Beauty Q and A

Q.) What's the point of having all this makeup junk on your blog?

A.) Ehehe >:D I want to provide a thorough database for lolitas and everyone else who may be interested in makeup to see completely unbiased reviews of products side by side. I had a lot of questions about things like false eyelashes and BB creams that were very hard to find answers to, and since it's something that many of my readers are interested in as well, it seemed like a good opportunity to learn some new things for myself. Knowing that different people have different skin types, I will also be featuring some guests with different skin types and preferences to give their opinions of the same products. I am also fairly new to the makeup multiverse, so it's also an entertaining way to see which products will be my ultimate "keepers."

Q.) Except for your goth years in middle and high school, you've never been into beauty. What's with the sudden interest in makeup products? 

A.) I had a shift in the way I think about makeup. I used to think that makeup was to cover your face when you were unhappy with how you looked, to modify and "improve" what was already there. While it certainly can be that, I think of it now as an artform and a fun thing to do. Besides going with clothing, makeup can stand alone by itself with a very simple coordinate and completely change your look in any way you want it to. You can play endlessly with a large palette of eyeshadow, but how many ways you can wear a jumperskirt is much more limited—by your wardrobe and ability to procure more items that can be coordinated with that jumperskirt.

Q.) But don't you still have to have a bunch of products to do makeup? Won't you still end up spending a lot? Not to mention things like foundation and mascara have limited use and a short lifespan.

A.) You don't necessarily need a lot of products, particularly pricier ones, to get good results with makeup. A lot of it has to do with making educated purchases and your skill in doing makeup. With lolita clothing, there is a limit to how many pieces are made, and the pieces themselves can be quite expensive to the middle-class American. With makeup, there's always more being made to replace products you like. Even if you were to buy new foundation and mascara every month (which I would never do if it wasn't to try new products on this blog) it will still be less than a brand skirt by the end of the year. With rare exception, each product that I test is under $20. The value of makeup stands in its ability to dress up anything you may already have. Where you can wear the same foundation six days a week, you probably won't be wearing the same dress six days a week! The very purpose of the beauty section here on The Literary Lolita is to help you, the reader, decide which products will work best for you so you don't have to try a hundred things yourself and waste precious resources.

Q.) Do you take requests?

A.) Yes! It depends upon the request, of course, but I'm generally willing to do short tutorials and answer questions. If there is a product you would like for me to test, and it is under $20, please contact me on facebook. Outside of the products I got to start with, I probably won't be able to afford to test more than one product per month.

Q.) I'm an indie business looking to promote my new products, will you advertise for me?

A.) I will test and review your lolita and/or makeup products, and leave an absolutely unbiased rating of your product here on my blog. I'm an honest person and want to have a trusting relationship with my readers. If I do like your product enough to advertise it on an unobtrusive billboard space, I will contact you after my review.