Blogger2Blogger #3 - Emma

Hello I'm back again with another gorgeous Blogger, Emma from 'The Glittery Details - A Beauty Blog'.

*************************

"A blog made by a 17 year old British female. Displaying a passion for all things beauty related and girly through words and pictures."

**************************************************

→Hello! I hope your'e all fired up for the questioning! It's not too gruelling, don't worry!

Hello! I definitely am! - slightly nervous though hehe

→How long have you been Blogging for?

I have had a tumblr for almost a year now, but I have been proper blogging (on blogger) for about 4 months now!

→Why did you start Blogging? Did someone/ something inspire you?

Yes! after watching countless beauty youtube videos and reading through hundreds of beauty blogs - i thought 'I want to be apart of this - so why the hell not!' - also everyone with in the community seems to be very friendly!

→Were you scared to start Blogging to strangers?

not so much scared but nervous! I just kept thinking what if no one like what I write haha! I was also quite embarrassed about it and still am a little bit.

→How easy do you find Blogging? Html/ time/ money wise.

It can be quite hard! Along side college and the extra homework I get it can be difficult  to find the time to do, also having the money to buy the products to blog about is a challenge as I don't work - but I try, also my boyfriend likes to treat me so that helps! But the hardest part is the html and editing the layout - I just do not understand it haha! 

→Which audience is your Blog aimed at? Please also describe your Blog.

My blog is cute and girly with a pink and white theme (I <3 pink!). It is place with some reviews/opinions and pictures with swatches about different kinds of beauty products - with some personal and jewellery posts thrown in too! I feature mainly drugstore products as they are what I can mostly afford although I do have some higher end products on there as well.

I aim my blog at girls who are also beauty obsessed! I love to interact with other bloggers and find out their views and opinions on products!

→Do your friends & family know of your Blog? Are they supportive?

Only my boyfriend and a couple of my close friends know about my blog as I am still quite nervous about it! But they are all supportive - especially my boyfriend - he loves reading my posts and seeing comments and that :)

→Would you like to still be Blogging in 5 years time?

I would love to be doing this in 5 years!- that would be amazing! not too sure my purse will like it so much haha!

→Do you see yourself having a potential career from your Blog?

I haven't really thought about it! But probably not - im doing this as a hobby and a passion, im not really looking for anything more. On the other hand a career of blogging sounds fab!

→What are the pro's & con's of having a Blog?

The pro's would be 1) being able to talk and connect with people who have similar interests to you 2) it is a place where you can be who ever you want to be and write about what you wish 3) being able to kind of research products that you want to buy and find swatches and other peoples opinions on it before buying it so you do not regret it!

The only con I can think of is that you can get a little disheartened when you do not get many comments or views - but it is all in good time!

→How much time & effort a day/week do you put into your Blog?

I would say that I put quite a lot of effort into it but time is my main obstickle! I try to post about 4/5 times a week as everyday can be a little challenging. Put when putting together a post I spend about an hour and a half making sure the pictures are okay and I haven't made any spelling mistakes! I spent about 4 hours the other night changing the layout! 

→Has Blogging changed your life?

Not dramatically but I do spend alot of time blogging and looking at other blogs! It has also given me a place to escape to where I can just relax and write up my own opinions! 

→What is your holy grail beauty product?

Foundation with out a doubt! Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection to be exact! (there is a review on my blog). I some times have problem skin and this always helps to cover it - I also find that just applying foundation helps me wake up abit a look much more refreshed!

→Have you any wise words for those unsure or new to Blogging.

Just be yourself, write about what you want to and how you want and the rest will come!

→What do you think of this new feature?

I think it is a great way to connect bloggers that may not otherwise find your blog!

→Random last one! Which sweet best describes your personality and why?

Mint Areos as I am bubbly!

**************************************************

I recommend you all check out Emma's blog!

Top Tip - Header

Hello readers! 

I thought it was about time for another Top Tip, and this week it is about Blog headers. 

*************************

When you first start out with a Blog it may seem difficult trying to perfect the header of your Blog and will more than likely end up frustrating you! I know from experience that it took ages trying to figure out how I wanted mine to look, whether I wanted images, fancy writing, borders and so much more. So I am here with a few handy links and advice which should hopefully help you out. 

