Getting to Know Me: Pammy answers 20 Questions from the Beauty Spotlight Team

Nothing to Disclose

Welcome to the Beauty Spotlight Team's new series!!! The Beauty Spotlight Team bloggers are taking turns answering some personal questions about ourselves. This is such a fun opportunity for me to let you readers get to know me a bit better. :) This is fun! I hope you enjoy reading my responses. xoxo

1)  Last book you read? While I used to be a voracious reader, these days it takes me forever to get through a book. Being in my 7th month of pregnancy, I tend to fall asleep every time I sit down to read, lol! I can't remember the last book that I completed? I think it was actually Safe Haven.

2) Last concert you went to? Radiohead!!! It was *aweseome*! I am such a fan. Those guys actually sound better live. I wouldn't doubt if Thom Yorke has perfect pitch.

3) Do you have a special talent? I honestly can't think of anything!

4) What makes you feel beautiful? I tend to feel beautiful when I am feeling confident. I seem to get more confident the older I get. So, I am looking forward to feeling more beautiful throughout the years ahead!

5) Do you have a guilty pleasure? My guilty pleasures are my vampire/fantasy fiction tv shows and books! While I am (cough) almost 40, I seem to generally love the whole young adult fantasy fiction genre. Vampire Diaries, The Origionals, and Pretty Little Liars are my current favorite "guilty pleasure" shows. My all-time favorite tv show? Buffy the Vampire Slayer! 

6) What time do you wake up in the morning? 5:45. I know, I am a crazy morning person. I have to get up that early to get my "me" time in as well as my blogging time in. I am a stay-at-home Mommy of a Toddler. I devote all my daytime hours to Mommy hood and only blog, do yoga, shower, have me-time, etc... when I am not otherwise needed by my daughter. So, that means I need to get up really early to squeeze that time in. I feel like I can be a better parent when I give myself some time, too.

7) When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Like many kids, I went through phases with what I wanted to be. Here were my top picks: a ballerina or a doctor. I love to dance and love science. So, either could have been a good fit. However, I ended up quitting ballet in high school. Also, I decided that a nurse might be a better option for me than a doctor (less school and fewer hours). Then I started college as a nursing major and realized that I literally can't stand the sight of blood. It makes me woozy and light headed. I remember almost passing out while trying to put a band-aid on my bleeding foot and my roommate telling me "you really need to change your major"! She was so right! So, what did I end up being? A Speech-Language Pathologist!!! It was a great fit actually. I love the science of it and really enjoy doing therapy with children. I worked for 12 years as a Speech Therapist before giving up my career to be a stay-at-home Mommy. I will end up going back to it one day. I am keeping up my license in the meantime.

8) Are you a cat person or a dog person? A dog person. I grew up with cats. I love them, too. However, I am so allergic! Plus, dogs are just more personable. We have a 12 year old Springer Spaniel, Casey, and I love her to pieces. She was my first "baby"!

9) What was your first real job? See question #7. :) I literally got hired for my first job before I even graduated from Grad School. So, I went straight from school to my first, and only real job! I worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist for a local county's Early Childhood Program. I served children from the ages of 2-5 with Speech and Language impairments. My caseload ranged from children with mild speech impairments to even children with severe-profound global impairments. While I love doing therapy with all sorts of speech issues, I do have some favorite types of therapy. My favorite populations to work with? Children with Autism and children with Apraxia of Speech.

10) If you were given a shopping spree at one store, what store would you like it to be? Nordstrom: Just because you can get everything there...great makeup, clothes, shoes, bags...

11) What is your most favorite discontinued item? Probably Shiseido's Optimal Cover Concealer. I think it was the best under eye concealer that I ever used. It completely covered my super dark under eye circles. I really have not been able to find anything to compare.

12) Finish this sentence: Don't start a beauty blog if….you don't really honestly and truly love products. People in my life often wonder how I find the time and energy to blog with my busy life. It is a challenge. However, since I really do love trying and exploring products, it is fun for me!!! Writing is the easy part. The product testing? Pure fun!!! I love that I can step into my bathroom or shower and feel like I am having a spa experience with all of the amazing products that I have at my fingertips. I have always been a writer and can write very efficiently and quickly. For me, the time consuming part is the photography and the tech stuff (which I have a TON of help with thanks to my dear friend Christine). Anyways, my whole point is that if you don't truly love it, blogging will feel like another "job". It will lose its "fun" if it feels like work.

