# Reference photos pop up in first seconds

A beauty format, measured November 8, 2026 by Volume. https://tryvolume.app/working/beauty/reference-photos-pop-up-in-first-seconds

Overlay 3-4 inspiration or reference images in the first two seconds so viewers get the vibe before the process starts. It worked for 4 accounts, with a median of 24x their usual reach. Type: Editing trick. Seen as: Voiceover, Video, Talking head.

## Why it works

The moodboard sells the aesthetic, and viewers stay to see how it turns into the final look. nailssbystefxx, gelbynysa, aisebrush and a13xiiiaa all used it.

## How to make it

1. Pick 3-4 reference images
2. Pop them up in the first 1-2 seconds with the topic title
3. Cut to the build or list

## Hook formula

[Theme] [item] ideas with 4 reference photos popping up

## Examples

- @aisebrush (136K followers, Instagram voiceover): 56x their usual views. Hook: “Mood Ring Nails” [Original post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DeARLYQJm-i/)
- @nailssbystefxx (13K followers, TikTok video): 35x their usual views. Hook: “Watch me do a gel-x set fall edition” [Original post](https://www.tiktok.com/@nailssbystefxx/video/7696577738769009951)
- @gelbynysa (4K followers, TikTok video): 13x their usual views. Hook: “Elegant red fall nails 🍷” [Original post](https://www.tiktok.com/@gelbynysa/video/7694515062551203102)
- @a13xiiiaa (31K followers, TikTok talking head): 14x their usual views. Hook: “unique + creative halloween costume ideas.” [Original post](https://www.tiktok.com/@a13xiiiaa/video/7689530803063147790)

More beauty formats: https://tryvolume.app/working/beauty.md

## Get the full library

The full library has every post, format and hook in beauty, plus long-running Meta ads, and your AI agent can search it over MCP. The library comes with Volume Core and Pro, from $29.99 a month, and every plan starts with a 3-day free trial. Start a free trial: https://tryvolume.app/library

Agents: add Volume's MCP server (https://app.tryvolume.app/api/mcp) and call `search_library(shelf: "formats", niche: "Beauty")` for every format, `search_library(shelf: "posts", niche: "Beauty")` for examples with transcripts and scripts.

## How this is measured

- Every post is compared with its own account's usual reach, not with other accounts. "14x their usual" means the post got 14 times the median views of that account's recent posts.
- TikTok videos and Instagram Reels are measured on views. Instagram carousels have no view count, so they are measured on likes against the account's usual likes, and say so.
- A post makes the library at 2x its account's usual or more. A format is a repeatable move (what is said or shown, or how it is edited) that several accounts used in breakout posts. It is listed here once it worked for 3 or more different accounts.
- Formats rank on how many accounts they worked for and how far above usual, damped so a fluke on one tiny account cannot outrank a format that worked for ten.

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