Ok, I had to say it.
I wanted to be all up-beat about it being already 12 years that I’ve been blogging. It’s been quite a roller-coaster ride, and I honestly cannot believe that I’ve lasted this long in the cat-scratch-cat world of blogging.
As much as it sounds like I’m whining, or that I sound ungrateful, the blog anniversary has hit me a little harder this time around.
Not good enough for the science stuff
Have you noticed the rise in science-based skincare and correspondingly, the rise in so-called online “experts” and bloggers who put themselves forward with a focus on science and product ingredients? People who don’t necessarily have a background or degree in science or chemistry, but who do their research online and then purport to ‘educate’ their readers. Sometimes, it troubles me because they don’t have a basic grounding in the field of chemistry.
As a blogger today, you are expected to talk about and dissect ingredients and pore over ingredient lists. You are supposed to be able to tell what ingredient will work for a certain skin, and what ingredients you should avoid because it’s “toxic”. I feel the pressure and the need to have to talk about this, even though I don’t have any scientific qualifications to my name, and I feel like a fraud. However, I do try to be careful not to mislead, because there is so little I understand myself. If I don’t understand it, I say so.
Truth to tell, all I am qualified to tell you, as a blogger, is this “I tried this cream/serum/cleanser/makeup item and I like it because it makes my skin feel and look better” But you know what? This is no longer good enough.
So thank you to Stephan who is a cosmetics formulator, and an expert in the field, for telling me that it’s OK for me, a beauty blogger, not to be all about the ingredients and the science. I’m here to share my OPINION on how it feels, and that’s what I’ll stick to.
Not good enough for the lifestyle crowd
So many people are now beauty bloggers, a large number of whom encompass a whole lifestyle package. There is a ‘look’ you have to conform to for this lifestyle malarkey, and it’s not one I have LOL You are, in short, expected to be of model material, poised and pulled together.
So many opportunities or interesting beauty launches have passed me by because they want that lifestyle element, or a particular mould; not merely a straight beauty-product focused approach.
But you know what? Lifestyle is much more than just traipsing around pretty cafes, or helping a brand promote a newest electrical gadget, or shopping site, promoting property development (this is the weirdest use of KOLs yet) or to drive and push sales.
It is about how you live your life even if it means being in crummy shorts and t shirts, not only about the free trips and fun tea parties. It is about doing dirty things like cleaning ovens and scrubbing bathroom tiles. It is about cooking and eating and doing grocery shopping, without having to be photographed or documented every step of the way.
MWS has allowed me to occasionally step outside the realm of beauty, into the real world, and I enjoy that. I’ve enjoyeddoing ‘aunty things’ like telling you about floor sweepers, dishwashing liquid, oven cleaners, or just about cooking simple food, and really, that’s about as “lifestyle” as I get.
It just isn’t good enough because it’s not glamorous nor am I dolled up to the nines while telling you about it LOL! Next time, maybe I have to stick my mug next to my food to say “Look, I made this, and check out my new lipstick!” or pose alluringly in a tiny (sponsored) dress next to my sparkling clean oven 😀 The day you see me do that, smack me, someone! 😛
Not good enough to be a beauty blogger
All this time, I thought I was staying on top of things, moving forward, hitting the right spots for the older, less-represented beauty bloggers.
Then, recently, one comment made to me, almost off the cuff, hit me right in the solar plexus. I literally felt the air leave me and a chill ran down my spine.
I introduced myself very recently as “A beauty blogger” and I was told – “You don’t look like a beauty blogger”
It was late in the evening, I had had a long day so maybe I looked a little tired. Maybe my age was showing. Maybe my makeup wasn’t perfect. Maybe I don’t look svelte and poised, nor was I dressed to the nines.
I don’t know guys.
What does a beauty blogger look like?
I’ve said before, I’m imperfect. But the myth of the young, beautiful beauty blogger still persists all these years. As with everything in the beauty industry, even beauty blogging is ageist, prone to body-shaming, and is terribly superficial.
Not good enough to be technical
You know what happens when you become a blogger? You not only have to be your own editor, photographer, model, art director and content creator. You also have to be IT support.
You must deal with software issues with your blog platform, hosting issues, server problems, and software problems to just name a few. And you know what? None of them come easy nor cheap.
You can host your blog for as little as $1 a day. Maybe even for free. But I have poured in hundreds of dollars a month into my blog for the past 12 years, and rates only keep going up. There are many things you need to keep the blog alive and running smoothly and efficiently.
