20150428

1 Year of Blogging | Reflections & What I've Learnt



On Friday it will be exactly a year since I hit publish on my first ever blog post! (You can check it out here if you fancy a laugh...) It's sort of crazy to me, as blogging is now so much a part of me it's weird to think of what a recent addition it has been to my life. 

I was only really bitten by the beauty bug last year. I was always the kind of person who owned one lipstick (for going out), one blusher and an eyeshadow palette and once they ran out I'd replace them with the same one. However the blusher I used from Rimmel had been discontinued, so I was forced to shop around and find other options. I settled on Sleek's Pink Lemonade Palette and I think that was the moment from which I was hooked on beauty. I started blogging out of sheer boredom; it was the start of summer, my coursework was all in but everyone else had exams so I kind of needed a hobby! I honestly didn't have a clue what I was doing! I didn't expect anything to come of it, I didn't expect anyone to read, I had no idea about how to use social media as a blogger. I think I only started to find my way and actually get out there towards the end of summer and start of autumn. So I would also say, if you're a new blogger reading this and wondering why more isn't happening for you; be patient. I didn't get a single comment on my blog for about 3 months!

I remember my first ever post to pass 100 views, which was a really big deal to me at the time! It was this review of a £1 lipstick from MUA, which they'd shared on their Facebook page - also my first brand interaction. It wasn't until the end of 2014 and start of 2015 that I started taking pride in my photography and looking back at my old posts makes me feel proud of how far I've come at times when I'm feeling a bit deflated. For the longest time too I had just a default Blogger layout, which was pink with a bit of a funky font for my name! There were so may little things I didn't know about that now seem so obvious; like using hashtags to Tweet my posts, that you can buy pre-made blog templates cheaply, getting Bloglovin' etc. They're all things that are so blindingly obvious now but I didn't have a clue back then! I also feel as though over this past year my confidence has grown and I've branched out into different things I would've been too nervous to do before.

I've had varying experiences of working with brands, something I need to learn more about going forwards as it's something I really hadn't considered when setting up this blog. I've also had the chance to attend some amazing events. I've met so many lovely people along the way, for every bitchy blogger I've come across there have been 100 sweet and supportive ones. It's just nice to sometimes hang out with people who don't think it's weird to to have a 20-minute conversation about which is the best Kylie Jenner lip colour!

I'd really like to thank everyone who reads and follows this blog; I read every single comment and they truly make my day. I'm still kind of surprised people actually read my ramblings! I can't believe I'm sat here with nearly 4000 combined followers. I'm sure that's nothing to a lot of people but to me (the girl who bought a blusher palette, became obsessed with beauty, started a blog and took about 3 months to learn to do anything!) it really is an amazing achievement and I couldn't be more grateful. To show my appreciation, I am hosting a giveaway you can enter here until midnight on Friday morning.

At the moment I'm feeling as passionate and motivated as ever so I can't wait to be sat here in another year's time writing a similar post and I wonder where I'll be then!

 


Don't forget to follow me on:

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram


P.S. Don't forget to enter here to win a Zoeva Brush Set of your choice!
Share:

69 comments

  1. Yayyyy! Happy first blog birthday lovely! I love how positive this post is, I've been blogging for just over a year now and feel exactly the same. It's so weird looking back and seeing the progression to where we are now :) it's a lovely community to be a part of!

    Style Sunrise ☀

    :)
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, I'm so happy to be a part of it :) well done yo you as well! Here's to another year xx

      Delete
  2. Happy blog birthday Jasmine :) I bet you have a serious beauty collection now :')

    Lauren | Porcelain Queen

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy blog birthday Jasmine, I was just the same as you, my makeup collection was held in a small bag in my top draw, now I need many draws to hold all my makeup and that is in just under a year...I love your blog and look forward to reading it. Here is to another great year :)

    Pams Stuff and Things

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad it's not just me haha god knows what our collections will look like in another year... I love your blog too, keep doing what you're doing :) xx

