Affiliate Disclosure

Transparency is at the heart of everything we do at Honest Beauty Picks. Here's how we earn revenue and maintain our editorial independence.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Disclosure

Required Legal Disclosure

In accordance with FTC guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, please be aware that some of the links on this website are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

How Affiliate Links Work

When you click on a product link on our site and make a purchase on Amazon or another retailer's website, we may earn a small commission. This commission comes from the retailer, not from you—you never pay extra when using our affiliate links.

For example, if a moisturizer costs $50 on Amazon, you'll pay exactly $50 whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to Amazon. The only difference is that when you use our link, Amazon pays us a small percentage (typically 3-10%) of the sale price as a referral fee.

Example Transaction

  • • You click our affiliate link for a $50 serum
  • • You purchase the serum on Amazon for $50
  • • Amazon pays us approximately $2-5 as commission
  • You pay: $50 (no markup, no extra fees)

Our Affiliate Partners

We participate in the following affiliate programs:

  • Amazon Associates Program: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Our Amazon affiliate tag is galisted-20.
  • Other Retailer Programs: We may also participate in affiliate programs with Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, and other beauty retailers.

Our Commitment to Editorial Independence

While we earn commissions from affiliate links, this does not influence our reviews, ratings, or recommendations. Here's our promise to you:

✓ Honest Reviews

Every product review is based on thorough research, testing (when possible), and honest assessment. We include both pros and cons for every product.

✓ No Paid Placements

Brands cannot pay for better reviews or higher ratings. Our rankings are based solely on product quality, effectiveness, and value.

✓ Transparent Ratings

Our rating system (out of 10) is consistent across all products. We don't inflate ratings to drive sales—our average rating is 8.8/10, not 9.5+.

✓ Budget Options Included

We recommend products at all price points, including budget-friendly drugstore options, not just expensive luxury items with higher commissions.

Why We Use Affiliate Links

Creating comprehensive, honest product reviews requires significant time and resources:

  • Researching ingredients and formulations
  • Testing products (when possible)
  • Analyzing customer reviews and feedback
  • Comparing alternatives and price points
  • Writing detailed 2,000-3,000 word reviews
  • Maintaining and updating content regularly

Affiliate commissions allow us to provide this content for free while covering our operational costs. Without affiliate revenue, we would need to charge subscription fees or display intrusive advertising.

Your Choice Matters

Using our affiliate links is entirely optional. You are free to:

  • Use our links to support our work at no cost to you
  • Navigate directly to retailers without using our links
  • Search for products independently after reading our reviews
  • Compare prices across multiple retailers before purchasing

Whether or not you use our affiliate links, our reviews remain freely available and honest. We're grateful for your support, but we understand if you prefer to shop without affiliate links.

How We Choose Products to Review

Our product selection is based on:

  • Popularity & Demand: Products that readers are actively searching for
  • Quality & Effectiveness: Products with proven ingredients and positive results
  • Value Proposition: Products that offer good value at their price point
  • Category Coverage: Ensuring we cover all major beauty categories comprehensively
  • Reader Requests: Products our audience asks us to review

We do not choose products based solely on commission rates. In fact, we frequently recommend budget-friendly options with lower commissions over expensive luxury products when we believe they offer better value.

Updates to This Disclosure

We may update this disclosure from time to time to reflect changes in our affiliate partnerships or FTC guidelines. Any significant changes will be noted at the top of this page with the update date.

Last Updated: January 7, 2026

Questions About Our Disclosure?

If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships, how we earn revenue, or our editorial policies, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Contact Us

Thank You for Your Trust

We take our responsibility to you seriously. Your trust is more valuable than any commission, and we work hard every day to earn and maintain it through honest, thorough, and helpful content.

If you ever feel that our affiliate relationships have compromised our editorial integrity, please let us know immediately. We're committed to transparency and continuous improvement.