Confessions of a blogger.

Hi everyone! I hope you're all fine and dandy. Today I'm doing the 'Confessions of a Blogger' tag after seeing it over on the lovely Jessica's blog here (go and check her out, she has a fabulous blog). I thought it was a really fun tag and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her answers so I thought I'd give it a whirl myself. Tags are a great way to get to know each other so I hope you enjoy finding out a bit more about me and my blog.

All of the questions are related to blogging so its something you can all get involved with, no matter what kind of blog you write! So without further ado, here are my confessions of a blogger:

When did you start your blog?

I started my blog in October 2012 so 8 months. I've had so much fun in that time, yes the first fewest  posts weren't very good, but I've learned how to do better ones by looking at other blogs. So thank you to all those lovely blogs out there for inspiring me to more than what I've bought when shopping lol.

Have you had any past online presence before (Other blog, YouTube)?

I tried a blog on Wordpress doing book and film reviews when I was studying media at university, but I couldn't get to grips with so I left it. Then when I came to blogger I looked at loads of beauty and fashion blogs as beauty and fashion have always been a first love for me, but because I can't draw to save my life I decided not to pursue a fashion course.

Why did you start a blog?

I started a blog very spontaneously and very spur of the moment. Before starting my blog I always looked online for reviews before purchasing a new product. I was always thinking well what's the best make up for this or that, so I went online to search for reviews and I came across Victorias Vintage and from there I looked at all the blogs she followed and it kinda grew. Ever since I was younger I have loved make up. I went through a bit of a punk rock stage so all my make up was dark, but then I realised that wasn't me I was more girlie so I started buying more colourful and grown up colours and I have to say I love it so much more.

When did you become serious about starting a blog?

I never intended to start a blog so I guess I was never "serious" about it at the start, but them when I showed it to my boyfriend he liked it and said I was very good at what I was doing and very "creative". So I guess from his support I thought I can make something of this blog and so I started to look more at other blogs to get ideas of how a beauty blog "should look". Then I got my first follower and thought wow, I need to keep this up. So I have done and I enjoy trawling shops and charity shops for little finds that I can blog about it's my hobby it keeps me quiet. 

What was your first post?

Oh gosh, my first post is quite cringey but I'm still proud of it and it makes me laugh to look back at older posts and remember how clueless I was. I had no idea what I was doing or that anyone would ever read what I had to say so I was essentially writing to myself like a total loon. I remember feeling excited and nervous when I published my first post as I was putting myself out there for people to judge me, but I don't regret it one bit.

What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?

This a really tough one for me as I can't think of anything that I'd class as a challenge. I absolutely adore writing my blog and if I thought it was a challenge, the chances are I wouldn't be doing it. I guess the only thing I can think of would be ensuring my blog is constantly updated with new and interesting posts. Like all bloggers, I want people to enjoy coming to my blog for a read so my biggest 'challenge' would be making sure nobody gets bored and that I'm always thinking of new and exciting things to blog about. However, this is a good challenge as it allows me to be creative.

Where do you see your blog in one year?

Well I certainly see myself still blogging this time next year but where it will be in terms of readership and new opportunities, I have no idea. I'm very happy and overwhelmed by what I've achieved this far with my blog and anything else will just be a bonus. I certainly don't have any big plans in mind as like I said earlier, I write this blog for fun, not for anything else.

What is the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?

The most rewarding thing about blogging to me is that it lets me be creative and have people appreciate that like other bloggers so much goes into maintaining the blog. I try to blog at least once a day, I have my little note book which most bloggers have filled with ideas and products that I want to do. So yeah the most rewarding thing is having people read my posts and enjoy it I suppose.

What is the most discouraging thing that happens to you?

There isn't many things I find discouraging about blogging but if I had to pick one teeny tiny pet peeve it would be people stereotyping a blog due to the number of followers it has. I really dislike blogs being referred to as 'big' or 'small' based on their follower count and I really wish people would forget about numbers and enjoy blogs for what they really are, a reflection of someones personality and a fun, creative hobby. I also think its important to remember success is earned, not handed out on a plate. If you want your blog to be a success, make it happen. Be inspired by other bloggers, give it your all, put the effort in and it will pay off. You have to remind yourself that everyone starts off somewhere and forget about the follower number. I follow a massive variety of blogs regardless of their readership size and I value and enjoy them all equally. I think we should all appreciate the effort other bloggers put in a little bit more and stop being so consumed by that pesky follower number!

What's your lasting inspiration or motivation?

My blogging motivation is 100% other bloggers. I read a lot of blogs and am inspired by each and every one of them. I love seeing what other people have been buying and which products they're currently loving. I enjoy reading about other peoples day to day lives and it excites me finding out about a new product release. I often get inspired to improve and develop my own blog after reading amazing posts from fellow bloggers or instantly feel like I 'need' to buy a product after reading another glowing review. I probably spend more money on beauty products now that I ever did before I started blogging but I don't mind, that's all part of the fun right?