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How much do you trust a magazine's product recommendations?
How much do you trust a magazine’s product recommendations? Has your trust increased/decreased over the past five years?
Somewhat, sometimes, and it really just depends. It’s not to say there are no honest recommendations, only that I think some are swayed by a particular slant or pressure from other departments. As a result, though, it’s hard to trust full-stop, because it’s hard to know either way.
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Allure yes, everyone else, no. For honest takes on how a product performs I go to blogs. They are much more thorough and honest. Magazines so often are just telling you a product is available, not how it actually performs. I may not always agree with what a blogger says about a product, but most of them really do test what they write about, not just submit samples to a photographer to make a pretty collage.
Or they are getting paid to plug the products. Nothing is more suspicious than when a magazine recommends multiple products from the same brand/company that it also has multiple adverts for. Especially so, when the advert & the article recommending it are on facing pages.
Not much at all
Never. Magazines are barely relevant anyway.
And they are over-priced and tons of trees are destroyed too. Read magazines at your local library. They’re always current and you don’t have to spend a dime. 🙂
Almost never. Magazine recoommendations are too highly influenced by beauty brands. Almost all “award” winners are overly hyped new(er) releases.
That being said, they are therefore a good way to discover new products, though blogs like Temptalia certainly do a better job of that. 🙂
Never……… For magazines all cosmetics are excellent.=/
I just trust you and a blogger named Kari Lol
Certainly someone has tested L’oreal Miracle Blur?
I tried a sample of Miracle Blur that I got in Allure… I didn’t see any difference :/
I don’t look to anyone for “recommendations”, as products have so many variables. I will look to magazines, blogs, friends, etc, just to get opinions, and then check it out in person if it’s a product that catches my eye, or to get a description of a product. This goes for color as well; what I feel may work (or not) may differ from what an “expert” thinks. Magazines (and some bloggers) may also have an agenda, or even a bias toward (or against) a given brand-which is fine, so I look to reviews mainly for swatches & images, and make up my own mind when it comes to formula, performance, etc.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I don’t take the word of magazines or bloggers. I treat them the same way really. I use them as sources of information on what’s out there but ultimately I make my purchasing decision based on what I see and feel when I check a product out in person. I don’t even trust swatches as colours can vary by monitor not to mention you never know what kind of photoshop is applied to pictures you see online.
Not at all.
I love reading magazines for their “top picks” sections and “10 products you need this summer” etc. But only because it’s fun and it might give me some ideas of products to check out… but I don’t even RECALL seeing an actual review in a magazine before – often it’s just a bit of hype from the press release.
I trust blogs more – the reviews are more fun to read and generally I think you get a more honest answer.
Speaking AS someone who reviews products, I have to say that I have this HORRIBLE fear that I’ll give a product a bad review – then forget what I said and a year or so later end up recommending it as a good product! I think it’s mostly an irrational fear born out of reviewing too many products. LOL!
This is soooooooo me!
That’s was soooo TRUE. I may hate a product NOW, but who know months/years late… due to skin condition, weather and favourite changed… I might LOVE the product that I once hate so much.
Lolx
Haha! I’m glad I’m not the only one suffering from that one! I find that, especially with the less-memorable products (ones that weren’t bad but weren’t great, that I never picked up again) I have a hard time remembering all the details of the review. Did it crease? I don’t know, did I SAY it did?!! LOL!
Just as a “regular” consumer (non-blogger), I have the *opposite* often happen; I may love a product at a given point, then come back to it a while later, or repurchase it, and ask myself, “What was I thinking?”, but then I realize formulas change, as does my skin, the weather, etc.
That’s my so many of my reviews end with “but I donno… that’s just me. Try it yourself!” LOL! I can usually talk the bf into testing stuff with me but he’s not as… observant? He’s apt to say something like, “I love how shiny this is” when it’s supposed to be matte or “I like how this slides around on the skin” and I’m sitting there going, “but it’s not supposed to!” LOL!
