Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Get Undertone Advice and Product Ingredients Analysis For Just $5 and Up!

Edited to add: I've gotten some shade from people who thought this post was for real, so in case it isn't clear, this post is an April Fool's joke, and is not a serious post. This joke reveal post that I made the next day also explains that, but it seems like some people only saw this post without seeing the joke reveal and so they got the wrong idea. This April Fool's joke was inspired by the fact that I get a lot of undertone and skincare/product advice requests from readers (and also by the fact that I don't always manage to clear my inbox!), but I love interacting with my readers and would never ever charge them for it! I guess this year's joke was just too believable which I guess is a good thing for an April Fool's prank!

I've got some pretty big and exciting news I want to share, that I think you guys will like! As you know, I'm somewhat known for my undertones for Asians post, which is one of my most popular posts, and still prompts people to send me comments and emails to this day. I'm not kidding, I really mean this literally - I have a couple of emails from readers in my inbox asking me about undertones that I have yet to get around to! But beyond undertones, I'm also known for my skincare analysis and general ingredients geekery, which you see and love in basically all my ingredients analysis posts. These posts also prompt a lot of interaction from readers - sometimes very long emails, going into their skincare conditions and histories, often from people who are just confused and feeling at their wits' end, wanting guidance on their skincare products and routines.


Launching: Personalized Undertone Identification, and Skincare and Ingredients Analysis Services! (Source)

You guys know that I love my readers (you!) and I'm always willing to help make your lives better in any way possible, in my small capacity as a humble beauty blogger. So, as a result of this response from my readers, I've decided that I could do more to help you guys, in these two areas of expertise - undertones (not limited to Asians), and ingredients and skincare analysis. So, I've decided to launch two analysis services, that will be personalized to you! You can opt to receive these services either via email, or live via Skype sessions. The services are:

1. Undertones Identification and Advice:
If you are not sure of your undertones, or how to classify your skintone (cool, warm, olive, neutral, etc.), I can help to identify your undertone for a small fee, e.g. I can tell you, "You are a pale olive with cool undertones." This is the most basic service I offer, called "Undertone Identification".

For an optional, minimal fee, I can also offer extra "advice" (hence the "and Advice" portion mentioned above). By "advice", I mean that in addition to just helping you identify your undertones (e.g. "You're a pale olive with cool undertones"), I can further help you understand your undertone (e.g. What exactly does being a "pale olive with cool undertones" mean) also answer related questions, (e.g. Given my undertone, what colours would suit me, how do I choose an appropriate eyeshadow or lipstick colour, and so on).

Although the original undertones post that prompted me to start this service is about Asian undertones, you don't have to be Asian to use this service - I can also identify and advise for all sorts of races with different undertones!

2. Skincare and Ingredient Analysis and Advice:
You've seen me work my ingredients analysis skills on this blog, and you like what you've read. But I'm not superwoman, and I can't covered every product on the planet, and I haven't covered the specific product you're wondering about. Now for $5 per product, I can offer my ingredients analysis of the product! E.g. I can tell you, the key ingredients of this moisturizer are mineral oil, an emollient, glycerin, a humectant, water, rhamnose, a form of sugar that functions as a humectant, and ascorbyl palmitate, which is a form of Vitamin C that is fairly stable. This is the most basic service I offer, and is called "Skincare and Ingredient Analysis".

Again, like my Undertones Identification and Advice service, for an optional, minimal fee, I can also offer extra "advice". In this context, I mean that if you're wondering how to choose between two products, or if you're wondering what ingredients you should look out for given your skin type, or if you have specific concerns about your skin, I can offer more advice and answer more questions. For example, if you have blemished skin and want to know out of your current regime which products are likely to be contributing to the acne, I can help to run through your regime and pinpoint which are the most likely culprits, and advise you on how you can choose better products.

Of course, this Ingredients Analysis and Advice service is not just limited to skincare product. If you have a makeup product (eyeliner, foundation) or a body care product (body lotion, body scrub) that you want to analyse its ingredients for, then feel free to use this service as well!

Does this sound interesting to you? I figured this is something a lot of my readers would be interesetd in, since I do get quite a lot of emails and other correspondence on these two topics! If you're keen on knowing more, click on to see the rates and fees for these services (they're really cheap, I promise, nothing's more than $15!), as well as a handy-dandy FAQ to get you started! The registration and enquiry form is also below the jump, so do click on if you want to formally register for a service, or put in an enquiry!


Let's start with rates, so that everyone is on the same page. The table below lists the different rates for different levels of service. Do note that in addition to offering this service via email, you can also get up close and personal with me via Skype! Do note that all prices are in SGD (Singapore dollars), because that's the local currency where I live. Google can help with the conversion to your own currency if you are unsure of what this might mean in your local currency (just search for "X SGD to [your own currency]" and Google wll work its magic)!

