A few things I'd like to add: 1. Whether or not someone means to be deceitful does not matter. Intent makes no difference here. 2. How you handle criticism of your behavior is oftentimes a lot more important than the behavior itself to your audience. Whether or not the FTC decides that a fine is necessary, the impact on her brand will probably be more significant than the legal consequences of her actions. 3. Apparently SY kind of expected this backlash, and still went for it? I have to say this is pretty questionnable behavior. 4. I’ll go into more details next time when it comes to the law if that’s something you’re interested in! 5. Would you like me to make a follow up video?
I’m going to paste what I answered under another comment: I don't think it totally makes sense for many reasons: is she or is she not a co-founder? Did she wait to reveal she was behind the brand because she wanted honest feedback or because she wasn't officially a part of the company? If the announcement got delayed because of Covid-19/BLM but she wasn't a part of the company until very recently, what was she going to announce back in March? I have so many more questions haha As for the legal side, my opinion remains the same: she had a material relationship with Naturium, regardless of what that relationship was (co-founder, consultant, friend of the founder, etc) and she therefore should've disclosed it. Many of you asked for a follow up video but I’m not sure I have enough content to make another video about this. Maybe I can go more in depth this time and also talk about whether or not the apology video makes a difference legally speaking? Let me know what you guys would like to see!
Your tone was quite snarky when you mentioned not being a drama channel and where we should go for receipts. Your analysis was not much different because of you’re a lawyer tbh
Point 1 really needed to be put out there. I see it cited over and over by her stans that Susan had "good intentions". I'm sorry, but I don't think that intentions mean diddly-squat to the FTC?
I genuinely hope the FTC levies a significant fine on her. Not only did she promote her own brand without disclosing her financial stake...she gave herself an affiliate code to make it seem like she was just some random influencer on the brand’s pr list. She was actively lying to fans and consumers. Curious if she double dipped and paid herself commissions for that code? Yet another greedy, problematic influencer.
FTC is bs they do nothing. She definitely has a legal team and if they thought this was going to financially harm them she would’ve done things differently.
Caroline Hiron's has an incredible IG story that spells out the gravity of what Susan Yara has done. She lied to her subscribers many times and criticized The Ordinary openly to convince people to buy from Naturium. A brand that she was gaining financially from because she is the FOUNDER. Receiving a PR package? Saying, "I need to try more of their products to see how I feel about them?" I'm sorry, but I cannot subscribe to someone who lacks integrity. How can we trust anything she has to say anymore?
@@joannam1284 Well, IG stories don’t stay around. But I’m certain if you Google Susan Yara you will find the information. About the launch of her brand, Naturium.
This is more a comment on Susan's overall character, not her legal issues. She's a narcissist who can't admit when she's wrong. She also always avoids talking about her lack of academic background in skincare (except for that one video where she whined for 20 minutes about how journalists like her are so important). It's almost like she's banking on the fact that people will assume she's a doctor or aesthetician and not check her background. Here's a comment I left on one of her videos, questioning her credibility, which she still hasn't responded to: "I will provide some examples below, but if you don't get to the end before blocking me, I want you to know that spouting nonsense sometimes is fine. But you often handle such situations by not apologizing for disseminating incorrect info. 1. You were waxing eloquent about alkaline water in one of your videos and were extremely non-committal when people pointed out why you were wrong. [it was her reaction to Barbara Sturm's routine] 2. Your entire review of The Ordinary really brought to light that you hadn't made a sincere effort to research the company at all. Your preferred (and self-admitted!) method of research was "joining their Facebook group" instead of actually looking at their website. Many concerns you had in the video would have been easily answered by perusing a few webpages. 3. In your review of Dr Sandra Lee's routine, you completely misunderstood what inflammation is and somehow conflated the inflammation from an allergic reaction with the redness observed when sweating from exercise. 4. In an article you wrote for Glamour about alkaline water, the ONLY "expert" you consulted was holistic nutritionist Elissa Goodman. But in the article you misrepresented her as a registered dietitian! In the US, "registered dietitian" is a regulated title that requires a bachelor's degree and further training, while "nutritionist" requires no education. You didn't do your homework. 5. In your accutane-related video with Dr. Desai, from 3:15 onward, you had a preconceived notion that the particular type of acne that was being discussed was more common in males than in females -- a notion which the doctor dismissed. But then you incorrectly concluded from this that "hormones aren't playing that much of an effect?" which the doctor again had to correct. Look, you don't think in a very scientific way because you didn't learn to do so in school. This leads you to sometimes say incorrect things. It would be totally fine if you didn't get super defensive about it and were willing to apologize for spreading misinformation."
You know, I’ve always wondered what her qualifications are. I’ve only seen a couple of her videos and all she seems to do is sh*t on other people’s skincare routine and promote these overly complicated and expensive skincare routines. Ignoring that so much of your skin’s health and appearance relies on what you eat and GENETICS. Buy all the creams you want...you can’t fight genetics.
Yes!! All the alkaline water sh*t is what did it for me. I remember that video and she was attacking people pointing out the lack of evidence towards it and replying with “well we all have different opinions”. Girl, OPINIONS?? On science??? Yet she claims the title of “expert”. Great points.
Well said. I have found her way of presenting an argument on the reasons one product is better than another is based more on pseudo science delivered in a passive aggressive tone. I was especially turned off by her comments when she said she knows more than a board certified dermatologist. The arrogance was astounding. Her supposed apology video was more defensive rather than owning up to the deliberate lying.
Thank you for posting this. I am a former attorney and I follow Susan Yara and the Mixed Makeup channel. I saw her "launch announcement" shortly after it posted and was astounded when she openly admitted having promoted Naturium products on her channel without disclosing her affiliation with the brand. I get the idea of doing a soft launch anonymously to get unbiased reviews and candid feedback, but you can't also pretend that you've never heard of the brand and market it to your own followers. As you said, it remains to be seen what action, if any, will be taken against her by the FTC, but I think this is going to be very hard for her reputation to recover from. I also really don't understand what she was thinking. She's not a newcomer to social media--she's a full time influencer and social media entrepreneur with a million and a half subscribers between her personal and Mixed Makeup channels. Obviously she knows the rules as well as the fact that social media is very unforgiving when it comes to even the perception of being deceitful with one's followers. She also clearly has a team of marketing and legal professionals working with her both on her media presence and the new product manufacturer (I believe her husband is an attorney as well), so it's very difficult to understand how she thought this was going to be ok. In addition, she has dragged other influencers like Hyram and James Welsh into her big reveal and I think it's very unfair of her to have embroiled them into this debacle, no matter how unintended that may have been.
Hi Kevin! I honestly don’t see how anyone on her legal team could’ve let this slide... This whole thing makes no sense. Just one bad business decision after the other. I can not wait to see her next video on the Naturium launch. I also wonder who will be willing to partner with her in the future. I think it’s obvious that her subscribers have lost trust in her and I don’t see a brand wanting to pay her to promote anything for a while...
@@aichatohry3348 I agree, completely! It baffles me how something like this could happen. And it was so unnecessary. She could have done a soft launch and released the product without her name associated with it--which I think was actually quite smart if she genuinely wanted to get unbiased reviews and direct feedback on the products and formulations from people in the industry. All she had to do was stay quiet about it on her channels for 3 months. But not only did she plug the product without disclosure, she affirmatively made material misrepresentations about her knowledge of and association with the brand. And she acted like the manufacturer was offering discount code to her followers when in fact she was selling the product directly to consumers! This is not my area of law but I think she's treading dangerously close to outright fraud rather than a seemingly minor error of omission. I also agree that she's burned a lot of bridges with this. She was very highly regarded by other skin care influences and I assume she had long standing relationships with product manufacturers and media agents. I think she's going to be industry poison for a long time. And an even bigger issue is that this reflects negatively on all sorts of influences and everyone who does independent product reviews online. This just confirms what people suspect about so-called unbiased reviews actually being paid endorsements, which is why these rules exist in the first place.
What is even more mind-boggling is that her business attorney husband joined Naturium in March. She posted on the MM FB group, saying that things were tough for them financially, as he had left his corporate job to "help her with her skincare line". Was he asleep at the wheel? Was any other legal counsel on the team also comatose? Actually, was the entire team asleep? How was she allowed to drop the ball this badly?
I hardly call it "wanting honest feedback" if she is knocking another (very well-liked) brand like The Ordinary to a group of people who obviously are fans of hers and will trust what she says. She knew that doing so would garner very positive reviews, how could it not? Then saying, "Surprise! This amazing brand you all love is actually mine!" is definitely deceitful.
This sham is appalling in its legal, moral, and ethical implications. As an avid watcher of Susan Yara, I struggle to reconcile the polished, mature, thoughtful woman with such unethical, conniving, and deceitful behavior. And since her partner is a lawyer, how did she not understand the legal ramifications of her actions? How could she raise her brand v a competitor without disclosing her ownership in the company? And now I am hearing that she revealed this information because fans began to put 2 and 2 together? And she filed paperwork in a state where her and her partner would not have to be open about ownership (Delaware, I believe)? The more I learn about this ordeal, the further I must look down into the hole Susan Yara shoveled for herself, and the less I feel I can support her even after the dust settles. Some think this is as everyday as going for a walk. I must say, not for me. Not for me. I have subscribed. I look forward to your legal opinions. I'm very interested in having someone actually make law legible as it can at times be opaque.
What? Delaware? Where is the source for this? That would be a huge factor in her intent if she purposefully filed so she wouldn't have disclose ownership.
No one wants biased reviews, that’s why responsible honest companies use blind studies. Based on her long history of hypocrisy and unprofessionalism I 100% believe she knew exactly what she was doing and the whole “oopsie, I’m sorry you feel that way” bs she is giving everyone is gross.
Excuse me, I asked my question with sarcasm... People, she doesn’t have any... people just like to spread bs out here on the internet. Just bc your not happy with where you are in life doesn’t mean you should start making things up🤦🏻♀️
He is the General Counsel at Naturium. I'm sure they knew EXACTLY what they were doing and made big profits. Very disappointing. She really tarnished her brand and reputation.
