‘Morning Ladies!
MWS turns 5 today – 5! Did I ever think I’d hang around this long? No.
Did I ever think I’d enjoy it this much? No.
Did I ever think we’d evolve into such a strong beauty-loving community in which to share our tips, secrets and beauty thoughts? Nope!
Am I enjoying it? Hell yeah! 😀 5 years in the blogging scene has given me my fair share of ups and downs and trite as it might sound, I could never have pulled through without all of you 🙂 So let me share with you the 5 things beauty blogging has taught me in these 5 years. Lessons I’ve learnt and applied to my daily life – whoever said nothing good comes out of blogging doesn’t know what they are talking about 🙂
Learning to prioritize
In the 5 years since I started this blog, I’ve been around the block where blogging is concerned. Done it for the money (not ashamed to admit I’ve done it and I can safely say why I won’t again), chased the rainbow for news and “the latest”, run scoops, and shouted promotions from the rooftops. At the end, I’ve decided and learnt to prioritize my time and space. Time is a limited resource and I’d rather spend that limited resource on something that brings me joy. So I talk about things that bring me joy – products and brands that I enjoy using. If its a brand or product I’m not so keen on, I decline. Also, when it comes to skincare, I’m very happy with the state of my skin right now and I’m less wont to stray so I’ve become quite picky and I prioritize.
Ditto life. Time is a limited resource so I prioritize the areas of my life I want focusing on and the people I want to surround myself with and try not to dwell too much on unpleasantness. Learning to prioritize what I want out of life and my blog, is probably the biggest lesson I’ve learnt 🙂
There are good… And nasty people in the world
5 years, and I think I’ve seen it all from both ends of the spectrum and in between. Or maybe I haven’t. For the most part, I must say I have met the loveliest people from my online exploits, and I have made many fast friends this way. The best part for me is making friends from all over the globe thanks to a common love (much love to my Sherlock loving lipstick bandits!) which gives me a little thrill everytime because it tells me that the internet has no borders and we’re global, baybeh! 😀
The nasty ones or not so nice ones are there, and will always be there but I have chosen to turn a blind eye. I can’t and will not live my life wanting and waiting for you to be my friend nor for me to be yours, and perhaps I don’t want it either. There are lots more things to do and more to life than just getting upset over things people do or don’t do, and being petty and all round childish. I will confess that I sometimes let irritations get me down but once I brush it off, its time to get up and move on. Life’s short, and I plan to live it to the fullest 😀
Its ok to look stupid sometimes
I’ve been known to pull some silly faces in FOTDs – something I do to detract from the norm. Case in point, this silly face from the Dior Rose Porcelaine palette review, Granted, it makes me look stupid, and for those who don’t know or aren’t familiar with my usual style, vapid and vain. But its ok to look stupid sometimes, because it makes me human 😀 When I translate it into real life, it just means that sometimes, when you take a tumble and end up looking silly, its ok to sit and laugh at it and then pick yourself up and move on. You may think it looks silly but to someone else, it may look cute or just not so silly 😉
Don’t be afraid to admit you do not know
Sometimes, I receive email questions or I think of something that I have no answer to. I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t know the answer. The beauty of it is that, most of the time, some of you readers do! So, posing a question, seeking your answers, offering topics for discussion by the majority is a great way for us all to chat and discuss and perhaps even, find some answers. At the very least, it offers some interesting topics for discussion 🙂 In real life, its the same thing – you don’t and can’t know everything, so once you admit and realize that, its easier to seek help and then, learn from there because life’s a long learning process.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Once in a while, my blog goes down. It could be a simple error in the blog theme when I tweak codes, or it could be something bigger like a database or server connection time out or the exceeding of my allocated bandwidth, as just happened recently. In the early years, I would panic and go into a cold sweat – “Why??!!” I’d throw my hands in the air and lament, and bug my webhost to death. I’ve since learnt not to sweat the small stuff. I have an excellent webhost I’ve been using from Day 1 and he works his magic when I ping him in desperation. But as with real life, a lot of these panic attacks can be blown up into something bigger than they really are and stress levels go through the roof. So nowadays when something happens, I take a step back and weigh the size of the problem. If its something that can be resolved through time or with a bit of expenditure, I try not to stress over it. Again, its my new life philosophy. Its short – live it to its fullest 🙂
Sharing is caring
Let me sneak in just one more (in case you’re counting) The title says it all. I wouldn’t be blogging about my thoughts on products and beauty tips and snippets if I didn’t think that someone somewhere could benefit from the little bit of sharing that I do. If you have benefited in any way, then I am going to now get into a contortionist pose and pat myself on the back for a job well done 🙂 Just like in real life, I’ve learnt that sharing ideas, thoughts, gifts and above all, time with others can make a difference to some people. That you share something or some time or just lend a sympathetic ear to someone tells them you care about them and that can be enough to lift ones spirits even if you have no solution to offer bar a sympathetic ear.