Service Rates
Undertone Identification (via Email, you send photos, undertones identified ONLY) $5
Undertone Identification and Advice (via Email, you send photos, undertones identified and I answer up to 3 related questions) $8
Undertone Identification and Advice (via Email, you send photos, undertones identified and I answer up to 5 related questions) $10
Undertone Identification and Advice (via Email, you send photos, undertones identified and I answer unlimited related questions) $15
Undertone Identification and Advice (Live, via Skype, per 20min session) $15
Skincare and Ingredient Analysis (via Email, ingredients analysis ONLY, per product) $5
Skincare and Ingredient Analysis and Advice (via Email, ingredients analysis and customized advice, per product) $8
Skincare and Ingredient Analysis and Advice (Live via Skype, per 20 min session) $15

If you like the sound of the services and the rates, here are some FAQs for those wanting to know more! If any of your questions are not covered in the FAQs, shoot me an email, or comment below, and I'll get back to you soon!

FAQs for Undertone Identification and Skincare and Ingredients Analysis Services

How do I know which service to choose?
It really depends on your needs. For example, in the case of people who are seeking undertone advice, some people just want to confirm their undertone with someone who has had some experience doing this. For example, I believe I'm deep olive with warm undertones, and I would like a third party assessment, and I don't need anymore advice on what colours I should choose or so on. Then, the most basic "Undertone Identification" service would suit me. But, if I am a novice when it comes to colour selection for makeup and clothes, then in addition to having my undertone identified for me, I would also love for someone to suggest colours to go for and colours to avoid, and how I can pick out what's right for me, then I would love paying a little bit more for extra advice that will help me in this respect.

Similarly, for someone who wants an analysis on a product without any further commentary, then you can opt for the basic "Skincare and Ingredients Analysis" service. But on the other hand, if you want my opinion on which of your three eye creams is better for you, or whether you should layer your BHA product with your retinol, and whether the sunscreen in your foundation will interfere with the SPF in your moisturizer, then you can pay a little more for my advice.

I would like to advise at this point that I am not a medical professional, and do not give out medical advice. So while I can certainly offer my opinion of which products suit your skin type best, if you have a medical condition, you are strongly advised to see a doctor. I refuse the right to stop providing advice if I feel it is veering into medical territory.

I want a service not offered here. Can you customize?
So you want a combination of undertone identification and some ingredient analysis? Sure! Or you and your friends want to have a group session via Skype to all get your undertone questions and skincare questions answered at your slumber party? I can do that too! Just email me with a description of what you would like, and I will get back to you in a quote!

For the Skype sessions, when do you have them?
I love interacting with people, and I love the close personal connection I can make with my readers through Skype, that's why I'm offering this service! Unfortunately, because I work a full-time job, and this is just a new thing on the side, I only offer Skype sessions on weekends as of now. I am also located in Singapore (GMT +8 hours), so if you are located overseas in a different timezone (e.g. US, UK), then do bear in mind that it might be tough for me to schedule a 3am Skype session with you! If you're keen on a Skype session but are unsure about timings, do email me, and I'll do my best to match my schedule to yours!

How can I make payment?
Payment can be made either by international bank transfer (since I'm in Singaopre), or else by Paypal, once I set that thing up. Payment occurs after we have agreed on the form of service to be provided, but BEFORE the service is rendered. I offer a full refund if you subsequently decide not to go ahead with the service. Once my service has been rendered, however, I do not offer refunds, regardless of whether you are happy with the advice or not, because I would already have had invested my time and energy in providing you my service, and it's only fair that I be compensated for it.

Will you ever raise your prices in future? Will you consider expanding to other services?
I'm starting small for now, hence the limited services and the cheap prices. My pricing in the future depends on the demand I get for my services. If demand is much more overwhelming than I thought, then it's likely that I might have to raise prices (after all, my time is a limited resource!).

As for providing other services beyond the current humble offerings, I certainly might if there is a demand for it - so if there's any other services you think I could do for you, let me know! If enough people want it, I will add it to the list!

If you're interested, feel free to register for my services below! Thank you!

5 comments:

  1. I think this is a great idea. You are only one person and what you provide is some very detailed analysis. I know in the past I asked you about an SPF product and I couldn't believe the detail you provided to me out of your own free time!

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    1. @Kate: I figured today was the best day to start such a service! ;)

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  2. This is a lot of effort. I don't see why you shouldn't for realsies, though. You must have spent hours and hours replying to reader messages!

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    1. @Anonymous: Thank you! I don't think it's a lot of work (in the sense that it's not a lot of physical effort like manual labour), but it does take up quite a bit of time! I usually try to answer my readers' emails/comments etc during my "downtime", eg when I'm commuting, after work when I'm home, or during my lunch breaks etc, and even then I don't always answer all my emails that promptly, although I try my best! I think that as is, I am pretty happy that people read my blog and want to interact with me, so I don't feel like I should be charging them since they are my readers!

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  3. I seriously, seriously hope you are still offering this service. HAAAAAALP and honestly, I'd be willing to pay you a lot more than just eight bucks. The price of a high-end foundation is way more than that. It's generous of you to even have this blog in the first place, and I'm happy to give something back to you.

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Thank you for commenting! I read each and every single comment! If you ask a question in your comment, please check back to this post, as I will reply in a comment to this post as well :) Please note that comments with soliciting links to shops or websites will be removed. Thanks!