Responsible Reviewing & Consumerism

I have been wanting to write this post for what feels like a year or more. I used to get on here now and then and just have a nice post about whatever I wanted that wasn't product related. I'd like to get back into that now and then. I started this blog almost six years ago as a fun hobby. I will be the first to admit that my old blog posts, well suck. I had no idea what I was doing. I was just getting on here and typing away for fun, which is kind of what a hobby is so I really can't fault my younger self.

Just to give you a slight background in case you're new here, I'm a nurse and have a background in Illustration. My whole life was both art & science focused. My father was an engineer & an artist and I very much take after him. Actually the majority of my family is artists which is a whole other story. Science, math and art have always been my favorite subjects. English was not. So it took me a while to develop in my blogging writing skills. Some days I feel like going back and deleting my old posts because I feel ashamed of them. However I feel like we all came from somewhere so I leave them. All 1235 published posts.

When I started blogging in 2014, at 35, it was only for me and I was very makeup focused at first. Then my dad got sick with cancer and I started researching ingredients. I guess it gave me something to do in a coping way. That combined with my developing anti-aging needs, followed by pregnancy skin issues and then postpartum skin needs, this blogs content changed to be more skincare focused. I still love makeup but with a four year old & hugely crunched time in the morning I very much take the easy way out on makeup replacing my time more with skincare. It has been very beneficial for my skin to say the least. I then moved onto Instagram as well in 2016 which really helped push my visual aesthetic and writing skills over the years.

At first when I noticed the online Instagram skincare community it was just a bunch of us just sharing thoughts, connecting and discovering new brands & products together. There was little PR or free gifts from brands at the time (unless you were a high up, well known or an established beauty insider/influencer). Obviously there was some of this before 2018 but not in any way near what it is now. Then there was a huge Instagram boom in 2018 with an influx of new bloggers or content creators as well as an increase in brands gifting free products to these bloggers in exchange for review and subsequent media exposure. The relationship between the blogger & brand was being reinvented and 'Influencer Marketing' exploded.

The market was now oversaturated with product reviews & bloggers. The online environment became more numbers focused (followers/likes) and competitive between creators. We also started to compare ourselves to each other in ways we never had before (Why did they get that brands PR and I didn't? Why is their likes better than mine? Why are they growing faster than me?). There was also a sudden push on bloggers to review tons of new products and brands. This is essentially known as gifting product in exchange for a product review or some kind of media exposure on your platform. I remember the day when I got my first email or message asking to send me free product in exchange for review.

At first I will admit it's very exciting & fun. "Someone recognizes me and wants to send me free stuff? Of course I'll do it". Then you start getting more emails and messages a day from brands than you can keep up with. All asking for reviews or some kind of exposure in exchange for free products. Granted some brands are willing to send gifts with the 'if you like it you share it philosophy' but it's far less common than an exchange for product review request. This massive amount of requests for free product review became very overwhelming for many including myself. I found myself either busting skincare to the brim and unable to keep up with the new demands.

So why am I talking about this? Because it seems the Influencer Market is not going anywhere anytime soon and my ultimately the point of this post was to talk about how to be a responsible reviewer or consumer. However, I cannot delve into that without a little background information. Mostly because with the rapid increase of new bloggers or creators came all kinds of new published content and massive amounts of product reviews online in blog, Instagram and YouTube format. So who can you trust? Honestly, I think about that all the time as a consumer myself.

That's what starts me into the conversation of being a responsible reviewer or blogger. What does that really mean? For me that means as a blogger/content creator I should think about reviewing products in my posts in a responsible way. First off, I only have one face. There's no way I can possibly test everything that comes my way nor is offered to come my way. You just can't properly evaluate that many products so quickly. So declining products or brands that don't appeal to me or fit my skincare needs is first and essential. There's no reason for me to review or test acne products when I don't have acne. That does a disservice to the consumer (and brand) because it won't be an accurate review. Also I would add that a brand asking me to review acne products when they can tell from my page that I don't suffer from acne is not being responsible as a brand. They should take the time to research me just as I will research them when they make a request. If you want me to give my free time then you can spend a little bit researching me to see if I'm a good fit. You'll save us both unwasted time. Reviewing a brand I don't have any inclination to purchase myself, or have any desire to test, just to get free product would also be wrong as a responsible reviewer. This does not apply to a new to you brand you research after getting a request and end up saying 'hey that looks pretty good I'm in'. That's a new discovery not reviewing a brand you don't like or wouldn't purchase from personally.