Eww, I guess it's the latter. Gross, gross, gross. I thought her constant references to how she "loves to be fancy" revealed a materialistic side, and her defending Paris Hilton and the Kardashians as being worthy of respect because they became great influencers really made me question her ethics. I guess this shows my suspicions weren't wrong.
yes, i watched for a while and she just seemed off. too polished and overly confident for someone who doesn't have any professional skincare credentials.
@@abeygal6174 And when she does choose to respond, she can be incredibly condescending. But what can you expect from someone who thinks she's above everyone else, even the FTC.
Dudeee I always had a weird feeling, cause she would make passive aggressive comments & think so highly of herself like when she said she can go head to head w Dr Pimple Popper 😐😟
I am so shocked. I think it’s disgusting! So surprised there are people who are saying it was a “mistake” it’s clearly was well thought out? It was deceit and illegal! Awful!
YES!! Her behavior was calculated and dishonest, while she benefited financially. How can anyone support such a person? Or trust her opinion of any other product? She lacks the integrity needed to be in this industry.
Her stans clearly have no judgment and zero capacity for critical thinking. I've seen every excuse under the sun trotted out by them, including "she only had good intentions", "it was just ONE mistake", "everyone deserves a second chance", "there are bigger problems in the world right now", "women should be uplifting other women, not tearing them down", "she's a nice person and deserves my trust", "I don't care. I'm sure the products are good because Susan said so" etc. The best one though, was when one stan told everyone to "lay off Susan and think of her babies". You can't talk sense into stans, so I didn't even try. But it sure was amusing seeing the array of BS they came up with to justify her behaviour.
This is NOT the first time she violated the regs! This is a PATTERN of behavior with her. She has historically not disclosed sponsored videos. Seriously.
PMD and Clarisonic. She has mentioned Clarisonic in previous (older) vids. When she was promoting PMD, she straight up said she had no idea ‘the other sonic brush’ compares bc she’s never used it. Huh?????? I’m assuming PMD either didn’t want her to mention Clarisonic, or she legally couldn’t, but she straight up lied a) bc she never mentioned her affiliation with PMD in this video and b) she lied about never using a Clarisonic. I actually called her out for it in the comments and her reply was to say that her relationship with PMD was ‘implied’
I found it weird it always was"a friend" who gave her one of their products, that's a typical well known product placement phrase, models and unethical bloggers do it do it all the time.
I really thought this video was going to be a legal perspective on the situation, but it was just a recap and an overview of what FTC guidelines are intended for. What is your legal opinion of the situation? Did she break the law? Is a guideline different than the law? Would she have legal ground to fight any fines? Etc
Hey Veronica! Here’s my opinion: I think the guidelines weren’t respected. Guidelines and laws aren’t the same thing but guidelines are still legally binding. I think she is going to have a very hard time justifying this if the FTC decides that a fine would be necessary. However, it’s important to remember that the FTC has a history of going after brands rather than influencers. This needs to change. And thank you for commenting! I’ll go a little more in depth next time.
Thank you for clarifying this! I am a paralegal in the UK and I was very disappointed with Susan's actions and was frustrated with those people saying that it is an overreaction.
Same. Susan engaged in illegal practices. Across two platforms, for months and months. How is that okay? But apparently calling for her to be held accountable for her actions makes you a "hater" and a participant in "toxic cancel culture". And according to some stans, it would also make you responsible for "tearing another woman down" and "ripping her family apart".
Great video! When I first heard about the news, I thought that surely Susan Yara wouldn't have said anything about Naturium on her own channel yet (it would only make sense). I totally agree that sending out PR would have been the right way to go - if the products are so great (which they seem like solid formulations to me), other skincare influencers would have talked about them and the brand's growth would have been truly organic. It's a shame because there is a level of trust she will never build back up with a lot of her followers. (I'm also disappointed because Naturium has some really interesting products but I just do not feel comfortable purchasing them, especially after she has bashed other brands.)
Thank you, Emily! And yeah, I totally understand. I also heard some great reviews about her products. It’s just a shame that this story kinda ruins them. Definitely not a great business move
It’s possible she wanted to save money, (and make it) by doing thing the unethical way. Maybe she put too much money somewhere else and decided she couldn’t afford a PR package? Iono. I ask her some questions about why she went on and did things the way she did after she even said she “kind of expected” this reaction.
Emily Jamison Very well said. Her behavior must be addressed by the legal system and the beauty community. She has lost all integrity as far as I am concerned. Whether she likes it or not, it was if she was manipulating people to purchase these products, even calling out The Ordinary as being less effective, while benefiting. This is MORE than just a simple mistake. It was fraud.
Thank you for info. Any consumers/followers can report for this situation to FTC ? I couldn’t find how to report it US FTC website. Thanks again in advance.
www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt Takes a matter of minutes. I think it's important that influencers are held accountable for their actions, so I've lodged a complaint.
Please make more videos like this! I'm trying to learn more about legal issues in online beauty and skin care. Just finished my first year of law school in Baltimore, MD. I love hearing your perspective on this topic! The links you provided are really helpful, and RUclips needs more content like yours that breaks down legal issues of current events in a way that is understandable for laypeople. In the context of Susan's actions, I think your emphasis on what a "material connection" is was very helpful and important. Thank you!
@@aichatohry3348 good! I'm really enjoying it! It's certainly challenging and going to be a different experience with COVID-19. I feel really bad for the 1L's starting in the fall. Being hybrid or completely online is definitely going to change the experience. We'll manage though. We need more passionate, capable new lawyers in the world.
I watched it. I’m not sure there’s enough new content for me to make another video discussing the legal side of this situation. I already shared my opinion on her apology video in the comments below but in short: regardless of what her relationship with the brand was, she should’ve disclosed it (founder, consultant, friend, investor, etc) 💁🏻♀️ I’m also not convinced by her story since it seems to contradict on many levels her previous video
I cannot find this comment in her fb group I tried finding it, but it has been deleted. I saw it, and I am sure there’s a screenshot out there. She was arguing with someone about the whole Covid-19 situation and how it had affected her. On April 10th she said her husband had quit his job to help her with her skincare line and because of the pandemic she didn’t know where that was going to end up. On April 15 she made the “I found a brand better than TO” on her fb group. I know my husband would not quit his job for something that is not secure financially! She has been involved with the brand for a looong time. I trusted her advice and gave her the benefit of the doubt, but after that apology video I can’t support her for now. At first I didn’t understand why everyone was so mad either, but it’s more than a few things that went wrong here. She knew this could happen but was hopping it wouldn’t. I feel bad for her and can’t imagine how mentally draining this must be.
This is so interesting as someone who's interested in the beauty industry. When I watched her video announcing that she owns the brand, I thought wow there must be some legal consequences for this but as a student studying law, I wasn't really sure what might be relevant.
Do you know approximately how much the FTC fine will be? Some people have speculated that she purposefully broke FTC guidelines, because she'd earn more that way... despite the fine. And can Deciem (The Ordinary) take legar actions against her? Or any of the brands that have sponsered her videos? After reading some of Susan Yara's comments and seeing screenshots from the Facebook group, her overall behaviour seems extremely "shady". I seriously doubt she simply wanted "unbiased reviews", she purposely deceived her viewers and followers for months, to make monetary gains. And that's exactly what happened. There is no way she didn't know about the FTC guidelines and the ethical resons behind them.
I like to presume people have good intentions (although I’m fully aware that it’s not always the case). I also think all of this wasn’t necessary. People were asking for a skincare line. It would’ve been a success even if she had just promoted it as hers from the very beginning. As for the fine, I honestly don’t know. There might not even be one, but the FTC has given fines in the millions before, so if they think a monetary penalty is necessary, they won’t be afraid to go for it depending on how severe they think this violation is.
No matter what happens with FTC. Her career as a reputable skincare channel is OVER. What she did is disgusting. Watch her vitamin C video. This woman literally acts surprised with the price and ingredients of HER OWN PRODUCT. As if its the first time she has seen it. Uses the product to degrade The Ordinary. This lady has zero morals. Her actions are detrimental to the credibility of skincare channels as a whole. She had prominent youtubers advertise her products without telling them her illegal activities. Putting all these youtubers' careers in jeopardy. VILE and DISGUSTING.
Exactly. Thank you for not bashing her! She is a good person. A lot of people are saying she did it for the money but that just doesn't add up or make any sense. She would have made wayyyy more money at the launch had she marketed it was her own brand. She has a HUGE following and A LOT of influence, her product would have not only sold but probably all sold out at launch. She made a mistake and didn't think it would get backlash its getting. She probably thought most people would be excited to find out it was hers. I know I am! No one is perfect and every one makes mistakes. I'll be supporting her and buying her products.
I’m only 5 mins in But I know if I don’t say this now, I will forget. You know the video of the vitamin C? That was a sponsored video from Ole Henrikson. She talked about naturium and had the naturium vitamin c in the photo, so when Ole Henrikson reposted it, they were also advertising her bloody brand while they’re paying her. If I were them, I’d be taking her to court. Straight up. I’m not hearing much about that aspect. What do you think?
Aicha Tohry my mistake. Let me clarify. It was a paid sponsorship on Instagram with ole. She uses her cream, possibly the niacinamide in the video. I just saw the SS and didn’t watch the actual video. This is it: instagram.com/p/B_h4Qd6JaUk/? I guess it would also depend if she disclosed it to them and they were ok with it. I dunno how on earth you would be but who knows!!!
It was interesting to get a lawyer's take on the situation, Aicha. Re Susan learning from her mistakes though? I wouldn't be holding my breath, waiting for her to show genuine contrition, or do the right thing. She's still out there responding to Instagram comments with "sorry you feel that way" and telling everyone to watch her (monetised) apology video to clear up any "confusion" we may have about the situation. It's just icky. And she's clearly learnt nothing.
Did you see Susan Yara's mea culpa video posted today? Although I think it was the right thing to do--and she fully exonerated the other influences she included in her "launch" video--I found her explanation problematic for several reasons. I'd like to hear what you think and I'll tell you what my concerns are.
Just finished watching it! I don't think it totally makes sense for many reasons: is she or is she not a co-founder? Did she wait to reveal she was behind the brand because she wanted honest feedback or because she wasn't officially a part of the company? If the announcement got delayed because of Covid-19/BLM but she wasn't a part of the company until very recently, what was she going to announce back in March? I have so many more questions haha As for the legal side, my opinion remains the same: she had a material relationship with Naturium, regardless of what that relationship was (co-founder, consultant, friend of the founder, etc) and she therefore should've disclosed it. What did you think?