When I read magazines, I read it with a grain of salt. A lot of the magazines I read will rave about the same products, so in that case, I look towards blogs for reviews about the products to determine whether or not I should buy it. In other cases, I like looking at magazines for new products. I have bought things based on a magazine’s recommendation and I do not regret those purchases at all. So I guess, overall, just read beauty blogs because the writers have much more honest opinions.
I definitely do not trust the magazine but I like to see what new products are available or what colors are going to be important to the season. I prefer blogs and looking at the sephora consumer reviews
I pretty much don’t trust them at all. I’ve found that I’ve almost stopped buying magazines since I got into reading blogs, because I mainly bought magazines for the beauty sections! I still buy Vogue sometimes, because they treat fashion like art, and I like picking fashion trends before they pop up in the mainstream – metal toe cap pumps were a good example from last year.
What’s a magazine? 😉
lolx
Not at all! Magazine earn by advertising and so sometimes products are featured because of that, and sometimes it’s featured because it looks pretty. Though if something catches my eye, I come to your blog and check it out.
I don’t at all. Simply because what they recommand is just the newest thing, not the best.
I prefer online review, comments section 😉
Not much at all. I know that most of the “editor’s choice” type products have way more to do with advertising revenues/products being given to them than they do with actual performance or value. So, no – not much at all. That’s why independent blogs like this one and Makeupalley are so very valuable to anyone making makeup or skin care purchases.
Never. I read somewhere once that the beauty products and skincare products in magazines were all ‘bought’ into the mag. Something like that anyway. Plus, the selection of swatches, descriptions and pictures of makeup looks barely compares to Temptalia and the like!!!
I trust bloggers more. I mean, I’ve looked up all the nice products that 17 magazine and Teen Vogue uses (so sue me, I’m a teenager!) and I see these immaculate makeup looks but no way in hell did you just use *these* products to make this girl look that amazing!
Mostly never, but if it’s about a particular product I’m interested in, I always make sure I search for reviews first.
i don’t trust them but i like to know what’s out there. just because when a magazine starts to rave about a product, all the others do it too and it seems like a deal between the brand and the magazines to expose new products.
Not at all. They’re too dependent on beauty advertising and corporate relationships to be honest. This blog is one of the few places that gives substantive, reliable reviews of products.
I thought I did at least a little, but recently I saw a good review for a product I hated – the new Physician’s Formula lip stain, which I HATED – and now I’ve totally reconsidered. The review said the stain was long-lasting and smelled great, but to me it rubbed off right away and just smelled terrible – I almost gagged and had to wipe it off right away. I think magazines are a good starting point, but they can’t necessarily be used to give you the best products for you.
I don’t trust them in the least :). Beauty editors always seem to “recommend” whatever products have the most extensive advertising campaigns at that moment. Don’t think it’s a coincidence…
I don’t.
Magazines tend to only tell you how great it is, and show you a look from an editorial where of course the product will be shown in a good light. They never show true swatches (I’m sorry a pile of mica isn’t helpful) or describe the good and the bad of a product. So for all I know, the recommendations aren’t that far off from an advertorial.
If something does grab my attention I’ll go to a blog I trust (like this one) and check out the swatches and reviews there, just to be safe.
No, I don’t trust them at all!! It’s all about the advertising of new product launches. The thing is, by the time someone picks up the magazine, the new LE MAC product you absolutely have to have is already sold out. Plus, a lot of the products are just pretty to look at, but useless to use…think MAC pressed pigments, NARS Andy Warhol eye shadow pallets, and the delightful NARS soft touch eye shadow pencils. Yes, I’ve seen at least one of these in a magazine before…I think I laughed out loud when I did!!
I saw the NARS Soft Touch Pencils recommended in a magazine too, and at that moment I knew I could never trust them again – they clearly never tried the product out!
NARS Soft Touch pencils work very well for me, so to say a reviewer “clearly never tried the product out” is a bit much. While I agree there are times a review can’t be 100% “honest”, the problem is in deciphering which are. Even if the majority are honest reviews, as I stated above, there are many variables that affect the way a product performs.
Cero. I completely believe they are paid to recommend.
Not at all, it’s usually pretty obvious that the editorial copy is just shilling for their major advertisers who often have full page ads adjacent to the page touting their win for “best of the year” award.
