Hello everyone **waves** as the fashion and Beauty Guide I thought it was about time that I sat down and actually told everyone what it is I am looking for in a review when I am doing my Guide thing by nominating people for crowns, which I have to say I do quite regularly.

Now my predecessor the adorable Angus said “I think Fashion and Beauty are NOT separate categories but are in fact one” and to a large extent I agree with him because for me Fashion isn’t just about what is hot and what is not which is often justified by the media but it is also about the differing aspects such as hair styles, ‘in’ colours, fads and trends and so on. Beauty is an emotional perception on life it is just as much about looking good, feeling good to having a good sense of balance and harmony and being confident with it all, whether that beauty is inner or outer is clearly down to each and every individual and can be displayed in very different ways.

So having discussed the finer points of both Fashion and Beauty it is clear that everyone has their own ideology and interpretation of which that might mean but when it comes to writing what a review must include and does not really have to include is a difficult one as there are usually so many things to think about but when I write a review I try putting myself the review author in the consumer’s shoes answering the questions I feel they would be asking should they want to buy the product I am writing about. So for me the main pointers to include do not really differ to those suggested by Angus, which are:

Ingredients - The reason I am including ingredients is because there are some ingredients, which make the product what it is. Should there be an overwhelming smell of Lavender then there must be a reason it was included and what those properties are. So Lavender it is well known evokes both calm and relaxation which for me would be a major selling point because I always look at the list if ingredients when buying something. However, that is not to say that your review should list ingredient after ingredient and become the main focal point of your review. If it is relevant include it and if you feel it isn’t then don’t.

Description - As I have said before it is a definite must for me, I want to know what something looks like when I am thinking of buying something and if it looks attractive or is sold in something interesting then tell me about it. So your review should include information about size, shape and colour if you have not done so already especially if it happens to be from somewhere like Lush or the Body Shop or with beauty products from places like BeneFit and Hard Candy who tend to be quite creative with their products. The reason I say this is because I believe they have been designed in such a way as to catch your eye and encourage you to buy them. Also the name of the product is usually a clever marketing ploy which is not usually relevant to the product - for example the last review that I wrote about was ‘French Kiss’ by Lush now one would assume that it would be a lip balm or something associated with kissing but in this case it is a Lush Bubble Bar and has nothing whatsoever to do with kissing and it certainly isn’t French, so the name could prove to be an important part of your review rather than using it in the title (not that I would ever make a play on words).

Small amount of background information – Again if you can include a brief summary about the product then do so, for example Lush products are handmade and contain only fresh ingredients and they are not tested on animals so this information is obviously important.

Usage – Again how often is the product used, how long does it last for and how do you use it putting it quite simply and again an important part of your review.

Cost – How much a product costs should also be included within any review as they are an important factor is any decisions made when choosing whether or not to buy a particular product.

Personal insight – As any review is a personal account it should be based on what you think, how it made you feel, why you bought it and why you are or are not recommending it to other Dooyoo user.

Finally packaging which always causes a bit of controversy when it comes to reviews over whether it is or is not important. In my view it is only important if it forms part of the products image or is relevant to the product, example – Skin cream from The Body Shop or Lush comes in a container with a tight sealing lid to keep the product as fresh as possible avoiding the drying out stage and therefore it is important to mention it.

One final thing before I summarise and that is the title of your review, now everyone knows that I always make a play on words as and when I can get away with it, why? Well because it makes my review A) Stand out in the crowd and B) Makes people want to read it because it has caught their attention. If you are going to write a review make the title interesting. I think one of my best titles was for the review I wrote about Lush Two Timing Tart and I used the title “He stole my virginity with a two-timing tart” why… because it was the very first Lush product I ever used, so therefore I am no longer a Lush virgin and the product being called ‘Two Timing Tart’ allowed me to make a play on words which got people wandering what on earth I was writing about and they came to read it. If you are writing about Lipotrim and have the title ‘Lipotrim works for me’ then it doesn’t stand out in a crowd, nor does it enthuse me to read it. So just a little tip there.

When looking at a nominating a review for a crown I will look for anything that merits a nomination even if I only find the review useful. Let me explain why, for me a useful review could display all the relevant information that I have mentioned so far throughout this review but I find the style of writing less enjoyable or it may have a constant stream of spelling errors, which make the review a little more difficult to read. I am not a stickler for grammar but punctuation does play a semi-important role for me but it is not make or break for any review that I choose to read.

So providing that you have covered all of the main things in a personal approach and have included the details of which I have mentioned above then a review should be worthy of a nomination.