@@aichatohry3348 I agree 100%. It sounds like a good answer on the surface but it's completely inconsistent with the story in her prior video. And I also agree--how is she a co-founder if she wasn't involved until 2 weeks ago? The products were formulated, produced and began to be sold 3 months ago. Did she have anything to do with the development of the products and the brand? If not, how is this HER line and how is she a co-founder? Even if she just bought into the company 2 weeks ago, which is fine, why not say, hey this brand is great and I wanted to be part of it, instead of implying that she created the brand? In any case, she didn't wake up one day two weeks ago and suddenly signed an agreement with the company--these negotiations had to have been ongoing for months, so she had a relationship regardless of whether she was an actual owner on paper at the time she promoted the vitamin C serum a month ago. Even if she had some kind of formal NDA in place leading up to the contracts being signed, that's not an excuse for her to promote the product without disclosing her relationship. All she had to do was NOT say anything about the product until AFTER they had announced her involvement with the company.
I would of bought the product if she would of said I have a line I’m working on, but in her video she made a comment I just became a partner, but then talks about how she has been working to make sure the product was PH balanced etc. She broke a major rule of an influencer and just makes you second guess. I truly think she knew what she was doing. When people started emailing the company and asked who owned it, she felted pressured. No, she should of been honest from the start. I agree she is owning up to it, but still....she has blown a lot of trust.
Her husband is an attorney and is the General Counsel at Naturium. I'm sure they knew EXACTLY what they were doing and made big profits. It's very disappointing. Many people admired Susan and now she has tarnished her brand and reputation.
Whether it’s okay or not, I personally understood her point of view completely just in knowing her over the years as a youtuber. The way she approached it was very consistent with her personality so although the law is clear and that’s a separate thing, from a personal POV I don’t think she meant anything devious. Prior to this she was not at all a business woman. This was her first product and her job experience is in interviewing as a news/tv personality and journalist. What do journalists do? Exactly this type of thing. To get stories they often pose as figures in the situation to get an experience and story. People have every right to be upset and the law is the law, but this is what I felt when it all happened! She was truly trying to get the scoop and have a fun reveal. I REALLY loved your insight and career expertise! Thank you for sharing, you’re a brainiac and your clients are so lucky to have you :-)))) ❤️ definitely subscribing! You’re inspiring!
It’s crazy too because when it launched she gave a 20% discount code that was available to EVERYONE and if you purchased it with the code, you can’t return it. So after the scandal, people probably wanted to return it and wasn’t able to.
Aicha Tohry Thank you! Actually...LOL. I would love to know your opinion on (although I know you’re not a psychologist) narcissism and influencers. Not all are narcissistic. Heck, I’m still thinking about making a channel. But what do you think about the affect of ego in cases involving RUclips influencers like SY and Logan Paul, etc. How does it affect law and how does law affect the space? And you don’t have to put your opinion in this but for the record, do you think the consequences will be/were enough to keep folks’ egos in check or do you think like SY, that they just make calculated decisions and decide the gratification is worth it? What could we do to change unethical behavior? Again, I know this isn’t a channel for opinions necessarily but in your professional opinion... Sorry for the monologue. Lol. ❤️✌️
Aicha Tohry YES!!! I have been independently studying narcissism and antisocial behavior for a few years now (sorry, hit send too early and now have to edit-lol) bc my brother is a sociopath and I have other antisocial traits in my family. I think that would be a great video though!!! Btw, I’m not suggesting myself. LOL. Just wanna be clear. That’d be a train wreck. 😂
Exactly what we don’t want is exactly what we have an internet full of deceitful advertising and marketing constantly. I trust nothing and no one as long as financial gain is involved. This woman didn’t just make a mistake. I see a lot of her supporters excusing this as a one off mistake when that’s furthest from the truth. Calling this situation everything other than what it was which is an attempt to make a lot of money quickly from her audience by lying.
The amount of minimising by her stans is mind-blowing. They make it sound like she tripped over and broke a plate or something. This was a carefully orchestrated campaign of deception, carried out by a number of individuals, across two platforms, over a period of months. Not a one-off mistake, or a one-time oversight.
Thank you so much for this video. Its so informative and for me it goes really deep in this complete Susan-Yara-Discusion. So helpfull - couse You are not bashing Susan Yara or so, but You say Your truthfull opinion as a human and a lawyer! Greetings from Germany Nana
This was super informative. Thank you. Susan has really taught me a lot about skincare and I actually purchased products from the brand but now that it’s coming to light how shady and illegal all this, I’m not sure how I feel about it anymore.
I can't believe someone makes a mistake in 2020 and it is dissected in days by lawyers, chemists, body language experts, drama channels, random people, etc. No wonder teens have it so hard. No shade to you, just interesting to see how things play out in a modern era when everyone is being watched and watching from every and anywhere. Interesting analysis! I was wondering if she was really in trouble legal wise
It would go to figure, as Susan has chosen to live her life publicly. She is an influencer, and her entire living is predicated on having a following to influence. She has made an entire video on her son's favourite sippy cups, with affiliate links for every product featured. That is how entwined her persona, her family, and her livelihood are. So, when an influencer like Susan chooses to launch a brand on a RUclips channel with 1.2m subscribers, and features four prominent skincare influencers in that launch video, you'd best believe she was wanting to make a splash, from a publicity viewpoint. The only thing that went wrong for Susan, was that she chose to engage in illegal business practices, which eventually came to light. Any scrutiny and criticism that came her way as a result of that, is her responsibility to bear, as an influencer, and brand co-founder. This is a very different proposition to the hypothetical teenager you mention, who would, naturally, make the same mistakes everyone makes growing up. Unless that teen chose to put their life on show (by documenting their every move on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram etc), there would be no reason to expect they would be subject to the same level of scrutiny, as an influencer hawking a product, would.
@@MC-ko2mx That's very true! I guess all the teenagers and kids I know are usually trying to become influencers, I don't think they realize the full impact but hopefully parents educate. Susan is a grown up but hopefully the young people are cut some slack! I do think the next generation will hopefully be a lot more poised at the end of this from watching the first few years of influencers being cancelled lol
Guys, she released an apology and I’m going back and forth in my head trying to figure out if she’s genuine. Go to Mixed Makeup and view it for yourself. I hear a lot of excuses but SOME sincere things. Not many. This is my theory and I don’t want to cause hate or anything but she got caught basically giving out a discount that would still end up giving her profits. In the video she addresses that and says what will be done with those profits. It’s going to charity bc “we believe in this and that” ... Like, heffa??? That’s WHY it’s going to charity bc you got caught. Where was it going before??? And the genuine part is where she apologizes to the other influencers she brought in bc I believe she doesn’t want to lose them bc this is as she says, “her livelihood” and I don’t think she cares about ethics so much as her reputation and product.
I'm sorry, but her "apology" video was appalling. It was nothing more than an exercise in damage control, and a chance to play the victim, and manipulate her subscribers' emotions. She brought zero clarity, shouldered the minimum amount of responsibility (apologising to the skincare influencers she dragged into this mess), and offered no answers to burning questions. It was basically Susan going on a rant about her woes (of her own making, lest we forget), turning on the waterworks, saying she was being treated as "less than human", telling us she was worried about her livelihood, and claiming she was afraid of leaving the house with her kids. There was zero contrition, and her tone was passive-aggressive, if not downright aggressive, throughout. As one commenter put it, it was as though Susan was angry at US for holding her accountable for her actions. She's not sorry, she's only sorry she got caught. The only genuine bit was when she started crying, because she felt SO sorry for herself.
Aicha Tohry there seems to be conflicting information...and I am also confused. The apology seems to be a non-apology as well? More so “I’m sorry you feel this way”, not “I am sorry that I did this and that people didn’t blindly accept my explanations.” Something about her being a co-founder, but she only officially signed on to be a part of the company June 12th, but she’s been helping with the brand from the beginning. She still mislead people, she was still a friend of the company, and she still did something illegal by not disclosing her relationship. I’m looking forward to what you think from a legal standpoint!
I don't think it totally makes sense for many reasons: is she or is she not a co-founder? Did she wait to reveal she was behind the brand because she wanted honest feedback or because she wasn't officially a part of the company? If the announcement got delayed because of Covid-19/BLM but she wasn't a part of the company until very recently, what was she going to announce back in March? I have so many more questions haha As for the legal side, my opinion remains the same: she had a material relationship with Naturium, regardless of what that relationship was (co-founder, consultant, friend of the founder, etc) and she therefore should've disclosed it.
@@aichatohry3348 I read that she had wanted to wait announcing to get her internet friends' honest feedback before announcing. But if that is true...why wouldn't she have it sent to them (anonymously) and get their feedback? She could have done this so many different ways that wouldn't have been illegal and she wouldn't have had to make excuses and lose her credibility. Yes, I agree, she should have disclosed. It's a moral and legal issue now.
Well I was going to order her stuff but changed my mind after the complications! I think I will stick to paulas choice !! One of the most respected brands. No more comments !! Simple as that !!!
Excellent video! Very informative. I disagree with you on one thing: I DO believe Susan was blatantly deceitful. Her husband is an attorney and General Counsel at Naturium and Susan is not a newbie to the industry. They knew exactly what they were doing and the only reason she announced her brand is because people were on to her lies and started questioning her brand on social media.
She contacted truthful influencers to try out her skincare line. Telling them how wonderful and innovative they are. They didn't knew what they go into.
Her husband is an entertainment lawyer, where was he on this? Yara’s a smart cookie. I think she felt she wasn’t getting her perfect launch bc of Covid and apparently ongoing negotiations w her contract so tried to do things in a backchannel way. Whatever her motivation, she needs new advisors.
I think Susan is married to an attorney. She's also talked about having an attorney for Mixed Makeup. This all just seems to have been really poorly calculated, whether she had legal advice or not.
And an on-air beauty reporter. All of which somehow made her think she knew MORE than Dermatologists or Estheticians. She's on record saying that she was confident going "toe to toe" with Dr Sandra Lee, and pooh-poohing Dermatologists.
