It’s no secret that as a beauty blogger, I’m fortunate to receive a good amount of beauty products from brands and PRs to review on a regular basis. Nothing crazy, of course, but the items do add up. A lot of the products were unsolicited (this means that I didn’t personally request for them) and some were items that I requested to try out and review. As I said, the items do add up as time goes by.
A question I’m often asked is “what do you do with all of the beauty products that you receive and review? What do you do with the ones that you’ve tried out but don’t like?“. I thought I’d share my answer with you today. I’m not telling you this to brag that I get a lot of free stuff (really if you think about it, nothing comes for free); it’s just to satisfy a curiosity that some of you may have. For the purpose of this blog post, the beauty products I mentioned are the ones that are sent to me for editorial consideration.
Now I don’t try nor review every single item that I’ve been sent. If I do, I’d never be able to write about the newer items till the next year. I have to be very selective of what I decide to review and publish on the blog. It must be interesting and useful for you readers and it must be worth what I call my “skin time”. My dad calls me a “guinea pig for beauty products” and that’s what I am. I subject my skin to different beauty products and treatments regularly to try out and let you know if it’s worth splashing your hard-earned dosh on. So, it’s important that I do not simply slather every single new product that’s on the market, on my skin.
Items that I’ve reviewed and liked
For the items that I’ve reviewed and liked, I’ll keep. For the ones that I don’t like or don’t work for me, I’ll pass it along to friends and family (I clearly mention that it’s been opened, slightly used and why it didn’t work for me). I have never sold press samples; this is a huge no no. If you’re a blogger and you intend to sell any of the products that were sent to you for review, for any reason at all (it could be to raise funds for charity or for personal reasons), you must seek permission from the PR/brand who sent it to you.
Items that I’ve used/reviewed and really don’t like
For items that I’ve used and really don’t like, the ones that I think are simply awful, I don’t give those away. I’d keep them for a while and then I’ll chuck them in the bin. Opened and used items cannot be donated so even though it’s a waste, there’s no point in keeping them.
Items that are brand new, unopened and unused
For items that are brand new, unused and most likely will not see the light of day on my blog, I give those away. There could be absolutely nothing wrong with the beauty products at all; sometimes, they’re just not my cup of tea. For example, I don’t review self-tanning products but I know that there are lots of people who enjoy them so I give those away either personally or run a giveaway on the blog.
If you’re signed up to my mailing list, BA Insider, you’ll know that every month I’ll do a random giveaway to a subscriber as a small token of my appreciation of being such an awesome reader. I’ll add a few of the beauty products that were sent to me in the package. They’re new, unopened, unused and would go to a better home instead. Sometimes, I’ll also send packages to readers who aren’t on my mailing list as well. My readers will get the opportunity to try out something new and if they’re beauty bloggers as well, they could even review the product if they like.
As for the rest …
For the rest of the unused and unopened items, I’ll donate to Fitted For Work, which is a not-for-profit organisation that assists women experiencing disadvantage to get work and keep it. I’ve been wanting to donate to women’s shelters for a while now but I’m having trouble locating one that could pick up from my home (I can’t post the items to them as they end up being incredibly heavy). If you’re based in Melbourne and know of any women’s shelters I can donate to, please let me know in the comments.
And that’s it! I’m very lucky to be sent a lot of lovely beauty products but I can’t use and review every single item, so that’s where the unused ones go to. There’s no point in me keeping every single thing; my house simply doesn’t have the space for it. I’d rather not have them go to waste and sit in my beauty cupboard when someone else could be enjoying them.
I hope this answers some questions you may have about what I do with the beauty products I’ve been sent. I’ve received emails from random strangers asking me to give them free makeup since I, to quote them, “have so much shit”. I think you know what I did to those emails. 😛
LOL at the last sentence of this blog.
Thanks for writing this and satisfying my curiousity 😀
Glad to hear you’re not a hoarder
Mel recently posted..Violet Box April Review 2015
Haha thanks for the suggestion! Oh I’m a hoarder all right. I just have to hoard a certain amount of things since my place is so small. 😛
Thanks for the helpful post! I give products away to family and friends, but my cupboards are still full. I’m still at the stage where I review everything I get because none of it is unsolicited. I wonder if that day will ever happen! lol
Di from Max The Unicorn recently posted..Mani: MAC Festive Finery!
