This new beauty livestream shopping app is taking unfiltered beauty seriously

Do you remember a world without filters?

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic forced almost all retailers to conduct business virtually – beauty included. As people turned to Instagram to inspire their next beauty purchase, they were confronted with ads for beauty products that were heavily filtered and digitally enhanced, promoting unattainable beauty standards.

According to a study conducted by the YMCA, 62% of 15 to 16 year-olds admitted to feeling the pressure to look ‘perfect’ stemming from individuals seen on social media, compared to 43% of 11 to 12 year-olds. In such an intimately personal category as beauty, consumers are surrounded by images of beauty that cannot realistically be attained.

Talk Shop Live is the latest digital platform that allows for consumers to join live streams hosted by industry professionals providing product demonstrations, showcasing new launches, and live tutorials. Plus, it’s completely unfiltered. Makeup artist Adrian Rios, among other beauty experts, has already begun to create on the emerging platform.

“I allow people to see what the makeup looks like, what skincare looks like, what the haircare looks like,” says Adrian Rios to Very Good Light. “Live in action, no filters, and no editing.”

With the rise of beauty filters and virtual enhancements on all digital platforms from Instagram to Zoom, a digital retail platform such as Talk Shop Live offers consumers a beauty-related social media experience that is authentic and real. We talked with Adrian about why this platform is important for consumers to know about and what to expect.

The reality of filters

In terms of popular beauty content, Adrian says, “people should question everything they’re watching and viewing no matter what the platform is.” While social media can be an infinite source of inspiration, consumers must understand that more than likely every photo and video has been cosmetically enhanced in one way or another. It’s common to bring a photo to Sephora or Ulta looking for suggestions to help achieve a certain look, but unfortunately, sometimes these looks are just unattainable due to unrealistic editing.

“I think there’s a pause now in the beauty culture, where we’re questioning what is real and what is not real,” says Adrian.

Since the start of COVID-19, we have seen camera filters and virtual beauty enhancements increase astronomically. According to Spate, a machine intelligence platform that uses artificial intelligence to find hidden patterns in consumer behavior, the term “Zoom filter” has increased by 2,111% year-over-year, while “how to look good on Zoom” has increased by 4,185% year-over-year. This data proves that consumers are seeking ways to cosmetically enhance themselves virtually, which can lead to a sticky situation of unrealistic beauty expectations.

The desire to be filtered has spilled into beauty product development and marketing, seen in products such as Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter ($44) and Becca Cosmetics Backlight Priming Filter Face Primer ($21).

As beauty continues to promote these unrealistic expectations, the trend does not seem to be slowing down. Beauty trends, such as the e-girl look, which is inspired by filters, put more pressure on younger beauty consumers.

Talk Shop Live

On Talk Shop Live, the platform is dedicated to being an authentic resource of beauty retail, encouraging filterless and natural beauty.

“People can expect to learn things like ‘why is my foundation not working,’ and ‘what happens when I overbake,’” says Adrian. “I’m going to show you in real-time what you can do to fix those things as a professional and show you ways to use products that you didn’t think about before.”

When viewing a Talk Shop Live show, viewers are able to directly add products to their cart as they’re being presented. You can expect co-hosts such as brand founders, influencers, industry professionals, among others, to assist Adrian with his live shows. Since the shows will be live, viewers will be able to ask questions and get real-time feedback from Adrian. If you’re unable to attend the shows, you can view them at a later time.

Talk Shop Live hopes to be an authentic platform for beauty lovers of all backgrounds to learn more about products, educate themselves on techniques, and make informed purchases. Since Talk Shop Live beauty just launched, you can expect new content to be rolled out on a daily basis ranging from skincare, haircare, to color cosmetics.