Wow new subscriber here! As a fairly new creative myself I hope you will post some information on current events so that we can learn from other’s mistakes.
Well done. Would love to hear more about your legal perspectives! Wanted to note, if Susan Yara really just wanted to get unbiased reviews of her product, without doing it illegally and breaking FTC guidelines and betraying the trust and loyalty of her subscribers, she could have assembled a group of people to test her product and provide anonymous feedback...its what we do in business when we want to test our products, whether its a new chip flavor, a new car feature or a new skincare product. Anyway, I've unfollowed her on social media and will not be buying Naturium. I hope other people will, too and realize that if we allow to let influencers get away with this lack of ethics, the entire influencer community will pay a steep price. In fact, influencers have the most at stake here right?...they need to protect the integrity of their industry (aka hold Susan accountable and make some noise about this issue, report her to the FTC), or else their will be no such thing as a job as an influencer...
Hey Rosalynn! Absolutely. This could’ve been done in so many other ethical (and probably more efficient) ways. Influencers need to understand that the trust of their community is THE MOST important thing they have. Their entire career relies on it. Thank you for watching!
yes! Kenna is a biochemist/skincare RUclipsr who make a video about this. She talks about how Susan could've done a few different things to get unbiased feedback if thats what she wanted. Focus groups, clinical trials, or an anonymous soft launch
found your video from twitter and had to come to the comments because girl I live in Montréal too! haha. but veryyy interesting situation..still just confused on how she thought this was right
Hi Lauren! So, when I filmed this video, I was not aware of the fact that her husband was a lawyer (I learned this through the comments on this video). It's definitely harder to justify this behavior when you take that into consideration. This could've gone a few different ways: 1. She was advised against it and went for it anyways / she was aware of it from the very beginning 2. It was brought up to her but a risk/reward analysis was conducted and they figured it was worth it (not sure how anyone could get to that conclusion, but anyways). 3. No one bothered to bring it up with her (this actually happens more than you think. It's the reason why professionnals are often advised against working for their family/businesses they're close to: you stop being objective). 4. A mix of the above Regardless of what the reason might be: it was a horrible decision.
Last time I checked, my decisions didn't involve breaching federal guidelines multiple times for months, or dragging colleagues into disrepute, as Susan did with Hyram, James Welsh, Liah Yoo, and Beauty Within. So, I've "looked at myself" and I'm good. My question to you is, do you believe that an individual (influencer or otherwise) should be held accountable for their actions? And why does holding someone accountable equate to "hate"?
Michelle Cheang i don’t care. I am happy for her. I followed her for years and to me she is a skin guru and I will follow her more because we all make mistakes. It is so easy for some to jump on the wagon and judge others. To me is pure jealousy. She someone is doing well , people will always be jealous, especially some who is not doing as well. Right now this is all no consequential, why don’t we talk about things that actually matter in the world. Why do we need to bring attention to things that are not important.
Totally get this video,but Naturium has been one of the best skincare lines I have ever used! So, this is not going to make me stop from spending on this brand!! Their vit C serum ,Niacinamide and some other products have been great so far!! ❣️
She didn’t announce that it was her line til she got caught and then she quickly posted a video saying it was hers. Completely different than your timeline???
This is not a drama channel. This video was filmed before she made her apology video to respond to those who were wondering why Susan “surprising” her followers was problematic and I explained that her behaviour was against FTC guidelines. Why she posted the video when she did does not matter because the legal analysis remains the same: it was unlawful behaviour. There are plenty of other videos on RUclips if you want to dig up dirt on SY. And yes, I saw she added disclosures in her other videos.
I'm not upset or outraged at Susan for this. I'm totally aware and understand how many feel duped. I would have preferred her for the typical launch video, I've been keeping a secret and here is my skin care baby or something like that. I still do not think it was done with malicious intent however. It was poorly, poorly executed. Lesson learned. The line may be already dead in the water due to this. She may need to step away and let them rebrand or something. Its sad because I think Susan knows her skin care and I've learned from her and will continue to do so if she still opts to make content. I was thrilled to learn about this line. We have more pressing issues in society than this. Yes she was wrong, she has admitted the error but I don't think it was intentionally done to mislead.
Okay but how do you know if those "infLuEncErS" have genuine followers? How do you know they haven't bought their following? Not saying Susan has but most influencers who aren't famous do.
What she did was certainly unethical, but I have to be honest and say that I am still going to try her products. Finding super effective skincare in sustainable packaging is way more important to me that teaching her a lesson.
I agree that what was done was wrong but bigger picture wise, I don't hold ONE thing against anyone. People (yes, let's all look in the mirror) make mistakes (some bigger than others, purposely or unknowingly). Cancel culture. Of course, if you are like Trump that's different. I agree that it has nothing to do with intent but should we condemn/punish people who make mistakes or support them to be better versions of themselves? Have you looked at what's going on these days and see what is going on?!?! Again, there's no question what she did was wrong but now what? Unless you are Trump, Epstein, etc. who made multiple severe mistakes, most of us (including the people in your lives, singers/actors you like, etc.) have done more good than bad in our lives.
Her husband is a lawyer so how was she not being deceitful when her own husband is well aware of all the legal matters? Her husband must be aware of FTC guidelines seeing that his wife is an influencer so I’m not buying it. She was wrong and deserves to be punished for her wrongdoings.
I’ve tried a fair share of her recommended products but they broke me out and after some time I stopped watching her. Also it got really hard watching her talk with her overblown lips and I never got her videos judging other people’s skincare regime. Well, after this incident, she’s lost all credibility. In life you should always try your best to do the right thing because at the end of the day, karma is a fucking bitch.
How could she have not done this on purpose? Granted, it seems like a terrible strategy because of course people were going to find out she's the owner eventually, but if her whole aim was to get unbiased reviews, why promote her own products on her channel? If people are supposed to trust her opinion, how could they not be influenced by her telling everyone that Naturium is a great product and they should buy it? The only logical explanation, I think, is that she knew what she was doing but she somehow believed she'd never be caught. If you INTENDED to go, "surprise! It's actually my brand!" after promoting it in such a way that it actively misled people - claiming you got it in a PR package, expressing surprise that the products were available at such a low price, claiming it's better than a very well-loved brand The Ordinary, praising it in a post and then offering discount codes so people could buy it - you'd still be incredibly offensive because you were outright lying. No one would be inclined to respond to that with, "oh cool! it was you all along! thanks for the discount code!" If she actually didn't know what she was doing (and somehow NO ONE involved in the production and marketing of her products, some of whom presumably weren't total novices and must have known what they were doing, advised her not to do something illegal?) then she's incredibly obtuse and I'm not sure her opinion on any matter should hold much weight.
I was with you all the way up until you said that you "genuinely do not think that she meant to be deceitful at all, I genuinely think she just didn't want biased reviews". I thought your commentary was very informative and you came across as professional and credible-until that last doozy of a statement. First, the video didn't need your personal opinion tacked on at the end. You were providing meaningful legal opinion and then you shifted into commentary which you said early in your video that you were not going to do. Second, she was dishonest and she absolutely intended to be dishonest because she lied repeatedly, and then lied in her "apology".
I mean I understand why she did it and honestly who cares. If the products are good then that is all I care about at the end of the day. I care about what I do and take everything else with a grain of salt.
I’m more worried about the fact that she called it her brand but then in the “I’m sorry video” she said she joined them a few weeks ago 🤔 sooo the brand is not hers...
A few things I'd like to add:
1. Whether or not someone means to be deceitful does not matter. Intent makes no difference here.
2. How you handle criticism of your behavior is oftentimes a lot more important than the behavior itself to your audience. Whether or not the FTC decides that a fine is necessary, the impact on her brand will probably be more significant than the legal consequences of her actions.
3. Apparently SY kind of expected this backlash, and still went for it? I have to say this is pretty questionnable behavior.
4. I’ll go into more details next time when it comes to the law if that’s something you’re interested in!
5. Would you like me to make a follow up video?
What do you think about her apology video she put out today? I thought it was very cringy for several reasons.
I’m going to paste what I answered under another comment:
I don't think it totally makes sense for many reasons: is she or is she not a co-founder? Did she wait to reveal she was behind the brand because she wanted honest feedback or because she wasn't officially a part of the company? If the announcement got delayed because of Covid-19/BLM but she wasn't a part of the company until very recently, what was she going to announce back in March? I have so many more questions haha
As for the legal side, my opinion remains the same: she had a material relationship with Naturium, regardless of what that relationship was (co-founder, consultant, friend of the founder, etc) and she therefore should've disclosed it.
Many of you asked for a follow up video but I’m not sure I have enough content to make another video about this. Maybe I can go more in depth this time and also talk about whether or not the apology video makes a difference legally speaking?
Let me know what you guys would like to see!
A follow up video would be great!
Your tone was quite snarky when you mentioned not being a drama channel and where we should go for receipts. Your analysis was not much different because of you’re a lawyer tbh
Point 1 really needed to be put out there.
I see it cited over and over by her stans that Susan had "good intentions".
I'm sorry, but I don't think that intentions mean diddly-squat to the FTC?
I genuinely hope the FTC levies a significant fine on her. Not only did she promote her own brand without disclosing her financial stake...she gave herself an affiliate code to make it seem like she was just some random influencer on the brand’s pr list. She was actively lying to fans and consumers. Curious if she double dipped and paid herself commissions for that code? Yet another greedy, problematic influencer.
She said in her latest video that it was a discount code, not an affiliate code 😶 taking those words with a grain of salt though
She’s a phony and a liar with no respect for her audience.
FTC is bs they do nothing. She definitely has a legal team and if they thought this was going to financially harm them she would’ve done things differently.
Caroline Hiron's has an incredible IG story that spells out the gravity of what Susan Yara has done. She lied to her subscribers many times and criticized The Ordinary openly to convince people to buy from Naturium. A brand that she was gaining financially from because she is the FOUNDER. Receiving a PR package? Saying, "I need to try more of their products to see how I feel about them?" I'm sorry, but I cannot subscribe to someone who lacks integrity. How can we trust anything she has to say anymore?
How can I find this
@@joannam1284 Well, IG stories don’t stay around. But I’m certain if you Google Susan Yara you will find the information. About the launch of her brand, Naturium.
