Decision fatigue hits all of us as we face the seemingly endless abyss of beauty products online. It's not just the sheer number of options—it’s the overwhelming volume of reviews, many of which are questionable in their trustworthiness. Add to that the barrage of influencers curating their best lives while subtly peddling products for a cut of the profits. With so many so-called tastemakers vying for our attention, we’re left wondering: Who can we trust to guide our sense of taste?

In 1757, Scottish philosopher David Hume published his influential essay Of the Standard of Taste. Hume acknowledged that beauty exists in the mind of the beholder, but he resisted the idea that taste is purely subjective. He believed that some works, or products, really are better than others. To help navigate this tension between subjective experience and shared judgment, Hume proposed the figure of the ideal judge, someone whose discernment is shaped by “strong sense, united to delicate sentiment, improved by practice, perfected by comparison, and cleared of all prejudice.”

No one possesses all five traits perfectly, which is why the judge remains “ideal.” But the goal isn’t perfection. It’s refinement. We can each develop better taste over time. And within the context of the beauty industry—where aesthetics and sensory experiences are at the core—Hume’s framework feels surprisingly relevant. What follows is an exploration of these five traits and how they can guide both consumers and professionals toward more thoughtful, inclusive, and elevated standards of taste.

Strong Sense

Hume held that our ideas about beauty are not innate—they emerge through experience. So, we must refine all our faculties to perceive more clearly. “Strong sense” refers to reasoned judgment: the ability to discern true quality and resist the pull of superficial appeal.

In today’s beauty landscape, this means questioning hype, resisting emotional impulse, and judging products on performance, sustainability, and ethical standards—not just which influencer is promoting it. Strong sense asks us to pause and think, rather than react. With so much information flooding our feeds, the temptation is to default to what’s popular or aesthetically pleasing. But taste based solely on trends is flimsy. Strong sense builds a more stable foundation for beauty judgment, rooted in critical thought and ethical awareness.

Delicate Sentiment

To illustrate this quality, Hume recounts a story from Don Quixote. Two wine tasters detect faint notes—one of leather, the other of iron. They’re mocked, until a leather-strapped iron key is found at the bottom of the barrel.

Where strong sense judges the whole, delicate sentiment discerns the subtle parts. In beauty, this quality is akin to a perfumer's nose that teases apart fragrance layers, or a makeup artist’s eye for undertones and skin texture. This kind of discernment is built through attention and sensitivity. It’s not about snobbery—it’s about noticing.

The beauty industry thrives on sensorial experiences, from the texture of a cream to the dry-down of a fragrance. Cultivating delicate sentiment means slowing down enough to notice the difference between “good enough” and exceptional. For consumers, this offers a more satisfying experience. For brands, it invites a renewed focus on quality over quantity.

Improved by Practice

Taste doesn’t just happen. Hume insists it improves through deliberate practice. A makeup artist doesn’t wake up one day knowing how to blend flawlessly. A hairstylist doesn’t give a perfect cut on a whim.

We may not aim to become professionals, but if we want to cultivate our own taste, it requires active engagement. That includes learning how products work with our bodies—not just what’s trending. It means noticing how your skin responds over time, how colors interact with light and season, how tools affect application.

We should also be careful about who we take advice from. Not all recommendations are created equal. We should trust those who demonstrate real expertise and real practice, not those who simply have a large following. If we’re being influenced, let it be by those who’ve earned their voice through dedication and trial, not just aesthetics and algorithms.

Perfected by Comparison

Alongside practice, we grow by comparing. Too often, we settle for the first decent product we try, especially if it comes with a friend’s recommendation. But real taste requires time and contrast.

Comparison allows us to refine our standards and articulate preferences with greater clarity. Why do we prefer one lipstick to another? What differentiates a luxury serum from a drugstore staple—beyond just the price tag?

A person who has explored K-beauty, Ayurvedic skincare, clean beauty, and biotech innovations will naturally develop a richer and more discerning sense of what beauty can be. In this fast-paced age, Hume reminds us that there are no shortcuts to good taste. We must make space for slowness and curiosity.

Cleared of Prejudice

Culture and personal experience inevitably shape how we view beauty. While this influence is natural, it can also become a barrier. Hume’s ideal judge works to set aside their biases—whether cultural, emotional, or aesthetic—to make room for a broader, more inclusive judgment.

This is perhaps the hardest of the five traits to cultivate. It requires humility, curiosity, and vigilance. We must resist the reflex to assume our own perspective is best, or that other cultural approaches to beauty are inferior.

For the beauty industry, this speaks to everything from product development to advertising. Who are we designing for? Whose beauty ideals are we centering? Expanding our frame of reference doesn’t dilute quality—it enhances it. Aesthetic excellence is not exclusive to one cultural tradition or price point. It’s expansive and evolving.

Striving Toward a More Discerning Beauty Culture

We face a real paradox. On one hand, beauty is subjective—what resonates with one person may not with another. On the other, we instinctively believe that taste can improve, and that there are standards worth striving toward. Hume’s framework offers a way through this dilemma. Rather than impose rigid definitions of beauty, he encourages us to refine our own judgment through deliberate cultivation of reason, sensitivity, experience, and open-mindedness.

For the beauty industry, this isn’t just abstract theory. It’s a call to action. Brands can lead by elevating quality and transparency, investing in education, and amplifying voices that model thoughtful discernment. Consumers, in turn, can slow down, stay curious, and build a more intentional relationship with beauty.

Hume didn’t believe in a perfect judge—only in the possibility of becoming a better one. That’s a hopeful vision—not a standard to enforce but a culture to cultivate. In a world full of noise, becoming better judges of beauty might just lead us closer to truth, to connection, and maybe even to ourselves.