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| Above is the first content I was creating when I first started my blog |
Introduction to beauty blogging
Hello, fellow readers. I decided to step away from holiday talk for a little bit and share my personal experience about moving from a beauty advisor to a beauty blogger, adapting and how the beauty industry has changed due to the pandemic. Please, join me as I share my personal experience and perception.
From self care Sundays to zoom friendly makeup trends due to the lock downs. In addition, eye makeup looks are trending due to the masks mandates. We have been adapting to ever changing environment such as zoom events and meetings.
There will be more holiday content coming soon! I hope you enjoy this read as I share my opinion on how the beauty world has changed.
My time in the beauty industry
I was working in retail as a beauty advisor before COVID started. Many customers were already shifting to online shopping because they prefer the convenience it had. We had to adapt in order to continue to strive in the beauty industry. The key was to create a more personal experience that they can receive from us vs the experience that they experienced online. This would prompt the user to call or text us to put in a order vs. going to the website themselves. Trust is the main reason why customers go to certain stores, websites or beauty bloggers/influencers/Content creators for advice. I strived in this new method because I was good with computers, technology and was able to adapt to this new trend.
I would send customers photos of color swatches, close ups and I even did my own Flatlays of the free gift. I was doing this before I knew it was something beauty bloggers did online. I have been doing what the beauty content creators have been been doing all along.
My experience and transition to beauty blogging
I decided that I wanted a change in scenery after losing my job during the lockdown. I lived with people at risk but I wanted to share my love of my favorite brands even if I was the only person reading my blog. My blog was my method of coping with the stress. It was my online journal. I started to write about the products that I had from Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome and Elizabeth Arden. These were the main brands that I wrote about in the beginning because these were the brands that I worked for in the past. I used to be shy and only taken photos of the products but my blog became more personal when I included myself and done makeup videos and photos.
My blog started out in consultation format where I would share my knowledge and tips. It started to grow and evolve into something different as I grew in evolved. Writing for beauty is different than the customer service retail environment and I love it. I could be creative and share the latest trends and beauty brands beyond those four walls. I got to experience brands I never heard of when I was working as a beauty advisor.
I have a bachelor's degree in Marketing and I was able to utilize these skills like I never have before. Creating content and have a blog is more than just writing. You have to wear many hats: marketing tools such as SEO, social media, engaging and engaging with readers. I created my own content and decided what direction I wanted to go. I decided what brands I wanted to try and there was no limit. I did not just work for one brand. I only share the brands that I love. My reviews are of my own genuine experience that I was able to choose. I fell in love with this world of beauty and I enjoy doing it even if I didn't make money doing it.
I entered the beauty world at the beginning of the pandemic when everything was done virtually. All the events were virtual which allowed us to connect to more people from around the world without the restrictions of distance.
I was able to build relationships with other content creators through many platforms and I have never felt so much support from such amazing people. They are inspiring, supportive and I am happy to meet these people. I learned so much from these wonderful men and women. Also, I also been able to meet amazing brands and PR that been supportive and encourage me to continue to grow.
The most important support I get is from my readers. I learn about what they are looking for and what they want to learn. They want to be able to experience and see the beauty products, hear about the texture/consistency, see the colors.
I adapted my blog from just the online advisor to sharing more content that has swatches and close up photos. Another major change is I have included my face more into these blogs as I have become more confident. My confidence has grew and I have enjoyed creating a more personal experience.
How has consumers changed their shopping habits?
A lot of consumers has changed their ways in terms of the their buying habits. There was no way to see the colors physically or feel the texture during lockdowns. Our blogs and beauty reviews adapted to show them close up photos to try to give them the experience as close as possible. There were no touching products, samples or makeovers at some of the beauty counters during reopening to keep the employees and customers safe as well. We offered that experience in the comfort of their own home through our storytelling with photos, captions and videos.
The top beauty purchases were self care products, skincare and eye makeup. I have noticed that these were my most popular posts. They wanted to be able to get the spa experience at home. My top blog post is about beauty devices. The Nira Laser device offers at home laser treatments where consumer can still get the laser treatment at the comfort of their home without having to lose out on their laser surgery during lockdowns. I was able to experience this device myself and share the benefits with my readers.
There were more zoom consultation, live shows and the reels on instagram became more popular because the demand for a more visual experience grows since they are not seeing the products in person.
More consumers are still wanting to be able to keep the option of the beauty experience at home available even though they still want the human interaction of shopping at a physical store. Many of the practices will remain even as things start to become safer and even when the pandemic ends. Consumers wants choice and convenience. Having these options available to them when they want to shop online is essential so that they can get the experience online
I have changed my blog to more of a personal level to include swatches, product close up, texture description and more to be able to offer a similar experience that they strive for when they shopped at a physical store.
Becoming a more conscious consumer
Being home and having so much free time makes you think more about your habits and the habits of the people around you. More people have spoken out about what's right by shopping locally, ethically and sustainably. Brands are even changing their packaging that leads to less waste. There are beauty brands such as Chantecaille, Cle de Peau and Trestique, to name a few, that has reusable packaging. More and more brands are adapting to the conscious shopper. It has existed before the pandemic but more became mindful about their shopping habits and how it impactful it can be.
I have been sharing more small businesses in my blog lately, especially my holiday shopping guide even if I haven't tried the products to show my support but I am honest about what I tried.
My recent experience
I learned more about myself as well and I have changed my career path to what I feel like I would enjoy. I have also decided to go for another degree that I felt would suit and supplement my bachelor's degree. I went for computer because I have always been great with technology and love working on reports and research.
Everyone has their different experiences with the COVID and Pandemic. I was always worried about the safety of my loved ones. It didn't start to feel real to me until I lost someone close to me. It saddens me to know that she would still be here if she didn't catch COVID. She will always be in my memories and I will appreciate every moment I had, especially the last time I spent with her.
The recent experiences has taught us a lot and I have been able to learn a lot about myself and grow as well. I didn't know what path I was going with my blog. I have set a goal for myself for a year of blogging and I felt like I have met this goal.
I just wanted to say thank you to my readers on my journey and your feedback is always welcomed. Have a question or would you like to see something specific? Please let me know. My email is always open for feedback or if you would like to just chat.
Closing thoughts and future of lifestyle of beauty and skin
I want to close this with sharing that I will be doing more holiday posts to get more in the holiday spirit. This Thursday is my birthday and I wanted to share with you my experience in the beauty world and my impact through COVID. I decided that I wanted to share a more personal post in Celebration of my birthday.
I am proud of my blog and the growth I have seen since a year ago. I am grateful for my readers knowing it would be a blog with a viewer of just me if it wasn’t for you.
Speaking of growth, I wanted to share with you I was featured as a top Houston blogger here!
Please stay safe and best wishes!
How have you grown or changed since the lockdown?
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