Consider yourself something of a beauty guru? Perhaps you even want to start a blog or move into the influencer space? No one can know absolutely everything, of course, but you do need to, in one way or another “know your stuff.” But the beauty industry and market change pretty rapidly, so how do you make sure you stay informed?

It’s all happening on social media

Once upon a time, beauty bloggers might have been the queen bees you would follow, and (indeed) there are still some really great ones out there. But those with a real make-up game tend to be showing it off on Instagram of all places. YouTube is another social media mixed with video blog space that has some phenomenal make-up channels that are worth following. Stick to the visual mediums and you’re going to see what really pops for you. It’s not just about the products, after all, but about the looks that are achieved with them.

Get behind the scenes

When you’re talking about any specific kind of beauty treatment, especially of the cosmetic kind, whether it be hair removal techniques, injectables, or even plastic surgery, then you should try to avoid talking outside of a place of experience. That doesn’t mean you have to go under the knife yourself to see the effects it can have, but rather that you should do your research with the help of sites like PSC, the Plastic Surgery Channel. You can get a nice up-and-close look, allowing you to understand how these procedures work without having to be the constant guinea pig.

Get out and involved in events and conversations

It’s not just about the products and procedures, it’s about the people, as well. Getting out to events and beauty conferences like CurlFest is going to help you make a network of like-minded ladies who, aside from sharing your passions, are going to be excellent sources for news and recommendations on the hottest thing that you and your audience might be into. What’s more, these events tend to be full of beauty products and service providers showing off their wares, often before they even hit the market.

Get some freebies

If you’re able to carve a little niche out for yourself as a beauty influencer or blogger, then be sure to use that as leverage with the cosmetics brands out there. Getting makeup samples isn’t as tough as it might sound, especially if you get into the world of affiliate marketing. Effectively, companies will send out samples of their products to influencers in the hopes that they can get a good review. Of course, you need to be mindful of any agreements you make when taking freebies, as you don’t want to get in trouble for saying something that could technically breach a contract.

If you want people to trust your opinions and, more importantly, you want to make sure that you’re talking about the stuff that you actually know, then you need to spend real-time learning it. Put in the work and you can become the beauty guru you want to be.

Until our next rendezvous…

XOXO

Trudy