Started Makeup Stash (www.makeupstash.com) in 2008

Between 170,000 and 200,000 blog page views a month; 1,540 followers on Twitter and 1,240 Facebook fans. The majority of her readers are from Singapore, Britain and the United States. She also gets readers from Greece, Finland, Israel and South Korea sometimes.

A history and European studies graduate from the National University of Singapore, she has been a freelance make-up artist for the past decade.

Most of her clients are women who want to update their looks through one-on-one beauty workshops or makeovers.

The mother of two boys is currently five months pregnant with her third child.

How did you become a beauty blogger?

In 2000, I posted a review on Prescriptives Magic Powder. It caught the eye of the editors of Emakemeup.com, a Canada-based website that shut down last year.

I started writing beauty articles for them and have been doing so at least once a month for the past 10 years.

Makeup Stash is a product of that writing experience, plus the fact that I'm a make-up artist who is excited by beauty products.

How much do you earn from your blog?

None. To some extent, I think this makes me more credible. Makeup Stash is essentially a personal interest blog. But I'll see how things go.

How much time do you spend on your blog?

I try to write about three times a week, taking anywhere from 10 minutes to three hours each time. I get most of my blog ideas from press releases sent to me, what I observed on the streets and discussions with my friends.

What qualifies you to dish out beauty advice?

I'm self-taught and I've been a make-up artist for 10 years. Three years ago, I took a refresher course and received a diploma in Professional Make-up and Hairstyling Artistry from local beauty school and salon, The Make Up Room. The syllabus included cosmetology.

How do readers know if they can trust your reviews?

I always state which products were bought or given by beauty brands. I usually review those from the brands that I trust, such as Shiseido, M.A.C and Clarins. But I try to be open to all kinds of products, especially those that are innovative and come in pretty packaging.

I give the products a fair chance by trying them out for at least two weeks, especially if they are skincare products. Then I'll state why I like or don't like them in my posts.

I take time to read the ingredient list in the products as well. Every month, I spend between $100 and $400 on beauty products.

With all the launches and freebies, beauty blogging sounds like a glamorous pastime. What are the downsides?

It is time consuming, especially when it comes to formatting the pictures.

I tend to edit my copy over and over again.

I don't like it when some beauty brands give me deadlines and insist that I review their products positively.

I tell them nicely that my readers trust me because I am honest and I won't veer from that policy.

Which are your must-have beauty products?

The eyeshadows from M.A.C and Urban Decay because I love their colours and they are easy to blend.

I'm also a fan of American beauty brand Sage Skincare's Micro Peel Scrub because it is a powerful exfoliator that brightens my skin.

What would you say to those who think that beauty bloggers are freebie-grabbing narcissists?

There are some bloggers out there who cold-call beauty companies to ask for freebies.

I'm appalled at their behaviour because I don't think it's classy to ask for free products. But it would be a mistake for people to tar all beauty bloggers with the same brush.

WHAT WE THINK OF THE BLOG

Hits: Amid the beauty news, thorough product reviews and how-to tips on the blog, there are surprising gems that only someone obsessed with beauty products can think of.

For instance, in a post last year, Ms Teo showed her readers what to do with a bottle of primer that would dispense only a tiny amount with each pump of the applicator. She sliced the bottle in half with a mini handsaw bought from her neighbourhood DIY store and decanted the product into an empty lipgloss pen.

Misses: Pointers like the one on the different uses of white eyeliner were helpful, but they could have been illustrated with pictures instead of just text. Also, the 'review' category link lists only three summarised posts each time - all that scrolling and clicking to-and-fro can be a hassle.

Started Beauty Fool (www.beautyfool.net) in 2008

180,000 blog page views per month; 1,230 fans on Facebook and 632 followers on Twitter mostly spread across the United States, Britain and Singapore. The rest are from Australia, Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

The Singaporean of Danish and Chinese descent is a media and communications graduate from the University of South Australia. She is now a freelance marketing and social media consultant.

Beauty Fool, which offers beauty tips and discussions on self-esteem, was nominated for the best beauty blog category in the British edition of Cosmopolitan magazine's Blog Awards last year. It was the only Asia-based blog to be nominated for the magazine's inaugural blog awards.

How much do you earn from your blog?

A couple of hundred dollars a month from Google Adsense, which pays bloggers for displaying relevant ads. This covers the cost of hosting the blog. I am looking to doing sponsored posts because I've had a few offers. But I'm thinking about how I can do it without compromising my blog. I don't want others to dictate what I write.

How did you become a beauty blogger?

