Falling off the wagon and life updates

Wow.  I'm not sure what happened.  I was going strong with the blog everyday in May challenge but then I had a couple of extremely busy days and fell off the wagon completely.  A few times I tried to get back into it but then I look at the prompt and I think, "oh no....."  I think it's safe to say that I failed that mission :(

Meanwhile I had a few items worth mentioning.  I finally got my MAC pro card so I decided it would be a good idea to grab some more lipsticks for my bridal kit.  This is kind of ironic because I just lost a bridal client.  Nonetheless, new lipsticks make me happy.  Even though I'm having a hell of a hard time getting myself to cut these up and put them in a palette...

I also finally started working/training at a salon.  I've been talking to the salon owner for about two months now and it's finally happening!  I only spent two days at the shop so far because I got really sick soon after. Boo.

No clients on my first day at the salon but my trusty
mustached mannequin got her hair did.

I also kind of got suckered into buying an old, but legit, MAC eyeshadow display case.  It was more expensive than I thought it would be but I got it for a lot less than it should have been sold for.  My friend worked so hard to get the price lowered for me that I felt bad about not buying it.  I filled it up as much as I could with the MAC eyeshadows that I did own, and filled the rest up with miscellaneous eyeshadows.  Can you spot the non MAC shadows?

I'll probably put this on my station at the salon after I've been there for a couple weeks.  

I'm still sick, but I took a few pictures that are blogworthy.  Hair, empties, and hopefully a lot more to come.  My brother moved back home for the summer and I've been using his room as an office for my blogging and business stuff.  So it's back to blogging on my bed!

Meanwhile, I hope you guys are healthy, happy,  and still in love with makeup.  Cheers!

What would you like to see more of on this blog?

Hey everybody! 2013 is quickly approaching.  In California, only 11 more hours to go.  For the new year and all the years to come, I would love to know what YOU as a reader would like to see more of on this blog.  Perhaps a little about why you like reading beauty blogs in general, or what you like to see from this blog in particular.

I know that my blog features a whole lot of FOTDs, and I do that because I personally don't have that many people I can share my love for makeup with.  So whenever I do have makeup on, I like to share it with people I know are interested.

As for product reviews, I use a good number of limited edition, discontinued, or products not sold in the U.S. because I always find them on sale. There are a handful of non-discontinued/limited edition items that I use regularly, so if you would like to see reviews on these, do let me know.  These items include Inglot Gel Liner 77, Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer, Laura Mercier Translucent Powder, NARS Laguna Bronzer, Illamasqua Blusher in Thrust, and Covergirl Waterproof LashBlast Volume Mascara.  Do you prefer flash reviews?  Or a more detailed review?  Flash reviews are easy to do, but I figured that many of you may appreciate more thorough notes.  Let me know!

Here are more blog ideas to choose from:

• Youtube videos :O (I may start filming these again...)
• Hair posts
• Favorites/least favorites
• Industry life--behind the scenes, before and after, etc
• Swatches--Nail polish and makeup
• Features of specific brands such as Inglot, MAC, Sugarpill, etc
• Indie companies
• Personal posts

I will try to do some of everything, but if there is something you guys want to see more of, do let me know.

Have a safe and happy new year's eve, everyone!  May 2013 bring much more health and happiness!

What makes a blogger trustworthy?

This is the million dollar question that I've been pondering this for a while now:

What makes you trust a blogger's opinion, and return to read more about what he/she writes?

 After a long bit of thinking, I have come to the conclusion that in terms of beauty bloggers, it's the content.  Even more refined than that, I think it often comes down to the product reviews.  After reading and watching many reviews, you get a feel of what reviews are the most honest.  Being thorough helps, as does listing pros and cons of the product.  Another big factor is whether or not products have been sent for review consideration.  With that said, I don't think it's wrong for bloggers to review free products, but I like to see a good mix of products that the blogger has personally purchased and products that were sent for review.

And this brings me to the next question:

Would others consider me as a trustworthy blogger?

Of course, I want them to.  But I have been blogging for over a year now and have attracted not too many readers.  I have wondered if I was doing something wrong, or perhaps I was not doing enough, or perhaps I'm too vulgar, or even perhaps I talk too much.  What I ultimately did, however, was put 2 and 2 together and decided to focus a lot more on doing reviews.  Afterall, I personally use bloggers' reviews to evaluate them.

I looked back at my blog and see that I have not done too many reviews.  It's not that I don't like doing them.  I take reviews damn seriously, and try to make them as detailed as possible as to answer any questions that others would have.  They are the most time consuming blogs/videos to create, even over tutorials, and with a tight schedule during the academic year, I favor quantity over quality.  But damn, I want people to know that I can write and I can dish out good material And thus, as summer is upon us and I only have one class, I have been taking advantage of the wonderful sunlight to take pictures.  I have also tried to up the quality of my pictures the best I can with my Canon DS780, so I have also started putting watermarks on my pictures.  This extra bit of work has been extremely time consuming, hence the delay of blog posts.  Hopefully as I do this more, I'll get faster and it'll become more routine.

There's also a slight lack of space in my apartment that I share with 5 other girls and currently my boyfriend as well.  I use my desk for academic work for my blogging as well and....I'll just show you a picture:

Have I mentioned that I am tight on space?

By the way, that is indeed a make shift "light box" using index cards and a makeup palette.  I was take pictures of my jumbo eyeshadow pencils for an upcoming review that you will be seeing shortly.

I'm so tired.  My brain is shutting off in 5...4...3..2..1.........

How do you interact with your readers?

I'm wondering how y'all do it, because I'm just confused.  Blogger isn't like facebook where you receive notifications from people who comment on the same blog as you do.  Granted, you CAN select that option, but you also get a flood of other people who make comments completely unrelated to yours.  I didn't want to have my email flooded with these sorts of email notifications, but that's probably something I should do so that I can communicate with everyone.  But at the same time, does everyone else click that option where you get email notifications on future comments.....AM I MAKING ANY SENSE?  Cause if they don't click that option, they won't know if you replied or not....

Let me put it this way: I comment on a lot of different blogs, but I can't always remember exactly which post I comment on so I can't always go back and look to see if that person answered.  At the same time, when I reply to somebody else, I don't know if that person knows that i'm replying to them.

So fellow bloggers--how do you do it?  Share with me your secrets!!!

Random picture of the day: I stuck my roommate's stuffed seal in my sleeping shirt and squeezed the shit out of him.  Animal abuse, I know =(  But he's ok! :D

P.S. HI DAVE. I KNOW YOU'RE READING THIS.

Blog Sale Preview ;D

Hellooooo everybody!

I will be having a MASSIVE, and I mean MASSIVEEEE blog sale coming up as soon as I figure out how to work paypal and pick up some shipping supplies.  I want to launch it as soon as possible but school (as usual!) is getting in my way.  Fie upon thee.  In any case, EVERYTHING has to go!  I do not want to be lugging these items home and to my new apartment when I move out of here, so please please please take a look and help me out! 

The products are mostly used, but there are many unused products.  The products that I have used have been used very lightly.  Almost none of the products have dents in them.  They are an assortment of high and low end items, and so far the majority seem to be high end products.  A good number of these items are also limited edition or have been discontinued, so it may be your last chance to grab some of these.  Here are some of the items:

To see all the products that are currently up, please go to here (http://jannysblogsale.blogspot.com/).  Again, this is a preview, so no transactions will be made at this time.  There will be lots more items being added in the near future.

P.S.  I will also be having a giveaway soon......