Why I Stopped Beauty Blogging After 3+ Years

Back in June, I made a post explaining that due to a hectic summer internship, I would be taking a an unexpected hiatus until September.

I haven't made a post since then. It's January.

It's not that I haven't thought about writing a post. It's not even that I haven't felt like writing a post. But I sort of dropped off the face of the Earth (even in social media), and I thought you all deserved a reason as to why--or a whole post, in fact.

Where Have I Been?

Hi friends! I know it's been awhile since we last talked. How have you been? I've missed you!

There's a reason for my lengthy absence! I've been doing an intensive internship for the past month (and I mean intense--some days I'm gone for 14 hours), and it's taking up so much more time than I ever would have thought. Unfortunately, that severely cuts into my blogging time. I don't foresee myself being able to regularly churn out blog posts this summer, which is a huge letdown considering I love this blog, but I'll do my best to check in when I can.

I return home at the very end of August, so come September everything should return back to normal. Hang in there, guys! I'll be back in no time, with plenty of things to share with you! I'm counting down the weeks. See you soon!

What are you doing right now?

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The FOREO LUNA Cleansing Tool: It's For Your Face

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Hi, friends! I bet some of you are wondering what this weird-looking pink thing is, right? No, it's not something you'll find in a sex shop (get your mind out of the gutter). It's a skincare tool called the Foreo Luna, and it's to be used on the face. 

I've been using this product since February, so this review is honestly way overdue (but at least I've tested it enough, right?). I talked about this little gadget in my March Favorites and promised to write more about it, and that time is now.

Swatches & Review: Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Drama Pomade Crayons

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Hi, friends! I have another beauty review for you today. I'm always looking for ways to up my brow game and get #browsonfleek, so when Maybelline came out with these Eyestudio Brow Drama Pomade Crayons, I was curious to see how they worked. I received these for free to test out, and after playing with them for the past few weeks, I think it's about time I talked about them! 

The Beauty Lover Tag

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Hi, friends! I've missed you this week! Between a wonky work schedule and then getting sick, things have been a little hectic around here.

Today's post is a fun little questionnaire (or "tag") that any beauty lover can relate to. I was tagged by the wonderful Lauren of Little Blushing Birdie to do this not too long ago, so I figured it was time I gave it a go. If you haven't visited her blog before, reading her answers might give you a better idea of who she is. ;) But enough about that--let's get to the good stuff!

Birchbox: The Lip Sync Kit Review

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Hello, friends! I've got a fun little unboxing and review for you today. You might remember me talking about this Lip Sync Kit two weeks ago in my Mail Time post. I purchased this kit from Birchbox, and it basically comes with everything you need for a capsule lip product wardrobe. I'm always up for new lipstick (I mean, have you looked through my lipstick collection lately?) so I thought it looked like fun. I can't wait to tell you guys my thoughts!

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. Last month they sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Chronicles of a Hair Novice: The Messy Bun

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Hi, friends! I'm trying something new on the blog today. You might have notice I talk about makeup and skincare on the blog all the time, but hair? Not so much. I let my hair air dry 99% of the time, and my idea of hairstyling is throwing it into a side braid. You would think having hair on my head for 22 years would make me better at this, but apparently not. When Aveda sent me some products to try (you might have seen it on my Instagram), I was kind of like, "I don't do much with my hair. What am I supposed to do with these?" but I figured this was a good opportunity. Maybe I could become a hair person! I'll show them!  

Birchbox: April 2016 Review

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Hello, friends! I'm so excited to dig into my monthly Birchbox with you today! Mostly because of the adorable packaging. Can we just take this all in for a minute? I wish everything in my life looked like this. Well not everything, but my house could certainly use a healthy dose of beautifully painted flowers, that's for sure. 

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Mail Time! April 2016

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Hi, friends! I've been having some stuff pile up in the mail recently, so I thought I would share what I got with you! Think of this as a sneak peek into what you'll be seeing in future posts. Today we have a mix of orders I placed online, free samples I snagged, and products that companies sent to me for review. But enough about that. Let's get started! 

Trend Report: Current Makeup Trends & How to Achieve Them

Hi, friends! I thought today we could take a step back from product reviews to look at makeup from a broader perspective. Specifically, I wanted to talk trends. Makeup trends come and go so quickly that it's hard to keep up. Today I'm doing a roundup so we can all get up to speed. I'm not really a stickler for abiding by trends, but I think it's fun to follow them and take inspiration from others so I can incorporate it into what I already like to do. We can all learn from each other. And who knows? You just might find something that sticks long after it dies down. But enough about that--let's get to the good stuff.

My Favorite Things: March 2016

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Hi, friends! Happy April! It's been awhile since I did a Favorites post (not since my 2015 Makeup Favorites, I believe), so I thought it was about time to touch base with you all. I've been trying out some new products and rediscovering some old ones, and I'm so excited to finally share them with you!