I love writing and, like most women, I like to look good and experiment with my hair. That was how I started. I usually focus on how-to tips, body image issues and products which I've come across and find effective or interesting.

How much time do you spend on your blog?

I spend around 40 hours a week on writing, sourcing for pictures and testing out products for the blog. In the first six months, I devoted about 14 hours a day on it.

Most of the products that I review are sent to me for consideration by the beauty brands. I spend less than $100 every two to three months on buying beauty products for reviews.

What qualifies you to dish out beauty advice?

I don't think I'm qualified. All I do is share my ideas and experiences. I learn and discover things together with my readers. There's a reason my blog is called Beauty Fool and not Beauty Expert.

How do readers know if they can trust your reviews?

There are no fees involved so I am not biased. The brands usually e-mail me first to ask if I would like to review their products. I agree only if it is something that I would use, like tinted moisturisers and body scrubs. I've rejected invitations to try weight loss treatments because that's not what I want to promote.

I make it clear in my posts if the products were given to me by the beauty brands.

With all the launches and freebies, beauty blogging seems like a glamorous pastime. What are the downsides?

When I get unreasonable requests from PR people or the beauty companies. Some think that by giving us a freebie, we'll do anything they say, such as give them positive reviews. That really annoys me. Fortunately, it does not happen often.

Which are your must-have beauty products?

The Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel from Clinique, which I've been using since I was 17, and the eyeshadows and lipsticks from M.A.C because of the good range of colours and how well they last.

What would you say to those who think that all bloggers are freebie-grabbing narcissists?

Not all bloggers want to show pictures of themselves day and night. But no matter what a blogger writes, he or she should provide value to readers, be it in the form of information or entertainment.

WHAT WE THINK OF THE BLOG

Hits: We like how Ms Lorentzen doesn't try to sound like a know-it-all. For example, before she bought a bottle of MorrocanOil haircare product which was raved about by Hollywood stars, she asked her readers for their opinions.

She invites discussions with her blog posts and the multiple voices in the comment section make them a good read.

Her 'Beauty Tip of The Week' section offers good, practical advice. For instance, she notes that the hands are the first few areas to show signs of ageing and putting a dollop of suncreen on them after you apply some on your face is a good beauty habit to cultivate.

Misses: Some of the posts on body image and self-esteem can get a little too preachy. In a post on eating healthily when dining out, for instance, she wrote: 'Now, I get partying - you're young and having fun...but never overdo it. (I don't have to preach on what alcohol does to your body and health again, do I?!)'

But the tone is probably right as many of her readers are impressionable young women.

Sesame Chew, 44

Started Viva Woman (www.vivawoman.net) in 2007

About 270,000 blog page views a month; 1,048 Facebook fans and 732 followers on Twitter. Some 30 per cent of her readers are from the United States, while Singaporeans, Australians and Malaysians make up the rest.

In case you are wondering - and you probably are - Ms Chew named herself after the herb because she 'liked the sound of it'. The part-time polytechnic adjunct lecturer in communications focuses on lesser-known, natural and organic skincare brands in her blog.

It currently ranks among the Top 10 beauty blogs on Blog Rank, a blog ranking system based on factors like monthly visitors and Google and Yahoo indexed pages.

The mother of one is a former senior marketing manager in the petrochemical industry.

How much do you earn from your blog?

About $500 a month from the advertisements. It's just a passion project for me to share information.

How did you become a beauty blogger?

I was introduced to the idea of blogging in 2005 when my students started talking about it in class. I started blogging to be in tune with them and my first blog was on parenting. I turned to beauty blogging soon after because I realised that there were a lot of beauty bloggers in the United States, but not many in Singapore. I also wanted to find out more about anti-ageing treatments instead of relying on what sales assistants tell me. So I started to do my own research and share my findings online.

How much time do you spend on your blog?

More than 20 hours a week on writing and taking pictures.

What qualifies you to dispense beauty advice?

I don't call myself an expert. I'm just a beauty fanatic who loves to write. Whatever I write is my opinion and from my own experience. But I try to back up my posts on ingredients that work for the skin with supporting evidence from books or clinical studies.

How do readers know if they can trust your reviews?

I have an editorial policy which states that my reviews are independent and honest and will not be influenced by the brands in any way. I tell readers which products were bought or given within the first two paragraphs of my posts and they can make their own decisions. I spend about $100 to $200 on skincare products every month.

I have not accepted fees for my reviews although companies have approached me because I am not comfortable with the idea.

With all the launches and freebies, beauty blogging sounds like a glamorous pastime. What are the downsides?

