Our self-named bloggersphere has never been adverse to a little controversy, but over the last couple of weeks an increasing amount of debate has erupted and once again put our little corners of the internet back in the spotlight. A thread on Mumsnet started the discussion, but the question at the root of the issue has been floating around for some time: are bloggers really still the impartial experts and 'real people' we can trust for unbiased opinions, or have they evolved into just another marketing platform that brands are using to fool us" Before I start to wade into the debate, it's important to understand that the main difference between a beauty blogger and a beauty editor is the driving force behind them: beauty bloggers are (mostly) motivated by a passion and need to connect with likeminded individuals, whereas beauty editors are driven by their boss breathing down their neck ahead of a deadline. Their roles are incredibly different, but equally complementary. Nothing illustrates more our desire for an alternative perspective and new way of thinking than the growth of blogs over the past five years, but that's not to say there isn't still a huge role to play for magazines. 
Interestingly, beauty editors don't ever come under the same scrutiny as bloggers when it comes to trust, transparency and integrity. Whether it's because we've become accustomed to seeing a very specific type of product on a page, or because we simply don't have the same level of ...