You know, in the early days of blogging, a mere 10 years ago or thereabouts, blogs were only just evolving to break the mould of traditional print media. Instead of thinly veiled advertorials and pretty pictures found in magazines, bloggers came on the scene to offer something more unique – honesty. It was refreshing!
Over the years, as blogs, bloggers and blogging has evolved, this focus and perception too has evolved.
These days, I’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who reads blogs anymore. Or who’d admit to it anyway 😀 But that got me wondering – do you find blog reviews helpful or useful at all?
Personally, I still do find blog reviews useful. I say this not as a blogger, but as reader, and as someone who uses the internet to search for information.
I particularly find blog reviews useful or helpful for food (restaurant or street food recommendations or reviews), gadgets and travel. I haven’t actually found as many useful travel blogs as I hoped to, but it could be because I’m looking for different things. Naturally, I find beauty product reviews helpful as well LOL! I’d be a traitor to my niche if I didn’t 😉
The reason I find blog reviews useful or helpful is because for the most part, it is a write up about a personal experience with a particular product or service. Beautiful photographs help, but I prefer helpful photographs, especially when I’m looking for a review on a gadget or something technical. Pictures of a product in action are always helpful, and a picture of the exterior of a restaurant is always welcome!
That said, I will acknowledge that it’s a lot harder these days BELIEVING in a blog review. They are helpful and they are useful, but it’s hard to believe, especially when you realise that there’s a proliferation of undisclosed sponsored or paid reviews. Companies aren’t stupid. When they realised how much more influence a blogger had over the general public, they pounced. Blogging has never been the same since.
Gratuitous shot of some beauty products of which you can read reviews on the Chanel Sunkiss blush, Marc Jacobs lipstick and the Silkygirl Matte Junkie liquid lipstick. The others are a work in progress 🙂
In recent times, there have been exposes on the failure of brands and bloggers/influencers to properly disclose their affiliations when publishing content. It’s informative reading so you should read the articles on Fashion Law here and here. While there is regulation in the USA and to some degree in the UK, the rest of the world is pretty much fair game; and we know that blogging and the internet knows no borders. This is true for food reviews as well. I rarely trust or believe the food/restaurant reviews on he very large food blogs, because a lot of their food is sponsored and I can tell you that when you’re invited for a meal, it’s quite different from when you visit the restaurant incognito. I much prefer reading the experience of someone who went incognito, as that’s how I prefer to do it. When I blog about food, that is 😀
So, while I find it hard to BELIEVE a blog review, I still find it useful and helpful for a representation of the product, or to gain an impression of a place or item. For a service, I find it less useful, because I can reliably tell you that sponsored services are usually better than the ones you pay for, which isn’t strange, but is troubling the same way it is with food reviews. That’s why I don’t really bother with sponsored services anymore – it’s too ambiguous.
So that’s me. I think blog reviews are helpful and useful, because it’s far quicker to skim a written post than it is to listen to a rambling video; and there is more information contained in a written blog post than on Instagram or Facebook. For this reason, I think there’s still a place for bloggers. As for credibility however, I’d say that’s definitely taken a beating.
Do you find blog reviews helpful or useful? Do you still read blogs?
I do. I enjoy reading blogs that mix things up a little by way of content because it keeps me coming back to see what’s new. If it’s a predominantly review blog then I check back now and again to see if the products catch my fancy. But either way, I do find them useful and helpful – some more than others 😉 You?
Paris B
i find blogs are very useful coz i dont like to watch youtubers talking too much. I can read and find the information that i want easier. Swatches and how the products look on the person really helps as well. I try to look for unbiased blogger instead of sponsored ones coz i want honest opinion of the product.
I think the problem is that with video, you can’t tell if you’re missing something if you fast forward, as I do. I find it far easier to skim a 1000 word post, than it is to skim a 20 minute video. Perhaps, it’s also because I have no patience watching videos anyway haha! While I have no beef with sponsored products (it allows for more content generation and more things to try) but sponsored content/reviews (that is undisclosed) does bug me.
