The Lash List is an editorially focused review publication. We believe in complete transparency with our readers. This page explains how we fund our editorial operations, what affiliate links are, and the strict separation we maintain between our revenue and our editorial process.
What Are Affiliate Links?
Some of the links on The Lash List are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on a link and subsequently make a purchase from the merchant's website, we may earn a small commission on that sale. The commission is paid by the merchant or affiliate network -- it does not increase the price you pay. You pay the same price whether you use our affiliate link or navigate to the merchant's website directly.
Affiliate links are a standard monetization method used by independent publishers across the internet. They allow us to fund the research, testing, and editorial work that goes into every review on this site without charging our readers for access.
How We Use Affiliate Revenue
Revenue earned through affiliate commissions directly supports our editorial operations, including:
- Product purchases: We buy every product we review at full retail price. We do not accept free samples or gifted products from brands.
- Testing and research: Our review process involves a minimum of 12 weeks of hands-on testing per product, clinical data analysis, and extensive ingredient research.
- Site maintenance: Hosting, development, and operational costs required to keep The Lash List running.
- Content creation: Writing, editing, photography, and ongoing updates to ensure our reviews reflect the most current information.
Affiliate Commissions Never Influence Our Rankings
This is the most important point on this page: affiliate relationships have absolutely no influence on our product rankings, scores, or editorial content.
Our editorial process is governed by the following principles:
- Scores are determined by methodology, not revenue. Every product is evaluated using our weighted scoring system About across six objective criteria: Ingredient Safety, Effectiveness, Value, User Reviews, Transparency, and Ease of Use. Commission rates play no role in this process.
- No brand pays for placement. Rankings on The Lash List cannot be purchased. A product with a generous affiliate program will rank below a product with no affiliate program if the latter scores higher on our criteria.
- We review products without affiliate programs. If a product merits inclusion based on our editorial standards, we review it regardless of whether an affiliate relationship exists. Some products on our site have no affiliate links at all.
- Editorial content is written before affiliate links are added. Our writers complete their analysis and scoring before any affiliate links are inserted into a review. The editorial and monetization processes are separate.
- No brand sees reviews before publication. We do not share drafts, scores, or rankings with any brand, affiliate manager, or merchant before publishing.
How to Identify Affiliate Links
On The Lash List, affiliate links typically appear in the following contexts:
- "Check Price" or "Buy Now" buttons on product review pages.
- Product name links that direct to a merchant's website.
- Links within comparison tables or product recommendation sections.
Affiliate links may direct you through an intermediary tracking domain before redirecting to the final merchant's website. This redirect is how the affiliate network records that the referral originated from our site.
If you prefer not to use our affiliate links, you are always welcome to navigate directly to the merchant's website. We will never pressure you to use an affiliate link, and our content is freely accessible regardless of whether you make a purchase.
Affiliate Networks We Work With
The Lash List may participate in affiliate programs operated by various networks and merchants, including but not limited to:
- Amazon Associates
- ShareASale
- Impact
- Individual brand affiliate programs
Each of these networks has its own terms of service and privacy practices. When you click an affiliate link and are directed to a third-party website, that site's own privacy policy and terms govern your experience there.
FTC Compliance
This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, specifically 16 CFR Part 255. The FTC requires that material connections between endorsers and the products they recommend be clearly disclosed. By publishing this page and including disclosure language on our review pages, we aim to exceed the FTC's minimum requirements for transparency.
Our Commitment to You
We understand that trust is the foundation of what we do. If you cannot trust our reviews, our entire publication has no value. That is why we maintain the following commitments:
- We will always disclose affiliate relationships honestly and prominently.
- We will never let commission rates influence product scores or rankings.
- We will continue to purchase products at retail price rather than accepting free samples.
- We will review products that have no affiliate program if they deserve to be included.
- We will update this disclosure page if our practices change in any material way.
If you ever have questions or concerns about our affiliate relationships or editorial independence, we encourage you to reach out. Accountability to our readers is not just a policy -- it is a core value.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this disclosure or our affiliate practices, please contact us at:
The Lash List
Email: privacy@thelashlist.com