An identity crisis.

An identity crisis.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

I'm having a really hard time writing at the moment; in all honesty I am totally and completely lost, not only for words, but also in terms of which direction to go in next, and where I'm supposed to fit in amongst this jumble. I feel like a misfit - I'm no longer a student, but I'm not yet a graduate, I have a blog, but I certainly don't feel like a blogger - It's all quite disheartening and I feel like I lack direction in every part of my life. There's no 'set' path for me anymore and that's a scary thought because I don't feel ready to 'grow up', but I really don't have a choice in the matter. I can't really control what happens next in my career or with my relationships, but I can control this blog and how I interact with the blogging world, but let's get a few things clear first.

There's something about blogging recently that has really been bugging me, but due to my lack of creativity at the moment, I've been hesitant to let it out. I've been blogging for over four years now, and although it's a complete cliché to say this, things have really changed - and not necessarily for the better. I will not name names, and I don't want to come off as passive-aggressive, but this is seriously something that has really frustrated me lately, so I feel like I have to get it off my chest. This is not an isolated case either, I know that it has been happening a lot lately and I really have to say my mind. I've come across a few bloggers lately that have really made me question why I'm doing what I do - girls who blatantly ask the best way to get 'freebies', girls who complain that their X number of followers isn't good enough, girls who are, in my opinion, blogging for entirely the wrong reason and frankly, are tainting the world I used to know and love. 

I know that the majority of bloggers aren't like this, but it seems that the number who are continues to grow day by day, and it's really putting me off, and even though I've just passed my dream milestone of 1,000 followers (Thank you!!) I do often wonder what I'm even doing here when the game has completely changed. I'd be lying if the occasional moisturiser landing on your doorstep or a rush of new followers didn't sweeten the deal, but that's not why I'm here. 

- I'm here because life throws obstacles at us every single day. I'm honestly scared more often than not, but if I can share even one ounce of wisdom that could help the next girl trembling in line, then my fear will be worth it.

- I'm here because it's an amazing way to connect with similarly minded people from all over the world and form bonds that would never have existed without this extraordinary platform. 

- I'm here because I'm just an ordinary 22-year-old girl with big dreams and even bigger ambition who wants to connect with the world so that I can share my experiences and learn from others. 

I'd be a hypocrite if I denied ever pushing for more followers or refreshing the page a few times a day, but not because follows will earn me money or get me more samples, but because seeing a follower count climb means that people actually like to read what I have to say, and as a girl who never had many friends growing up, that gives me a sense of self-worth and assurance that people actually like me. I know that I shouldn't attach my self-esteem to a tiny number at the bottom of a web page, but the satisfaction you feel when somebody enjoys your content is a thousand times better than any free eyeliner, and that's what I feel a lot of 'new' bloggers are missing - pride in their work and a desire to do better. 

So where do I go from here? I'm still the same girl, but the world around me has changed and I don't know how to relate to the queen of freebies, the over-zealous tweeter, or the social media mavens. I don't want to know how to 'reach my full 'SEO' potential' or how to 'get all of the PR samples', I just want to blog and enjoy the journey. This blog has accompanied me throughout the last four years of my life; seen some of my highest and lowest points, and has seen me grown up a hell of a lot. I refuse to let the 'trendiness' of blogging ruin such a significant part of my life; now I just need to figure out how to navigate this unknown and treacherous terrain and hopefully make it out the other side by continuing to do what I do.

The question is, will you continue with me on this journey into the unknown? I really hope so.

Continue Reading...

comments: 17

The Essentials

The Essentials

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Although I am guilty of overindulging in the world of beauty, I'm still a girl of fairly simple taste who has a habit of sticking to a routine. I usually mess around with eyeshadows and blushes quite a lot, but when it comes to my basic beauty regime, there are a few products that seem to always make the cut, and those are what we're going to take a look at today...

The Concealer:

There isn't really much to say about the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, apart from the fact that I'm about to purchase my third tube of the stuff. It's like magic - it is heavy enough to cover blemishes but light enough to slap on under the eyes - basically, nothing else can quite keep up with this bad boy, and that's exactly why it's an essential for me. 

The Lipgloss:

I've never been a lipgloss girl - sticky, shiny lips have never been my cup of tea - so imagine my surprise when the YSL Huile Volupté in 08 managed to sneak itself into a permanent spot in my handbag! It has the most amazing texture; it's smooth and silky like a lip balm, but still has an incredible shine. What's more, its slight tint means that it works perfectly whether over another lip product or on its own. 

The Mascara:

I know, I know, I have been known to be a tad flighty when it comes to mascaras, but you know how hard it is to find 'the one'! Although I wouldn't call the YSL Babydoll Mascara my one and only mascara saviour, it is still pretty damn close to perfection. It lengthens, separates, adds a nice bit of volume, and best of all, the brown shade that I picked up looks a lot less harsh than the typical black against my paler complexion - can't complain!

