Welcome, New York Times Readers
For those of you who have found me from today’s article in the New York Times about beauty bloggers, welcome. Feel free to stay awhile and browse.
While I’m happy for those of you who found me through the article, I would like to say that I found the piece disheartening. Bloggers were made to look like swag grubbers. So I’d like to balance out the tables a minute, by pointing out several things:
1. The beauty bloggers who get these extravagant all-expense paid trips to Paris and whatnot, are only a handful, and not representative of the whole. Most of us, I would venture to say, do not get these offers. And if we get invited to events like Fashion Week, etc. then many of us are paying for the expenses of flights and hotels out of our own pockets, and taking precious vacation time in order to attend.
2. Yes, most of us do receive free products from companies to review. But that is how we are able to operate and keep ourselves running. I pay for the webspace and domain name out of my own pocket. I have two sources of ad revenue, but they’re tiny. As one blogger pointed out after she read the NYT article, many of us do this as a hobby. We work full time and then we come home and work on our blogs. I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford to buy a $20 lipstick five times a week. And I don’t have time to troll the internet endlessly for beauty news. I rely on PRs to keep me informed — and most bloggers do whether you’re writing about video games or celebrity gossip.
3. Following from my previous point, yes, bloggers get free samples — and then we show up to work each day, as it were. You try writing a post (or more) every day, shampooing up to two times a day and slathering teeth whitener on your teeth while putting body cream on one leg and body souffle on another. I love beauty, but the blogging process is arduous. Then there’s following up with the PRs, routing packages, answering comments, fighting off spam, battling copyright issues. We’re not chillaxing to the latest Space NK bubble bath in our claw-footed bathtubs and a flute of bubbly. Or maybe we are, but I can bet you we’re doing all of the above as well.
4. Blogging is tricky in that it’s a fairly new media outlet that is in the midst of some heavy evolution. What Julie Fredrickson of Coutorture said was right. We can’t romanticize blogging anymore. It’s not some unshaven man with dark undereye circles sitting in his basement writing impassioned diatribes about some hot topic du jour just because he wants to. There are some bloggers (beauty and otherwise) who have agendas — they want to further their careers, they want to shape their public images, they want to build an internet business. While that last statement may sound disparaging, I actually don’t mean for it to be. If you are able to do those things you want to accomplish through your blog, then you are probably a sharp business person who has seen an opportunity and leapt upon it. In a way, that is the American dream. Take the bull by the horns, forge your own path, etc. I can’t condemn anyone for that.
5. Lastly, I would like to say that yes, I did make a comment about it being neat that Kristen of Beauty Addict gets to be a part of a glamorous beauty world, but what isn’t neat about it? And I would be lying if I said that getting free samples wasn’t part of the reason I started my blog. However, almost two years since the inception of Bon Bons, I have yet to receive an invitation to Paris or a free handbag, and my traffic is still pretty paltry. Yes, the free samples are nice. But as I quickly discovered, 30 different shampoos does not do me much good when I have only one head to wash a day. None of that is why I like to blog or continue to blog.
What I love about blogging is the community aspect. My readers are fantastic — enthusiastic, supportive, inquisitive, opinionated. Even though I have never met most of them, I am so appreciative of their loyalty and ardor. It’s what keeps me writing this blog.
Not only are the readers great, but so are the other bloggers that I have met through my experience. This is the kind of community that supports each other through illnesses and disappointments and achievements — some of this very much outside the realm of blogging or beauty.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:59 am
Well said Christine and I agree 100%.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:35 am
This is great! I agree as well. It wasn’t so long ago that I was spending all of my extra money on cosmetics. Stupidly, there were quite a few times I dipped into my overdraft protection to pay the rent and bills. I feel like I’ve paid my dues.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am
I whole-heartedly agree with you. BTW, congratulations on merely being recognized by the NYT!
As a fellow beauty blogger who does receive a lot of free stuff, I also spend about 8-20 hours a week on my blog. Following up with PR people, answering emails, networking, going to events, using my precious vacation to attend a fashion week show or two. I love it, don’t get me wrong. But this is a hobby. I balance my very demanding job in Finance with blogging because I love it. I don’t appreciate the NYT making any of us look like greedy gluttons because maintaining a beauty blog, while fun, is a LOT of work. Anyway. I’m a fan of Bon Bons in the Bath, keep up the good work!
January 31st, 2008 at 10:49 am
Very well said Christina. As someone who knows you personally, I know you are not a greedy beauty glutton! In fact, I know your passion for fashion, beauty and writing are sincere! But congrats on the mention by NYT. Even bad press is press! Love the blog, keep it up!
January 31st, 2008 at 10:55 am
Right on , Christine. It’s like you read my mind. I linked to this post because it’s the perfect ‘companion piece’ to the NY Times article. Well stated!
January 31st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Bravo Christine!!
January 31st, 2008 at 11:34 am
And BTW - my blog is like a second JOB - I stay up way too late during the week! I routinely spend 20-25 hours a week on it. And I pay for the premium service from Typepad, PLUS I pay for the domain renewal every year. Yeah this is something I am doing for freebies……get real. All of that is out of my own pocket (even my travel) I have never been invited to Paris or given a luxury anything.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:37 am
Thanks so much for your feedback and support ladies. It means a lot! Just keep on doing what you do best!
January 31st, 2008 at 12:19 pm
[…] A few response pieces to the NYT article by fellow beauty bloggers can be found here and here. […]
January 31st, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Christina, I’m so glad you posted this. Frankly I was offended by the Times piece and I regret taking part in it. I thought the article was going to be about how beauty companies and agencies are recognizing the increasing influence of bloggers, but instead we get this nastiness about bloggers being greedy, opportunistic sycophants begging for free stuff. It’s repugnant.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Yes, I found you from the NYT piece. I am glad you wrote this post; it is well said.
Everyone blogs for a reason. It is often for material rewards, but can be just for 5 minutes of fame (I’m on minute 4 myself).
If you actually look at the hours spent blogging and figured what the compensation would be for your time, it’s like minimum wage.
To run a successful blog takes time, dedication, and talent. You certainly have all three.
I wish you all the best,
Jeff
(A clean shaven, Active C dark circle fighting, guy sitting on the 25th floor, hoping to be really famous someday, blogger)
January 31st, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Very articulate and well thought out response. Keep up the great work, Christina!
January 31st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Well said! I too am a blogger and no matter the free goodies, it’s not like a tube of lipstick is paying my rent… i write about beauty because that is what i am passionate about. I don’t make a single dollar from my blog, but i continue because of the desire to connect with fellow beauty enthusiasts… blogging IS my hobby, it is not, by any means, a source of income…
January 31st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
As someone who contemplated for a long time before starting her beauty blog, this article is indeed very disheartening. Since I’m a newbie, I don’t even get many of my products for free (in fact, I only have made contact with a handful of publicists so far) but I love writing about my favorite beauty buys anyway! Your retaliation to the Times article is great and thank you for standing up for beauty bloggers everywhere
January 31st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
You’ve made some very good points here. I’m a beauty blogger too and felt that this article made us look like product whores. That said, I must admit that I do like all the freebies, but I don’t always review everything that is sent my way….and I offer my honest opinion.
January 31st, 2008 at 3:11 pm
thank you so much for this! this is a great response to the article. very well said. thank you from all beauty bloggers =)
January 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
hey!
i’ve been reading this blog for a while, and just discovered we have a friend in common–the crazedmomof3 over at tumblr! i saw that you were mentioned in the article in the NYT today, and i have to commend you on your well-thought out response to the article. it’s frustrating that the writer did not take into account many of the points you mentioned here, and i find it disturbing that the most important factor of all–the cost of the products–wasn’t mentioned. it has always been very clear to me that only very wealthy people who love products would be able to blog were it not for the freebies. i find it much more helpful for someone who understands the real cost of a $20 tube of lipstick to review it for me–i know that their comprehension of how MUCH $20 for a lipstick is will color their review (as in, they’ll be able to say “sure, this lipstick is great, but for $20 i would recommend X or Y instead”). so, keep up the great work, i love the blog, and don’t let the youknowhos get you down!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Excellent point Christina. I’m glad you came back and defended yourself, and the rest of us beauty bloggers. That article was ridiculously biased. I WILL be writing the Times.
January 31st, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Greetings! Actually, I thought the article made everyone look pretty good, to be honest. As Kristen said in another blog (I think it was Jolie in NYC), all press is good press! I thought that all the bloggers came across as being very forthright about their practices and their love for beauty.
I do agree that the writer could’ve been a little more open about the nature of these “freebies,” and how there’s no way that you or I could review, say, hundreds of dollars of Lancome on our sites without receiving samples from the company. There are tons of sites out there that basically just copy-and-paste press releases from the company, but people are smart enough to recognize that those bloggers are just in it for the free products and not to educate their readers. The blogs I do read (including Jolie and Bella Sugar) are honest and insanely passionate about products they love while also being truthful when they come across a stinker.
In any case, if nothing else, I’m happy to have been introduced to a few great blogs through the article. What I especially like about beauty blogs is their accessibility, something you can’t get from a corporate-produced glossy, no matter how hard they try. You can comment, talk back, make your own decisions, and even email the host directly. Plus, you get regular updates on a much more frequent basis than any mag!
Anyhoo, congratulations on getting noticed. As Jolie mentioned on her own site, this just goes to show you the evolution of blogging into a force to be reckoned with. Onward and upward!
Salut,
Marjorie
January 31st, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Well said girl.
The article did paint beauty bloggers in a bit of a bad light - but, if getting samples for doing something you enjoy is the worst that you are doing I would not feel bad at all!!!!
Keep on blogging and hopefully all that times article will do is increase traffic
xoxo
January 31st, 2008 at 10:09 pm
New York Times = not so credible after all huh?
January 31st, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Christina, you sing it sister! This was a fantastic post and I’m glad you put it all out there for us! I agree 100 %! I like most beauty bloggers write a blog to share their likes and dislikes about a particular brand or product, want to connect with people who have the same interest, genuinely want to help and give beauty tips to others, and really are passionate about beauty writing. Receiving free stuff is a perk but we deserve it! Blogging takes a lot of time and if companies want us to advertise their product then why shouldn’t we receive samples just like the “official” media outlets?? The beauty blogging world is here to stay so the rest of the world better get used to it! Keep doing the fabulous work you’re doing and thanks for this response!
February 1st, 2008 at 3:26 am
I’m a soapmaker — and as a small business owner I rely on word-of-mouth and internet-style press to reach my audience.
Bloggers have proven to be an invaluable part in getting recognition and reviews! I have had a lot of wonderful experiences with bloggers — not a single negative one and I have never felt that a writer was being greedy or simply looking for swag.
While i am certain they exist — there are greedy people in every aspect of life but that doesn’t mean we can discount the good people.
It is exactly the community aspect of blogs that appeals to me so much — face-to-face with an audience, and the seller being wholly responsible and accountable for the things she sells and promotes. I like the transparency, the disclosure, and the sense that people can really be reached through articles on blogs.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:23 am
hi,
I am a French author of beauty blog and not mothertongue into English… you can read it
As far as I am concerned, not so many bloggers are invited or have free products… My blog have 1300 to 2000 visitors per day, and I buy my products. Sometimes, some brands contact me. But I always write what I want. I have never been invited to palace hotel by brand such as Lancome or whatever. I am not paid for my blog. It is only passion. I have another work to eat and to pay my bill.
So, I write well said for your post !
pulcherry a french blogger (blogbeaute12.com)
February 1st, 2008 at 8:35 am
[…] Trashionista « Welcome, New York Times Readers […]
February 1st, 2008 at 8:50 am
Christina-Thank you for posting such an interesting and honest response.
I actually found the piece to be relatively fair in that it did allow bloggers to speak for themselves. As someone who has been blogging for nearly 3 years now I have seen a lot of changes. It has gone from being my hobby to my full time job and as it gets larger as a movement the ethics become progressively fuzzier.
It isn’t just about amateurs and people with a hobby enjoying themselves anymore, even for those of us who enjoy it as a hobby simply because of the corporate dollars now spent on us. It has become big business. We can’t remain starry eyed when beauty blogging has evolved from a small community of fanatics to a group of diverse women with varying influence, reaches and goals. And that is just fine with me. But it is time to stop pretending that its all bon bons and baths if you get my drift
Thanks for the insight.
February 1st, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Hi Julie - I still think that the journalist had a very specific agenda in writing the article, and it was to give a very decided (and lopsided) point of view on beauty bloggers. I know I and many of the others interviewed qualified our statements, but those statements did not end up in the interview. It’s unfortunate.
That said, I do agree with what you’re saying about the general state of blogging. The ethics are definitely fuzzy because there is no one governing us. And while I would like to think that many of us bloggers try to stick to a personal ethical code, the same cannot be said of absolutely every blogger out there. And I think the ethics are just going to get fuzzier and fuzzier as it becomes more widely known that bloggers are starting to be treated like traditional media outlets, with the courtship by companies and PR companies.
But like you said, and as I said in my post, it is what it is, and we have to realize that. The point is to move forward in a positive way, hold our heads high and conduct ourselves in such a way as NOT to give blogging a bad name.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
[…] Most of the bloggers interviewed have posted reactions: Beauty Addict, Bon Bons in the Bath, Jolie in NYC, Shake Your Beauty, and My Inner French Girl. A number of bloggers who were not interviewed have have also posted reactions. For example, you can read some more thoughts on the matter at: Sugar Shock, Beauty Blogging Junkie, Jack and Hill, Temptalia, Canadian Beauty, The Beauty of Life, Spoiled Pretty, The Life of a Ladybug, The 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic and even on the Beauty Blog Network Blog. […]
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
[…] Bon Bons in the Bath […]
February 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 am
I found your blog from the NYTimes article. I really love your blog. Look on the bright side, you are in the Times (congrats!) your blog is amazing and you have a number of supporters. If you write about beauty and inform your readers you need the products to sample. It would be different if you had nothing to show for it, and clearly you do. Keep up the great work and use this to keep pushing forward.
Be Blessed!
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I did not know you before the NYT. So for what it’s worth… you have new readers because of it.