Lifestyle Archives - Irish Beauty Blog Beautynook

Life And Life Thoughts

God I haven’t written a blogpost in so long, I nearly forget how to do it. And because I know a thing or two about SEO and the scary world of search engines, it’s going to be hard not doing all the technical things 🙂

Honestly, I just fancied writing my thoughts down, they might not even make sense, so apologies if I just ramble. The last year, for me has been an absolutely whirlwind of emotions. I lost my blogging mojo. I blogged cos I love it, I love beauty. But after doing it for nearly six years, I also loved the thrill of knowing people were actually reading it. Clicking on my posts, taking my words into consideration, looking at my photos.

I’m a small fish in all of this, and when the blogging business started to evolve and change, less and less people were tuning it. So, I just haven’t been active here. The drive disappeared. I’m still plugging away on social media. My favourite is Instagram, specifically stories nowadays. But, I’ve even pulled away from that a bit, it’s not the same, and it can be hard for some of the old school online content creators to be seen and taken seriously.

I’m 34, kinda common, kinda chubby and I curse a lot, I’m sure brands don’t have boxes to tick for any of those qualities. And that’s ok, I don’t need validation, I know I’m a ok, I’m grand and that’s enough 🙂

It’s not something I talk about a whole lot, but I struggle with my own thoughts. They hold me back, they make me fearful of a lot of things. I use humour on the outside to handle it. When I’m alone or with John it’s a different story. Life is a muddle. The last year of my life has been a lot of crying, fearing death, fearing life without my mother.

Trying to be strong for her, failing miserably because she’s stronger than all of us. Talking about funeral arrangements, worrying about the pain she might be feeling and will feel, and feeling guilty for thinking about life after she’s gone, what we’ll do, where we’ll live. It’s crazy because I’ve had some of the best moments in my life happen within this time too. Through my mam’s second battle with cancer, I’ve learned to let go a little more, be a bit more spontaneous. We’ve made some great memories together. I’ve made amazing memories with John and my friends. John’s business is booming, I couldn’t be prouder of him. There’s goodness within the haze of sadness.

This was going to be a life update. I thought I would start writing and come to some profound conclusion, something that might help me, or anyone who reads this. I can’t really, the world is a fairly scary place right now. But day to day, for each of us, it can be ok, every day we get through is a job well done. I often feel like I should have accomplished so much by now. I was decent in school, I’m semi creative. But who’s to say that’s the path for me? Maybe my path, or your path is just learning to like yourself more. To actually live in life more, rather than be afraid of it.

Have I fixed myself? Not in the slightest, but progression is key, no matter how small it is. And I’ve definitely done that. So those are my life thoughts 🙂

xxx

October 21, 2019/by Gem

Lifestyle, Youtube Video

Travel Vlog Budapest

If you hadn’t seen all over my Instagram at the time, I went to Budapest a few weeks ago with the lovely sisters known online as @itscherrysue and @stonetravel Corrina is the absolute QUEEN of travel and had gotten this awesome weekend in Budapest for €200 including flights, accommodation and transfers. Not bad at all, right? So, you bet your ass, I jumped in on their little getaway and sure I even managed to fit a little travel vlog in while we were there 🙂

I’ve done a couple of travel vlogs now. There’s one of Brussels here and Malta here. I still find it weird to pull out the camera on people and myself so just be aware of that. There is a lot of musical montage going on 🙂

We stayed in the Burg Hotel. It was pretty old fashioned, but it was clean and super cheap. It was easily accessible too and the view was lovely! As bad hotels go, I would recommend it for sure. We did a city tour bus and got to see a lot of the amazing architecture that way. It also meant we got a free trip on the Danube too, which was absolutely gorgeous and well worth doing.

We ate some super tasty Japanese food the first day we were there. And then we sampled some of the local cuisine before we went home. You can see that in full in the travel vlog. I have to be honest, I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of Hungarian cuisine.

We had a pretty chilled weekend to be fair. Had a drink or two, soaked in the views.

And finished things off with a trip to the House Of Terror Museum. If you want to know the history of Budapest, it’s a must! The Baths were on the agenda, but as I explain in the vlog, it just wasn’t meant to be. Next time for sure!

Thanks to the girls for letting me tag along on their trip, I appreciate it no end! Let me know what you think of the travel vlog. I’m a beauty blogger at heart, but it’s nice to mix it up every now and again.

Gemma

xxx

April 5, 2019/by Gem

Lifestyle, Youtube Video

Travel Vlog Malta

I took some (very amateur) snippets of travel footage while myself, John, my mam and my brother were in Malta. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, right? As you’ve probably seen me mention a couple of times on Instagram stories, my mam isn’t very well, so we’re trying to make some lasting memories with her. She’s been to Malta a few times over the years and loved it. I thought it would be fun for us all to go together on a little family trip.

