Have Your Spending Habits Increased Since Beauty Blogging?

Woman ShoppingI’m not going to be blogging about beauty products today. Instead, I’m going to blog about blogging about beauty.

Confused yet? Read on.

How many beauty blogs do you read each day? Go on, ‘fess up.

To date, I have about 45 beauty blogs on my Google Reader, which means if these blogs were to be updated daily, that would be the amount I would be reading every day. There are a LOT more beauty blogs out there, which I cycle through every month or so.

If you are new to blogging about beauty, here’s a little bit of info on what we do. We dish out beauty tips and advice based on our own experience. We write about new product launches whenever we can. We also do product reviews. The products we review are either our own, or given to us as samples for reviewing purposes.

Anyways, I digress. Let’s talk about product reviews, shall we?

How many of us are taken by the reviews of the products? How many of us actually buy these products, from the rave reviews we read?

Ultimately, have our spending habits increased compared to the time before we started reading beauty blogs and magazines?

I can safely say that I am a very good example here. I know I have. Before blogs became a norm, I delved into beauty mags like there was no tomorrow. When I was 11 years old, I begged my parents to get me the Teen and Teenage magazines everytime they were in Singapore for business trips (Mum would oblige. Dad thought they were rubbish). When CLEO was published in Malaysia, I was beside myself with excitement. I collected every issue for 4 years. The glossy pages simply fascinated me. When I was a student in the UK, the number of international magazines which I’ve always wanted to read were right there before my very eyes. Before long, I started collecting more and more magazines; I spent so much money on them, that I could have gone for a holiday to Europe with all that money.

I kid you not.

When beauty blogs started to become popular, it was sort of a boon, for I stopped spending so much on magazines. I still buy the odd couple a month, but I now get my fix online. And that was when I started spending money on beauty products.

I enjoy beauty blogs so much more than what I read in the magazines because these are written by the people whom I could relate to, who are very much like me. They’re not paid to write up on a particular brand they love (well, most of them aren’t). The passion and sincerity I read in their words gave me that encouragement to try out what they love.

There you go, money spent. Sigh, it’s difficult being a beauty blogger sometimes.

When I read about how good NARS was, I just had to get my hands on some, despite how frightfully expensive they are here. Someone blogged about a pair of slippers, and the next thing I knew was that I too had the exact pair. A recommended mascara, blusher, lipgloss, body lotion, etc, and I’d be raving to check it out on my next trip to the shopping mall. Out comes a few shopping bags of beauty products which I do not need, but desperately want. Sometimes, after reading a good review, and I’m all “I. Want. That.”, like a woman obsessed.

Have my spending habits increased ever since I started reading beauty blogs and blogging about beauty? Oh definitely. Undoubtedly. Frighteningly.

A friend of mine once asked me if I purchased more products so that I can do a review on my blog. I remembered telling her no, and that I was only reviewing what I already had at the time. Almost a year on, things have certainly changed. There were times when I bought something new just so I can blog about it. It obviously is not a good thing, it’s unhealthy and is something that I hope to change. Practise a little (okay, a LOT of) restraint when it comes to shopping.

I’m a beautyholic all right. Hi, it’s nice to meet you.

What about you? Am I the only one here? Have your spending habits also increased ever since you started reading beauty blogs, or blogging about beauty?

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14 comments… add one
  1. sesame

    Me me! My spendings on beauty products certainly increased after I started blogging for beauty. *sigh* But I still love doing it.

  2. Askmewhats

    Hi Tine, interesting post!! You made me think! heheh Well I started blogging when I decided to go for being a pro make up artist…and I believe I started buying because “i needed” those products as well for learning. But you know what I realized? I tend to read reviews more and ended up “buying at once” as I trust the reviews so much. So I guess, beauty blogs help me decide on what products to buy… am I confusing you? hahaha

    Overall, YES, I purchase more!

  3. beetrice

    Damn…I so know what you mean…and yes, I probably could have gone on a world cruise by now if it hadn’t been for this incessant “ooo..pretty..I want” syndrome…arrrghh!!

  4. parisb

    Great post! 🙂 I find that I actually buy less because I’m getting pickier with the stuff I use. No kidding. I spent a lot more when I joined a beauty forum because of everyone egging everyone else on. But now that I’m writing for myself, I don’t spend so much. I do keep my eyes open more but I don’t buy as much. Slippers aside that is LOL!

