Sali Hughes #4 The Keats of foundation

[gargoyle]

Another newbie. Found Tattle Life a few weeks ago to get the tea on the Caroline Hirons/Drunk Elephant spat and didn't expect ever to post.

Then I saw the SH video and felt a bit 'really?' but I'd only fully read CH threads here so ignored it but when people started posting in Nadine Baggott FB group asking for petition signatures, well I never sign a petition without reading both sides so I checked these threads. Revelation, I knew nothing of the Esther Walker or Dawn Porter incidents and I'd never have followed Sali Hughes on Instagram or Twitter if I had. Unfollowed her now and won't be reading her Guardian column again. And as for the things she alleged in the video - they just aren't here.

Edited to delete something that turned out not to be true i'm so sorry.

 

[DeluxeTruffles]

Just got a text from a friend to say she has been blocked by La Hughes for commenting on her instagram video. She asked why she just did not ignore it as it was a gossip site and she did not have to see it. Then...... BLOCKED. Makes me laugh uproariously. She is such a twelve year old. How dare anyone, ANYONE contradict her? My primary school aged daughter has a better level of maturity and reason than her. I will get in the bin. It is a Brabantia so a better class of bin....

 

[Satisfying Click]

Has anyone had the gall to ask which brand of mascara that was, in order to avoid due to the smudging?

 

[digsydelilah]

Someone was asking about the "Sali crying" video - that was a live video in her Instagram stories so it would have disappeared after 24hrs. I've never done one, not sure if you can delete them sooner. Sorry to say, but I found that live clip very actressy - glasses appropriately askew on head, mascara smudged. She even mentioned wanting to capture herself at her most disheveled (words to that effect), it seemed put on and in light of her accusations about tattle not being the crime scene she made it out to be, even more so.

Seeing mentions of GTL FB, SHB, not to mention fee bee! Hemmo! Michael Hogan! (didn't he used to hang around the SHB forums as the "honorary bloke?) makes me realise just how long I've followed Sali. I'm not a makeup or skincare person per se, I just enjoyed Sali herself. The heyday for me was her early videos, just her sat in a room with products on the table talking for 10 or so minutes. I did find her engaging and very watchable/readable all these years. I was always aware of the cliques (Hughes!) and the brusque to rude comments on all platforms, but like a lot of troubling relationships it's taken me a long time to really *see* it. My heart goes out to anyone that has been badly affected by an exchange with Sali. She reminds me a bit of my mother, when nice she can be very warm and kind. Loyal, too, But there's an almost inherent darker side: quick to round on someone, is defensive, quick to mock or bully, doesn't forgive easily or at all. Hard to know where these things stem from but it's not good to take it through a career or business or dealing with the public. Sali has definitely become harder and the accusatory videos really revealed a deep insecurity. They both shocked me and raised an eyebrow.

It's also been a revelation regarding what has slowly become dishonest business practices, things I likely would not have known about had I not come here. Not addressing the CT issues is especially troubling and telling.

Two things that have stayed with me about Sali: years ago on twitter she tweeted that she had an exchange with a woman and they said to her, "I speak as I find". It *really* rankled Sali, she was incredulous. I can't remember the context, does anyone else recall? It came to mind again and I think things like that hit too close to home about her own character, consciously or not.

Also, a red flag went up for me with her dog. Someone commented to her about the less than kind names she sometimes calls Sylvie, "dummy" and "pillock" for example. Sali defended it saying they're endearments, don't be silly, we love her etc. It doesn't sit well with me though and speaks volumes about her ease of bullying. A recent Instagram post shows Sylvie in the bath and Sali has written, "Hates me. Don't roll in fox poo, then." Very clipped. Aggressive. Makes me very wary of her. And we see that same behaviour with people. Animals know, btw, Sali, and so do people.

I know for a fact there will be *many* fans that see things for what they are (and will certainly be coming here) but still want the Sali experience and maybe even interaction. However the genie is out of the bottle now. She will be counting on a lot of loyalty and goodwill going forward from this.

