Hello Ladies (and the occasional gent!),
This year (tomorrow actually) marks the 6th year of existence of my blog, my pride and joy and my little space on the interweb 🙂 I have no words (ok maybe I lie a little 😛 ) but stunned amazement that I’ve lasted this long or that some of you have been with me on this journey about as long as I’ve been plodding down this blogging road. To you, I salute you for reading all my ramblings about beauty and all things unrelated, and still sticking by all this time. I say this all the time, but it bears repeating that I doubt I’d still be blogging, if no one was reading, commenting or talking back to me so THANK YOU ALL! 😀
Blogging, unlike the common perception, isn’t a lonely affair. It can be if you choose to make it so, but it is also a lot more involved and social than is given credit; and I love that I have made real life friends near and far, just by pouring my thoughts out on my space on the internet. So thank you for being with me these past 6 years.
This year, as we turn 6, let me tell you of the 6 Deadly Sins I’ve commited and which plague me in all honesty, because just as blogging has been a rewarding experience, it is not without its faults and I am not without my failings 🙂 For those of you who have chosen to ride this bandwagon, I hope that you will not fall prey to these deadly sins the way that I have.
Lust
When demands dictate that you are kept on the forefront of everything that’s new and wonderful, I have fallen prey to the deadly sin of Lust. I am kept lusting after everything that is new and shiny and wonderful and forthcoming. The moment I hold the item I lust after, I forget it, and I lust after something else. I forget to enjoy what I already have, and what is available now. When I realised this, I stopped craning my neck and lusting after what is coming and take things as they come. I learn to enjoy what I already have and to look inward instead of looking too far forward. It has helped my sanity and made blogging and discovering beauty, fun again. If you are feeling a blogging burnout from chasing that elusive rainbow, stop.
Envy
I’d be lying if all this time, I did not suffer more than a spark of envy at how well other bloggers are doing in my niche. I envy those who can give up their jobs to go at it full time or the wonderful opportunities they may have. Envy eats at you like a disease. But it doesn’t have to. When I realised it was affecting me (it will one way or another – we’re all human) I sat myself down and asked myself what I wanted.
I realised that if I had to go at it full time, it would be a job. I would have to find ways to pay the bills which means I had to generate income some way, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to sell myself that way. Envy still tickles me at the back of my mind sometimes but I’ve learnt to stomp on it and grab myself by the figurative lapels and shake some sense into me. If this Deadly Sin eats at you, reach deep within you and see if you have what it takes to take you where you want to go. If it does, go for it and make it a success. If it doesn’t, stop feeling envious and keep doing what you do best – enjoying your blogging experience 🙂
Wrath
The wrath of having to deal with unreasonable people, or ungrateful people or just plain pushy people is a real thing. Add to that the wrath I feel when I see blatant copyright infringements, copying of styles or text or even stealing of images not just from me but from other bloggers too. It happens so often and it really pisses me off and sometimes, I think I’m just paranoid. But then I get a little whisper here and a little raised eyebrow there and I know I’m not alone. People will notice and they make their own minds up. If you feel angry that you are getting ripped off, channel that anger and do something about it. Take heart that its not just you – someone else too will have noticed it 😉
The best Black Forest Cake I’ve ever had from my favourite bakery Just Heavenly
Sloth
Yes, that big ugly snake of laziness coils itself around me more than once. Some days you don’t feel like blogging or you just don’t feel like doing anything. Take a break. Its good for you and its good for your blog 🙂 There was a time in the past 6 years when I blogged everyday, twice a day. Now, I’m down to once a day (unless there’s something I just MUST get out) and I even take off days. I have cut back on accepting products when I know I can’t cope, and I have cut back on attending events. Is it sloth? Actually it isn’t. Its my conscious effort to keep a better balance between life, work and blogging. Ok, so sloth does has something to do with it too 😛 However, I’ve also noticed that it gets harder to get back to “work” after taking a long break, which is when sloth really sets in. So, take a break but if you intend to get back to business, be sure to keep your hand in it or you might find that 3 months have passed without an update and then you start questioning if you really want to bother!
Greed
More, better, MOAR! ’nuff said. 1 red lipstick? Why not get 5? They look the same? Oh nevermind, I can justify the difference. Gluttony and greed go hand in hand. 6 years of wanting more and more of this and that and then trying to find space to store them all. You’d think I have a 200 cheeks, considering the blushes I hoard (I actually have 4 but only 2 need blush 😛 ) I now only focus on things and brands I enjoy using. It curbs the greed and gluttony and it stops me wandering too far and getting lost in the thicket of the new and unknown.
Vanity
Somedays, you look at your stats and you think “Damn! I’m doing well!” or you blog a good post that is well received and you think “Yay! I’ve made it! People are reading” or maybe the PR from your favourite brand drops you a line and you are over the moon; and then suddenly something happens. Google gives you a slap across your 2 blushed cheeks, or your traffic and comment count dips and you never hear from said PR again. Suddenly, you’re not hot stuff anymore. Panic sets in, you scramble around, wondering what you did wrong… well chill. I’ve learnt that tastes change, people will move on. So, don’t sweat it, keep improving and working on your blog and you will soon find that things will go back to normal and will in many cases, get better 🙂 Sometimes we need a little setback in life to know that we’re not infallible and that we have to innovate to improve.
