It's been a while, where do I even begin?
I was supposed to launch a unique blogsary (blogversary) project, but I have yet to compile and present it properly. It's been three months since my anniversary, BOOHOO.
I've been meaning to write a monthly skincare journal. I have my January post drafted, and that's good as done. February's trial wrapped up two weeks ago and is simply due for a photoshoot. I took March off because I've been too busy. Yup, I'm skincare-free once more, beginning February 28.
I've also been dying to get this Ellana post out. I put together a really great post but I can't seem to find the time to sit down and flesh it out.
In local beauty news: I've scouted a lot of new goodies from Colour Collection and Too Cool for School. I need to share my finds. You simply must know about them.
Hmm. Also fell into a good retouch routine. That's another post on deck, piled up on top of my Belo Glamourbox and March / Benefit / Secrets of Spy Gal BDJ Box.
Lastly, I just took a two-week (unpaid, BOO) leave from work to focus on something more personal. It's still in its early stages but I can't wait to share it with the BBT community once it's perfect :)
In the meantime, since I'm not talking about a particular piece of makeup, I thought I'd get a little sentimental and share, what I feel, is a huge milestone.
You all know I'm a huge fan of beauty boxes. In fact, this blog started on December 2012 with the sole purpose of being the vessel of my unbridled excitement. Fuck visitor stats! Now, I can't totally hipster it up here and claim to be the first to know about beauty boxes because many insiders got the first trickles of beauty box news as early as September or October. I believe it was Saladbox who was able to drum up the first few signs of life for the local blogging community.
I started the blog dreaming of getting perks as we readers (as I formerly once was) imagine bloggers to be rolling around in free stuff. When I became a blogger myself, I realized you needed a ridiculous amount of celebrity to pull that off.
Erm. Not completely for me. I'm pretty low profile and I have a few rough edges. (A few. heh.)
One year has passed, and I can say with full pride and without any sort of irony, that I am a beauty blogger.
I am a beauty blogger.
I'm not going to put it high up on a pedestal and claim I'm not good nor popular enough to be a legitimate beauty blogger. I'm not waiting until I attain so-and-so street cred or celebrity status before I label myself as such.
I know my pictures are not perfect and I don't have that much clout with PR and Marketing Executives. I have maybe two people who keep me on their "list," but I love these brands and am glad I didn't force that number to grow at the expense of working with icky brands. Bye, random and shady spa! I won't be missing you.
BUT. I call myself a beauty blogger without a trace of irony because regardless of the lack of celebrity, I publish my insights on beauty products and practices and get a reliable stream of people who wonderfully and interestingly engage.
I completely love it.
There's always room to grow, and I know I can always go bigger and better. But right now, with where I am and where I seem to be headed, I am enjoying the journey.
And to add icing to the cake, I feel like I'm being validated in the community.
A few weeks ago, I got invited to one of Sample Room's super-exclusive shindigs. The latest of which, is the Hot Hues event brought in partnership with Colour Collection. I've met Sophie, wonderful mastermind of Sample Room, in the earlier stages of my blogging.
I've simply never been in her radar before.
I never take these things personally, I don't expect to get in a person's business circle just because I've met them. I wasn't yet proven and obviously Sophie doesn't shower out event invites to every five-month old blogger she sees. People like her need a select handful who she can trust to share the news with a considerable audience. And I'm so darn honored to be invited!
Now, BDJ's granted me a similarly great opportunity: I've been given special seats to the 4:00-4:45 PM Colors of Summer by Shiseido Maquillage talk with Ms. Carmel Villongco at the Tres Chic Beauty Social on Mar. 23, 2014 at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura.
Five lucky BBT readers can get in for free! Simply fill in you full name and email. That's it! No extra promo mechanics or self-whoring this time. Just give me your full name and contact number (as per BDJ's requirement) via Rafflecopter and you get a slot in the Shiseido talk. When that's done, you can roam around all the booths and collect as much freebies as you like!
I'll be taking the first five entries and I'm keeping the rest as backup just in case. Giveaway ends this Wednesday, Mar. 19!
It feels nice! I've never had the opportunity to reserve 5 seats for BBT readers before. I've always gone as any normal beauty enthusiast but this year I feel like I'm coming as a special blogger correspondent (even though the BDJ Team went nowhere near that in their email, haha.)
Maaaaan. I really should not go for weeks without blogging. Wow. That was a lot of different topics!