How This Blog Has Changed My Life

Wrote this in 2008 and thought I’d post it again – this was written pre-instagram and Youtube…

I don’t often do this, but once in a while I get all reflective and inward-looking on you guys. Now, it takes something to put yourself out there in this way, so let me just start by saying that any comments you leave will be appreciated.

So, I wanted to talk a little bit about how this blog has changed my life – obviously, I have access to a ton of products now, and I get some of them for free which is fun. One of my friends told me one time that she thinks free products make people biased (she didn’t know about my stash) but I had to set her straight. I used the example of an expensive cream. Now, if someone pays an exorbitant amount of money for a face cream, and they really saved up for it because they thought it would work, wouldn’t that make them biased? Wouldn’t they want the cream to work so that they could justify spending so much on something that most people couldn’t afford? Wouldn’t that consumer perhaps be more biased than someone who got the cream as a freebie?

Bias is something that’s nearly impossible to take away – it’s something that’s so intricately tied to our own experiences and I think with beauty products the only way you start becoming less biased is if you educate yourself and try a lot of things. You notice a trend in which products really work and which ones don’t work at all.

It’s kind of amazing how much I’ve learned about products in the last little while. A couple of weeks ago at a party, I ended up getting into a discussion about beauty products with a doctor and it culminated with me explaining to her why Retin-A works and why she should start using a glycolic acid product on a regular basis. It was kind of funny actually.

The best part is that people love asking me for recommendations and since they already know that I’m kind of “into” products, they feel no shame in coming up to me and asking me what I think about their favourite products or ones that they’re considering buying. I’ve had interesting conversations with women and men of all ages and backgrounds.

I will say that generally speaking, I’ve seen that people are absolutely obsessed with two things:

1. Red Lipstick
2. Getting rid of dark circles.

With the red lipstick question, I always recommend MAC’s Russian Red. It’s a cult hit because it really does look good on so many people, and if you don’t own it already you should! If you find that it didn’t work for you, check out Dior’s collection of reds – there are more to choose from and you may find something that works better for you.

The second question is much more difficult for me to answer. Honestly, the best way to get rid of dark circles is to get more sleep and drink more water, but nobody wants to hear that. Everyone would much rather have a quick fix, and I wonder what it says about our society (or maybe just my friends?) that people want to look good but are unwilling to become more healthy for it.

The second best option is to use a concealer. You cover up the circles and if you’re smart, you’ve picked a concealer that looks natural. Unfortunately and totally unsurprisingly, most men and women also don’t like this solution. One woman even said: “Ugh, that means that I have to wear makeup!” Um… yes. But it’s a solution!

In any case, being seen as a beauty “authority” was first something of a novelty and I must admit that its cachet certainly has not worn off and will hopefully only increase. Continue to send in your questions, comments, and letters because I enjoy reading them!

 

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10 Responses to How This Blog Has Changed My Life

  1. laula says:

    I completely agree with you in terms of bias. A lot of people think that because you work for a certain company or sell certain products that you’re going to try to get them to buy those ones because they’re better than others. When I worked at the Body Shop I used to tell people with sensitive skin to skip their body butters that were loaded with fragrance and go buy Cetaphil moisturizing cream instead. Good for you for setting your friend straight!

    I absolutely love this blog. It’s Canadian *yahoo!*, the reviews are from everything from Cover Girl to Dior and honest. I always learn about new, up-and-coming products through your blog and always tell my friends about them and the blog!

    Keep it up!!!!

  2. Girl-Woman says:

    It’s interesting, but you probably know more than the doctor anyway. That’s what we bloggers do: we learn, we read, we test-drive; whereas, the doc just docs. I’m glad you showed your muscle.

    Love your blog and keep it coming!

  3. Rayanne says:

    I’ve wanted to buy a red lipstick for a while now. Thanks for the recco. I’ve NEVER worn lipstick before, so I’m thinking yikes. But, we’ll see ; )

  4. Janine says:

    Awesome post, lady. Well said re: bias with respect to cost or not. Props.

  5. psychoexgirlfriend says:

    Hey Canadian Beauty! I just started reading your blog not too long ago. I think when you receive a product for free, there is always a concern that you’ll feel obligated to give it a good review so not to seem ungrateful. However, you’re absolutely right about people trying to justify the cost of something when you’ve put down a lot of money for it. Anyway, keep up the great work. 😀

  6. Rae says:

    🙂 I loved this post! Your blog is honestly one of my favourites. Though I’m not going to compare it specifically, because that might be mean, I do have it in my bookmarks folder of blogs I read first because, well, I can’t wait to read them!!

    I don’t think you’re any more biased than the next blogger, and I adore how you review a great mix of drugstore and high-end products – most do either/or, because they don’t get freebies or are entirely dependant on them.

    Keep up the great blog, Henna! I love it to bits 🙂

  7. Always In Style says:

    Just stumbled upon your blog, interesting point about bias, I’d have to agree.

    Same goes for the dark circles comment…although I just discovered the Makeup For Ever concealer palette and it really is a gem.

  8. roseg says:

    Look forward to what you have to say, every day!

  9. Henna says:

    Thank you so much Roseg. Really appreciate the comment!

  10. Henna says:

    Coverage is key, Always in Style.

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