Hello My Beauties!
Today I am doing my first monthly interview ever! So exciting! My first victi– I mean interviewee, is Jessica Metliss, a beauty blogger who I discovered through WordPress. Check it out and click here for her blog!

Jessica: A few details about me: I’m a 22 year old Londonder and a recent graduate from the University of Birmingham, I’m about to start a Masters in Victorian Studies, and I’m also working part time as a receptionist! In between all of that I blog 5 days a week about my beauty, makeup and skincare purchases, I’ve recently started collaborating with bloggers and other women working in the beauty industry, and I regularly post product and brand reviews. I’m always honest and I like to be as thorough as possible, so you know exactly what you’re getting if you choose to purchase something I recommend!

1. How did you start blogging?  To put it bluntly, I stopped umming and ahing and set up a WordPress account. I’ve always thought about it and one day I realised I didn’t have a single arrangement for an entire week and planned to have my blog up and running by the Friday of that week. My motivations were mainly the fact that I’ve always been interested in beauty, makeup and skincare, and I love to discuss products, brands and new releases with friends and family. I felt that by creating an outlet for my interests I’d be able to help other people make more conscious choices about the products they buy, and meet and interact with like-minded people.

2. What were you doing before that?  I’ve just graduated from the University of Birmingham in the UK, so I was basically having an extended summer holiday, and I’m now working as a receptionist at a London arts and culture centre.

3. What was it like blogging through university and upholding a posting schedule? I only really got going with my blog about two months ago, but I know when my MA starts I’ll have to be quite organized – my plan is to upload 5 days a week with the weekend to research, test products and also research and write a 15,000 word thesis…

4. In the beginning, what did you think it would turn into? I had really low expectations – I kind of just put it out there and shared it around with friends and family. One aspiration I have for my blog is that my categories, e.g. ‘Face Mask Friday’, ‘What’s New’, ‘Monthly Favourites’, ‘Top Six’ etc will help people quickly choose the type of products they’re looking for, so whether they want to read about a brand new cleanser or see my favourite nude lipsticks, they can navigate easily through my blog and find something that caters to their interests. I also planned for the blog to focus solely on brands, rather than doing any personal tags or tutorials, but as I’ve become more invested in blogging and my readership has grown, I’m thinking about creating more personal content to connect with other bloggers and readers. I had no clue about blog design, html or coding, and the first week was a real eye-opener. WordPress are fab with any questions or concerns I’ve had and have been brilliant at helping me develop the actual layout of my blog.

5. Were the people around you supportive of your blog? Definitely. My boyfriend, siblings, parents, cousins and friends have all shared my site through social media and tried out a few bits and pieces. It’s amazing when people love a product you’ve recommended and it genuinely makes my day whenever a new reader, be it a friend, relative or a total stranger subscribes to my blog.

6. What do you hope to accomplish/change about your blog this year? I definitely want to start engaging more with readers. That includes attending blogger events, arranging meet-ups with other readers, bloggers and people I’ve met through Twitter, Instagram and WordPress, and I also want to improve my blog format so that it represents my style a bit more.

7. Do you have anything exciting happening in the near future for you or your blog? I’m hoping to collaborate with a blogger friend of mine (her blog is called imserenel.wordpress.com) on some of our beauty favourites, and I’ve just started a long-term project with the makeup artist Rosie Lewis, who I’ll be interviewing and collaborating with on a monthly basis about her tips, tricks and recommendations based on seasonal/event specific themes such as Halloween, Christmas/New Year, holiday essentials.

8. What advice do you have to give to new bloggers like myself? The most important thing to remember is that you have to enjoy it. If you sit down to write a post and you feel like you’re not in the mood or can’t be bothered every once in a while then that’s fine, but if you genuinely don’t look forward to a blogging session – which can be quite tedious at times – then I wouldn’t recommend it. Blogging for me is a way to unwind and talk about the things I love, and I adore creating weekly schedules of posts I’m going to write and lists of products I want to try. If you’re inspired by the thought of creating your own little corner of the internet based on all of the things you love to talk about, then just go for it.

9. Who was your favorite blogger/beauty professional that you have collaborated so far? Probably Rosie Lewis – my first interview with her was so fun and it was great to chat about all things beauty related for an hour!

10. Finally, what is your favorite beauty must-have that you have featured a couple of times? I’m really into skincare at the moment, and a product I always seem to mention is The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Moisture Serum. It’s gentle, is great for all skin types and ages, and absorbs super quickly – I can’t go through my morning or evening routines without it!

‘Til Next Time,

Marin X