2025, Vol. 8, Issue 2

author(s)
Amrutha Anilkumar and Rema Devi VN

abstract
This study examines how influencer credibility affects consumers’ purchase intention toward beauty products, with trust functioning as a mediating variable. The credibility dimensions considered include attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise, and the framework is analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) based on data collected from 100 respondents who actively follow beauty influencers. Quota sampling and purposive sampling methods were adopted to ensure representation of beauty product users who regularly consume influencer-generated content. The findings reveal that attractiveness and expertise play a major role in shaping consumer trust, which in turn strongly drives purchase intention, indicating that trust acts as a key psychological mechanism linking influencer traits and consumer decision-making. In contrast, trustworthiness contributes only minimally in this context, suggesting that consumers rely more on the influencer’s visual appeal and perceived knowledge than on honesty when evaluating beauty recommendations. This research enriches the understanding of influencer marketing in the beauty domain and provides valuable insights for brands aiming to design effective influencer collaborations.