This is more a comment on Susan's overall character, not her legal issues. She's a narcissist who can't admit when she's wrong. She also always avoids talking about her lack of academic background in skincare (except for that one video where she whined for 20 minutes about how journalists like her are so important). It's almost like she's banking on the fact that people will assume she's a doctor or aesthetician and not check her background.
Here's a comment I left on one of her videos, questioning her credibility, which she still hasn't responded to:
"I will provide some examples below, but if you don't get to the end before blocking me, I want you to know that spouting nonsense sometimes is fine. But you often handle such situations by not apologizing for disseminating incorrect info.
1. You were waxing eloquent about alkaline water in one of your videos and were extremely non-committal when people pointed out why you were wrong.
[it was her reaction to Barbara Sturm's routine]
2. Your entire review of The Ordinary really brought to light that you hadn't made a sincere effort to research the company at all. Your preferred (and self-admitted!) method of research was "joining their Facebook group" instead of actually looking at their website. Many concerns you had in the video would have been easily answered by perusing a few webpages.
3. In your review of Dr Sandra Lee's routine, you completely misunderstood what inflammation is and somehow conflated the inflammation from an allergic reaction with the redness observed when sweating from exercise.
4. In an article you wrote for Glamour about alkaline water, the ONLY "expert" you consulted was holistic nutritionist Elissa Goodman. But in the article you misrepresented her as a registered dietitian! In the US, "registered dietitian" is a regulated title that requires a bachelor's degree and further training, while "nutritionist" requires no education. You didn't do your homework.
5. In your accutane-related video with Dr. Desai, from 3:15 onward, you had a preconceived notion that the particular type of acne that was being discussed was more common in males than in females -- a notion which the doctor dismissed. But then you incorrectly concluded from this that "hormones aren't playing that much of an effect?" which the doctor again had to correct.
Look, you don't think in a very scientific way because you didn't learn to do so in school. This leads you to sometimes say incorrect things. It would be totally fine if you didn't get super defensive about it and were willing to apologize for spreading misinformation."
This comment is amazing. Perfect. I wonder how she will respond.
You know, I’ve always wondered what her qualifications are. I’ve only seen a couple of her videos and all she seems to do is sh*t on other people’s skincare routine and promote these overly complicated and expensive skincare routines. Ignoring that so much of your skin’s health and appearance relies on what you eat and GENETICS. Buy all the creams you want...you can’t fight genetics.
Yes!! All the alkaline water sh*t is what did it for me. I remember that video and she was attacking people pointing out the lack of evidence towards it and replying with “well we all have different opinions”. Girl, OPINIONS?? On science??? Yet she claims the title of “expert”. Great points.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Well said. I have found her way of presenting an argument on the reasons one product is better than another is based more on pseudo science delivered in a passive aggressive tone. I was especially turned off by her comments when she said she knows more than a board certified dermatologist. The arrogance was astounding. Her supposed apology video was more defensive rather than owning up to the deliberate lying.
Thank you for posting this. I am a former attorney and I follow Susan Yara and the Mixed Makeup channel. I saw her "launch announcement" shortly after it posted and was astounded when she openly admitted having promoted Naturium products on her channel without disclosing her affiliation with the brand. I get the idea of doing a soft launch anonymously to get unbiased reviews and candid feedback, but you can't also pretend that you've never heard of the brand and market it to your own followers. As you said, it remains to be seen what action, if any, will be taken against her by the FTC, but I think this is going to be very hard for her reputation to recover from. I also really don't understand what she was thinking. She's not a newcomer to social media--she's a full time influencer and social media entrepreneur with a million and a half subscribers between her personal and Mixed Makeup channels. Obviously she knows the rules as well as the fact that social media is very unforgiving when it comes to even the perception of being deceitful with one's followers. She also clearly has a team of marketing and legal professionals working with her both on her media presence and the new product manufacturer (I believe her husband is an attorney as well), so it's very difficult to understand how she thought this was going to be ok. In addition, she has dragged other influencers like Hyram and James Welsh into her big reveal and I think it's very unfair of her to have embroiled them into this debacle, no matter how unintended that may have been.
Hi Kevin! I honestly don’t see how anyone on her legal team could’ve let this slide... This whole thing makes no sense. Just one bad business decision after the other.
I can not wait to see her next video on the Naturium launch.
I also wonder who will be willing to partner with her in the future. I think it’s obvious that her subscribers have lost trust in her and I don’t see a brand wanting to pay her to promote anything for a while...
@@aichatohry3348 I agree, completely! It baffles me how something like this could happen. And it was so unnecessary. She could have done a soft launch and released the product without her name associated with it--which I think was actually quite smart if she genuinely wanted to get unbiased reviews and direct feedback on the products and formulations from people in the industry. All she had to do was stay quiet about it on her channels for 3 months. But not only did she plug the product without disclosure, she affirmatively made material misrepresentations about her knowledge of and association with the brand. And she acted like the manufacturer was offering discount code to her followers when in fact she was selling the product directly to consumers! This is not my area of law but I think she's treading dangerously close to outright fraud rather than a seemingly minor error of omission.
I also agree that she's burned a lot of bridges with this. She was very highly regarded by other skin care influences and I assume she had long standing relationships with product manufacturers and media agents. I think she's going to be industry poison for a long time. And an even bigger issue is that this reflects negatively on all sorts of influences and everyone who does independent product reviews online. This just confirms what people suspect about so-called unbiased reviews actually being paid endorsements, which is why these rules exist in the first place.
What is even more mind-boggling is that her business attorney husband joined Naturium in March.
She posted on the MM FB group, saying that things were tough for them financially, as he had left his corporate job to "help her with her skincare line".
Was he asleep at the wheel?
Was any other legal counsel on the team also comatose?
Actually, was the entire team asleep?
How was she allowed to drop the ball this badly?
I know Susan Yara personally. She used to teach at FIDM. She's a complete narcissist. She got fired coz her awful personality.
I hardly call it "wanting honest feedback" if she is knocking another (very well-liked) brand like The Ordinary to a group of people who obviously are fans of hers and will trust what she says. She knew that doing so would garner very positive reviews, how could it not? Then saying, "Surprise! This amazing brand you all love is actually mine!" is definitely deceitful.
This sham is appalling in its legal, moral, and ethical implications. As an avid watcher of Susan Yara, I struggle to reconcile the polished, mature, thoughtful woman with such unethical, conniving, and deceitful behavior. And since her partner is a lawyer, how did she not understand the legal ramifications of her actions? How could she raise her brand v a competitor without disclosing her ownership in the company? And now I am hearing that she revealed this information because fans began to put 2 and 2 together? And she filed paperwork in a state where her and her partner would not have to be open about ownership (Delaware, I believe)? The more I learn about this ordeal, the further I must look down into the hole Susan Yara shoveled for herself, and the less I feel I can support her even after the dust settles. Some think this is as everyday as going for a walk. I must say, not for me. Not for me.
I have subscribed. I look forward to your legal opinions. I'm very interested in having someone actually make law legible as it can at times be opaque.
Thank you for subscribing! I’ll keep making more in depth “lawyer comments” videos about these kinds of situation 😊
What? Delaware? Where is the source for this? That would be a huge factor in her intent if she purposefully filed so she wouldn't have disclose ownership.
Delaware strikes again!
Susan Yara put out an apology video. Go see it. And yes I definitely think you’re right. But she’s a least a solid B actor.
No one wants biased reviews, that’s why responsible honest companies use blind studies. Based on her long history of hypocrisy and unprofessionalism I 100% believe she knew exactly what she was doing and the whole “oopsie, I’m sorry you feel that way” bs she is giving everyone is gross.
What’s her history of hypocrisy and unprofessionalism? I’d like to know.
Very well said
I would like to know too🙋🏼♀️
She has such a bitchy attitude
Excuse me, I asked my question with sarcasm... People, she doesn’t have any... people just like to spread bs out here on the internet. Just bc your not happy with where you are in life doesn’t mean you should start making things up🤦🏻♀️
How did she make this mistake when her own husband is a lawyer? Or she thought he could help her get away with it ? 🤨
This.
Also, he apparently joined Naturium in March, so how did they let her drop the ball this badly?
He is the General Counsel at Naturium. I'm sure they knew EXACTLY what they were doing and made big profits. Very disappointing. She really tarnished her brand and reputation.
Eww, I guess it's the latter. Gross, gross, gross. I thought her constant references to how she "loves to be fancy" revealed a materialistic side, and her defending Paris Hilton and the Kardashians as being worthy of respect because they became great influencers really made me question her ethics. I guess this shows my suspicions weren't wrong.
Susan Yara always sounded FISHY to me and that's exactly what she turned out to be. Trust your instinct, people. TRUST YOUR INSTINCT
yes, i watched for a while and she just seemed off. too polished and overly confident for someone who doesn't have any professional skincare credentials.
Me too! I also feel she chooses whom she replies to in her fb group
@@abeygal6174 And when she does choose to respond, she can be incredibly condescending.
But what can you expect from someone who thinks she's above everyone else, even the FTC.
Dudeee I always had a weird feeling, cause she would make passive aggressive comments & think so highly of herself like when she said she can go head to head w Dr Pimple Popper 😐😟
@@MC-ko2mx Can you give examples of how she can be ondescending?
I am so shocked. I think it’s disgusting! So surprised there are people who are saying it was a “mistake” it’s clearly was well thought out? It was deceit and illegal! Awful!
YES!! Her behavior was calculated and dishonest, while she benefited financially. How can anyone support such a person? Or trust her opinion of any other product? She lacks the integrity needed to be in this industry.
Her stans clearly have no judgment and zero capacity for critical thinking.
I've seen every excuse under the sun trotted out by them, including "she only had good intentions", "it was just ONE mistake", "everyone deserves a second chance", "there are bigger problems in the world right now", "women should be uplifting other women, not tearing them down", "she's a nice person and deserves my trust", "I don't care. I'm sure the products are good because Susan said so" etc.
The best one though, was when one stan told everyone to "lay off Susan and think of her babies".
You can't talk sense into stans, so I didn't even try.
But it sure was amusing seeing the array of BS they came up with to justify her behaviour.
