Hello Beauty Lovers!
It's been wayyy too long since my last post, so I decided to start with something that will be fun to write.
A lot of new beauty bloggers have reached out to me on Instagram and asked how I end up getting so many products in PR without having a huge following.
Well, I'm here to show you what I received in PR over the last few months (since August) and how I ended up getting the products.
At the end of this post, I will share some tips about working with brands as a microinfluencer.
If that sounds interesting, keep on reading!
Microinfluencer PR Haul
BoxyCharm Base Box- August 2021- BoxyCharm reached out to me a little over a year ago and they asked if I wanted to join their PR list. Of course, I said yes! The Base Box is their cheapest box, but I absolutely love getting 5 full-sized products every month. I wish that I can give you advice on how to get on the BoxyCharm PR list, maybe just post a lot of beauty-related content.
Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Recovery Lip Mask- I was sent this lip mask via Octoly. If you haven't heard about that platform yet, you need to check them out. They allow beauty bloggers to apply for products and the brands choose the bloggers that fit their image the best.
Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter- Another product that I got via Octoly. I love to apply to products that are sold at Sephora. It is a great way to get my hands on expensive products for my Instagram page.
Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Duo- Again, these were sent to me via Octoly. I was sent two products for this campaign; the Texture Renewal Serum and the Triple Correction Eye Serum. This was a huge score as these products are very expensive!
Dr. Zenovia PR- So, Dr. Zenovia reached out to me via Instagram when she started her brand and asked if I wanted to get some PR. Ever since then, the brand has sent me two of their products every month. For this box, I was sent the Advanced Retinol Night Repair Treatment and 10% Glycolic Acne Control Peel Pads. I have used both of these in the past, and I love them!
YSL Beauty The Slim Velvet Radical Lipstick- Ok, switching it up a bit now. This beauty was sent to me via Bzzagent. I joined Bzzagent many years ago, they were still very new at the time. Over the years, they have sent me better and better brands, like this lipstick from YSL Beauty! The shade that I was sent is called Rose Incitement, and it's beautiful.
Juice Beauty Prebiotix Coconut + Aloe Cleansing Cream- Another product that was sent to me via Bzzagent. I got this so long ago, that I already emptied the bottle! I was actually really impressed with this cleanser, it was a great addition to my AM skincare routine.
Tru Alchemy Glow Serum- Another product that I received via Octoly. As you can tell, Octoly is one of my favorite influencer platforms. I regularly apply to products and I am usually accepted to the campaigns. I highly recommend checking the site out!
Meta Foret 12PM Calming Toner- This brand reached out to me via Instagram. They asked if I would be willing to post a review about one of their new products, and I agreed. I wasn't too happy with the time constraints that they placed on this campaign after I had already accepted. It seemed kind of shady, and I don't think that I will work with this brand again. That being said, it was an amazing toner.
Dr, Zenovia PR- As I mentioned before, I receive two products from Dr. Zenovia every month. This PR box came with the 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Cleanser and the Aloe Vera Blemish Soothing Moisturizer. Again, I have used and loved both of these products in the past, and I am very happy to have backups.
BoxyCharm Base Box- September 2021- I'm really happy with the box for September. I wasn't impressed with the hair gel thing, but the other products were fantastic! Again, BoxyCharm sends me their Base Box every month, and they reached out to me with this collaboration.
Dr. Zenovia PR- So, I actually got two PR boxes in September. Dr. Zenovia reached out to me via email and asked me to post about my favorite Dr. Z products in honor of their sale. To show their appreciation, they sent over a box with four of my favorites! They sent the Peptide + Ceramide Repairing Moisturizer, the 10% Glycolic Acne Control Peel Pads, the Inflam-Aging Night Repair Treatment, and the Aloe Vera Blemish Soothing Moisturizer. These are all fantastic products!
Monica Vinader PR- I am obsessed with Monica Vinader jewelry so I applied to their influencer program. I was luckily accepted! They gave me a code to pick out a few pieces of jewelry and I chose the Corda Ear Cuff, the Siren Stacking Ring, and the Corda Skinny Ring. I wear the rings every day, but the ear cuff is a little too small for my Dumbo ears.
Pixi PR- A while ago, I applied to join the Pixi PR list. It took a very long time, but I was finally taken off the list in 2020. This box contained their new Remedy Masks. The trio includes the Milky Remedy Mask, the Rose Remedy Mask, and the Vitamin-C Remedy Mask. These masks are very refreshing and help reset the skin. I highly recommend them!
Kora Organics Berry Bright Vitamin C Eye Cream- Another product that I received via Octoly. This is the first Kora Organics product that I tried, and I was really impressed! I'm happy that I got the opportunity to try it!
Rael Beauty Miracle Patch XL Spot Control Cover- Another product that was sent to me via Bzzagent. I absolutely love acne patches. They are an amazing way to reduce picking, but they are usually very small. These from Rael are massive! They are meant for bacne and large clusters of acne, perfect for that time of the month!
