Ask the Editor: Vol. V, No. Two

I have thirty minutes of my lunch break left to write this post. So let’s go.

Abra,

What made you start taking freebies? Do you really like any of them? Following other influencers, I’m curious what percentage of the products wind up in the trash or given to other people.

Kaycee

When I first started as a blogger, your name and address would be added to lists. Those lists would then be sold and circulated. Boxes would arrive at your house. Sometimes en masse. Once I realized that these were a form of compensation that had to be tracked, I started actively having myself taken off of lists. (Why did I need to pay the IRS $4 in tax for a lotion that I didn’t even want or ask for but didn’t want to spend $5 to mail back?)

Also, as you said, most of what I received was junk. I remember vividly being sent a hot lime tutu skirt and a coordinating yellow dress from a designer who was obviously just tossing leftover samples in boxes and shipping them out in hopes someone would post about them. The same person sent a good friend a pair of pink bike shorts with a floral belt.

What changed was two things: 1) I had a daughter whose berry budget rivals the GDP of some small countries, and could no longer justify buying new skincare “just to try” on my own dime, and 2) ShopMy was created, allowing me to accept or decline gifts based on whether I think they’re right for me, right for my audience, and might work.

Without question, it’s easier to review a product honestly and without filter when you buy it yourself, which is why I still never accept freebies for Saw It On Social. So how do I gauge what I really want to promote when I get the product for free? If I end up re-buying it with my own money. Here are two products that reached that bar:

Divi Dry Shampoo // Included in the Prime Day craziness is my new go-to dry shampoo. The Divi spray nozzle is just superior. The product exits the can with such force that it actually lifts the hair. Unlike many dry shampoos, this spray does not dry the scalp (which is such a relief). And while I usually hate scented products, every time I use this, I am whisked back to the W Hotel in DC, so it’s fine.

U Beauty Resurfacing Compound // I ran out of serum right before U Beauty sent me their Resurfacing Compound for free. The first time I used it, I woke up with the best skin. I looked hydrated and rested, even though none of that was true. My complexion was even. I loved it.

Over time, I noticed I get small white heads from using it. Not many, and nothing that can’t be exfoliated and healed by noon. Just something I’ve noticed. And clearly the benefits outweigh this minor issue because I paid $118 for 30ml of this serum.

Can you help me find a linen work dress that’s not a tight sheath or a loose maxi? I don’t want boho or sitting creases.

This one from Theory is the one. No need for another recommendation. I can see inside your mind. This is the one.

Abra: Please help me find an intern gift that isn’t a coffee cup or bookends for the girls who work my desk. Both are 28, one is in law school, one is going next month. $75 max.

My mantra for these gifts is pretty and useful. I would snap up a good wallet and add a gift card. I also like a nice leather notebook (though more in the $100+ budget). Or, a new gift to me, a friend bought her clerk from summer the good highlighters, the good legal pads, and a few other supplies. A bookstore gift card might also be appreciated because those heavy law books are spendy.

{this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}