Blog

Any fashion or beauty blogger will know that blogging can be costly. You can’t review the same product more than once and there are only so many ways a piece of clothing can be made versatile. Not only that but you want your blog content to fresh, varied and on trend. You can’t keep it that way without spending money or can you?

It was when reading some #bbloggers and #fbloggers comments over on Twitter that I noticed like me, others worry about running out of outfit ideas without spending money or not being able to afford the latest beauty product that they so desperately want to review. But also who wants to buy a £40 beauty product to find out that all the hype was fluffed up beauty nonsense. Not every hyped product works for every skin type.

Well this is where I came up with some ideas of how to blog on a budget and save you and me some dollar (as I also need wardrobe test these ideas out myself).

1. Ask the makeup counters for samples or send off for some online. Don’t go out and buy the full sized product straight away. Review the small sized sample and write in your post if it’s worth buying the full sized.

2. Review your friends or families products. If you’ve been looking into buying it and someone you know already has is, test it out and review it on your blog.

3. Create your own products. Use an old lipstick turn it into a lip gloss using petroleum jelly or create your own body scrub from brown sugar etc. DIY beauty products are a big hit and it makes it a little different from a template review.

4. If you’ve only used a product once and you hate it. Sell or swap it online. If the product is a pump or pipette dispenser most people will buy it as long as you mention it’s been used.

 5. Take photos of the samples in store (ask for permission) and review them. You don’t have to purchase an item to write about it on your blog.

 6. Blog products you don’t like especially if its a hyped product. I read carbon copy reviews on hyped products and see a lot of content glazes over the negative points or some people don’t even bother to write a post because they didn’t love the product. Its interesting to read bad reviews as much as it is to read a positive as one product can’t work for everyone!

7. Find cheaper versions of high end products by researching online to find ones that contain a high percentage of the same ingredients. For example the lower end self tanner St Moriz contains 99% of the same ingredients as the more expensive self tanner St Tropez.

8. Display your monthly empties in a blog post. Its a great way to show your favourite monthly products without having to buy the replacement just yet.

1. Buy it and take it back. If you want to keep your outfit posts fresh or you’re looking to buy an item but can’t afford it just yet then “borrow it”. Keep the tags on, take your snaps and then take the items back to store. As long as you don’t wear the items out or take the tags off its fine! 

2. Re-use your old outfit post photos. Create a trend board, fashion report, post about your favourite outfits or the ones you regret wearing etc.

3. Layer up. Adding layers to an outfit can change the whole look, making outfit post completely unique to the one where you’re wearing say, the same skirt. Or more importantly borrow items of clothing from your friends and family.

4. Take photos of the items of clothing in the stores changing room or on the hanger. Shoppers love to know what’s hanging on the rails in store. But some shops like Primark don’t have online and therefor posts on what’s in store with your opinion are a winner!

5. Shop on EBay. It’s become so popular that your guaranteed to find that Zara, American Apparel, Topshop, French Connection look alike bag hiding on there somewhere minus the hefty price tag. Just think key words!

6. If your re-wearing a key item to outfit post again but with new accessories or jewellery, take the photos in a different area than you took in the last post you wore it. It will add contrast to the photos and it’ll look completely unique.