Don’t call Arjun Sudhir an influencer. He doesn’t believe in the term. The Melbourne-based blogger behind “Just Ask Arjun” is serious about sussing skincare products, not flashing his face on Instagram and amassing the most followers. Instead, Sudhir has drawn devoted fans who devour his thorough, balanced reviews on green beauty releases. He isn’t afraid of letting it be known when a product’s smell or packaging pump isn’t to his preference, and stays honest by not being on the take. “I don’t want sponsored content to impact the neutrality of my reviews,” says Sudhir. Beauty Independent caught up with the product reviewer to find out why a bigger audience isn’t always better, the problem with PR firms and what his ideal skincare line would look like.
How did your blog “Just Ask Arjun” come about?
I was a huge beauty junkie from the time I was a teenager. I had really bad acne growing up, and I used to test every new product on the market hoping it would transform my skin. I was always interested in natural skincare, but I went 100% green only about three years ago. Going green and adopting a more holistic approach to skincare completely cleared up my skin. There was no looking back for me. I started my blog because I wanted to share my story and also talk about products that really worked for me. I couldn’t find green beauty reviews that were totally unbiased, and my aim was to share detailed and honest reviews of products to help others looking for cleaner skin and hair products.
Why don’t you like being described as an influencer?
Influencer is such an overused term in marketing right now, and it doesn’t really mean anything anymore. Everyone calls himself or herself an influencer these days. I think of myself as a beauty reviewer, and I hope to help people with their beauty purchases through my reviews.
What perspective do you bring to beauty blogging as a man?
I don’t believe in gender stereotypes, so I wouldn’t like to attribute any of my unique perspectives to my gender. I think the perspective that I bring to beauty is one that is detailed, well-researched, balanced and honest.
What is your favorite way to discover new brands?
Instagram is the main one and I discover a lot of new brands through fellow bloggers. Being an ambassador for beauty discovery boxes like Beauty Heroes and Boxwalla has also helped me discover a lot of brands that I would have otherwise overlooked. I have also discovered a lot of new brands by being a judge for beauty awards like The Beauty Shortlist.
How do you identify which brands to partner with?
I am very focused on ingredients, so I always look at ingredient lists before I agree to try products from a new brand. I like brands that offer something new and have a unique approach to skincare and push the envelope a bit. I gravitate towards brands that offer the full multi-sensory‘experience: textures, scents, packaging and branding are very important to me.
What do you wish brands knew when it comes to working with influencers?
A lot of brands tend to just look at the number of followers when it comes to partnering with Instagrammers, but bigger isn’t always better. Partnering with bloggers who have good engagement and a distinctive voice can often yield better results.
Another tip I’d give brands is to deal with bloggers directly instead of using a PR company. Larger brands, in my opinion, would benefit from having an in-house communication specialist to liaise with influencers. Indie brands, in my opinion, could deal with influencers directly. PR companies that represent multiple brands often don’t have the same level of care when it comes to making sure the influencers they are dealing with are the right fit for that brand, and this can have a negative impact on the way the brand is represented on social media. Also, it could end up meaning that you’re not reaching your target audience.
What are ways you work with brands, and what do you charge for partnerships?
I have never charged brands for reviews or mentions, and I plan to keep it that way. In saying that, I am open to working on other projects with brands that don’t directly involve promoting products. Recently, I collaborated with Australian brand Be Genki to create a co-branded candle duo. I didn’t charge the brand for this collaboration, but we have agreed on a 50/50 profit split. Also, I have consulted for brands and helped them with their marketing and social media strategies. The fee for this was decided by the brand on a case-by-case basis.
You’ve mentioned that you suffered from acne, are there one or two products you credit for improving your skin?
One of the first products that made a huge difference to my skin was Tata Harper’s Regenerating Cleanser. Tata doesn’t seem that indie or green anymore, but it was one of the first non-foaming cleansers I used, and it made a huge difference to my skin. Using oils instead of creams was another thing that really helped my acne.
You grew up in Kerala, the Ayurvedic capital of India. What are some notable ingredients or products from there?
Kumkumadi lepam is a traditional Ayurvedic treatment that is meant to be the ultimate brightening potion for all skin types. The star ingredient in this oil is saffron, and it gives it a distinctive ruby red color. A popular ingredient that people use a lot in Kerala is musk turmeric [or] curcuma aromatica. It is a wild variety of turmeric that is sun-dried and ground with water to make face masks. It causes a tingling sensation, but it brightens the skin and heals acne. Red sandalwood is another Ayurvedic ingredient that people in Kerala use to make masks. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory that instantly brightens and decongests the skin.
You’ve said your dream is to come out with a skincare line. What would it consist of?
My dream skincare line would be a luxury green beauty line that would focus on normalising all skin types. It would combine a number of my interests including minimalism, rare ingredients, unusual textures and unique branding.
What changes do you see happening in the beauty industry due to the rise of indie beauty?
A lot of bigger retailers are starting to embrace indie brands after the success Neiman Marcus had with the Indie Beauty Expo partnership, but I don’t know if this will mean that a lot of indie brands will become mainstream and get eaten up by Estée Lauder and L’Oréal.
Indie brands have definitely been responsible for educating the beauty customer, and helping them become more conscious about ingredients and ethics. This, in turn, is forcing mainstream brands to create cleaner and more eco-friendly options.
What’s the indie beauty movement like in Australia compared to the U.S.?
The indie movement is much smaller in Australia compared to the States, and people are not as aware about cleaner options as they are in the U.S. I find that a lot of Australian brands blindly follow U.S. trends…but there are amazing brands like Sodashi, MV Skincare, Aika Wellness and Mukti Organics that have created world-class products with a unique Australian accent.
Where do you think the influencer scene will head in the next few years?
I find that a lot of people are already losing trust in the big influencers because a number of them just do it for the commission. I think there’ll be a bigger focus on authenticity, which means that brands will try to focus on more specialized micro-influencers who are experts in their respective fields.
What’s on the horizon for you?
After the success of my candle collaboration, I would love to collaborate with other brands to work on creating more products. Ultimately, I’d love to work in the skincare industry full-time. Whether that means working for a brand or starting my own, only time will tell.
Loved reading about you and your achievements 🙂
Lufilufi @misilukiskincare