Critics rely on credibility. Without that, the work is useless. Audiences won’t trust you. There’s also a difference between criticism and PR. In journalism, we call it “Payola/Plugola.” Having brands mad at you is probably a badge of honor as a critic, Ash. Just make sure you’re being transparent. Appreciated this video.
@@BourbonInhibitions a real journalist should have the topic of credibility in their mind at all times. The problem with modern news like cable tv and many web journalism is the positive feedback loop of feeding people what they want to hear for clicks. It’s a dying profession but real journalism still exists the key aspect is that you have to be critical of biases, and most audiences don’t care to practice that
@@BourbonInhibitionsyou act like there's no real journalists out there still. You have a sad world view that you can't see what he said and have it resonate and also assume he's one of the good ones still out there
i have no peoblem with paid content. but they need to disclose it in the beginning. i watch a sound equipment reviwer in Brasil that occasionally does paid content. but he adopted the rule of only do paid content of equipment he tests and like.if the equipment isn’t good enough for him he does not do the paid content. and he discloses it. i know the guy. he has a headphone brand. i have his headphone. and i test some of his indications. So the key to me is transparency.
I remember when Jeremy shared the same thought as you Ash. He even did a video where he was quite serious about “wielding power to make or break a brand”. Explaining how it’s easy to criticize but hard to accept criticism. Too bad he lost his way. I’m hoping you’ll stay the straight forward honest reviewer that you are dude, you’ve got my support 100% 👍
He wasn't wrong, it is way harder to accept criticism. We all struggle with that to some extent. I don't personally want to try to break any brand at all, I'd just like for brands to in general be more accepting of the fact that not everyone will love every single thing they put out and that's okay. Instead it's treated as the ultimate sin to dare say you aren't in love with a release.
And boy did he ever lose his way this is why I unsubscribed to him because he just went down a path that was more for tick tock videos and it seemed like it was just less and less reviews and the major problem that I had with him was he kept changing his mind when he did or he didn't like a fragrance I mean if you like a fragrance you're going to forever like it but for some reason he just flip flops on his likes or dislikes
@@TheHispanicJukeBox He also (in my opinion, of course) plugs the same fragrances over and over to the point where it seems very suspicious. Comes off like he's definitely getting some kind of benefits from the companies, which is unfortunate.
I watch your videos because they are entertaining and educational. But also because you talk about what you don't like in a respectful way. This gives a sense of honesty and makes me believe in your recommendations. Stay true, this is one of the best elements in your content.
As a viewer and fragrance lover I always notice when a particular brand starts to pop up at every reviewers' videos at the same time, so I don't even watch those kind of videos cause I know I won't hear an honest opinion there. That's why people love your reviews, Ash, they are always honest. Brands should value that more, cause one honest review costs much more than a hundred of fake compliments bought with free stuff.
Fragrantica and some forums are pretty much the only place where you can get some honest reviews. Even then, you need to take subjectivity into account. And sometimes people just lie and give either high or low ratings just because of pettiness.
It's not bad at all when you consider it's those $75 plus the fragrance they sent to you for free, plus the money you made from YT, plus the money from advertising whatever you had to that day, (and if it's in a "Top" list) plus the money you made from the codes in only one video. Ya...it piles up, and it ends up being quite profitable.
Alot of what you address here is why I'm subbed to both your channels. I always assumed most youtubers are sort of bought off. Literally when I see a major brand come out with a new fragrance and 5 influencers are praising it before its released.
I’m a very small channel, but I did have a new niche brand ask if they could send me a bottle, and said to be honest. They actually asked me to give a legitimate review even if I didn’t like it. It was Andraus Parfums. So I accepted. I thought that was very cool, but I didn’t realize it isn’t usually like that. So this video was helpful. Thanks
Thanks for posting this I've always suspected that some reviewers were blatant shills for certain brands especially if they don't explicitly state that they purchased the bottle themselves.
I’m glad you are talking about the dark side of influencers working with the perfume companies/perfumes they review. You are so right about a review being influenced by the fact of if it was gifted or purchased. If you’re given an $900 bottle of perfume, you typically aren’t going to say anything bad about it, or they won’t send you any more FREE products. I watch your channel because you are so down to earth about what you like and don’t like and how you present your content. Keep being yourself and don’t cow down to the fragrance industry!!
you'll notice most 'reviewers' rarely mention prices for most of these things so we're totally missing any context. and if they do it's mentioned in passing and never forms any meaningful aspect of the critique.
Im glad you are speaking about all these things that happen behind closed doors with these brands and TH-camrs brother and also it gives us insight on which companies are just plain greedy and dont deserve our money.
My friend has a fragrance channel & got sent a bottle of Office by Jeremy Fragrance. They reviewed it & gave it a 10/10 but didn't hear from Jeremy again. They sent him a message to ask why & he said they were supposed to yell "POWER!" and start dancing while spraying it 20 times so since they didn't they got cut off
It’s not a gift if you have to work for it. If you have to work for it, you deserve to get paid. That would be called a sponsorship, not PR. This is definitely not the same as sending you a PR package - which costs them a fraction of what a sponsorship would cost, while demanding that you practically work for free. You’re right to refuse to bow down to this nonsense. Thank you for your transparency, loved this video.
