Simple Blogging Tips (for beauty bloggers)

Your Say: Is blogging dead?

February 2, 2016 Paris B 75 Comments

“Is blogging dead?”

Ironic, considering that I’m writing this on a blog, and inviting you to share your thoughts on this. If it were well and truly dead, then no one will read this little musing of mine, will they? It’ll provoke no comment, and it’ll just disappear into the ether.

I’m not going to whine about the way things are or were, or what goes on behind the facade of the blog that you see right here, or what nonsense bloggers have to face. I have a genuine curiosity as to whether you feel that it’s just too much to read blogs anymore. Or perhaps, you feel that blogs are now too commercialised. Or maybe, the blogger you used to read no longer blogs about things you can relate to, and you just feel that blogging as a whole is just passe.

We all grow up and along the way, our interests wax and wane in different areas of our life. But that’s looking at it from the reader’s side of the fence. What about bloggers? Is it even worth starting a blog anymore? Has blogging been driven to its grave?

The Beauty Blogging Ennui: Beauty Fatigue and the Lack of Discerning Critique

July 22, 2015 Paris B 86 Comments

Is this going to be yet another rant or post about losing my blogging mojo? Goodness knows, I go through these phases a lot.

But no, to be honest it isn’t. What it is about really, is that feeling of ennui and disenchantment with blogging and what it’s brought about for many of us who have been doing it for a while, or even not for a while, but who are a little more particular in our coverage.

It’s no surprise to me that in a short few months, I’ve come across a number of blog posts from different bloggers in different parts of the world touching on the same or similar subject matter as to how I felt. I’m actually seeing a lot of what I label “beauty fatigue” out there in many blogs in recent times, and I just as readily confess to experiencing that sort of ennui. A small sampling of the posts I’ve read are on British Beauty Blogger, London Beauty Queen, Beauty Reflections and Sway Beauty and even as far as back as 2014 on Rocaille Writes; and while different in subject matter, the underlying theme seems to be a sense of disenchantment with the business, and a fighting desire to not be just another face in the crowd.

Beauty blogging is a huge business. I use the word “business” loosely because for some, it’s their livelihood, and for others, it’s a means to share. Run a search for “beauty blog” on Google and as of today, Google throws up 578 MILLION hits. So, you want to make your mark? You have to stand out, in a crowd of at least 500 MILLION people. That’s about 16 times the population of Malaysia. Puts things in perspective eh? 🙂

But what that also means is that it’s hard to stand out and be different, and above all, honest. You see, many bloggers, myself included, have to depend to a degree, on the brands to feed us information on what’s new and what’s the latest, in order for us to trickle that news out to you, the reader. The problem, as I see it, arises when news or launches go out in a huge social media blitz, but without critique. In a manner of speaking, a lot of the essence of beauty blogging is lost because of this lack of critique and that is, for me, my biggest disenchantment of all.

I’m really curious about how you feel, whether as a blogger or reader, and whether it’s a phase we’re all going through or if there’s something much bigger going on.

Sometimes this blogging business makes me sick (A Rant)

April 11, 2015 Paris B 83 Comments

I haven’t embarked on a blogging rant for a while. The primary reason is because I’ve realised that the beauty blogging scene locally is markedly different from that I’ve seen in other countries. There is a lot of “me-ism” here as I call it, so I’ve decided to let sleeping dogs lie, let everyone do their thing and I’ll just do mine. I’m happier this way and I don’t get told off for preaching. Apparently, ethics rub people the wrong way.

Anyway, I remarked on Tine’s blog that I feel like I’m being treated by some people as a “loose cannon” because I refuse to be controlled and that makes me unpredictable. That’s how I like it, but it upsets people so contrary to what many people believe, I don’t work with many brands anymore. Most drop you like a hot potato on reading a less than favourable review about them and PR people come and go so relationships change over time. But you know what, it’s not about me today. I recently received an offer that incensed me so much, I just had to let loose about it.

This isn’t about beauty so you may leave now if it doesn’t interest you 🙂 But because I needed a picture, here’s a gratuitous photo of one of my recent purchases. It’s the Dior Eye Reviver eyeshadow palette and the My Lady Dior blush in 007 at the back. Both are available only at the sole Dior beauty boutique at Sunway Pyramid for a limited time, if you’re interested. (Disclaimer: This post is not about Dior but the items were too pretty not to show you 🙂 )

Simple Blogging Tips: It’s ok not to like everything and it’s ok to say so

May 30, 2014 Paris B 23 Comments

I haven’t had a lot of reason (nor time) to get on my blogging soapbox recently but I’m a little burnt out talking about makeup and skincare so I thought I’d make a little detour today (I was even soaking up info on car tyres recently, for a change of scene! 😀 ). For those who are new, I like sharing some simple tips about blogging based on the experience I’ve garnered over the years and I like hearing about what you think too.

One of the things I’ve been asked is whether it’s alright to say you don’t like something that was given to you, or otherwise.

My answer has and always will be – why not?

There is no rule in blogging, whether about beauty or otherwise, that says that you need only say lovely things when writing a product review. Sure, it always come down to personal preferences, but I don’t see why personal thoughts and dislikes should be stifled in the hope of getting on the good side of a brand or PR person.

And this sharing of thoughts and opinions is, for me, what’s most important. It’s the whole essence of why blogs have become what they are – a repository of information. If you blog, do you ever feel a little conflicted about blogging about a product or service you did not like? Do you feel that you’d rather not write about it than say something that runs against the general raves?

Simple Blogging Tips (for beauty bloggers)

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