13) What type of product is the most fun for you to test and review? Bath and Shower Products! I love stepping into my bath for a "spa" experience with new and fun goodies. I really love diving into skincare product testing, too. I love studying up about a new skincare brand or product and learning all about the ingredients and what the product does for your skin. I also really enjoy exploring the seasonal makeup collections! Okay, you got me...I kinda love it all! ;)

14) When you shop for makeup, skincare and perfume, do you do it with the blog in mind first and foremost-- or with your own use in mind? Totally with my own use in mind. I am a bit of an enthusiast! The only exception is if I am shopping for an ongoing blog series. For example, I have a semi-monthly series about building a core MAC makeup collection. So, I shop monthly for that with my blog post in mind.

15) How has your relationship to beauty products changed since you began blogging? My relationship with products has certainly evolved. Every time I use something, I am critiquing it in my head. Do I like the scent? How does it make my hair/skin feel. Does it rinse clean? Does a makeup item look good with my coloring? How would I describe the texture, etc. I have little notepads all over my bathroom and vanity area to jot down random thoughts about products. I also use the notes app on my phone all the time for notes on products. Sometimes I will literally be in the middle of my evening skincare routine and I have to grab my laptop to write down some thoughts about the products that I am using.

16) What is your greatest joy about blogging? Getting to know my fellow bloggers! Seriously!!! When I first started blogging...it was simply because I loved products and had tried about a million. I wanted to share about the products that I really felt were fabulous! Before blogging, I spent a lot of time reading beauty blogs and reading beauty message boards. I learned so much from these fellow product lovers. So, I felt that blogging was my way to contribute. What I didn't expect or even know  about was the fact that the beauty community was a wonderful place to carve out blog-based friendships! I am now connected with some really wonderful bloggers through the various groups that I am a part of: The Beauty Spotlight Team, The Beauty Blog Coalition, The Makeup Wars/ Top Ten Tuesdays group, and my local Metro Atlanta Beauty Bloggers group. These ladies are not only a resource for all-things blog related, but also they are incredibly supportive and encouraging in general! My goal is to some day meet up with some of these great girls in person!!! I have met my local girls. However, most of us are spread throughout the country (and even internationally). So, my hope is to be able to connect some day with these ladies in person.

17) How much time do you spend blogging per week? It really varies. When I have more time, I blog more and "get ahead". So, that when I get busy, I can sometimes go for a few days without blogging. Ideally, I like to blog about 2 weeks ahead to build in a nice cushion. However, with being pregnant, I am having a bit of a harder time keeping up with all my fatigue. I mean, I literally fall asleep when I sit down on the couch these days, lol! I would say, in general, I do about 1 1/2-2 hours of blog work in the weekday mornings before everyone is up. That is not only blogging but also answering PR emails (this takes a ton of time with all the emails that I get). Throughout the day, I catch up here and there with other blog-related tasks like trying out products, participating in my blog FB groups/message boards, and answering emails. I do a little bit of photo editing in the afternoons when my toddler naps (in between folding laundry and eating lunch, etc). I will fully admit that my goal is to "cut back". I am having another baby in 2 months (OMG!!!). I know that my time is going to be even more limited then. So, you guys are going to see a bit of a slow down in posting. Also, I will take a good month or so off completely when I first get home with my new baby. :) My hope is to pre-schedule some content for that time. However, I am finding it hard to get ahead lately with my fatigue (and the holidays).

18) If you could start your blog all over again, what would you differently? This is easy. I would *totally* come up with a better/more clever name!

19) What is the best piece of advice that you would give an aspiring beauty blogger? Write about the products that you love! It is that simple. :) It works for me.

20) Do you consider your blog a hobby, or is it part of a larger career objective? It is totally a hobby for me. If I ever go back to work, it will be as a Speech-Language Pathologist. :) Unless somehow I am magically able to create my own brand of skincare, bath, and makeup! Now that would be a dream come true! :) 

Okay folks, that is it! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a bit better with these questions. Stay tuned as I will be posting links to my fellow Beauty Spotlight Team members questions and responses every few weeks. :) I can't wait to read their responses to these questions, too!

FTC Updates and Full Disclosure: Plus Alternatives for Google Reader!

Nothing to Disclose

Photo inspired by
Raging Rouge and Phyrra

I am sure that by now many of you have already heard the news: the FTC has updated its policy on disclosures for bloggers. Many of my fellow bloggers and friends are speaking out about their thoughts on the new regulations. I will include links to their posts below and add my 2 cents as well. 

What does this all mean? Well, to start off, my posts might look a little different from now on. I am a rules-follower at heart and I want to take whatever steps needed to be within compliance of the new regulations. However, I am also a writer-at heart with a desire to have my writing flow well  and for my posts to compliment my blog design aesthetically. These new FTC regulations disrupt both the flow of my writing and my blog design. Plain and simple.

If you want a full and easy-to-follow detailed explanation of the changes and how it applies to bloggers, please be sure to check out my friend Carleen from Beauty and Fashion Tech's post. She explains everything so well!  

