Editorial standards
How I test everything
This site only works if you can trust it, so here is exactly how products get tested, how money changes hands, and what I will never do. If any of this stops being true, this page changes first.
The rules
Used properly, or not reviewed
Skincare gets at least four weeks, which is about one skin cycle. Makeup gets multiple real wears, including a long day and a night out. If I have not used something long enough to have a genuine opinion, it does not get written up.
Skin type stated every time
Skincare results are personal. Every review says what my skin was doing during testing, so you can judge whether my result has any bearing on yours rather than assuming it does.
Gifted and paid work labelled
Gifted products carry a Gifted label. Paid partnerships carry an Ad label. Both sit at the top of the post, before the opinion, as UK CAP and ASA rules require. Neither buys a better verdict.
Commission never moves a ranking
Plenty of what I recommend earns me nothing at all. Where a link does earn a commission, the product still has to have beaten the alternatives on its own merits to be recommended.
Untested products are marked as untested
Occasionally a product gets a mention without me having tried it, usually because readers keep asking. It gets a plain notice saying I have not used it, and it is excluded from ratings and rankings entirely.
I tell you what I do not know
I am not a beauty expert and I have never claimed to be. I do not know every brand and I cannot tell you what an ingredient does at a molecular level. I can tell you what happened when I used something for two months, which is a different thing and, for most of what people actually want to know, a more useful one.
No medical claims, ever
Cosmetics are not medicine. Nothing here will tell you a product cures acne, treats eczema or fixes rosacea, because that is not a claim a cosmetic product is allowed to make and not one I am qualified to assess.
Mistakes get corrected in public
If I get a fact wrong, I fix the post and note what changed rather than quietly editing it. Posts that have been updated carry a change log showing what moved and when.
Dead codes come down
Discount codes get checked, and expired ones are removed rather than left up to catch people out at the checkout. If you find one that has stopped working, tell me and I will pull it.
Common questions
How long do you use a product before reviewing it?
At least four weeks for skincare, because that is roughly one skin cycle and anything shorter tells you nothing. Makeup and tools can be quicker, but still several proper wears rather than one. Every review states the testing period at the top.
Do you accept payment for good reviews?
No. Brands can pay me to make content for their own channels, which is what the work with me page is about. They cannot pay for a positive review here, a place in a ranking, or a star rating. If a brand asks for that, I turn it down.
How do you label gifted products?
With a visible label at the top of the post, before the review itself. UK advertising rules require gifted items to be disclosed clearly and upfront, and the label is built into the site so it cannot be left off by accident.
Do you earn money from the links on this site?
Sometimes. Some links are affiliate links or use my discount code, and if you buy through one I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes what I write or how products are ranked.
Do you review products you have not used?
No. If a product appears on the site without me having used it, it carries a clear notice saying so, and it gets no rating, no ranking and no recommendation. That rule is enforced in the site's code, not just in this policy.
Are you qualified to give skincare advice?
No, and I do not. I am a content creator, not a dermatologist, pharmacist or doctor. I describe what happened to my skin when I used something. For a genuine skin condition, please see a GP or a pharmacist.
Think I have got something wrong?
Tell me. If a fact is wrong, a code has died or a product has been reformulated since I wrote about it, I would rather hear it from you than leave it sitting there misleading people. Email abbiem.mcdonnell@gmail.com or use the contact form.