I tend to watch Youtube video for 2 mins then put it on the background listening to it while READING a blog lol 😛 . Still prefer reading.
Haha! I rarely go past the 2 minute mark for videos. I’ve just given up now. Not even the famed Lisa Eldrige holds my attention. If I want to watch something on TV, I go for something on TV 😀
Absolutely. How else would I be able to find my way through this oversaturated market? However, I’m very selective with who I trust. Having been round the block, I can smell a sponsored review (even though it’s not declared) from miles away. Once bitten, twice shy. It doesn’t take much for me to quit reading a certain blog and it takes A LOT to keep me loyal to a blog. These days, I prefer bloggers who share similar skin concerns and skin tone. It just makes shopping a whole lot easier. Honestly, who’s got the time to ponder over Foundation Shade 1 and Shade 1.1? There’s more to life than that and I just want to quickly take the word of someone I trust, purchase what I need and trust that it will work as blogged.
Biggest pet peeve? Bloggers who pander to mega beauty houses. I suppose it’s a case of do what you want, I just don’t have to read your sh*t 😀
I think after a while we get the hang of who we want to read for what. I still follow some blogs to see what’s new and upcoming. But they don’t faff around much. Just tell me what’s new and that’s it. And knowing foundation shades definitely help a lot. I think those who pander to big beauty houses do so sometimes, out of lack of choice maybe? Good for them, but for the reader, it can sometimes grate, I agree.
YES! YES! YES!
I have very sensitive skin….so i always read reviews first before i go out and buy something….
And its easier to read than to watch and missed out the most important details…
and i’ve got save it on my inbox…..and re-read again…its an added bonus.
Thing is, doesn’t having sensitive skin make you less keen to try new things? haha! I think this is when having an ingredient list is useful – it helps you decide if it’ll work for you 😀 I find I can’t concentrate when I watch a video. Maybe I just have a short attention span 😛
Having sensitive makes me want fewer items….and sometimes, it is really hard not to say No…. so, instead of buying it at once….i took my time to read and sort everything if it is really worth it. Specially when a blogger do a follow up review….or when they plan to re-buy…..That’s the time i know its worth a shot.
No video…. i tend to listen instead of watching them….
I think it’s even harder when it’s a hyped up product that seems like it works for everyone. And then you try it and go, what on earth is this P.O.S?! 😛 Haha… that’s me anyway. Sometimes, reading too many blog reviews can be detrimental to your health
so true………. not healthy at all…. I only have a few people i truly trust…
I find them useful. It helps me decide whether I would purchase something or not. Swatches are very useful too especially when I want to buy something online and can’t go check them out in real life.
Oh yes! I like seeing swatches on different skintones in different lighting. It gives a better representation of colour and that’s when blogs come in very handy!
I do find reading blogs useful… but I’m kinda selective and take them with a pinch of salt. You can sorta tell who’s genuine and who’s not, really. I’ve gained a whole lot from yours so thank you for being YOU!
Aww thank you Yu Ming. But you’re right. I take everyone’s blog with a pinch of salt. Even mine, sometimes. Because this is MY experience and yours may vary. Some people don’t get it though. They think a blogger’s word is gospel. It isn’t. You still have to tailor it to suit your skin!
I read a handful of blogs like yours. I don’t watch YouTube reviews because they take too long. I can tell when a blogger is being paid to say nice things about a product. I stop reading blogs that never criticise beauty products. It means the blogger is stupid or corrupt.
Thank you Evie 🙂 I do prefer it when a blog or blogger covers a wider selection of products or material as well, showcasing the good and some bad. We all need the heads up, and who can give us that if not someone who experienced something bad eh? 🙂
I definitely do still read blogs for skincare and makeup products as it gives me an idea what to sort of expect with a product and that there are no unpleasant surprises (I have sensitive skin). Whilst not all reviews are honest, I find that I will often trawl through a few different reviews and do quite a bit of research (because I am such a geek like that) to get varying opinions.
