Q: Do you buy all the products you review?
A: All products reviewed on this site (unless specifically noted) are sent to me by publicists for free. Your fair Jolie hasn't paid for a beauty product (okay, other than razors and her beloved Diptyque candles) since
way before she become a beauty editor in 2001!
Q: If you receive and review free products, how do we know you're not being swayed by all the swag?
A: The FTC has recently cracked down on bloggers, terrified that our readers will blindly follow us off cliffs like lemmings, and apparently not trusting that the American public has reason and judgment when it comes to deciding which products will, in turn, work for them and are worth their hard earned money. Hence: this disclaimer. All my readers know that I only review products I feel passionate about and think are worth your exploration. Sure, this is just a beauty blog, but I take my work, my writing and my recommendations seriously. If I write about it on Jolie, I think it's a great product and ain't nobody who can sway mama.
Q: But what about when you go on press trips or to an event and then write about the brand?
A: You have my solemn promise that I will continue to attend celebrity and beauty events and write about them -- don't you want to know what Jennifer Aniston and Lauren Conrad's hair looks like when the lights go down? (I certainly do!) Whenever I attend a press trip or event, or have an event hosted for me by a brand, I will continue to display transparency about said brand's involvement.
Q: So what about your hair?
A: You mean, how do I keep it so shiny? (Midnight pagan rituals.) Ahh...you mean, do I get it done for free? I do! As I wrote about in my book
Beauty Confidential, publicists often set up appointments for editors—after all, how can you be an "expert" on which salons are best if you haven't actually tried them yourself? Lest you think, "Well, just pay for it!", we writers of any ilk are not often rolling in the dough. So, when a publicist offers a gratis service, I'd like to meet the woman strong enough to say, "No! Away with you celebrity stylist! I shall remain at Supercuts!"
Q: Do you get swag?
A: Have you
read my book
Beauty Confidential? Out of all the bloggers in internetland, I've covered this extensively. Luckily, the industry has evolved, so the swag-fest that the beauty industry used to be has vastly diminished and you can feel confident that the bloggers you've developed relationships with and have learned to trust will
never be swayed by swag. (But does swag still happen? You bet...and much more with editors than with bloggers. Cover
that, FTC!)
Q: How do I submit a product for review?
A: Email me at
nadine@nadinejolie.com and we'll talk! Unfortunately, I review only a very small percentage of the products I'm sent. (And what products I don't swallow up into my arsenal I donate to or sell for charity twice per year in that time-honored ritual known as a "beauty sale" Check out my second book
Confessions of a Beauty Addict for more about this hellish pasttime!) If your product does make it past the Jolie filters, however, it must be good.
Q: Why do you write about beauty?
A: I believe, with every fiber of my being, that every woman deserves to look and feel her personal best. As a beauty "expert" with access to products and salons and celebrity stylists, I simply want to pass along all that knowledge to you. You don't have to be a supermodel and you don't have to have a million dollars - all you need is a little help from your friends, like Jolie! Beauty isn't about competing with others - it's about making the most of your own looks and radiating happiness and confidence...okay, and about finding the most flattering shade of lipgloss! Please know that I appreciate and adore each and every one of my readers, and feel honored to serve you. Thanks for reading, and stay beautiful!
Q: One last question. Why do you sometimes refer to yourself in the third person, as Jolie?
A: Jeez. Beats me. Jolie's been doing it for years. I wish she would stop it!