Must read for all members.

May 12, 2016

Kitty K.

Hey ladies and gentlemen,
Let's remember when creating a thread for your makeup of the day (MOTD) that it's very important that not only do you need to list product details, but that you also need to make the thread interactive.

What do we mean when we say 'interactive?'
I'll be honest here.
This isn't Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Make Up social, etc, this is Beautylish.
We work hard to keep Beautylish different than all these other websites.

We want our community to engage and talk amongst each other.

We have actual beauty industry professionals here who want to share
their knowledge with us. And when the community begins to make
everything into a 'How pretty am I today' forum, these professionals
lose interest and move on.

We want this forum to be a place of knowledge and real discussion. Let Instagram be Instagram.

When you post a MOTD we want that thread to have value. Discuss your
look with the community, ask for criticism, ask the community questions, discuss the products you used, describe your techniques, talk about a cool combo or technique you found while doing your look, take photos of the steps you took, make it valuable to the community.

To the members commenting - don't be afraid to add discussion to the
thread. Ask questions, explore. Most of you all see each other every
day technically, there's no need to be shy.

Please make it more than just 'Here's my face' and listing three products you used with no description ('I used eyeshadow, and lipstick' is not the description we're looking for).

What shades did you use? What brand? Did you combine colors? Did you
use a brush or your fingers?

Please remember to be courteous and return to your threads.
I understand we also have lives and stuff comes up and we may not be able to answer in five minutes, but not to the point where thread after thread is created with the owner never making a point to return.

We also ask that you be courteous and refrain from creating a thread
knowing you won't answer after a long period of time. If you know you won't respond until tomorrow, just wait until tomorrow.

With all that being said, it's totally okay to want to post a look because 'DAYUM I LOOK HOT!' but if you don't want to add details, please post the Photo Gallery instead of the forums.

Responding to a moderator with “I'll add details later or next time I post.” makes me want to tear my crazy curls out every time. If you can't be bothered adding value, please just post in the photo section. We
aren't dumb, we know exactly what this means and it isn't a very courteous response.

You will still be seen and won't push down other threads that contain
value. Everyone wins here.


Let's keep Beautylish like the pot of gold it is. It isn't that hard to follow, and the next solution of just adding it
to your photos is even more easier.

Here are a list of some MOTDs that have value to them for reference

http://www.beautylish.com/t/ixgxii/another-pastel-goth-by-jeffree-star

http://www.beautylish.com/t/yzruiw/fever-motd-something-different-for-me


http://www.beautylish.com/t/ixgwai/so-I-attempted-to-re-create-this

http://www.beautylish.com/t/yigvrr/coral-summer-motd


And BTW
When you try to ignore us, we see you. You can run but you can't hide ;)

May 12, 2016

Diana T.

Lol you can run but you can't hide - nice kitty - thanks for posting this hopefully it will help to keep the community actually talking about products and makeup applications instead of just "wow you look great" and that's it with no constructive criticism - thanks for posting this kitty :)

May 12, 2016

Breeze T.

Thank you for posting this Kitty, what a great post! And I'm flattered that you chose to share my posts on here!
I can't help but notice what a bad example I have set 2 years ago in my summer coral post by not replying to the last few posts! We know that sometimes life can get in the way - we are all human - but we also do notice when someone never goes back to their threads and it is viewed as disrespectful, especially when it becomes a habit.
I sincerely hope that the people that I haven't answered can forgive me D: I really appreciate each and every comment!

Beautylish is such a great community, I am always amazed at how knowledgeable people are and have become through the years. This is what sets us apart from other websites and communities that may or may not be more focused on validation and compliments rather than techniques and improvement.

Thanks to everyone! I trust that you will follow these guidelines and be a part of what makes BL so great!

May 12, 2016

Kim M.

Thanks for posting this Kitty K. I really try to be as descriptive as possible. I don't own "good" brushes. so I can't post what # or mode of brush I use.

May 12, 2016

Kitty K.

No problem Diana! Sometimes we need a bit of a reminder here and there. We also get a lot of new members who come in so it's important that they understand as well. It takes one person and it has a domino effect. We want that domino effect to be a positive one!