I've been lurking for several days now and wondering what and/or if to post! You're all so brilliant and funny. I'm glad I found these threads. #thanksSali *earnestface*

 

[litereally]

Another one from the old GTL days, been lurking here for a while (love a gossip forum). I was so into her and her whole twitter gang in 2011-12. Bought Chanel Pirate as my treat for handing in my masters thesis (turns out "a red lip" isn't universally flattering, I look loads better in a fuchsia). I loved the facebook group and was gutted when she decided to ditch it all for a forum she could monetise "properly". Still, love a forum.

I remember when the Charlotte Tilbury launch happened and I realised that Sali had suddenly backtracked on many of the things I liked about her (i.e. you should know the ingredients of skincare! Women are smart, don't infantalise us!) once St Charlotte released her "magic cream" and suddenly when she was concerned we should just let the marketing and packaging guide us to making expensive decisions, don't worry your pretty little head about things like ingredients and informed purchasing, my mate has something to flog! Also CT's whole "my husband has NEVER seen me without makeup"/"I sleep with makeup on" was raised on the forum for the gross misogynist shit it is, it was when her forum was still vaguely busy and it was shocking to me that SH just wouldn't engage with it when she was supposedly this amazing feminist thinker.

Also, the launch thread for CT's makeup line was a car crash as women there suddenly were trying stuff and being disappointed? Getting weird advice from CT and her Selfridges counter? You could tell that SH was panicking that the response was honest and people were having their own opinions. It was at that point I realised I was getting far more enjoyment out of the schadenfreude than any of the makeup discussion.

 

[Satisfying Click]

"I’m spending today fantasising about being in a room of nasty internet trolls, sitting down in front of them and just waiting for them to start talking."

"Hi Lauren, can you stop sitting idly and take my dog for a walk, please?"

 

[PineappleQueen19]

I love that more people are publicly calling out her hypocrisy. Bring. It. On. (Although I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable for this incident too Sali).

 

[DogWalker]

Another ex-GTLer here who found my way here after seeing her video and googling to see what the fuss was about. From her hysterical rant you'd think people were stalking her, not bitching on a gossip forum.

Like others I've grown disenchanted with her recommendations, become cynical about her impartiality with freebies and #kindlygifted and disappointed about the way she's transformed from girl next door to bitchy wannabe celebrity. We met at an event in around 2011 and I thought she was lovely. Then I went to another event a couple of years ago with a group of ex GTLers and she and Dog Walker Lauren completely blanked all of us and gave us a look like we were something she'd trod in. I had to unfollow her on Twitter because of the holier-than-though pontificating.

I'm glad I found this site and learned it's not just me! So thanks for that Sali.

 

[ThirstyGhost]

Just saying hello. I came over from Mumsnet after reading the threads there about SH and wanted to see for myself what was true and what wasn't. Shame the MN threads were closed as discussion re. influencers was interesting.... I think the threads were getting too critical of SH for MN's liking.

I used to like SH's columns and videos. Find them largely dull and samey now. I've read all the threads on here about her. Seems obvious from her first video that it is almost entirely based on her reading of posts here. Claiming she doesn't look on here is laughable. On Twitter, she and her husband even keep quoting directly from here, "podgy nonentity", etc... Which, apart from describing him as a "Tory wanker" is the only way (having read all the threads here) I can see that her husband has been "attacked" (SH doesn't seem to understand what trolling or attacking is AT ALL. It's not the same thing as "describing"). There is also zero substance to her claims that her children have been attacked that I can see and that is a terrible accusation to make if it is false. One mention of SH being someone who would sell her kids for money is not remotely the same thing as she's suggesting in her video. She's using her kids herself to garner support in that video from what I can see. I honestly wonder if SH sat down and read every single post on her threads here in one sitting before firing off that hysterical video. It seems like a knee-jerk response anyway. Not very well crafted or thought out and contradicting herself throughout.

Her bullying of Dawn O' Porter makes really upsetting reading. It's proper playground mean girls stuff. Really fucking nasty. SH should be thoroughly ashamed of herself. Must've been a panic deleting her past tweets (her mates haven't done the same though, so you can see what's been said). It's like her mates are falling over themselves trying to out-bitch each other and impress her with their bullying comments about DP. Awful, awful behaviour. These are middle-aged women and men. It's not pretty when you can see how little they've evolved since their bullying school days.