Blogger does offer an wide and varied range of fonts for your chosen header name however if you still don't find any that you like then this is what to do...

Creating a header is simple...as long as you have either Photoshop, Paint or even Powerpoint! I used Paint and opened up a blank rectangular sheet like the one below. 

I used my favourite site dafont.com  and downloading a font style (they have so so many to choose from, its great!). To download a font style and then use it is pretty easy and all info can be found on the site so don't fret. I typed in my header choice which was "hushedsecrets", chose the colour and format; and I then saved it as a Jpeg. Go onto the 'Design' tab on your Blogger dashboard and click on the header 'Edit', this will bring up a new pop-up window where it will give you varies options - in my case, and what I suggest to do in order for yours to look like mine, tick the "instead of title and description' which will then remove any text you had in place as part of your header. Upload your Jpeg file of your newly designed header and hey presto it is up and ready to be admired at! To adjust the widths either simply adjust the width of your Blog using the 'Template Designer' or make the rectangular sheet on Paint larger. 

*************************

The new craze of writing text filled with an image is floating heavily around the Blogesphere lately and so I thought I would share with you my own method. 

Step 1: Open Powerpoint

Step 2: Insert Word Art text

Step 3: Type in your header name

Step 4: Highlight your text 

Step 5: Click 'Text Fill' 

Step 6: Slick 'Picture'

Step 7: Choose picture then upload

Step 8: Copy text into Paint then save

*************************

If you don't feel like you can design a header to suit your needs then I highly recommend you check these Blogs out as they will do it for you for a small price. 

http://abbzzwdesign.blogspot.com/ has designed various Blogs including http://www.dizzybrunette3.com/

http://rachinald.blogspot.com/ has designed various Blogs including http://www.beautycfw.com/

*************************

Has this helped you?

What do you think of this week's Top Tip?

Blogger2Blogger #3 - Serena

Hello! I'm awfully sorry for the lack of posts but here I am back with a brand new Blogger, the gorgeous Serena from 'Be broke, be stylish, be slightly boho'!

*************************

"I'm an 18 year old Irish/Italian living in Dublin.I completed a 1 year course in art and design portfolio preparation and now I've taken a year out to save up for the fashion school of my dreams in Rome, Italy! Feel free to comment nothing is more rewarding than feedback"

**************************************************

→Hello! I hope your'e all fired up for the questioning! It's not too gruelling, don't worry!

Thanks for having me! It’s all good I love answering questions!

→How long have you been Blogging for?

Well I started at the beginning of September, so almost two months now!

→Why did you start Blogging? Did someone/ something inspire you?

I actually started out of boredom! I’m out of college and I was unemployed at the time so I had nothing to do with my days, then two friends of mine, Lorraine and Stephanie started blogging, when I saw how successful their blogs were it really inspired me to keep going with mine and not give up!

→Were you scared to start Blogging to strangers?

Yeah, I was pretty scared about the way people would respond to me, I have some pretty contraversial blog posts on topics like grehound racing and Pagaent kids. I also like dissing bad celebrity outfits!.. The response so far has been really positive though, I’m just waiting for someone to comment and tell me off! Lol

→How easy do you find Blogging? Html/ time/ money wise.

I find it really easy! I always take advantage of the ‘Preview’ button and make sure everything is perfect before posting. Depending on what I’m writing about it can take me really long, some topics need lots of research and lately my internet has been really screwed up and halfway through a post it will just turn off! I have that fixed now, I think! Lol So far it hasn’t cost me a penney but I have been doing quite a bit of Impulse buying, when I’m in shops and see something nice I always think ‘I’d love to blog about that!’

→Which audience is your Blog aimed at? Please also describe your Blog.

I’d say my blog is aimed mainly at girls who are in their teens and older. If I do however get male followers I’d probably try to add suff for them because I love mens clothing and accessories!

→Do your friends & family know of your Blog? Are they supportive?

My family know and they’re really supportive, they actually set up google accounts just so that they could follow me! They were my only followers for the first few weeks of blogging. Some of my friends know about it too and they’re also supportive but a lot of my friends wouldn’t know much about blogging so I don’t ask them to follow me unless they’re really interested.