No problem Breeze ;) I do like to say I specifically picked moderator MOTDs as I didn't want any of our members to feel like they were being favored. We do have a plethora that do very well on their posts and I thank them for doing that.
And I agree with you breeze, I have fiddled around a lot of different beauty communities and while we may not have off topics and fitness threads as a lot of members want, we do discuss a lot and you can see how different the knowledge is in this community. I mean, how long have we known that RCMA setting powder is amazing and just now the YouTube community is catching on? We have real professionals on here which makes this forum so awesome.

Kim I thinks it's great that you don't own 'good' brushes. Once you get hooked it hurts your wallet and nothing is the same again 😭
But it also helps cater to a younger audience as well ( I remember those golden days where I saved for a bottle of foundation lol.) And Alma is always so kind to let us know what company makes the same brands. Drugstore has really stepped up their game a lot too!

May 12, 2016

Grace T.

Thanks for posting! I also think this should apply to the nail posts. It's my least favorite category on here because there are not usually any details about the polish color or how nail art was done. And I don't end up asking what color was used because I get frustrated and don't feel I should even have to ask.
I tend to comment on motd posts that are detailed not just selfies and I think it's nice when my comment is acknowledged. I'm going to try and post more of my own motd's as well.

May 12, 2016

Kitty K.

I agree Grace! And see the side effect it has? The nail section is very quiet.. now imagine that happening to all the other sections. There are users who think that posting details make absolutely no difference, but the nail section is unfortunately a good example of what happens when people make threads without value. I do hope we can all work together as a community to help revive the nail section!
I do encourage everyone making awesome MOTD threads, especially with fun looks :)

May 13, 2016

Nikelle B.

Great post Kitty!
I don't post much but I do love to read all of the great tips that these beauties have to offer.
I get tired of coming across posts that don't offer any content or never responds to comments that are added to their post.

May 13, 2016

Kitty K.

Thanks Nikelle! Glad to hear you're browsing around! Let's hope we get more and more awesome MOTDs :)

May 14, 2016

Roz X.

Fantastic and much-needed post. There's a photo section to show off looks members are proud of or if they feel other members will want to duplicate..and there's also room in our profiles, including the ability to link products. We want to see them, but in the appropriate forum would be so much nicer.

May 15, 2016

Kitty K.

Thank you Rozberry, I see a bit of change already ☺

May 15, 2016

Sabrina T.

Thanks for posting but all the steps seem very unnessecary, just my opinion though.

May 15, 2016

Alexis C.

I try to include as much information as I can when I do my MOTDs and I have been told by other members that they appreciate that. I do forget to explain why I'm posting the look, what I like about it, etc. I believe it was Alma that's called me out before on not asking for constructive criticism and I do forget to do that as well so I'll make an effort to remember those things as well when I post.

I think it's absolutely necessary to include as much information as possible that way if someone has a question about a certain product, technique, etc. that you used they can ask but I also think that people will just give compliments just to give compliments without adding anything else to the conversation. It's just bound to happen, in my opinion, but that shouldn't stop anyone from posting proper MOTDs with lots of information (:

May 15, 2016

Kitty K.

No issue Sabrina, then feel free to post your MOTDs in the photo section instead of the talk forums :)


Thank you Alexis, I do appreciate the fact that you take the time to make valuable MOTDS! Compliments are always great, we should all be supportive of each other. There's nothing wrong if that's all you have to say to someone, not everyone is a Professional MUA so it's understandable why someone may not see a look the same way as a professional does. ☺

May 16, 2016

Jay M.

Hi Kitty, I have been a Beautylish member since it was a BETA app. I absolutely love coming on here and picking up new tips, learning about new products I haven't tried or heard of before...not to mention meeting a ton of sweet, wonderful people (that's the best part)! I really appreciate the content of this post, I definitely agree people should create posts and interact with those who take the time to respond. It's common courtesy... I have to say though in reading through your most current posts I feel like I'm being talked down to or reprimanded like a child. Such as "When you ignore us we see you" or "It isn't that hard to follow" or "Hey ladies and gentlemen let's remember"... It's not just this 1 post it's others I've been reading as well. I think as a moderator you might want to rethink the school teacher wording you use. This is just my opinion, after seeing many posts from you and leaving feeling like wow really? I had to add my 2 cents in. I'm not trying to offend you by any means, but I wanted to share how your posts are making me feel. I want to come on here and laugh and enjoying the threads and awesome people here on Beautylish...not see scoldings from a Moderator on a lot of different posts. I am 44 years old and do not like being talked to like I'm a child. Like I said just my own personal opinion. Obliviously you are extremely liked on here because you have a ton of followers, could just be me...