This is NOT the first time she violated the regs! This is a PATTERN of behavior with her. She has historically not disclosed sponsored videos. Seriously.
What?! Do tell.
Say more!!
PMD and Clarisonic. She has mentioned Clarisonic in previous (older) vids. When she was promoting PMD, she straight up said she had no idea ‘the other sonic brush’ compares bc she’s never used it. Huh?????? I’m assuming PMD either didn’t want her to mention Clarisonic, or she legally couldn’t, but she straight up lied a) bc she never mentioned her affiliation with PMD in this video and b) she lied about never using a Clarisonic. I actually called her out for it in the comments and her reply was to say that her relationship with PMD was ‘implied’
T F 🙄girl...nope. Not trusting her anymore.
I found it weird it always was"a friend" who gave her one of their products, that's a typical well known product placement phrase, models and unethical bloggers do it do it all the time.
I really thought this video was going to be a legal perspective on the situation, but it was just a recap and an overview of what FTC guidelines are intended for. What is your legal opinion of the situation? Did she break the law? Is a guideline different than the law? Would she have legal ground to fight any fines? Etc
Hey Veronica! Here’s my opinion: I think the guidelines weren’t respected. Guidelines and laws aren’t the same thing but guidelines are still legally binding. I think she is going to have a very hard time justifying this if the FTC decides that a fine would be necessary. However, it’s important to remember that the FTC has a history of going after brands rather than influencers. This needs to change.
And thank you for commenting! I’ll go a little more in depth next time.
Thank you for clarifying this! I am a paralegal in the UK and I was very disappointed with Susan's actions and was frustrated with those people saying that it is an overreaction.
Pleasure! Thank you for watching 😊
Same.
Susan engaged in illegal practices.
Across two platforms, for months and months.
How is that okay?
But apparently calling for her to be held accountable for her actions makes you a "hater" and a participant in "toxic cancel culture".
And according to some stans, it would also make you responsible for "tearing another woman down" and "ripping her family apart".
Great video! When I first heard about the news, I thought that surely Susan Yara wouldn't have said anything about Naturium on her own channel yet (it would only make sense). I totally agree that sending out PR would have been the right way to go - if the products are so great (which they seem like solid formulations to me), other skincare influencers would have talked about them and the brand's growth would have been truly organic. It's a shame because there is a level of trust she will never build back up with a lot of her followers. (I'm also disappointed because Naturium has some really interesting products but I just do not feel comfortable purchasing them, especially after she has bashed other brands.)
Thank you, Emily! And yeah, I totally understand. I also heard some great reviews about her products. It’s just a shame that this story kinda ruins them. Definitely not a great business move
It’s possible she wanted to save money, (and make it) by doing thing the unethical way. Maybe she put too much money somewhere else and decided she couldn’t afford a PR package? Iono. I ask her some questions about why she went on and did things the way she did after she even said she “kind of expected” this reaction.
Emily Jamison Very well said. Her behavior must be addressed by the legal system and the beauty community. She has lost all integrity as far as I am concerned. Whether she likes it or not, it was if she was manipulating people to purchase these products, even calling out The Ordinary as being less effective, while benefiting. This is MORE than just a simple mistake. It was fraud.
Please make more videos on influencer disclosure requirements and how we can be more informed consumers please!
Will do!
Thank you for breaking this down as I refuse to watch drama channels. Appreciate your knowledge & objectivity!
Thank you for watching! Means a lot! Let me know if you’d like me to address other law-related topics in a non-dramatic way haha
Thank you for info. Any consumers/followers can report for this situation to FTC ? I couldn’t find how to report it US FTC website. Thanks again in advance.
You’re very welcome! If you’d like to file a complaint, just google “FTC complaint” Should be the first link
Yeah it's a really simple online form to fill out, takes about 5 minutes. I encourage you to take the time to do it!
Mindy Koch I will do. Thank you !!
www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt
Takes a matter of minutes.
I think it's important that influencers are held accountable for their actions, so I've lodged a complaint.
Please make more videos like this! I'm trying to learn more about legal issues in online beauty and skin care. Just finished my first year of law school in Baltimore, MD. I love hearing your perspective on this topic! The links you provided are really helpful, and RUclips needs more content like yours that breaks down legal issues of current events in a way that is understandable for laypeople. In the context of Susan's actions, I think your emphasis on what a "material connection" is was very helpful and important. Thank you!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Will definitely be making more content like this. How's law school going?
@@aichatohry3348 good! I'm really enjoying it! It's certainly challenging and going to be a different experience with COVID-19. I feel really bad for the 1L's starting in the fall. Being hybrid or completely online is definitely going to change the experience. We'll manage though. We need more passionate, capable new lawyers in the world.
Please do an updated video since she just posted her “I’m sorry video”
I watched it. I’m not sure there’s enough new content for me to make another video discussing the legal side of this situation. I already shared my opinion on her apology video in the comments below but in short: regardless of what her relationship with the brand was, she should’ve disclosed it (founder, consultant, friend, investor, etc) 💁🏻♀️ I’m also not convinced by her story since it seems to contradict on many levels her previous video
Aicha Tohry okay! Gotcha thanks for this video
Pleasure! Thank you for watching 💕
I cannot find this comment in her fb group I tried finding it, but it has been deleted. I saw it, and I am sure there’s a screenshot out there. She was arguing with someone about the whole Covid-19 situation and how it had affected her. On April 10th she said her husband had quit his job to help her with her skincare line and because of the pandemic she didn’t know where that was going to end up. On April 15 she made the “I found a brand better than TO” on her fb group. I know my husband would not quit his job for something that is not secure financially! She has been involved with the brand for a looong time. I trusted her advice and gave her the benefit of the doubt, but after that apology video I can’t support her for now. At first I didn’t understand why everyone was so mad either, but it’s more than a few things that went wrong here. She knew this could happen but was hopping it wouldn’t. I feel bad for her and can’t imagine how mentally draining this must be.
This is so interesting as someone who's interested in the beauty industry. When I watched her video announcing that she owns the brand, I thought wow there must be some legal consequences for this but as a student studying law, I wasn't really sure what might be relevant.
Really happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Do you know approximately how much the FTC fine will be? Some people have speculated that she purposefully broke FTC guidelines, because she'd earn more that way... despite the fine. And can Deciem (The Ordinary) take legar actions against her? Or any of the brands that have sponsered her videos?
After reading some of Susan Yara's comments and seeing screenshots from the Facebook group, her overall behaviour seems extremely "shady". I seriously doubt she simply wanted "unbiased reviews", she purposely deceived her viewers and followers for months, to make monetary gains. And that's exactly what happened. There is no way she didn't know about the FTC guidelines and the ethical resons behind them.
I like to presume people have good intentions (although I’m fully aware that it’s not always the case).
I also think all of this wasn’t necessary. People were asking for a skincare line. It would’ve been a success even if she had just promoted it as hers from the very beginning.
As for the fine, I honestly don’t know. There might not even be one, but the FTC has given fines in the millions before, so if they think a monetary penalty is necessary, they won’t be afraid to go for it depending on how severe they think this violation is.
No matter what happens with FTC. Her career as a reputable skincare channel is OVER. What she did is disgusting. Watch her vitamin C video. This woman literally acts surprised with the price and ingredients of HER OWN PRODUCT. As if its the first time she has seen it. Uses the product to degrade The Ordinary. This lady has zero morals. Her actions are detrimental to the credibility of skincare channels as a whole. She had prominent youtubers advertise her products without telling them her illegal activities. Putting all these youtubers' careers in jeopardy. VILE and DISGUSTING.
Yeah her career is definitely going to take a hit and that’ll most likely cost her a lot more than any FTC fine.
wow i see your channel is so new! you conduct yourself so professionally and as if you’ve been doing this a while ! Best of luck!
That’s so sweet! Thank you for watching!
Exactly. Thank you for not bashing her! She is a good person. A lot of people are saying she did it for the money but that just doesn't add up or make any sense. She would have made wayyyy more money at the launch had she marketed it was her own brand. She has a HUGE following and A LOT of influence, her product would have not only sold but probably all sold out at launch. She made a mistake and didn't think it would get backlash its getting. She probably thought most people would be excited to find out it was hers. I know I am! No one is perfect and every one makes mistakes. I'll be supporting her and buying her products.
I’m only 5 mins in
But I know if I don’t say this now, I will forget.
You know the video of the vitamin C? That was a sponsored video from Ole Henrikson. She talked about naturium and had the naturium vitamin c in the photo, so when Ole Henrikson reposted it, they were also advertising her bloody brand while they’re paying her. If I were them, I’d be taking her to court. Straight up.
I’m not hearing much about that aspect. What do you think?
Really depends on what her agreement with them says! I haven’t watched the vitamin c video. I’ll check it out and get back to you 😊
Aicha Tohry my mistake. Let me clarify. It was a paid sponsorship on Instagram with ole. She uses her cream, possibly the niacinamide in the video. I just saw the SS and didn’t watch the actual video.
This is it:
instagram.com/p/B_h4Qd6JaUk/?
I guess it would also depend if she disclosed it to them and they were ok with it. I dunno how on earth you would be but who knows!!!
It was interesting to get a lawyer's take on the situation, Aicha.
Re Susan learning from her mistakes though?
I wouldn't be holding my breath, waiting for her to show genuine contrition, or do the right thing.
She's still out there responding to Instagram comments with "sorry you feel that way" and telling everyone to watch her (monetised) apology video to clear up any "confusion" we may have about the situation.
It's just icky.
And she's clearly learnt nothing.
Did you see Susan Yara's mea culpa video posted today? Although I think it was the right thing to do--and she fully exonerated the other influences she included in her "launch" video--I found her explanation problematic for several reasons. I'd like to hear what you think and I'll tell you what my concerns are.
Just finished watching it!
I don't think it totally makes sense for many reasons: is she or is she not a co-founder? Did she wait to reveal she was behind the brand because she wanted honest feedback or because she wasn't officially a part of the company? If the announcement got delayed because of Covid-19/BLM but she wasn't a part of the company until very recently, what was she going to announce back in March? I have so many more questions haha
As for the legal side, my opinion remains the same: she had a material relationship with Naturium, regardless of what that relationship was (co-founder, consultant, friend of the founder, etc) and she therefore should've disclosed it.