→Would you like to still be Blogging in 5 years time?

Yes hopefully I will, I find it so much fun! Even when I had no followers I still made sure to post every day, it’s kind of become part of my life now!

→Do you see yourself having a potential career from your Blog?

I’d love to in the future because I love writing and I hope to work in the fashion industry. 

→What are the pro's & con's of having a Blog?

Well the pro’s are you get to express yourself, There’s nothing better than having an angry rant and recieving comments from your followers that they agree! Its also great because you can share things your interested in. It’s probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done! The only con is that it’s quite slow to get into. I only started getting followers on my second month in but as I said before I still posted daily. You just have to have patience and not give up.

→How much time & effort a day/week do you put into your Blog?

I like to post daily because I always have so much to talk about, some days if I’m really busy I might give it a skip. I usually spend over an hour per post, some posts can take up to three hours if I have to do research or browse around for pieces of clothing.

→Has Blogging changed your life?

I wouldn't say it’s changed my life, but it has improved it. As I said I started it out of boredom, and lets just say I’m never bored anymore! It’s also really given me confidence in my writing and I’d love to have a career in fashion journalism. 

→What is your holy grail beauty product?

At the moment it’s the Naked Palette by Urban Decay. I got it for my birthday and it’s the best gift ever! It has every colour you need from your creams, browns and golds to you silvers and blacks, you can really create any look with it!

→Have you any wise words for those unsure or new to Blogging.

I say Go for it! It’s so rewarding and really fun too! It’s your blog so don’t feel pressured into writing about things your not interested in, you can write about whatever the heck you want! As I said before it’s hard to get into and getting followers can be a slow process but keep your head high, keep writing and don’t give up!

→What do you think of this new feature?

I think it’s such a great idea! I’ve been waiting for something like this to come along to get us new bloggers some recognition!

→Random last one! Which sweet best describes your personality and why?

Hmmm.. sweets.. I’d probably be a fizzy cola lollipop, Because I’m sweet but I can also be a little sour about some topics! I’d actually love a lolly now...

**************************************************

I recommend you all check out Serena's blog!

Top Tip - Borders

Hello Bloggers!
As promised here is some useful information for those who need that little bit of extra help with HTML and Blog design. If you wish to post images with or without a border then this Top Tip is for you!

*************************

Sometimes once uploaded the image can have a white border around it or a grey shadow and this might not please everyone and therefore this code is the one you need to apply to your Blog. 

Step 1: Go to Blogger dashboard 
Step 2: Click on "Design"

Step 3: Click on "Edit HTML"

Step 4: Tick the "Expand widget templates" box
Step 5: Press CTRL and F at the same time (a little box shall appear)
Step 6: Type ".post-body .tr-caption" into the box (it will then highlight the text within the large HTML box
Step 7: The highlighted text will be apart of this paragraph - delete the 3 bold lines
Step 8: Repeat this twice as there should be another section within the large HTML box containing this paragraph again

.post-body .tr-caption-container img {

padding: 0;

background: transparent;

border: none;

-moz-box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, .1);

-webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, .1);

box-shadow: 0 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, .1);}

}
*************************

Or perhaps you would like to add a border to your image so it stands out, therefore you need to use a few HTML codes in order to achieve this effect. I will now explain the terms so you shall understand what they are when I refer to them: 

Border - there are a lot of border styles and we can change its colour.

Padding/ Background - the background between the image and the border and we can make it a picture or just a plain colour. 

*************************

Simple border: The HTML for an image with a solid border, 1px in width, colour pink - Add your image as usual and in the "Edit HTML" tab add all the coloured code after the image location and before the />. To change the colour simply replace the code, however always remember to use # at the start. To enlarge the width increase the number and visa-versa.

<img src="http://PLACE LINK HERE" 

style="border:1px solid #CC0099;"/>

*************************

Border with padding: Apply the same technique as above however insert this HTML code into the "Edit HTML" tab. The padding for this code will be blank. Again, the same rules in order to change apply from above.

