Why Lipstick King’s US$11 product comment sparked uproar: top China beauty influencer Li Jiaqi dissed a livestream viewer, then lost millions of Taobao and Weibo followers – so is his apology enough?
A top livestreamer in China has come under fire for ranting at a viewer who complained about the affordability of a US$11 eyebrow pencil.
Austin Li Jiaqi, a popular streamer on Alibaba’s Taobao livestreaming platform, was selling an eyebrow pencil from home-grown brand Florasis priced at 79 yuan or US$10.90 on Sunday, when a viewer commented that the product was too expensive. (For context, Florasis’ eyebrow pencils are costlier than other brands on the market, per Yicai Global. Additionally, Alibaba Group is the owner of South China Morning Post.)
In response, the 31-year-old – known as China’s “Lipstick King” – told the viewer to do some soul-searching on why they found the beauty product expensive.
Li further told the unnamed viewer to reflect on whether they have been “working hard enough” if their salary hasn’t increased in years, according to a widely circulated clip of this interaction.
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Li’s outburst sparked a controversy in China, where the economy has been in the doldrums after a post-Covid-19 spurt.
In particular, youth unemployment has hit a record high, with one in five between the ages of 16 and 24 unemployed. In July, China said its GDP grew by 6.3 per cent in the second quarter from a year ago – a big miss from the 7.3 per cent economists polled by Reuters had expected.
Li apologised the following day, but his comments continued to fuel debate and scrutiny on his personal income and what 79 yuan means to the common person.
Many accused Li – who started his career as a cosmetics sales assistant on the shop floor – of being out of touch and forgetting his roots.
“I said some inappropriate words that made everyone uncomfortable. While I was working today, I kept reflecting on how disappointed I would be if I were the girl in the comment,” Li wrote on his verified Weibo account on Monday, a few hours after the livestream ended.
“What I said failed to live up to your expectations, and I’m really sorry,” he added.
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Still, Li has collectively lost over 1.5 million followers from Taobao Live and Weibo, China’s Sixth Tone publication reported on Tuesday. At last check, Li still has 2.9 million followers on Weibo, but that’s down from over 3 million before the debacle. He has 76 million followers on Taobao Live, per CNN.
“You are apologising to money, not to us,” said another Weibo user on Monday whose comment garnered over 126,000 likes.
Li is no stranger to controversy. In June last year, he mysteriously went offline after showing off a tank-shaped dessert on a livestream on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989.
His disappearance sparked speculation that the Chinese government may have censored or detained him for showing a reference to the politically sensitive event. Li resurfaced three months later with no explanation.
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In 2021, Li sold nearly US$2 billion worth of goods during a promotional event three weeks before Singles’ Day. He did not feature in Alibaba’s Singles’ Day marketing campaign last year.
Li did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via his agency, Meione.
- Austin Li Jiaqi just dissed a viewer for calling a Florasis eyebrow pencil too expensive – a comment that wasn’t received well amid China’s economic slump following its post-pandemic boom
- In 2021, Li sold almost US$2 billion worth of goods shortly before Singles’ Day, a massive shopping event in China that dwarfs Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US
