I know where you are coming from with this post. There's so much going on in the market that i'm suprised anyone can keep up. I sometimes feel that if i discover a product a few weeks after everyone else has latched on (or the PR samples have been sent out to however many bloggers) tht it's a wste of time to blog about it because it's old news. That might sound daft but i know i wouldn't read a review on something that i'd already read 5 versions of 6 weeks earlier!
... And it's not going to stop. It's going to get bigger and more complex. That's what happens when things go well- it's a symptom of success. I suppose you have two options: delegate- find someone to share the burden OR specialise, choose only one or two areas of beauty you LOVE and focus on those mainly, then maybe throw in the odd unrelated product that really wows you.
It just sounds like you're ready to take yourself up to the next level of expansion and that's not a bad thing.
I started my blog as a place to empty my head of all the info I had access to. Now it's twice as full! My issue is with all the events. It seems the understanding is that consumers want constant amusement/stimulation so there are endless events and pop-ups and what-not to keep things interesting. Which I think is necessary to a degree but I prefer quality to quantity. And I am sure the PRs who have to organise said events would agree...
I definitely agree with you! Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with the information out there that I never know what to write about... And don't get me started on testing out skincare products... I have a mountain of cleansers, masks and creams to trial and absolutely no time! Please let me know if you do come up with a way of managing it all... Would love some tips xx
I agree! I don't work in the beauty industry so I only have the blog element to contend with and its become overwhelming. There are times when I just want to shut down and live in the moment for a bit. Its good to know I'm not alone feeling this way :)
If I was into keeping abreast of the situation it would be overwhelming to me. But I blog slowly and about what I choose to. But then I'm not a big nor professional blog and I dont 'need' to keep ahead of things.
Sometimes I wish I could do it as a job, other times (like now reading this) Im glad it's just a hobby to me.
I'm so glad you wrote about this. My head is constantly full of so much stuff, juggling my inbox with events and the latest technology to remember... It's a struggle. As soon as I write about something there's always something bigger and better too, so it's a constant battle.
At least I don't have to do it for a day job too - I can't even imagine how much lipgloss and eye cream you have swimming around in your head.
Good advice from Lianne though. Plus, we know it's only gonna get worse!
Wow - and I am only just beginning my blog after years in print publishing. I didn't find it so bad then because product pages were strictly themed and over-looked by a deputy ed and the ed - who both thought they new better than me which products to feature! I used to have a pretty good grip on the best beauty products out there but now it is now so overwhelming - yet how many products are really worth their price tag? I think I'm going to concentrate on the products that really do work - regardless of whether they are new on the market or not.
I am not a blogger, but I feel overwhelmed by the variety of products that all claim to be the perfect thing for you. Since I switched to Organic cosmetic and skin care, this has changed and I love it. Besides I feel that the products I'm loving right now really do what they promise to do (at the best they can), because I know that their ingredients are healthy and scientifically proven to help with whatever problem I have.
Amen, Jane. I struggle with this on a nearly daily basis. I'm beyond impressed you wrote this post.
Honestly, sometimes I'm so frustrated with beauty blogging that I want to punch myself in the face (and, yes, I'm aware how uppity, entitled, bitchy and out-of-touch that sounds). I'm equally grateful beyond measure to be lucky enough to work as a successful beauty blogger, and I remember well just a few years ago when we had to fight to be noticed and taken seriously (even with "traditional" beauty backgrounds).
At the risk of sounding like Queen Whiner, however, it's all become way too oversaturated, competitive for what I see as the wrong reasons, and advertiser/PR-driven. Very few products released recently excited me, and I'm not quite sure if it's because they're not special of their own merit (because, let's be real: many of them are not special at all), or if it's because the second something is released, I'm bombarded with Facebook updates, page links and status, 7 identical "New post: X Launch!" tweets in my feed, and "Get the Look: Celeb Hair!" and "Get the Look: Celeb Makeup!" breakdowns in my inbox. The magic feels gone.
I started my blog in the spirit of "honesty at all costs" and now find myself second-guessing posts, not wanting to burn bridges, getting annoyed by the weedy sprouting of new beauty blogs, feeling like an unenlightened monster for such a "Get off my porch, sonny!" mentality, and pissing off publicists and brands in equal measure for being weeks or months behind in product testing, event recaps, and reviews. Forget about actually finding the time to read--let alone respond!--to the hundreds of emails a day.
Whine. Whine. Whine. Okay, I'm done.
I try to keep my head down, so I don't get unduly swayed by what other bloggers are doing and can march to my own beat. Every time I come to your blog, though, I think, "Why the hell aren't I reading this more often??" You are, in my opinion, one of the few truly honest, fearless, publicists-be-damned bloggers left, and I love you for it.
Thank goodness -I thought it was just me!! Having seen all the hype about mineral make-up, I wanted to try a powder foundation but didn't know which brand to choose - suddenly I was seeing a new one everyday and I didn't want to make yet another expensive mistake. I even Tweeted for advice, but nothing useful came back.
In the end I settled for Estee Lauder and am really happy with the results.
One question on mineral eye shadows though: why are they all so GLITTERY? Some of us just want a nice natural look. One of my tanning brands, Vani-T, have now brought out their own range of mineral make up and it's gorgeous -and caters for eveyone, from the glittery to the natural. Fab products, I just wish I'd found them sooner.
Diane - www.sotanned.co.uk The only safe tan is a fake tan!
15 comments:
I know where you are coming from with this post. There's so much going on in the market that i'm suprised anyone can keep up. I sometimes feel that if i discover a product a few weeks after everyone else has latched on (or the PR samples have been sent out to however many bloggers) tht it's a wste of time to blog about it because it's old news. That might sound daft but i know i wouldn't read a review on something that i'd already read 5 versions of 6 weeks earlier!