May 16, 2016

Alma M.

Great thread kitty. I would like to suggest all to read this with a smile. Over analyzing to the point of making something simple into a personal issue on a beauty website is what works against a person and with that type of mind set it will make anything unpleasant. We appreciate the feed back ladies thank you.With feed back you need to also help with a solution,as we are all in this as a community.What do you suggest should be done to help make a beauty site of masses of beauty enthusiasts be handled? I understand there are things you all are not aware of because we catch it makes sense as to why you may not understand what we do or why we say what we say.
What could you bring to the table? Are you willing to start a conversation on a thread and help build up interest? If so Please do it and I'm truly genuine saying this. If you all can help just a bit it would be great. You could bring some change into the atmosphere of BL and bring in the fun again. Make some threads and have fun, I'm hoping to see them soon on BL ladies.Just to clarify the threads need to just bring some value if you are confused that it's the whole list kitty suggested I just want to add she's suggesting those topics not for one to post every single thing on that list but it would be appreciated. :)
As a person who has been on BL before it was an app I think this site had changed for the better.I also want to add that personality is what brings in the fun if you're active and can let things roll off with a discussion of interest with free range of helping anyone one out, that could be a outstanding start to ease others to participate.:)
I'm all for having fun and fun personalities on BL. 

May 16, 2016

Jacqueline H.

Hi Jay; I too have been a member of this community for a long long time, and I'd like to share my point of view here as being both a former moderator and a longstanding member of this community.

I cannot tell you that how you feel is wrong, and you have every right to feel the way you do, and say what you want to say. As a former moderator, I hope you and the rest of the members of this community will understand where I am coming from.

Being a moderator is a thankless job, period. These ladies dedicate their free time to come here and make sure that Beautylish is an enjoyable place for all. What you don't see, nor could you possibly understand is weight of the responsibility they shoulder. They do their very best to make sure that this site runs smoothly. Moderators do not make up the rules, these rules have been longstanding on this site, all they do is simply ask members to follow them, no more no less. Moderators make sure that all the thread feeds run smoothly, they catch trolls before anyone else sees them, offer their expert advice, and they do their very best to make sure that everyone has an enjoyable experience on this site. Personally, I have never been on a site wherein there is such moderator participation.

They make themselves available to every member, and they do this for the pure love they feel for this site and the community. I for one respect what they do, and I KNOW how hard their job is because I've done it. Most of the members of this community understand that they have a job to do, and when they do make threads like this, there is a reason behind it, and they put up with a lot of unnecessary verbal abuse sometimes, and they do so with a smile in their heart.

You do not have to like the rules or like how a particular moderator coveys these rules. I can't tell you that you are wrong to feel the way that you do Jay, because that is your perception and reaction. I do understand where you are coming from; however, allow me to say this: I have worked with Kitty for quite some time, and I know there was absolutely NO malice in anything she said. Kitty is liked because of who she is and the advice she offers, it's not a popularity contest. Try to put yourself in her position Jay. There are a great number of members that complain about no content selfie threads, and rightfully so. These threads clog up the feed flow and hide other threads that actually have viable content to them wherein members can actually help. Kitty, like the rest of the moderators wants to see everyone have a pleasurable experience. There are quite a few members that post MOTD threads and have no issues with making them 'talkable.' Trust me, the members that follow the guidelines and make their thread talkable see much more member interaction on them versus someone that just posts their picture with no content. It truly is a win win for both sides.

What most members do not understand is that they are free, and are encouraged to post their makeup looks into the Beautylish photo feed. When you do that, the photo will post to your profile and will be seen in the feed wherein members are free to comment on the photo. If someone wants their photo to be seen, the best route to take would be to upload it into the Beautylish photo feed, not post it on a thread. Moderators have been saying this for years, and I can tell you from experience, that most do not listen, and choose to argue with them over such, in my opinion, inconsequential issues. If you're a moderator, it's kind of "you're dammed if you do, and dammed if you don't' kind of thing. They keep multiple plates spinning at all times, and I think they deserve this communities respect. You don't have to like what they say or how they say it, but try and just for one minute put yourself in their shoes and look at what they are saying with a new set of eyes. It isn't personal...it never has been, and it never will be. They are just doing their job, no more no less. :)

May 16, 2016

Jay M.

