HA and more HA!

I received this email about a week ago from a company (who I had never heard of and even googling I couldn't find anything) and this post is for all people who would like to know how I handle companies who would like to make use of my YouTube channel and blog to advertise their products. Ultimately they would like to make use of the effort, hard work and time I have put in to making it successful and hopefully respected. I hope this clarifies my position on blogging new products whether they are sent to me or I have bought them.

Dear Jasmine,

We would like to hire you to create a Christmas Makeup tutorial video exclusively advertising our products.

Our collection is very fashionable, of high European quality and health standards.
We carry the latest in fashion color cosmetics and sell them at the lowest prices.

We are going to be launching our website very soon. We will also be shipping worldwide.
As soon as we launch our website we will send you the link in order for you to take a look at our collection.

We will send you the samples you want to use for your video tutorial free of charge.

If you are interested, please inform us of your rate per tutorial video, your mailing address and contact information.

Best Regards,

So I wrote back:

Dear XXX,

Thank you for your email. I would be interested in making a tutorial using your products but as you know I only use cruelty free cosmetics. As a company not listed with PETA or BUAV would you be so kind to confirm that your cosmetics are cruelty free e.g ingredients and products not tested on animals.

My services as a make up artist are for hire, however my YouTube channel make up videos and Blog are only of products that I like and have used, whether those products have been free or I have purchased. So before I do any videos with your products I would need to try the products to be happy that what I am advertising is worth it. I do not mean to be rude or insult your product line, but you can imagine that I am approached often to advertise products and so I impose this standard on all companies I work with. It is really important that I am honest about products that I use in my tutorials. If your products are good then I will have no problem using them and advocating them.

*For this I do not require payment.*

If you would like to use the video I produce to advertise your products for example on your website then I do expect a fee that we can discuss in due course.

Kind regards,
Jasmine

Funnily enough I haven't heard from them again and would be surprised if I did!

So peeps, that's how I roll with PR and Cosmetics companies, and I would encourage others to consider this stance if they don't already! I am quite bored of the blame game between bloggers blaming PR companies for the hard sell and pressure to review and the viewers feeling tricked by bloggers who are trying new products and don't say where they got them. Do you think bloggers should say, or are you content that they've been sent them to try and tell you about?