I’m not blind to the fact that almost every photo influencers post these days is backed by a sponsor. Even if they forget to use that FTC required hashtag #ad, a lot of what you’re seeing is paid content. That means a company sent a blogger product and negotiated terms BEFORE she even experienced it. I bet you many influencers have not even tried some of the products they promote, so how can you trust us? Why should you?  

A good blogger promotes only the products she actually loves and that are true to her brand. She also generally gets to choose what she receives to feature, so even if she agrees to post about a dress she’s only seen in a picture, she already knows it’s going to work for her. And if it doesn’t, she should be honest with the brand and exchange it for something else.

If you follow a blogger for a while, you’ll probably get to understand her specific style and tastes which should make it easier to spot a sell-out moment. For example, I’m generally pretty neutral in the color palette I wear. I like basic colors, simple looks, and cute dresses. If after 4 years of blogging similar styled outfits, I all of a sudden posted a photo wearing a neon jumpsuit covered in a paisley print, you would rightfully assume that I am not being true to my style. You might stop trusting my taste and start wondering if the brand paid me a ton of money to wear something completely out of character. You’d probably be right.  

With beauty, it’s a little harder to tell which posts are genuine, especially when you have bloggers like me posting about so many different beauty brands, even competing ones, in the span of a week. Maybe it even seems contradictory at times because how could someone discuss how amazing one shampoo is only to talk about the benefits of a completely different shampoo in the following post? It’s possible this blogger is just posting to get paid, or in my case, I’m simply not brand loyal when it comes to beauty. I love experimenting with new products and discovering new brands. There are certain makeup products I wear religiously like Makeup Forever foundation and Anastasia brow pomade, but when it comes to skincare and hair care, I see nothing wrong with switching things up and exploring multiple brands. That being said, I still only post about products I love. 

Another reason it’s difficult to decipher which posts are honest is that Instagram is filled with purely positive brand endorsements. When was the last time you saw a post featuring a moisturizer where the caption said anything negative about the product? Exactly. But why would it be any other way? Each photo takes time and energy, and there is no point creating beautiful content only to tell your followers not to try something. That’s what Snapchat is for. Posting about something on Instagram is telling your followers you recommend it and that will always come with a positive message. I’ve definitely received products and clothing pieces I don’t like. You simply wouldn’t know, because I’ll never show them to you. My feed is curated to showcase the brands I love and the products I use, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

OUTFIT BREAKDOWN:
Ruffle Floral Maxi Dress: Walter Baker (c/o)
Gold Bracelets: Banana Republic, Design Spark (c/o), The Peach Box (c/o)
Tan Cork Wedges: Dolce Vita/Trunk Club

Photography: Griffin Ungar

xx Esther