I truly do understand what you are trying to convey Jacqueline and Alma. I respect both of you immensely and always value any insight you might have to offer. I appreciate both of you taking the time to respond, thank you. My issue is twofold...1. The way Mod Kitty words her responses and posts. (and my suggestion Alma is as I posted above; maybe she could rethink her school teacher wording. I gave examples of exactly what I meant when I said that).
2. That I see Mods on a TON of threads reprimanding them for their posts. I also notice a lot of members posting and saying SORRY immediately because they don't want to upset the Mods and have their posts pulled. That's just sad to me...you shouldn't have to come on a beauty site and start feeling bad or worried you might do something wrong (like post to the wrong category or not post enough information about the pic they posted). This site should be stress free & fun. I don't feel stress free being "policed". I absolutely understand these wonderful women donate their time and they get no recognition, so let me be the first to say thank you for all your hard work. You make the community free from trollers and keep forums running smoothly. I just hope I'll be seeing less reprimanding and the posts less congested with someone saying "your doing it wrong". Also one more thing. I believe when someone posts a pic of their MOTD they should post the products they are using to try and create the look they achieved. But not every single thing they apply to their face and every stroke they make to get there. Why you ask? Because it then gives me the opportunity to ask questions like; your skin looks amazing what kind of skincare or foundation do you use? At that point it also gives the person who created the post to interact with other members by answering questions. If they post every single product and technique what am I supposed to ask them about? At that point all I can say is wow you look stunning or give any advice I have to help them advance their work. Most of the time they looks fabulous so there is not a lot of critique to give. At that point the thread is dead. So if someone does follow your rules to a T what are we supposed to discuss besides "You look great" or giving someone constructive criticism?

May 16, 2016

Kitty K.

Jay I have never personally spoken to you, let alone degraded/belittled you. If there is a post wherein I have personally attacked you, feel free to point it out.
I will say it's a bit silly to take something so personal simply because of my age and followers. I can definitely see the difference when you speak to Alma versus Sabrina and I and I do find that offensive. I believe it is best to respect everyone, no matter age or gender. One is not superior to the other.

However, I do admit that if you find my wording to be that insulting, then I think it's keen to follows Alma's advice and take a step back and relax ;) The context in where I stated 'When you try to ignore us, we see you. You can run but you can't hide ;)' was light and friendly, while getting it's point across. Because we do see everything :)
'It isn't that hard to follow' is of encouragement for users who do not have any interest in making valuable posts, so that they may post in the appropriate section.

or "Hey ladies and gentlemen let's remember"
I am completely baffled on how this can be considered offensive, it's a greeting as we have audience members both male and female.


We appreciate your opinions Jay, but until then it is best to agree to disagree :)

May 16, 2016

Jacqueline H.

You make solid and strong points Jay, and I'm glad you said what you said. :) We should all be able to express what we feel, and I can appreciate that you took the time to make a very clear, concise, and logical post. I truly respect and appreciate your point of view.

When it comes to MOTD's, I agree it is time consuming in terms of taking that kind of post and making it 'talkable.' I'm not sure that I can truly appreciate all that goes into someone making such a post with the guidelines these posts must follow. I don't like looking at my face everyday, so I refrain from posting it on threads. It's just not for me, but I do respect those that do. :)

The only reason a post would be pulled/deleted is if it grossly violated the Beautylish Forum rules, or if a member was asked on more than one occasion to post their threads in the proper forum or had already been asked on numerous occasions to stop violating the rule in question. Trust me Jay, in order for a post to be pulled, there has been a series of violations wherein the member chose not to adhere to Beautylish rules. Thread removal is the very last solution to a problem that has/had been ongoing.

"you shouldn't have to come on a beauty site and start feeling bad or worried you might do something wrong (like post to the wrong category or not post enough information about the pic they posted). This site should be stress free & fun. I don't feel stress free being "policed".