I booked the flights for next to nothing on Ryanair a couple of weeks before we went. It’s off season so they we super cheap.

So was the Airbnb, although as I say in the vlog, I wouldn’t recommend where we stayed, so I didn’t show much of it. It was grand for how we used it and how much it cost in January. The location was great too. We stayed in St Julian, the apartment was close to lots of bus stops and had plenty of amenities close by.

As I mentioned this holiday was more for my mam, and she loves shopping. We spent most of it waiting outside of shops for her 🙂 We did do a little exploring and lots of eating and drinking in between though.

Malta is a beautiful place. We managed to travel to Valletta, Sliema and Gozo, (which is an Island), within our week there. It’s a reasonably small country so it doesn’t take too long to get from one place to another.

The architecture is beautiful and the cathedrals in particular will blow your mind. I never thought I would get up close to masterpieces from the artist Caravaggio. I actually studied some of his paintings in school, so it was amazing to learn more about him and see some of his works in real life.

Overall, our trip to Malta was a memorable one. The food, the views and the people are all brilliant. It is pretty chilly there if you travel in January, that’s something to be mindful of. You automatically think of it as a warm country. We will 100% will be back, to do even more exploring.

Let me know what you think of the travel vlog. Is it worth me doing more of them in the future?

xxx

February 6, 2019/by Gem

Lifestyle, Youtube Video

Get To Know Me Q&A

It’s been a while since I sat down and did one of these videos. I think this was the last one! My eyebrows have come a loooonggggg way since then 🙂 This time I asked on Instagram if any of you had any questions. Thank god you did! So if you want to get to know me a little better, click on the video above.

Would ya look at me posing, pretending I’m reading the lovely questions. I definitely am not, I was just trying to get a thumbnail. Also something you might not know about SEO, it loves pictures, so here’s another one 🙂

I don’t give my whole life away online. I don’t think there’s any real need and also, I’m not a hugely interesting person. But I think it’s important to get to know me a little. Instastories is where you see a lot of it, but it’s nice to shake it up every now and again.

I was really digging this super easy makeup look too, so I wanted to show that off a bit as well. And for anyone wondering, cause I would be too! My awesome Ms Piggy jumper is from Zara. I got it while we were in Spain, but I know it was here in store too for a minute. Obsessed is not the word, although it isn’t the best quality.

In this get to know me q&a. I speak about blogging, kids, beauty and a few things in between. So grab a cuppa and a biscuit and have a click. I’d love to know what you think too. Do you really care about the people you follow online? Or do you just want to hear about makeup and that’s it?

Please do let me know. And as always, thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it.

Gemma

xxx

November 16, 2018/by Gem

Lifestyle, Makeup

Influencer. What The Word Means To Me

The word ‘influencer’, has just become part of our everyday lives now. Wikipedia describe it as: ‘Influencer marketing (also influence marketing), is a form of marketing in which focus is placed on influential people rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies the individuals that have influence over potential customers, and orients marketing activities around these influencers.’

So in a nutshell, it’s marketing. A form of advertising. It has been coined to describe anyone with an online following, whether it be YouTube, social media, blogging. It all lies under the influencer umbrella. As someone who puts themselves out there somewhat online. (Don’t worry I am very aware of how small of a fish I am before you come at me 🙂 ). I am just not the hugest fan of the word.

To me, influence can come from anywhere and everywhere. The person in front of you in McDonalds can influence your ordering decision. Your neighbour can influence your hair colour. It’s everywhere. From an online perspective, I prefer the term content creator. Someone who puts thought into creating online content, paid or unpaid, it shouldn’t matter. Once they’re doing a good job, you enjoy it and they do it with integrity.

I think that’s what we’ve lost within this online world. People creating because they enjoy it, not just solely for what they can get out of it. It’s a industry now, a very profitable industry. It a ways for average people to make a lot of money and for celebrities to make even more money. I have no problem with this whatsoever may I add. It was a logical move. It just hurts my heart that the likes of blogging and vlogging, seem to have lost their meaning within it all. Content is just churned out to keep the money rolling in.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know there is still old school bloggers and vloggers out there. Polished and unpolished. I like to think I am one. An unpolished one that is 🙂 I write blogposts, I take my own, not very professional photographs. It’s just me rambling about makeup. Some I buy myself, some I get given for consideration. I try to be diplomatic and honest at all times. Blogging, beauty blogging in particular, became relevant because it was a way to cut through the bullshit advertising that was being shoved down our throats. It was real people giving real opinions on products.

