- Into The Gloss: Into The Gloss is different than most of the other sites I researched because it does not have one sole blogger, instead the page has a series of author's or bloggers who put out different blog articles daily. I believe this is because of the size of the blog. It was started in 2010 and has grown immensely since then. I like that the blog has mostly articles, but there is the occasional video or interview spaced in their to break up the content a bit, and keep the readers interested. This blog also has a commercial aspect to it. At the top right corner of the blog there is a link you can click on that takes you to "Shop Glossier". On this site you can purchase their lip products and various beauty products like moisturizers and primers. The site's main purpose is health and beauty, not just makeup because at the top there are tabs to take you to Interviews, Makeup, Skincare, and Hair blog posts. I would say that the audience for this type of blog is feminine, and even more specifically women of early 20s because of the advanced techniques and products that they talk about.
- theFashionSpot: Like Into The Gloss, theFashionSpot is a large compilation of various blog posts by various bloggers. It seems to have a very large audience because there are several blog posts that are written every day in each section of the blog. This brings me to the blog set up which I really liked. The website is really easy to navigate. On the home page there is a horizontal row of tabs that take you to different parts of the website. For example there are Style, Beauty, Celeb, Fashion Week, and Community tabs. Clicking on them will allow you to narrow the blog down to the specific purpose. Obviously I clicked the Beauty tab, and was brought to a page with various blogs by publication date. I really liked how each subsection had kind of a key to direct readers. On the right hand side you are able to choose tabs that are in that specific section. The Beauty tab has sections for: Trends, Tips, Tutorials, and Products. This makes it a lot more comfortable as a reader to navigate such a large site. Similar to Into The Gloss, this blog is mainly dedicated to a feminine audience, but I would say specifically late teen to women in their 30s because of the tips and trends that the blog provides.
- The Budget Beauty Blog: I really love this blog! This blog is the most similar to what I plan/hope to accomplish with my Niche Blog. On the About page it is very clear that Jen, the author of the blog, has a lot of experience in the fashion and beauty world to establish herself as a successful beauty blogger. It said she worked for 5 years as a fashion merchandiser, and 4 years at Sephora. She has also been blogging since 2009, and began solely as a budget drug store review blogger, but has since moved towards both budget and high-end beauty products to attract more of an audience. Her previous experience says to me as a reader that she is very credible and knows her stuff. I really like the layout of her blog. It makes things easy to find as a reader because it is separated by Reviews by Brand, Holy Grail Products, and New in Beauty, which is how I would separate my topics if my Niche Blog continued. In her About bio Jen mentions she is now a stay at home mom, and specifically addresses her audience as women "who love both a splurge and a bargain." I also really liked the use of hyperlinks in Jen's blog. For example, I checked out the Holy Grail Products tab and found links to all the products websites she was talking about, so the reader can learn more about a specific product or even purchase them.
- Rose Shock: Rose Shock is a beauty blog that I found. Rose Shock is a blog that does not focus solely on makeup trends and looks, but it talks about all things beauty (hair, makeup, glasses, trends, etc.) One thing that I really like that Rose Shock does that I want to do in my niche blog is provide pictures of the products I am talking about. For example, it talks about a specific product, and after provides a photo of the actual product for readers to see. I feel like this is helpful for the reader who might be searching for a specific product to know what it looks like/ what the packaging looks like. Rose Shock's author Tanja, is a 21 year old from Finland. The blogs are both in Dutch and English for readers to understand. Because of all the different trends and tricks she posts about I would say her specific audience is someone who wants to try new things or switch up their look everyday. Tanja also provides links to her Facebook and Instagram account at the top of the page for readers to check out, because I believe social media and blogging go hand in hand nowadays.
