Beauty Bloggers: Are we just Swag Hags or Serious Journalists?
The ugly head of the anti blogging establishment raised its head again and this time it was denouncing beauty bloggers. The article which appeared in the New York Times basically described all beauty bloggers as freebie whores who were in it for the stuff they could get and though they quoted from some of the large blogs around, everything seemed out of context.
They seemed to imply that us beauty writers are basically in it for the products and everything like impartiality, objectiveness and old fashioned honesty have just gone out the windows in view of the freebies. ‘There is a danger that, as more bloggers are treated to five-course lunches by Prescriptives, the unbiased product reviews they once weren’t afraid to publish could disappear’, they write.
Well yes and no.
During my years in the business I have worked everywhere from magazines, newspapers and now online, and the beauty reviews that are published in the majority of these AREN’T THAT HONEST. But in these cases of magazines, the reviews aren’t changed to suit the whims of the PR company who sends out the products, no they’re altered because of the ADVERTISERS that publish glossy adverts in these mags. I’ve been told to edit text before to include products from some of these big wigs, and though that product appeared in top five, it didn’t actually qualify on any other grounds. Getting an unbiased review is hard nowadays- beauty counters advocate their own products, magazines lie to protect revenue and now bloggers aren’t as honest because they keep wanting to receive samples.
It’s true I don’t purchase many of the products I try- I simply couldn’t afford to buy a new moisturiser every week, but when I do try something new I’ll give you the honest lowdown on its qualities. It’s a perk of the job though, similar to how some companies provide health insurance/gym membership/larger salaries.
I do however have a passion for beauty- if I didn’t writing about lip gloss every day would start boring me rigid. I work on a technology site as well to keep myself well rounded and with the rise of the beauty gadget nowadays there is a lot of crossover. I’m well versed in peptides, AHA’s, Retin A, dermabrasion, and all the other terminology you’d expect. I continually find myself learning new things and I try to get this across to my readers in a straightforward easy to read posts.
It has taken a while for the industry to recognize the web as a reputable form of journalism, and many writers are keen not to rock the boat with a bad review. The complication lies in the number of DIY bloggers, people who set up a basic site, write one post a week and expect multiple goodies. Compare this to a site like Kiss and Makeup which updates five times a day and contains variety of polls, reviews and celebrity info.
Yes, I am paid to do what I do, but I would also be paid on a magazine. Unlike a magazine however I’m 100% honest about my findings. If I don’t like a product I won’t feature it and if I do I’ll enthuse. Yes, there are a lot of freebies, but that is standard in the beauty industry where once a product has been sent out it can’t be returned, unlike fashion where 98% of samples get sent back.
I get quite angry when I read really dismissive articles about my job in the beauty world . I feel that the negative comments are particularly targeted at the blogosphere by people who don’t really understand the industry and that this approach really negates some of the good work myself and my fellow bloggers do. The joy of the internet is the immediacy, we can show you pictures and get up reviews straight away whilst monthly mags work three months behind and this way we’re bringing the latest to you NOW.
When other bloggers act negatively towards the beauty sector it is disheartening as all too often we are dismissed as ‘fluffy’ when here is real science behind some of our features.
Jezebel recently wrote a response to the NYT article where they decried beauty bloggers ,
‘A year ago this shit would have had my very soul steaming out through my ears. I would have thought it was disgraceful and foul that so many women would be so gaily complicit in the efforts of the large cosmetics companies to ever-fatten the profit margins gleaned by milking the insecurity of women for all its worth. And to think that independent bloggers -- free from the advertising relationships and product pages to fill that prevent magazines from actually explaining what a fucking scam the whole thing is -- can be bought with a few boxes of free anti-aging cream? That "retails" for $90, but cost $3 to fucking make?? Who don't write negative reviews under the reasoning that "we don't want to hurt a company"???’
I’m very sad that a site I previously was so fond of could write such a piece. It shows limited understanding of what’s involved in the role of a beauty writer and also assumes that all people who write on beauty blogs are just in it for the stuff they can get. Sure, people are influenced by freebies, and it may make you look more kindly on a product, but it won’t make you give it a rave review unless that’s what you truly belive. Perhaps there are people out there who do that, but so far I haven’t met any.
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