about a model recommends

Throughout my modelling career I developed a genuine and deep interest in skincare, cosmetics, diet and body maintenance. My career then, and now, depends on me looking the best I can at all times, and so I am constantly on the prowl for bigger and better products that will lift, tone, brighten, polish and enhance. If they make the grade, they get written about on the hallowed (ha!) pages of A Model Recommends – if they’re rubbish, they go in the bin. (Actually, they go to charity, but that doesn’t sound as dramatic.)

I don’t get paid to write good things about products – all of the work you see is my own, unbiased opinion. If I am paid to post (a ‘sponsored’ post) then it will be clearly marked as an “AD”, but please be aware that I choose my sponsored work very carefully and work hard to make the content relevant and interesting. If a post is paid for it absolutely doesn’t mean that my good opinion has been bought – I deeply value my credibility and the trust of my audience. I turn down far more work than I take and I think carefully about any branded opportunity that presents itself. There is no charge for accessing this site and running it is incredibly labour-intensive – it’s my full-time job. As such, creating some sponsored content is a necessity, especially as I don’t display advertising banners or pop-ups.

I am given product samples as an inevitable part of being a beauty and fashion writer and online “person”. I also, much to the dismay of my accountant, spend thousands and thousands of pounds every year on beauty products, clothes and accessories, so the products featured here on the site are a big mish-mash of purchases and press samples, though please assume a product is a sample unless I’ve described it as otherwise. (There is a constantly-present disclaimer in my sidebar to that effect.)

If a brand has sponsored a post or video then it will always be disclaimed clearly on that feature – no disclaimer means that the mention is purely editorial. There are always those that will question the integrity of even editorial posts, but all that I can humanly do is be completely transparent and honest: if there is any brand involvement, no matter how tenuous, there will be a disclaimer. (I disclaim tweets that lead to a sponsored post, to take a small example, even if the brand has in no way paid for those tweets.)

ruth crilly dior cannes 2014

I take my responsibilities as the author of this site very seriously and research products as much as possible, however what suits my skin/complexion/eye-colour/body-shape/lifestyle might be terrible for yours so please be sensible when following recommendations. Always try something out in-store if you can or try to obtain a free sample if it’s skincare. If you have very sensitive skin then be extra careful and check ingredients before purchasing!

Finally, I try to provide up-to-date pricing information and stockist links. They are always correct at the moment of publishing, but over time they will naturally be subject to some change. Most stockist links are affiliate links which means that I receive a small percentage of revenue if sales are made, but this in no way affects you or the way in which I write about the featured products. Any specific brand affiliations, collaborations or partnerships will be clearly marked. (Can’t say that enough, really.)

I hope you enjoy your time at A Model Recommends. Bookmark it or subscribe by email so that you never miss a post – there’s always something new to read or watch. If you have any questions leave a comment on the relevant post and I’ll try to answer it as soon as my one-woman team (me) gets around to it.

Ruth

Ongoing Brand Work:

Colab Dry Shampoo (see here): I am a co-founder and spokesmodel for Colab. Blindingly obvious with my name and face splashed all over the can, but just in case there’s any possible doubt!

L’Oreal: I am part of the L’Oreal Beauty Squad, you can find out more information on that partnership here.

Photo credits: Francois Durand for Dior. francoisdurand.com

 

 

How To Grow Out A Bob

I'm growing out my shorter hair so that it will sit just above the shoulder and am told by my hair stylist that what I am officially doing is going from a "bob" to a "lob". For the past two years I've swung between these two comically-named hair lengths and have had...

Camo Is A Neutral (And Also Makes Me Manspread)

In a surprise turn of events, I've become rather attached to a pair of camo-print cargo trousers. In fact I've barely taken them off for an entire week, wearing them with everything from cashmere jumpers to pretty blouses and cotton t-shirts. It's a surprise turn of...

February Favourites

Five February Favourites, including the very timely rediscovery of an absolute skincare marvel and an incredible book of short stories. But let's start with the boots I've fallen for. Oh, the boots. If I told you that I'd been searching high and low for the perfect...