Anyway a hysterical, teary video and empty threats from her bullying mates aren't going to translate into much, if anything, happening to anyone here. God knows the Internet needs forums that are critical of the work and role of influencers. Oh, and don't think anyone should worry about a visit from India Knight's husband. "Motherwell Rules" though if so Eric. That's about his level.

 

[Jelly Bean]

So I've only seen a few minutes of Sally's troll IG but I was a bit aghast at her saying 'people hate me and want me to lose my job'. I actually don't hate her, I would like her to be better at her Guardian job but that is a personal opinion and as far as I know not illegal yet, but she has said she actively canvassed for the previous Guardian beauty expert to lose her job. Lauren Luke. Sally tweeted how awful she found her column (which Caitlin Moran and others joined in) and had a meeting with The Guardian about how she, Sally, could do a better job. Apparently riff-raff like Tattle saying the same about her is bullying.

 

[Satisfying Click]

Amazing the turnaround time in getting a statement typed, getting a legal person to OK it and make the video. You either have an incredible work ethic or are panicking like fuck to do damage limitation

 

[BettyDoodah]

I am gobsmacked at the amount of new posters (me included) who claimed to have been abused and bullied by Sally & her cronies. I imagined that there were a few but not that many

All her mates are rushing to help her on Twitter and Insta but I wonder if they actually came here and read the accounts of several people who were abused, bullied and harassed by her. They wouldn't believe us, obvs, but lots of other people do.

The bullying I suffered was awful because it was at very delicate time for me. I was beginning to try to come out of a long term depression - about 4 years in total, pre natal and post natal - among other things (my son was born with a plethora of health issues) and I found the FB group through the comments on the Graun's column. I started posting there and getting interested in make up and such stuff after several years of basically washing myself with soap and brushing my teeth only as I couldn't be arsed about doing anything else due to my situation at the time. I saw the group as a welcome distraction as I was depressed and exhausted but all that happened there only had a further negative impact on my mental health. So yeah, she is a very fine one to cry bully when it suits her.

 

[Curio]

The problem with conflating is how reductive it can become, and that’s not cheering.

 

[DeluxeTruffles]

I used to know a couple of Welsh sisters who are a lot like Sali. Same look, same attitude - look at me I am something special I am. Same middle of the road taste. Same desire to be lauded. 'Look at my house! Look at my career! Look at my perfume collection! Look at my trite book! ' as though everyone should desire what she desires. Never have I seen a more unnecessary book than Sali's Hughes' Pretty Honest. It is hardly War and Peace is it? When I see any of these YT'ers or IG'ers is writing a book I wring my hands and say why?? why???? why?????? How many books about cleaning your home/decorating in shades of grey/analyzing your skin type/creating a capsule wardrobe can one take? It is not writing a real book. Don't care what anyone says. Write a real work of fiction or some literary criticism or whatever it may be but don't put out a book with big print, lots of photos and regurgitated information and call yourself an author.

Also, India Knight and her quote about having faces like sides of beef. The words Pot and Kettle spring to mind. Having spoken to her up close less than two years ago, I can categorically say she is no oil painting. Her angry partner was with her too. He is very short. Maybe why he is so angry. God knows how she writes a beauty column. She is an old hag.

 

[Satisfying Click]

Welcome Mumsnetters to Tattle! Where the default response here isn't "Ambulance. NOW"

 

[Opheliasweeds]

Before that Instagram video I’d never heard of this site. A couple of years ago I was a member of the forum and met some amazing women who are real friends. Many of us saw through Sali some time ago and now conduct our friendship elsewhere. The tweets from Friday night onwards are quite horrific in their spite and malice. I feel very let down by women I once respected. On the other hand, I have a fabulous collection of wonderful lipsticks as well as some incredible friends so it’s not all bad.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

The Esther episode is SO DAMNING — if SH did say she felt sorry for the children to have a mother like Esther, and it was only nine months ago then she’s a straight up hypocrite and hasn’t got a leg to stand on.

IMO Esther has played a blinder - put her statement out then retracted it, ready to properly play her hand when it suits her. Hopefully in a lengthy magazine article she gets paid a big fat cheque for, about hypocrisy, bullying and how to be the bigger person. I’ll read it.