  5. Karen

    Hi Tine! I’ve been reading your blog quite a lot lately. and I can relate! It’s a disease for my case I think. 😛 I can’t stop makeup shopping especially when I’m depressed! Sometimes, I just look at them and don’t even use them. I haven’t even finished a foundation in my entire life. At the moment I have 6! All unfinished and barely used and i feel guilty about it. If you find a way to stop it, please let us know. 😛

  6. Kimberlycun

    well i havent seen any spike in spending yet, but my interest level has certainly skyrocket! i think im not too far off now haha

  7. Shryh

    Yes and no. I developed a taste for niche cosmetic brands when I was in university when I was reading a LOT of magazines, plus I was a non-partying nerd so I parlayed that into beauty research. As much as I envy women with huge makeup stashes, I prefer a carefully chosen and edited makeup collection for myself so I’ve been able to restrain myself (with some difficulty) when it comes to making a purchase. I’ve bought more since leaving university and discovered/entered beauty blogging entirely because I have a disposable income and have had more occasions to wear makeup. And I also met g33kchic, who shared my pathological interest in cosmetics — I think we egg each other on when it comes to making purchases sometimes. 😛

  8. eye4style

    Great post. I have to say, since I write about beauty for a few sites, I do get sent a lot of products to try. So, while I may be tempted, I try to spend as little as possible (Or NOTHING) on beauty goodies.

  9. fashionasia

    i try not to buy bcos i have to blog something….but my spending on beauty products definitely increased by reading other beauty blogs bcos well, when others rave about them, u just HAVE to try it!!!

  10. Tine

    I’ve exceeded my monthly bandwidth limit (disadvantage with living with 2 other people in the house), so my replies will be a tad slow for the next couple of weeks. Still, I’ll try my best.

    Sesame:
    Yes! It’s good to know I’m not the only one. I love doing it too.

    Askmewhats:
    Nope, not confusing at all, because that’s my sentiments exactly! Blogs do help me decide what to buy on top of what I want to buy. Tsk tsk.

    Beetrice:
    High five for the same syndrome! :p

    Paris:
    That’s great. I still haven’t really gotten there yet, but I know I’m slowly getting there. You know what I mean? I’ve moved on to better brands, but because they’re expensive, so I buy less, compared to the cheapo brands which I’d stock up on.

    God, we’re all guilty of the slippers, aren’t we? Now it’s time for us to spread the “evil”. Muahaha! :p

    Karen:
    Hi Karen, thanks for dropping by! Retail therapy is frighteningly therapeutic, isn’t it? I’m just the same. Lots hoarded but hardly used. I think I’d probably still be in this disease even after you’re cured 😉

    Kimberlycun:
    Good for ya. Persevere! Don’t fall into the trap! Teach us how to not fall into the trap! :p

    Shryh:
    That’s really good. I aim to be like that too, be more picky to what I buy and use, and not to simply buy buy buy on impulse.

    Eve4style:
    See, the thing is, those freebies are normally only sent in the US, not so much internationally. If so, that’d be so so good :p

    Fashionasia:
    I know! See, that’s the problem with me. I read all these rave reviews and I’m like “I have to have that. I have to have that”. How to not spend lah, like that?!

  11. Indulgent Diva

    I feel you! I’m the same. I’ve only just started and already all the beauty products I see at the stores are crying out to me already! I suspect I’m gonna end up with massive out-of-pocket expenses in the future. *sigh….must endeavor to engage in some self-control…

  12. Tine

    Indulgent Diva:
    Join the club, girlfriend. It’s a spreading disease I tell ya 😉

  13. Cocoa

    Hi Tine,
    I am beginning to explore your blog from its archives, so I found you here. I agree with you. My spending started to go up since I started blogging. I am on photography now, so it is that I spend money traveling to photograph more.

    Like you, I use photos from my archives in the beginning. But archived photos are beginning to run low, and I am not comfortable with that.

    Besides, could you please do an update on this topic? I am interested to know how your spending on products is like now since you get some products sent to you after being established.

    Also, I just read your post on tax deductions and blog spending, and that left me wondering how much exactly you spend on the products!

    Thank you!
    Sincerely,
    Cocoa
    Cocoa recently posted..RSAF Black Knights Performing the SG50 Golden Jubilee Aerial Display on 9 August 2015My Profile

    1. Tine

      Oh wow, this post was done in 2008! I forgot I wrote this. 😛 I actually have an updated post on it: http://www.beautyholicsanonymous.com/2014/07/bloggie-wednesday-how-much-do-you-spend-on-your-blog/
      I should update that as well because I’ve added even more to the list!

      Oh wait, you were talking about beauty products! I don’t actually spend a lot because like you said, I do get a lot of what I use sent to me for editorial consideration. Having said that, when I do spend on beauty products, it would be ad hoc and I can spend about $100-$200 per time when I do. This happens once every few months, the major purchases. When I’m back in Malaysia for hols, I can spend up to $500 to stock up on SKII. Once in a while, I’ll pick up a new drugstore/mid-range/high-end item here and there that I’d like to try out.

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