Key Takeaways:
For influencer-turned-brand-founder Mitchell Halliday, TikTok has been a springboard for a lucrative career. Having achieved record-breaking milestones through his brand Made By Mitchell (MBM), including generating $1M in sales on TikTok Shop within 24 hours, there seemed to be no stopping Halliday and his dedicated team—until a recent unfolding of events exposed cracks in the brand's so-far polished legacy.
On August 11, TikTok makeup artist @MalachiArt dropped a tell-all video (followed up with three additional videos), which had 3.3M views as of press time, dissecting his two-year-long “emotionally taxing experience” with MBM. What began as a career-defining opportunity (a contest win promising a collaboration for a full collection) has become a drawn-out saga of miscommunication, unfulfilled promises, and unreturned personal property.
Collaboration Turned Collateral Damage
In 2023, MBM announced a contest for hopeful makeup artists, promising the winner a collaboration with the brand. Malachi, a rising TikTok talent, submitted multiple looks for his entry and ultimately won the contest. While he expected to be quickly contacted by MBM, Malachi stated he discovered the winner announcement online before anyone directly reached out to him from MBM.
What followed, according to Malachi’s TikTok, was a series of mixed messages, slow responses, and delayed logistics. The creator recalled his first visit to the MBM warehouse, where he met the staff, including a designer (whom he names as Bella), shared his sketchbook ideas, and discussed potential logos for the collaboration. Malachi alleged that Halliday was largely absent from this meeting, preoccupied with a TikTok livestream.
Malachi’s trust in the collaboration suffered a further dent when he received no contract or NDA on the trip, as he had been previously told he would, leaving him in a state of uncertainty.
Upon returning home, Malachi discovered that he had left his sketchbook and personal notebooks at the MBM warehouse, which the brand said would be shipped back to him. However, in his TikTok videos, he claims he still has not received his items, some years later, after being told by Halliday they had been “lost.”
Chopping and Changing Plans
With 2024 on the horizon, despite all the red flags, Malachi wouldn’t give up. When he reengaged with MBM in early February 2024, an MBM staff member (whom he names as Sarah) introduced a different plan: a “Malachi Box” bundling existing MBM products. The pivot further confused Malachi, who had expected to be designing a unique collection of his own based on what was outlined in the contest. A poor excuse for an alternative to a custom collection, Malachi stated he felt Sarah’s proposal limited his involvement to promoting the box via TikTok Shop, without the creative input or contractual protections he had anticipated.
The young creator attempted to clarify things with Halliday, which he said led to promises of a second meeting and further visits to the warehouse. During the second visit, Malachi worked with Bella on tangible tasks, but she left the company shortly after, leaving him without a clear point of contact. Malachi claimed Halliday assured him that collaboration plans were set for summer 2025, yet in the interim, other influencer collaborations were released instead.
Frustration Mounts
Another year passed, and by 2025, Malachi’s effort to finally secure a contract with MBM became his primary focus. After multiple delays, unresponsive staff, and inconsistent messaging, he began to feel increasingly frustrated. At this point, Malachi reported that a new member of staff (whom he named as Janine) assured him the MBM legal team was working on a contract, yet progress remained exceptionally slow.
By May 30, 2025, Malachi stated that he had received a contract he considered inadequate, as it did not align with the previous points he and Halliday had discussed, in which he was promised opportunities that would “change his life financially and socially.”
In a meeting with Sarah (without Halliday present), Malachi claims she “nervously laughed,” stating, “I don’t know what he meant by that” [in regard to the promise of his life changing], suggesting a lot had been wrongly overpromised.
During the meeting with Sarah, Malachi also brought up the promise of being added to the MBM PR list two years ago, to which he was told the PR team only sends things to people who “fit in with the brand,” which he found ironic and offensive, considering he was meant to be designing their next SKUs.
This prompted him to engage with Halliday directly, sending a heartfelt message that explained he felt emotionally, financially, and socially impacted by the delays and empty words behind the project. Halliday eventually responded to Malachi, stating he would fulfill the contest win and directed him back to Janine. Within the response, Halliday asks (in a way which Malachi described as patronizing) “What did you think I meant when I said this would be ‘life changing?’” and eventually agreed to amend the contract.