- Sam Schuerman Beauty and Lifestyle: The first thing that caught my eye on Sam Schuerman’s blog is the layout. I just really love the layout and design of this blog. It is pink and girly and everything flows really nicely together. She has different tabs like ‘Mommy Youtube Channel’, ‘Beauty Youtube Channel, and ‘Daily Vlogs’, etc. Her blog is more so of a video Youtube blog rather than written reviews of products, but I like how detailed her reviews are, so I plan to kind of follow in her footsteps in the detail aspect. Although the blog fits all beauty lovers, I would say Sam's blog's audience is for the older beauty lovers because she has Mommy and Me sections, and also home decor sections. Although her blog is an individual it does have a commercial aspect to it because it has a tab dedicated to her designed notebooks for sale.
- Life With Me: Marianna, the author of the blog Life With Me, was a TV host turned life-style blogger. I really enjoyed how different the beauty tab of her blog is. The set up is not in traditional horizontal tabs, but in square photos the reader can click on for more information. It provides how-to tutorial videos for a visual aspect of her blog, along with various articles. I would say her audience is a diverse group of beauty lovers. I say this because there is such a wide range of blog posts that can relate to women of various ages. For example, there's a blog post about Red Carpet Looks, and then another blog post about a beauty blender vs. a silicon pad.
- She's in The Glow: Similar to the first few blogs I researched, She's In The Glow is a blog run by a variety of bloggers. What is different from those blogs that I am happy that She's In The Glow did is provide a tab of what they call "Glow Girls." Under this tab provides a picture and description of each of the bloggers on the site. This helps get to know who you are reading and their credibility. A majority of the Glow Girls are extremely qualified. For example, Clémence von Mueffling has worked with big brands like Clarins and Dior, and has family that worked for French Vogue. She's In The Glow also has a commercial aspect I'm assuming because of its large size and audience. You can purchase all things beauty related from this site. One thing that I really liked about the set up of this blog is that it is separated into different categories like The Lips, The Face, The Eye, The Skin, etc. This makes it easy for the reader to navigate such a large site.
- Miss Maven: Miss Maven is a beauty inspired blog. This blog provides various subsections for the readers like Hair, Makeup, Skincare, and tutorials. I like how each blog post has a picture as like a cover photo so the reader has an idea of what that blog is about, I plan on doing that with my Niche Blogs. I also like how the tutorials come with a video, because I know first hand to learn how to do proper makeup techniques it is easier to watch them be done than to read about it. One thing I do not like about this blog is the inconsistency in blog posts. Miss Maven will post a blog than not post another for a few months. I feel like in the blogging industry it is important to stay relevant and up to date with all postings to keep an audience. Her audience seems to be more of the high-end beauty spectrum including expensive brands and tools.
Katerina Beauty: Kat does not say much about how she became a beauty blogger other than she just has a passion for it. She says she is 20 years old living in Australia, and most of the products she reviews on her blog are Australian brands. I would say because of her age and the mainly Australian brands her audience would be young Australian females. Her blog seems to be more of a product review blog which readers who are new to makeup are sure to love. It guides them on what products to buy and what ones to not buy. I like how Kat provides large quality pictures of all the products she reviews. Again, it provides the reader with a visual and clarity about what product is being reviewed. Kat also provides makeup tutorials on looks and everyday makeup. I really like that this is included because videos along with blog posts seem to break up the content and give the reader something different. I would use this technique in my own blog.
- Beauty in the Bag: Beauty in the Bag is a blog started by a mother-daughter duo in 2008. Mother, Wendy Lewis, is the author of 11 beauty books, and has been featured on and in the New York Times, New York Post, CNN, etc. Her daughter Eden was the Marketing Manager for a skincare brand called MD Complete. So, between Eden's social media and marketing aspect, and her mother's beauty knowledge it is no wonder that Beauty in the Bag has grown and blown up the way it has. This blog's content is a little bit different than the others because it provides links and details on skin care professionals, facialists, colorists, surgeons, and much more who are "Beauty Gurus." The blog also provides a plethora of makeup, skincare, and hair reviews providing a lot of variety for the reader. The site has a commercial aspect to it because they do 'Gorgeous Giveaways' to their subscribers. The audience for this blog would be more adult females because of the "Beauty Guru" aspect of it dealing with surgical procedures involving beauty.