Hahaha don’t worry, that day will come very soon! Mine comes in waves. Some weeks I get a lot, some weeks I get zilch. The zilch weeks I’d be like “THEY DON’T LOVE ME NO MORE!”, while forgetting that I already have a lot of stuff untouched and unreviewed. Okay that sounds douche-y but you know what I mean. 😛
Back when living in the UK, I gave a beauty set (you know the kind: bath gel, salts, soap, body lotion…) to a raffle we had at work on a charity day. I knew I would never use the set (I don’t like them) and hadn’t even opened it!
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What a great idea! I wish someone would do it here. There’s one that is similar but they only do it once a year I think. Would be great if they sustained it monthly but I understand that it’s a heck lotta work.
This is definitely an interesting read 🙂 Thank you for telling us what happens behind the scenes. Although it makes me so envious seeing all the make up in the picture! (^-^) Hopefully, I’ll have such a beautiful collection too in the future :p
My pleasure! I was so worried that it was going to come across as show off-y but very few beauty bloggers actually share what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to things they receive from brands and PRs that I thought oh why not. I’d be insulting you readers to assume you guys don’t know that we receive products for reviews. Whenever I see YouTubers and beauty bloggers review entire ranges of products and they don’t disclose, I’m practically yelling at the computer “COME ON YOU RECEIVED THAT FOR REVIEW!”. 😛
I understand some people are more “sensitive” than others but those who think that posting about receiving products equates to showing off are, in my opinion, irrational. :p For me, I feel more envious seeing such a nice collection of products and wish, wish, wish I can own all of them, but of course I understand it is one of the perks that comes with the job. It is always nice to have a sneak peak of what goes on behind the scenes, so thank you for satisfying our curiosity and being honest! (^.^)
I used to work for a skincare company and I do get free stuffs all the time, plus I always buy things to try out and they come with free gifts. At a point of time I had 2 full big boxes of unused skincare and I know I’m in deep trouble. So I gave them away to those who I know will be interested in using them. Now I only buy and keep the things that my mum and I use regularly. But I still hoard bath soaps now. I bought 10 bar soaps from my trip to Sydney in March. So I’m on a ban to purchase anything until my December trip to Korea. Haha
Hahahaha what are these bar soaps that you love? I must check them out! 😛
I bought the handmade bar soaps from the rocks market and paddy’s market. If I’m going Melbourne again, I will hunt down for the “almost Chanel” bar soap at mount dandenongs. Haha.
Oooh there’s an “almost Chanel” bar soap? Wonder what that’s like. Haven’t been to the Dandenongs in ages; it’s high time I make a visit soon!
Yep. It’s in one of the shops selling house decorations opposite ms marples. Same row as the blue stone soaps or something similar. I think it’s 2 AUD for a bar. Smells heavenly!
Can’t believe people have emailed you asking for free make-up, how ridiculous! As I’m still quite new to the whole thing I always get stressed that I need to try and review everything that is sent to me but I’ve got to learn to step back and find the happy medium.
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Oh yeah I do. Funny huh? The way those emails were worded … oh it makes me so mad. If they were really nice about it, I really wouldn’t think twice to send some along their way but man, they were so rude. Oh well.
You really don’t have to review everything you get. Sometimes there’ll be items that you won’t use or you’re sure won’t suit you. Might as well give those away to those who’d really benefit from them instead. Plus all that pressure and feeling of obligation…they can get pretty overwhelming after a while.
How rude! I often get bits and pieces in GWP’s or loyalty boxes that I know I am not going to like, or already have, so I pass them along to my daughter and daughter in law. Of course, Miss 8 (my Grand-daughter) gets her fair share too! It’s your business what you do with what you receive!
Oh well, takes all kinds of people to make the world, that’s what I always say. I don’t know any children or teens who are old enough to use makeup just yet. If I do, I’d be passing most of my makeup their way. 🙂
Thanks for replying Tine, a lot of bloggers don’t bother. Yes, you are right, it takes all kind of people – but honestly some of them have a lot of front! Kathryn 🙂
I made the mistake of not replying to any of my comments once a long time ago and I paid dearly for it. So now, I’m replying the hell out of everyone until y’all get sick of me. 😛