I am all for people getting recognition for creating content. I encourage it. It can be hard work. It can be demanding. If I got a euro every time someone asked me to buy something so I could test it and tell them if it was good. There would be way more euros in my bank account. Readers/followers, can be demanding, can expect a lot for nothing. Of course, I am talking generally here, but people can be arseholes, some don’t even say thank you if you go out of your way to research something and answer questions.

I think we’ve all lost our way within it all a little. People who create content and then those who choose to consume it. Now I know I’m a 33 year old, small time blogger and an avid content consumer, so I’m not preaching here as such. I can only talk on behalf of myself, here in Ireland. I feel like Ireland is having a hard time coming to terms with this ever growing online industry. What I see here is a lot of negativity (on both sides), anger, jealousy, the list goes on. My two cents? Online media isn’t going anywhere.

We have to learn to embrace it. Consume the parts we enjoy, the people we enjoy. Give kudos to the people doing a damn good job out there! Because there is so many awesome people getting lost within it all. So much content is consumed as a result of hate. People watch certain YouTube videos or scroll Instagram just so they can give out about it. Well, you may be giving out about it but you’re also giving that person reach and a platform. Kind of defeats the purpose, right?

You can only be influenced if you choose to be. I say that knowing my audience overall are adults, that can make up their own minds and make their own decisions.

Like my last rambled post, these are just the thoughts in my head which I’ve spewed out onto this page. Let me know what you think. These topics need to be discussed. We need to find some sort of a happy medium within all this.

Gemma

xxx

October 23, 2018/by Gem

Lifestyle

A Personal Note To Myself

A personal note to myself….I am writing this, just home from a lovely holiday. With lovely people, in a lovely place. I don’t talk too candidly about my life, my feelings and emotions for fear of being judged. I am afraid of people’s judgement. I fear people thinking badly of me. But I also fear my own thoughts sometimes.

I am not where I want to be in life. If you had of asked me ten years ago what I envisioned for the future, it would have been a nice house, kids, and a decent job. Myself and John had just moved into our own place and were thoroughly enjoying ‘playing house’. Not too long after, the recession hit and we were forced to move home. Even writing those words gives me a lump in my throat. But, we tried to be positive and figured we’d be back on our feet before the year was out. Fast forward to ten years later, sitting typing this in my parents back room at 33 years old!

This is not the life I pictured. But, some times you just can’t imagine what life is going to throw at you. Family break ups, deaths and in my case Cancer, which my lovely mammy is currently battling for the second time in her life. This time it’s so much worse. She is literally the strongest person I know! And if I wasn’t still in her back room writing this, I wouldn’t be able to go to hospital appointments with her, be around when she needs me….and even when she doesn’t, just in case 🙂

I get down a lot, I’m naturally a pretty pessimistic person, I worry. But I choose not to show it much. My family sees it, John bears the brunt of it. For me Beautynook is an escape. Somewhere for me to get lost in the things that sometimes just keep me going. Completely unnecessary things like lipstick and eyeshadow. But some days, these are the things that keep me going.

I don’t have a bad life in the grand scheme of things. I have somewhere to live, food, clothes and nice things to boot. I also have literally the best partner in the world. (Don’t tell him I said that). I have great friends. I write about something that I love. And in return, I get to do nice things, sometimes get sent lovely things and get to communicate with with some lovely people. It’s just not typically a life people would be proud of.

Honestly I have no idea why I started writing this. I guess I just wanted to put it out there that everyone struggles. And we all handle it differently. Some of us get stronger in strife, some of us weaker. It doesn’t make us bad people, it just makes us people. Without some of the bad things in life, the good things wouldn’t happen. If we had of stayed in our nine to five job, John wouldn’t be excelling with his own business, I probably would have never taking up blogging and I wouldn’t have some of the brilliant people in my life that I do now. Maybe it’s all for a reason. Maybe it will all make sense one day.

I am my hardest critic, it stops me from taking chances. It stops me from believing in myself. Which in turn, stops me from advancing. I haven’t always made the best decisions in life and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking what if?

Maybe saying it out loud like this might help me to take a chance now and again. And maybe it might help you too. Sure if we feel rock bottom, what have we got to lose?

Shoutout to all the awesome people who say nice things to me and about me on Instagram, Facebook anywhere really. As shallow as it sounds, your words have helped me so much. My little corner of the internet is an ok place and I have you who take the time to check in with it to thank for it 🙂

This is a personal note to myself and I guess to you and all the lovely people in my life too.

Thank you for everything you do for me.

Gemma

xxx

October 9, 2018/2 Comments/by Gem