Thank you everyone for being with me this far. I promise to hang around so long as this continues to be fun and while you still want me to 😉 If you have learnt anything off my blog, or if you have found a product review helpful, it’s been worth it 😀
xoxo
Paris B
milktea says
I love this post about life’s lessons learnt along the way! 🙂 I’m slowly (but surely!) trying to apply the same lessons in my life. I learnt also from observing my nephew and niece. They’re little (5 & 8 yrs) and do not sweat the small stuff. It just rolls off their back!
Paris B says
Ah the kids know best, don’t they? And they lead a happier life as a result, until they start learning about conventions and conformity 😛 But kids are a good learning resource – just as we teach them, they too can teach us to lighten up a little 🙂
Megan says
Happy 5th Anniversary, glad that you are still enjoying and going strong after 5 years. Thank you for being so informative and enjoyable xoxo
Paris B says
Thank you Megan 🙂 Its thanks to the blogging community thats keeping me going and you too I’m sure! 😀
Alyssa says
Happy 5th Birthday MWS!!! thanks for being my daily dose of guilty pleasure day after day 😀
Paris B says
Mmm… you made me sound like a sinful slab of dark chocolate! 😉 Thank you for the support Alyssa!
Petrina says
Happy 5th birthday! Live your blog – my #1 stop for beauty in kl 🙂
Paris B says
Thank you Petrina! I’m glad to be a #1 in KL for anything hehe … 😀
Sunny says
Congrats Paris! 5 years!!! That’s an amazing achievement! I’ve learnt so much from you and I really enjoy reading you. I hope one day I’ll be around for so long (and still loving it), but I’ve only just begun xx
Paris B says
Thank you so much Sunny and for the support too. You’re doing a great job and I’m sure that so long as the passion persists, you’ll still be around in 5 years 😀
Pearl says
wow…not until i read this, i didn’t realize myself have been following your blog for 5 years my dear PB. Frankly, I love the idea of your beauty product reviews, coz it has been very helpful for me to get to know the products before splurging into something that doesn’t suit me. (But u also tempt me into getting something that I didn’t thought of, teehee…) So, thank you so much for the knowledge sharing, and to all readers who share their opinions too!
Happy 5th Anniversary…!
Paris B says
Wow Pearl if I had a prize to give, I’d have to give it to you for reading MWS for so long! 😀 Thank you so so much for your support all this while and I do hope that the reviews have helped you decide on your purchases one way or another… even if your wallet does start to hurt after a while… 😉 Thank you <3
makeupmag says
Congratulations! It take perseverance and passion to maintain a blog – and a good one, at that – for half a decade!~
Though we don’t know each other very well, thank you for being a blogger who shares – I appreciate your taking the time to help me with your lengthy email; it really touched me.
Here’s to many more good years, MWS! I wish you all the best, PB!
