Okay, seriously, everybody talks about landing makeup collaborations like it’s magic. Let me tell you what actually happens. It ain’t just posting pretty pictures.
My Messy Starting Point
I saw other bloggers getting free makeup and paid gigs. Got jealous, obviously. Started spraying every brand email I could find with pitches. Like, “Hey, love your stuff, wanna work?” Total radio silence. Felt like yelling into a void. Frustrating? You bet.
The Dumb Stuff I Did
- Spam-a-palooza: Blanket emails? Waste of time. Brands get flooded daily.
- Content? Meh: My posts were shaky phone pics with zero personality. Why would anyone care?
- Desperation Stink: My pitches sounded needy. “PLEASE pick me!” is not a vibe.
Felt like banging my head against Sephora’s door. Needed a change, big time.
What Actually Started Clicking
Stopped chasing EVERY brand. Zeroed in on stuff I genuinely used and raved about off-camera anyway. Found this indie lipstick maker obsessed with vegan stuff – same as me.
Stalked their Insta. Noticed they kept resharing messy, real-life lip swatch photos, not just studio shots. Key moment. Started posting my own messy, coffee-stained lip tests with their shades on my feed, tagging them honestly, like “Midday disaster zone courtesy of [Brand]. Still love it.”
Two weeks later, boom. A tiny DM: “Love your vibe. Coffee chat?”
Making the Tiny Win Real
Didn’t jump straight into “Gimme free stuff!” Chatted about their mission and my weird lipstick habits. They sent two new shades. Didn’t promise huge reach. Just honest thoughts. Posted crazy real reviews – smudges, reapplications, the whole struggle.
Ugly truth: That first collab? They paid me with product. Yeah, just lipsticks. But it became proof I wasn’t full of it. Used those posts to approach similar small brands. “Look, I worked with [Indie Brand], here’s what happened.”
How It Actually Works Now
- Target Like Crazy: Only hit up brands matching my actual face and habits. Skip the rest.
- Show, Don’t Beg: Tag relevant brands in natural, unpolished posts before pitching. Builds familiarity.
- Microwave Mindset: Expect slow simmer, not instant boom. Real relationships need time.
- Own The Awkward: My messy application pics became my thing. Brands see real use, not fake perfection.
Started getting paid gigs? Took months. Got ghosted tons. One bigger brand flew me out, had a great talk, then crickets. Found out later the rep quit and my stuff got lost in internal chaos. That’s the game. You roll with the punches.
Bottom Line
There’s no magic “easy” button. Anyone saying different is selling fairy dust. It’s grinding: consistent real content focused on specific brands you love, played out loud where they can see it. Build trust slowly. Be the annoying person who tags them faithfully. Celebrate the tiny wins. That’s the actual, boring blueprint.
