There has been a bit of buzz over beauty blogs and their place in the past few days, beginning with WWD’s article on beauty in the blogosphere as well as ten of their picks for today’s hottest beauty blogs. Following that was a less relevant piece where retailer Target refused to speak with bloggers because they are part of nontraditional media. Target asserted they wanted to focus only on traditional media outlets, because they reach their core audience. Today’s latest article covering beauty blogs was published by the New York Times seems to show beauty bloggers are in it for the free stuff and swag treatment that was previously reserved only for editors and industry insiders.
I’m curious to know what you, the readers–the most important facet–think of beauty bloggers working with brands and their representatives, free samples, and even “swag.” Does the association/link between beauty blogger and company public relations representative taint the blogger’s viewpoint? Are beauty bloggers just in it for the goodies?
A few response pieces to the NYT article by fellow beauty bloggers can be found here and here.
As fabulous as your makeup is, what about your style/clothes? Are you just a jeans and shirt kind of girl or are you dressing to the nines just to go to the grocery store? What’s your style?
You know me, cropped pants and a sweater. Tank top in the summer! I’m so simple.
I would like to cordially invite you to a Temptalia Reader Meet and Greet at the MAC Pro store in New York City (7 West 22nd Street) on Saturday, February 2nd, 2008 at 2:30pm. You are welcome to come alone or with friends! We will be very fortunate as the NY MAC PRO store recently relocated, remodeled, and reopened–with an amazing format and store layout. It is perfect for us beauty addicts! I would love it if you would RSVP if you plan to join us for some beauty gabbing and drooling, and you can do so just by sending me a quick email at temptalia@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!
Please note the time and date change! I was informed by two people that MAC Pro is not open on Sundays (I wish the MA I spoke with would have mentioned that when I said I was coming on Sunday, sigh!). Thank you for hanging in there with me as I readjusted my schedule.
As evidenced by our guide to pampering yourself when you’re single, LUSH knows how to make the 14th one rockin’ day. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I adore LUSH’s massage bars for their portability and moisturizing capabilities. So, it’s obvious I had to try out the Massage a Troisset ($29.95) as well as the Play Your Cards Right massage bar ($8.95). I am happy to report that both are worthy of earning my approval. I had the pleasure of having these fabulous products tested out on me (too bad I had to return the favor!), but they sink in so nicely and make massaging effortless.
Massage a Trois includes Soft Coeur (honey cocoa treat with a melty center), Mange Too (lickable honey, white chocolate, and peppermint), and Nutts (extra rich, smells very nutty, and it’s a vegan product). Of course, they all come shaped in big solid hearts, and I’m girly, so I love the shape. I used Mange Too on my boyfriend’s elbow/arm because it’s been stiff lately and it made it so easy to get my fingers into the muscle and massage everything into a boneless puddle. Oh, and while these are specially packaged together as a trio, all three flavors are available in the permanent LUSH line in their standardized shapes and sizes, so don’t fear getting addicted, there’s more where it came from!
Play Your Cards Right is a special Valentine’s Day offering, and it is a regular massage bar in the shape of a playing card. Instead of numbers, it has hearts in the corners. The red dye from the hearts does seem to smear a touch when you put it to the skin, but it disappears instantly once you start to work and knead your hands into the muscles, so it didn’t bother me. The scent is full of jasmine and ylang ylang, as it is the famous Sex Bomb scent.
As with whenever I use a massage bar, I like to sprinkle (I always tell my boyfriend I’m seasoning him) Silky Underwear dusting powder ($10.45) at the end, because I find it really locks in and absorbs the melted massage bar and lets you go about your business completely relaxed.
LUSH Happy Pill ($5.70) and LUSH Think Pink ($5.55)
There is few things more relaxing and satisfying as a hot bath (add music and/or a book for a complete mini-vacation). I love LUSH products for giving the ultimate bath experience. They’re cute, fun products, and they all smell wonderful.
Happy Pill: “Take one and don’t worry about calling us in the morning. The citrus notes of grapefruit and bergamot uplift, and frankincense eases anxiety. You’ll feel so much better after a bath with the Happy Pill, it’s the only medicine you’ll need.”
Think Pink: “If you make a funny face at the very thought of pink, think again. One bath with this candy-topped vanilla and tonka bean number leaves you feeling so wonderful and marvelous, you’ll think you’ve just been dancing with Fred Astaire.”
LUSH Creamy Candy Bath Melt ($5.95) and LUSHSunny Side Bubble Bar ($5.85)
Make your bath even dreamier by adding Creamy Candy Bath Melt, which is totally optimal for dry skin and it being winter, a fabulous idea. Leave your bath with super smooth skin that smells and feels fabulous. Want some fun in the tub? Try Sunny Side Bubble Bar, which you simply crumble into the tub and watch it foam and bubble up.
Creamy Candy: “This sweet treat doesn’t melt in your mouth or your hand. It melts in the bath. At first it fizzles, then this sweet vanilla concoction with cocoa butter and almond oil melts into the warm water and nourishes your skin, leaving it supple and lovely.”
Sunny Side: “Soak in the sunshine, float in the rays and get your daily dose of Vitamin D. As the days get darker and shorter, it seems harder to find light in the dreary. If you can’t escape to Mexico, let the happy citrus of Sunny Side take you to sun-drenched shores of your own.”
bliss hot salt scrub ($36.00)
This is a sea salt body scrub that contains eucalyptus and rosemary oils to give you amazingly soft skin when it is all said and done. It is a great way to give yourself an at-home spa treatment with less fuss and a much nicer pricetag. Exfoliating the body is incredibly luxurious feeling, because the skin just ends up feeling like silk.
Aromatherapy Foot Soak Stress Relief – Tranquil Mint ($15.00)
Pamper those tired feet (who has feet that aren’t tired?) with this foot soak that helps to soothe and soften those tired puppies with moisturizing sunflower oil and refreshing lemon balm. “Peppermint essential oil refreshes and combats mental fatigue while Rosemary essential oil improves thinking to foster creativity.”
Organic Bath Company Bubble Bath Leaves, Lavender Vanilla ($7.99)
Add some feminine details to your fabulous bath by tossing in a few of these bubble bath leaves (petals?). They’re cute, girly, and perfect for pampering.
Have any recommendations on how to Pamper Yourself to the max? Share them in the comments!