I tend to decline about 95% of the free product offers that come my way at this point. That's mainly because I want to be a responsible reviewer. I want to accurately review products which means I need the proper time to review as well as have the desire to review, test a product or brand. I can't do that if I have a mountain pile of stuff to try to review in the next month. Passion should always be at the heart of blogging. If you loose your passion there's no point anymore. I don't have passion when I'm overwhelmed. Another part of responsible reviewing is not getting overwhelmed. Review at a pace and level that is comfortable for you. Be accurate and don't do anything that's not you. No free product is worth getting overwhelmed or doing something that's not what you wouldn't normally do. That decreases your integrity as a blogger. I feel the same way about ads or paid sponsored posts. I'm not against them by any means, but don't do ads for brands and products you wouldn't buy or normally use anyway. It decreases the integrity of blogging in general. Now by all means if the product & brand appeal to you or it's a brand you have a relationship with anyway because you love their stuff, by all means do that ad. Don't just do every ad that comes your way to make money, that's what ruins integrity, not the actual ad. I know it's exciting to get free product and ad money but be selective ands thoughtful about it. That's what a responsible reviewer does.

I wrote posts on this blog for over three years without any free product at all. Because I just simply loved doing it. Do not become a blogger just to get free product. It just demeans us all. And yes sadly people do this. I get messages from dumb people asking how to get free stuff from brands when they have literally no posts at all. And yes I said dumb because it's true. If you have no posts and are already asking how to get free stuff you deserve it. You ruin the whole community of responsible bloggers. Put in the time & effort first, and be you. People and brands will notice your effort and honesty. Blog because you love it and you would do it even if you never got a free product ever again. Put in the proper time & effort, which is way more than you think. Don't review products just to push content out. Research. Take the time to test it versus just churning it out to get the next free set of products. It's not a factory mill.

Taking your time combined with developing your long term relationships with brands is part of success. No one wants to see a bunch of people getting tons of free stuff and always raving about how good it is (hello large following YouTubers plus plenty of people on Instagram) because it makes consumers question their integrity as a product reviewer which affects the integrity of the entire blogging community. Rarely will any person be able to use every product from a brand because a brand usually tries to fit a wide variety of skin concerns and therefore has a wide variety of products to suit multiple types of people and needs. It's OK to not like every product from a brand. Because not every product is right for your skin type or concerns. That does not mean it's a bad brand or product. It's just the way of the world. Not every product can suit everyone.

That brings me to my next topic. Negative reviews. Do you or don't you? Depends on the blogger. Some want their blogging space to be only of positivity so they don't want to ruin it with negativity. Some consumers respect that while some want to see more negative reviews because they feel it helps them wade through the sea of an overwhelming number of products and new launches. Some bloggers don't do negative reviews because it ruins their relationships with brands, meaning potentially no more free stuff (why many don't tag a brand in negative reviews or stories online). I have multiple thoughts about this issue. I respect the consumers view of wanting an honest opinion which has always been something I've wanted to maintain on my blog. I want to read an honest opinion from a blogger when I'm researching a brand or product. Now an honest opinion is far different than a negative review. A 'negative' review done properly should just sound like an honest opinion. I really don't consider negative reviews a thing because it should just be an honest opinion review to begin with. A review should never be a full on negative bashing of the brand or product. Bloggers who do that either are immature at blogging (remember we all did start somewhere so they just may not realize they're doing it) or just want attention (it does bring a massive amount of followers and comments). Some bloggers and consumers like full on bashing negative reviews. I don't understand the whole phenomenon honestly.

There is always something positive about a brand and every product. You should be highlighting that in a review. You can and should discuss the packaging, price point, ingredients, brands philosophy, use (who it's for, what it's for), texture and scent. Then you can discuss the effectiveness or why the product just didn't work for you. That's the key. Just because it didn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for many. Your followers/readers should be able to tell something didn't work for you because of personal preference on texture or scent, or why it just didn't work for you. There are rarely really bad products out there. Formulators are pretty good nowadays. All you can do is go over your experience with a brand or product, even if it didn't work for you. That's what your followers are looking for from you. Your honest experience with a product. Don't sugar coat it but be thorough, there are lots of things to highlight about a brand or product even if it didn't work for you. Good brands will respect that because they understand every single product they make will not work for you, or everyone in general. If they disagree, you should be done with them anyway. In my experience brands want honest feedback so they can truly make great products. They may tweak a formulation if they get a ton of people saying the same thing. Good brands will take consumer feedback well. I know many brands who appreciate and respect a consumer or bloggers point of view. Because they truly want to make the best product for you. I've also seen brands take packaging or texture criticism well and actually revamp their product. That's why your honest opinion is important.