While you can depend on your hosts to get it right, they sometimes get it wrong. And that’s when you face the dreaded “No connection to website” notice, or slow loading website, that leaves you tearing your hair out in frustration, as you repeatedly head-desk your keyboard.
I’m not trained to do this! I taught myself HTML when I started, and CSS and PHP and all that jargon. I taught myself patience while I gnawed my fingernails to the quick. Yes, I can pay for it to work better, but really, there’s a limit to how much I can pay, when the site is barely paying for itself, isn’t it?
Not good enough for Instagram
Ah Instagram – I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love it because you are all so interactive on that platform. I love it for the Stories feature that lets me be a little silly and snarky. I love it because the engagement I get from all of you there is unreal and I love it, I promise, even if I may not reply to everyone immediately.
But I hate it because so much score is laid by your numbers on Instagram. This isn’t Instagram’s fault, but the fault of those who gauge success by numbers, and Instagram allows you to see those numbers.
People craving a modicum of success buy followers or likes or engagement. Some of them did it long ago. Some are still doing it. We see you. But it doesn’t matter – the numbers are what everyone wants.
Instagram doesn’t help either. They ‘reward’ large accounts with features craved by many, especially the “swipe up” feature, that lets you add links to your Instagram Stories. This gets around the problem of Instagram not allowing click through links. But this coveted feature is only available to those with over 10,000 followers. Try growing 10k followers organically. It’s hard. I’m nowhere near this elusive figure.
I have people tell me – “Why don’t you buy some followers? At least you can look more successful” Or “We have a campaign, but we need you to have at least 10,000 followers”.
Do these people realize how unethical they are, and how they force others to be similarly unethical?
Better yet, those who tell me “Oh, no one wants to read anymore. Forget about your blog and focus on Instagram” It was like a stake through the heart!
I’ve battled my inner demons for a while when it comes to Instagram. I still battle them, but I’ve learnt to take breaks, not to follow too many people, not to see what other people are doing, and above all, to have fun. My fun outlet is Instagram Stories, and I’ve been told by many that they’ve enjoyed my random, quirky stories – and I am pleased, because that’s basically how I am – slightly random, slightly quirky 🙂
Not good enough but I’m trying
So really, 12 years in the game, and I can safely tell you that you will never be good enough. There will always be someone doing it better than you are. There will always be someone more willing to do things that you won’t do. There will always be someone happy to step into your space when you choose to step back.
The beauty blogging or blogging world in general is not a nice place – it is the cold, hard truth. You can’t put a bunch of people in a room, dangle a carrot before them, and expect everyone to be nice and supportive of each other so everyone gets a bite. That’s not how human nature works. Human nature dictates that the teeth and nails will come out so one person gets the carrot, while the remaining slink away to tend to their cuts and bruises.
I’ve stepped back in recent times. There’s no use my thinking I’m not good enough, when in fact, I am, and should be. Perhaps, I’m not good enough for others, but I’m good enough by my (high) standards, and for me, and what I want to be.
Perhaps, that might even be good enough 🙂
Thank you
Thank you for reading my blog the past 12 years. I don’t know when you first dropped by or if you’ve been there from the start. I don’t know if you’ve lost interest and wandered off. But for all the times you did stop by to read, to leave a comment, to interact, I thank you.
It helps me realise that I AM good enough 🙂
xoxo
Paris B
Hi Paris! You look absolutely stunning with your fair skin and minimalist style, please do not feel upset for what the others said.
I personally find your beauty blog practical and enjoyable to read. Please do not give up, I love sincere bloggers and I don’t find many sincere bloggers nowadays.
Thanks for bringing us honest opinions on beauty products throughout these years. <3 <3
You are too kind Hui Min, thank you for all the support all this time! 🙂 I must admit the ol self-esteem took a bit of a beating recently, but thank you – your words mean a lot!
Dear Paris,
I chanced about tour blog about three years ago and binge read them over few days. Been hooked ever since. Truth be told yours is the only blog I read as it’s real and right up my alley. You are unpretentious and honest. I for one am true follower and respect your honesty above all.
Hi Santhi, thank you for your kind words, and for binge-reading my blog LOL! I cringe when I read some of my older pieces, but then I am my worst critic 😀 Thank you for your support, and for letting me know that my approach is appreciated too! <3
Dear Paris,
You are good. Period.
Eh, wait. We have the same UniqLo skirt, so I guess that makes you awesome 😉
Happy 12th Anniversary, MWS!