Sézane Try-On: Dress Me Like A French Girl

Well, I was seduced again. I went on the Sézane website, saw that absolutely everything on there would almost definitely make me look like a twenty year-old Parisian sex-kitten from the seventies and then ordered a load of stuff. It arrived, I unwrapped my haul from...

3 Best Beauty Buys: February 2024

My three best beauty buys this month - picked out from the quagmire of new launches for their excellent performance, high quality and price-tags that won't cause immediate heart palpitations. Ad info: no paid or sponsored content. Contains press samples and affiliate...

How (Not) To Be Sexy In Bed

Do you want to know what I wear to bed these days? I'm going to tell you anyway, so you may as well say yes. Don't worry, it's nothing that's going to make you blush or feel awkward about life if we suddenly bump into each other outside Tottenham Court Road station -...

January Favourites: I’m A Stampfluencer Now

January "favourites" and what an eclectic mix we have going on here! Family photo albums, rubber stamps and a stand-up show that will have you chortling away and wishing for more. As per monthly favourites tradition, there's a video to accompany this post - it's right...

What’s In My Mystery Makeup Bag?

I took a little makeup bag with me on an overnight trip a couple of months ago and then when I got home again from my travels I forgot to unpack it. I only happened upon it by total fluke, the other week, when I went searching for one of those sticky clothes rollers...

Six Week Invisalign Update: Permanent Low-Key Crossness

I'm six weeks into my Invisalign treatment (read this if you need to catch up on why I'm doing it) and despite the experience being relatively drama-free, so far, I've realised this week that never in my entire life have I felt such a permanent sense of...

Cropped Trousers and Gargoyle Shoes: Why I Can’t Get On With Trends

As part of my ongoing attempt to smarten myself up and streamline my wardrobe I have been trying out new fashion trends. I say trends, they're really just things that many people have been wearing for ages yet I still find hilariously novel: cropped wide-leg trousers...

Foundation Review: Lancome Teint Idole Care & Glow

I think that one of my all-time favourite foundations has been knocked from its winner's podium: I've finally found a longwear makeup base that I love more than Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra Wear. It's - wait for it - Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra Wear Care & Glow....

My Most-Used Skincare Products: 2023

In February, it'll be fourteen years since I posted my first blog on this website. Back then, in 2010, the website was called A Model Recommends and each post was a couple of hundred words long, if that. I just wrote exactly what I thought of a product in the...

Why I Don’t Want Invisalign

I have to have Invisalign and to say that I'm not massively keen would be an understatement. I'm viewing it as a necessary evil and in this post I wanted to outline a few things about the whole process that I'm not too enthusiastic about. But first, some backstory: A...

Best Christmas Gift: Books and Chocolate 2023

It's the Best Christmas Gift: Books and Chocolate 2023 Edition. I write this post every year and - despite always preparing it at the start of November - it never gets published until a couple of weeks before Christmas. I sort of like it that way - it's my very own...

What’s In My Travel Bag?

A quick little beauty post to break up the contact lens content. I mean, I'm verging on becoming an eye blogger at this point. There are two or three posts on laser eye surgery to come yet and who knows what eye-related things I'll find to write about after that?...

Contact Lens Update: Ocular Sabotage

I know you've all been waiting for contact lens news with bated breath so here's my update: I went for my second lesson and didn't do too badly. I have to say that at one point it did feel as though I was in a weird version of the Hunger Games, especially when I was...

Skylark Treehouses Review: The Mind/Soul Reset

This week I did something that felt possibly a bit batshit crazy and stayed, on my own, in a treehouse in the woods. I know. The person who gets spooked in her own garden. It is testament to just how desperately I needed to remove myself from all noise and distraction...

I Ordered Plants from Hortology: Here Are My Thoughts

I've been meaning to add to my collection of cacti for a while now. I have two big window ledges at the front of the room known lovingly as the "Oil Baron's Sunken Lounge" and though one of them was filled with a row of the cacti I've been lovingly killing since 2007,...

SUBSCRIBE

Subscribe for free to get new posts and exclusive content, straight to your inbox. 

You have Successfully Subscribed!