Yes there will be some who don't take constructive criticism well. It's a developed skill. Provided you actually gave them constructive feedback to begin with and didn't just flat out bash them. I understand some small brands can get more upset because they really put their whole heart and souls into what they make and they're so proud of it, so it may be hard to hear it didn't work for someone. I would say on my part as a blogger it's not personal. I can't love and rave about hundreds of cleansers all the time just to keep people happy. I'm going to have my dozen or so favorites and people who follow me will understand that. Everyone has personal preference on texture and scent, price point or even the brands ethics or philosophy which will guide which brands you love and gravitate towards. Some brands just fit you to a T and it becomes hard for other brands to replace your all time favorite products from them. That doesn't mean the ones who can't beat your favs are bad. Trust me they're going to be someone else's favs.

However, I can still objectively test & review a product in my style. Consumers end up following bloggers because of their particular photography or aesthetic styles combined with their style of review. They may follow you because you have similar tastes or even skin tone which makes it easier to get good recommendations. Every blogger sheds a different light or aspect on a brand and product. I absolutely love this uniqueness about our community. For me responsible reviewing is about being true to yourself, not bashing brands/products (because it's unnecessary), only take on what you can and should responsibly handle, be honest and do this because you want to! Not because it's trendy or you want free stuff.

What is a responsible consumer? Even if we are bloggers we are also still consumers. Our followers are consumers. Everyone is a consumer. Being a responsible consumer is all about controlling your own buying impulses (we all have them and lets face it we can't have everything we want). Interpreting the information from bloggers and brands we receive is key to your foundation as an informed, responsible consumer. It will help guide your purchases. Obviously balancing the amount of money we have to spend (or should spend) with our huge wishlists is a never ending task. The minute a product comes off my wishlist, because I bought it, another goes on my list. It's truly never ending in the world of constant launches and new online discoveries. This leads to a constant state of desiring because we always want something new. Especially when a brand or blogger is constantly showing you new shiny toys.

For myself I never recommend putting skincare or makeup on a credit card. That's just my personal opinion. No makeup or skincare item, no matter how shiny, cool or luxurious, is ever worth the debt or interest rate. Same with sale time which is when we tend to stock up because resisting a sale is hard. That's basic human nature. That's why sales are successful. Marketing 101. Try not to buy what you don't need. If you buy a sale item on a credit card with interest but don't need it, by the time you get around to using it the product might have just cost you full price anyway. That being said we have all done it, including myself. That's why I say it. As a person who went through bankruptcy in my early 20s for stupid reasons I can say frivolous luxuries are not worth the debt if it's not in your means. I still fail at this all the time and I'm constantly trying to find a way to be better at this. I think it's something we can all relate to. I go through good buying phases and bad ones. I'm human what can I say. Last year I started doing a $150 deposit to my spending account every paycheck. That's what I'm allowed to use for makeup and skincare or frivolous purchases. I save a few deposits up if I'm planning on buying something expensive. So far this has actually been really good for me. It's helping with my overall consumerism and wasting. I no longer buy back ups of limited edition items. That bit me in the ass more times that I can count. I wasted so much with back ups. Some similar product will come out by the time you finish that limited edition product. Trust me.

So who and how do we trust a reviewer or blogger? Most of us research reviews before buying an item. Whether it be makeup swatches or skincare reviews, consumers want to read about personal experiences with products before purchasing. That's what fuels the blogger and beauty industry. Creation by brands, desire & research by consumers, then consuming or purchasing by all of us. Bloggers exist because you want to see our experiences or endeavors. There are many different types of bloggers. They can be doctors, nurses, aestheticians, celebrities, journalists, pro-in-the-industry bloggers or the hobbyist blogger (the most common influx of bloggers or content creators I spoke about earlier). With this vast oversaturated sea of people writing reviews and opinions online it can be really hard to decide who to trust.

I might be a nurse but I'm not a dermatologist, aesthetician or pro. I never claim to be one nor give advice like one. At the base of all of this if you have a serious skin condition or concern you should seek out a professionals help, not a bloggers. That being said as a nurse I can also attest that not every nurse, doctor, dermatologist, aesthetician or pro is credible or good. Just because you have a license or title doesn't mean you're any good at your job. I've seen (and had experience with) plenty of bad doctors, nurses, dermatologists, makeup artists, hairstylists and aestheticians. I've also seen plenty of really good ones. I've seen veteran doctors/professionals who suck and new grad licensees as well. I've seen new grads who are amazing and better than seasoned veterans. It really just depends. How do you determine who's good? Why should you trust a stranger on the internet? That's always the million dollar question. There's no magic answer sadly. Word of mouth is good. I would look for honest bloggers or providers. I wouldn't believe everything you read or hear on the internet. There's a lot of personal opinions out there plus a lot of BS with no scientific backing. Granted there's also a lot of people who have a PhD or MD after their name and give terrible advice about SPF but that's a whole other tangent.