Exactly, they expect to make a fragrance and bound the content creator regardless of "if its good or not". Plus, it's waaaay cheaper for them to just send their own product in order to get exposure without actually paying for exposure. I was very surprised to see how many niche companies are in this video. It only makes me wonder what the fragrances actually cost vs the price they are charging for them. This is the same reason i stopped buying niche, i just don't know if I'm actually buying quality just because it smells good.
The Masque Milano one is funny because I'd be much more likely to be put on to one of their fragrances from a top 10 list than a review. Definitely were helping them out more than they even asked for.
Thank you for keeping it real. We frag heads need honesty and real reviews. The reality of buying high priced or even reg designer frags, is that we lean on others who have used it and how they truthfully feel about it. Thank you for giving real no nonsense advice. That is HUGE man… and the main reason I choose your advice above most others out there on TH-cam. William.
I had unsubscribed to all the frag recorded earlier this year because I spend way too many times just spiraling down the review rabbit hole. However, this and your navitus/galleria video came up tonight and I appreciate your honesty. Definitely resubscribed. Thank you for keeping it real.
This guy is one of the best. He reviews fragrances….no gimmicks, he’s not trying to be a fragrance comedian or push multiple income streams, he just reviews fragrances and that’s why I’m here in the first place.
Thanks for being honest with us, it's one of the very reasons I watch you. Funny how many of the reviewers seem to love everything. No one loves everything. I know I don't. Just keep keeping it real!
This is my favorite fragrance review channel for a reason. Honesty. There are 3 or 4 reviewers I used to watch all the time, but it was obvious that they only do positive reviews. And some of their recommendations are highly suspect.
I’m glad you put them out there. Most would say this isn’t “professional”. But I would argue it’s cowardly and bowing down. There can’t be a positive or awareness, if we accepted being silent.
There is a reason why you are basically the only fragrance channel I watch, you have integrity. Although we have pretty different taste, I will always keep watching your videos.
After watching this vid, that was recommended by my friend I'm back and subscribed again. Thanks for showing biggest problem of this industry and good luck with creating not promoted, real reviews!
I do appreciate the video Ash,and for a long time now I’ve realised I can’t really trust many a reviewer, not to tell me if a fragrance is good or not (only I can really decide that for my own taste) but to just tell me what they honestly think about a given fragrance. Cheers for this vid
Only you and Chaos fragraces had the courage to talk about how many niche fragrance houses “buy” reviewers to give good ratings in exchange of free bottles. Thank you!! I always laugh when “reviewers like TLTG ,Justin Copeland and many others keep recommending Roja, for example,when they wouldn’t even think to buy them with their own money.
Roja is okay, if you take into account that a lot of his fragrances are inspirations of classic fragrances. And I do think that the prices of his fragrances are way up compared to what you get. Worth testing, but not worth blind buying, especially based on some shill reviews.
I actually brought up Roja asking for positive reviews and potentially black listing people in a live stream on Ross's channel. He specifically brought up my comment and defended Roja to the point of (minor) anger. He was very adamant that he had never had Roja request a positive review and that he had been a little negative about a couple of fragrances saying that they weren't for him, and Roja never had a problem with it. Believe what you will, of course, but that's what he said anyway.
You know what I think this video is exactly what the fragrance community needs to see, every single day always see our reviewer‘s reviewing niche and designer fragrances which is an are fantastic but there is no behind-the-scenes footage or conversation about how they obtain the fragrances. I truly appreciate you making this video and going into how and why these brands pieced out. Definitely a great video 🙏🏻
This is why I will continue to watch your stuff man. Don’t back down. We need honesty. This is peoples money and it means a lot that you respect that by being honest. Thank you
Ashton, thank you so much for your honesty. Very few people can maintain their marbles when given free stuff. Also on behalf of people where these fragrances are crazy expensive (high shipping 😤) it's good to have an true picture of what we are paying for. Keep it up.
Hahaha, I hope you are relieved with sharing some of that burden! I've watched many reviewers this far and I stuck with a handful! it is obvious who wants to sell and who wants to share this art!
@@pradeep_sekar Lol I can't decide for you, but Ash as you can see from this video clearly shares his unbiased opinion. I'm not sponsored to say that btw, Tehe
I love this kind of video. Shedding some light on the situation is good so that people know that the opinions of some of these other reviewers might be colored by free products or money. Look at when Apex from Roja came out, I feel like they gave a bottle to every reviewer out there and they all said pretty much the exact same thing about it. Almost like it even came from a script.