Everyone bemoans the state of the magazine industry but they did it to themselves.
Pretty much never! The only case (and this really doesn’t count) is when they have a picture of a celebrity and recommend some products to get the look they have.
And even then, I check online for reviews of what they recommend and for any dupes. I’m a gal on a budget, after all. Can’t go buying things all willy-nilly!
I love magazine beauty. But, I don’t use their recommendations as they indicate. Magazines are great to see what is the newest of the new and trends. I don’t use any of their resolution suggestions. For example, when they say which product is best for a specific result.
I like reading about their “top products” and “highest rated products.” However, I don’t put much trust in them. As someone with extremely oily and sensitive skin, I know that my skin probably won’t tolerate what other people might be able to. I believe makeup is all about trial and error depending on just you. Plus, I love being able to see watches and a detailed review before I buy something! Magazines don’t have that!
Ever since i discovered beauty bloggers, ive never relied on a magazine. Magazines dont swatch, describe the consistency, what skin it would look good on, only the price and what it is. Im sure if i typed into google a particular product, i would get hundreds of reviews and they are more detailed than a glossy mag.
I remember in a uk glossy magazine, they had the same product in two different articles, it featured five random bronzers apparently tried and tested, and it rated a particular one as the worst of the bunch, then a few pages over, it had the same bronzer in achieving a bronzed look!
I don’t trust magazines at all and have stopped buying them in fact as I feel that they have nothing relevant to say to me. They recommend products by simply splattering them across the page, or pretending that certain looks can be achieved by using products or techniques that I know will not work.
I don’t trust the magazines at all. Their recommendations are highly influenced by profits/product marketing. I trust certain beauty blogs more.
HE’LL NO. I have never seem a magazine give a bad review, every single product is the best ever. Magazines thrive on freebies to feature, they would never say a single bad word because companies wouldn’t send them products anymore.
When I was 13, Seventeen magazine showed this wonderful orange lip gloss from L’Oreal. It was full coverage and wonderful. Well, I bought it and it was amythign but. It was sheer, goopy, and the glitter hurt my lips. From then on, more than a decade later, I don’t trust anything magazines say. This is the main reason why I love your blog, I TRUST YOU.
Allure! They actually test the products. And sometimes instyle, when they do their annual best of beauty, but Allure, for sure!
The only magazine I really think gives accurate reviews about a product is Allure Magazine.
The rest are just being paid or just because of the brand (like MAC which certain collections are a total fail and they rave about them)
NEVER. I only trust temptalia.com, thank you very much.
I don’t trust magazines at all. They get paid for product placements, and a lot of their recommendations are awful. That’s why I head to the internet to get reviews from real people, like you, who don’t have something to lose (or gain) from making honest recommendations.
I do love to read recommendations in magazines but I don’t take them as totally true – like many here, I also believe there are a lot of interests involved. But just for the fun of it, I do love to read Allure’s best of beauty awards or other magazines that may publish similar articles. But for actual product recommendations, I turn to Temptalia.com and sometimes look for videos in YouTube by MUAs I like.
Coming from someone that works at a well-regarded fashion magazine, I just have to say that it really depends on the magazine and on their editorial policy. Beauty editors get sent a TON of products on a daily basis, and there’s absolutely no way in hell that they try all of them out. Products trickle down to assistants, to freelancers, and to (occasionally) interns. That being said, a lot of good products are sometimes ignored.
What actually ends up on the page (or online) is a different story. There are several magazines that take the time out to test each product before ‘recommending’ it — this can range from having one editor trial, to as many as ten.
Alternatively, there are many magazines that only recommend what looks good on the page or site. If something doesn’t photograph well, it won’t be seen. This can lead to some off recommendations.
In all, just keep an eye out for what sounds authoritative! Chances are, if their recommendations have worked in the past for you, they will continue to work.
New Beauty magazine has been very accurate in reviews. I thing they have integrity.
EVERY other magazine Ive seen ridiculous reviews and product claims. They are fun to read but thats it. Fun, not informative.
In my experience if you want the real deal find a few good blogs and a few good youtubers.