HAHAHA! I shall take that skirt out today, because heck yeah, I’m awesome like you! 😀 Thank you lovely.
Dear Paris,
No one is ever good enough, Ive been your reader for a decade, maybe? Your posts are always top notch. All reviews are very honest unlike some KOL only list ingredients and maybe just say ‘it’s great!’ but nothing deep.
Keep it up Paris! Sending love and hugs to you!
Thank you so much Fiona, I truly appreciate your kind words 🙂 I do agree with you, that no one is ever really good enough. We can only be as good as we can be! I do think we owe people a bit of responsibility in “promoting” products – it saddens me that people take it so lightly.
There is a reason that you are 12 years into beauty blogging. The longevity is down to your integrity and relatability, in my personal opinion. I’m willing to bet that those who “look like beauty bloggers”(per that obnoxiously rude person’s definition) have trendy blogs but which will eventually prove to be fleeting.
For the record, the more “beauty bloggerish” they are, the higher the chances I won’t follow them. Most of those blogs have no meaningful content and I have to scroll through endless self-indulgent photos of them with exactly the same pose until I reach the written content and find that it is simply a regurgitation of the advertising spiel by the company anyway. The endless number of photos thing also applies to recipe posts … SO annoying!!!
I enjoy the variety in your blog posts. I like how you often wear your heart on your sleeve. I’ve lost count of the number of times I go “Me too!!!” when reading your content.
I agree with Stephen about the science-y bit related to skin care and cosmetics. Leave it to those who know about it to handle the enlightening part. You’ve always been responsible about stating when you don’t quite understand the science bit and often link readers to those who do. That, I feel, is sufficient. If readers can’t be bothered to research, then it’s their problem. Not yours. Let’s do away with the spoonfeeding culture.’
I’ll go a bit further and tell you that you’re part of a minority I think are breaking new ground when it comes to beauty blogging because not many cater for women above a certain age. Not many are brave enough to stand their ground and say things that don’t quite fall in with the norm. Pioneers always face the most resistance and challenges. So the tough going part is actually a positive if you see it from that point of view.
That’s my twenty sen thoughts. Happy 12th MWS!
I’ll take your 20sen Isabel! 🙂 Thank you for the pep talk and for sticking by. I think the “problem” with the narcissistic approach to beauty blogging (makeup looks aside) is because many of them (locally) aspire to also be lifestyle/fashion bloggers. To do that, you must put yourself forward. That’s what I’ve realized. You cannot have a blog without having your face and stylish outfits prominently displayed, or you will be overlooked for interesting lifestyle/fashion campaigns and invitations.
For this reason too I feel that many people choose not to blog opinions. Opinions are dicey, and strong opinions are even dicier because it may shut down avenues for “collaboration”. I do wish however, that we had more of this but I also know it’s hard for people to write an opinion piece when they really don’t have an opinion on a subject 😛 I don’t actually think I’m breaking much ground anymore, but perhaps locally, I am an exception to the rule. After all, someone has to stand up for us 40-somethings! 😉
Hello Paris,
I enjoy reading your blog as I like your honesty, your variety of topics, and how you are relatable. If this is part of not being ” good enough”, then I will take it, gladly. Keep up the good work, even if it is not the “young, perfect blogger” site. Some of us like it that way, and not all of us are young.
Hi Dorena, thank you so much for your kind words. I truly appreciate the support, and appreciate that even imperfection has its place 😀
Pish posh those comments PB.
You’re great at keeping it real.
That’s the reason I value your blog. Those models that is on Instagram it’s not easy emulate them. Real life don’t look like that.
I rather eat my food warm than cold, have so-so pictures knowing that I enjoy my trip and not nitpicking the angle.
Happy 12th year MWS!
Thank you so much Jue 🙂 Keeping it real has gotten me into no end of scrapes haha! But I’m glad to know you guys have my back! 😉 Thank you for the support all this time!
There’s a reason why I trust your reviews over everyone else’s. You’re honest and you’re real. I empathise with you on your struggles, and I hope that you will continue to find joy in MWS on the various platforms. Love your blog and IG.
P. S. The aunty selling ikan bilis in my kampung wants a beauty blogger to promote her ikan bilis internationally. Oh wait, she said 50k followers on IG.
P. P. S. Don’t forget to put up regular selfies on IG (focusing on some faraway gaze that emphasizes your sharp nose because it’s a sideway glance, and your mascara-ed eyelashes, also because, ya know, sideway glance…) with inspirational quotes. I suggest “Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it’s not the ikan bilis they are after”. Also “A woman without a man is like an ikan bilis without a bicycle”. And how can we forget that quote about giving a man an ikan bilis and teaching him to fish blah blah blah…. YOU CAN DO IT!