      Delete
  4. Congrats on one year of blogging lovely, have truly enjoyed every post you publish and always look forward to your next post! Also your photography just keeps getting better and better and I'm quite jealous haha :') x

    Jordan | Keep Dreaming ♥ | Giveaway

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much hun! And right back at you, yours is fab :D xx

      Delete
  5. Love reading your blog, I feel as though your personality shows in your writing and its kept me reading your posts :) keep up the good work, you deserve a ton more followers & I hope it all goes well for you! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thank you so much lovely, that really means a lot :D xx

      Delete
  6. Congrats! I hope I will one day be able to be in contact with brands and stuff. I have no idea how to even begin with that, how to approach any brands and what they expect in terms of number of followers etc... I've still got a long way to go, since I'm only blogging for 4 months now! ;)

    xx
    Love, Charline | Charline Has a Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know exactly how you feel, it's all a learning process :) xx

      Delete
  7. Happy Blog Birthday, Jasmine. Here's to many, many more.
    I've had my blog for over 3 years but only really started using it this year, I have a terrible attention span :p
    I really hope to improve my social media use and join some twitter chats soon. An inspiration, Jasmine, thanks for sharing your posts with us all xx
    Gillian x EyelinerFlicks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw I'd love to see you in some Twitter chats and thank you so much - wishing you the best for this year! xx

      Delete
  8. Happy blog birthday, Jasmine! I've seen your blog growing and you're doing fantastic job! So here's to more anniversaries to come! x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much and the same to you :D xx

      Delete
  9. Happy 1st blog birthday!! Mine's 3 in a couple of weeks x

    Heather | Of Beauty & Nothingness x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! 3 years is such an achievement :) xx

      Delete
  10. Congratulations and happy first blog birthday! And yes, it's amazing how we progress and change over the months of blogging isn't it? Your photography is now brilliant and you're doing a fantastic job!

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you lovely - it's amazing to look back and see how far you've come! xx

      Delete
  11. How fabulous! Congratulations on your 1 year, Jasmine! You do a great job!

    Angie x | Chocolate & Lipstick || UK Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy 1st blog birthday/anniversary! It's such a life-changing and special hobby this beauty blogging lark. We're coming up to our two year anniversary in June and I can't believe how quick it's gone but also what we have achieved in that time! You're a fantastic and important part of the blogging community and I'm so glad I found your blog! Well done, long may you continue! :)
    Rebecca | The Two Twenty Somethings
    Xx
    Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I completely agree - I don't know what I was doing before! I enjoy your blog so much too, thank you so much for your lovely words :) xx

      Delete
  13. Congrats on a year! It's always funny to look back on early posts and realize how much was unknown (let's be honest- I still know very little)! :)

    She Likes to Shop

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha but it's still amazing to see how far we've come! xx

      Delete
  14. This was such a lovely post, it's so great to look back sometimes! Congratulations for getting this far and for how amazingly well your blog is doing (:

    Blushhx

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy blog anniversary! Such a lovely post - I feel it's necessary to do it as you'll remember I did one too! Weird to look back at old posts, I kind of cringe at some of them! Your blog has grown very quickly in the space of a year - when I first found your blog, I genially thought you'd been blogging for years! Your photos on your blog are amazing, I feel like photos on my blog are something I may need to work on! xx

    Jasmine || http://blogsallbeautyy.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you :) and I cringe too but I keep them as a reminder of my progress haha. And I think photography is something we can all improve on all the time! xx

      Delete
  16. happy blog birthday! I love reading your blog. Here's to another year of more amazing content!!
    www.norawears.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such a lovely post and well done on a whole year of blogging! I had no idea that it was only a year old, I thought you'd been going for ages by the look and style of your blog x

    Always, Alice x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thank you haha it's weird it's only been a year as it feels so much part of me! xx

      Delete
  18. Great to read this, I have almost the same experience with you too and congratulations once again xx

    www.angerawrs.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  19. This was such a lovely post to read, congrats on 1 year of blogging. You are doing so amazingly well :D! Looking back at the first few posts and seeing the progress, is just the best (I haven;t even reached a year and I do that). Not to mention that meeting other bloggers is one of my favourite things x

    Beauty with charm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you hun :) it's amazing to appreciate how far you've come xx

      Delete
  20. Well done Jasmine, you've done so well this last year you should be proud!