I dont trust magazines and lately have been weary of many of the blogs I read. I still read them but take them with a grain of salt. I am so grateful for the blogs I think that I can trust. Christine I truly feel like your website is the most unbiased site that I read and that I can trust that I am getting your honest opinion. I also like wayne goss on youtube.
Not much. I always assume they’re going to give companies that spend the most advertising dollars preference. Also, on the rare occasion I already own a cosmetic product the magazine is recommending, I’ve noticed quite often they alter the color of the product quite a bit, especially if they’re pushing a particular color trend.
Almost never. Most beauty product recommendations are passive advertisements of products. Oprah is one of the worst for this.
I wouldn’t say I trust any one magazines comments. How do we know that they’re not getting some kind of compensation for their reviews? I don’t usually go to magazines for advice on make-up anyway. I like coming to Temptalia, Musings, MakeupAlley, etc. for honest reviews. It’s nice to see what the comments are, how they’re swatched, and how everyday people feel about them. That’s the nice part about sites this one.
I actually like reading the little articles based on the “highest rated” or the “the best” beauty products. As far as trustworthiness is concerned, I take it with a grain of salt. I nearly laughed out loud when I saw an article, recommending Maybelline Great Lash aka “The Worlds BEST Mascara.”
I don’t trust anyone that’s ever called Maybelline Great Lash the best mascara. lol!
I don’t place any trust in the “editorial” recommendations but I do like it when they get tips from the artists and stylists who actually create the looks on the fashion pages.
I seldom go for the recommendations in a magazine. It’s sometimes so obvious that they only write that it’s great because the just got it sent to them and they need to fill the beutysection in the paper.
I truly trust the bloggers instead. we are (hopefully) not bought and all reviews are our own honest and true opinions. Bloggerrecommendations is the way to go for me!
Love Frida
I will look through a magazine for beauty trends, but not for product recommendations.
Advertising. Too many recs are flat old sold. But a blog is a different person with a lot of variables. So I look at it all as a What’s Out There Now. I won’t buy until I swatch in person, but media will get me to a counter to look.
Blogs are better though. The rest of the readers feedback can be super helpfull, and a blogger will tear it apart for me. Helps me home in on the best bets for me.
Besides- no magazine will tell me about Wet n Wilds rebirth or Infallibles ES. Wouldn’t believe them anyway.
To some degree. If I read a great review in a magazine, I’ll Google it and read online reviews before deciding.
I genuinely think that 80% of magazine “recommendations” are bullshit. I’d much rather go to a blogger, who isn’t being paid to recommend products by a company. I’ve been doing that for about 6 years now and it’s been working out swimmingly! 😀
Like so many others, I hardly ever trust a magazine in regards of product recommendations. I might get interested and even tempted, but all in all there’s hardly any useful information. Then again I don’t really trust any one particular source of information anyway.
My top sources I go to when considering a product: MakeupAlley and Temptalia. I always check MakeupAlley and try to source out something useful from as many people as I can, and filter the reviews to match my skin type and coloration. I also always want to know what Temptalia has to say, since here the reviews are so consistent and analyze the products shortly and informatively, plus the swatches are perhaps the best there are.
After I’ve checked MUA and Temptalia I Google tons of blogs to find even more reviews and swatches and basically read up on it as much as I can. These days I don’t buy anything in regards of cosmetics or hair products without first “doing my research”, even if it’s something pretty I see in the shop. Oh well, perhaps sometimes… But those times are the most common “Crap this is crap” -kind of revelations I get, unfortunately.
This doesn’t guarantee anything of course, we’re all individuals, but it helps me avoid some products that seem really not worth my money or time, or atleast saves my money by making me believe so. 😀 Then again, the raves sometimes make me feel like I need something more badly than I actually do. But the more I read, the more clear image I get. It’s a bit like solving a puzzle.
I never trust them. I’ve flipped through various magazine brands and in their beauty recommendations pages in tiny font, lurking by the binding is an almost invisible “advertisement” printed. On some magazines I see recommended products they claim are awesome and some of them I’ve already tried and are horrible, I just can’t help but wonder, how much were these guys paid? I just get almost all of my recommendations from this blog.