What did you think?
@@aichatohry3348 I agree 100%. It sounds like a good answer on the surface but it's completely inconsistent with the story in her prior video. And I also agree--how is she a co-founder if she wasn't involved until 2 weeks ago? The products were formulated, produced and began to be sold 3 months ago. Did she have anything to do with the development of the products and the brand? If not, how is this HER line and how is she a co-founder? Even if she just bought into the company 2 weeks ago, which is fine, why not say, hey this brand is great and I wanted to be part of it, instead of implying that she created the brand? In any case, she didn't wake up one day two weeks ago and suddenly signed an agreement with the company--these negotiations had to have been ongoing for months, so she had a relationship regardless of whether she was an actual owner on paper at the time she promoted the vitamin C serum a month ago. Even if she had some kind of formal NDA in place leading up to the contracts being signed, that's not an excuse for her to promote the product without disclosing her relationship. All she had to do was NOT say anything about the product until AFTER they had announced her involvement with the company.
I liked her. This is very disappointing. I find her a smart woman so I don’t think she didn’t know she was lying.
Subscribed. Please do more videos like this, breaking down aspects of law for the layperson to understand, I think it’s great!
Thank you! I think my next “lawyer comments” video will be about whether or not IG owns your content when you post it on their platform 😊
I would of bought the product if she would of said I have a line I’m working on, but in her video she made a comment I just became a partner, but then talks about how she has been working to make sure the product was PH balanced etc. She broke a major rule of an influencer and just makes you second guess. I truly think she knew what she was doing. When people started emailing the company and asked who owned it, she felted pressured. No, she should of been honest from the start. I agree she is owning up to it, but still....she has blown a lot of trust.
Her husband is an attorney and is the General Counsel at Naturium. I'm sure they knew EXACTLY what they were doing and made big profits. It's very disappointing. Many people admired Susan and now she has tarnished her brand and reputation.
Whether it’s okay or not, I personally understood her point of view completely just in knowing her over the years as a youtuber. The way she approached it was very consistent with her personality so although the law is clear and that’s a separate thing, from a personal POV I don’t think she meant anything devious. Prior to this she was not at all a business woman. This was her first product and her job experience is in interviewing as a news/tv personality and journalist. What do journalists do? Exactly this type of thing. To get stories they often pose as figures in the situation to get an experience and story. People have every right to be upset and the law is the law, but this is what I felt when it all happened! She was truly trying to get the scoop and have a fun reveal. I REALLY loved your insight and career expertise! Thank you for sharing, you’re a brainiac and your clients are so lucky to have you :-)))) ❤️ definitely subscribing! You’re inspiring!
It’s crazy too because when it launched she gave a 20% discount code that was available to EVERYONE and if you purchased it with the code, you can’t return it. So after the scandal, people probably wanted to return it and wasn’t able to.
You just got another subscriber!
Yay! Welcome! Don’t hesitate to let me know what kind of videos you’d like to see from me/any topics you’d like me to address 😊
Aicha Tohry Thank you! Actually...LOL. I would love to know your opinion on (although I know you’re not a psychologist) narcissism and influencers. Not all are narcissistic. Heck, I’m still thinking about making a channel. But what do you think about the affect of ego in cases involving RUclips influencers like SY and Logan Paul, etc. How does it affect law and how does law affect the space? And you don’t have to put your opinion in this but for the record, do you think the consequences will be/were enough to keep folks’ egos in check or do you think like SY, that they just make calculated decisions and decide the gratification is worth it? What could we do to change unethical behavior? Again, I know this isn’t a channel for opinions necessarily but in your professional opinion... Sorry for the monologue. Lol. ❤️✌️
This actually would be super interesting if I brought a psychologist on the channel (so we could address the psychology side & legal side)!
Aicha Tohry YES!!! I have been independently studying narcissism and antisocial behavior for a few years now (sorry, hit send too early and now have to edit-lol) bc my brother is a sociopath and I have other antisocial traits in my family. I think that would be a great video though!!! Btw, I’m not suggesting myself. LOL. Just wanna be clear. That’d be a train wreck. 😂
Also, make sure they’re really knowledgeable bc some psychologists actually don’t put much effort into studying and understanding it.
Exactly what we don’t want is exactly what we have an internet full of deceitful advertising and marketing constantly. I trust nothing and no one as long as financial gain is involved. This woman didn’t just make a mistake. I see a lot of her supporters excusing this as a one off mistake when that’s furthest from the truth. Calling this situation everything other than what it was which is an attempt to make a lot of money quickly from her audience by lying.
The amount of minimising by her stans is mind-blowing.
They make it sound like she tripped over and broke a plate or something.
This was a carefully orchestrated campaign of deception, carried out by a number of individuals, across two platforms, over a period of months.
Not a one-off mistake, or a one-time oversight.
Thank you so much for this video. Its so informative and for me it goes really deep in this complete Susan-Yara-Discusion.
So helpfull - couse You are not bashing Susan Yara or so, but You say Your truthfull opinion as a human and a lawyer!
Greetings from Germany
Nana
Thank you, Nana!
This was super informative. Thank you. Susan has really taught me a lot about skincare and I actually purchased products from the brand but now that it’s coming to light how shady and illegal all this, I’m not sure how I feel about it anymore.
Thank you!
I can't believe someone makes a mistake in 2020 and it is dissected in days by lawyers, chemists, body language experts, drama channels, random people, etc. No wonder teens have it so hard.
No shade to you, just interesting to see how things play out in a modern era when everyone is being watched and watching from every and anywhere.
Interesting analysis! I was wondering if she was really in trouble legal wise
It would go to figure, as Susan has chosen to live her life publicly.
She is an influencer, and her entire living is predicated on having a following to influence.
She has made an entire video on her son's favourite sippy cups, with affiliate links for every product featured.
That is how entwined her persona, her family, and her livelihood are.
So, when an influencer like Susan chooses to launch a brand on a RUclips channel with 1.2m subscribers, and features four prominent skincare influencers in that launch video, you'd best believe she was wanting to make a splash, from a publicity viewpoint.
The only thing that went wrong for Susan, was that she chose to engage in illegal business practices, which eventually came to light.
Any scrutiny and criticism that came her way as a result of that, is her responsibility to bear, as an influencer, and brand co-founder.
This is a very different proposition to the hypothetical teenager you mention, who would, naturally, make the same mistakes everyone makes growing up.
Unless that teen chose to put their life on show (by documenting their every move on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram etc), there would be no reason to expect they would be subject to the same level of scrutiny, as an influencer hawking a product, would.
@@MC-ko2mx That's very true! I guess all the teenagers and kids I know are usually trying to become influencers, I don't think they realize the full impact but hopefully parents educate. Susan is a grown up but hopefully the young people are cut some slack! I do think the next generation will hopefully be a lot more poised at the end of this from watching the first few years of influencers being cancelled lol
Guys, she released an apology and I’m going back and forth in my head trying to figure out if she’s genuine. Go to Mixed Makeup and view it for yourself. I hear a lot of excuses but SOME sincere things. Not many. This is my theory and I don’t want to cause hate or anything but she got caught basically giving out a discount that would still end up giving her profits. In the video she addresses that and says what will be done with those profits. It’s going to charity bc “we believe in this and that” ... Like, heffa??? That’s WHY it’s going to charity bc you got caught. Where was it going before??? And the genuine part is where she apologizes to the other influencers she brought in bc I believe she doesn’t want to lose them bc this is as she says, “her livelihood” and I don’t think she cares about ethics so much as her reputation and product.
I'm sorry, but her "apology" video was appalling.
It was nothing more than an exercise in damage control, and a chance to play the victim, and manipulate her subscribers' emotions.
She brought zero clarity, shouldered the minimum amount of responsibility (apologising to the skincare influencers she dragged into this mess), and offered no answers to burning questions.
It was basically Susan going on a rant about her woes (of her own making, lest we forget), turning on the waterworks, saying she was being treated as "less than human", telling us she was worried about her livelihood, and claiming she was afraid of leaving the house with her kids.
There was zero contrition, and her tone was passive-aggressive, if not downright aggressive, throughout.
As one commenter put it, it was as though Susan was angry at US for holding her accountable for her actions.
She's not sorry, she's only sorry she got caught.
The only genuine bit was when she started crying, because she felt SO sorry for herself.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts after her new “apology” video and the information she presents there contrasted by her announcement video.
I’m gonna go watch it right now!
Did you watch it? If so, what did you think? I just read the description and the explanation’s a little weird...
Aicha Tohry there seems to be conflicting information...and I am also confused. The apology seems to be a non-apology as well? More so “I’m sorry you feel this way”, not “I am sorry that I did this and that people didn’t blindly accept my explanations.” Something about her being a co-founder, but she only officially signed on to be a part of the company June 12th, but she’s been helping with the brand from the beginning. She still mislead people, she was still a friend of the company, and she still did something illegal by not disclosing her relationship. I’m looking forward to what you think from a legal standpoint!
I don't think it totally makes sense for many reasons: is she or is she not a co-founder? Did she wait to reveal she was behind the brand because she wanted honest feedback or because she wasn't officially a part of the company? If the announcement got delayed because of Covid-19/BLM but she wasn't a part of the company until very recently, what was she going to announce back in March? I have so many more questions haha
As for the legal side, my opinion remains the same: she had a material relationship with Naturium, regardless of what that relationship was (co-founder, consultant, friend of the founder, etc) and she therefore should've disclosed it.
@@aichatohry3348 I read that she had wanted to wait announcing to get her internet friends' honest feedback before announcing. But if that is true...why wouldn't she have it sent to them (anonymously) and get their feedback? She could have done this so many different ways that wouldn't have been illegal and she wouldn't have had to make excuses and lose her credibility. Yes, I agree, she should have disclosed. It's a moral and legal issue now.
The proportions of your face are so beautiful 😍 You look very unique like a model
Omg that’s so sweet of you 🙈😘😘😘
Yara has made things complicated for herself. !!
Well I was going to order her stuff but changed my mind after the complications! I think I will stick to paulas choice !! One of the most respected brands. No more comments !! Simple as that !!!
I am not mad, people just wanted to have something to public flogging and making a vlog to gaining money and support.