Janine then sent Malachi an email, asking him to directly contact her, not Halliday, as well as presenting what he called a “PR- polished email,” trying to suggest a “fresh start” to the collaboration. The email also contained a “revamped” contract, which Malachi stated was still not satisfactory, essentially reiterating the original contract.
By then, Malachi had had enough. He discarded Janine’s email and once again reached out directly to Halliday, stating he would speak publicly about the ordeal and stopped responding to MBM’s messages, cutting the cord on any potential collaboration.
Halliday Holds Himself Accountable
After Malachi’s posts, countless viewers empathized with him, quickly filling MBM’s comment section with questions. Days later, after the brand had continued posting unrelated content, Halliday posted his own response video on the MBM TikTok page, which has 2.2M views as of press time.
In the video, Halliday directly apologizes to Malachi, acknowledging the delays, lack of communication, and failure to deliver on his word. “I chronically overpromise and sometimes fail to deliver,” he admitted, explaining that he takes on too much for himself rather than delegating, which can cause projects to stall. Halliday asserted that the situation was never malicious, stressing that he always intended to follow through on the collaboration and wants it to still happen, “if Malachi is inclined.”
While Halliday’s tone was apologetic, the response drew mixed reactions from viewers. Many noted that Halliday had posted the video before Malachi had released his final installment, leading some to see it as an attempt to control the narrative. Others pointed out the absence of any mention of Malachi’s lost notebooks, a detail that had become a focal point for many supporters in the comments.
Malachi later uploaded what he called “part 2.5,” a video in reaction to the statement. In it, he urged followers not to harass the MBM team, but clarified that despite Halliday’s claim in his video that he had already reached out privately, “I haven’t heard back yet.”
Lessons to Learn
The ongoing saga between Malachi and MBM is a cautionary tale for beauty brands navigating influencer collaborations. While influencer partnerships can drive significant engagement and generate buzz, this situation clearly highlights the potential pitfalls that arise when promises are made without clear follow-through.
Social Media Cuts Both Ways
While social media partnerships can provide a powerful boost in reach for creators and brands alike, the same platforms can amplify missteps at a fast pace. Any public fallout, especially when tied to unfulfilled commitments, can snowball into viral drama, attracting attention beyond the intended audience.
For creators, even negative experiences can be leveraged to grow engagement and strengthen their connection with followers. For brands, however, the same drama can erode trust, overshadow achievements, and damage long-term relationships. Every collaboration is a public performance and must be planned, communicated, and delivered accordingly.
Clear Contracts Are Non-Negotiable
Business 101: get everything in writing. The absence of a formal contract or NDA was one of the central issues of this case from the outset. Even with the best intentions, verbal promises or informal agreements leave room for miscommunication, unmet expectations, and legal ambiguity. Brands should ensure that every collaboration is backed by a contract that details the scope, deliverables, timelines, compensation, and ownership of the creative work.
Consistent and Transparent Communication
Malachi repeatedly experienced delayed responses, conflicting information from different staff members, and confusion over project scope. Brands must maintain consistent and documented communication with their collaborators. Assigning a single point of contact can prevent confusion, reduce frustration, and preserve trust, especially when there is a delay.
Avoid Overpromising
Halliday himself acknowledged that chronic overpromising was part of the breakdown. For brands, this underscores the importance of setting realistic expectations. Excitement and hype are, of course, valuable, but overhyping a project can amplify disappointment and erode credibility when timelines slip.
Respect and Protect Creative Contributors
Malachi’s experience also illustrates the importance of personal and professional boundaries. He provided ideas, sketchbooks, input, and his valuable time, yet his contributions were left in limbo, and his sketches never returned. Brands must safeguard contributors’ work, maintain proper documentation, and recognize intellectual property, even in the planning stages.
Crisis Management and Public Accountability
Finally, if a collaboration goes off track, timely public acknowledgment paired with actionable remedies is key. While Halliday eventually posted a response, the delay and lack of concrete resolution further fueled scrutiny. Proactive transparency, paired with genuine follow-through, can help maintain brand reputation even in challenging situations.
This story will remain in the industry as a stark reminder: Influencer collaborations require more than social media hype; they demand professionalism, clarity, and respect for the creators at the center of the project.
BeautyMatter has reached out to MBM and Malachi for comment.