I agree; however, I just have a different point of view.. It is so so hard to gauge intent through written word. What the writer says and what the reader perceives can vary greatly. I've said things that people have taken the wrong way when I truly meant for the lack of a better term, no 'harm.' It just happens sometimes, and when I read what a moderator says, I take no offense to it or from it. I know where they are coming from, and when a mod does say something and a member says 'sorry,' you'll usually see the moderator is very lighthearted about it. New members don't know the rules, and that's why they come on a thread and say something; it truly is for their benefit as well as the community as a whole.

Perhaps it's just simply an age thing with us Jay. I'm 42, and reading what you say from that perspective, I can truly see where you are coming from; however, being a former moderator, I know these ladies very well, and I can assure you that they are only doing what they are asked to do, and in my opinion, they do it with an incredible amount of grace and finesse. Something else that I do not think the rest of the community knows... Moderators are held to an EXTREMELY high standard, more so than any member of this community is, and they do their best to make sure others know and fundamentally understand what is expected of everyone on this site. Just because I am a former moderator, they treat me no differently than they treat anyone else, and I have to follow the same rules... If I don't, you best believe they will let me know. :) Sometimes it just comes down to perception, and perception can go either way.

"I believe when someone posts a pic of their MOTD they should post the products they are using to try and create the look they achieved. But not every single thing they apply to their face and every stroke they make to get there. Why you ask?"

Moderators don't ask members to follow that exact guideline... It is only suggested in terms of making the thread talkable. You ask questions on these threads Jay and that's great; however, I must say, most members don't, and trying to get someone to start a dialogue on these threads can be like pulling teeth. Some people will only say, "pretty, looks great, SLAY, etc. etc.' That's all well and good; however, that is not what the talk forums are for. If they only want to post selfies, they can do so in the photo feed. A good example of someone that does MOTD's are members Livi and Alexis. Their MOTD threads get loads of traffic because of the content that they put into them. They make them talkable, and when you start talking about one thing, that leads to another thing, and before you know it, there is a three page string of comments from that one MOTD. That's all that moderators are encouraging... interactive dialogue.

You're right, once you see a pretty makeup look and you see a few 'pretty' comments, that thread becomes stagnant, and it clogs up the feed. Moderators just want to prevent that from happening, that's all. They just want to encourage talk by enforcing these guidelines which helps everyone in the end. Members who follow these guidelines and create MOTD's get more positive response and heavier traffic which in turn allows other threads to be seen versus being buried, that's all. :)

In closing, I do appreciate and respect your point of view, and hopefully, as someone who used to be a moderator, you can see where I am coming from. I actually really like respectful points of view like this, it opens things up, and hopefully it will make for a better understanding of the 'why' behind what these moderators do.  ;)

May 16, 2016

Alexis C.

Jacqueline, thank you for using my MOTDs as a good example, I greatly appreciate that!

I think adding lots of information on your MOTDs can lead into a great discussion! For example, if you see that someone used a product you've been looking into/thinking about purchasing you can ask them about it, thus leading into a discussion. Also if you're struggling to get a product to work for you and you see a MOTD where it's been used you can ask about their application technique and/or any tips and tricks they can give you. Not everyone may think of these things when they click on MOTDs but having a discussion is possible.

I can only imagine how hard it is to be a moderator so I'd like to thank all the moderators, past and present, for all the work, time, and effort they put into making sure BL runs smoothly. I don't think a friendly reminder of the rules, especially to someone who's new here, is pushy or rude. Without rules and guidelines this place would be a crazy town, so it's important to follow them and give everyone a friendly reminder once in awhile, like with this thread that Kitty's posted (:

May 17, 2016

Jacqueline H.

No need to thank me Alexis... You're the one who puts the effort into your MOTD's. I truly think your efforts, along with Livi's should be recognized as being exceptional examples of how to do MOTD's.  :)

May 19, 2016

Dana E.

Great post lol. However I find no matter what I include in my threads I still get no replies 😑. I don't understand lol when I'm asking questions I try my best to include all the details I can. I also always reply to people who do answer me. It's just frustrating I don't understand🙄

May 24, 2016

Roz X.

Dana, I'm sorry you don't see more replies. My own threads don't get much action either..lol.., but I do know there are certain members who are very good about checking the profiles if I have a particular question.

Often, I don't reply if I can't be of help or relate to the subject, style, etc. or if I notice a member has a habit of not returning to their threads. Hopefully, you'll see a positive change in the future.