Excellent video! Very informative. I disagree with you on one thing: I DO believe Susan was blatantly deceitful. Her husband is an attorney and General Counsel at Naturium and Susan is not a newbie to the industry. They knew exactly what they were doing and the only reason she announced her brand is because people were on to her lies and started questioning her brand on social media.
Thank you for watching, Gloria!
She contacted truthful influencers to try out her skincare line. Telling them how wonderful and innovative they are. They didn't knew what they go into.
Thank you for breaking it down!
Pleasure!
Her husband is an entertainment lawyer, where was he on this? Yara’s a smart cookie. I think she felt she wasn’t getting her perfect launch bc of Covid and apparently ongoing negotiations w her contract so tried to do things in a backchannel way. Whatever her motivation, she needs new advisors.
Her husband apparently joined Naturium in March, so I am equally puzzled as to how, and why, he let her drop the ball this badly.
It just makes you think though.. she has a brand, does she not have a lawyer?!!!!
That’s the first thing that came to mind! How did no one in her team flag this?!
@@aichatohry3348 good morning from Northern Alberta!
Morning to you too from Quebec! 😊
@@aichatohry3348 if the pandemic didn't happen, I would have taken her to see Quebec this year to see the French part of Canada🥰🥰
I think Susan is married to an attorney. She's also talked about having an attorney for Mixed Makeup. This all just seems to have been really poorly calculated, whether she had legal advice or not.
Was she a Journalist and Beauty Editor prior to becoming an Influencer?
And an on-air beauty reporter.
All of which somehow made her think she knew MORE than Dermatologists or Estheticians.
She's on record saying that she was confident going "toe to toe" with Dr Sandra Lee, and pooh-poohing Dermatologists.
Representing Canada! Love Montreal
Thank you so much!
Wow new subscriber here! As a fairly new creative myself I hope you will post some information on current events so that we can learn from other’s mistakes.
I definitely plan on doing so! Thank you for subscribing
Well done. Would love to hear more about your legal perspectives! Wanted to note, if Susan Yara really just wanted to get unbiased reviews of her product, without doing it illegally and breaking FTC guidelines and betraying the trust and loyalty of her subscribers, she could have assembled a group of people to test her product and provide anonymous feedback...its what we do in business when we want to test our products, whether its a new chip flavor, a new car feature or a new skincare product. Anyway, I've unfollowed her on social media and will not be buying Naturium. I hope other people will, too and realize that if we allow to let influencers get away with this lack of ethics, the entire influencer community will pay a steep price. In fact, influencers have the most at stake here right?...they need to protect the integrity of their industry (aka hold Susan accountable and make some noise about this issue, report her to the FTC), or else their will be no such thing as a job as an influencer...
Hey Rosalynn!
Absolutely. This could’ve been done in so many other ethical (and probably more efficient) ways. Influencers need to understand that the trust of their community is THE MOST important thing they have. Their entire career relies on it.
Thank you for watching!
yes! Kenna is a biochemist/skincare RUclipsr who make a video about this. She talks about how Susan could've done a few different things to get unbiased feedback if thats what she wanted. Focus groups, clinical trials, or an anonymous soft launch
I love Kenna’s videos! I’ve been subscribed to her since the whole Jaclyn Hill debacle.
Thank you for your professionalism!
Thank you for watching!
found your video from twitter and had to come to the comments because girl I live in Montréal too! haha. but veryyy interesting situation..still just confused on how she thought this was right
Hey girl!! Nice to meet you! Thank you for watching 😊
Aicha Tohry of course! I study fashion marketing so it was very interesting!
She deleted her apology but there are still posts on google!
Does it change your perception in any way to know that her husband is a lawyer? Does that perhaps undercut the idea that she was acting in ignorance?
Hi Lauren! So, when I filmed this video, I was not aware of the fact that her husband was a lawyer (I learned this through the comments on this video).
It's definitely harder to justify this behavior when you take that into consideration.
This could've gone a few different ways:
1. She was advised against it and went for it anyways / she was aware of it from the very beginning
2. It was brought up to her but a risk/reward analysis was conducted and they figured it was worth it (not sure how anyone could get to that conclusion, but anyways).
3. No one bothered to bring it up with her (this actually happens more than you think. It's the reason why professionnals are often advised against working for their family/businesses they're close to: you stop being objective).
4. A mix of the above
Regardless of what the reason might be: it was a horrible decision.
I am so sick of people judging others based on one decision. Look at yourself first before you are hateful to others.
Thanks.
It's so easy for people to judge others
Last time I checked, my decisions didn't involve breaching federal guidelines multiple times for months, or dragging colleagues into disrepute, as Susan did with Hyram, James Welsh, Liah Yoo, and Beauty Within.
So, I've "looked at myself" and I'm good.
My question to you is, do you believe that an individual (influencer or otherwise) should be held accountable for their actions?
And why does holding someone accountable equate to "hate"?
Michelle Cheang i don’t care. I am happy for her. I followed her for years and to me she is a skin guru and I will follow her more because we all make mistakes. It is so easy for some to jump on the wagon and judge others. To me is pure jealousy. She someone is doing well , people will always be jealous, especially some who is not doing as well. Right now this is all no consequential, why don’t we talk about things that actually matter in the world. Why do we need to bring attention to things that are not important.
Totally get this video,but Naturium has been one of the best skincare lines I have ever used! So, this is not going to make me stop from spending on this brand!! Their vit C serum ,Niacinamide and some other products have been great so far!! ❣️
She didn’t announce that it was her line til she got caught and then she quickly posted a video saying it was hers. Completely different than your timeline???
This is not a drama channel. This video was filmed before she made her apology video to respond to those who were wondering why Susan “surprising” her followers was problematic and I explained that her behaviour was against FTC guidelines. Why she posted the video when she did does not matter because the legal analysis remains the same: it was unlawful behaviour. There are plenty of other videos on RUclips if you want to dig up dirt on SY.
And yes, I saw she added disclosures in her other videos.
I'm not upset or outraged at Susan for this. I'm totally aware and understand how many feel duped. I would have preferred her for the typical launch video, I've been keeping a secret and here is my skin care baby or something like that. I still do not think it was done with malicious intent however. It was poorly, poorly executed. Lesson learned. The line may be already dead in the water due to this. She may need to step away and let them rebrand or something. Its sad because I think Susan knows her skin care and I've learned from her and will continue to do so if she still opts to make content. I was thrilled to learn about this line. We have more pressing issues in society than this. Yes she was wrong, she has admitted the error but I don't think it was intentionally done to mislead.
her hubbby is a lawyer . Althougjt we not sure which department,he is lawyering lol
Apparently he's a business attorney, and he joined Naturium in March.
How this mess was allowed to happen, I really don't know.
Okay but how do you know if those "infLuEncErS" have genuine followers? How do you know they haven't bought their following? Not saying Susan has but most influencers who aren't famous do.
What she did was certainly unethical, but I have to be honest and say that I am still going to try her products. Finding super effective skincare in sustainable packaging is way more important to me that teaching her a lesson.
Susan deleted that video lol
She is mean and condescending when she made critics on the other people’s skincare routines.
I agree that what was done was wrong but bigger picture wise, I don't hold ONE thing against anyone. People (yes, let's all look in the mirror) make mistakes (some bigger than others, purposely or unknowingly). Cancel culture. Of course, if you are like Trump that's different. I agree that it has nothing to do with intent but should we condemn/punish people who make mistakes or support them to be better versions of themselves? Have you looked at what's going on these days and see what is going on?!?! Again, there's no question what she did was wrong but now what? Unless you are Trump, Epstein, etc. who made multiple severe mistakes, most of us (including the people in your lives, singers/actors you like, etc.) have done more good than bad in our lives.
Her husband is a lawyer so how was she not being deceitful when her own husband is well aware of all the legal matters? Her husband must be aware of FTC guidelines seeing that his wife is an influencer so I’m not buying it. She was wrong and deserves to be punished for her wrongdoings.
I’ve tried a fair share of her recommended products but they broke me out and after some time I stopped watching her. Also it got really hard watching her talk with her overblown lips and I never got her videos judging other people’s skincare regime. Well, after this incident, she’s lost all credibility. In life you should always try your best to do the right thing because at the end of the day, karma is a fucking bitch.
And then she went back and re-edited her old videos! 🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️
Susan Yara is back posting videos. Will anything come out of it?
How could she have not done this on purpose? Granted, it seems like a terrible strategy because of course people were going to find out she's the owner eventually, but if her whole aim was to get unbiased reviews, why promote her own products on her channel? If people are supposed to trust her opinion, how could they not be influenced by her telling everyone that Naturium is a great product and they should buy it? The only logical explanation, I think, is that she knew what she was doing but she somehow believed she'd never be caught. If you INTENDED to go, "surprise! It's actually my brand!" after promoting it in such a way that it actively misled people - claiming you got it in a PR package, expressing surprise that the products were available at such a low price, claiming it's better than a very well-loved brand The Ordinary, praising it in a post and then offering discount codes so people could buy it - you'd still be incredibly offensive because you were outright lying. No one would be inclined to respond to that with, "oh cool! it was you all along! thanks for the discount code!" If she actually didn't know what she was doing (and somehow NO ONE involved in the production and marketing of her products, some of whom presumably weren't total novices and must have known what they were doing, advised her not to do something illegal?) then she's incredibly obtuse and I'm not sure her opinion on any matter should hold much weight.
I was with you all the way up until you said that you "genuinely do not think that she meant to be deceitful at all, I genuinely think she just didn't want biased reviews". I thought your commentary was very informative and you came across as professional and credible-until that last doozy of a statement. First, the video didn't need your personal opinion tacked on at the end. You were providing meaningful legal opinion and then you shifted into commentary which you said early in your video that you were not going to do. Second, she was dishonest and she absolutely intended to be dishonest because she lied repeatedly, and then lied in her "apology".
Hey Emilie! Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it.
I mean I understand why she did it and honestly who cares. If the products are good then that is all I care about at the end of the day. I care about what I do and take everything else with a grain of salt.
I’m more worried about the fact that she called it her brand but then in the “I’m sorry video” she said she joined them a few weeks ago 🤔 sooo the brand is not hers...