Bloggers Back Beauty Products

CAROL ANGRISANI

SAN ANTONIO — O.P.I. nail color. Burberry fragrances. Chi flatirons.

It may sound like the inside of a salon, but it actually describes some of the prestige beauty items carried at select H.E. Butt Grocery stores.

To spread the word about these offerings, H-E-B assembled a 10-member Beauty Blogger panel comprised of mom, coupon and other bloggers from Texas.

Each blogger is sent a sample of H-E-B's “Beauty Pick of the Month,” and asked to review it on her blog. Heb.com posts a link to each blogger's website.

This month's beauty pick is Dove VisibleCare Crème Body Wash. Past picks included Garnier Pure Clean Shampoo and Conditioner, and Revlon CustomEyes. A new H-E-B private label, Orchid hand soaps and sanitizers, was the beauty pick for May.

Along with reviewing H-E-B's beauty pick, the bloggers run an H-E-B-sponsored contest that lets two readers get the item for free.

Active since January, the blogger panel is part of an effort to make H-E-B a beauty care destination. While many consumers opt to buy shampoo, nail polish, makeup and the like at drug, department or specialty stores, H-E-B seemingly wants shoppers to know that its beauty aisles are stocked with brands like Bare Escentuals foundation, O.P.I. nail color, and the Essence beauty line of eye shadows, foundation and lip gloss.

“At H-E-B, you can look and feel like a million bucks without having to spend it,” H-E-B says in promotional materials. “That's because we carry the variety of salons and department stores at the savings you deserve.”

H-E-B declined to comment.

Heather Calhoun, who lives in a Houston suburb, is one of H-E-B's beauty bloggers. She runs frugalreality.com, a blog about how to save money. Several hundred of Calhoun's readers typically enter the monthly giveaway.

Being an H-E-B beauty blogger has made Calhoun aware of products and services she never knew H-E-B carried, she told SN. For instance, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that nearly 200 H-E-B stores have “beauty advisors” stationed in the aisle to help buyers learn about new trends, or find the right hair color or foundation.

She also never knew that H-E-B stocked high-end beauty products like Essie Nail polish and Chi flatirons.

Being an H-E-B beauty blogger also changed Sara Peterson's perception about the retailer's beauty care offerings. A resident of a Houston suburb, Peterson runs the mom blog mommafindings.com that reviews products and services for parents.

“Before, I wouldn't think of buying beauty products at H-E-B,” she said. “Now, that's changed.”