<img src="http://PLACE LINK HERE" 

style="border:1px solid  #CC0099; padding:6px;"/>

*************************

Border & coloured padding: Using the instructions from before apply this code to the "Edit HTML" tab. To change colours, width etc please see above. Please note the coloured padding is described as the 'background colour', do not fear!

<img src="http://PLACE LINK HERE" 

style="border:1px solid #CC0099 padding:6px;

background-colour:#000000;"/>

For a wide range of HTML colours please click here

*************************

So what do you think of this tutorial style post on borders? 

Let me know if it helped anyone at all!

Also suggestions on next Top Tip would be much appreciated!

Blogger2Blogger #2 - Zoe

It's that time again....time to meet another budding Blogger. This time I introduce Zoe from ZoZeZe 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' 

*************************

"My name is Zoe and it means Life in Greek. I'm a 17 year old who makes too many impulse buys and spends far too much money on superficial things. xo"

**************************************************

→Hello! I hope your'e all fired up for the questioning! It's not too gruelling, don't worry!

Haha, i love answering question so this is exciting for me!

→How long have you been Blogging for?

Since 08/10/2011. 

→Why did you start Blogging? Did someone/ something inspire you?

I started watching beauty videos on Youtube a few years ago but didn't(And still don't!) have the confidence to do videos so it wasn't until this year that i discovered the blogging community and recently i just decided it was the right time to jump right in and make my own blog.

→Were you scared to start Blogging to strangers?

Everyone is so friendly, it doesn't feel like people are strangers.

→How easy do you find Blogging? Html/ time/ money wise.

From having previous social networking sites i already knew basic html so that wasn't a problem for me.  Time wise i don't have any other real hobbies and although i'm busy at the moment with exam revision, coursework etc i always find time to blog.

→Which audience is your Blog aimed at? Please also describe your Blog.

My blog is a mix of beauty, fashion, upcoming trends and occasionally an odd post about my kittens! I like the main focus to be on beauty related things such as make up, nails and hair because that's what really interests me. 

It's primarily aimed at teen girls similar to me, but i have a diverse range of followers. Anyone of any age could find something for them. 

→Do your friends & family know of your Blog? Are they supportive?

No one knows, mainly because none of them really share the same interest in beauty related things so it's not something that would come up in conversation. I know that they'd all be extremely supportive though.

→Would you like to still be Blogging in 5 years time?

I really would like to, yes.

→Do you see yourself having a potential career from your Blog?

Not really. I already have career aspirations that are completely unrelated but if something was to come about from my blog then i wouldn't not consider it. 

→What are the pro's & con's of having a Blog?

It's a great way to get your opinion out there and interact with such a variety of people that share the same interests as you. 

The only cons are that it requires time but it's a small price to pay for something that you love doing. 

→How much time & effort a day/week do you put into your Blog?

It really depends on the day, i've done some posts that have taken me hours where as others that only took minutes! As well as reading and replying to comments, taking/uploading photo's and editing my blog it does take a substantial amount of effort and definitely time but it really doesn't faze me, i love doing it all.

→Has Blogging changed your life?

I'm naturally quite a shy person even with people that i already know, especially when it comes to voicing my own opinion and ideas and within the few weeks i've had my blog i feel like its given me more self confidence. 

→What is your holy grail beauty product?

This is a tricky one! It's quite a new product for me but i'm going to have to say Benefits 'they're real' mascara.

→Have you any wise words for those unsure or new to Blogging.

I would say if your'e unsure about starting a blog, don't be! You have nothing to lose and you can always give up if you decide its not for you. 

For new bloggers i would say just be yourself and interact with other bloggers, you'll get the hang of it in no time!

→What do you think of this new feature?

I think it's brilliant!

→Random last one! Which sweet best describes your personality and why?

I spent ages trying to think of a good answer and everything i came up with sounded awfully embarrassing!

**************************************************

I recommend you all check out Zoe's blog!

Just a little reminder...

Blogger2Blogger is desperate for savvy newbie Bloggers to get involved and become apart of this feature. Not only is it a great and wonderful way to promote your Blog, you are also having the pleasure and satisfaction of helping other's out as well as meeting and befriending new Bloggers!
I aim to have at least one person a week whom will shed some light on their Blogging perspective along with their personal views. In between these posts from the Bloggers themselves I will be posting tips on subjects such as HTML, social icons, design, photography and many more useful snippets of information.
If you would like to be apart of this feature or would like to contribute any helpful posts then please do not hesitate to email or twitter me.

