If there’s one thing the beauty, makeup and fashion industries are fantastic for it’s the simply amazing communities which exist online. We’ve all come across websites, blogs forums and YouTube channels where people freely share tips, advice, opinions and news, armed with little more than a laptop and bucket-loads of enthusiasm. But knowing which to trust, which to religiously check on and which to engage with can be difficult – there are endless blogs and websites all trying to do the same thing.
We’ve used our collective knowledge, endless hours on the web and knowing what makes us all tick when it comes to beauty regimes to save you endless trawling and have compiled this list of nothing less than the 10 best beauty blogs on the web. Period! We’ve not taken our selection process lightly, so you know all of these bloggers know their stuff – they’ve got the Mistry’s personal seal of approval!
1. Strawberry Blonde Beauty
Run by a Belfast-based beauty blogger, Strawberry Blonde Beauty is a fantastic centre for impartial, no-nonsense reviews on everything from foundation and face primer to moisturiser and mascara. Nic, the blogger behind the content, also throws in makeup tips in line with the makeup rundowns, as well reviews of things like exfoliators and other similar products.
With a personal style, great engagement in the comments (so you know if you’ve got a question it’ll be answered!) as well as UK links and prices on products reviewed, you can’t go wrong – we tip our collective hats to you, Nic!
2. The Beauty Shortlist
The makeup and beauty industry is an absolute minefield, with countless brands and products all making miracle claims of transforming your appearance – but who do you really trust? You could go for the trial an error approach, but that gets expensive; you could look at reviews, but you’d spend a lifetime sifting through them all.
This is where The Beauty Shortlist comes in – a comprehensive, annual review process of everything from beauty products to up-and-coming bloggers. There’s categories for every type of makeup you could imagine, from cleansers and shower gels to aromatherapy and hand creams – so if you’re looking for the true best of the bunch, this site’s rigorous testing and award shortlists are the place to point your cursors.
3. Lipglossiping
As you can tell by the name, lipstick and other related beauty products are the key focus here (although a myriad of other products and areas are covered on the site) – The Lipstick League, for example, is a regular weekly roundup of everything lip-related with recommendations, tips and other great posts from around the web. Lipglossiping, like the previous two blogs, is also UK based, so you know the recommendations, prices and products will apply to you – there’s nothing worse than reading about a wonder-product and finding out it’s only available Stateside!
Charlotte, the blog’s owner, has done a fantastic job in creating an incredibly engaging, useful and simply fun to read website for great tips and reviews – it’s no wonder Lipglossiping is the winner of numerous blogging awards from the likes of Channel 4, Grazia and Escentual.com (as well as our own!).
4. Vex In The City
If nothing else, this superb play on words earns this blog a place in our Top 10 list – but thankfully the blog has the substance, style and beauty know-how to back it up! The great thing about Vex In The City is that it’s a really personal blog and, while all the blogs so far do feature similarly high levels of personal touches, this goes that one step further. As well as offering honest reviews on products, there’s also everything from insights into the blogger’s real world experience working in the beauty industry through to really personal stuff like expecting her first baby.
It’s this kind of connection that works incredibly well in beauty – you get to know what one person’s view, experience and thoughts are on a whole range of beauty products, rather than the faceless opinion of a magazine or paid-for endorsement. It’s simple, honest opinion and advice; it’s like asking for advice from a friend who has a virtually endless supply of makeup!
5. 15 Minute Beauty
We’ve all been there – dozens of products to sift through and barely any time to get ready first thing. Whether it’s having to tick off a million-and-one other things before we leave for work, oversleeping or simply having to leave as quickly as possible, it’s never easy to look your best. However, designed to review simple and straightforward products, provide health and beauty tips, and outline quick yet effective regimes, 15 Minute Beauty gives you the products you need and advice you have time for – no more long-winded guides that eat away the hours!
