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.
Continue ReadingI’ve noticed rumblings in recent times that older women are feeling left out or sidelined by the beauty industry, despite having money to spend. These are women who are in their late 30’s and up. I actually do feel that way as well. When I hit my 30’s and now in my 40’s I might as well have one foot in the grave and walk out without a scrap of makeup, and clad in a burlap sack, as far as the fashion and beauty scene is concerned, because that seems to be the perception.
But we know that isn’t true is it? I love my skincare, and I still love my blush and my lipstick and foundations. I love my makeup and I love my beauty. But the industry doesn’t love me back does it?
Instead, it targets new launches at the young. Anti-aging serums and creams bear the faces of 20-somethings, and are promoted by young girls who don’t need them yet, and who won’t use them. Lipstick caters for their preferences – matte for now, or metallic – leaving those of us who prefer cream or satin textures a little out in the cold.
Yet, I understand the push to market to the young. They are at an impressionable age and ready to experiment, and may not yet know what they want. Also, when you’re young, there is a desire to fit in and maybe to embrace a trend. By the time you reach my age, you’d (hopefully) have more or less figured out what you like, and are more secure and more confident in your choices. I’m told women in their late 30’s and up are less likely to experiment very widely, which is why beauty marketing targets the younger crowd and uses faces the young can relate to.
So, what is a 40-something blogger or consumer to do?
You know, the blog has been feeling rather intense lately. I think it’s that last giveaway and celebratory post and my whacking of Luna that’s stirring up a lot of feelings haha! (but thank you for your input, you guys are really the best!) So I wanted to chill things down a little on the beauty front and ask you something prompted by a question I came across on Twitter.
That’s me leaving a comment on The Woks of Life – it’s one of my fave cooking blogs (I read more cooking blogs than beauty blogs these days LOL!)
Blogging friend Arianne of The Glitter Geek asked on Twitter if you or does anyone still comment or would comment anymore on blog posts, or if your preferred medium of interaction is social media e.g. Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (the 3 most common interactive social media platforms for this purpose).
Curious Q: do you comment on blogs anymore? Do you just engage on the social platforms linking to posts? Admittedly I mostly do the latter.
— Arianne V (@TheGlitterGeek) March 11, 2017
I thought it was an excellent question, because it’s one I have been thinking about as well in recent times 🙂 I’d like to invite you to talk about this, because I think it’s interesting to see how commenting has evolved (or devolved).
Every year when I sit down around this time to write my blog anniversary post, I find I usually have something to talk about. A revelation perhaps, about how things are going, or just a look back at how far I’ve come. This year was different.
This year, the words wouldn’t come. I’m not sure why. I thought a milestone year like 10 YEARS writ in 10 feet high neon letters, would be an easy one to address. It turned out it wasn’t.
I’d looked forward to this year, 2017, with some anticipation in the past few months, knowing I’d be hitting one of the most major milestones for almost any blogger. But, 10 years of blogging and writing, in my case almost exclusively about beauty, has culminated in my being at a loss for words. I couldn’t seem to find the words to convey the enormity of the situation, and how much I truly appreciate that there are people who read, have been reading and are still reading My Women Stuff after all these years.
So, I’ve resorted to just a quick ramble here, just to say what I want to say, and hit the Publish button before words and courage fail me.