Starting a blog can be a daunting experience. Not only is there getting the blog set up, but also the myriad of decisions about how to go about it, plus the actual blogging process – which always ends up being way more work than you originally anticipated. It’s easy to get caught up in the little things: What should I name my blog? What kind of theme should I use? Do I need to focus on a particular niche? It gets a little overwhelming at points.
That being said, starting my blog just under a year ago has probably been one of the best things I’ve done for my soul in a while. I was feeling a little lost at work and felt creatively stunted. I mean I loved the role and functions I was doing, but the content I was creating felt hollow. Honestly, creating content day after day isn’t the easiest of tasks – but when you aren’t passionate about the topic, it is 100x harder.
Couple this with spending the entirety of your lunch with your work wife talking about mascara and that new-fangled liner that just came out… The idea for blogging about it ourselves was planted. There is just something incredibly fulfilling about starting a thing from scratch and watchingit (and yourself) grow. Not to mention how wonderful the blogging community can be.
September 1st is the day I have marked in my calendar for my blogiversary. Over the many milestones I’ve been lucky to hit (pass?), this is the one that I am most excited about. However, thinking about the past year has really made me think about where the blog is going. In a long drawn out teaser of giving yourself a new project from my dealing with disappointment post, I’ve decided that it’s time to rebrand. I’m not sure if it’s going to be the best decision in the long-run, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.
Some of you may remember, that Haul & Dupes was started as a joint effort. I’ve since taken it over. Though I love the name, had I started the blog as a solo project, I would have chosen a name that reflected me a little more personally. Do I love hauls? Yes. Do I love a good dupe? Yes. But as I grow and become more comfortable talking about my blog in person (outside of my little group of bests), I find that the name only really registers with the beauty community.
Over the next week I hope to change domains, unveil my new logo, (hopefully move everything over seamlessly so links get redirected with ease – fingers crossed), and update all things social to the new brand.
My goal is to officially launch on my blogiversary and celebrate with a giveaway (feat. Jo Malone, Benefit, SkynIceland, and the like). So you may see less activity on the blog, but my social channels will have a few teasers and the usual content until you see me again.
Wish me luck and see you on the other side!
♡Em
