fashion bloggers vs. beauty bloggers

being as immersed in the beauty industry as i now am and have been for almost a year, part of my job is to act as a liaison between my brand and online beauty-based press (bloggers, specifically—they are awesome, btw). know what i’ve noticed? they are mad honest. know what i’ve noticed about those in fashion? mm, not so much.

what i mean by this is that many of us read certain beauty bloggers for their blatant and unabashed honesty about the products that they receive and review. the reason why we keep reading them is because they become trusted sources for information. they would never write what they think you want to read as it could result in long-lasting, negative affects on your livelihood; they would never say that it left their skin “glowy,” “dewy,” or “fresh-faced” if it really made them break out in hives.

that being said, why is it so taboo for a fashion blogger to be just as straightforward? to admit that wearing those beautiful $650 heels left massive blisters that took weeks to heal could possibly burn a bridge with the brand that sent them over, right? it shouldn’t be like that, but it is. within the fashion industry, for a blogger to receive a gift often leaves implications of a partnership of some sort. to reveal an unfortunate truth such as the one stated a few sentences earlier could leave the blogger with one less connection as it implies a largely negative stance, even if said blogger makes mention of the attention to detail, unique materials used, or any other thoughtful comment.

granted, i am generalizing, but i’ve found that many of my fellow fashion bloggers are a little too scared to be 100% real about the products they receive. i don’t blame them; i myself am at fault at holding everything back, but i try to make it a point to only work with brands that i respect and accept gifts that i would buy with my own money (if i had it, in some cases—shit’s expensive). this isn’t a back-patting sesh, but shouldn’t we move more toward a direction of authenticity? i wanna know: what do you think?

  1. whereslauren answered: a moisturizer is designed to make you feel better, looking good is bonus. $650 heels have zero health value. (no heels do, or ever did!)
  2. oliviafresh answered: Love this and I totally agree. Maybe I’m biased because I’m a beauty blogger.
  3. wildorchid79 answered: I agree. But some people will only accept what they want to hear.
  4. darlineileen reblogged this from sarazucker and added:
    I tried responding in @sbz’s post but I realized my response was way longer than anticipated. Beauty bloggers have been...
  5. coupesetique-la-vie reblogged this from sarazucker
  6. vagueblue answered: Bad beauty products are more noticeable than bad clothes—Forever21 level crap doesn’t give you hives, and can even photograph well.
  7. underablacklocust answered: Sarah, you go girl. Seriously, nothing beats honesty when you’re dealing with real life. And the most we can do for fashion is make it real
  8. blackberryvision answered: it’s too late for that. rip real blogging.
  9. sarazucker posted this
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