For me there's nothing more frustrating than seeing bloggers rave about their 'favorite' items every day but the products never seem to empty themselves. You know what I'm talking about. The blogger who posts the same stuff weekly and the product never seems to be any lower in use. Never an empty in sight. They may have really pretty photos combined with the one or two sentence caption (ie I love this one so much or weekend vibes blah blah). If you like following them for aesthetic influence go right ahead, we all do it. I've even made that kind of one line aesthetic post now and then. But that's not the person I take my purchasing information from. The influencer who features only PR and free stuff, has tons of ads for things you never see in their feed again past the ad, and they love everything-probably not the person I would take my buying recommendations from. If you never see them talk about products they actually bought and loved I consider that a potential red flag (granted pros like Caroline Hirons don't need to buy cause they can get whatever they want, but that's not the case for most of us). There is always going to be a brand or product you want to try and can't get as PR. It makes me wonder if you're just in this to get free stuff.

Bloggers can't love everything because I know every product will not work for them. It's a basic life fact. We all have way too many personal preferences to love everything. Too be honest the more I test and own, the pickier I get. I want to see someone who is consistent, thoughtful, honest and thorough. I like to see someone who posts empties reviews & routine posts where they actually talk about their progress and you can see the product getting used. If it's empty it means the blogger loved it enough to finish it instead of giving it away, that's why I love bloggers who do empties. It helps show you their honesty. You can't say you love it everyday but not show it empty eventually. Doesn't add up.

I want to see bloggers who take the proper time to review a product. Granted cleansers, makeup, creams and masks are usually easy to review quickly. Serums should be a 3-6 week minimum testing. If someone is whipping through new serum reviews every week then they're probably not really testing it well. They're just churning reviews out to move onto the next thing. I don't tend to use those types of bloggers for my personal purchasing recommendations either. That doesn't mean they don't have great aesthetic talent, I just personally want to see someone who actually uses what they say they're using and properly tests it out. That's who I listen to for my purchasing recommendations.

With the huge influx of bloggers/content creators recently there's now a ton of people claiming to be beauty experts online. So many consider themselves bloggers and influencers after just a few weeks to months of writing. Follower numbers and engagement are also a powerful thing. Most are not gurus or experts, they're average people like yourself (and me) with a blogger hobby. That doesn't mean you can't trust them, but they're not experts or professionals. On a side tangent I know brands and bloggers view their success based on follower count and engagement rate. I think this can be misleading. Some hate the idea of ghost followers, those who follow but never comment or engage. I have found there's a ton of people who never ever comment on your page or engage. Though many have been watching you for years. That doesn't mean they're not relevant. I think the value of ghost followers is underrated. They're the ones silently buying what you recommend. Those bloggers who have been around longer are more likely to have that silent following. I'm curious to see where the trend goes over the next few years.

For the consumer I say do whatever you want to do ultimately. If you want to be influenced by the million follower YouTuber who loves everything, go for it. If you want to trust the person who never shows a finished product, has a constant influx of free product/PR posts that changes every week, go for it. It's your money. Where and who influences you to spend it is entirely up to you. The responsibility of consumerism falls on the consumer. The blogger is only there to report their experiences with products. It's your responsibility as a consumer to investigate, compare and make the final decision on your purchases. I'm not saying bloggers who just do pretty pictures aren't relevant at all. The different types of bloggers all have their own space in the community. Not everyone wants to read a mile long review everyday. I like a mix of pretty or cool aesthetics with informational posts. And there are some really talented content creators now. The things they can do digitally blows my mind sometimes. There's also a lot of more mood board creators now than I've seen before. It's like Pinterest on Instagram. They'll have short captions and pretty photos. I like those too, though I don't use them as a resource for my purchasing decisions. They inspire me though creativity wise.

I just wanted to bring up some points for consumers and bloggers to keep in mind or think about. Most of my points for how I choose who I trust pertain to skincare. Makeup empties are not something I think about with bloggers. Makeup is its own separate entity as far as reviewing. It's really easy to review makeup and less thought goes into that than skincare. I just want to see swatches of makeup online when you review it. It kills me to see a pretty makeup pic with no swatches. Tell me about the texture too. That's all I really want in a makeup review. As a full disclaimer I will say I've gone through multiple phases myself as a blogger. As I said above I'm ashamed of some of my early posts because I didn't always do all the things I listed above. I had to learn and develop who I was. But we all came from somewhere and evolve. Our beliefs in things change as well and being able to admit that doesn't make you weak or wrong. My first sunscreen post kills me. I had so much bad information. I need to make a proper new view one this year. I also have products I loved ages ago in posts I no longer like, as well as products I might have dissed years ago that I now like. Same with ingredients and fragrance. That's evolution in personal tastes not being an irresponsible blogger.

Was any of this helpful? Do you have anything you would like to add? Is there another topic you would like to see me cover in the future?