Make-up and skincare is so subjective so I always do like to look at huge scope of what other’s are saying and my own personal experiences with a brand/product and make my own personal opinion on whether or not I should go ahead and purchase. I think that is the beauty of blogger reviews, yes there are some that are sponsored and may not be a true honest opinion of a product (and you can generally tell almost instantly) but there are many bloggers out there who blog just for their own personal enjoyment or to share a certain journey.
The key is definitely to read across a breadth of blogs and then sum it up from there. I don’t believe that anyone at all should treat just 1 blog or blogger as gospel, simply because all our skin can react so differently to the same product. For this, I find blogs useful because it’s easy to skim and to get the gist of whether a product works for someone or doesn’t. Much harder on other social media, I find. And yes, there is a return to blogging for the sake of sharing, although ht’s hard not to trip over the ones who still blog for the freebies or money ha 😉
I love reading blogs. I prefer reading far more to watching videos. I have a specific few bloggers that I trust implicitly, and have learnt to properly assess other blogs to make a judgement call on whether their review can be believed or not. Pretty photos are good for swatch comparison, and that’s it. For things like wear time, comfort, etc, I will see if the blogger goes into much detail (if at all) or if it’s a totally one sided review. I’m wary, but I think it’s definitely possible to find honest reviews.
Oh it’s definitely possible to find honest reviews. I don’t like those who are unnecessarily negative either. There’s always a nice, objective way to present a review. Well, unless a product is truly deserving of the raves or the brickbats! hehe… I like your blog name – I think we all try not to get TOO addicted 😉
I prefer blogs; they tend to be more thorough, particularly for reviews. I don’t watch that many videos – I often don’t have time to sit down and watch a video – and I can read posts much faster.
If I’m familiar with a blogger I can usually tell when they’re writing paid content – the tone is often off. There are some bloggers where I can’t tell though, and I tend to use them for information but not put too much weight on their reviews.
Also, if I find that my preferences don’t mesh with a particular blogger, then I don’t base my purchasing decisions on their viewpoint. There is one blogger who has great swatches and fotd, but everything looks fantastic on her, and she is a skilled makeup artist, so I know what works for her won’t usually work for me. I need fool-proof stuff!
I also don’t trust bloggers that never have negative reviews!
I will note that as far as I know the US has guidelines (FCC?) but I haven’t heard much about actual enforcement. I haven’t looked into it recently though. There are some popular blogs that plagiarized and still exist, though 😛
I wonder if it’s a generational thing, not watching videos. I just don’t have the patience to, and if there’s too much flash, I’m usually wary. Still, videos have their uses for teaching things like tutorials, but less so for static reviews, methinks. I love seeing pretty makeup as much as the next person, but I know my limits and well executed makeup is definitely NOT my strength! So, it’s always nice to see another “normal” person online, and know that not everyone looks like Kim Kardashian LOL! 😀 I think the FTC has penalised or fined some people in the past, but not sure how much they’re doing now. That said, it is coming to the fore again, with the recent exposes, so we’ll have to see!
Yeah, I’m pretty sure there’s a generational element to it. I’m not on tumblr or snapchat either, haha.
Videos are great for tutorials, indeed.
I like seeing normal people too 🙂
Oh I embraced snapchat once I understood it! Was fun coz it took the stress out of making videos and I’m following a bunch of interesting people who snap where they are, where they live and what they eat. I love that haha! 😀
Heh, cool. I can’t even keep up with my twitter feed 😛
I find your blog reviews very helpful! 😉
Aww thank you Selina, that’s helpful to know 🙂
Makeup and skincare is so subjective and it was not long before I discovered that what looks good on others may not necessarily be the same for me. I do love a good snoop around the blogs if I am looking to buy/try something new just to get people’s general feel of the item. I have stumbled on some good call outs on shady ingredients or reactions which then helps me decide. As for paid reviews……I think we can ALL smell that a mile away already!
