Greetings BuyMyFace.com visitors and fans!  WE DID IT!  Our crazy idea actually worked, and we made enough money to pay back our student debt… who’d have thought it, eh?  For 365 days, we sold our faces and somehow managed to go skydiving, skiing, rope swinging and much much more as part of our job.  How?  Well, it’s because you kept coming back to our website/liking us on Facebook, so THANK YOU!

 

Now that our year of selling advertising space on our faces is at its end, we’ve had a LOT of emails asking “what next?”… to which we reply “What’s This?”… a confusing answer that requires a bit more explaining.  For the last 5 months, we’ve secretly been developing a smartphone app – called “What’s This?”.  It’s a photo-guessing game.  Imagine if Draw Something and Instagram were to get it on and make a baby… “What’s This?” would be their baby!

 

The idea is simple: you take a photo of something, obscure it using some fun filters (e.g. pixellate/close-up/blur), then send the photo to a friend who has to guess what it is.

 

If you have an iPhone and want to be the first to try it out, here’s a link to the free download:

 

 

 

… or if you think “what the hec – it’s only 99 cents”, then here’s the link to our paid version without adverts:

 

 

 

Please do give us a 5* review, then send an email to to tell us what you really think   There are still a couple of issues with it, but if you let us know what they are, we can fix them in about a week

 

We’ve already made the final of “Best Start-Up App 2012″ in the Appsters, so if you’re dying to get your hands on this (almost) award-winning app but you’re on Android, fear not – you should be able to download it in about a week!

 

We’re at it again!  Ross and Ed on another whirlwind adventure!

 

http://www.facebook.com/whatsthisapp

 

Admittedly, we were a little worried when Old Streetonians rugby club bought our faces… would we be asked to play a game?  Sure, we both dabbled with rugby at school, but playing against fully grown men* was a different ball game altogether.  Visions of bone-breaking tackles flashed right before my eyes:

Were we about to become pate?  Fortunately the answer was “no”… a great relief for us, our parents, and the groundskeeper (who would have had to clear up the mess).  Instead, we were kindly sent Twickenham tickets to see the London Wasps vs. the Harlequins and the London Irish vs. the Saracens – thanks Old Streetonians RFC!

The crowds were very friendly, the games were exciting, and we had a jolly good time indeed.  Being the first game we’d ever seen at Twickenham, we embraced the occasion…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*by “fully grown men”, I really mean “tanks”

Those avid followers among you will remember that a couple of months ago the BuyMyFace girls (or, BMF Babes^TM) modelled some fancy tops for one of our clients.  Well this time, Ed and I thought we’d give it a go!  We’ve been thinking for a while now about getting into the fashion industry, and as our debut, Brave Soul was kind enough to send over a couple of t-shirts and a pair of jackets for us to show off.  Naturally, we took this very seriously and approached the task with the same level of professionalism that people have come to expect from such enterprising young go-getters…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I for one think we nailed it.  FHM, here we come! *

 

* We actually were contacted by FHM a few days ago. I’m serious. They’re working out whether they might be able to include us in an upcoming issue. For the love of god, write in and give them the push they need! Ed needs a win right now!

 

 

 

 

 

Shock, horror!  The Buy My Face blog post actually contains some useful information today.  Students, listen up:

“Choosing a Student Bank Account for 2012/13

If you’re setting off to university for September 2012, here are some top tips you should keep in mind when choosing a student bank account!

• Find a bank that’s offering the best 0% overdraft – make sure the figure you’re offered is a guaranteed amount, and not an “up to” amount. Those banks that offer up to a certain amount tend to scour your credit history – if you have no history or you have a poor one, you probably won’t be approved for the top amount.
• Look at the other perks – it’s not a good idea to pick a bank account on the basis of the perks on offer, but if two banks are offering the same deal on overdrafts then it could be the perks that separate one bank from the other as the best.
• Find out where your local branch is. There’s no need to bank with a company on your door step – but you should try and make sure there’s a branch within easy reach should you need to pop in.
• Check to see if internet banking is available – in this day and age most banks offer online banking but it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask before you open your account!

