Jaclyn Hill Just Posted Her First Video Since Leaving Social Media Following Her Lipstick Backlash

After about a month-long hiatus following tons of backlash surrounding her inaugural Jaclyn Cosmetics launch, Jaclyn Hill has returned to social media with a video explaining exactly why she took the hiatus in the first place. Jaclyn Hill's video explaining why she left social media is the first post we've seen from the YouTuber since her eponymous beauty brand announced that it would be refunding all customers who purchased the first collection.

If you're not familiar with all of the drama that surrounded Hill's brand after its first collection was released, allow me to give you a quick little recap. After years of anticipation, she finally released a collection of 20 nude lipsticks, each one a different shade. Immediately following the initial launch, as customers began receiving their shipments, reports began rolling in of customers claiming their lipsticks were covered in hair, had air bubbles, were melted, and that the lippies left a gritty texture after applied — obviously not ideal and something no brand wants to hear.

After these reports surfaced, Hill posted a 14-minute video titled "My Lipsticks" where she responded to and attempted to explain the concerns customers had brought up. Hill addressed each issue and stated that the lipsticks, while not up to her standards, were not expired or otherwise contaminated. "They [the lipsticks] are not unsafe for you in any way, shape, or form," Hill said in the vid. "Every single ingredient in my lipstick is new and it is FDA approved." She also shared that all of these defects customers experienced were a result of the way things were conducted in the lab where the lipsticks were made and that she would be working with a new lab moving forward.

If you're still following, Hill's brand then announced that it would be refunding all customers who purchased the first collection, even if they didn't receive faulty lipsticks. The final development in the lipstick saga at that point was that Hill deactivated all of her social media accounts at the end of June.

Fast forward about a month to Tuesday, July 23, and the influencer posted a 19-minute long YouTube video titled "Where I've Been." In it, she touches base on just that — where she's been, what's going on in her life, and why she chose to back away from social media for a bit.

Hill shared in the video that she's been told by countless people that she shouldn't make a video addressing her feelings, that she should just let everything blow over, but because she has always remained open and honest with her followers, she felt that being transparent about why she took a break from social media was important. "This video might be the biggest mistake of my entire career," Hill said in the beginning of the video. "But as Kurt Cobain said, 'I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.'"

Hill stated that the reason she walked away from social media was because she was too busy focusing on rebuilding her Jaclyn Cosmetics team. "I have fired so many people, and I have hired so many people. In this past month, I have built an entire new quality control team. I have brought on several different people for all different things, and that's why I left social media. I know people think I left social media because I was running away and I was hiding, and I get it. I completely understand. That's exactly what it looks like."

Hill also shared throughout the video that she realized her launch was a failure, despite her best efforts, and she's thankful for the lessons, but now, she feels it's time to move on and rebuild.

As for her decision to give full refunds to all customers, she simply said, "I just feel terrible for anybody that received a lipstick that wasn't perfect. That's why I gave everybody a refund."

Hill also touched on what fans can expect from Jaclyn Cosmetics moving forward, explaining that, while she was originally planning on releasing new products every six to eight weeks for the rest of the year with her old lab, those product samples have now been cancelled, and she's currently working with her new lab to come up with new launches and samples.

So, if you're a customer who is willing to give the influencer's brand another try, then stay tuned to her now-reactivated social media accounts for new updates and developments.