10 Things I’ve Learned About Beauty Blogging…

There’s an old Chinese proverb which states ‘The journey of a thousand mile starts with a single step’. Isn’t it beautiful? These words have always rung true throughout the many journeys I’ve been on, some of them great and others not so much. But after stumbling across this little proverb over the weekend again it’s made me reflect back on a few journeys I’ve been through, am still going through & those yet to come. One of the most inspiring journey’s I’ve been on is blogging. Not only has it helped me manage my anxiety immensely, but the fun I’ve had and the friendships forged have been totally unforgettable. So with that in mind today’s post is simply a light hearted reflection on a few of the things I’ve learned since taking my first ‘virtual’ footstep with Confetti & Curves almost 3 years ago…

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Hoarding becomes normality…

No, really it will. Say goodbye to your trusty little zip-up makeup bag and hello to a room dominated by skyscrapers of muji drawer sets and decorative Ikea plant pots crammed with makeup brushes. Of course that’s ONLY the cosmetics… your bathroom shelves, bedside cabinets, kitchen table and handbag will become a breeding ground for skincare, moisturisers, lip balms…

There’s no such thing as free time…

If you’re a busy little blogging bee who hits the ‘publish’ button multiple times per week then the likely hood is that your free time is spent scrawling down post ideas, making mental notes of points to mention, scouring beauty magazines, responding to PR companies, replying to comments, attempting to keep up with social media, recharging your camera batteries, cursing the lack of natural daylight, typing into the early hours of the morning – oh, and juggling your job/life/kids/family commitments into the mix too 😉

“But it’s for the Blog”…

Payday should be everyday when you’re a beauty blogger with a wish list as long as a fresh loo roll, but it aint, so funds needs to be juggled with care and the mightiest of resistance to splurge. However there’s always that delicious moment when birthday & Christmas rolls round and you’re handed cards filled with gift vouchers for your favourite beauty havens *happy sigh* In the mean time you’ll keep convincing yourself that every item you pop in your basket is all in the name of beauty blogging. What a selfless trooper you are! 😀

Nothing gets used until your camera says so…

And I mean absolutely nothing. The thought of applying a fresh tube of lippie before it’s been photographed almost makes the eyeballs in your head roll back in horror. And heaven forbid an eye shadow pan gets disturbed or a new makeup tool gets used BEFORE it’s had a photo shoot.

There’s no such thing as “Just popping in”…

Are you serious? When was the last time you actually ‘just popped in’ to any makeup store? When you’re a beauty blogger avoiding the makeup aisles is virtually impossible. We have miniature magnets entwined into our DNA that simply doesn’t permit us to casually dander past a wall of beauty goodies but instead be drawn helplessly towards them. We’re goin’ in and we ain’t coming back out until our forearms resemble a patchwork quilt of many many many colours.

EVERTHING gets critiqued…

Even things your friends and family treat themselves too , you’ll more than likely find yourself saying “Ooh, very nice, but you really should try…” Oh yes, you become obsessed, not only with your own stash but also with the stash of others too. Not to mention the almighty moment of “YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS… No, really you HAVE to, I insist, in fact let’s go RIGHT NOW and buy it for you. Yes NOW!” You become delirious when you find a mascara that does what it promises or a drugstore lipstick that puts your favourite Mac to shame.

The guilt, oh the guilt…

Oddly enough I had this very conversation with a blog buddy quite recently, when we were discussing the waves of quilt from the very thought of not posting. It’s remarkably amazing just how much effort goes into maintaining a blog, including sticking to a routine. Sadly many of us often get swamped into feeling pressured to fulfilling that day in day out. Remember, we’re only human, we need our blog breaks, holidays and time away to recharge our batteries. Blogging should be fun, breaking the guilt is tough but it has to be done to realise that there’s a life to live away from the laptop too.

You’ll have an all year round need for fairy lights…

Your new slogan will be ‘fairylights aren’t just for Christmas..’ as you’ll soon discover that there’s an all round yearly requirement for obtaining that perfect background bokeh effect to woo the eyeballs of your readers with. Yes, your room will partially resemble Santa’s grotto 356 days of the year… 366 if it’s a leap year. Just saying.

Lighting becomes your enemy …

Summer time is a blessing but winter is just a plain old pain in the virtual arse cheeks. With gloomy grey skies and sunlight disappearing faster than your patience cares to admit, you’ll possibly find yourself timing your photo shoots to day-light perfection as you huddle eagerly beside your biggest window… until you spend your entire savings on ring lamps powerful enough to flood light Wembley Stadium.

You’ll become besties with people you’ve never met…

This is by far the best bit, the community spirit. When I started beauty blogging my misconceptions were that it would be a ferociously bitchy place full of ‘Makeup Experts’ just waiting to correct your every damn opinion. How wrong I was. In fact, it’s the total opposite. I’ve met people that will remain friends for the rest of my life, people who have built my confidence, encouraged me, supported me and even spent the time selflessly promoting my little corner of the interweb.  These are the people who lift you up on the crappiest of days, they’re the ones that make you feel  a very special part of one big cheery internet family. Thank you ❤

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What have you learned from beauty blogging? Do you relate with anything mentioned? What’s been your favourite or most challenging thing about blogging? Whatever your thoughts I’d love to read them in the comments below so do stop by and say a quick howdy!

Wishing y’all a fab day ahead 🙂

Cheerio Chums…

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