MY Women Stuff (http://www.mywomenstuff.com), a blog on beauty and fashion, just celebrated its first anniversary in March. Although rather new, the site gets over 5,000 visitors a week.

The owner of the blog, who likes to go by the name of Paris Beaverbanks, never anticipated the readership size when she started out, but has now got used to the idea. She believes that it's her frank opinions on beauty products that
has pulled in the crowd, as she writes without fear or favour.

She provides reviews and information on various makeup products and brand names in the beauty and fashion line. Cosmetics, shoes, bags and everything that concerns women's vanity will find their way into her blog.

"The response to the blog has been more than what I had expected. I wasn't sure there was even a ready audience for the things I wanted to write about, but obviously there is one. I think people are attracted to the frank reviews on the products I use. If they are terrible, I say so. But I state clearly that it is my opinion and what works for me might not work for others, and vice versa," she says.

Beaverbanks explains that the idea for the blog came about when she realised that many people went online to read reviews about products before making a purchase. While such trend is popular in the United States and Europe, it is growing in Asia, too, she says, based on the hits from search engines.

Also, she adds, there are not many beauty bloggers based in Malaysia.

My Women Stuff has a beguiling tagline, "There are no ugly women, only lazy ones", which may be another reason for the growing number of visitors to the blog. The tagline is inspirational and amusing at the same time. It's a quote from Helena Rubinstein, which Beaverbanks feels fits well with her blog's concept.

Beaverbanks makes it clear (on her blog) that she does not work in the beauty industry, and so is no expert in the field.

"All my information about upcoming releases is limited to online sources (other blogs, beauty sites, beauty forums) and print information (departmental store newsletters, brochures, etc). My product reviews are usually based on products I have tried or bought," she says.

On top of her busy schedule as an executive in a company in Kuala Lumpur, Beaverbanks tries as much as possible to post regularly on her blog.

"I try to write at least four posts a week so that regular readers don't feel alienated. I also try to take photos of the actual products I review because sometimes stock photos don't represent the way the item actually looks. However, sometimes when I'm strapped for time, I will use stock photos sourced from online stores or the product's official Web site," she says.

Most of the traffic to her blog comes from outside of Malaysia, Beaverbanks says, and this has helped her earn some money through Adsense. The income is minimal, but she receives invitations from online retailers to promote their products.

"The income I earn is just about enough to pay for my domain and hosting fees. I can't give up my day job just yet," she quips.

Just like Beaverbanks, Beetrice Wang blogs about all things related to beauty (www.reviews-galore.blogspot.com). Although not new to the blogging game, she only started to blog about beauty products last May. (Wang also has a personal blog at www.beetrice.blogspot.com, which she started in 2004.)

"Blogging is something I got into by accident after graduation, actually. A couple of sporadic early posts, three years, two template revamps and plenty of feedback later, I have two blogs - one personal, and one for reviews or products, which is Beetrice's Reviews."

Beetrice's Reviews is pretty much what the title suggests. It has her personal views on beauty products she has tried and some bits on cuisine, promotions and fashion along with useful information or tips.

Wang agrees that there are not many local bloggers who write on beauty products. So, her blog is intended to give a local perspective about such products.

'I read a number of blogs, both local and international. However, I've found that many beauty blogs tend to focus on products for the Western world. I hope to bring a more local perspective," she says. "For example, I'll tell people if a certain product is effective for Asian skin. I also highlight brands and products that are available locally."

According to Wang, about 9,000 visitors have read her blog since it was put up. And lately, weekly hits have tripled, she says.

"I have received a lot of positive comments and feedback from people who have read my blog, and it's been really encouraging. People are receptive and a lot of interaction takes place on my blog with comments, feedback and experience sharing. I've also found that some readers, particularly Asian readers, are more comfortable contacting me via e-mail rather than commenting on my blog," she informs.

Judging by the number of hits on particular posts, Wang says readers are attracted to the product promotions she highlights and good bargains!

To make her blog interesting and attractive, Wang puts up a lot of photos and provides links for more information.

"Blogs must never be just words, although there are some excellent blogs out there with solely text content. A picture paints a thousand words, and true enough, I find that the step-by-step guides with photos on my blog are well-received by readers," she says.

Wang, who subscribes to Nuffnang, has not made much money from her blog, but says the experience of being able to communicate with people through her blog is enriching enough.