In the past, in accordance to the old FTC rules for bloggers, I disclosed if I got an item as a sample, if the post had an affiliate or referral link, or if I purchased the item myself. I noted this with text boxes at the bottom of my posts stating: "I bought it", "I got a sample", etc. Adding the text boxes at the bottom of the posts always seemed to flow well. It goes right down there with my signature, comments, etc. The new rules state that we have to note if we got a press sample or if the post contains affiliate links at the very top of the post (before any links or mention of the product). This feels so clunky! There is just no way to make this "flow" into the writing nor does it look aesthetically pleasing. 

After much discussion amongst my blogger friends both through emails and the Beauty Blog Coalition group board, the bloggers (myself included) have come to a consensus on how we are interpreting and implementing these new regulations. The bloggers on Wordpress hosted blogs are adding plug-in buttons at the top of their posts. These actually look nice and seem rather non-disruptive to the blog content. Unfortunately, Blogger does not have plug-ins that allow for these buttons. So, thanks to the help of my dear friend and all-around blogging Sensai Christine at 15 Minute Beauty, I now have some handy little text buttons that I am simply going to insert at the top of my posts.

The buttons will look something like this:

Nothing to Disclose I Bought It Sponsored Post Affiliate Link Blogger Ambassador

The actual verbage of the button will change depending on what I want to disclose. You will most likely see the "Press Sample" text button and "Affiliate Link" buttons on the top and bottom of almost every post.  Also, this is a total work in progress! As discussions continue, I might be able to find a "cuter" way to add these buttons. So, you might see some changes or me experimenting with different ways to add these statements/disclosures at the top. 

Press Samples:

I will note " Press Sample" with a button at the top right hand side of the post when an item came to me as a sample from a PR company or directly from a brand or store. This seems like the least-intrusive way to note a PR Sample at the very beginning of the post. In addition, I am going to insert a phrase somewhere in the body of the post (likely near the first brand name mention) that the product was sent to me for review/consideration or as a sample. This is the part that really disrupts the flow of my prose! I am going to attempt to do it as elegantly as possible. However, I will admit, it just does not seem to flow very naturally into my narrative. So, just bear with me as I stumble through that verbiage.

I am eternally grateful to all of the wonderful brands and PR folks that I work with! While I still blog about items that I purchase myself, more often than not, I am blogging about a press sample. The reality is that I simply do not have the financial resources to blog daily on new product releases that I purchased myself. My policy is to only accept press samples of products that I think I might *really* like. Usually this works out and I am able to write about items that I love. I truly do want to share great product finds with you readers! . I want ya'll to know that I really am writing about items that inspire me, regardless of the fact that the items came to me as a sample.

Affiliate Links:

I have Skimlinks installed and occasionally will use Amazon affiliate links. I am really just getting started with using Affiliate links at all. So, please let me know your thoughts on these! Skimlinks automatically adds links to my posts. When you hover over a Skimlink, text will pop up (I think?) letting you know that it is a Skimlink added link. I have no control over what Skimlinks will link. It recognizes brand names and auto-generates links. Amazon links are added manually by me when I think that the link will be helpful to you readers. I am a HUGE Amazon fan and shopper. I hope these links are helpful! I can earn a very small commission for clicks and purchases. Also, about a month ago, you might have noticed that I added some Amazon product selections in my sidebar. These are either beauty best sellers on Amazon or simply my all-time favorite products.

Keep in Mind:

Currently, with these new FTC regulations, bloggers are being held to a stricter standard than magazines and their websites in reguards to disclosing samples. Just keep that in mind next time you are reading a top product list in a magazine! Maybe things will change?

Google Reader:

Google reader is going buh-bye in July. For those of you who follow my blog and other blogs with Google reader, now is the time to find a new options for following! Personally, I am a fan of both Hello Cotton and Bloglovin. So, you can follow my blog through either of those! I am open to hearing other ideas! So, please share if you know of any other great options! 

My Fellow Bloggers Write about the FTC Update: Please be sure to check out these posts if you want to hear more about how the beauty blogging community is responding to the new FTC update! :) Plus, visit these blogs because they are amazing! :) If you are a blogger and you posted about the FTC update (and I didn't include you in this list), please leave your link in the comments below. :)

Phyrra

Raging Rouge
Beauty & Fashion Tech
Beauty & Fashion Tech 

Gouldylox Reviews
Beauty Info Zone

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic
Pink Sith
The Fabzilla
Beyond Beauty Lounge
Polish Galore
Vampy Varnish
Midnight Manicures
Painted Ladies
Primed & Polished
Portrait of Mai
Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom 
Beauty 101
Hello Dollface

I hope this all made sense as I am writing this late at night! :) Just when I was about to climb in bed tonight, these new FTC Disclosure rules were on my mind. So, I decided it was time to share it with all of you amazing readers! My goal is to always be upfront and honest with you readers!