But wait, there are 7 Deadly Sins aren’t there? Well yes, there are. The 7th is Pride but it is a sin I am happy to maintain as long as I blog.
Pride
This isn’t as much about being proud but it is to do with having pride in what you do. It goes without saying that MWS is my pride and joy. Its my space that I’ve carved out in a niche that I had no knowledge about when I started. I pride myself on having taught myself all I’ve needed to know about blogging, the technicalities, the nitty gritties, the HTML, the coding, the photography. I have had to learn about servers and domains and pagerank and SEO and what goes on behind keeping a blog up, I’ve had to wrestle with rogue plugins and runaway code. I have learnt a lot about people and the lengths they go to to do the things they do and I pride myself on not going there. Pride in doing what I do, how I do it best, is something I’m holding on to and if you blog, you too should hold your blog as your shield of pride because you made it happen 🙂
If you blog, have you committed any one of the 6 deadly sins I’ve mentioned?
In 6 years, I have watched the blogging landscape evolve and change. In some ways for the better, in some ways for the worse as more and more people fall prey to the 7 Deadly Sins. But I hope that by recognizing them we will learn to rise above and help make the blogging landscape evolve again, and this time for the better 🙂
Thank you again. Its been an amazing 6 years and I only have every one of you reading to thank 🙂
xoxo
Paris B
Bonne Anniversaire Paris!
Merci beaucoup, Rose! 😉
Happy anniversary!! 🙂 I have to admit it took me a while before I realised the meaning behind 4 cheeks, hahaha!
Thank you for your blog and for making the world beautiful through make up (and food sometimes) 🙂
Oh, and happy international women’s day!
Thank you Applegal and I’d totally forgotten about International Woman’s Day until you mentioned it! LOL! 😀 Happy to have you on board and your input on the various posts and matters we talk about. It isn’t half as much fun when no one talks back to you 😀
Wow! 6 years!!! I just stumbled across ur blog and loved this post. I’m a newbie blogger, my blog’s just 6 months old but I can already see Lust raising its head.
I was going through some other posts on your blog too and I love the way you write 🙂
Hi Dollie, thank you for your comment and for visiting 🙂 I hope to see you around more often and all the best on your blogging journey! Do remember to curb that lust and enjoy the ride 😉
Happy anniversary! Sloth is one of mine 😉 and greed lol
Thank you Petrina 😀 And Sloth and Greed hit me hard too but I hit them back just as hard hehe… 😉
Happy 6th Blogversary PB! Your blog is still, to date, one of my favourite beauty blogs to read 🙂 Not only because of the frank reviews and useful tips but also for the witty writing! Here’s to many more posts! 😀 *clinks imaginary champagne class*
P/S: “I actually have 4 but only 2 need blush” <— This line had me in stitches! XD
Thank you for all the support! 😀 I’m happy that you’re happy *stumbles around drunkedly* p/s I’m pleased people spotted the “4 cheeks” bit hehe…
Happy 6th Anniversary Paris! And here’s more to come!
Sloth definitely got me, because I haven’t been writing for some time now! It’s hard to get back to work once you have stopped!
Thank you Plue 😀 And you know what? You have to grab Sloth by the horns and toss it out the window! 😉 It was quite hard for me to get back to the groove after the CNY break butI knew it had to be done. Its amazing what you can do once you set your mind to it 😉
LOL! when I saw your reply, I was actually editing pics and drafting a post! I guess it’s time to finally type out all those draft blog post in my head for real. hehe.
it’s quite the coincidence! 😛
See! Kick in the butt already! 😉
Paris, you are one of the first foreign blogger to watch when I expanded my horizon internationally in the blogosphere. I have load to say to you but I don’t know where to start (so romantic huh? :)) First of all I love your blog design. It is simple, elegant, easy on the eye (to search and read). Even though we are not the same age, nor same type of skin I still benefit from all your tips!! I always forward your posts to my mum and friends.
Also your language in the posts are so …. kind and positive! Even when you critize you never hurt anyone or any brand, which is a rare quality. Also you always try to reply our comments which is at the top of my list in the reasons to follow you. Plus thru you I met with loads of good blogs and bloggers like Tracy, Sunny, Becca and so on..
So to sum up, happy anniversary you are a wonderful blogger and I hope to see you around for many years 🙂
Aww Casey you are incredibly sweet (and romantic! LOL! 😉 ) I’m happy to know that my blog gets an international audience and that we never know who’s reading! Thank you for sharing the posts with your family and friends and above all, for commenting and leaving feedback and sharing your own stories. I love how everyone comes together in the comment box so thank YOU too 😀
Congratulations PB! I am one of your avid readers though sometimes I don’t get to comment. Anyway, just keep it up! Looking forward to more years of reading your blog! 🙂
Thank you Issa for your support! 😀 I look forward to staying around for a while too 😉
Hi Paris!