It’s important that you spend the time looking around for a student account because they have many merits. If you have a standard bank account you’ll have to pay for the privilege of having an overdraft – and you may miss out on other cool perks, too.

If you’re confident your account will be in the green throughout your time at university you can probably just make a decision based on interest rates offered. Whilst it’s always a good idea to put any money you’ve got hanging around into a high interest savings account, this can sometimes restrict your access to your cash in emergencies.

Some banks will offer students a credit card. It’s up to you whether or not you take up the offer of a credit card, but in general it’s a good idea for students to give them a miss. That said, if you take a credit card they are handy to have when making online purchases thanks to the chargeback feature. Credit cards are also handy as a very last resort if you’re totally out of cash and you’ve got no money to buy dinner with.

Being thrifty

Finding a student bank account is all part of an effort to be thrifty, helping you save money when possible. What’s the point in paying for the privilege of an overdraft if you can have one for free? There’s a lot more to being thrifty than just having a bank account though – you need to make sure you budget effectively so your funds last until your next loan or grant comes in.

For a lot more information about student finance, jobs and other interest topics make sure you check out StudentMoney.co.uk.  This website has been set up to provide free money advice for students, which includes money saving tips, offers, comparing student bills and job-hunting tips.”

 

Pinch those pennies,

We’ve had a fantastic year doing ridiculous things with our faces painted… jumping our of a plane was definitely a highlight!  However, all good things must come to and end… and this is certainly true for Buy My Face: a business relying on our good looks and dry British charm.  Whilst the charm will last indefinitely, our good looks tragically will not… but what do you expect?  My face has evidently weathered after 9 months of professional face-paint… still, if I’ve learned one thing from Ross, it’s not to buy Tesco value face-paint:

 

 

So the question begs: what next?  Well Buy My Face is and has always been a 1-year project.  It finishes 31st September, and to be honest, we weren’t completely sure what we should do.  However, our Facebook fans were:

 

30:1.  So it’s decided!

I was mid-way through a crumpet this morning when Ross picked up the BMF phone… “weird”, I thought – “the phone didn’t even ring”… “perhaps I just didn’t hear it – after all, this delicious crumpet is quite distracting”:

 

Ross: Hello

Ed: *whispered* Who is it?

Ross: Barrister Ross

Ed: Huh?

Ross: From the Buy My Face Law Division

Ed: But there is no B…

Ross: Hang on – he sounds serious… Yes… I understand.

Ed: Ross, seriously – there is no B…

 

[Ross puts the phone down]

 

Ross: It was hard to hear what Barrister Ross was saying – I think he was in the BMF jacuzzi with the BMF babes – there was loud giggling and splashing in the background.

Ed: Ross, there is no Barrister Ross, there is no BMF Law Division, there is no BMF jacuzzi, and there are no BMF babes!

 

Ross continued as if he hadn’t heard me.

 

Ross: From what I gather, the copycats are here!

 

We checked our emails, and sure enough there was an email from .  Unfortunately the desired effect was lost on me, because I saw Ross create said email account and send said email moments before.  Nevertheless, there were some rogue face-painters copying BuyMyFace.com.  The hilarious part is that “Frank and Isaac” seemed pretty familiar:

 

 

Perhaps we need a BMF law division… or at the very least, perhaps we need to release a parody version of Eminem’s Real Slim Shady.  Anyway, the Real Face-Advert would have to wait, because we had to go get ready for Marketing Week Live.

 

We arrived at Europe’s biggest marketing event to film with national Chinese TV for a documentary being aired in October to 600 MILLION VIEWERS!  Within minutes, people were greeting us by name/taking photos of us/pointing and waving… I guess we were on familiar soil, but even so, I was impressed with how many people knew about Buy My Face – I guess that’s what front page of the Sunday Times does!

