One Stiletto At A Time

This might be a bit of a ramble but I feel like I need to get it out.

I have been blogging for 3.5 years. Every week I have diligently put out approx 3 posts without missing a week. What started as an escape from studies has turned into something far greater than I ever imagined. If I look back at all the incredible opportunities my little blog has brought me I am quite overwhelmed. I absolutely love blogging and reviewing new products. Even though I receive parcels on a daily basis I have yet to become jaded and am still like an excited little kid at Christmas when I open them up. Whether it is a R4000 eye cream or a R30 concealer both warrant the same amount of excitement in my mind. I am so grateful that after all these years this joy has not yet been lost.

Events: Last year I attended so many events and in Cape Town there are events every single day pretty much, at times multiple events in a day. Between racing from one to the next I realised that I needed to take control of my personal time and be far more selective. Afterall I work full-time and am still busy with my studies. I gained that control and now attend only 4 or 5 events a month. I am so happy that I no longer stretch myself and feel much happier in this decision. Even though “out of sight out of mind” is quite common in the beauty industry and the minute you have to cancel on an event you find yourself being bumped down a few notches or might even be scratched off lists. You know what, that is okay. If you don’t want me there because I have to cancel due to an exam then that is fine. You aren’t spiting me.

Commitments: The next challenge that I feel I have a grasp on is commitments. I am at a point where I am very fortunate to have a steady flow of products heading my way. I never have to stress about content. Earlier this year it felt overwhelming though and I knew that I needed balance and a routine. I used to feel compelled to post a couple of days after receiving the product. I took a step back and thought this is a review for my readers. Take your time, test the products for a week or two at least. Maybe even three if it is a skincare line. I don’t want to just throw out half-assed reviews even if the launch date is the next week. I’d rather take a month to review a product and know it is worthy of a review. To some this might sound simple but when you have products piling up and PR’s to respond to it can be scary. This blog is my domain though, no one can pressurize me into something that doesn’t gel with my brand or what I feel you would like to read.

Personal: This is the part that I am currently battling with and it is a two-part. On the one side where personal relationships are concerned I try very hard to keep them private. Yes, I have recently gone through a break-up and it has been very difficult. We were together for 3 years and I really felt like we were meant to be together. Nothing bad happened but we both realised we weren’t making each other happy and there is no point in staying with someone if you aren’t sure if you can fix things. Sometimes it is more difficult to walk away when things aren’t awful because you do keep thinking that maybe this is a mistake and that you can improve but after trying for months. It is over. The other personal part is that I have been dealing with issues of not feeling like I am good enough. In the blogging world this is difficult to deal with because you might see stats that show that your blog is growing and feel that on paper things are doing well but it can still sometimes not feel good enough. I hate when my content isn’t perfect. I don’t have a professional photographer shooting all of my content and I am still getting to grasps with my camera and sometimes when you constantly compare then things lose a bit of their meaning and magic. I want to be my best and give you great content that is worthy of your time and data and if I feel things aren’t then I still beat myself up over it.

Readers: This isn’t all about me but sometimes one needs to vent a bit. After all I am a real human behind my laptop and blogging involves a lot of strength and determination. The beauty industry takes guts to be in. Blogging is also amazing as you connect with so many people. On days where I am exhausted and really don’t feel like writing a review at 10pm after a long day at work then I’ll scroll through my emails and read my readers emails and it all makes it worth it in the end. I know that sounds super soppy but sometimes a bit of soppy is important too.

So this turned into quite an essay but I feel like I needed to say a few things and let you in on where my mind is at the moment. I actually have so much going on that there might be a second part about studies and career.

Have an awesome long weekend and Women’s Day! xx Abby