As someone that's been obsessed with beauty since a young age, I love the fact that I've got my own corner of the internet where I can talk with people who have the same passion. My bedroom is overflowing with makeup, by bathroom contains more shampoo than I'll ever know what to do with and my friends have a field day when they come round for a cuppa and leave with a swag bag of goodies. Although I feature hundreds of different products on this site every month and make recommendations galore, I think it's important to take a step back and actually reflect upon the difference between this blogging bubble in which I live and the reality of 'every day life'. I'm lucky enough to receive oodles of goodies in the post on a daily basis, much to the distaste of my postman, giving me the opportunity to try and test so I can make honest and well thought through recommendations. A lot of the products aren't exactly affordable or come under the classification of 'impulse purchase,' so I do feel somewhat guilty for being part of a collective that seems to normalise spending hundreds of pounds every month on making themselves look pretty.
I've always spent more money on makeup and beauty products than anything else, so I know even if I wasn't blogging in the way that I do that I'd still be racking up those advantage card points. However, it's definitely not normal to have a collection as vast as your favourite beauty bloggers - we're lucky enough to receive a huge amount of samples for consideration in order to generate content, but even we struggle to stay afloat amongst the highlighters and lipglosses. I try to stay as grounded as possible and really think of it from my readers perspective, providing pros and cons while only encouraging a purchase if it's really worth the money. It's easy to forget that not everybody can afford to spend £20 on another MAC lipstick, that a third Naked eyeshadow palette is probably not as essential as putting petrol in your car, or that people will skip a meal in order to pay for yet another eye cream.
One of my resolutions for 2015 is to be a little thriftier, especially when it comes to the blog, hunting out the real bargains and celebrating the brands that are offering incredible value for money. I love my premium makeup and designer handbags as much as the next girl, but I know that you guys adore a bargain and go crazy for brands that you can afford without having to wait until payday. Even though we appear to be out of the darkest times, a lot of people were hit hard in the recession; times are tough and although a new lipstick can make us feel better when it's been a tough week, in the long term it may be hard to justify when your car fails its MOT.
I'm never going to stop writing about beauty and I'm never going to stop celebrating the amazing things there are on offer, but if you're a reader of mine or any other blog that feels pressured into spending £100 every time you walk through the doors of Space NK, then please don't. Read with wide eyes and bated breath, get excited about the newest launch as much as the next girl, but shop selectively and wisely. Buy the products that really appeal to you, that will help with a problem or offer a solution you never knew you needed; don't buy items just because they're 'cult' or the buzz word of the month. Put things on lists and weigh up the pros and cons of each one; shop online for a better detail and discuss it with your mates - beauty bloggers are enablers, but we're also here to help. Don't feel forced into a way of life just because it seems 'normal'.
Do bloggers make you feel like you need to spend to keep up? Are you constantly feeling guilty about buying yet another lipgloss you don't need? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
I've always spent more money on makeup and beauty products than anything else, so I know even if I wasn't blogging in the way that I do that I'd still be racking up those advantage card points. However, it's definitely not normal to have a collection as vast as your favourite beauty bloggers - we're lucky enough to receive a huge amount of samples for consideration in order to generate content, but even we struggle to stay afloat amongst the highlighters and lipglosses. I try to stay as grounded as possible and really think of it from my readers perspective, providing pros and cons while only encouraging a purchase if it's really worth the money. It's easy to forget that not everybody can afford to spend £20 on another MAC lipstick, that a third Naked eyeshadow palette is probably not as essential as putting petrol in your car, or that people will skip a meal in order to pay for yet another eye cream.
One of my resolutions for 2015 is to be a little thriftier, especially when it comes to the blog, hunting out the real bargains and celebrating the brands that are offering incredible value for money. I love my premium makeup and designer handbags as much as the next girl, but I know that you guys adore a bargain and go crazy for brands that you can afford without having to wait until payday. Even though we appear to be out of the darkest times, a lot of people were hit hard in the recession; times are tough and although a new lipstick can make us feel better when it's been a tough week, in the long term it may be hard to justify when your car fails its MOT.
I'm never going to stop writing about beauty and I'm never going to stop celebrating the amazing things there are on offer, but if you're a reader of mine or any other blog that feels pressured into spending £100 every time you walk through the doors of Space NK, then please don't. Read with wide eyes and bated breath, get excited about the newest launch as much as the next girl, but shop selectively and wisely. Buy the products that really appeal to you, that will help with a problem or offer a solution you never knew you needed; don't buy items just because they're 'cult' or the buzz word of the month. Put things on lists and weigh up the pros and cons of each one; shop online for a better detail and discuss it with your mates - beauty bloggers are enablers, but we're also here to help. Don't feel forced into a way of life just because it seems 'normal'.
Do bloggers make you feel like you need to spend to keep up? Are you constantly feeling guilty about buying yet another lipgloss you don't need? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