Thank you for being transparent on this issue. Some of the reviewers are just the modern day version of telemarketing but the brands hold 60% of the blame.
thank you for your honesty i love your videos and i watch every single one. 2 days ago i commented on a popular TH-cam channel that was doing top 20 niche frag that deserves your money and was obvious most of them were in the list because they were sent to him and he tried to pretend its his own opinion (lies)
Thanks Ash for your honesty. Doesn't it feel good to buy something on your own and it mentally gives you a freedom? Especially with your passion for fragrances. There always will be a difference between a reviewer (personal opinion of a fragrance) and an advertiser (just trying to get people to sell)
Clearly, you do this for the love of fragrances. I rely on your transparency and integrity when I watch your vids Ash. You really should get more support
So enlightening. I had slowly clued into some of this, I wish I had realized it faster and more completely. I agree there is freedom in not being beholden to brands. Thx
I and the majority of your viewership appreciate your honesty and openness about a situation that many of us have probably pondered. You have not courted controversy by calling anyone else out and I'm sure there was a temptation to do so. Keep up the good work Ash, you're still my "go to guy" and the fragrance community is better for your contributions. 🙏🏾
Man, I truly appreciate the transparency and honesty Ash. This is why I truly trust your reviews, and have bought a number of scents partially based on your recommendations. You have integrity, and don't change that. Brands should want to earn your endorsement because they know that your word is trusted. Thanks for all that you do!
that is the good part of being such a influence in the fragrance community. being established as a popular reviewer and having the amount of subscribers that you have and still gaining, but still giving honest and unbiased opinions on the things that we all love in here…fragrances. unlike jeremy who was in the same shoes as you are and then falling off to being such a biased reviewer.. if i can even call him that. and you can see in the amount of views that he gets that people dont trust people like him no more. good to hear that there is at least one fragrance reviewer on youtube that literally gives his own opinion and impressions of a fragrance. keep up the good work and never change, we’ve all seen what greed can do to people, and even companies.
I am glad you decided to mention that in a dedicated video in case some of your audience in denial about beauty companies' state of denial against criticism.
The FTC has GOT to do something about this! I've had an commerce store for 6 years and never gave ppl free product in exchange for a positive reviews, i always told ppl to give me an honest review. they have to take in the negative as well as the positive.
@@Sliceisnice850 Don't know about what gets posted on the community tab so can't speak on it. However, literally every reviewer has affiliate links in all their videos (including Ashton). I've always respected Dallas's opinions. Never feel like he pushes anything he doesn't like. Same with Ashton. I find my fragrance taste aligns with them both. To each their own I guess.
@@Sliceisnice850 I've seen Dallas do this, but I don't really see a problem with it. He's usually promoting a fragrance that is rarely in stock, hard to get hold of, or something that's on a really good offer. If he uses an affiliate link for that and gets a kickback then it's no loss to the people buying the fragrance, he's only pointing out where they can get it from. Sure, fear of missing out comes into play if you want to look at it that way, but at the same time people who want that specific fragrance might get it quick enough through him pointing it out and may not get it elsewhere or at the same price.
@@Sliceisnice850 Maybe you're right. Personally, I don't think he has any bad or selfish intent with it. I think he's genuinely saying "You can get this here at this price now if you want it (coz it's cheap or you can't usually get it easily)" because he knows a lot of his subscribers are interested in that fragrance
@@charlesvelasco3357 Exactly that. I think he's a pretty stand up guy and is just doing his viewers a solid. Sure, he might use affiliate links, but that's at no loss to the buyer anyway. Also, he says plainly on his videos that he uses affiliate links, when he links to the fragrances mentioned he has at the bottom of the description that it's affiliated and he may get a small commission. He might not say that on the community links he posts but I don't think it really matters too much.
Respect your honest independent reviews 💪 After all, this is what we, the viewer, actually WANTS! And this is exactly why your channel is growing… and growing.. and growing.
Thank you for being honest in your reviews instead of lying to please a brand, because the reason we watch reviews is to see the persons perspective so that it can help is decide if we want to buy it or not. If you said that everything was good then how could we trust you, over time we would notice that you just want us to buy and that's it. So again thanks for being an honest person.
lot of companies fighting for a small market ,its inevitable ....how many people can afford fragrances like that in total ,then how many of those are active fragrance buffs ,its a tiny tiny market
@@Gbonejohn1974 True, but a brand should value honest feedback. In the food industry, companies will bring in special taste testers to try new products before sending them to market, but the point is to get an honest opinion. If they got angry and fired any tester who doesn't like something, then it dismisses the point of asking them in the first place. If they hear that a good amount of critics honestly don't like a specific product, then it's a sign to them to stop investing or producing it and/or put their efforts elsewhere or towards trying to improve the things people don't like. Getting angry at people for having an honest opinion is ridiculous. That is just like the petty infantile behavior of modern democrats who try to 'cancel' anyone who disagrees with their woke insanity.
I knew about your honesty from your reviews since I started watching fragrance reviews! So for a genuine feedback about any fragrance I mostly rely on your videos!! Thanks for doing what you are doing! We greatly appreciate that!!
so for this video , you got all my respect and much more … i knew some influencers are doing this … some of them exagerate it …. but now i understand it better . from now on i will think twice where my subscritions are .
@@Narcissist_Police maybe he is. i cant tell. but in this case he has a very good point. i see this reality here with Brasilian reviewers. i simply cant trust any of them.