Vegreen Cica Serum- I reviewed some products for Vegreen about a year ago. They really liked my review, so they reached out to me again via Instagram and asked if I can review their new serum. I loved the Vegreen products that I reviewed in the past, so I told them of course! This serum is fantastic, and it's available on Amazon.
Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinol + Niacinamide Eye Serum- Another product that was sent to me via Octoly. I am actually currently using this serum as my PM eye treatment. I like to layer it under an eye cream, but I think it has been really helping with my fine lines.
Kiss PR- Kiss contacted me via email, they wanted to send me a PR box. I wasn't expecting a packed box! They included a ton of lashes, lash glue, and press on nails. I will be posting my reviews of the lashes on Instagram soon, and I may turn all the posts into one big blog post. Stay tuned and follow me for the reveal!
BoxyCharm Base Box- October 2021- How beautiful is that palette? I have been using it a ton, and I can't wait to try out the lashes. Again, I get these boxes every month in PR.
Wishtrend PR- Every quarter, I get to choose three products from Wishtrend. They have an awesome affiliate program, you can sign up here. Anyway, for this box, I chose the By Wishtrend Quad Active Boosting Essence, Klairs Gentle Black Fresh Cleansing Oil, and I'm From Rice Mask. If you are looking to get into K-Beauty, I highly recommend checking out the Wishtrend website.
Fresh Black Tea Duo- I love when Octoly campaigns come with multiple products. This one came with the Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Concentrate and the Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask. I love the Fresh Black Tea line, they actually work for fine lines and wrinkles!
Elf VoxBox- Now for a new influencer platform. Influenster is a site that I joined at least three years ago. Since then, they have sent me some fantastic boxes of products, called VoxBoxes. I highly recommend checking them out if you have a very small following. What was included in the Elf VoxBox: Big Mood Mega Volume & Uplifting Mascara, the Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow in Purple Reign, and the Liquid Metallic Eyeshadow in Moon. At $5 a piece, the liquid shadows are an amazingly affordable dupe to the Stila shadows that used to be very popular.
Origins Ginzing Vitamin C Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff- Another great product that I was sent via Bzzagent. I got the Original shade, but they also make a warm shade. I'm not sure if the warm version is supposed to provide some color, but the original one is transparent when applied. I highly recommend this eye cream if you suffer from puffy eyes!
Yensa BC Foundation- Another fantastic product that I received via Octoly. I am really trying to get back into makeup, so I have been applying to more makeup campaigns. I absolutely love this foundation! It will be shown on my Instagram page for my next Makeup Basket Monday post.
Purlisse Ageless Glow Serum BB Cream- I got this one at the same time as the Yensa foundation via Octoly. You can apply to 5 products at a time on the Octoly site, so I sometimes have overlapping reviews. I really liked this foundation too! It applied like a serum but provided a ton of coverage!
Wishtrend PR- For the last quarter of the year, I chose the I'm From Mugwort Essence, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner, and the By Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C 15% with Ferulic Acid. Again, I highly recommend applying for the affiliate program.
Juvia's Place i Sculpt, i Shade Brow Gel- Another product that I received from Bzzagent. I love brow gels, and this one is clear so it's perfect for anyone with a ton of brows. It really does help keep my brows tame all day long! While you are on the Juvia's Place site, check out some of their fantastic eyeshadow palettes.
Dr. Zenovia PR- Another fantastic duo sent to me in PR, this time with a bonus makeup pouch! I was sent the Peptide + Ceramide Repairing Moisturizer and Vitamin C Brightening Toner. The toner is a new product and I really enjoyed it!
Clio Sharp So Simple Eyeliners- This duo was sent to me via Octoly. I am so obsessed with these eyeliners! They are super creamy, pigmented, and waterproof! They are perfect for the waterline, and I love how thin they are. They sent me shades 01 (Black) and 02 (Brown). Personally, I like the brown one more, but that's probably because I wear a lot of brown shadow all the time.
EraClea PR- I have never heard of this brand before, but they reached out to me via Instagram and asked if they can send over some products. I am honestly pretty impressed with everything they sent. I'm not a huge fan of the packaging, it felt a little cheap for the price point, but the products themselves worked VERY well. I would definitely use EraClea products again! They sent over the calming facial mist +CBD, perfectionist 4-in-1 cream with SPF 30, and the vitamin A/retinol booster. My absolute favorite product is the retinol booster!
BoxyCharm Base Box- November 2021- We got an amazing box in November! I actually gave the palette and lip oil to my mom, she loves lip oils and she needed some new eyeshadow. My absolute favorite product in the box is the Ace Beaute Eyeshadow Primer.
Skinn PR- Ok, this was the coolest PR box! I recently posted that I emptied the Cleansing Oil that Skinn sent me a few months ago, and they sent me two more! The Skinn Divine Elixir Luminous Facial Cleansing Oil is my HG cleansing oil and I am so happy to have two more in my skincare stash.
