Confessions of a Beauty Blogger (Part 2)

The first part of the Confessions of a beauty blogger went down really well with you lot so  I thought it would be nice to write up a little sequel.  I am not sure who started these tags or where the questions were from but I just found them on Google. If you are a blogger (it does not matter if you are a beauty blogger or not), I would love to see you do this tag so I tag all of You; Yes You, You and You! If you have done something similar, please leave your links below so I can check it out....Let’s jump right into it.....

1. When did you start blogging?

I started blogging on March 12^th 2013 and I remember that day so clearly because I also cut my hair the same day (or the next day). I had just moved to London in January of that year from Manchester. I had been toying with the idea of blogging seriously so I decided to do it once and for all. I bought a template, registered my domain and linked it all up in one day and half. You can find my first post on here which is still one of my favourite posts.

2. Have you had any past online presence before (e.g. any other blog, YouTube, etc)?

As a matter of fact, I have!! I started out in 2008 with a blog where I only had three posts or so. The shame of it!! It was more like a diary and I never shared any of the posts. It was more like a personal diary and it was set as private. Of course, it is still on private and I love peeking into it every now and then. Back in 2011, I decided to give it another try and I published about 25 blog posts which I still enjoy reading till date. Again, I had more personal posts on lifestyle and what I got up to and I actually enjoyed it. I never shared any of my posts on social media but for some bizarre reason, a few people were reading these posts of mine. I love going through these blogs because they remind me of how I was (and how I still have not changed in many ways). These blogs are very precious and of course, they are still set on private. I use these blogs to test any changes on Fashstyleliv before I incorporate it. I would be making one of the blogs public soon so stay tuned if you want to hear my ramblings. Finally, I decided to be serious from 2013 and set up Fashstyleliv and here I am!!

3. Why did you start a blog?

I think the main reason I started a blog was because I love writing and I love talking about beauty. I also developed a love for photography and blogging was the only hobby that I knew could easily mesh these three passions of mine. If you have a chat in real life with me on beauty, I can go on and on but sadly, not everyone likes to listen, hehehe. So, I find that writing my thoughts and sharing it with like minded people is the most preferred option. Blogging is definitely one of my favourite things to do ever.

4. When did you become serious about blogging?

I think I became serious with blogging when I set up Fashstyleliv back in 2013. However, I think I started posting regularly in 2014 because I took this little hobby of mine a little more seriously. I am not sure what prompted the change but I guess buying my DSLR camera in March 2014 was a catalyst to the whole process. I just enjoyed the whole art of taking beautiful photos of pretty things.

5. What was your first post?

You can find my first post here which was actually not too bad. It was a very short one where I uploaded a picture via my iPhone which I had taken earlier. It was just a short introductory post on what to expect from this blog. It was simple and straight to the point. My second post was on some Lunch Time Photography taken from my office view on my iPhone and it’s still one of my favourite iPhone pictures.

6. What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?

My biggest challenge about blogging is definitely finding the time to do it effectively while living a balanced life. I can safely say that I have little or no social life which is a little ridiculous!. My full time job is a very busy one which means I hardly have time to do anything sensible during the week. I still manage to squeeze in a few posts here and there and schedule a few but it is really manic sometimes. When I get back from work, I make dinner, go to the gym and just try and relax but I am drawn back to my blog. It’s a passion I can’t resist no matter how much I try. During the weekends, I dedicate it to taking photos and editing and this can take a few good hours. I also film videos for YouTube and I only publish one video per week but it can be time consuming but I enjoy it so much. I am trying out a new schedule which I hope can help me manage work life, blogging life and social life really well so fingers crossed it works well. So, I would say finding time and balancing out all aspects of my life is the biggest challenge about blogging for me.

7. Where do you see your blog in one year?

I honestly never think that far to be honest. My blog is very much my hobby and in a way I would prefer to keep it that way. I find that when it transitions to some sort of work/career, it may steal the joy away from blogging. That’s just my thinking I am sure it may not be the case. In my personal life and career life, I tend to plan ahead and have a few options for my future. This blog is my hobby and I have not really projected that far and I am just going with the flow. The only thing I hope is that I am still able to blog as passionately in one year and engage more with my lovely readers. That’s all that matters to me, I guess.

8. What’s the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?

It is definitely the engagement I get from my readers. I cannot even quantify how it makes me feel when someone tells me my blog post was useful or they enjoy reading my blog. It’s seriously amazing that someone out there cares to check out my blog with all my ramblings and occasional typos (that always make me cringe when I read them afterwards). It is indeed very rewarding. When I used to work in a hospital, one of the highlights of my job was when people told me I made a difference in their lives. To me, that means everything and if I can make a difference or help someone (however small) and in whatever sphere of life (beauty or health or lifestyle), then that’s all I need.

9. What is the most discouraging thing that has happened to you via blogging?

I don’t want to sound annoying and boring but seriously, nothing comes to mind at all. I can't think of anything so far that is the most discouraging thing that has happened to me as a result of blogging. I guess it's only discouraging when I have crappy lighting and can't take great photos but right now the weather is so warm and bright and I can take pictures any time...woohoo!!

10. What's your lasting inspiration and motivation?
I draw my inspiration from God and everything else around me. I know it sounds silly but I always pray about the most mundane things like good weather, lighting, etc so anything involving blogging for the day goes well. I also draw inspiration from other bloggers, beautiful websites, magazines, Tumblr and Instagram. I am a very visual person and I am always drawn to beautiful pictures and I can keep scrolling and scrolling to eternity. However, I love (and I would like to think) my pictures and blog are distinct from others even if I draw inspiration from other people. I hate to think that my blog is a carbon copy of any other blog out there.


That's all for the Confessions of a Blogger Tag. I tag everyone reading this and I would love to read your post if you have not already done one. I enjoy doing these tags as they are so easy!! Hope you are having an amazing day!!  Do you have any blogger confessions?...xx