Beauty Blogging 101

 

Diving in to the world of beauty blogging can be pretty daunting at first. 

Being a makeup lover means my bloglovin feed is full of incredible beauty related posts that fuelled my passion for blogging. For years I was too afraid to join the beauty blogging world, but it was by far one of the best decisions I have made. I decided I would start my beauty blog while I was sat in the middle of nowhere, on a mountain in Spain (as you do,  obviously) I created my very own blog that night, soon to be my little corner of the internet, and I had no idea what journey lay ahead of me. 

I have learned so much from my first year of blogging. First - When you create a blog in Spain, your posts will be worded in spanish. Who would have known, eh? Second - Your neighbours look at you strangely when you take blog pictures. Apparently crouching in your window ledge with a camera over beauty products is a little odd. And third -  Your bank account will disappear. Apparently having a beauty blogs makes it acceptable to buy more makeup that you don't need. 

There are a few things I wish I knew when I started out a blog, and a year on I feel like I have learned a few tricks of the trade that will be helpful to those of you who are knew to the beauty blogosphere. 

Write about what you love

If you love what you create content about, your passion will shine through. There is nothing more enjoyable than reading a post written by someone who loves what they write about. It makes your content seem so genuine and your readers will thoroughly enjoy reading your blog. If your passion is paling video games, write about it. If you love to review films, write a review. If you have found the holy grail of foundations share the love! Whatever it is that makes you happy, write about it. 

There is no better you and YOU

The best version of yourself is you, so throw your personality into your blog. The more personality the better! Don't try to write your blog like 'insert top blogger name here'. No blog is the same, your blog is yours, its unique to you. Take inspiration from your favourite bloggers then put your own spin on things.  Don't be afraid to let your personality show through your blog, the beauty blogging community is one the most friendly and supporting of them all and its a fantastic way to make new friends. 

Composition is key

Your personal style will play a big role in this. For me, I prefer a simple and clean photographs. I stick to a plain, white background and I keep the content minimal. Try layering textures. Play around with wood, notebooks, fabrics - whatever takes your fancy! Add in some fresh flowers, your favourite candle, maybe some fairy lights? Play around with different backgrounds. Once you have found your style, role with it. Your personal taste will evolve and things will change. Try and keep your theme relatively consistent.

On the go

You never know when you're going to get a burst of inspiration so have a notebook and a camera on hand at all times! I always have digital camera and my favourite notebook in my handbag incase I find some inspiration on the go. I am constantly taking photographs and writing post ideas down. You'll never miss a great idea if you are organised. 

Natural lighting will be your best friend

Flash photography makes me cringe every time. Natural daylight is the best possible lighting you can find, and its free - yay! Racing the sunset to photograph your products isn't the easiest challenge, but using as much natural lighting as possible gives your photographs a beauty finish. They look cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing. 

Don't over edit

Don't get me wrong, a love a good edit with fancy filters and all that jazz, but when it comes to beauty products, I find less is more. Completely altering the colour of your photograph can make it look a little overboard so I suggest to keep things simple. Its completely down to personal preference, but generally for beauty blogging, a simple edit is much more effective. If you are lucky enough to own a fantastic camera, your ISO will do all the work for you. If you feel like your photographs need a little sprucing up, take full advantage of the cropping tools and maybe slightly alter the contrast and exposure. 

Write it down

I can't count the amount of times i've been up late at night writing down hundreds of post ideas. When you get a burst of inspiration write as much down as possible. Inspiration can hit you at any moment and your mind can start going a hundred miles an hour with ideas. You'll be amazed at what you can come up with, but always write it down! You don't want to forget an amazing idea. 

Thank god for spell check

Spell check is the best tool for us beauty bloggers. After you spend hours and hours working hard on a post you're going to find a few mistakes in there. Always take advantage of the spell check tool and make sure there is fluidity in your writing. It makes your content much easier to read! 

Promote yourself!

No one is going to find your blog if you aren't putting it out there! Get yourself on twitter, instagram, Facebook, youtube, pinterest, link everything to your blog and get promoting. Hashtags are your best friend when it comes to social media! If you love someones blog, tweet them! Say hi and let them know you have a blog. If you enjoy reading someones post, leave a comment. Leave your URL link, us bloggers love your feedback and we check out your blogs. However - please, please, please avoid spamming peoples comments section. Leaving your link is great, but please don't link to your giveaways or leave a comment without reading the actual content. Promote your blog the right way and start to see the benefits. 

It takes time to grow

The harsh reality of starting a beauty blog is that the first few posts you will feel like you are writing to yourself. It takes time for people to find your blog but in time you will start getting a readership. It took me months to reach 10 followers, let alone 100! You won't gain a huge readership over night. The beauty blogging world is a very saturated market, it takes a while for your blog to get noticed. Carry on the hard work and enjoy it. Your blog will grow slowly but surely. 

Join Beauty Blogger Chat

I wish someone told me about this when I started blogging! On twitter every Sunday and Wednesday evening there is a beauty bloggers chat. For a few hours you can connect and chat with fellow beauty bloggers about a chosen subject and it is the best way to make friends. I have connected with a few wonderful bloggers through bblogger's chat and I love being a part of the conversation. Make sure you are online on Sundays and Wednesdays, use the hashtag 'bbloggers' and join in on the fun. 

You don't need to splurge on expensive equipment

You don't need the latest iMac or Cannon camera to run a beauty looking blog. All you need is access to a computer, a simple editing system and a camera. Simple. You do not need the most expensive camera on the market to take a good photograph, your iPhone will do just fine if thats is all you have access too. There a plenty of fantastic editing programmes online or that come free with your laptop. PicMonkey, Picasa or iPhoto will do you just fine. Work with what you have and in time you will find what works best for you. 

Don't put pressure on yourself

Blogging is fun, its not a chore. If you have writers block or you are feeling uninspired, take a break! You don't need to be on the ball 24/7 you need to relax every now and then. If you blog every single day for one month, but only one day the next, its okay! Never force yourself to blog when you're uninspired, you won't enjoy it and you may not feel happy with the end result.We all feel like that time to time.  Give yourself a break, inspiration will come eventually. 

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