Smashing Oz participates in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to products and services offered by third-party retailers. This disclosure explains how our affiliate relationships work, how they may affect your shopping experience, and what safeguards are in place to keep our editorial content independent and trustworthy.
What Affiliate Links Are
Affiliate links are special tracking URLs that allow us to earn a small commission when you click through our site and complete a purchase on a retailer’s website. These links look like regular product links, but they contain a unique identifier that tells the retailer that the traffic came from Smashing Oz.
When you use an affiliate link, the price you pay is typically the same as if you had visited the retailer directly. In most cases, the commission is paid by the retailer out of their marketing budget, not by adding extra cost to your order.
How We Use Affiliate Links
Affiliate links appear throughout Smashing Oz in content such as:
- Product reviews and comparisons
- Shopping guides and “best of” lists
- Gift guides and seasonal recommendations
- Deal and promotion coverage
- Style and beauty routine articles that include specific product suggestions
We use affiliate links as one way to support our editorial operations, including product testing, research, writing, editing, and site maintenance. Without this revenue, it would be difficult to sustain the level of testing and editorial rigor we aim to provide.
How Affiliate Relationships Work
Smashing Oz works with a range of affiliate networks and individual retail partners. These programs include major online marketplaces, department stores, specialty beauty and fashion retailers, and direct-to-consumer brands.
Our affiliate partnerships operate under standard industry terms:
- We place links to products and services within our content.
- When a reader clicks a link and completes a qualifying action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service, we may earn a commission.
- Commissions vary by retailer, product category, and promotional terms at the time of purchase.
- We do not control the final price, shipping costs, taxes, or return policies, which are set by the retailer.
Impact on Pricing and Availability
Prices and availability of products featured on Smashing Oz can change at any time. Retailers control pricing, promotions, and stock levels, and these can shift frequently due to sales, clearance events, or supply constraints.
While we strive to keep our content up to date, we cannot guarantee that the price or availability shown at the time of writing will match what you see when you click through to the retailer. We encourage readers to verify current pricing, shipping options, and return policies on the retailer’s site before completing a purchase.
In some cases, affiliate terms may change without notice. A product that previously earned a commission may no longer do so, or commission rates may be adjusted by the retailer or network. These changes do not influence our editorial recommendations, which are based on testing, research, and editorial judgment.
Editorial Independence and Affiliate Revenue
Affiliate revenue supports Smashing Oz, but it does not dictate our editorial coverage. Our editorial team maintains full control over which products we review, how we evaluate them, and what recommendations we make.
Key principles governing our use of affiliate links include:
- No pay-for-placement: Brands cannot pay to be included in our reviews, shopping guides, or “best of” lists. Inclusion is based on editorial merit, not commercial relationships.
- No influence over ratings or recommendations: Affiliate partnerships do not influence our ratings, rankings, or conclusions. A product with a higher commission rate does not receive preferential treatment in our coverage.
- No pre-approval by brands: We do not share draft reviews or shopping guides with brands or retailers for approval before publication. Our editorial team retains final say over all content.
- Equal consideration: Products are evaluated based on performance, value, quality, and suitability for different users, regardless of whether they are part of an affiliate program.
Our goal is to provide recommendations that readers can trust, even if that means suggesting a product with a lower commission or no affiliate link at all.
Types of Affiliate Programs We Use
Smashing Oz participates in several types of affiliate programs:
- Large retail marketplaces: Programs that cover a wide range of categories, from fashion and beauty to home goods and electronics.
- Specialty beauty and fashion retailers: Programs focused on specific niches such as skincare, makeup, hair care, apparel, and accessories.
- Direct-to-consumer brands: Programs run by individual brands that sell primarily through their own websites.
- Deal and coupon networks: Programs that provide access to promotions, discount codes, and limited-time offers across multiple retailers.
Each program operates under its own terms, but all are subject to our internal standards for transparency and editorial independence.
Cookies and Tracking
When you click an affiliate link on Smashing Oz, the retailer or affiliate network may place a cookie on your device to track your activity. These cookies are used to attribute sales to our site and to calculate commissions.
Cookie durations vary by program. Some track purchases for 24 hours after a click, while others may track for 30 days or longer. We do not have access to the personal data collected by these cookies, and we do not control how retailers or networks use this information. Their data practices are governed by their own privacy policies.
Changes to Affiliate Terms
Affiliate program terms, commission rates, and product availability can change without notice. Retailers may end programs, adjust payouts, or modify tracking windows at any time. These changes are outside our control and do not affect our editorial standards or recommendations.
We periodically review our affiliate partnerships to ensure they align with our values and provide a good experience for readers. If a program no longer meets our standards, we may discontinue our participation.
Reader Responsibilities
Readers are responsible for reviewing all terms and conditions on the retailer’s site before completing a purchase. This includes:
- Verifying current pricing, promotions, and shipping costs
- Understanding return and refund policies
- Checking product details such as size, color, ingredients, and compatibility
- Ensuring that the retailer ships to their location and accepts their preferred payment method
We provide information and recommendations to help guide your decisions, but final purchasing choices and transactions occur on the retailer’s site, not on Smashing Oz.
Questions About Our Affiliate Practices
We aim to be transparent about how we use affiliate links and how they support our editorial work. If you have questions about our affiliate relationships, how commissions work, or how we maintain editorial independence, you can reach out through our standard contact channels.
Our commitment is to operate with honesty and clarity, ensuring that readers understand how our site is supported and how affiliate links may appear in the content they use.
Last updated: August 2026