 

After about 20 minutes of filming/gorging on marketing freebies, I’d lost Ross.  Still, a man with his face painted is easy to spot in a crowd, so I headed over to him:

 

 

… but it wasn’t Ross.  It was more copycats!  Ross showed up too, and naturally we started asking questions.  It turns out the copycats had only started selling ad space on their faces that morning.  I felt kind of sorry for them – on their very first day of painting their faces, they have an embarrassing encounter with the guys they’d copied and a Chinese film crew.

 

Ross: Barrister Ross is going to flip a switch!

Sometimes a picture says a thousand words… but sometimes it says just one:

 

So, ShiteShirts asked us to model some of their quality garments. The idea is bizarre and brilliant – you buy a shirt, you wait, then you marvel at the random mish-mash of fabric that arrives at your doorstep. We love them.

I even bought one for my brother’s 18th birthday:

Hi Brazil, this one’s for you

After going out in a newspaper in Brazil, we had a lot of emails from people wanting to be part of the Buy My Face team. After Ross had replied to the 37th request, he asked me:

Ross: Ed, how much would you pay me to smash my head into a watermelon?

Ed: err… Ross… you already did that for free… remember?

Whilst contemplating the possibility that the watermelon had done more damage than we initially thought, the 38th email arrived, and it was golden:

“Hello, good afternoon. Found an amazing idea for you both to ensure the livelihood and their studies. In Brazil, unfortunately we do not see these things, and it is likely that people here do not receive any value. I think you need a girl to fzer part of the team… kkkkkkkkkkk

I am looking for an exchange, but need money to survive abroad. A Brazilian would bring with you a great repercussion. kkkkkkkkkkkk A website could start BuyMyBrazilian.com

Kisses and success! =))

ps.: typed in google translator, then do not repair the English”

This blog title could be misleading. If you’re hoping for a public display of bromance, then I’m sorry to say you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Do you remember BigHug.co.uk who bought our faces a while back?… Of course you do… Well, they were so pleased with our artwork they decided to send us over a Big Hug beanbag each of our choice. Naturally we chose the biggest ones… and they’re freakin’ big!

I’m assuming, like us, a giant beanbag is up there on your list of stuff you definitely don’t need, but really really want. Probably positioned somewhere between fighting robot cats and flubber. Needless to say, we’re so pleased with the beanbags, we decided to make a short video capturing how we feel:

Unfortunately during the making of this video, while Ross and I were both spinning wildly out of control, my beanbag smashed into Ross’ face! I know what you’re taking – is the beanbag ok? Well for a lesser beanbag, the answer would be “no – the face paint just won’t wash out”… but fortunately Big Hugs are washable and waterproof. Phew!

Not only did HostPapa.co.uk bag themselves a dapper face-ad; they’re teaming up with BuyMyFace.com to host our website!  Why’s that so good, you ask?  Well that’s exactly what we asked Thomas:

 

Ed: Hey Tom, you know HostPapa.co.uk have bought our faces right?

 

Thomas:

Yea

 

Ross: Well they’ve asked if we’d like some new hosting… what do you reckon?

 

Thomas: Really?  That’s excellent   timing!  It seems our current host isn’t coping very well with high volumes of traffic since USA/Canada news coverage.

 

A few moments of browsing later, and Tom was sufficiently impressed with the hosting packages offered by HostPapa.co.uk.

 

Thomas: wow!

 

To celebrate the transfer of BuyMyFace.com over to HostPapa, HostPapa decided to send us to the London aquarium and out for a swanky dinner.  Score.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re like totally in the Sunday Times today!  Go get a newspaper if you don’t believe us.  Anyway, for people who are only just discovering our faces, here’s what we’ve been up to:

 

Looking Ridiculous Doing the Ridiculous

 

In The News

We’ve now been in over 200 news outlets including the Mail Online, the Sun (short paragraph), the Star (short paragraph), BBC England, Russell Howard’s Good News, ITV (TV), BBC (TV), national TV/news in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Australia, China, and now our biggest yet – The Times!

Buy My Face the Game

With all artwork now completed by Helen Nowell, we’re soon to launch the stunning Buy My Face online game featuring all the companies who’ve bought our faces.