A review is not just fashionable or cosmetic, it's useful too! (How to write a good Fashion or Beauty review)

Member Name: sirg0508

Product:	How to write a good Fashion or Beauty review
Date:	21/05/06 (370 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A handy reminder of what the review is for and questions that could be asked

Disadvantages: It takes practice to get it right

As the Guide for the Fashion and Beauty category I have read numerous reviews in this section. Hopefully as I do have to read all these reviews, the guide I have written should offer writers an idea of things that could/should be included in the review. Fashion and Beauty are two very different subjects so I will give two separate guides as to what I look for in a review: remembering what a review is actually for…

One of the most important factors you should have in your head at the time of writing any review is that the review is for a potential buyer of that product. They will come to the site looking for an unbiased opinion of a product/service that you have used so will want to know if it is any good or should be avoided and why. To keep focused put yourself in their shoes. When you picked up the product in a shop or bought it online, what were your thoughts as you saw it? What questions would you have liked to have asked before you bought it but were only provided with the basic information on the packaging etc.? You can hopefully provide people with that information and with your review can help them decide whether or not the product is for them.

Remember this is my opinion on the information I look for – there are products that are not of interest to me so I put myself into the shoes of a potential buyer. This is also generalised and not specific to one area or certain products (examples are given) so most of the time the questions below can be adapted or missed to suit the product being reviewed.

*BEAUTY* - Beauty Misc., Body Care, Fragrances, Hair Care, Make Up, Skin Care.

The first thing I think about when reading/writing a beauty review is where the product will have been advertised. This information I wouldn’t include in the review but it gives the writer an idea of why people may be coming to the site. Make up is generally advertised on TV or in magazines but of course those are limited to a glossy photo or a 30 second ad which makes it impossible for the viewer to get all the details about the product. A magazine for example may have that high quality photo, a celebrity endorsing it and the product name. But that is all. No mention of what the product is or does. The majority of products on the site may not be advertised at all and word of mouth or just general browsing may intrigue a person.

So firstly I’d like to read an introduction as to what the product is – sometimes by the name and the category the review is placed in it is still hard to figure out what it is. Personally I’m not really interested in a life story as to how you may come about buying it as I feel that information isn’t necessary and won’t help me decide if it’s for me but of course it is personal choice and if you want to add something then feel free to do so. The intro doesn’t have to be long – just give the reader an idea of the product so they know if it is something they’ll be looking for and then when you get into the main review, discuss it in more detail.

Many adverts make very promising claims. For a woman, a foundation ad may promise a flawless finish, for a man a shaving gel may claim to give a closer shave with no irritation and for a child a shampoo may claim to reduce tangled hair and no irritation if it gets in their eyes. It can be useful to say what the product claims because as these are ‘opinions’ you can then go on to discuss those claims in greater detail and give your opinion on how much you agree or disagree with them.

The bulk of the review should be personal opinion because we are human and have flaws – we’re not as perfect as the models on TV advertising the products and in a way can ‘prove’ to the reader why you have come to the conclusions you have. What do you think of the product? How well do you think it performs? Some reviews may also provide information on the smell of the product – remember it may be a product marketed for women but men can also use them and may not want to smell of flowers. Other products may be for a certain skin/hair type so perhaps describe your type as people may not be the same and decide to try something else. Is the product easy to use? Is it messy? As I mentioned before, does the product actually live up to its claims in your opinion? How long does the product last or will you find yourself having to buy a new one often? A plus could also be to compare the product you are describing to something similar – price variations, quality of the products, results…

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages – these can be stated in the boxes at the start of the review but you can give a much fuller opinion on them in the review itself. How does the product perform over time? Writing a review of a hand cream on first use may not actually be that helpful – do your hands feel any different weeks later? Even shampoos used once can produce great results but with continual use can leave hair lifeless because of the build up on the hair. It really is important to have experience of the product so you know the ins and outs of it or it will show in the review that there is limited knowledge.

Beauty reviews (although there are exceptions in the category) are generally products that contain ingredients. A few members have asked if they should include all the ingredients. NO! Many people write “This product contains X, Y, Z ingredients but I have no idea what they are” – so why include them? If they mean nothing to you, chances are they’ll mean nothing to anyone else. Those sorts of details just pad out the review. Some reviews you can mention the important ingredients – if you know the product contains X which helps moisturise the skin then describe it – that sort of info if much more useful. Don’t just list things for the sake of it.

