During a month of ‘nothing new’ or ‘no shopping’ (read more here) I feel like I have time and inspiration to very honestly answer one simple question – why beauty?
There are so many beauty bloggers (or #bbloggers) out there. There are also many other bloggers / vloggers, and Internet generally in this day and age has become a place to express yourself. Social media is very powerful, to say the least. Something happens on ‘This Morning’ – a TV show not many people I know watch because they are generally at work, yet everybody knows about it in an instant, we all suddenly have an opinion on it and social media is buzzing with hashtags that within minutes become some sort of a code. (Yes, I am referring to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield coming in drunk after NTAs).
Social media can also be a nuisance at times. But I like social media and I support social media by having Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram accounts. Some of which I keep for my friends and family, others I like to be public and a place to express myself. Some might argue that social media is changing the society for the worst but I think with a sensible head on your shoulders social media is fun! I think there are too many things we can’t control and life can be very unexpected and unfair. I know this too well because 4 years ago I lost my mother. We can treat ourselves like some afterthought, we can spend our time and energy on getting involved in politics, we can moan about what this world has become, we can curse over terrorism and live in fear. And in my sole opinion, that’s exactly what too many people do a lot of the time. We then add social media to the list of ‘awful things’ happening. I say – embrace it! We live in a crazy world and it is important we don’t forget to mind our own business but everything in moderation is the key. I read a lot of things online and I disagree with many, but many other things inspire me. I don’t feel the need to comment on everything. I do however feel very fortunate to have access to the Internet and to be able to openly talk about whatever I want. My grandparents couldn’t speak their own language in their own home during WW2. How’s that for an ‘awful thing’?
Beauty to many people is superficial and not everyone will agree with my phylosophy about being a #bblogger but making everybody agree is not my goal.
We all know it and I don’t want to dwell on it but there are people who blog because it is ‘cool’ and many people fake it until they make it. I too wouldn’t decline an offer to cooperate with a business / other bloggers if I was approached but only if I agreed with their culture and ways of working and everybody remained in the partnership for the right reasons. But more often than not many bloggers these days get carried away with ‘fame’ and unrealistic Instagram lives. It’s unfortunate to think that some people try so hard to succeed at something they have no real passion for. There are also people who make living out of blogging and have passion for what they write/do and I salute them. But that’s the beauty of Internet – there are many good things on it and many fake, obnoxious things that you have to filter through. I love writing and I could be blogging about many many things. Fashion, books, fitness, travel, politics, religion, economy, soul searching, you name it. Many of those are rather ‘deep’ and ‘heavy’ topics. I don’t want to force myself to write about current affairs and I don’t necessarily want to put my opinions on those topics out there for a public discussion. I am a believer in ‘minding your own space, business and life in general’. Opinions and discussions online can become overwhelming. Often, people become courageous because they are hiding behind their laptops. Danger zone, if you ask me. I avoid news actually. There are lot of bad things going on in the world and most are out of my control. I am here to live the best life I can, respect those around me and make the most out of it really. I like to feel good about myself and I am grateful that I can access and afford many things my parents and grandparents didn’t have. That includes many beauty products, clothes, kitchen appliances, holidays, cars, quality food and nail/hair appointments. Some might argue they are materialistic things but life hands everyone a set of cards and it’s up to us how we play them. I live a normal but also very fortunate life, I work hard, I respect and love people around me, I don’t do things in excess. I play it safe most of the time actually. Being able to buy beauty products I want means a lot to me but if I woke up tomorrow and had to give it up I would still be grateful for my health, my friends, family and roof over my head. The key is – being able to tell the difference between what means a lot to you as ‘feel good’ factor and what truly means a lot to you. And let’s not wait until we might loose it all to appreciate what we have! There are likewise many things I can’t afford and it’s fine. Everybody has a hobby. Be it golf, travelling, knitting or cooking. I have a few hobbies, some more long-term, others are type of hobbies I just dip in and out of.
But beauty is my true gateway. It’s easy, it doesn’t cause controversial opinions. It is not my day job and I don’t want it to be. I don’t want my blog to become my career. I want it to remain easy-to-read and easy-to-write. I don’t have to force it because I love my beauty products, I enjoy learning new things about make up, I love trying new things and I love telling others about my experiences. I would like it to reach as many ears (or eyes) as possible because I am proud of what I write and I put time and effort into my posts. I also read articles about how to improve my blog because I want to be the best I can at whatever I do. I see many blogs out there with the same passion and investment as mine and it makes me happy. It is not a competition. And beauty / fashion / food blogs are gateway for many. They too have opinions on politics, religion and global warming. But don’t judge a book by its cover. If everybody was writing about their deepest thoughts and feelings it would probably make the Internet a very depressing place with nothing easy, cheerful and fun to read. Which foundation is my favourite isn’t what my life revolves around. Far from it, in fact. And that’s the main reason I talk beauty – to get away from bigger things going on day in and day out, good and bad. My life revolves around everything else but what make up to wear, that’s just a small part of who I am, what I enjoy and one of many things I’m grateful for.
I hope you enjoy my blog & I want you to know real reason behind it. Thank you for reading.
Love,
Mari xx
mari talks beauty 