Confessions of a Blogger

{Confessions of a Blogger} Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas

Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas…

On today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet the lovely Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas. I really love these interviews and find it so interesting, getting to know more about the “blogger” behind “the blog” – I hope you do too!

Hello my name is Sarah and I have a beauty and lifestyle blog called Mascara and Mimosas. I am closer to 30 than 25 years old and live in Johannesburg with my husband. I have been in the beauty industry for 10 years now and it truly is my passion!

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started my blog in December 2014 purely for fun and as a hobby. I’m always buying new products or trying out new salons and spas and thought it would be a fun idea to share my experiences with other product hoarders and treatment junkies.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a 9-5 as well? I wish I blogged fulltime! I have a 9-5 that I am fortunate enough to love, so really, I have the best of both worlds.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? Mascara and Mimosas really is my little haven and is so special to me. On it, you will find some products and places I have found and loved and my thoughts on some of the hypes that are trending. Every now and then I will throw some décor or foodie posts into the mix to keep things interesting – variety is the spice of life after all!

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I love blogging and to me that is enough. I enjoy everything from conceptualising a post, to taking the photos and reading the comments that follow – it really does make my heart skip a beat.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Definitely comparison! Comparison to other blogs or even to other social media accounts – as the familiar saying goes “comparison is the thief of joy”. When I find myself spiraling, I just remind myself that I’m still a newbie and so with every post and photo, I’m learning.
What do you love most about being a blogger? This was something completely unexpected for me, but there is such a great sense of community between bloggers and I love that I am a part of that now as well. There are such amazing South African blogs and the bloggers that I have had the opportunity to chat to have all been lovely and inspiring.
Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} Hmmmm…not that I can think of off the top of my head.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Starting my blog actually took a lot of courage for me – it meant that I was really putting myself out there which is really scary! Blogging has kicked me right out of my comfort zone which has been very rewarding.

If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Well, I consider myself a newbie blogger so I will pass on the same advice that Chereen from For The Beauty Of It gave to me “I think my biggest piece of advice would be to keep doing and writing about what you love, and not to compare yourself or your blog with others” This little pearl of wisdom really helped put things into perspective for me.
In three words tell me what blogging means to you – Passionate, creative, informative

Thanks to Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas for sharing a bit more about her life and blogging journey with us! I completely agree with Chereen, write about things you are passionate about and yes it is very important not to compare yourself with others! You can find out more about Sarah and connect with her here:

Blog link: www.mascaraandmimosas.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mascara-and-Mimosas/528064667330870
Instagram: @mascara_and_mimosas

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

{Confessions of a Blogger} Megan from The Authentic Girl

Megan from the Authentic Girl…

Hi lovely readers it is time for Confessions of a Blogger again! Today I would like to introduce you to the lovely Megan from The Authentic Girl. A girl after my own heart, who as well as blogging, loves Cape Town and Instagram 🙂

Hello everyone. My name is Megan Richards and I am from the beautiful city, Cape Town. I am 28 years old and work full time in the Human Resources field. I want to live my life to the fullest and go on as many adventures as I possibly can.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? My blogging journey started last year in May. I always wanted to start a blog, but had no idea how to. Impulsively, I booked myself on a workshop (which is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made) and the rest is history. From there, I had some direction on how to go about it. I started my blog, The Authentic Girl because I wanted a platform to express my views and share some of my favourite things.

Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? I have a full time job and blog in my spare time. If I could, I would be a full time blogger.
Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? The Authentic Girl is my lifestyle blog. I share honest articles/reviews on events, wellness and culture. I believe we strive towards having a balanced mind, body and soul and the articles are related to that equilibrium. I am especially passionate about wellness as I lost 13kgs. I shared my story, hoping that it would inspire someone. I also enjoy adventuring around Cape Town and share positive (yes we need more goods news people) articles relating to it!
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I love what I do! I’m passionate about my blog and therefore I am willing to put in the extra hours (even if my bed is calling). I try and live a healthy lifestyle, this keeps me motivated and at my optimal best.

How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? A niche blog (that you are passionate about) almost automatically builds credibility and you will have a better connection with your readers/audience. That is very important, find something you enjoy, share it with your audience but add your own flare to it. That will be your niche.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Definitely the technical side. If you are not used to the technical side, it can be challenging but I’m getting the hang of it, slowly but surely. It would be great if there were a network of South African bloggers. Most of the networks are international and it is challenging to meet/work with them.
What do you love most about being a blogger? You develop an eye for meaningful things and you tend to live a more intentional life. I’m always meeting more people which pushes me out of my comfort zone (as I am an introvert). You get to create a “happy space” for yourself and your readers, where you share things you like.

If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? Instagram. I love Instagram, it gives you a platform to be creative and engage with your audience.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Well I’ve only started blogging last year but one of the main lessons it has taught me is too stay humble. It’s also important to give people real and thought provoking reviews.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Be consistent and don’t be afraid to start your own blog. Its hard work but the rewards are great. Try not to focus on the number of follows you have, rather try and produce great/creative content.

