Hi everyone. Need your opinion and help. So I am working on a post about brands using influencers photos without permission. 

If you have such experience, do you mind to share how brand used your content without asking you first,  have you ever been paid for your photo to be used, your experience generally? Are you happy with reposts?

 No need to name brands if you aren't comfortable to do so. I of course won't name anyone in the post. Thanks much

photo copyright issue

How do you repurpose skincare empty products? I love to use as a vase or keep earrings in.

Repurposing empties

When I am getting a new product, I don't use them for a while. I need to keep in packaging for few days, then take it out, admire it for few more days then use😂 are you a weirdo like me or do you use a new product straight away?

keep or use immediately?

Hi guys. I just posted this on Insta but thought it is a good topic to discuss here too. Thanks for reading.

What is the role of the bloggers or micro influencers? Are we supposed to increase a brand's sale numbers or are we here for their PR?

I often hear from small businesses that in the past they have sent their products to few bloggers but they never saw increase in their sales and they think it was waste of money and bloggers are pretty much useless. Ok I see your point of view and understand that when you just start your business even one PR package can be hard on your pocket, but I also think, you have wrong expectations.

A customer's journey is comprised of five different stages-awareness, interest, desire, conversion, and advocacy (from Coursera). Bloggers are here to help you during all these stages but mostly they spread awareness about the brand and make others desire the product. No micro blogger is Kim Kardashian, so it's impossible to make people buy a product by posting about it 1-2 times.
And please note we hardly ever are paid for our work, so we don't really have an enthusiasm to post about your product multiple times.

So we do a PR of the product and spread awareness, that's it, you can't expect more than that (if not paid and a brand isn't building a loyal relationship with a blogger). Saying that, I am sure that people nowadays hardly buy anything they haven't come across in social media, so if they choose between 2 products, they'll buy the one they saw at a blogger's feed.

Also please note, brands are getting free images (do you know any product photographer who would do that for free?), they get reviews to use on their social media channels and website, again free!
So please, dear brands, don't get frustrated if a code you provided to a blogger is never used, believe me, we are helping you in a long term even if you can't see the results immediately.
What are your thoughts guys? What is our role as a blogger and what brands should expect from us? As for me, I always tell the brands that my codes will hardly ever get used and they are all fine with that.

Role of bloggers

Do you love using skincare tools? Which one gave you the best results? I do have different kind of tools sent for review purpose but should confess I am so lazy to use them, will hardly reach to them once or twice a week 🙈

Favorite skincare tool?

Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule is such a beautiful looking product.  Not travel friendly though, as it's a glass bottle and heavy. 

It claims to brighten the skin and enhance unevenness of skin with blemish or acne spots on acne-prone skin.

The key ingredient is Madewhite 20,000ppm which is a brightening ingredient  containing Madecassoside obtained from Madagascar Centella asiatica.

The other ingredients are Centella extract, Niacinamide 4%,  Tranexamic Acid 2% and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.

The texture is so pretty, with white granules. The dropper makes it easy to take the product out. I love the feeling of granules on my skin and they melt fast. No stickiness after applying. It is fragrance free.

Obviously I need to comment on brightening effect but this summer I got a great tan, so sorry I have no idea 😂 But otherwise I love how hydrating it is, just what I need these days. Overall it's like a mixture of a toner and a serum for me and so far loving it in my routine. 



I don&#39;t love the mugwort mask much but these sheet masks are really good. They are super nourishing, hydrating and calming. Worked great for my dry skin.

I think it's pricey and would love it to be in stick form.

I received this product for free from Picky and I'm From in exchange of my honest review.
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 Dry, chapped lips?
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Meet the newest addition to  honey family- Honey Lip Balm.
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It  contains 10% natural honey harvested from Mount Jiri, Korea. Can be used as a lip balm and a lip mask (also on dry, chapped elbows, or to soften cuticles).
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The scent is very mild, almost non existing. I love the texture, it feels lovely on lips and non greasy. The packaging is cute, but lip balms in jar aren't my favorite.
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It is nourishing and moisturizing for lips, but I think it's pricey and I haven't seen much difference from the cheaper lip balms I have used. I enjoy using it but it isn't something I'd purchase myself.
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This beauty is made with Manuka Honey, Pohutukawa Bloom (bioactive extract from a New Zealand native tree that conditions and deeply moisturizes) and Vanilla Pod. 

The smell is very lovely, mix of Mandarin and Vanilla. The mask is especially great for blemish prone skin and it promises to leave skin hydrated and fresh.
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I really love that it comes in a tub which is much more hygienic than putting fingers in a jar (I am not a spatula friendly).

The texture is creamy and it doesn&#39;t tighten the skin. You can apply it and do your chores, you won&#39;t even remember you have a mask on.
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I honestly was sceptical that this product will be helpful for blemishes but I am nicely surprised, it does even better job than a clay mask. I had a small breakout yesterday and after using this mask, today the pimples are so much less noticeable. Of course they are not gone miraculously but the soothing effect of the mask is very much noticeable.
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Other than soothing, the mask also leaves the skin so clean and fresh. It does hydrate and overall my skin feels like it has been restarted afterwards 😄
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I like that the texture is lightweight and glides nicely on the skin.  It makes my skin soft and hydrated
 It is one of the products that I&#39;ll use from time to time but it isn&#39;t essential for me.

Ruzan