This Is Why Jaclyn Hill, James Charles, and Laura Lee Don't Wear Makeup in Their Apology Videos
Last week, after reports that hair and mold were found in her brand's lipsticks, Jaclyn Hill uploaded an apology video to YouTube. In the video, she sits solemnly, wearing a gray hoodie, a large bedazzled crucifix, and, notably, no makeup.
Well, maybe no makeup is an exaggeration, but she is certainly wearing a lot less makeup than usual. Her skin is even-toned, hinting at a base layer of foundation, and her lips are unnaturally rosy (at least for her). But that’s it — no blush, mascara, or eye makeup. This is possibly the first time we’ve seen Jaclyn without false lashes and heaps of mascara. Upon reflection, we also realized that her lack of makeup may be purposeful, meant to project a specific message to the viewer — maybe one of genuine remorse. But let’s investigate further.
In the apology video, Jaclyn speaks to the camera authoritatively, rapidly defending herself and her products. She speaks so fast it’s hard to process what she’s saying before she’s onto the next thing. Jaclyn explains that it took a few days to get the video up because she’s been doing an “in-depth investigation” into what went wrong with the products. In this way, the absence of heavy makeup subtly implies that she’s simply been too busy figuring out what went wrong to focus on her own makeup. The no-makeup-makeup look tells the viewer that she’s had more important things to do than take time to apply makeup, and that she’s taking this issue very seriously. But applying mascara doesn’t typically take a lot of time, so there have to be other reasons why she chose to go makeup-free.
On YouTube, there’s an infamous canon of influencer-apology videos that have spurred parodies and eye rolls, the exaggerated nature of the videos making them easy targets for poking fun. It makes sense that these videos would draw ire since it’s very difficult to come across as sincere in a video that’s been preplanned, or attempts to use persuasive tactics (such as “receipts” and carefully crafted language) to cast away blame and sway public opinion. The videos often feel manipulative, including fake tears and pleas that they "didn’t mean to hurt anyone”; like asking for forgiveness but without real remorse.
One of the most controversial and parodied videos was, rightfully, Laura Lee’s apology after racist tweets of hers were discovered in August 2018. In the video, she leans close to the camera, creating a sense of intimacy; her hair is up and she isn’t wearing a lick of makeup. Throughout the video, she wipes her eyes (she's supposedly wiping away tears but that’s...questionable), something that you can’t do if you have eye makeup on. The cynical among us (me) also say that wearing mascara would reveal that the tears were nonexistent, since there would be no mascara running down her face.
More recently, after a major beef with Tati Westbrook (who also wore subdued makeup looks in her multiple videos about the drama), James Charles faced the camera with a clean face and apologized in a hushed tone. After reviewing the footage, we have reason to believe that the underlying message was that he was too distraught to focus on makeup, which for a beauty influencer means it’s serious business.
While the lack of makeup in apology videos may seem unplanned or organic, it is worth considering the ways in which these influencers could be projecting a very specific version of themselves. Just as celebrities and brands have crisis PR plans ready for issues or controversies that may arise, it’s necessary to remember that makeup vloggers and YouTubers are also their own brands. As a result, they have to carefully consider every aspect of how they present themselves when addressing a controversy, including what they’re wearing on their face.
Though it may seem a bit hypocritical, beauty vloggers who’ve built careers on over-the-top makeup who ditch their usual looks for fear of appearing insincere seem to imply that makeup is unprofessional and not appropriate for something somber like an apology. We don’t think so, but that’s what their choice of not wearing makeup in apology videos seems to suggest.
So how can beauty YouTubers apologize sincerely? One idea is to post a notes app apology like everyone else. And if you find yourself in need of some comic relief after watching your favorite YouTuber apologize, may we suggest this hilarious musical rendition of famous YouTube apologies? We can’t get the catchy jingle out of our head, so proceed with caution.
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