Thanks Megan for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Megan from The Authentic Girl and connect with her here:

Blog link: www.theauthenticgirl.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theauthenticgirl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theauthenticgirl

Instagram: http://instagram.com/theauthenticgirl

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

{Interview} Confessions of a Blogger Cara Fay

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are slowly easing into 2015 and still enjoying the gorgeous summer weather, well, in Cape Town anyway! A friend just messaged me to say it is snowing in Yorkshire – Brrr!!!

We are already half way through January and that means it is time for our monthly interview feature! Today on Confessions of a Blogger we meet the lovely Cara Fay. As well as blogging about her beauty finds, Care shares her passion for dupes, bargains and DIY.

I am a 24 year old, born in Cape Town, South Africa raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. Graphic Designer by trade and a lover by nature. I try and live my life with love at the center, compassion in my heart and humility in my mind always

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started this blog (I have had a few blogs along the way) mid 2014 – I have had a YouTube channel for about 2 years now and I just thought it would be nice to get a little more into YouTube and blogging.

Do you blog full-time or do you have a 9-5 as well? I have a full-time job, so my blog is just mine for my free time.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? Wow this is quite difficult as I don’t fit into a category much like the person I am my blog is a mixture of DIY’s, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle, Videos and my mind wanderings.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I try to never let my blog be a burden and more of a place that is my sacred space to be creative with no boundries.

What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Making a schedule! I absolutely have the thought that if my pictures are not top-notch then I won’t post them which results in me taking longer to put a post-up

What do you love most about being a blogger? I love that my blog is mine with no one telling me where to put what. I also absolutely love the community I have found myself in – it forces me to be social and pushes me out of my comfort zone a lot!

Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} YES! In South Africa the PR companies always choose the same bloggers as well as advertising – on almost every blog in South Africa there is the same advert, I think if the brands tailor-made who to advertise with and try make each one a little different it would benefit them and the blogger more.

What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Oh definitely, it has really pushed me to be a little more confident and not as shy when I meet new people – I am definitely a wall flower but blogging has pushed me to meet people and make friends!

If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? BE YOUR SELF! We have so many bloggers here in South Africa that see glamorous UK bloggers making a living off their blogs that they end up having dollar signs in their eyes and miss the whole point of blogging and please ladies no copy and pasting off international sites AND no copying of fellow bloggers – there is room for everyone.

In three words tell me what blogging means to you: Freedom, Happiness and Friendship

Thanks Cara for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey, on Confessions of a Blogger, with us! Please pop over and connect with Cara here:

Blog link: www.carafay.co.za

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carafayct

Twitter: @carafay_

Instagram: @carafay_

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Leana { Hipstyler, Pretty & Ginger }

It is time for our monthly blogger interview, in fact this will be the last Confessions of a Blogger for 2014! I still cannot believe that it is almost Christmas, never mind the end of another year!!!

So this will officially be our Christmas Interview! Today we meet Leana, from Hipstyler, Pretty & Ginger. Leana is a gorgeous local blogger, with a wicked sense of humour! I have gotten to know Leana a bit better over the past year – she is really fun to be around and no matter what kind of day I am having, she always makes me laugh! {Online and in person 🙂 }

Hi my name’s Leana and I am an equally proportional hipster, beauty lover, corporate paralegal, Sponge Bob lover, supporter of the “Hug a Ginger” initiative and generally a dysfunctional 20 something year old. I’m a born and bred Capetonian corporate law compliance officer by day and raging indie band groupie (amongst other things) by night.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started blogging in May 2013. At the time, I’d just started the Hey Gorgeous Twitter account and I needed a platform to direct potential Hey Gorgeous clients to as the brand didn’t have a website yet. A blog seemed like the easiest thing to do and so Hipstyler Pretty & Ginger was born.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? The dream is to earn loads of money from my blog, but for now, I have a full-time job, two part-time jobs and the blog… and studying. *phew*

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? I like to write about anything that comes to mind, which is why my blog is so unorganized (I think) but the chaos is also the inspiration behind my new blog theme and look. I have a deep fear of commitment so I try not to restrict myself to one topic alone. I love writing about beauty products and new brands but I love music and hippy stuff too. And I was thinking of bringing in a new category called “Drunk posts”… yes? No?