Annod Skincare PR- Annod reached out to me via email and offered to send me some products to review. They sent over the Detoxifying Organic Lemon Exfoliant and the Antioxidant Olive Oil Cream. I just read that Olive Oil is the secret to the great skin associated with Mediterannean women, so I'm really excited to try out the Olive Oil Cream!
Dermalogica Precleanse- Thanks to Octoly, I was finally able to get my hands on Dermalogica products! I am really excited to try out the Precleanse, I heard so many amazing things about this oil cleanser.
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum- in addition to the Precleanse, I was also sent the Biolumin-C Serum via Octoly. Do you see why I love Octoly? I can't wait to try this serum out! It's super expensive, so I want to see if it's worth the price tag.
True Botanicals Chebula Active Immune Serum- True Botanicals reached out to me via email. They were launching their brand at a new store, and they wanted to send me their serum. I happily accepted and I am looking forward to testing out this very expensive brand.
Dr. Zenovia PR- Dr. Zenovia sent a gift again in the monthly PR box! How pretty is this silk mask? It is super comfortable and doesn't make my face all sweaty. In December, Dr. Z sent over the Advanced Retinol Night Repair Treatment and the Retinol Recovery Eye Cream. Both products are amazing and a staple in my PM routine.
KSK Wellness PR- KSK reached out to me via Instagram and asked to send me a PR box. I was not expecting so many products in the box! They sent the Luxury Bath Salts, Luxury Yuzu Body Oil, Lavender Argan Butter Cuticle Cream, Daily Luxury Facial Oil, Skin Balm, Moisture Cream. I am really excited to review this brand, their products are natural and feel luxurious!
BoxyCharm Base Box- December 2021- What a great box to end the year! I am super excited about the Algenist eye cream and the Benefit blush. The price for the BoxyCharm Base Box is going up to $28 next month, so let's see if they bring up the value more.
Pixi PR- Like I mentioned above, I applied for the Pixi PR list and got added about a year ago. I am so happy that they sent me the Instagram famous personalized giant bottle of Glow Tonic this year for Christmas! This bottle will probably last all year!
Pure Culture Custom Serum- Pure Culture reached out to me via Instagram and asked me if I would like to test out their custom serum. They send you a skin test and you fill out a questionnaire. That's all you really need to do! They then send you a custom serum that fits your skin concerns and skin type. I'm really excited to see how the serum works for my skin!
Catrice Foundation and Concealer Duo- Like I mentioned, I am looking to post more makeup content, so I applied to the Catrice campaign with Octoly. I was sent the Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer and the HD Liquid Coverage Foundation. I hope that they work well, I am always looking for affordable beauty brands that actually perform at the high-end level. Fingers crossed!
Bobbi Brown Serum Foundation- I am so excited to try this foundation! I have heard so many amazing things about Bobbi Brown, and I am finally going to be trying their serum foundation! I was sent this via Octoly. I will be posting my review soon!
Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base- Octoly also sent me the infamous face base from Bobbi Brown. I had a mini of this a few years ago, and I loved it so much! I'm so happy to have this primer in my life again. It makes any foundation apply flawlessly!
Bumble and Bumble Bond-Building Repair Duo- I'm also trying to get back into haircare, so I applied to Octoly's Bumble and Bumble campaigns. This one is for the Bond-Building Repair Shampoo and the Bond-Building Repair Conditioner. My hair is pretty damaged, so I'm excited to give these a try.
Bumble and Bumble Bond-Building Repair Treatment- I also applied to the weekly Bond-Building Repair Treatment, and I can't believe they sent a super jumbo size! This should last me a whole year if I use it once a week. Stay tuned for my review.
Skinn PR- Am I now on the Skinn PR list? I really hope so! They kindly sent me a cute little Christmas present that will keep my lips smooth all winter long. They sent the DermAppeal Lip Scrub and the Divine Elixir Luminous Lip Oil in Crimson. I already have the Golden version of the lip oil, it is amazing!
So... That's a total of 48 packages that I was sent in the last 5 months!
This is proof that you don't need a huge following to get products to review.
Tips for Microinfluencers
Do's of getting PR:
- Respond to brands that you want to work with
- Reach out to brands via Instagram even if you have less than 5k followers
- Apply to influencer programs
- Disclose when you are posting PR to social media
- Interact with brands that you want to work with by liking and commenting on their Instagram posts
- Stand your ground when you are negotiating terms with brands
- Tag brands when you feature their products on social media
- Be honest when you write reviews
- Be rude to brands that do not align with your aesthetic
- Accept PR from brands that will ruin your image
- Write positive reviews for bad products
- Pay any amount money for PR, even if the brand "promises" to pay you back after you place your order
- Fall for jewelry scams on Instagram
- Take PR from an MLM
- Pay for shipping in exchange for free products
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