I'm a beauty influencer who's gone on several brand trips. It may look glamorous, but they can be loads of work and I've experienced inequality on the job.

• I grew up watching YouTube beauty gurus go on brand trips, and now it's my job to do the same thing.
• I started creating beauty content for the free makeup, but I found a full-time career instead.
• So far, I've been to Florida, Turks and Caicos, and more on brand trips with beauty companies.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cynthia Victor, a 24-year-old content creator based in New Jersey. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The summer of 2020 is when I really took on content creation after moving back in with my parents during lockdown.