Is “Buy It Because I Said So” Dying?
or is it on life-support?
For as long as we’ve shopped, we’ve followed the good word. A friend. A facialist. A celeb. If they said buy it, we bought it. But somewhere between your great-grandmother’s homemade salve and #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, we hit peak “buy it because I said so”. Everyone’s recommending. Everyone’s selling. And we, the audience, are starting to squint. What’s the fine print? Is this genuine? Or just another affiliate link without a soul?
Let’s be clear, “Buy it because I said so” will never die.
We’re human. We trust. We follow. We aspire. But the tide is turning. Because there is so much more coming at us at a faster rate than ever before, we are going to need curation therapists. As AI agents enter the group chats, we will have PhD-level agents working for us. Algorithms that understand not just what’s out there in the entire universe, but also pick out the needle in the haystack that is right for you. And suddenly, there’s no Wizard of Oz. All of us are behind the curtain watching lab videos, zooming in on ingredient lists, following founders in real time. Transparency is trending, and it’s going from frost, to sheer, to clear.
My Story (Sorry, J. Lo)
For many years, beauty insiders swore that J.Lo used Crème de la Mer (original). I, too, used it. I was gifted it in 2000 at my alma mater, Estée Lauder Companies, during an executive retreat at Vassar College. When I heard she used it, I felt one glow-step closer to her. So when her skincare line launched, I was first in line. I expected La Mer with maybe a bit more glow, maybe a bit of sophisticated pearl, micro cuts woven into the formula, that was timeless and modern, and perhaps softer on the wallet. What did I get? A FAILURE on all fronts. I never return beauty. My reaction: I hate-returned it. That’s the slippery slope of “buy it because I said so”. It can go from aspirational to fury fast.
New Concept: “Buy it because it’s right for me”
Sounds obvious Bina…..so come on?
OK, OK….I don’t think we need to choose, we can accomplish both. Buy it because someone said so, and then quickly cross-check that it’s right for you. In real time. This hybrid thinking is what I am all in on.
It’s the opportunity my co-founder and I ran toward.
What if everyone could build and share their beauty product portfolio? Not just for influencers, but for everyone. Your bestie, mom, friend, facialist, doctor, co-worker, etc. What if you could shop their products with a built-in filter that determines if it’s right for you? What if it told you not just what to buy, but what to skip?
Hold your breath. It exists. On hi-BB.
It’s been our biggest build yet. Quietly launched. Carefully tested. And it’s live thanks to my co-founder, Erick, who brought it to life not because I said so (though I may have once or twice)—but because we both believe this is the new way to shop beauty.
This is Week 2 of hi-BB’s shareable digital magazines. When you click on one, it opens up to someone’s skincare, haircare, and makeup picks—the products they actually use and love. Click on any product (hopefully you have taken the quizzes), and presto—in seconds, it tells you if it’s right for you. And yes, it even tells you what to leave behind and why.
Bottom line: “Buy it because I said so,” and “because it’s right for you.”