With the rise of the social media era, it’s not a big deal that everyone has one or more of the existing social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Dayre, Pinterest etc.). Well, you have to agree with me that we are increasingly looking up on our mobile phones, scrolling through our Instagram or Facebook feed in search of bite-sized information readily available. Hence, there have been an influx of people who post pictures on Instagram about a particular theme/aspect in life (food, beauty, travel etc.). It is so easy that it literally takes a minute to craft out a caption and upload a picture onto Instagram – anyone can do that. Honestly, before I was a beauty blogger, the naïve 16-year-old me thought to myself, “It’s so easy to blog and write about things.”. I was wrong. Being in the beauty community (referring to the community of beauty bloggers & Instagrammers) for about 6 months or so, I finally understood the difference between blogging and Instagram-ing. I salute bloggers – people who not only maintain their Instagram accounts with on-the-go information but also invest time and effort in religiously using products (sponsored or not) before reviewing them. Before you call yourself a blogger, think again.
The reason why I started my journey as a beauty blogger wasn’t to get all the brands to sponsor me products that might not even suit me and then sell on Carousell (did you not learn ethics in school?). You may not believe me, but I have to admit that initially, when a global beauty brand wrote to me asking me if I would like to review their products, I was thrilled. I was beyond excited because I could get products for free to try. However, I realised that after some time, it wasn’t about the sponsorships anymore. It was about rethinking the aim and purpose I created my beauty blog and Instagram account for – sharing true and genuine information, my honest opinions beyond sponsorships. I don’t come from a well-to-do family. I am just a normal girl living in HDB flats all my life with a somewhat problematic family. A large part of who I am today – a confident, passionate girl with a strong character – is moulded by the harsh family environment that I am in. Realistic as it sounds, I had to work very hard for what I wanted, take on part time jobs in order to buy things I so very much desired. I am very sure a lot of you out there are like me, we work really hard to get to where we are today. Hence, if possible, I would plan my expenses such that it includes my wishlist of makeup (something I enjoy, love and collect). Isn’t it more rewarding if you can earn the money and buy yourself things, rather than be on the receiving end all the time?
Most of my reviews are on products that I bought with my hard-earned money – I genuinely use them for at least a few weeks before I write an account of my experiences with them. And of course, other than just typing a short review on Instagram, I go the extra mile by photographing the products, textures of the products, swatches and realistic pictures of how the products fare in terms of different dimensions such as pigmentation, colour, quality etc., compiling all these information into a comprehensive blog review that would take me at least an hour to write. Even though Instagram has been taking the centre stage for a while now, I feel that a full blog review is still far more useful in terms of obtaining even more detailed information. Just run a Google search on a product. What are the sites that first appear on the search results? Blog posts. Having said all these, there isn’t any right or wrong, so long we are doing things we love. However, amidst doing so, please embark on a tour in your Ethics textbook.
Recently, I was asked to share something that I am thankful for. Well, I thought hard about it for literally a few days and I realised that I am thankful for all the things that are happening in my life, as cliché as it sounds. Opportunities is the word. I am grateful for all the opportunities that came by when I thought I was somewhat at the lowest point in my life. Just when friends left and my love-life was in a wreck, I had the opportunity to be a step closer to my dream of being a Brand Manager with an internship in one of the top FMCG companies in Singapore as well as going through gruelling case challenges; I had the opportunity of reuniting with my one and only love that I had failed to realise; and of course, the opportunity to be part of exciting things such as being an ambassador for Clozette and GetKlarity!
Amidst this pool of opportunities, I am the most thankful for people who are genuinely here for me. In the social media world especially, how many people can you really talk to out of Instagram, about real life events happening in each others’ lives? I would rather have a bunch of close friends I can rely on, than 10000 followers who don’t even know what I do in my day-to-day life. That being said, I still have to thank my followers. Without you guys (maybe mostly girls), I would not be getting those opportunities knocking on my door, so THANK YOU for continuously supporting @paradeoflove and www.paradeoflove.com! And if you are someone whom I have been talking to out of the social media world (you know who you girls are!), from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of my life, encouraging me along the way and keeping me sane. Without you girls, I can never tide through the hypocrisy and the ugly in what I encountered.
I don’t exactly know who reads my blog but if you are reading this, thank you for being part of my life, no matter good or bad 🙂 Just a reminder, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat people like how you want to be treated before you expect people to treat you the way you want them to.
As usual,
Create yourself and be gorgeous! ♡
XOXO, Roanna.
