On Blogging and the FTC

The time has come for me to address an issue that has recently blown up all over the blogosphere. As many have already heard, the FTC has issued a new set of regulations requiring that bloggers provide full disclosure on their posts. Mainly, if a blogger receives a product for free to review, that blogger must tell their readers that in the post. Many of my peers have already voiced their opinions and concerns on the FTC's decision, and after thinking about it I have decided to voice my own opinion.


Please note that the following is only my opinion. I am not an expert by any stretch, just a beauty blogger who is passionate about what she does.

When I first started Krasey Beauty, my only goal was to bring the latest and greatest in beauty to my readers. I am extremely fortunate that I live in New York City, and therefore have accessibility to almost anything the beauty world has to offer. Discouraged that not everyone has the ability to directly share my experiences, I took it on as a personal mission to make others feel like they are a part of it all. I don't joke when I say that I am obsessed with beauty, and this blog in time became an outlet for my thoughts, daydreams, and creative energy. While I do receive products from brands and their PR reps, I am not in it for freebies. In fact, I have purchased more than 80% of my extensive collection. I spend a great deal of money building my own collections and my kit.

If I do receive a product to review, I make sure that I am completely honest if I choose to review it. If I love it, I have no problem giving it a rave review. Products that I am on the fence about, I will let my readers know what I liked and didn't like. A product that I don't care for (just ok), I will usually choose not to review at all, unless it really is awful. It is my personal mission to be honest, objective, and thorough in my posts. If I feel a product makes false claims, doesn't work, or has adverse effects, I am not afraid to tell my readers the truth. Of course, I also have to keep in mind that not every product works for everyone. Something I might love, others might hate, and vice versa. Cosmetics are subjective, and always dependent on factors like personal taste, body chemistry, and levels of comfort. That said, the best I can and will do is be honest.

Maintaining this blog is very hard work, and it saddens me to think that anyone would doubt my motives. I have a full-time job in finance, and still manage to find the time to dedicate about four hours to blogging a day. I take posting very seriously, and it isn't just about putting up a press release with a blurb. My readers might notice that I avoid posting press releases at all. My reviews are approached from many angles, and oftentimes have background stories or humorous images in them. My reviews involve testing product, swatching, taking photos, editing photos, drafting the post, editing the post, and finally, publishing the post. Color products usually get a wear test for a day, while skin and haircare are tested at least two weeks. I do this all for the love of beauty blogging, and to help my readers. I do not get paid to blog.

All of that being said, I will continue to do as I have always done, and that is to give this blog 110% of my energy. My commitment is first and foremost to my readers, and I can continue to do little else but pour my heart and soul into every post I publish. As for disclosure, I will include a disclaimer at the end of each post to indicate whether a product was received as a press sample, purchased by me, or received as a gift. Regardless of how I got the item, just know that my thoughts on it will be honest.

I hope this post clears things up a bit. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me at KraseyBeauty@gmail.com