I don't subscribe to many fragrance TH-camrs anymore. The reason is either their taste is much different from mine or...something seemed off. This whole video makes me think of one particular channel that I stopped watching some time ago because something felt inauthentic. As you go through the brands, I see many names that were HIGHLY featured on that channel. Perhaps my suspicions were accurate. Thanks for the great content!
So glad I watched this video, I appreciate you even more now. I love Aaron Terrence Hughes because of his honesty and it's good to know there is another reviewer out there with integrity.
That's why you are the main frag reviewer I watch. Of course with any review of any kind of product (not just frags) I look for multiply reviews. But you are one of only a couple I know of where I know what you say you truly mean and is not coming from some script a company gave to you. Keep up the good work! Honest people are hard to come by.
Thank you for bravely sharing this. That's one thing I really like about you: you're always honest, brutally so if necessary. I know 2 French reviewers that refuse any kind of deal with brands (although they've been contacted). I understand better now why they prefer to keep their independence. They don't show off big bottles but use a lot of samples for their reviews... Which is the same from my viewer point of view !
Great video, someone who won't be bullied by the companies. You continue be truthful. Like you said you can buy the perfume, that's why I watch your content and then decide what to buy. Keep the good work coming.
Im glad to know nobody is paying you to give your honest opinion. I also appreciate you bringing up this side of the business to point out to all of us how most of these fragrance houses treat the business. Im sure you are aware of this. But i think this video added you to even more black lists.
I must say I haven't had many bad experiences, although I'm sure a bunch of brands have stopped sending things because of my less positive thoughts on them. In general I want to mention that it's not as bad as people think it is; it's not like you can't get bottles if you're being a critical thinker. I did a top 5 worst things I've ever smelled and 2 of those brands (Akro and Amouage) sponsored me after. Kajal sent stuff specifically because a negative review to me etc. Most shady stuff I've been dealing with is brands not wanting to disclose the gifting, most recently Nishane. They wanted me to keep it quiet, I said I wouldn't and they said they couldn't work with me then. Had that happen several times.
Man just keep being real and doing real reviews. You can't please everyone my man. Your the one that haw gotten me to start purchasing fragrances like I use to again. Your the man and don't change a thing be you and thats all anyone could ask for!
You're a reviewer, not a promoter, thank you for realizing that and staying on that path.
That was well put brother
Perfectly said
Here here
Boom! Could not have said it better.
These companies don't see him as a reviewer. They see him as an influencer, with big $ on the line.
Critics rely on credibility. Without that, the work is useless. Audiences won’t trust you.
There’s also a difference between criticism and PR. In journalism, we call it “Payola/Plugola.”
Having brands mad at you is probably a badge of honor as a critic, Ash.
Just make sure you’re being transparent.
Appreciated this video.
Beautifully said.
A journalist talking about credibility 😂
@@BourbonInhibitions a real journalist should have the topic of credibility in their mind at all times. The problem with modern news like cable tv and many web journalism is the positive feedback loop of feeding people what they want to hear for clicks. It’s a dying profession but real journalism still exists the key aspect is that you have to be critical of biases, and most audiences don’t care to practice that
@@BourbonInhibitionsyou act like there's no real journalists out there still. You have a sad world view that you can't see what he said and have it resonate and also assume he's one of the good ones still out there
i have no peoblem with paid content. but they need to disclose it in the beginning. i watch a sound equipment reviwer in Brasil that occasionally does paid content. but he adopted the rule of only do paid content of equipment he tests and like.if the equipment isn’t good enough for him he does not do the paid content. and he discloses it. i know the guy. he has a headphone brand. i have his headphone. and i test some of his indications. So the key to me is transparency.
I remember when Jeremy shared the same thought as you Ash. He even did a video where he was quite serious about “wielding power to make or break a brand”. Explaining how it’s easy to criticize but hard to accept criticism. Too bad he lost his way. I’m hoping you’ll stay the straight forward honest reviewer that you are dude, you’ve got my support 100% 👍
He wasn't wrong, it is way harder to accept criticism. We all struggle with that to some extent. I don't personally want to try to break any brand at all, I'd just like for brands to in general be more accepting of the fact that not everyone will love every single thing they put out and that's okay. Instead it's treated as the ultimate sin to dare say you aren't in love with a release.
@@extragentsscents Yes. Tastes differ. I don't always agree with your reviews but I appreciate your honesty.
And boy did he ever lose his way this is why I unsubscribed to him because he just went down a path that was more for tick tock videos and it seemed like it was just less and less reviews and the major problem that I had with him was he kept changing his mind when he did or he didn't like a fragrance I mean if you like a fragrance you're going to forever like it but for some reason he just flip flops on his likes or dislikes
@@TheHispanicJukeBox He also (in my opinion, of course) plugs the same fragrances over and over to the point where it seems very suspicious. Comes off like he's definitely getting some kind of benefits from the companies, which is unfortunate.
Why it is suspicious to mention náutica voyage, joop homme, Versace blue jeans in all videos? 😂😂😂
Big respect for not selling out and staying true to yourself and your viewers.
Yah 👍🏼
Ash, this is precisely why I like your channel. Honest, evaluations.
Your honesty is why I follow you.
This proves that theory.
