Recently, blogs and the folks who write them, have come under a bit of scrutiny from the FTC and generated subsequent articles in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and a self-serving message from the CEO of vertical-ad network Total Beauty. So in keeping with the times, I thought it time to update what you all can expect from the OBE so we're on the up and up.
First, unlike many bloggers, I write all reviews. Good or bad, if I get product I write about them. It may take me six days or six months, but I write about it. Many bloggers don't write posts on products they hate, stating that it's better for the company or the PR rep; they don't want them to get mad. I call a bit of BS on that.
I'm not working for the beauty company or the PR company, nor do I have designs on doing so. I write for you, the reader and quite frankly, we all know damn well that some products just stink. They're over-priced, the quality is poor, the portions don't match the price point or they're glamming onto "eco, organic or natural" when the only ingredient that falls under that header is water. Would it make sense to write a bunch of fluffy pieces just to appease some PR intern? Not on this blog.
I've had companies not send product when they read my review policy, which clearly states "good or bad, you're product will be reviewed." That's their right. There is no journalistic ethic that prevents bloggers from posting honest reviews. I was a journalist for more than 10 years and if I wanted to write happy, clearly biased pieces I would have become a magazine writer. Instead, I wanted to write on my terms under my conditions. Thus, I blog. Which leads to...
Second, I don't post for pay when it comes to beauty reviews. I've had companies ask and I tell them to take an ad out, instead. Really, there's no point in paying me. If it's no good, I'd take the money and still write it's bad, so someone would get a little upset. So OBE don't play that.
Third, almost all the product I write about have been sent to me. In truth, this is not a big deal. No hybrid cars, no eco solar powered home, just products. All know my review policy and if they take the time to read my blog, will know my style of writing. Having spent years as a beauty business owner, a short stint as a perfumer and two years working with small beauty businesses as a consultant, my belief is that if you're selling product, it's open season and my experience with the product is not tainted simply because you foot the bill. Sometimes I actually buy stuff myself, which is why getting it free makes no difference to me. Either way, it would still get reviewed the same way.
Each blog is the property of the person writing it. They choose the terms under which they review and post. I don't have to agree with everyone's policy, but I wanted to make it clear to you, what my policies are. Perhaps sometimes I may review a bit harshly, but frankly, I find too many companies not spending enough time or energy in properly pricing, marketing and producing quality products. Hoping that we, as consumers, will be pulled in with "active ingredients" or "eco-friendly" or "organic" without looking at the substance.
Especially when it comes to this niche of beauty, there's a lot of BS, and where other writers applaud all that's green or spout biased theories not based on research or oft times common sense, I hope I at least make going green kind of fun and appeal to the rest of us who want to go natural, not because the earth is coming to an end, but because we just want to make our small part of it less toxic.
And that, as always, is my Brooklyn-style two cents. Feel free to leave yours in the comments.
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