I’m the same actually. It took me a while to embrace the fact that I would not be able to generate the same look from the same palette, or to figure out what colours work for me vs what doesn’t. The funny thing about paid reviews is this. Everyone who’s been around for a while will roll their eyes when they see a paid review, yet they’re still so prevalent. That means someone is buying it doesn’t it? Hmm…
Yes! Especially for swatches, because I love to shop online and I’m nostalgic like that 😛 I know that blogs are starting to maybe fade from the ‘fashion spotlight’ and I doubt that my blog for example, will ever be a big hit, BUT I think there will always be beauty aficionados out there and it will be appreciated in some way. I think if it become a smaller niche market, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
Yes yes, swatches are so useful! As much as people talk about blogs fading, I think it won’t. It will change – perhaps to something more varied, less beauty-centric. But I’ve met people who tell me flat out, they can’t write so they just want to do videos. I say good for them. I just don’t have to watch it LOL!
Of course blog reviews are useful! As an Asian myself, I prefer reading beauty blogs written by Asian bloggers because then I can relate better in terms of the skin properties. And as a Malaysian, you are the top on my list because you list down the price and not just review the product. 😛
I personally do not like spending (even small amount of money) on products that are not being reviewed before because I’d like to know if the product works before buying it! 😀
Don’t stop blogging, Paris!
Haha no plans to stop just yet, CL! Glad you find it useful and there are a few things I always look for in a product review, price being one of them, so I make sure I offer that info! Oh and I too like browsing for reviews before I buy something new. For everything! It sort of gives you validation or at least manages expectations 😀
I find blog reviews, especially if they’re detailed and don’t look faked (for promotional purposes), very useful. Helps me make buying decisions, especially if I’m torn between two choices. Truth be told, your blog tipped me over to the BB cushion edge, and I ended up picking up Deceim stuff due to your glowing review of it!
Aww I hope you found a good BB cushion Hwei, and it’s a little ironic because I’m not into cushions at all! LOL! But Deciem stuff are quite amazing – have you liked what you tried?
Back in the day when beauty blogs were scarce, I adored beauty blogs for their impartial reviews, because they weren’t magazines that were obliged to write only good things about products. As time went on and brands started sponsoring bloggers to promote their products, I have to admit my trust in them has decreased. It’s ironic because I’m a beauty blogger who has written about products I received for review and I understand that there’s a fine line between still wanting to pander to brands and getting blacklisted by brands. I don’t trust blogs that only write rave reviews about products and no negative ones. Not every product is all rainbows and sunshine. Look at me, I’ve become a cynical beauty blogger. 😛
Not to worry, I’m that cynical beauty blogger too haha! It’s kinda hard to keep going after a while, so I find that keeping it loose helps me. I use blogs now as a resource rather than as a recommendation coz sometimes, they unearth some very interesting things. Like the whole outing of the dodgy cosmetics brands like Lime Crime back in the day. Brought down by bloggers LOL!
I still prefer reading blogs to watching videos. Some youtubers talk too much and their credibility is questionable….and then there is the drama! OMG. Youtuber vs youtuber.
Oh bloggers have drama too! It’s just less noticeable these days since fewer people are blogging but back in the day, whew! 😀 But yes, people talking too much, and you can’t skim the way you skim a chatty blog! 😀
Yes, I do still find blogs helpful or useful. Blog posts usually focus on one product, so it’s easier to find whichever product I’m looking for.
Compared to youtube, it’s more organized. I don’t want to stand in the store watching a video to hear the persons review of the product. Searching while shopping in stores makes it easier if it’s a blog post. I can quickly scroll through and find what the bloggers opinion about it is.
Oh yes you’re right about blogs focusing on 1 product. It’s easier that way to figure things out, rather than sitting through a video, trying to see when it reaches the item you’re interested in. I do quite like seeing bag reviews on youtube though. It’s easier to visualise, and there aren’t as many blogs for bags 😀
I do find them useful. However, I keep in mind that everybody’s skin is different and I try to read and watch as many reviews as I can before splurging on a product. But sometimes it can be a little disheartening when I come across bad reviews about a product I was about to buy.. 🙁
Oh yes, bad reviews can throw me too but I find that helpful, because I am made aware. Sometimes, I go ahead and buy the item anyway but at least I know what weaknesses to look out for 🙂