Let’s just sit down with a nice cup of coffee, and not a fucking pumpkin spiced latte instagrammed and filtered to the hilt and have a little chat, shall we?
Why even start a blog?
I started my blog because I am obsessed with beauty products, buying them, looking at new ones, learning about skincare and trying to find out ways to save money by doing treatments myself or finding the best for money treatments out there to get. I am a real person and am by no means perfect and I sometimes wonder why these days you are only worthy of having a ‘great blog’ if you fit into a perfect box and have a blog that’s more like an online magazine.
Why read blogs?
I read blogs for many reasons, my favourite blogs are definitely not the magazine style fancy ones, my favourites are for the people, the personalities and the writing style. I love Laura from buynowbloglater. H er love for sharing products that she enjoys shines through her blog and her snapchat. She is self depreciating and a cool girl. Why? Because she is herself, the same for most of the blogs I read and the rare one I comment on.
What do people read blogs for?
I want to see how the real girl manages not to look crap after a 12 hour work day, how that woman on the train might have a busy job but has nails and brows that look bloody amazing. How someone shops just on the high street but manages to look classy and expensive. Blogs such as The Workwear Edit actually help me to decide what to buy to wear to the office and sometimes when the focus is more on what to write or focus on to get a brands attention, I feel a bit sad really.
I read blogs rather than magazines because we all know that magazine writers have to feature things because of advertising. If an advertiser pays for a certain amount of adverts in the magazine they are also duty bound to write about their products. Or at least not slag them off, even if they are complete rubbish.
Blog honesty?
That’s why I preferred the honestly of a blog, if you want to say L’oreal’s facial setting spray was a load of rubbish (it is) then you could. When you get sent things for free, they start expecting you to write about their products. Even if you didn’t like them, in a positive way. I refuse to do that and I refuse to try and be trendy and post about the new products if I can’t afford to buy them. But what about other people who are more easily swayed? Who feel they have to do this to be in with the ‘big guys’ because they really want to be a popular blogger.
What can we do?
I say, just don’t give a toss. Let’s take it back old school. If you like something you like it, if you don’t well then tell them you don’t. If a brand won’t work with you because you have an honest opinion about not liking something then they are at fault. Their PR and marketing people need to take a step back and realise something. These days consumers are not idiots, if we read a blog where every single product they recommend, we try and it’s crap, then they must have an agenda!
Be real
If you’re not the shining example of their size 2, my little pony haired perfection then..sod em! Maybe you had pink hair before it was cool. Perhaps you’re slightly peeved all of these people have stolen your swag! If you’re 31 rather than 21 then you know who cares, other 30 year olds!
If you’re a mum, you don’t have to pretend that you look like a supermodel if you don’t. Neither do you have to pretend you’re knackered and haven’t got out of your pjs if you have. Others will have similar experiences no matter what yours is. Just write from the heart. Write about things that you are interested in and the passion will shine through.
What this isn’t
This isn’t really a rant. It’s a thought. Read the beautiful Tea Party Beauty’s recent post. It’s about feeling ‘average’ which you can read here
My advice,
To all the commenters who felt the same, from someone a bit older but probably not that wiser. Don’t get disheartened. Write about what you want. When you want and enjoy it. Life is too short to have other people make you feel some type of way. Especially about your content and what you want to talk about. Sometimes we need to care less about other people’s opinions and more about our own.