If you know me, you know I love to write. I am fortunate enough to have a full time career where I write professionally in the travel and tourism space. My career is a dream job for most writers – I get to write and I get paid to do it. But, for a couple of years, there’s been an inner drive to write beauty blogs, share beauty tips and review some of my favorite and not-so-favorite products. Why? Because I love makeup. But there’s more to it than that, so keep reading.
A year ago, I played around with starting a YouTube channel. I did a few videos, got the right equipment and was actually pretty excited to get started. It gave me an outlet that wasn’t writing – because I was already spending 8+ hours a day writing. Long story short, it turns out I’m not the “video editing type.” My videos were never going to meet the “production standards” of most of these beauty vloggers. I was using my iPhone or a webcam attached to a laptop and, to be completely honest, I struggled with even getting the camera to sit straight half the time. I was trying to invest time and was getting more and more frustrated because video editing was just not my thing.
When I launched my beauty blog a few months ago, I knew the real reasons why I wanted to get started, but I never really shared that with you. Actually, I don’t really share it with many people at all. Sure, I love makeup, I love buying new products and giving honest reviews, but how does that make me different than every other beauty girl who does the same thing? Here’s some things you don’t know about me yet.
Why Do I Love Makeup? Here’s Why.
Makeup is fun, but makeup is truly about how it makes you feel. And makeup makes me feel empowered, confident and even more like me. I know you’re curious about all the details, so let’s just jump right in.
1. I was that super awkward girl in high school. Why would you trust me for makeup advice?
Thankfully people grow up and change a whole lot after high school, but let’s get real for a minute. I was a LATE BLOOMER. I didn’t even really hit puberty until I was 16. So what’s the big deal? The big deal is that I was in high school before I ever had to deal with major breakouts on my skin and I was in high school before I had to deal with body and hormone changes.
I didn’t even have boobs until around my sophomore year. I had braces, geeky glasses and I actually liked going to class. Yes, I liked writing papers, I liked researching in the library and I liked learning. Did I mention that I had bleach blonde, semi-yellow hair for a year of that, too? Trust me, I was awkward. I barely wore makeup and when I did, pictures prove that I liked to wear blue-green eyeshadow with teal mascara to match my shirts.
2. My teeth made me self conscious about putting my face in front of the beauty world.
When I was around 3rd-4th grade, maybe, I went on a vacation and within the first 10 minutes of arriving to my cousin’s house, he was showing me a baseball bat toy that he loved. Well, sure enough, he swung the baseball bat straight into my mouth, knocked out a huge portion of my front teeth and, until recently, I’ve been pretty self conscious about my smile because my front teeth have never been the same. Of course, I’ve had my fair share of dental work done, but they were still never the same. Even though I’ve never been super confident in my smile, I do get lots of compliments on it, so it has definitely been something to work on within myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still considering veneers one day, but makeup makes me feel like I can distract a little bit from my teeth….even though they’re really not that bad. But, for years, I have been self conscious about truly putting my face out there – what if people notice my teeth?
3. I’ve been through times when I didn’t feel fully supported in pursuing anything with beauty and makeup.
When I was married, I changed a lot about myself to fit the relationship I was in (yes, I’ve been married and divorced). I really enjoyed makeup and I was just getting into starting my collection around the time I got married. But, I did change a lot about myself in that relationship, so I wore makeup, but it went to the wayside since it wasn’t something I was fully supported in. I would wear the basics and throw on some mascara and eyeliner for a fancy occasion. Plus, makeup can be expensive and there was definitely not money laying around to buy a $50 makeup palette.
4. I still deal with breakouts…all the time.
It’s true. I’m 27 and I really don’t know what it’s like to have perfectly clear skin. I definitely don’t have severe acne or even chronic breakouts, but I deal with more breakouts than the average 27 year old. Sometimes it’s like I’m 16 all over again. So, it’s not easy to imagine yourself writing a beauty blog when you can’t even keep your own skin clear for more than 3 days at a time. My dad would argue that I break out because of all the crazy makeup I wear, but I beg to differ. 🙂
5. I’m cheap and I can’t afford to keep up with all of the trends.
Believe it or not, I’m cheap. Sometimes I’m really cheap. I still think $50 makeup palettes are expensive. I love that I can splurge on high end products, but I usually read reviews and test things out in store before I spend a lot of money on them. So, unlike a lot of beauty girls who really only share high end products or girls who go on $1000 hauls, I like to review both types of products – high end and drugstore – so there’s a little something to fit every budget.
What I Learned & What I Want You to Learn from My Blog
Understand that all of those “things” have made you who you are.
It’s one of the best feelings in the world when you can really sit down and say – “Wow, my teeth, these constant breakouts and those terribly awkward days of high school have really helped make me who I am in the beauty community.” I am not perfect, but I am me and you’re not going to find another me. Remember that even your flaws make you who you are.
Stick to what you know and don’t set unreal expectations for yourself.
I learned how much I love writing. I’ve also learned you should stick to what you know. I know I can be a great writer and it’s what I love to do…so why spend so much time criticizing myself when other adventures like video editing don’t work out?
I actually do like doing YouTube videos and I will probably do some again, but, at the time, I was just not confident enough in myself – no matter how much support I had around me. But I am 100% okay with never being a full time YouTuber. That’s just not me.
Find what you love and do it. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. At some point, you have to realize that you’re not Jaclyn Hill, KathleenLights or Desi Perkins – no matter how many makeup palettes you buy and no matter how much video equipment you purchase. Those people already exist, so make your own way, share your own story and be you.
Learn to love who you are and be yourself.
It took years and years, but I have learned that having far-from-perfect teeth, in a way, humbled me. Of course, I look at girls with pearly whites and dream of the day mine will be sparkling and shiny, but I’ve learned to see fewer flaws in people. Sure, that definitely has its downsides, but when I see someone with less-than-perfect teeth or acne, I tend to be less judgmental. I want women to feel confident in their own skin – even if that skin deals with constant breakouts. And don’t get me wrong, I’m still working on this myself.
You can be a late bloomer and still be successful.
At first, I felt like I was really getting into beauty blogging kind of late. I knew girls in high school who started YouTube channels and did makeup tutorials. I didn’t start until … now. But don’t let that get in your way, I’m not letting it get in mine. You don’t have to be the best-of-the-best to be successful and just because you weren’t the first girl to start a beauty blog doesn’t mean you can’t be successful at it. So, if you have a dream to do something – start today. Go get what you want in the world, even if you think you’re a little too late or a little too old to get started.
I’ve learned that life is entirely too short to be anything but yourself. If makeup is something that makes you feel great about yourself, wear it and don’t worry about what everyone else thinks.