Paris B says
Thank you so much Mag 😀 I do hope your blog woes are gone soon and your blog too has been inspiring to me – one of the earliest I was following (silently for the most part) and some day, I do hope to finally meet up with you – something I aim to do with all the bloggers I admire 😀
makeupmag says
*takes
See la, so overcome with emotion, hahaha! ;P
nn says
Happy 5th anniversary MWS! Just found your blog recently and fell in love with it instantly.
Paris B says
Thank you so much NN 🙂 I hope you will stay around – don’t be a stranger y’hear? 😉
plue says
happy 5th birthday! and here’s to many more years to come! *am very glad we are friends and through you and other #evurl ladies, I have made so many other friends along the way! 🙂 hugs woman!*
Paris B says
Thank you Plue! And its been great getting to know you too through the blogging years 😀
lavender says
Hi Paris
Happy 5th Anniversary! MWS is a great blog because I learnt so many things from reading your posts. Please continue writing as long as you can. Do you have any celebration coming up like last year? ha ..ha..
Paris B says
Thank you Lavender and for your support too! I’ll be sure to hang around as long as I can… or until I get wrinkly whichever comes first 😀 Did you mean the party ala last year’s awards party? I haven’t quite thought about that to be honest. We’ll see 😉
Ana N. says
Happy 5th Birthday to MyWomenStuff! or rather anniversary =)
Love this blog. Visit daily esp afta hours & hours at work (i work long hours in a hostpital), very refreshing to go online on something that’s not work related.
Thanks.
Keep it up! =)
Paris B says
Thank you Ana 😀 I’m glad to offer a little escape from the dreariness of work and ditto in my case too. This blog is my escapism from my work too! 😀
Juan says
aiyah sorry for this late wish. Happy birthday!! i am one of your biggest fan, like you don’t already know it 😉
i like your first point – learning to prioritise… something that i am still learning.
all the best and i hope you will keep on blogging about all the stuff women love because the blog world is scarce of honest sources like yours.
Paris B says
Never late Juan 😀 Thank you! And thank you too for the trust that I’ll continue to be honest. I will strive to be… unless there’s an Hermes on the table k? 😉
AnT says
Blessed 5th BIRTHDAY to All of Us at MyWomenStuff!!! Yay yay! Yay Yay!
All because we are meant to be MyWomenStuff, Yay Yay! Yay Yay!
I can’t stop, cause I’m having too much fun, Yay Yay! Yay Yay! 😛
LOL Paris dearie, thanks for being with us for these wonderful years and years to come! 😀
Paris B says
LOL!! You’re excited, AnT! 😀 Thank you and yes congratulations for all of you for hanging around and joining the party 😉
j3nny9irL says
Wow~! Congrats and Happy 5th Year Anni Paris~~~ Can’t Believe that I’ve been reading ur blog for 3 yrs~! Wow time flies huh 😀 So is our age… aiyoo… hehehhe Have a great 5th Anni Paris 😀
Paris B says
Thank you 😀 And you’ve been reading 3 years? Hats off to you! 😀 Thank you for your support and yes, sadly as time goes on, so do we age… but hopefully, gracefully 😀
Sam says
Very wise thoughts. Congratulations and here’s to the next five years!
Paris B says
Thank you Sam and thanks for the support too! 😀
Jess says
Oh… I’m a little late, but better late than never, right? Congratulations, Paris!
You are definitely doing ‘something’ very right. Wish you many successful – but most importantly, many many more joyful blog years to come! <3
Paris B says
Never late, Jess! 😀 Thank you sooo much and you are absolutely right. I’ll continue blogging while I love it and some day I hope to finally get to meet you 😀 <3
Scientist says
Happy belated 5yr anniversary!!!!!
Paris B says
Thank you! 😀
Nadia says
Happy 5th Birthday to MWS! 5 years of awesome blogging! Kudos to you, PB! 🙂
Paris B says
Thank you Nadia! 🙂
PJ says
Hi Paris,
Happy 5th anniversary! Here’s to another five years and many more!! 🙂
Paris B says
Thanks again and I believe you would have been around even longer than I am! Good on you! 😀