Thank you Ash for always being honest and completely transparent! THAT is why I've watched you for years.
I appreciate that!
@@extragentsscentsW Ash
I watch your videos because they are entertaining and educational. But also because you talk about what you don't like in a respectful way. This gives a sense of honesty and makes me believe in your recommendations. Stay true, this is one of the best elements in your content.
As a viewer and fragrance lover I always notice when a particular brand starts to pop up at every reviewers' videos at the same time, so I don't even watch those kind of videos cause I know I won't hear an honest opinion there. That's why people love your reviews, Ash, they are always honest. Brands should value that more, cause one honest review costs much more than a hundred of fake compliments bought with free stuff.
Fragrantica and some forums are pretty much the only place where you can get some honest reviews. Even then, you need to take subjectivity into account. And sometimes people just lie and give either high or low ratings just because of pettiness.
@@Ekiboy1 This
Wow! A whopping $75 for writing, recording, editing and then advertising to thousands of people? That sounds irresistible. 😋
dirt cheap
and also trash the credibility
It's not bad at all when you consider it's those $75 plus the fragrance they sent to you for free, plus the money you made from YT, plus the money from advertising whatever you had to that day, (and if it's in a "Top" list) plus the money you made from the codes in only one video. Ya...it piles up, and it ends up being quite profitable.
@@pooolish334exactly. These other guys don't understand how that works. It's actually a good gig.
Alot of what you address here is why I'm subbed to both your channels. I always assumed most youtubers are sort of bought off. Literally when I see a major brand come out with a new fragrance and 5 influencers are praising it before its released.
I’m a very small channel, but I did have a new niche brand ask if they could send me a bottle, and said to be honest. They actually asked me to give a legitimate review even if I didn’t like it. It was Andraus Parfums. So I accepted. I thought that was very cool, but I didn’t realize it isn’t usually like that. So this video was helpful. Thanks
Integrity is in such short supply these days, good on you for staying true to your own morals.
Thanks for posting this I've always suspected that some reviewers were blatant shills for certain brands especially if they don't explicitly state that they purchased the bottle themselves.
This is exactly the reason why you are my favourite reviewer. Honesty. Keep it up, bud! Honesty will always pay off in the long term.
Stay strong Ash! Your honesty and frankness are one of my favorite aspects of your videos. Kudos to your wife as well for supporting your endeavor!
I’m glad you are talking about the dark side of influencers working with the perfume companies/perfumes they review. You are so right about a review being influenced by the fact of if it was gifted or purchased. If you’re given an $900 bottle of perfume, you typically aren’t going to say anything bad about it, or they won’t send you any more FREE products. I watch your channel because you are so down to earth about what you like and don’t like and how you present your content. Keep being yourself and don’t cow down to the fragrance industry!!
you'll notice most 'reviewers' rarely mention prices for most of these things so we're totally missing any context. and if they do it's mentioned in passing and never forms any meaningful aspect of the critique.
Im glad you are speaking about all these things that happen behind closed doors with these brands and TH-camrs brother and also it gives us insight on which companies are just plain greedy and dont deserve our money.
My friend has a fragrance channel & got sent a bottle of Office by Jeremy Fragrance. They reviewed it & gave it a 10/10 but didn't hear from Jeremy again. They sent him a message to ask why & he said they were supposed to yell "POWER!" and start dancing while spraying it 20 times so since they didn't they got cut off
I wish this were real.
It’s not a gift if you have to work for it. If you have to work for it, you deserve to get paid. That would be called a sponsorship, not PR. This is definitely not the same as sending you a PR package - which costs them a fraction of what a sponsorship would cost, while demanding that you practically work for free. You’re right to refuse to bow down to this nonsense. Thank you for your transparency, loved this video.
Exactly, they expect to make a fragrance and bound the content creator regardless of "if its good or not". Plus, it's waaaay cheaper for them to just send their own product in order to get exposure without actually paying for exposure. I was very surprised to see how many niche companies are in this video. It only makes me wonder what the fragrances actually cost vs the price they are charging for them. This is the same reason i stopped buying niche, i just don't know if I'm actually buying quality just because it smells good.
The Masque Milano one is funny because I'd be much more likely to be put on to one of their fragrances from a top 10 list than a review. Definitely were helping them out more than they even asked for.
Yes this reminds me of TLTG Fragrance reviews.
Thank you for keeping it real. We frag heads need honesty and real reviews. The reality of buying high priced or even reg designer frags, is that we lean on others who have used it and how they truthfully feel about it.
Thank you for giving real no nonsense advice. That is HUGE man… and the main reason I choose your advice above most others out there on TH-cam.
William.
Thank u for keeping your integrity, which is really what you're talking about. I appreciate your honesty. To me, that makes all the difference.
I had unsubscribed to all the frag recorded earlier this year because I spend way too many times just spiraling down the review rabbit hole. However, this and your navitus/galleria video came up tonight and I appreciate your honesty. Definitely resubscribed. Thank you for keeping it real.
This video alone is why I trust you the most when it comes to Fragrances. You don't oversell just straight up. Thank you!