The Nail File:

The moment I switched over to a crystal nail file was the day that I decided to never look back. They never wear out, they are much better for your nails, and they give a superior finish to any other nail file that I've tried out during my 22 years on this planet. Mine's from Leighton Denny, but I've heard great things about other brands too.

The Eyebrow Pencil:

I've spoken about my problem in the past trying to find a quick and easy eyebrow fix for my blonde hair, and MAC's Fling Eyebrow Pencil has been my go-to for years now. Fling is the perfect compromise between warm and ashy, long-lasting and creamy, and drugstore and high end. I've gone through more of these pencils than I care to admit, so it's safe to say that it's a winner. 

The Eye Brush: 

There's a million and one eyeshadow brushes out there, but when it comes to the basics I never stray far from my beloved MAC 239. In fact, this is the only eye brush that I have ever decided to buy a duplicate for, and both of them still get their fair share of use. I challenge you to find another brush out there that can pack on the colour like this does - impossible!

p.s. I only noticed after taking and editing this photo the clash of book titles, but I thought it was pretty funny so I left it that way ;)

Continue Reading...

comments: 15

Pressure...

Pressure...

Thursday, June 11, 2015

I've gotten myself into a bit of a tizzy - I seem to have built up this ridiculous idea in my mind that I have to return to blogging with a bang after my time away from it. For some reason, I feel obliged to change my layout, to tweak my writing style, and to do an overhaul of my main content. Why? I'm not entirely sure. I know that there certainly are some things I want to change around here, but not all at once; I don't feel ready to take in the huge task of redesigning Isobel Rose. I feel like my blog has become a reflection of my life at the moment - a bit lost and lacking direction and drive - but I do have ideas floating around and things I want to try. All I'm saying is, don't expect an overhaul; I need time to figure out what I want to do and experiment a bit, both in my own life and in the blogging world. So, keep your eyes peeled for little changes here and there, but also expect to still see my usual content around these parts. 

Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, I'd better get typing! Adios.

Continue Reading...

comments: 5

Un petit update

Un petit update

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

A blog post with a partly french title is quite strange having just a week ago finished my degree in Spanish and Russian, but ho hey - If I had said 'небольшой апдейт' then I would've confused the majority of you - including myself. So how is everyone? It's been about 3 weeks since my last update and it's been quite hectic on my end - exams, essays and that amazing feeling when it's all over that's hard to beat. In the last week, I've been doing a lot of thinking - especially when it comes to the future of this blog. Don't worry, I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, but certain things about the blogging world have made me second think a few things and question my motives for my own blog. I think I'll do a more detailed post about this in a couple of weeks once I've gotten back into the swing of blogging but expect a few changes in the months to come. I'm not going to dive back into my every-other-day schedule just yet either, I'm just going to take things as they come and blog when I feel like it, but hopefully I'll get my groove back soon! 

In other news, whilst I was on my 'study break' Isobel Rose passed the 1000 follower mark and I couldn't be more thankful! That has been my biggest goal for so long, and reaching it was honestly a huge achievement for me so thank you all. I'm all about making my readers happy so if there are any topics that you want me to cover then leave me a comment and I'll see what I can come up with.

Anyway that's all for now, I have a big day tomorrow so I need my beauty sleep (let's not kid ourselves, I'll be up until 2am regardless) but I'm excited to get back to blogging and get started on some bigger projects that have always been put off in favour of my degree! 

Isobel x

Continue Reading...

comments: 8

MeMeMe trios!

MeMeMe trios!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Hey guys, so today I've got another few MeMeMe goodies to share with you! This time around I've been testing out some really lovely eyeshadow trios that quite honestly have completely exceeded my expectations. For a while I considered MeMeMe to be quite a cheap brand, and therefore fairly subpar when it came to quality. However, I was completely wrong, and the more I try the more I am impressed with their products - these eyeshadows being no exception. 

Like I said, I've been testing some lovely trios from the Eye Inspire Pressed Perfection Set* (£15), which contains a green trio, a brown/neutral trio, and a monochrome trio, all of which have great pigmentation. The texture of these are really nice - they slightly vary between shades and finishes, but some of the softer shades could definitely rival brands like Urban Decay when it comes to texture. As you can probably tell from the swatches above, the majority of shades are frosted, but there is a shade in both the green and brown trio that is semi-matte with a tiny bit of added glitter. 

I think my favourite of the three is definitely the green trio - mainly because it's a bit different from what I normally use - but they are all really nice. I think this would make a superb gift for any makeup lover, so head on over to the MeMeMe website and check it out! 

Have you guys tried any MeMeMe products? What are your favourites? Would you like to see any looks featuring any of these trios? Let me know!

The products marked with an asterisk (*) were sent to me for reviewing purposes, but all opinions my own. No payment was received for this post, apart from the products themselves.

Continue Reading...

comments: 8