I’ve started to write this post and I don’t exactly know which direction it’s going but I know the ending. The content and general message is something I’ve thought about for months, but how I get there is entirely a stream of consciousness in my head, so let’s just see where we end up.

When I started this blog, firstly I didn’t think anybody would be interested in it and secondly, I always knew it was just a hobby for me. I liked to write (some may say waffle) and I liked to take photos and learn about photography so to combine those creative outlets with beauty products seemed like a brilliant idea. And it was. I really loved watching the blog grow. I loved when people slid into my DMs asking about products or for skincare advice. I was astounded each and every time a brand or PR company reached out to me to collaborate. Brands I had loved since I was a teenager wanted to send me products that I would have went out to buy anyway, I still can’t quite get my head around it.

Things shifted after a while, for a load of reasons I think. When my life was turned upside down a few years back, I found it very hard to get my creative mojo back. I dipped in and out, but inconsistency doesn’t sit well with me so I felt demotivated when I couldn’t put the effort in I wanted to. Instagram also became the most frustrating platform. The more my (modest) following grew, the more Instagram seemed to restrict the amount of people who would actually see the posts (in my view to encourage micro influencers like me to avail of the paid for features to promote our content). It was deflating. Promoting posts constantly just so they could be seen felt like a full time (and frankly very boring) job. I could also see a number of other influencers playing the “influencer game” and I just couldn’t be bothered, it was never going to be for me. So I took a break. A proper long one too (some of you noticed and I thank you for even remotely caring).

So I’ve thought about it a great deal actually to see if I actually ever intend to resume or continue blogging per se. Do I just let it go entirely? But I still like to write. I want to take nice pictures again and I still love beauty. I still adore skincare and the science behind it. But (I think) I’ve evolved a bit beyond just that. I have spent a great deal of time working on my wee self over the past couple of years and with that I’m in a slightly different headspace.

So, what does that mean? I think it means that this wee space on the internet (and the Instagram etc) will be different to what it was when you initially followed it. I’m going to keep it, but it’s not going to be banging out skincare and make up posts left, right and centre. The Instagram (which I’ve already transitioned into…) is no longer the clean, fresh and bright, perfect flat lays of product it once was. It’s a lot more real life and reflective of where I’m at right now. I don’t want to portray or play into the “everything is perfect” narrative that can be rife on the platform.

I want to enjoy having a blog as a hobby again and not have it feel like a second job. This was never going to be my career, I’ve got one of those and that’s enough. I never wanted or took an actual income from it. The direction I would like to see it go is that I want to use the space in more of a “lifestyle” sphere. To maybe share the positive changes I’ve made in my life that I think has overall changed my entire outlook and mindset, the wee things I do that I get joy out of etc. To just make it a generally positive and hopefully uplifting space that someone gets some pleasure out of but most importantly that I enjoy doing.

That doesn’t mean beauty won’t be featured at all, I still get a lot of pleasure out of skincare in particular and discovering a new skincare range or ingredient. Beauty will just not be the main line up.

Some of you came here exclusively for beauty so I understand if you don’t want to follow anymore (I’ve haemorrhaged insta followers already…) and that’s ok. If you get something out of what I’m posting, I’d love you to stick around but if you think it’s a load of nonsense, I really don’t mind. Zero hard feelings.

A new LLBL chapter…