Both a mother and a doctor, Christine who runs the blog, is as trustworthy and relatable as they come; if you can’t trust a doctor, who can you trust? With great engagement in the comments, a really personal yet professional touch, and a plethora of products to get your teeth stuck into, 15 Minute Beauty is a great place to get quick and concise makeup tips and get yourself looking amazing in virtually no time at all.
6. The Beauty Girl
Nicole Pearl, or The Beauty Girl as she’s known throughout fashion and beauty communities across the internet, has become renowned for offering great tips, advice, guides and ‘how to’ posts designed to give you easy access to the industry’s secrets!
With a wealth of experience writing for some of the fashion world’s biggest publications, Nicole writes style guides, produces ‘how to’ video guides on YouTube and even hosts her own beauty events – though these always take place in the US, so unless you’re heading on holiday it’s going to be strictly online only for us British beauty enthusiasts. This is fine though – there’s an absolutely monstrous treasure trove of pro-level tips (such as the DIY Hair series for celebrity style) just a couple of clicks away.
7. Fiore Beauty
Think about what could be better than one knowledgeable, personal and down to earth beauty blogger – well, how about a dozen or so more? Consisting of a team of hand-picked beauty bloggers who have ‘earned a reputation among LA’s elite’, Fiore Beauty is simultaneously a slick and professional yet down-to-earth blog giving impartial reviews and really helpful makeup application tips.
Obviously, with a celebrity slant and what will amount to decades of high-profile makeup experience amongst the Fiore Beauty team, there’s something a little extra special here on offer – simply, easy to follow regimes that directly follow what LA’s elite use to get themselves looking so photogenic.
8. Style IT
There’s a simple concept at work here at Style IT – Sarah Conley, the blog’s owner, takes high-end celebrity styles that are hitting catwalks and fashion mags across the world, and make them accessible for the average Joe. With a particular penchant for lipstick, the blog covers everything from makeup to fashion.
There’s also a secondary ‘sub-section’ to the blog which does something that many other beauty, makeup and fashion blogs don’t do – specifically target the plus-sized section of the market. Those that take bigger sizes can often find it frustrating when beauty and fashion tips fail to realise that not everyone conforms to the photoshopped, ideological version of beauty – but Style IT embraces this, provides some really great useful tips, and helps you to both look and feel great.
That said, whatever your size, look, style and image, you’ll find something great to help with your beauty regime here!
9. Lisa Eldridge
With a truly A-list professional edge, Lisa Eldridge is a makeup artist who has worked on everything from Vogue cover shoots to advertising and TV appearance. In addition to being a bit of a showcase of her work, her site gives a great insight into the industry – so you can bring a professional touch to your own beauty regime.
There’s professionally-shot instructional videos, amazing photo galleries, personal tips and advice, and even an excellent newsletter you can subscribe to. Despite all the professional, high-end expertise on offer the blog is really personal, down-to-earth and relevant to everyone – not just celebs!
10. Really Ree
No nonsense, simple and just really useful for women everywhere, Really Ree reviews countless makeup products to put them through their paces, as well as really easy-to-follow tips and guides – many of them are video guides, and her YouTube channel has well over 1,000 subscribers who drink in her beauty and fashion knowledge. The real kicker of her site, though, is the ‘Face of the Day’ and ‘Outfit of the Day’ features.
Showcasing what she’s been wearing and using to beautify on a regular basis, these sections give great practical advice which you know works – Ree’s photos are right there as living proof! Yet another pioneer of honest reviews and really great guides, Really Ree should be well and truly bookmarked in your browser.
So there you have it! Ten of the internet’s finest, most helpful, most knowledgeable and most engaging bloggers – saving you time from trawling through hundreds of abandoned start-up sites, dubious tips and unusually-positive reviews so you can just get to the good stuff.
If you spot anything you like on any of these sites, don’t hesitate to pop on over to our online store – we offer fantastic prices on absolutely everything we stock, and provide speedy delivery to cut your waiting time right down. If you have any questions, our friendly and helpful team are only a phone call away!