Cosmetic companies prefer, well LOVE, blogs as opposed to forums because they have are able to control the blogger. It's unspoken, but it's there. There are a good number of bloggers who want their blog to be successful, make money and receive samples. In fact, a lot of bloggers depend on this relationship for a living. If a blogger starts to get a bit too negative too often with a certain cosmetic co, the cosmetic co PR folks will start to get stingy with samples, press releases and hold back info. Then the blog lags behind in info and popularity, looses readers and eventually looses money. Back to that control element, most of the big bloggers approve all of the comments posted on their site. In other words, they pick and chose whose voice gets to be heard. Blogs are a lot like reality TV, as in it's ALL EDITING. They decide what opinions and comments about a certain cosmetic company's products get heard.
I am not saying that all blogs are like this. Not by any means. You can tell which ones are, though. I could absolutely call someone out here, but I will bite my tongue. I love to support those who do it for the love of it.
Cosmetic companies don't tend to embrace forum boards because there is too much freedom to express dissenting opinions. Blogs, on the other hand can be sculpted into what is essentially a commercial for the cosmetic companies (if the blogger chooses to take it in that direction). I prefer forum-based sites like Specktra for that very reason. I have always had a great appreciation and fondness for MAC, but when they piss me off, I say something and on Specktra I can do that.