Trash Talk: Spring Cleaning Edition 2016

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Hi, friends! It's spring cleaning time again! This post was inspired by my propensity for finding old or forgotten products in the back of my makeup drawer. As I explained in last year's spring cleaning post, this is kind of like a glorified Empties post. Only instead of getting rid of products when they're empty, I take a look in my collection and determine what I need to trash from there. Beauty bloggers and makeup enthusiasts tend to be Goop Hoarders (because makeup is essentially colorful goop), so today I'm sharing my tips on how to separate the good stuff from what needs to go. 

Happy Easter!

Hi friends! I'll be spending the day with my family today, but I just wanted to check in and see how you guys were doing. If you celebrate Easter, then I wish you a happy one, and if not I hope you have a great day nonetheless. 

What are you doing today?

 


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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Easter lololol (just kidding)

My Lipstick Collection: The Pinks

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Hi, friends! Today, I wanted to do a continuation of my Lipstick Collection series. Last month we delved into my neutral lipsticks and before that we talked about the reds. With spring finally upon us, I figured it was a good time to talk about the pretty pink shades in my stash.

Off-topic, but can you believe it's finally spring? I don't know about you guys, but the temperature is finally starting to stabilize around 50 degrees around here, and it's so nice. We had a rumored "snowstorm" on Sunday, but it barely snowed (typical), and it had already melted by the time I woke up the following morning. But you're not here to listen to me talk about the weather, are you?

Birchbox: March 2016 Review

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Hi, friends! It's Birchbox time again. My box came relatively early this month (it arrived by the 9th, and typically they ship by the 10th) so I've had some time to mess around with the products inside. 

Birchbox? What's that?

Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. They're always adding new products to the shop. In the past, they have sampled products from Amika, Juice Beauty, Shiseido, as well as pages of others! Some products are even exclusive to Birchbox, like Cynthia Rowley's new makeup line and the cult-favorite Beauty Protector brand. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link! Thank you!

Rainy Day Manicure: Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in Elegantly Wasted

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Hi, friends! Today I wanted to share with you a nail polish I've been really liking lately: Trust Fund Beauty's Elegantly Wasted. (Can we talk about that name, though? I love it). I don't paint my nails on a regular basis, but I always find it to be a nice little treat--especially on the rainy day when things look gloomy and dull.

The Power of Two: Elizabeth Arden Skincare Review

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Hi, friends! I can't believe it's been a week since we last blogged it up! Sure, I've been on social media, but it's just not the same. Real life took over this week, so I haven't been able to write a full post. But I'm back! With an in-depth review of not one, but TWO products, so hopefully that makes up for my short absence. :) 

Today I'll be reviewing two products sent to me by Elizabeth Arden: the Superstart Skin Renewal Booster and Flawless Future Ceramide Caplet Serum. There was no stipulation to it, no "You must review these," but I've been using them for a few weeks and I wanted to share what I thought about it. So let's jump into everything!

How to: Create Your First Skincare Routine

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Hello, friends! It's been awhile since I did a "Skincare How-to," so I figured it was about time we fixed that. We already talked about How to Determine Your Skin Type, so the only logical next step is to use that knowledge and develop a skincare routine. With the sheer amount of products and information out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Before we go into talking about complex stuff like retinoids and chemical exfoliation, let's just go back to basics. In the wise words of Julie Andrews, "Let's start at the very beginning."

February Finds: 6 New Products I've Been Trying

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Hi, friends! It's around that time of the month (no, not that time of the month) when I usually do my monthly favorites posts. Usually I'd talk about all the new products I tested and my favorite discoveries of that month, but things are going to work a little differently this month. For the majority of February, I was either using products I've already mentioned on the blog, or testing new products that I haven't made a decision on yet, so I'm not quite ready to share my thoughts on them so early in the game. 

So I figured, rather than talking about the products you guys already know I like in a redundant Favorites post, how about we start the train rolling on some new products? Here's a sneak peek to some of the products you'll see mentioned on the blog within the next month or two: 

My Lipstick Collection: The Nudes

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Hi, friends! It's been awhile since I did one of these lipstick collection posts, so I thought it was about time we visited the series. If you didn't catch my previous post on my current wardrobe of Red Lipsticks, let me fill you in. I basically included mini reviews of all the lipsticks of that color I had in my collection, and it was a good time.

Today, I figured we could do the same thing with my nude lipstick collection. I've never been much of a nude lipstick person, but in the last few months of 2015, I might have become a believer.

I know I love looking through people's makeup collections to learn about what products they like to use (or maybe I'm just nosy), so I hope you guys feel the same. I figured this deserved a part two, so without further ado, let's get to the good stuff~