This guy is one of the best. He reviews fragrances….no gimmicks, he’s not trying to be a fragrance comedian or push multiple income streams, he just reviews fragrances and that’s why I’m here in the first place.
That's why I always look for his review of perfumes before I buy one.
I dig the transparency. You’re a good dude for not selling out.
Just wanted to say that you do a wonderful job, having read the majority of the other comments I appreciate the integrity and humor
I freaking love it!!! We are here for your honest opinion not a product placement. Great job for having integrity. Keep pushing Forward!!!!!
Thanks for being honest with us, it's one of the very reasons I watch you. Funny how many of the reviewers seem to love everything. No one loves everything. I know I don't. Just keep keeping it real!
True but Ash loves a lot and very rarely criticizes any fragrances other than cheapies.
This is my favorite fragrance review channel for a reason. Honesty.
There are 3 or 4 reviewers I used to watch all the time, but it was obvious that they only do positive reviews. And some of their recommendations are highly suspect.
I find these sort of industry critiques so fascinating. Thanks for sharing all this.
I’m glad you put them out there. Most would say this isn’t “professional”. But I would argue it’s cowardly and bowing down. There can’t be a positive or awareness, if we accepted being silent.
Isn't 'professional'? Good, he doesn't work for them anyway. Never has.
appreciate your honesty. I have noticed many reviewers always promoting same brands. I figured there was an arrangement.
I downloaded this video in case it gets taken down... GREAT ONE, Ash!
There is a reason why you are basically the only fragrance channel I watch, you have integrity. Although we have pretty different taste, I will always keep watching your videos.
After watching this vid, that was recommended by my friend I'm back and subscribed again. Thanks for showing biggest problem of this industry and good luck with creating not promoted, real reviews!
I do appreciate the video Ash,and for a long time now I’ve realised I can’t really trust many a reviewer, not to tell me if a fragrance is good or not (only I can really decide that for my own taste) but to just tell me what they honestly think about a given fragrance.
Cheers for this vid
Only you and Chaos fragraces had the courage to talk about how many niche fragrance houses “buy” reviewers to give good ratings in exchange of free bottles. Thank you!! I always laugh when “reviewers like TLTG ,Justin Copeland and many others keep recommending Roja, for example,when they wouldn’t even think to buy them with their own money.
@@EeBee97 +1. I think Justin is a decent guy, tastes are subjective, unless op can prove that he is a shill for Roja, i keep respecting him
Roja is okay, if you take into account that a lot of his fragrances are inspirations of classic fragrances. And I do think that the prices of his fragrances are way up compared to what you get. Worth testing, but not worth blind buying, especially based on some shill reviews.
I actually brought up Roja asking for positive reviews and potentially black listing people in a live stream on Ross's channel. He specifically brought up my comment and defended Roja to the point of (minor) anger. He was very adamant that he had never had Roja request a positive review and that he had been a little negative about a couple of fragrances saying that they weren't for him, and Roja never had a problem with it. Believe what you will, of course, but that's what he said anyway.
Great video Ash , we need more You Tubers being totally transparent and talking about this subject in depth
Been watching since you were small. You've always been honest and genuine 😁🙏
You know what I think this video is exactly what the fragrance community needs to see, every single day always see our reviewer‘s reviewing niche and designer fragrances which is an are fantastic but there is no behind-the-scenes footage or conversation about how they obtain the fragrances. I truly appreciate you making this video and going into how and why these brands pieced out. Definitely a great video 🙏🏻
This is why I will continue to watch your stuff man. Don’t back down. We need honesty. This is peoples money and it means a lot that you respect that by being honest. Thank you
Hey Ash, your integrity and honesty speaks volumes about you. One of the reasons many of us follow your channel and listen to what you have to say.
Ashton, thank you so much for your honesty. Very few people can maintain their marbles when given free stuff. Also on behalf of people where these fragrances are crazy expensive (high shipping 😤) it's good to have an true picture of what we are paying for. Keep it up.
Hahaha, I hope you are relieved with sharing some of that burden! I've watched many reviewers this far and I stuck with a handful! it is obvious who wants to sell and who wants to share this art!
Who wants to sell and who does not? 👀
@@pradeep_sekar Lol I can't decide for you, but Ash as you can see from this video clearly shares his unbiased opinion. I'm not sponsored to say that btw, Tehe
Thank you Ashton. Stand up for what’s right. Also this is the reason why I dislike most peoples niche lists.
It was really important to talk about this. Thanks!
I love this kind of video. Shedding some light on the situation is good so that people know that the opinions of some of these other reviewers might be colored by free products or money. Look at when Apex from Roja came out, I feel like they gave a bottle to every reviewer out there and they all said pretty much the exact same thing about it. Almost like it even came from a script.
And none even mentioned the similarities to Sauvage elixir. Biased f00ls!
Thank you for being transparent on this issue. Some of the reviewers are just the modern day version of telemarketing but the brands hold 60% of the blame.
This video is the reason you are my favorite reviewer and why I watch all of your videos! Thank you very much for keeping it real!
thank you for your honesty i love your videos and i watch every single one.
