Honestly, my first instinct is to assume it’s paid, even when they swear it’s not.
At this point, influencer recommendations don’t feel like recommendations anymore. They feel like ads wearing a friendship filter. The way they talk is always the same too, “Guys, I’ve been obsessed with this,” “I’ve used this for months,” or “I would never recommend something I don’t genuinely love.” And somehow, next week, they’re obsessed with a completely different brand that does the exact same thing.
That doesn’t mean every influencer is lying, but it does mean I don’t trust the delivery. Once money, PR packages, affiliate links, and brand deals get involved, the line between honest opinion and marketing gets very blurry.
If I see an influencer recommend something, I treat it like step one, not final proof. I’ll check comments, Reddit, real customer reviews, and especially what people say after using it for a few weeks. Because an influencer can make almost anything look life-changing for 45 seconds.
So do I trust influencer recommendations? A little.
Do I trust them enough to buy instantly? Absolutely not.
These days, if a product is being pushed too hard online, I’m actually more suspicious, not more convinced.