It depends on why you blog. Some people want to monetize their blog or Instagram, so growing their follower count makes sense.
Organic user growth in any industry takes more time but you will end up with more loyal readers.
Also, you were featured in Her World magazine and also invited to be a judge on one of the annual beauty best-of lists, so I think you have clout enough to appear in print!
Hi Firn, thanks for sharing your input, and thank you for the pep talk 🙂 Actually, these days it isn’t even about monetizing anymore – just being able to have a look in, or a preview of a new product comes down to numbers. Yes, it’s that silly these days 😛 But thank you for reminding me of the good ol’ days! Haha! I hope you’ve been keeping well!
I don’t think you need to be first out of the gate to review a new product. Eventually if the product is any good, you can get to it in your own time.
Unless it is limited edition LOL! But I’m trying to break myself of this habit – old habits (and being kiasu) do die hard 😀
Will I be compensated with a life-long supply of ikan bilis? If so, I’m in!
On a serious note, thank you for making me laugh and for the support. Getting to know one of my fave food bloggers (albeit retired) has been a highlight of the last year 😀 If anything, it really is the people I ‘meet’ who keep me going
Gosh. Can’t tell you how much I agree with you on everything that you’ve mentioned, be it on following the “modelling” approach or revealing how we live our life on a daily basis.
I have friends telling me to share real life snippets or even to buy followers so as to match the unfair playing fields in social media. I chose not to and prefer to slog because I think it’s wrong. It’s deceit, it’s unethical and it goes in the opposite direction of what my blog mission/slogan is about.
Perhaps, we are just simply too stubborn for our own good and have to put in more hard work for lesser rewards. Still, I’ll like to believe that it’ll eventually pay off – i.e. the deep trust between us and our readers. Based on my affiliate marketing, I can see my readers trusting my recommendations because I see them taking action.
Oh, have I told you I was once humiliated in a public forum (reddit) for not including the science aspect into my beauty review? I was compared to another blogger/blog who did. I understand what you mean when you say bloggers these days are forced to be everything, including being a chemist, web developer, web designer, marketer etc.
Instead of the cat-fight-cat blogging scene, I believe we can choose another path/circle of friends and encourage/help each other. Maybe more mature people (mentality, not age :)) will choose to collaborate than kill off everyone in their path.
So jiayou! You are one of the few blogs that I’ll check out on regular basis. So, don’t be disheartened. 🙂
Haha you know it girl! So many challenges out there, and it’s so bloody hard to grow anything these days. The market is just saturated, and I think sometimes, marketeers want a certain “look” for their brands and products and so some of us don’t cut it. So sorry to hear about your humiliation on reddit! I don’t read reddit, but I swear that herd mentality is the worst. And I’ve also found that sometimes, people are just too demanding. Not all of us are scientists, and I’d rather be up front and say so, than pretend I know what I’m talking about when I can’t even pronounce the word 😛 Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and for reading all this time. All the best on your blogging journey!
I’ve not touched Reddit since too It’s quite a distraction to my limited precious time. LOL! We all know how much work is required to produce a blog post and all those behind-the-scene stuff. So, it’s better to put our time on things that matter. 🙂
I’ve faced difficulty too because most brands probably prefer “All Positive” type of reviews. Maybe such a review is really more trusted by readers. 😛 Okay, being sarcastic now. Oops.
Thank you for your well wishes. You are someone I look up to – like the pioneer here. Hello, 12 years?!?! 🙂 And I admire your honesty whether the post is sponsored or not. I think we are quite aligned in our values and that’s probably the reason why I prefer reading your blog than other opinionless piece.
LOL Positive reviews are great for the brands, but maybe they think readers trust that better 😛 Oh well, we just have to do what we can, even if it means stepping on some toes. The world isn’t bright and rosy all the time. I’ve remembered you blogging for quite a while too. Takes a lot to blog about travel vs beauty I think. I sometimes mean to, and then give up coz it just involves too many photos LOL!
Travel takes me thrice as long to write – and thrice as many photos to edit. 🙁 Maybe you can do beauty and food as I know the latter is your passion too. Maybe then, I’ll start cooking better dishes. Ha ha!
Haha! I feel like even just dealing with beauty is already spreading myself thin! But I will try to share other simple recipes as and when I try them.