2 days ago i commented on a popular TH-cam channel that was doing top 20 niche frag that deserves your money and was obvious most of them were in the list because they were sent to him and he tried to pretend its his own opinion (lies)
Respect for actually naming names 👏
Thanks Ash for your honesty. Doesn't it feel good to buy something on your own and it mentally gives you a freedom? Especially with your passion for fragrances. There always will be a difference between a reviewer (personal opinion of a fragrance) and an advertiser (just trying to get people to sell)
What they want is called a commercial, not a review.
Clearly, you do this for the love of fragrances. I rely on your transparency and integrity when I watch your vids Ash. You really should get more support
So enlightening. I had slowly clued into some of this, I wish I had realized it faster and more completely. I agree there is freedom in not being beholden to brands. Thx
Good for you! Honesty and integrity! Good for you!
I and the majority of your viewership appreciate your honesty and openness about a situation that many of us have probably pondered.
You have not courted controversy by calling anyone else out and I'm sure there was a temptation to do so.
Keep up the good work Ash, you're still my "go to guy" and the fragrance community is better for your contributions. 🙏🏾
Man, I truly appreciate the transparency and honesty Ash. This is why I truly trust your reviews, and have bought a number of scents partially based on your recommendations. You have integrity, and don't change that. Brands should want to earn your endorsement because they know that your word is trusted. Thanks for all that you do!
that is the good part of being such a influence in the fragrance community. being established as a popular reviewer and having the amount of subscribers that you have and still gaining, but still giving honest and unbiased opinions on the things that we all love in here…fragrances.
unlike jeremy who was in the same shoes as you are and then falling off to being such a biased reviewer.. if i can even call him that. and you can see in the amount of views that he gets that people dont trust people like him no more.
good to hear that there is at least one fragrance reviewer on youtube that literally gives his own opinion and impressions of a fragrance. keep up the good work and never change, we’ve all seen what greed can do to people, and even companies.
This is why I’ve been subscribed to the gents scents channel for a long time now. Go Ash!
Thank you for being real about the fragrances and the business this even adds more to your credibility.
I am glad you decided to mention that in a dedicated video in case some of your audience in denial about beauty companies' state of denial against criticism.
Integrity level - 100. Love it Ash. You’re the GOAT. Zero doubt.
The FTC has GOT to do something about this! I've had an commerce store for 6 years and never gave ppl free product in exchange for a positive reviews, i always told ppl to give me an honest review. they have to take in the negative as well as the positive.
You & Chaos Fragrances are one of the only trustworthy channels. Lots of respect for staying true to reviewing, not promoting.
@@Sliceisnice850 Don't know about what gets posted on the community tab so can't speak on it. However, literally every reviewer has affiliate links in all their videos (including Ashton). I've always respected Dallas's opinions. Never feel like he pushes anything he doesn't like. Same with Ashton. I find my fragrance taste aligns with them both. To each their own I guess.
@@Sliceisnice850 I've seen Dallas do this, but I don't really see a problem with it. He's usually promoting a fragrance that is rarely in stock, hard to get hold of, or something that's on a really good offer. If he uses an affiliate link for that and gets a kickback then it's no loss to the people buying the fragrance, he's only pointing out where they can get it from. Sure, fear of missing out comes into play if you want to look at it that way, but at the same time people who want that specific fragrance might get it quick enough through him pointing it out and may not get it elsewhere or at the same price.
@@Sliceisnice850 Maybe you're right. Personally, I don't think he has any bad or selfish intent with it. I think he's genuinely saying "You can get this here at this price now if you want it (coz it's cheap or you can't usually get it easily)" because he knows a lot of his subscribers are interested in that fragrance
Idk if Dallas gets kickbacks or not but I find his community page useful and have used it to get good prices on stuff I really wanted
@@charlesvelasco3357 Exactly that. I think he's a pretty stand up guy and is just doing his viewers a solid. Sure, he might use affiliate links, but that's at no loss to the buyer anyway. Also, he says plainly on his videos that he uses affiliate links, when he links to the fragrances mentioned he has at the bottom of the description that it's affiliated and he may get a small commission. He might not say that on the community links he posts but I don't think it really matters too much.
Hi Ash. I am following you for years and I respect you a lot, and the main reason is that you are REAL. Thanks man
I love this video, especially now that you're the most popular men's fragrance reviewer and can expose these niche brands for their shenanigans! 🤣👏
Blows my mind, especialy the connection between PdM and Initio. Thank you for sharing all this stuff with us sir.
Respect your honest independent reviews 💪 After all, this is what we, the viewer, actually WANTS! And this is exactly why your channel is growing… and growing.. and growing.
Thank you for being honest in your reviews instead of lying to please a brand, because the reason we watch reviews is to see the persons perspective so that it can help is decide if we want to buy it or not. If you said that everything was good then how could we trust you, over time we would notice that you just want us to buy and that's it. So again thanks for being an honest person.
