional technique, showing the 'how' behind their expertise.

  6. 6

    The Benchmark Application

    Introducing a control variable or a point of comparison from the expert's 'library' and applying it within the demonstrated method to create a clear, comparative analysis.

Themes

  • Inclusivity in beauty
  • Industry standards
  • Consumer education
  • Drugstore makeup

Techniques

  • Direct address
  • Expert demonstration
  • Product comparison

Post caption

Beauty queens! The moment these @essence.cosmetics foundations came in PR I thought to myself, wow, this what a shade range! So naturally, I wanted to swatch the deeper shades, especially the deepest one, to get a quick understanding if my thoughts were correct. Now, I am going to be honest beauty queens, my last corporate job I was part of the team that led a major complexion relaunch. We developed over 40 shades, and not all of them launched. And complexion is COMPLEX, if you’ve been following me for a while y’all know I love a challenge 🤪It was through this experience and many many more that I really got to understand the nuances of shade development. Now, I am not saying this is how shade development begins and ends at all because it is IMPERATIVE, ESSENTIAL, and it MUST be a part of the process that these shades are tested, tried, and evaluated on the skin they were intended for. But this process shown here is how beauty product developers evaluate shades especially against other benchmarks on the market that are like-as from a shade perspective. So took this as an opportunity to show you. We create four squares, where we diagonally swatch the products so that they are compared directly next to each other above and below. It gives you the best view comparatively by the eye to tell the differences. And just taking a look at the darkest shade here against another on the market with Haus Labs, the darkest shade of Essence is super rich and neutral. And at $6.99, she also feels like a great accessible purchase! I’m impressed! Now from a shade perspective, the true test will be checking out if all of these shades are in store, or at least the darkest shades for our most melanated queens. But in the meantime, I am impressed enough here to actively evaluate the shade match for me personally. What do y’all think beauty queens, have you tried this foundation? Essence came in strong with this one! #beautytok #inclusivebeauty #makeupreview #productdevelopment #beautyindustry #foundation #drugstoremakeup

Transcript

Beauty queens, this is how beauty product developers evaluate whether or not a shade range is inclusive. Let's talk about it. The moment these essence foundation sticks arrived at our door, I thought, this is probably the biggest shade range and stick foundation at the drugstore. 43 total. That means nothing if the range isn't actually functional for our melanated queens. No the second thing I thought was, I need to go to my shade library rank I need to figure out as a product developer if tier darkest shade actually is comparable to the darkest shades on the market. This is not where shade development ends. This is where it begins. We need human skin that is this shade to fully and properly evaluate and develop the range. But as a product developer, you can have an understanding of like as shade tonality. So what you would do, you would actually draw squares. That is a rich shade. You would take our darkest shade in our library. You literally want to create squares in the two missing holes to evaluate if Essence did their job. And then you would draw your squares. And what I'm seeing is rich, beautiful, neutral undertones echo.

Expert demonstrates makeup shade evaluation | Viral Hooks