Hi Paris,
Please don’t change a thing. I adore you honesty and your whit. You are a breath of fresh air. Since I found you, I always seek you out. I love your humor and your opinions. When you review a product I love reading what worked and what didn’t and why. You are the bomb!
Thank you Jan for always being so supportive! <3 Thank you for your kind words and I'm always happy when people get my brand of humour 😉
Dear Paris,
I love reading your blog for its honesty, raw comments and aunty stuff ( I am a uniqlo fan too!!). In fact I stopped reading other beauty blogs whenever I wanted to try out a product but instead checking your blog to see whether it’s Paris approved. I have many of my holy grails thanks to you ie shiseido sunscreen and I can’t wait to try out the oven cleaner. Keep doing whatever you are doing now and life is not always about the most instagrammable photos. Happy Woman’s day!!
Hi JY Thank you for your kind words and yay for appreciating aunty stuff too haha! 🙂 I’m just happy that the things I’ve found to be good or beneficial are things you like too. That makes it worth the while 🙂 Thank you again for the support.
Your blog is excellent. You have developed your own writing style and that’s the most important. I am not on Instagram. I hate celebrities. I hate hype. That’s why I am a loyal reader.
Thank you Evie 🙂 Yes I think sometimes, this voice maybe a little louder, sharper and more harsh than some people like haha! Thank you for supporting me – helps me realize that hype isn’t always good 😉
You are amazing! Over the years, I’ve followed and subsequently unfollowed countless blogs, but with yours, I’ve never left. Ever.
Thank you for the great years! Looking forward to more!
Aww thank you so much for the loyalty SC! I hope to never abuse it! <3
You are wonderful at what you do Paris! And I for one (although there are many…) am glad that you are DIFFERENT, honest, kind and ethical.
It also gives those of us with little blogs (to me your blog is a big and successful one!) hope and motivation to keep going 🙂
*hugs*
Oh also – can I just say how firkin hard it is to grow your following these days… blogs are out according to most, Instagram is so saturated with paid content… it’s just like everything is stacked up against you.
Gosh girl, tell me about it! Even growing a blog audience is hard because most people flit about and come to blogs to read only if they are searching for a particular product. And Google’s wonky algorithm doesn’t help too. I’ve been cast into the pits of despair thanks to the big G and its fluctuations, that it’s taken all of me to just not quit 😛
And you are doing a great job on yours Sylvia! Thank you so much and here’s wishing you nothing but the best on your blogging journey!
OMG PB, I owe my days of being a writer to you! I sent in a sample of my little blog that I started, purely because I was inspired by you, and I got the job! Until now I consider you my blogging “sifu”! Reading your blog gave me that push to actually get started writing, and I am so, so grateful for that!
As a kid, I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and at the same time, I wanted to be a banker, so now I’ve had the blessings and fortune to have been a writer and now a banker! If it wasn’t for your blog, I would have only achieved half my dreams!
My blogging days are now far, far beyond me, and I absolutely admire how you have stood your ground amidst all the “influencers” popping up like mushrooms! All the power to you!
Wow Hanny, I’m so happy that you got to fulfill your dream of being a writer and now of being a banker! Well done you! 😀 I too harboured dreams of being a writer but never did much about it. I suppose you could say that my blog is my outlet. I remember when you were blogging, and I’m really happy that it served as a good portfolio for you to take the plunge to be a writer. Very proud of you! 🙂
Are you kidding, Ms.P?! You are THE Beauty Blogger not just a beauty blogger.
That person who even questioned that must have been living under a rock for the best part of the last 12 years.
And quality over quantity when it comes to the follower numbers. The ones who buy…we know who they are…and they can try and lie to the rest of us but it doesn’t hide the ugly truth about the lies they are living.
Glow forth. Keep doing your thing. You got this!
Haha SG you are biased 😉 But thank you, I’ll take it! I think a lot of the reason why people don’t know about me is because I never ever put myself out there. I always say that my blog comes first, I’m second. But apparently, in this world today, that’s now how it works. But you are right about quality over quantity – I shall remember that <3
Those that give in to the hype mostly belong to the younger, inexperienced, insecure (“Oh, I can pronounce triethanolamine, I must be so smart!”) and gullible population. It’s easy to sell anything to them and that’s why superficial content is encouraged by companies and Instagram. But they too will grow up eventually. Others, like us who follow you, are much wiser, down to earth and hard to impress. I am so glad that there still are blogs like yours, otherwise I would be lost in the sea of products and wasting my money. I’ve learned a lot from you and a couple of other bloggers/vloggers I follow and for that I am truly grateful. Don’t be discouraged because there are people who appreciate your effort and who enjoy your writing style and integrity!