Finally I’d like to read a conclusion to your review. Give a round up of the product and describe your reasoning for choosing the star rating you have – what did you knock stars off for or what you felt were plus points. Will you be buying the product again and did you feel it was good value for money? By summarizing the review you can clearly state the main facts that arrive to you overall feeling of the product.


*FASHION* - Fashion, Fashion Accessories, Shoes.

Fashion is a relatively quiet category and it can be a hard area to work out what is required from the review. These can be specific items, more of a general opinion on the ranges supplied by certain brands or shops (although most of the time the shops are found in the Shopping category).

Firstly what is the product/brand? Introduce it to those who may only know vaguely what it is about. As I mentioned in the Beauty category, the name may not give a clue and if the reader can find out general information from the first paragraph it can save them wasted time if they know it is or isn’t what they want. If it is a brand what is it they sell? Is it a range specifically for one gender, age range or size? If it is a specific product, describe what it is and what it does and even what it looks like because if there is more than one product, the picture provided may not be the one you are describing.

In the main review, describe the product(s) you yourself have bought and give as much opinion as possible so you can demonstrate what you are saying. In a clothing review you could mention what you thought of the items you bought, the style of them, what they were made of and how good a quality you felt they were. Mention what sort of age range you think they are suited to as many may decide from that they won’t suit it and find something else. In a fashion accessory review such as sunglasses you can describe the how well you feel they performed in protecting your eyes and how long they lasted. In a watch review you could describe your needs from the watch, if they were satisfied, battery life, accuracy and the functions of the watch. For brand concentrated reviews describe the ranges, the sizes available, the fashions, if you feel there were the advantages or disadvantages with buying this brand compared to another, what the brand offered you and if they bring in new products regularly. Compare prices with similar brands or products but provide an opinion to tell the reader what you thought was better/worse and why.

Finally give a round up of your experience with that product or brand. Will you be buying another? What advantages/disadvantages did you come up with? Overall were you happy or not? Show the reasons you gave for giving the star rating you did.


*BOTH AREAS*

There are subjects common with both areas and review writing in general.

Company information is an area that can either be a yes or a no. I know that there are products out there made by environmentally conscious companies or those against animal testing so stating that can be a plus. What I really don’t want to see is all the pointless details about when the company was set up and the run up from then to now. Unless there is a specific reason for including that information that could help me (a potential buyer) decide whether or not I should buy from them then I ignore it.

Packaging although can be useful to help people find the products on the shelf by distinguishing them; I really don’t feel a huge amount of weight should be put on it. This again pads out the review and if people find the product they can easily read what is on the box themselves. But if describing a product like a shampoo, it can be useful to describe how easy the shampoo bottle is to use in a shower: those with dexterity problems would find that a huge plus if they know they may have problems.

Be an individual. I don’t expect people to follow this guide to the letter and produce hundreds of reviews all in the same format and include the same information. I want variation – put your stamp on your reviews. If you wish to include any detail then go ahead and do so as I don’t necessarily rate down for it unless I find it impossible to find the relevant information.

Quantity does not equal quality. I don’t want to read a 10,000 word essay on product when you can quite easily say all you need to in less than 1,000 words. Think about what you are saying – if you base anything on today, will it have any relevance tomorrow? E.g. “I’ve not had much time to write on Dooyoo lately so thought I’d post this one as I had it half finished anyway”... That won’t help anyone, it’s irrelevant and even if you as the author go back to read it a week/year later, you’ll wonder why you included it. The same goes with mentions of Dooyoo – most people have no idea how Dooyoo works, the review writing and rating so keep referenced to a minimum (preferably no mention at all).

If you do need any help before or after posting in this section then feel free to contact me and I will do my best to help you out. No doubt I may have missed specifics out that relate to certain products so write the review as you would and include the details you feel are necessary then you can use the guide to add in anything you may have missed that you feel should be included or omit those that just pad it out. You can edit a review so don't worry if there is anything missed out. Please don't post reviews in any category just because there is no exact product match - contact me and I'll let you know how to add it.

If you think highly of a product then sell it – put passion into it and chances are you’ll do a good job of making someone feel the need to buy it. On the other hand if you have had a negative experience, don’t be ashamed to admit it – if you give all the relevant details and prove effectively why you don’t like it then you could save people from experiencing the same thing.

P.S. Please don’t convince me I need to buy anything else or I may have to move out from lack of room! :D

Summary: Advice on writing reviews in the Fashion and Beauty category.