    The Makeup Directory

    ReplyDelete
  21. I can't believe that you've only been blogging for a year! You've come so far in that year ! I basically started blogging for the same reason and now I'm hooked too. It's the community and amount of interaction that keeps me going. :)

    Olivia x
    Beauty from the Fjord

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much and I agree - it's the people that make it so worthwhile! xx

      Delete
  22. Well done! You should be proud! Being a blogger is hard sometimes and it's easy to give up. I love you photos by the way. Xxx

    Hayley xx

    http://mydebeauvoirdiaries.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree - it's a steep hill to climb especially at the start and thank you lovely :) xx

      Delete
  23. Happy 1st Blog Birthday! You've done so well, its lovely to see how far you've come!

    Eloise x

    ReplyDelete
  24. Such a lovely post, and what you've achieved in a year is just incredible. You should be so proud! And happy blog birthday :)

    Annabel ♥
    Mascara & Maltesers

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congratulations on your first year blogging! It was so interesting read how far you've come!

    xo, Liz
    http://lipstickandconfetti.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Congratulations and happy blog anniversary! I hit publish for the first time in March last year, so we're close :) I love reading your blog, keep up the good work Jasmine xx

    Alexandra | Glam O’Clock - MAKEUP REVOLUTION GIVEAWAY

    ReplyDelete
  27. Awww! This was so lovely to read and a big Congrats on blogging consistently for one year. It has never been an easy feat but you have always delivered high quality posts and that's very impressive!! Keep it up and I am excited to see what the future holds for you!!...xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you so much! It's nice to see the work has paid off :) xx

      Delete
  28. Congratulations on your first Blog-versary. I always love looking back and reflecting on how a blog can help you grow and progress in so many different ways. Great post.
    Wish you even more success in the next year.
    -Rumbie Love - xx

    ReplyDelete
  29. Happy blog birthday lovely! I adore your blog and you've achieved so much in your first year and I'm certain your blog will continue to grow and you'll keep continuing great things :)

    Emily // Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you hun :) that's so lovely of you to say xx

      Delete
  30. Congratulations on making it a year, I am a new follower of yours and this is the first post I have read. But you have me hooked already and I am looking forward to reading the rest of your blog.

    www.nicolabhamra.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww thank you so much lovely! I'm glad you've found and enjoy my blog :D xx

      Delete
  31. Aww happy blog birthday! Amazing you've reached such a big milestone in a short amount of time (relative to other bloggers!) You truly deserve it as I can tell you work so hard on your posts. May they long continue as I'll always be reading :)

    Kat | www.kathorrocks.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you :) and the feeling is mutual! xx

      Delete
  32. Wow - I absolutely cannot believe you have been blogging for just one year! I would have put you at a seasoned pro - all your content and photos scream "I have been doing this for years!" :) Congratulations on you big milestone and I have no doubt that you have many successful years ahead of you Jasmine - you certainly deserve it xx

    Brenda BusyBee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you so much this is such a sweet comment :) xx

      Delete
  33. Congratulations on your 1st year! that's incredible :) I've only been blogging since January so I hope I learn a lot more before 2016. Great post! x

    www.sheintheknow.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi Jasmine I somehow missed this post before but wanted to say how proud I am of you... you have come so far in a very short time, are a creative, thoughtful blogger & your blog is one of my favourite reads. I love how supportive you are of other bloggers too. I wish you every success xx

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment - I read and appreciate every single one :)

There's no need to spam - I will check out your blog if you leave a click-able link under a genuine comment!

If you have a question please check back for my reply or tweet me @jasminetalksblg

xx

© Jasmine Talks Beauty | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig