New York Times Slams Beauty Bloggers
Someone had sent me a link to the New York Times article that is basically slamming beauty bloggers far and wide.
Click to read!
I thought I'd address some of what was being said in this article because I don't want Musings of a Muse to end up slandered by any of this.
About 99% of the products I review on Musings are items I purchased with my own sweat, blood, and tears. I work a daily 9 to 5 job as a self employed insurance broker where I make money. I proceed to take my money and splurge it on cosmetics! I do not give myself the title of beauty editor, beauty reviewer, or any other important title simply because I don't think of myself in such a manner. I'm more your average, everyday girl that's sincerely and seriously addicted to cosmetics in a major, sickening way!
It's rare I get products for "free" from companies and if I do you'll only ever get my truest opinion on those items. A majority of you already know that if I don't like something I'm definately not cutting corners when I give my opinion or review! I imagine some PR companies are scared to touch me because of my brutal slandering of a product when I hate it!
The moral of the story is I'm not here for free swag nor am I here to pimp products I don't even like. I am, however, here to interact with each one of you and tell you my truest opinion of items I purchase with my own money not products I've gotten free from companies.
I am not affiliated with cosmetics companies nor do I endorse them!
The Muse is and always will be simply an everyday girl that loves cosmetics with a passion! Getting to know each of you and talking to you daily about products and life is what Musings of a Muse is about for me. I think of each of you as a close friend and it saddens me many of you are far away (most of you are in different countries) and we can't sit down like normal folk, have a cup of tea, and chat.
Musings of a Muse started out as a silly form of entertainment for myself and to this day I am always flattered when I look at my traffic and I see how many girl's (and guys) come to visit me here!
This is my two cents on that article. It hurts and saddens me to think that the Beauty Blogging World is portrayed in such a shady light. The fact that this article is in the New York Times really disappoints me as it's a newspaper I read daily with great glee (especially the weekend edition).
The truth of the matter is that I've talked to many of bloggers across our blogging sphere and each one I've chatted to and become friend's with have always been sincere in their intentions to bring readers good, solid content about items they love to use or hate!
The next time you stop by Musings or any of your favorite Beauty Blogs think of all the hard work the writer does to keep you updated on current beauty finds!
Musings of a Muse will always stay true to it's origins, A Blog of Musings from a Cosmetic Whore.
Cheers!
Labels: Babbling Bits
posted by the Muse @ 5:00 PM
30 Comments:
I too have come across this article and was truly angered by it. To me it sounds like an uninformed person assuming things that have nothing to do with reality. The nerve!
After reading a number of sites mentioning this article, I am outraged. Taking people's quotes out of context, and trying to show only the negative side of samples is low. Yes, a lot of sites get samples, and yes, a lot of sites might be biased because of them, but that does not make every beauty review site biased, or all blogs sample junkie wannabies.
That's a perfect example of why you should always take articles with a grain of salt.
On another note, I love your site, and read your reviews daily ^_^.
Muse, babe, I can't speak for everyone here, but I hope you know most of your readers are NOT going to paint you in such awful eye shadows just because the NYT said those are the shades that suit you.
Again, I can't speak for others, but I started reading your blog because you reviewed some of the stuff I love, and I like your style :D Let me trace the path from which I found you - MUA (to satisfy my JMU addiction), then Iris's blog, then yours, see the connection? My point is, I read your blog because through your posts, I feel I could relate somehow.
In my opinion, that NYT article didn't just insult beauty bloggers, it also insulted readers like me. They assume folks like me don't have our own opinions, don't think for ourselves, and need to be told what to use and what to buy. That's what the companies think and WANT, and hence they send samples and hand out "swags." But to be goddamn honest, even if all the beauty bloggers in the world say this lipstick is wonderful, but I know it won't work with my skin tone or I've tried the brand's lipstick before and it sucked, those endorsements aren't going to do a thing to change my mind.
Anyway, I'll shut up now. I hope you feel better.
XOXO
Hi Muse-y,
It has been a long time since I commented I have been way too busy here lately (I always check your blog everyday though);). But I had to give my support and words to you here with this horrid NY Times article! I read it on-line and was aghast at how the journalist portrayed Beauty Bloggers. It was incredibly rude and unfair. I am 100% sure no one that reads your blog would ever think anything unsavory of your blog and how you run it. We know you don't do it for "freebies" and whatnot. I am sure some bloggers might but the way you have always run your blog has been nothing but the truth and always helpful and fun with what and how you say your opinions about the items you tell us about. Your blog is one of (if not my very favorite!) just for that fact alone. You tell it like it is!
I say Boo to the NY Times for that article. That "journalist" was very rude in how she portrayed everyone in my opinion and she seemed almost jealous and snarky in how she reported. It was ridiculous.
I understand you coming out and saying your piece about this whole thing, but beleive me Ms. Muse-y, your fans think very highly of you and if anything even higher because of how you keep it real.
*Hugs*
Thanks for all the hard work you put into your blog, it means a lot and is a great read and resource on my makeup lemmings.
Sincerely,
Sarah
Seriously, half the time I think THOSE beauty editors with the papers are the ones who pimp products they don't even like because of PR reasons, or simply because the brand has paid money or given many many gratis products.
Hi Muse!
I'm one of your many readers. I haven't posted a comment before, but I was compelled to comment on your post. I read that trashy article yesterday and was upset. Many of the blogs (most beauty related) I go to are blogs that give me good honest reviews of products or give me a heads up on collections that are coming out.
I enjoy coming to your blog and reading your reviews, upcoming collections, etc. Keep up the good work!
Hey. I wouldn't worry about the NY Times article as everything sweet does come with a bitter taste. Plus it's usually the people who don't understand or appreciate Beauty blogs that find faults in them.
Hiya muse. :)
I thought the NY Times article was pathetic, and hilarious at the same time. I love blogs so much more than the "old" way I had to get makeup news, through Allure and Sephora catalogs. The flowery prose in the Sephora catalog gets so annoying after a while, a lip gloss guaranteed to light up my night, oh please!Right.
I think the WWD article was even worse, when the writer was subtly snarky about "resumes" and credentials. I'd rather read the words of a fellow fiend, forget "credentials", ugh.
I love your blog so much and I always laugh when you call yourself "diseased"... LOL
Thanks for doing all of this, I hope to keep reading for a long time.
Hi from Spain, Muse!
The truth is that the best way of being well-informed about products, of having a wide range of opinions and honest reviews about cosmetics products is by reading blogs like yours.
I know how you feel. I have a make-up blog and I never ever received free products, but some people seem to think I did.
And I know many who do receive free gifts to review, but I don't think them to be corrupt or bought either.
When I worked as a MUA I got free make-up as different brands wanted their name at the bottom of the page when listing which products was used. My friends who still are in that line of work always collect their make-up items for free. No paper has ever claimed MUA:s to be bought. Not mentioning the beauty editors of fashion magazines. I know some of them too, here in Sweden, and the amount of freebies they get is ... well, let's say it is not little.
I think we all know you by now. I wouldn't think about that article any further. Leave it where it belongs, in the trash bin.
meh. bunch of commies at the NY Times anyway. :0P
i love your blog!
Hi Muse!
I totally understand why you feel frustrated by Thursday's NYT article. I agree -- it does shed some less-than-flattering light on beauty bloggers by suggesting that some of us are in it to score swag rather than wanting to share our favorite products with our readers.
I, however, choose to look at the piece as an interesting look at the rising power of beauty bloggers in the blogosphere. A year ago, the Times certainly wouldn't have deemed us worthy of an entire Skin Deep section! It's awesome how beauty bloggers have been given the chance to make an impact on the industry -- and most of this article gives us props for that.
All we have to do is continue to blog about what we love and stay true to ourselves and our readers. Let those who choose to give false shout-outs waste their time. I'm certain that they'll fall by the wayside when their readers eventually sense their lack of passion.
=)
What a load of crap. While I'm sure there are some bloggers out there who are into the free swag, the ones I visit definitely are just regular people buying and testing products. Heck, even the owner of Savvy Skin got a free jar of Freeze 24/7 and still gave it a subpar review! So the author of this article clearly didn't do enough research.
There's no denying the fact that you, Muse, are just a gal who likes makeup. Your entries prove that all the time. (Most notably the "Is Urban Decay half-baked?" one. You certainly weren't getting free goodies from them!)
Plus I love the Beauty Blogs since my beauty forum doesn't talk about cosmetics as much as they used to. It's mostly OT now, so I come here for my fix.
Hey KD!
Agreed!
It really angers me that they are making bloggers into grubbers :(
Hello Kaoru!
I was angered that they made it into ALL bloggers having a biased opinion about items because everything they review was free of charge!
On top of that they make it like we are greedy, grabby sorts!
Thanks so much for visiting me, commenting, and reading my reviews! It's greatly appreciated :)
*mwah*
hi Dalenna!
Thanks sweetie!
It means so much to me to have such support from my friends and readers here!
I'm so amazingly happy that you can relate to what I write here! It overjoys me that I have such beautiful readers (and friends) like you!
I'm a great lover of blogs and reading them so I agree totally with what you are saying. It makes us into some sort robots and following with whatever a blogger writes! If they say it's good we run to buy it? No not the case. Whatever NYT's!
Thanks for your insightful comment! You definately hit the nail on the head with the points you brought up!
Thanks for your support!
Hugs!
Hi Sarah :)
It's so good to see you love!
Thanks for visiting me everyday!
I'm utterly flattered you enjoy my little blog so much!
I agree! Big BOO to NY Times for fitting beauty bloggers into the greedy mold :(
Thank you so much for your support. It means the world to me! I can't thank each of you enough for reading my blog daily!
Many many many hugs!
Again, thank you for your support Sarah :)
Hi loey!
I think we can safely say that magazines are definately pimpin' products they don't even use! Bloggers are at least down to earth and say it as it is!
thanks for the support ;) and your comment!
Hi Jenny!
Thanks for coming out of lurkdom and commenting :) hehe!
Thank you for your support! I'm so glad that you visit me and I'm truly happy that you see the truth of the matter and know I am not here to dup anyone into purchasing products that aren't even good ;)
Many thanks! And I hope you'll comment more often!
hi Allysia-May!
I'm definately not worried as I thought it was just silly and lumping everyone into one batch of "bad apples" so to speak when we all have different views on products and aren't out to endorse the cosmetic world!
Thanks for your support :)
It's greatly appreciated!
hi Angela!
I always tell everyone I'm not only a blogger but a great reader of blogs! I rarely read beauty mags myself anymore aside for the fashion aspect. If I want solid cosmetic reviews I always head online to get them!
LOL agreed. The general idea of a gloss lighting up my life is comical. It might have sounded great when we were 13 but not now!
I never give myself the title of beauty editor or editor etc for the same reason that they are speaking of credentials. That way I'm not labeled in a light where people are saying "oh she's not a professional"...that's correct I'm not nor do I claim to be ;) I am however an average everyday girl that loves good product!
LOL I am indeed diseased ;) and I bet you are too..go on admit it ;)
Thank YOU for reading! Remember you aren't a reader but a friend :) I thank you sincerely for your support!
Many hugs!
Hi PaoPao!
Hello there Miss Spain :) I'm half Portuguese..very close to each other aren't we?
Thank you for visiting me here and I agree! The best and only way for me to get good solid reviews is reading blogs! Thanks for picking me as one of the one's you read daily ;)
Cheers!
hi Sminkan!
Many people are under the impression I get free stuff as well :) I wish that was the case lol! I'd sure have alot more money if I did!
I can imagine the amount of free goodies an MUA gets! Lucky ;) hehe!
Thanks sweetie for your support ;) I agree it belongs right in the trash!
hey gez :)
LOL thanks babe!
and I love you!
Hi Jag!
I agree it's true that blogging has come a very long way however the way the times choose to portray blogging seemed a tad on the shady side!
AS long as we are true to ourselves and our readers that is most important!
Again I concur sooner or later those who choose to blog for profit rather then love will be found out for it sooner or later!
Let the lovers reign ;) and the posers fall!
Thanks for the comment :)
Hey Taryn!
Thanks for the comment and support ;) I'm glad you see me and musings in the right light!
LOL UD was half baked ;) You must agree! heheh!
Thanks for stopping by here and making it one of your daily visits :)
I'm just happy to have readers like you that recognize I do this because I'm passionate about it and not out for free stuff!
Hugs to you!
Hi
The muse (ok my muse)
Are you listening New york times??
My muse blogs on beauty yes!!!!!
but listen up................
she does it because shes passionate on her cosmetics, she loves all things girls, all things pretty etc etc
and i might add, everything she does blog about are items she has purchased with her own money, and any review she does should greatly be appreciated by any of the manufacturers in question, and im sure the same goes for many of her readers and friends.....
but theres a slight hypocricy!!!!!!
does the NYT not make a bunch of money from people, does the NYT not get any freebies, methinks they do!!!
anyway thats my 2 pence
byeeeeeeee
xox
So what if beauty bloggers get free stuff? As long as they're honest in their reviews I say good for them. It is fun to get freebies. I remember years ago (like '92 or '93) Allure mag. shipped me out big boxes of full size freebies a couple times a year as part of a readers panel or something. I loved it. Last year Amazon.com send me an overstuffed box of food/snack samples to promote their new grocery section. I was thrilled to get the stuff. Don't pay attention to any negativity. Your blog is adorable and so are you.
LOL Jonny I doubt NYT is reading this but that'd be rather flattering if they did eh?
Thanks for the support love!
xoxox
Hi Laurie!
True! It's great to get free stuff and as long as we are true to ourselves and our readers that is most important!
For me it was an issue of NYT lumping bloggers into a category where we are doing unrevealing, untruthful reviews after receiving free items plus the fact that they seem to think we are all riding the free wagon seems absurd as about 99.9% of the items you see here are definately not free! I wish I can claim that lol!
Sincere thanks for your support ;)
You're very sweet!
*hugs*
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