From Ads to Real Experiences: Why Beauty Marketing is Shifting to Reel Reviews

As content consumption behaviors among beauty consumers in South Korea change, the focus of beauty marketing is rapidly shifting from text-based reviews to authentic, video-based content.

There is growing interest in Reel content, which can intuitively convey product changes before and after use (B&A) and real-life usage scenarios, causing a shift in how brands manage their product monitoring programs.

In recent years, the beauty industry has observed that consumers respond better to review content that conveys natural, everyday usage rather than overly produced, advertising-style content. Among consumers, the mindset of "avoiding ad-like reviews" is spreading, with a stronger tendency to prioritize real-life usage clips and candid feedback.

Following this trend, the beauty platform "Powder Room" reports a continuous increase in inquiries regarding Reel-based monitoring programs. Various brands are implementing Reel-based monitoring initiatives that capture usage processes and before-and-after results in short videos, strengthening content centered on practical application.

In particular, because B&A content—such as changes in skin appearance, makeup longevity, and comparisons before and after use—is visually easy to understand and feel, brands are increasingly focusing on conveying real usage experiences rather than simple product introductions.

From the consumer perspective, it is analyzed that they place higher trust in video content that allows them to observe the product being used compared to text-centric reviews.

Powder Room explains that, even in the operational process of these monitoring programs, they provide operational guidelines to ensure that participants can create autonomous and candid reviews based on their feelings after actual use, rather than through excessive advertising expressions. By encouraging content generation centered on individual user experiences rather than uniform promotional phrases, they are enhancing consumer trust.

A representative from Powder Room commented, "In recent years, more consumers prefer content that conveys real usage scenes and contexts rather than flashy production. Brands are also shifting toward focusing on securing real usage reviews that consumers can empathize with, rather than just simple advertising exposure."

Industry experts anticipate that marketing centered on authentic usage content using short-form video will continue to expand throughout the entire beauty market.