Haha OK I cannot even pronounce (nor spell) triethanolamine 😀 But you know, I hesitate to think of many of the youth as gullible – perhaps impressionable. The belief that you must be an expert or no one will believe what you say. So they go in at the deep end. It’s a bit of a vicious cycle really. So I do hope they will grow out of it, and learn to understand that you don’t take medical advice from the internet from half-baked scientists or wannabe doctors LOL! 😀 Thank you so much again for your support and for reading and for appreciating my approach to blogging, it means a lot to me!
Oops, that first sentence of mine sounds way too harsh now that I’m reading it again. Those adjectives were meant to describe separate categories of people, not just the youth, but I wrote it badly.
And yes, ‘everyone’s an expert’ trend does seem like a vicious cycle, but this too shall pass 🙂 In the beginning I also wanted to learn about ingredients and what they do, it’s great to know some basics, but now when I read or watch a product review I find myself skipping through the sciency stuff and ingredient lists straight to where it says how it feels on skin and if it delivers visible results. Our brains can only take so much information, unless we’re all going for a chemistry degree 😀
Not to worry Ivana, I got what you meant, but often nuances don’t come across as well in the written word, as opposed to when spoken 😀 No harm no foul 🙂 Actually, I too wanted to learn a little more about ingredients, but you know, when you aren’t that great at chemistry even at school, it’s not that easy to grasp. And I then learnt from other proper chemists and formulators that ingredients aren’t everything. It is also about how it is formulated, and mixed that affects how it works on us. And not to mention of course, that different skin types will react differently to differnet ingredients and formulas. The only people making money from all this are the beauty brands! LOL! 😀
Hi Paris,
You are honest and awesome, period.
Do not let anyone put you down.
Thank you Eileen <3 I think the ol' self-esteem got a bit of beating lately, but thank you for all the kind words - I'll bounce back!
I’ve been reading 10 plus years maybe the full 12 (times runs together sometimes…) and you’re good enough for me! Always have been! There aren’t enough beauty bloggers in the world like you and I’m not saying that because we are friends I am saying that because it us true. Bloggers that work hard, bloggers that are dedicated, bloggers that aren’t rocket scientists and just want to say hey, this new serum made me glow without going into a complete break down of ingredients, bloggers that are honest, funny, kind to readers, bloggers like you!
Keep it up!
I am every always your fan and reader!
Girl, the feeling is reciprocal! I think we’ve been there practically at the start, when everyone was on blogspot remember? Haha! Gosh, happy times 😀 And you take blogging dedication to the next level – way more than I can ever dedicate myself to so hats off to you for lasting so long and for being my blogging friend who would keep me stocked in US goodies hehe…
Oh, if I could go back to my blogspot days knowing what I do now LOL! 🙂 Those were really good times! Aw shucks thanks! You are truly dedicated too and very hard working! You always create great posts that having me thinking well after I’ve read them! 🙂 ALWAYS! anything for you! You’re one of the truest people I know in the blogsphere! It’s a rarity! I value our friendship <3!
Ah those were the good ol’ days of blogging weren’t they? But we just have to move on with the times, and do what we can to stay afloat in this sea of everlasting youth! LOL! 😀 I’ll make it to NY Iz, some day!
I miss those days! Haha…! Don’t worry, all our essences are keeping us looking pretty youthful! We might be two old aunties but our skin looks like it’s 19! 😉 I’ll be waiting for you! Or I’ll make it M’Asia soon hopefully 🙂
Hahaha amen to looking youthful! Mentally an aunty, outwardly forever 20 😉
Congrats on the 12th year mark! I am a not so recent follower and have enjoyed your posts and Instagram. My mantra – if I like it, I read it, if not then I keep scrolling. You can please everyone. I enjoy reading posts that are keeping it real; almost 50 years old so I am realistic about my lifestyle. No expectations to be 18 or 22. Keep up the great work!
For all.it worth, i always look for your comment and reviews if i want to try something news. Because i am not sure other reviews are ‘ paid’ or real experiences.
Thank you Kay <3 I'm thankful and appreciative of your trust and I hope I never abuse it! 🙂
Thank you so much Charmaine for the kind words! And I think age is what often helps us keep it real. We know full well that we’ll never be 18 again, so if we’re going to mourn and chase after the fountain of youth, we’ll never enjoy the age we are presently in. And that would be a pity! 🙂