As always, thanks for reading!

XOXO!!!

Where I blog! The Beauty Office: My New Desk Set-up and Organizational Tips!!!

 Picture me blogging here! :)

My Pammy Blogs Beauty "Beauty Office" has been re-done!!! :) Just had to do a quick post to show ya'll my new set-up!

I am just thrilled with how everything turned out! I have a new desk with plenty of storage drawers and storage baskets for office supplies and the beauty products that I am reviewing. I now have organized areas for products needing to be photographed, needing to be tested, and needing to be reviewed. I test out and review so many products. It is absolutely essential for me to be organized! My previous system was my laptop on the kitchen table and baskets of products throughout the house, lol! This is so much better!

In addition to this beauty office area, I also have a vanity area in the bedroom. Most of the products that I am currently testing are in my vanity area. I did not include a picture of the vanity area just yet as it is now in the process of being re-organized! Check back in a few weeks as I will post pictures of that area when it is completed!

I just love my new beauty office area! Not only is the new beauty desk area great for blogging, but it also helps me to stay organized with my Stay-at-Home Mommy household management work. I even have a drawer just for coupons! :)

Key Office Components and Organizational Tips!

• Laptop! I love using a laptop for blogging!!! :) While I am planning on doing a lot of blogging in my new office area, I love the freedom of being able to blog anywhere in the house! :)

• White-Board: You will notice my white board calendars in the top left of the photo (pink and zebra of course!). I schedule all of my blog post on these white boards. I have an old skool system of sticky notes and dry erase markers. I schedule the post on the sticky note, and then when the post is written, I write it on with the dry erase marker and throw out the sticky note. If the review is a monthly series (like my MAC Matters Challenge), I just transfer the sticky to the next month. I like using dry erase markers as sometimes I do have to move posts around. I use two white board calendars because I usually have to do a "long lead" and schedule my posts 4-6 weeks ahead of time. I have been using this system for about 8 months and it is really working well! I get 100s of PR emails a week. The only way for me to stay organized is to stay on top of emails, schedule posts, and write everything down!

• In-Coming Bin: (Striped Bin to the Right): I need a spot to put items as soon as I get them! As soon as I open an item from the mail or empty a bag from shopping, I place the item in this bin to be photographed. After it has been photographed, I then transfer the item to my review area for product testing (either my vanity area for testing if it is a makeup item, or my bathroom for bath/body, shower, hair, or skincare).

• Review Bin: (Striped Bin in the middle of desk): This bin houses all of my items that have already been tested. These are items that are ready to be reviewed! When I have time in my busy week to blog, I just grab an item out of this bin and start writing. I often include sticky notes on the items with specific thoughts from my product testing. Yes, lol, I love sticky notes! :)

• Discover Your Best Time of Day for Writing!!! I am most creative and clear headed in the early morning after my first cup of coffee. On a typical day, I wake up early (before the baby!). After answering a few emails and downing my much-needed 1st cup of coffee, I start blogging! I write very efficiently in the mornings. Usually, I write about 2 posts before anyone else in the house is awake! Photo editing is an ongoing process. I edit photos here and there throughout the day and add them to my posts. My goal is always to focus on my baby girl during the day and edit when she is down for naps or after she is in bed at night.

• Makeup Mirror: I have a makeup mirror with a light here in my beauty office as well as on my vanity. That way I can always double check a product as I am writing up my review. Even if I have extensive notes from my product testing, I always like to actually have the product "on" as I am writing about it. So, I love having a makeup mirror on my beauty desk! :)

• Lighting: I have multiple options for lighting on my desk. Two square 40 watt bulb lights and the light on my makeup mirror. There is also a large window in the office for natural light, an overhead light, and I have a larger desk lamp that I whip out of the closet when I need it. In addition, I have a plastic bin in the closet with 3 different kinds of lamps and white cardboard for my blog photography.

• Lots of drawer space! I got a little rolling unit with 6 drawers for underneath my desk. I hold PR paperwork as well as office supplies in those drawers. 

• Weekly To-Do Lists: I make to-do lists like a maniac! Most of my to-do lists are on the notes app on my phone. However, I also like a weekly hard copy version or white board version posted to my desk area. I really like being able to glance at my week to see what needs to be done ahead of time. I especially like it for scheduling special events in my life as well as to help keep track of important blog stuff like Makeup Wars posts, link submissions, giveaways, and sponsored posts. Oh, and this is just really for blogging and Mommy tasks. Household and Family-related to-dos are posted on my fridge! :)

My fellow bloggers, how do you stay organized with your blogging? Do you have a specific area designated to beauty or blogging? I would love to hear any tips for staying organized!

Thanks for reading!
XOXO!!!

Note: This post contains a paid content box at the top.