Can I just say how much I enjoy reading your blog (I’ve been a silent reader all along) simply because you write well and “tell-it-as-it-is”! 🙂 I’ve picked so many essential beauty tips through your blog – thank you!
Congrats on all your achievements so far and keep on writing 🙂
Cheers,
Sarah
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for delurking! 😀 I’m glad you have enjoyed your time reading my little ramblings and that you’ve actually found them beneficial 🙂 I hope to see you around a little more often 😉 Thanks again!
Congrads, Paris! Six years of blogging daily is certainly an achievement. 🙂 Well done and hope that there will be many more years of you blogging about beauty.
Thank you so much Yu Ming 😀 I’m not sure how I did it – must have been some crazy drive 😉 I hope to be around for a while. Lets hope I don’t start boring everyone silly after this 😉
Congratulations for 6 years on your blog! Sounds like an incredible milestone, you have all the reasons to be proud. Your blog is great, its informative, entertaining and I love it!
Have a great weekend 🙂
Thank you so much Sofia! 😀 I’m glad you enjoy your visits to my blog and all the best on your blogging journey too 😀
Hi Paris,
First I just want to congratulate you on your 6 year anniversary. That is quite an achievement. This is my first time reading your blog and its actually quite ironic that I found this post.
I have just started a blog myself and while I am still learning about blogging, no course or eBook that I have read so far have provided me with so much insight and wisdom as this post did.
While I have not committed all of those sins yet, I already have committed two of them. However, I would be a fool not to take your advice about how to deal with those issues.
Thank you for writing such a wonderful and insightful post. I will definitely be back to read your blog again.
Judith
Hi Judith, thank you and all the best on your blogging journey too.
Wow! 6 years! What a wonderful achievement! Congratulations, Paris, and here’s to many more!
Thank you Gio! I don’t think you’re too far behind either so here’s to many more years for you too! 😀
Happy anniversary dear Paris! 6 wonderful and beautiful years and wishing you many more fabulous ones to come. I like the 4 cheeks part 😉 Glad we crossed path through the virtual world. I sincerely think that you have a made a difference in my life when I was at the lowest point. Reading your blog was therapeutic and educational and all else, beautiful and inspiring. So a big thank you for your effort and hard work to bring the best out of this blog to each and every one of us 🙂
Thank you Jennifer for your kind words and your support 😀 I’m sorry to hear you went through a bad patch last year but I’m glad that my little space could brighten your day one way or another. Here’s to more sunny skies and happy days ahead for all of us 😀
Six years is a great achievement! Congrats and here is to many more. Also I loved the post and may have laughed about your cheeks comment 😉
Haha I sneaked in the cheeks bit just to see if anyone noticed 😉 Thank you Marina 😀 xx
Congratulations! 😀 And of course, you’re never alone. Never!
And I was distracted by that yummy looking cake. 😛
Thank you Sze Ling for helping build this little community 😀 Hope Spring is finally here in your neck of the woods! If you’re ever in KL again, go down to A Slice of Heaven in Pavilion and indulge in this cake – heavenly, I can assure you!
I can definitely identify with the lust for every shiney, new and wonderful thing. I am probably going to at somepoint disconnect from the internet and the television commercials just for the sake of my pocketbook 🙂
I think its only human instinct to lust 😉
Happy Blogiversary! I really enjoyed this reflection on your blogging efforts. You really hit on some of the things I think I would have a hard time coming to terms with if I started a blog, but I’m so glad to know you’ve managed to make it work! I absolutely love your blog and the community you’ve managed the build. A heartfelt congratulations from me!
In other news, that cake looks absolutely delicious. If I could, I’d indulge my gluttonous side with it right now haha!
Thank you Laura! 😀 6 years was time enough to work out the kinks in the road and find the direction I wanted to head towards. Hopefully the road gets a little smoother but you know how it is, when you ride the wagons out into the Wild Wild West, there are no roads to follow! *gasp* hehe… Thank you once again for participating in the comments and for making it easy for me to go on 😀
Congratulations Paris! We are proud of you! Thank you for adding the colours to our lives. I read your blog every day but if I am super duper busy, I will backtrack your posts & read them so that I won’t miss anything 🙂 I look forward to reading your posts everyday! THANK YOU PARIS!!!
Hi Rin! Thank you for your kind words and for your tremendous support! Can’t do this without all of you lovely lovely readers so group hug!! 😀
Wow, 6 years Paris?! Congrats! I’ll be 5 years next month but before that I was blogging for 3 years; gah time flies eh! Congrats on 6 years, I really enjoyed this format of your post and relate to quite a few of them up there… especially sloth, LOL. Here’s to another 6 more years?! 😉
x Renee
Hi Renee! Thank you so much 😀 I had been blogging for about 2 years before I started this space too but I just decided to count from inception of this blog because it was my “serious venture” 😀 I think we’ve all come a long way since the beginning and we’ll just keep evolving so we don’t get bored. Can’t wait to see where you take yours! 🙂 xx