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? It’s not easy, but you have to be disciplined in posting as often as you can – not for any reason other than “being the best you can be in whatever you do”. Whenever I feel like “taking a break”, I stop and think “NO! You might miss an opportunity” and then I carry on. Growing up, I imagined a person with a whip standing behind me, running me down in whatever I did, until I finished it. In the last couple of years, I lost this imaginary person, but recently, he “came back” and even though it’s tiring, I feel extremely proud when I pull through a difficult task. Another great motivation is the amazing friendships that I’ve developed over the last year and a bit. If it weren’t for them supporting me, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I’ve made some real friendships that will stand the test of time. Also… wine helps…

How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? You don’t want your blog to be “just another blog”. In a world where it feels like every second person has a blog, it’s easy to become invisible in the Blog Ocean. This is where I firmly believe that everyone has something to offer. Instead of trying to “fit in”, I choose to embrace my uniqueness (code for weirdness). Eventually, if you’re true to yourself and through hard work, you’ll succeed. So whether you’ve got an interest in dancing in front of your exotic fish tank while doing your makeup or whether you like to eat strawberry shortcake, you’ll end up portraying “you” in your blog. But… if you don’t, you’ll probably end up hating blogging.

What have your biggest blogging challenges been? When I first started blogging, I was too hasty. I think my biggest challenge was to be “OK” with where I was at any given time in my blogging career. Since this realization, I’ve been able to grow. I still get mail from new bloggers moaning about brands not noticing them… but it takes time if you don’t have the right connections. Rome wasn’t built in a day – I’ve had to learn this as well.
What do you love most about being a blogger? I have absolutely no idea what it is … but I’m addicted to it. I love every facet of blogging: coming up with content, taking and editing pictures, uplifting other bloggers through my Project feel Good series and also making friends with other amazing people. I think THE biggest high I get is when the big shots take the time to comment on my posts. Also… the events and the wine at the events… Oh… and this banner that City Girl Vibe made for me. I think it pretty adequately describes a little bit of me.
If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? It’s a tossup between Twitter and Instagram. I like to be visual – I feel like it makes more of an impact.

What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? ABSOLUTELY! Pre-blogging me was a shy “can’t do” person with loads of insecurities. I can’t even REMEMBER this person prior to Hipstyler Pretty & Ginger, but I’ll tell you this, I’m a better person for it, I’m richer in true friendships, I’m happy with who I am and I don’t allow people to walk all over me anymore. It’s a wonderful feeling when you find a place where you fit in.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? This is an easy one. Everyone started somewhere. Think about the most successful blogger you know. If you dig long and hard enough, you’ll find that their first couple of posts were not what the posts are today. Don’t be discouraged and always remember that if it was easy, EVERYONE would have successful blogs. It takes time, commitment and passion. So, just work hard and one day you’ll pick the fruits.

Thanks Leana for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! Please pop over and connect with Leana here:

Blog link: www.hipstylerblog.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hipstylerprettyandginger
Twitter: @leanahenke
Instagram: @leanahenke

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Lana from Lanalou Style

After a very long break we are back with our interview series, Confessions of a Blogger! YAY! Once a month you will get to meet a fabulous blogger and get to know a bit more about them and what makes them blog. Today we meet one of my favourite local, lifestyle bloggers Lana from Lanalou Style!

Hi there, I’m Lana from Lanalou Style. I live in Cape Town, in the city bowl and am 36 years old. I’m mad about my city, quirky spaces, colour and good design.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep myself busy during quiet times at work (I was working at an interior store at the time). I was also looking for a way to be creative and to share my photos. There were never any long term blog intentions but my blog evolved over the years and has become very much a part of my life. I think I would find it very difficult to part with now!
Do you blog full-time or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? I am self employed and offer website design and blogging lessons along with various online design services. I blog almost daily and my blog definitely helps in promoting my design services and serves as a marketing tool.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? Lanalou Style is a place for me to share my finds and offer inspiration and tips to my readers. I love sharing about beautiful spaces, local design, new hot spots and anything else interesting that catches my eye. I’m really passionate about the city I live in and so highlighting what’s happening in Cape Town is important too.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I absolutely agree! Hearing from readers and finding out that I’ve inspired them in some small way makes me feel happy. Keeping in touch with other bloggers is also a great way to stay inspired and feel connected.
How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? I feel that a niche blog definitely helps in securing a committed and passionate audience.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Trying not to compare myself to other bloggers! It can be difficult when you see another blogger being jetted off to an exotic location but it’s so important to remember that everything is relative.

What do you love most about being a blogger? I love the fact that I am always being kept up to date with all the latest happenings as well as the ability to inspire and offer useful tips to my readers. I have many international readers that enjoy my local posts especially those that are planning a trip to Cape Town.

If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? I love instagram as I’m a very visual person. I especially love the idea that it is instant and up to date.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? When I look at my blogging journey and some of the things I’ve accomplished, I can definitely feel proud of myself and that in turn helps boost my confidence. Blogging has also opened up many doors and opportunities for me and taught me to say yes to things even when they seem daunting.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Do your research, decide what you want to blog about and be sure that this is something you’re passionate about. Can you commit to blogging on a regular basis? Consistency is key!
To stand out these days you also need to make sure that you post content that is unique and relevant.

Thanks Lana for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! Please pop over and connect with Lana here:

Blog link: http://lanaloustyle.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lanaloustyle

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/lanaloustyle

Instagram: http://instagram.com/lanaloustyle

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.