Shifting Gears

You don't really know what's happening behind the scene unless the subject in question expose it. Well today I'm the subject and after more than a month of self-reckoning, I am ready to expose the reasons behind my decision to shift gears. No, I'm not going to stop blogging; Not yet. However, expect to see sizable changes as I trek this new road in hopes that you, my loyal readers, will come along for one hell of a fabulous ride!

1. Less PR samples, more organic content. When I started this blog many moons ago (six years to be exact), my  photos were awful and laughable but it was riddled with insightful organic content. My passion was running high and it was purely evident with my manner of writing: raw as I put it bluntly. As with any aspiring blogger, my goal was to get noticed by PR companies so I can get samples that I can write about and let's be honest here, because free is good! Fast forward today, while I am in no way a huge blogger who made blogging as primary source of income, I enjoy the little money I derive from ads and affiliate which help pay for minor stuff such as groceries and sometimes entertainment. This brings me to the following predicaments:

I want to be in control of my own deadline. Skincare reviews take a while especially if the company has behemoth claims I needed to research on and/or evaluate both from a consumer and medical standpoint. I don't find it fair to my readers to say that I like this "abc" product when I have only used it for two weeks. But because of so much products that ended on my desk in recent times, I admit to have fallen into a robotic, canned-type assessment "I have not used this long enough to support its so-so benefit but overall I like it because of its so-so effect". I am very sorry my dear readers, I feel like I have failed myself miserably and you, more importantly. Makeups on the other hand are pretty much straight to the point. I wear them to work, test the longevity, check the ingredients and see if there are certain sensitivities you and I need to be aware of. With that said, I believe I can write better as well as harness my creative process without the feeling of being rushed.

I am not a bargain, bottom feeder blogger. I'm sorry if I ruffled some feathers here but I take pride with the amount of work I devote for this blog despite being a side gig for me. I have a full-time day job and I willingly sacrifice my weekends and most nights to write posts and take decent photos. So when a company lowball my worth by insisting on free exposure or demanding a quick post for a $5-worth product or worse, a tiny sachet of sample, I can't help but raise my brow with utter disbelief. I hate to sound like a diva because I know where I stand, number-wise. But if I were to make blogging full-time job, do you think free exposure will put meals on the table? Do you think $5 per hour will suffice (which never happens because writing alone takes time)? I'm sure these PR reps don't work for free either.

Paid posts generally call for positive-only reviews. I see no problem here if I really like the product or I'd pay it myself when the free stuff runs dry but if a company is shelving words into my mouth or requiring me to submit my write-up for approval before publishing, then that's another story! Integrity won't pay the bill but I cannot compromise it either.

2. Diversification breaks the monotony of it all. The beauty community is becoming more and more monotonous in my opinion. Whenever I watch Youtube beauty videos or scroll through my social media feed (Instagram especially), I see similar looking women rocking similar looking brows pouting similar looking lips displaying similar looking cleavage and posing similar looking contoured and highlighted face. Perfect mannequins painting perfect lives. This made me rethink my existence in the blogging arena. You see I started this blog when I was in my mid 30s, I am 42 now so obviously my needs have changed and like most of you, I have other interests outside beauty so expect to see bits and bobs of lifestyle related posts which I am sure any middle-aged woman like myself would enjoy and appreciate.

3. Inside scoop on aesthetic procedures. I think some of you know that I work as Aesthetic Registered Nurse (laser, body contouring, radiofrequency, etc.). Most women our age (and above) are searching online hoping to find credible source of information, someone they can possibly relate to. I feel you because I would do the same if I were to drop thousands of dollars to make me look good! While my opinion should no way replace your doctor's, it's always nice to hear from someone who does it professionally. Plus I voluntarily subject myself to certain procedures so I can explain it better to patients and level their expectations as deemed necessary.

4. New blog layout, it's so crispy-clean! If you go to the home page, it has a clean magazine-slash-very-lifestyle look to it because I want you to feel relaxed as you navigate this blog. I even got rid of side bar ads because I want you to focus on the content. There are sub-categories to help you find topics way easier but most important of all, it is clutter-free finally!

So you heard it straight from the unicorn's mouth. Mahalo for sticking with me from day one! 'Til our next post!