And Estee Laundry is no fool either, they know what’s what. It looks like they’ve bowed out for the minute but they’ll be collecting evidence and biding their time.

In particular they’ll have noted SH is pushing a petition to get this forum shut down, but doesn’t want to share EL’s petition to investigate bullying and mistreatment of employees in the beauty industry. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out why: vested interests.

 

[Jelly Bean]

I haven’t posted for a while but here’s my Sali Hughes shit show round up:

A. Things I’ve been called by Sali Hughes and her blue tick army:

skid mark, shit mouth, turd (sophisticated theme developing), cunt, bitch, stupid, mentally ill, psycho, deranged, evil, vile, troll, sad, loser, fucking trash.

B. Things I have NEVER called Sali Hughes or her blue tick army in any public forum:

skid mark, shit mouth, turd, cunt, bitch, stupid, mentally ill, psycho, deranged, evil, vile, troll, sad, loser, fucking trash.

C. Things I did to Sali Hughes:

I asked Sali directly, by commenting on one of her Instagram posts, if she was paid for promoting certain things. I commented on another of Sali’s posts that beauty influencers were probably being compensated in some way by ChLoarlotte Tilbury for promoting her brand.

D. Things I did not do and have never done to Sali Hughes:

Follow her or her beauty accounts on Facebook or Twitter, seek in any way to find out any information about her children, her husband, her mother, any member of her immediate or extended family, any of her friends (living or dead), comment in any way on any social media platform about her private life, her family, her friends, comment about any of her beauty industry peers, contact her directly or indirectly in any way apart from outlined above in section C.

E. Things Sali Hughes has done to me:

Block me on Instagram, stalk me on the internet, ask friends and employees to stalk me on the internet, attempt to obtain my home address, attempt to obtain personal information about me, verbally abuse me on various social media platforms, comment positively on many posts by her supporters wherein they verbally abuse me.

It’s been quite a week for me (all of us here, I know) thanks to the narcissistic delusions of Sali Hughes. I’ve also taken legal advice and know exactly where I stand in regard to her many and varied idle threats. So I say to her now in this very public forum to Bring It. Show me your evidence, have your lawyer contact my lawyer, message me directly. Put your cards on the table or shut your shit mouth. Oh dear, I’ve just invalidated section B....

Like you I've had time to digest and reflect on things and from feeling slightly perturbed am now pissed off. This site is a totally legitimate way of people talking about their shared experiences and thoughts on media influencers - SH being one of them. It is a place for people to go 'really???' over things she says so we don't all think we are mad for just thinking it ourselves. As far as I know she has not been directly harassed thank god as that is just wrong - but people from here have asked her questions, possibly awkward ones, about beauty on insta, Guardian which is not illegal last time I checked. I don't for one second think big bods like the Gleam lawyers haven't been over places like this with a fine tooth comb looking for instances of overstepping the mark and they presumably have found zilch. Yes things stray away from the point but commenting on things like people's assistants walking dogs as part of their job is simply silly and amusing - only because it reminds me of The Devil Wears Prada.
Her cronies piling on saying how we are all disgustingly ugly jealous incels who should lose our jobs and have visits from their husbands because they know where we live is plain wierd.
And this banging on about 'anonymous' as if that is somehow in itself sinister - it is only sinister when the poster says something the recipient doesn't want to hear. On The Guardian, YT and Insta etc 99.9% of people are anonymous but if they are saying wonderful things that is OK presumably.

 

[Satisfying Click]

Ah, the lying mutual friend. It's always someone else's fault, Sali just mindlessly went along for the bullying ride, instead of finding out the truth for herself.

This doesn't paint you in a better light!

 

[Wilma]

Hello everyone, another first timer here. Had never even heard of this site until I watched Sali’s video and have spent the last few days reading every thread on her - all very enlightening!
I thought she sounded like a bit of a knob more recently but have followed some recommendations - some good, some not, but genuinely didn’t know anything about the Lauren Luke or DoP stuff. Sali really does not come out of those well does she?!
Anyway, still a member on GTL (although have never posted), and this popped up this morning. I do hope it’s someone from on here - just seemed too timely to be a coincidence!