It's amazing how petty these houses can be. It's like a real life Mean Girls lunch table.
lot of companies fighting for a small market ,its inevitable ....how many people can afford fragrances like that in total ,then how many of those are active fragrance buffs ,its a tiny tiny market
@@Gbonejohn1974 True, but a brand should value honest feedback. In the food industry, companies will bring in special taste testers to try new products before sending them to market, but the point is to get an honest opinion. If they got angry and fired any tester who doesn't like something, then it dismisses the point of asking them in the first place. If they hear that a good amount of critics honestly don't like a specific product, then it's a sign to them to stop investing or producing it and/or put their efforts elsewhere or towards trying to improve the things people don't like. Getting angry at people for having an honest opinion is ridiculous. That is just like the petty infantile behavior of modern democrats who try to 'cancel' anyone who disagrees with their woke insanity.
I knew about your honesty from your reviews since I started watching fragrance reviews! So for a genuine feedback about any fragrance I mostly rely on your videos!! Thanks for doing what you are doing! We greatly appreciate that!!
Thank you for your integrity and openness.
so for this video , you got all my respect and much more … i knew some influencers are doing this … some of them exagerate it …. but now i understand it better . from now on i will think twice where my subscritions are .
TLTG is sweating bullets right about now haha!
What's the deal with him? Haven't watched him in a while but I get shady vibes lol
i used to watch his channel. i quit more than a year ago
TLTG is just an extremely frustrated individual. He’s narcissistic with a very sensitive ego. Dude needs to stop being so angry all the time.
@@Narcissist_Police maybe he is. i cant tell. but in this case he has a very good point. i see this reality here with Brasilian reviewers. i simply cant trust any of them.
Amen to this. You're one of the very few men that can't be bought. Integrity. My respects.
I don't subscribe to many fragrance TH-camrs anymore. The reason is either their taste is much different from mine or...something seemed off. This whole video makes me think of one particular channel that I stopped watching some time ago because something felt inauthentic. As you go through the brands, I see many names that were HIGHLY featured on that channel. Perhaps my suspicions were accurate. Thanks for the great content!
So glad I watched this video, I appreciate you even more now. I love Aaron Terrence Hughes because of his honesty and it's good to know there is another reviewer out there with integrity.
That's why you are the main frag reviewer I watch. Of course with any review of any kind of product (not just frags) I look for multiply reviews. But you are one of only a couple I know of where I know what you say you truly mean and is not coming from some script a company gave to you. Keep up the good work! Honest people are hard to come by.
Hey Ash...watching fromJamaica..u opened my eyes..appreciate the video... u nah sell out mi general
Thank you for bravely sharing this. That's one thing I really like about you: you're always honest, brutally so if necessary. I know 2 French reviewers that refuse any kind of deal with brands (although they've been contacted). I understand better now why they prefer to keep their independence. They don't show off big bottles but use a lot of samples for their reviews... Which is the same from my viewer point of view !
Bravely 😂
Thank you for being transparent, and that's why I've always supported both your channels.
You're honesty is the reason I only watch you're channel for men's fragrance.
...This is why i watch your channel and yours only, thanks for the honesty and great videos mate 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻🙏🏻
I don't always love the constant stream of top 10 videos, but I like your channel for honesty and openness.
Good for you! That is pretty much the way the world works, in general. Stay strong and stay credible.
Love your independence. So short sighted of brands, when you say you like something I know you mean it, unlike a lot of other reviewers.
Great video, someone who won't be bullied by the companies. You continue be truthful. Like you said you can buy the perfume, that's why I watch your content and then decide what to buy. Keep the good work coming.
Ash you’re one of the best on here for fragrances! Thank you for what you do. I’ve learned so much in such a small time because of you.
hey ash, just wanted to thank you for keeping it real and not selling out. constant quality is what I get from your vids.
This video was an eye opener. You sir, you just became my favorite
Im glad to know nobody is paying you to give your honest opinion. I also appreciate you bringing up this side of the business to point out to all of us how most of these fragrance houses treat the business. Im sure you are aware of this. But i think this video added you to even more black lists.
This video was as much education for us (other reviewers posting not completely honest reviews) and you venting. Happy to listen
I must say I haven't had many bad experiences, although I'm sure a bunch of brands have stopped sending things because of my less positive thoughts on them. In general I want to mention that it's not as bad as people think it is; it's not like you can't get bottles if you're being a critical thinker. I did a top 5 worst things I've ever smelled and 2 of those brands (Akro and Amouage) sponsored me after. Kajal sent stuff specifically because a negative review to me etc. Most shady stuff I've been dealing with is brands not wanting to disclose the gifting, most recently Nishane. They wanted me to keep it quiet, I said I wouldn't and they said they couldn't work with me then. Had that happen several times.
What's your channel bro let me check you out
There is another rather popular TH-cam that has self proclaimed 15 bottles of roja dove and by God, they are all f'n fantastic must haves!!
Justin?
Copeland?
Ross
One of your most interesting vids...Advent International Acquires Parfums de Marly and Initio Parfums Privés
THIS is one of the reasons Ashton rocks! Much appreciated video as always. I LOVE this second channel material!
Man just keep being real and doing real reviews. You can't please everyone my man. Your the one that haw gotten me to start purchasing fragrances like I use to again. Your the man and don't change a thing be you and thats all anyone could ask for!