The popular beauty blogger Anastasia Morozova has been posting cosmetics reviews for over 4 years. She told us about the secrets of success on Instagram and behind the scenes of the beauty industry.
- Anastasia, readers of "Cleo" are interested to know how the idea of starting their own blog on the Internet and dedicating it to reviews of cosmetic products came up in general?
In fact, starting a beauty blog, I tried to compensate for the internal dissonance that arose after my maxillofacial surgery. As strange as it sounds. All my life I loved cosmetics, external beauty, aesthetics in everything. Having undergone surgery for medical reasons, I had to get used to my new appearance. And in order to somehow facilitate this process, I started a blog about cosmetics. Initially, I was going to conduct it only for myself. I didn't expect it to develop to such a scale.
- You have been blogging on Instagram for over 4 years. This is a solid period, especially when you consider the high competition in this niche. What do you think is the "trick" of your blog, how does it differ from what is already there?
For such a long time, I have tried different blogging styles. Through trial and error, I came up with a certain formula for success: the main thing, of course, is to love what you do! After all, a blog without pleasure is a utopia. In addition to the fact that it will be psychologically difficult itself, the readers will certainly feel the falsity and energy.
The second point is, of course, a high-quality picture. People no longer want to look at unaesthetic footage, especially in a blog that talks about beauty. To be honest, before posting a frame to Instagram, I can take up to 100 rough shots to choose the best one.
Sep 17, 2017 at 4:34 am PDT
- To maintain interest in your blog, you need to constantly work on it. How do you combine this with your career, family? Do you have a secret?
The secret is simple again - do everything for fun! In fact, of course, blogging takes a very long time and I try to plan my schedule clearly and stick to it. And of course, I share my personal time, in order to spend it with my family, and work moments.
- Can you say blogging is a job for you or is it a hobby? And why?
Blogging is more of a job for me, although I consider it my hobby. Here is such a symbiosis. Work - as I carefully prepare for each publication, make text, photos, develop a content plan. And a hobby, since this business does not generate income, but rather nice amenities in the form of the opportunity to try various cosmetics and meet interesting people.
Mar 17 2017 at 7:40 PDT
- From your blog, we know that you are testing not only women's cosmetics, but also willingly purchase a variety of products for your husband. How does he relate to your hobby?
My husband, like my whole family, fully supports me in my hobby. In our family, I am considered an expert in beauty, in this area they trust me unconditionally, and this is undoubtedly nice. And it's also great that I always have a company to test cosmetic products! We did it even with such family relaxation, lying in masks in the evening, watching a movie or talking.
- Anastasia, of course, now your blog is popular, it has a constant readership. Surely representatives of many cosmetic brands are lining up to you with a request to test their product. And how was the work lined up at the very beginning? How did you select cosmetics for your reviews?
Of course, I am flattered that many brands, both well-known and young, come to me with an offer to test their products. But I do not agree to testing everything that is offered to me. Since the blog is still a hobby for me, it should first of all give me pleasure, then I confirm cooperation only with products and brands that are interesting to me.
Jun 27 2017 at 7:13 PDT
A prerequisite for me is the high-quality composition of the product, not handicraft production, a good brand reputation. Again, having quite a lot of experience in this area, already looking at the description of the product, its price and the manufacturer's promises, I can conclude what to expect from the product.
Naturally, I'm not a clairvoyant, but such moments as the promise of a complete smoothing of facial wrinkles with a cream for 100 rubles - for me it immediately goes into the "spam" category. An interesting and working cosmetic product must have a reasonable balance of composition, packaging, market positioning and price.
At first, of course, it was hard to refuse, there were no worked out formulations, but everything comes with experience. I always try to conduct any negotiations as correctly as possible, and I emphasize that the refusal to test this tool is exclusively my personal position, and it in no way means that this is a priori a bad product. It's just that it doesn't suit me for some reason.
Now I refuse those who offer to try and talk about fake products, in other words, about cheap handicrafts of famous brands, this has recently been often found in the field of decorative cosmetics. I refuse to manufacturers of hand-made cosmetic products, because I do not know the conditions of production. And, by the way, I can refuse even a well-known brand if the brand's PR manager does not know the etiquette and the basics of business correspondence. Recently, this tendency has often been encountered, when a proposal for cooperation is drawn up in such a way that one does not even want to respond to it.
- By and large, all your publications are written in a positive way. Does this mean that you are always unmistakably buying quality cosmetics, or are you just not posting negative reviews?
I chose this strategy for myself - not to write negative reviews. Let me explain why. I have been working with people for a very long time, in particular, in customer service, where there are many complaints. And during this time, I realized that people share the negative with some special pleasure, they don't even need to be asked to leave negative feedback once again if a precedent happens. But one out of a hundred people will leave a positive review in any area.
Therefore, I am sure that there will be a lot of people who want to scold cosmetics without me, by the way, such posts are very popular and collect a lot of likes and comments, well, people here like scandals, intrigues, investigations. And I will write about what I liked. And I also believe in the circulation of energy and emotions in the universe, so I hope that only positive-minded people will be attracted to me and my blog.
Oct 26, 2016 at 8:11 am PDT
- At this stage, you have already tried many tools, and you probably have your own preferences. Can you name three favorites that, under any circumstances, are on your shelf, and which you will definitely not "change" in the near future?
I love cosmetics and have many favorites! I can say more generally: there are categories of products that are my undoubted must have - tonics and toners for the face, serums with hyaluronic acid and all kinds of masks, from fabric to alginate.
Dec 5, 2016 at 6:48 am PST
- What products must be in the cosmetic bag of any woman if she wants to stay young and beautiful longer? Describe this minimum must-have.
In my opinion, these are means for high-quality skin cleansing. It can be either a multi-stage procedure for lovers of cosmetic processes, or a shortened program, since there are a lot of products on the market for this. But a clean face is the key to a healthy and well-groomed look!
The second must-have is a skin moisturizer: it can be in the form of a cream, serum, mousse, whatever is right for you. Dehydrated skin is immediately unhealthy, tired look and an excellent breeding ground for age-related changes.
You need to moisturize any type of skin, both dry, normal and oily! The main thing is to choose the right products for you. And here specialists-cosmetologists come to the rescue.
I would like to highlight the fact that bloggers are a mouthpiece, a kind of media, and not as a doctor. We can talk about the tool, based on our experience and feelings of use, but choosing the right care - this should be done by people with medical education.
Therefore, read the beauty blog as an information magazine, pay attention to the products that interest you, but make a decision about their use carefully, preferably after consulting with a beautician or doctor.
- Now that you have created a name for yourself among Russian beauty bloggers, do you have any desire to go beyond this format and make a new project? Tell us what should your readers expect?
My beauty blog activity is not limited. I can't stand still, I constantly want to move and develop! I am always in the creative process and in parallel I have several projects underway, which, of course, are related to the field of beauty, but each in its own direction. With many cosmetic companies, we have our own ideas and we implement them, they develop into something new. I am open to any suggestions, and the more unusual and not banal the task and idea, the more interesting it is to tackle it.
