One of the most common things I hear about beauty in social media is that nobody feels they can easily trust ‘reviews’. It takes a long time to gather trust in this arena and I know why – I’m on Instagram and Facebook as well as here and get occasional, er, comments, but I see where they come from and I understand the occasional hostility (usually). One of the things I really do not think has helped at all is the ASA deciding that these tools of the trade are ‘gifts’ when in fact, they’re marketing materials – the term ‘gifting’ robbed any authenticity from people doing real and honest reviews but there is no way to make a distinction between someone who is going straight to eBay after their obligation to post a selfie is fulfilled and someone who is taking time to learn and convey what they know about products. So, while I know my own space is safe I wanted to flag the Beauty Bible. Gosh, I think I have too much to review, but they are review machines!
I’m showing just a handful of the winners of this year’s awards because there over 100 categories. It works because founders, Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey, send product to women who don’t work in the beauty arena – i.e. real beauty consumers – and ask them, over a period of months, to compare the results with the claims.
This is a mammoth job – both for the testers and the admin staff. Because the testers have no skin in the game, so to speak, the reviews are as real and honest as it is possible to be. Every year I am surprised by what I read – some awards I fully agree with and others I am baffled by. I’ll name this year’s bafflement as the Foreo UFO face mask machine which I’m ready to throw out of my bedroom window because its app is so complicated – it’s not made for people who weren’t born to the iPhone. Things got to a point last night where I just couldn’t get it to switch off. I will do a proper review of it since others seemed to manage – as soon as I can stop looking at it with hatred in my eyes! I’m in full agreement with winners Kure Bazaar Nail Polish, Aromatherapy Associates Bath Oils, Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm and Dr Hauschka Shower Cream, and at the same time have had my curiosity aroused by Skin City Shower Power Peel and Nail Kind Treatment Oil. In fact, I’ve come across products I didn’t know existed and that’s really helpful.
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I suggest you take the categories one by one with a cup of coffee in your hand – it’s something to dip in and out of because each winner (gold, silver, bronze) has a full review from a tester and it’s not a quick read. As a resource for genuine reviews of all categories at a variety of prices, The Beauty Bible deserves its own gold medal. You can find it HERE. If you prefer to use Instagram, they’re @beautybibleofficial.
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