... And it's not going to stop. It's going to get bigger and more complex. That's what happens when things go well- it's a symptom of success. I suppose you have two options: delegate- find someone to share the burden OR specialise, choose only one or two areas of beauty you LOVE and focus on those mainly, then maybe throw in the odd unrelated product that really wows you.
It just sounds like you're ready to take yourself up to the next level of expansion and that's not a bad thing.
Good advice there Lianne.
I started my blog as a place to empty my head of all the info I had access to. Now it's twice as full! My issue is with all the events. It seems the understanding is that consumers want constant amusement/stimulation so there are endless events and pop-ups and what-not to keep things interesting. Which I think is necessary to a degree but I prefer quality to quantity. And I am sure the PRs who have to organise said events would agree...
I definitely agree with you! Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with the information out there that I never know what to write about... And don't get me started on testing out skincare products... I have a mountain of cleansers, masks and creams to trial and absolutely no time! Please let me know if you do come up with a way of managing it all... Would love some tips xx
There are so many new things out there - it's more difficoult to find and sort out all the rubbish among them...
I agree! I don't work in the beauty industry so I only have the blog element to contend with and its become overwhelming. There are times when I just want to shut down and live in the moment for a bit. Its good to know I'm not alone feeling this way :)
If I was into keeping abreast of the situation it would be overwhelming to me. But I blog slowly and about what I choose to. But then I'm not a big nor professional blog and I dont 'need' to keep ahead of things.
Sometimes I wish I could do it as a job, other times (like now reading this) Im glad it's just a hobby to me.
xx
I agree. Although it's such a glittery and fun subject, sometimes I'm tired:)
www.pelininstyle.com
I'm so glad you wrote about this. My head is constantly full of so much stuff, juggling my inbox with events and the latest technology to remember... It's a struggle. As soon as I write about something there's always something bigger and better too, so it's a constant battle.
At least I don't have to do it for a day job too - I can't even imagine how much lipgloss and eye cream you have swimming around in your head.
Good advice from Lianne though. Plus, we know it's only gonna get worse!
Wow - and I am only just beginning my blog after years in print publishing. I didn't find it so bad then because product pages were strictly themed and over-looked by a deputy ed and the ed - who both thought they new better than me which products to feature! I used to have a pretty good grip on the best beauty products out there but now it is now so overwhelming - yet how many products are really worth their price tag? I think I'm going to concentrate on the products that really do work - regardless of whether they are new on the market or not.
I am not a blogger, but I feel overwhelmed by the variety of products that all claim to be the perfect thing for you. Since I switched to Organic cosmetic and skin care, this has changed and I love it. Besides I feel that the products I'm loving right now really do what they promise to do (at the best they can), because I know that their ingredients are healthy and scientifically proven to help with whatever problem I have.
Its all about quality not quantity, as a relatively new blogger I pride myself on being selective over what I review and when.
www.beautoxy.com
Amen, Jane. I struggle with this on a nearly daily basis. I'm beyond impressed you wrote this post.
Honestly, sometimes I'm so frustrated with beauty blogging that I want to punch myself in the face (and, yes, I'm aware how uppity, entitled, bitchy and out-of-touch that sounds). I'm equally grateful beyond measure to be lucky enough to work as a successful beauty blogger, and I remember well just a few years ago when we had to fight to be noticed and taken seriously (even with "traditional" beauty backgrounds).
At the risk of sounding like Queen Whiner, however, it's all become way too oversaturated, competitive for what I see as the wrong reasons, and advertiser/PR-driven. Very few products released recently excited me, and I'm not quite sure if it's because they're not special of their own merit (because, let's be real: many of them are not special at all), or if it's because the second something is released, I'm bombarded with Facebook updates, page links and status, 7 identical "New post: X Launch!" tweets in my feed, and "Get the Look: Celeb Hair!" and "Get the Look: Celeb Makeup!" breakdowns in my inbox. The magic feels gone.
I started my blog in the spirit of "honesty at all costs" and now find myself second-guessing posts, not wanting to burn bridges, getting annoyed by the weedy sprouting of new beauty blogs, feeling like an unenlightened monster for such a "Get off my porch, sonny!" mentality, and pissing off publicists and brands in equal measure for being weeks or months behind in product testing, event recaps, and reviews. Forget about actually finding the time to read--let alone respond!--to the hundreds of emails a day.
Whine. Whine. Whine. Okay, I'm done.
I try to keep my head down, so I don't get unduly swayed by what other bloggers are doing and can march to my own beat. Every time I come to your blog, though, I think, "Why the hell aren't I reading this more often??" You are, in my opinion, one of the few truly honest, fearless, publicists-be-damned bloggers left, and I love you for it.
Thank goodness -I thought it was just me!! Having seen all the hype about mineral make-up, I wanted to try a powder foundation but didn't know which brand to choose - suddenly I was seeing a new one everyday and I didn't want to make yet another expensive mistake. I even Tweeted for advice, but nothing useful came back.
In the end I settled for Estee Lauder and am really happy with the results.
One question on mineral eye shadows though: why are they all so GLITTERY? Some of us just want a nice natural look. One of my tanning brands, Vani-T, have now brought out their own range of mineral make up and it's gorgeous -and caters for eveyone, from the glittery to the natural. Fab products, I just wish I'd found them sooner.
Diane - www.sotanned.co.uk
The only safe tan is a fake tan!
Greetings Tom Singapore!
Like you, I do editorial work besides blogging and yes, I do feel the same!
It feels a little draining sometimes :(
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