I feel jaded sometimes because some companies just want to make use of us. They think that by giving us products, they will get positive reviews or some form of mileage from it. Some PR agencies do not even bother to check out my blog to see what I specialise in. Others have even asked to look at my posts before I publish them or to remove negative reviews. I asked them to give me good reasons for doing so and they have not responded. I've since declined products from brands that I don't feel comfortable working with.

Which are your must-have beauty products?

The American brand Marie Veronique Organics skincare because the formulation is mostly natural and it works for me.

What would you say to those who think that beauty bloggers are freebie-grabbing narcissists?

I never ask for freebies because I don't think it's right. And when I write my posts, my primary concern is whether I provide value to my readers.

WHAT WE THINK OF THE BLOG

Hits: The blog introduced us to natural skincare brands like Bod, Akin and Thursday Plantation, which are available at Watsons and Guardian stores here.

With plenty of details on the textures and effects of the products, the reviews are also thorough.

Posts on the ingredients that go into beauty products are also useful and easy to read. Navigating the blog is a breeze as it lists categories neatly.

Misses: Most of the beauty tutorials on the blog are taken off YouTube and not her own, but the videos she recommended are helpful and worth watching.

Started her blog www.roseannebeauty.com last year

Over 400,000 blog page views so far; 2,587 fans on Facebook; 787 followers on Twitter; and over 525,000 views on her own YouTube channel (youtube.com/roseannetangrs). Besides Singapore, her readers come from Australia and the United States. She also has fans from Serbia, Ireland, Russia, Greece and Japan.

Ms Tang started by posting beauty tutorials on everything from perfecting the smoky eye to a professional-looking DIY manicure on YouTube in 2009.

A year later, the Singapore permanent resident from Malaysia launched her blog to spread the word on her YouTube videos.

She is currently studying finance and marketing at the University of Melbourne.

How much do you earn from your blog?

Currently, I don't earn any money from my blog. However, I'm trying to get into the mode of being paid for my posts because of the hard work that goes into each post.

I would like to make a living from blogging eventually.

How did you become a beauty blogger?

I wanted to showcase my YouTube beauty tutorial channel and got hooked on blogging. I love make-up because it makes me feel confident, beautiful and powerful.

How much time do you spend on your blog?

I spend at least four or five hours a day responding to every comment and e-mail I receive. I do this because I know that if I need help, I'd like to have a response within 24 hours. Even when I'm on holiday, I make sure I have Internet access.

The preparation of one blog post sometimes takes me a whole day: I am the model, make-up artist, photographer, writer, editor and publisher all rolled into one.

What qualifies you to dispense beauty advice?

A lot of people think you need to go to beauty school to learn about make-up but all the information is out there. If you are passionate about it, you can go online or read up on it.

I've been doing that for the past three years, since I did research on how to put on make-up for my prom night.

However, I would want to go to beauty school eventually to see if I'm missing out on anything.

How do readers know if they can trust your reviews?

I make it clear which products were bought with my own money and which ones were given by the beauty brands. I review products that are of interest to my readers and me.

I try each product - like skincare and foundations - that I review for at least a month before I publish my opinions.

In my posts, I show readers how to apply the product and how it looks on my skin. I have sensitive skin so sometimes I get breakouts.

With all the launches and freebies, beauty blogging sounds like a glamorous pastime. What are the downsides?

I've had beauty brands giving me deadlines on when my posts should be out, or even bribing me with products for a good review.

I politely declined the offers and told them that I did only honest reviews.

I once did a video review of a pair of coloured contact lenses and said they were uncomfortable.

The company e-mailed me, telling me to remove the video. It is still there. I would not lie to my readers.

Which are your must-have beauty products?

Oxy Acne Wash, which is my default cleanser, and the eyeshadows and blushers from Nars because they are easy to apply and match my skin tone.

What would you say to those who think that all beauty bloggers are freebie-grabbing narcissists?

We are not prissy girls on computers who do nothing all day.

We are people with opinions who help others by sharing our experiences.

WHAT WE THINK OF THE BLOG

Hits: Fun, colourful and informative, MsTang's blog is like an engrossing magazine. Like a chummy girlfriend, she lets her readers in on her latest discoveries, such as British gothic make-up brand Illamasqua. She had chanced upon it at a department store in Melbourne and snapped pictures of the price tags in secret so as to give readers an idea of the price range.

We also like the way she shows off make-up colours on her skin to give readers a better idea of what to expect if they want to buy the same palette.

Misses: The step-by-step tutorials on how to wear eyeshadow and wing-tipped eyeliner tend to be a little repetitive; it seems the only difference is in the colours used.