So what do you think of Blogger2Blogger so far? 

Has it helped you see the different Blogging outlooks?

Has it gave you some confidence to Blog?

Or have you discovered that it isn't so scary as it may seem?

You tell me!

Blogger2Blogger #1 - Kirsty

Hello and welcome to the very first Blogger2Blogger post, featuring the lovely Kirsty from Behind These Closed Eyes!

*************************

"Hi there! I'm Kirsty, I'm 19, and I'm Scottish. I created this blog so that I could have a place to write about all my make-up, hair and nail thoughts, and also some natterings from my day-to-day life. Being a student, I tend to stick to a budget for my cosmetics so expect a lot of high street budget buys. And as a warning, this blog will occasionally turn into a shrine to nail polish."

**************************************************

→ Hello! I hope your'e all fired up for the questioning! It's not too gruelling, don't worry!

Hi there! Oh I definitely am, and thank you for letting me be a part of this great feature.

→ How long have you been Blogging for?

I created Behind These Closed Eyes around the middle of May this year but at that time I wasn't taking it very seriously and only made a few journal type posts. I quickly lost interest and left it alone until the end of August which is when I properly started blogging about beauty finds and the goings-on in my life.

→ Why did you start Blogging? Did someone/ something inspire you?

I never really thought about starting to blog but I actually started out using Tumblr on a whim after seeing it mentioned on Twitter, but found that it didn't feel very personal as a blogging website. After seeing a few of my favourites on Tumblr move to Blogger I had a quick look and decided that this type of blogging was definitely what I was searching for.

→ Were you scared to start Blogging to strangers?

I think a part of me was definitely scared, yeah. I think it's like most things. You feel worried about putting yourself out there incase people don't see things the way that you do but at the end of the day blogging is a very personal thing and what you post is completely up to you, regardless of what other people may think!

→ How easy do you find Blogging? Html/ time/ money wise.

I find blogging to be quite an easy task on the most part, although my hardest hurdle was the photography being up to scratch as I hadn't used my camera much for any close-up focused photography. Lets just say it took a lot of getting used to haha. I'm quite comfortable with HTML although I'm too much of a perfectionist and ended up changing the look of my blog a lot before settling on this layout. As a full time university student and part time worker it can sometimes be hard to find the time to blog but I think most people will be in similar situations and therefore there isn't pressure to constantly be posting in order to keep your blog alive. Nobody wants rushed posts so everybody can definitely wait for the next gem to be posted by someone.

→ Which audience is your Blog aimed at? Please also describe your Blog.

I'd like to think my blog is aimed at girls of any age who enjoy make-up and nail polish as much as I do, but who can also appreciate the more 'every-day' brands sold on the high street. I'd have to say my blog is a mix between beauty and lifestyle with posts about recent buys, product reviews and the things that happen in my life.

→ Do your friends & family know of your Blog? Are they supportive?

None of my friends or family know about my blog as I like having this little piece to myself where I can express my love for all things beauty. They get bored of my constant natterings about make-up anyways, but I'm sure they would be supportive of it.

→ Would you like to still be Blogging in 5 years time?

I definitely would! Who knows where my life could be in 5 years time but I would love to keep blogging. 

→ Do you see yourself having a potential career from your Blog?

As a Finance student at university I'd have to say no unfortunately (boohoo). I have my heart set on completing my degree and finding work in the financial sector but blogging would always be kept as a very very enjoyable hobby!

→ What are the pro's & con's of having a Blog?

I won't bore you with a million things so I'll just list a few of each..

Pro's - To me the main advantages are having a place to write about absolutely anything that interests you, finding other people that share these interests and learning new things from other bloggers.

Con's - I've racked my brain and can't think of many con's so I'll just say that blogging can influence people in the way of being follower/comment driven and therefore their posts would simply be made to hold on to these followers rather than for the benefit of the bloggers themselves.

→ How much time & effort a day/week do you put into your Blog?

I try to put as much time and effort into my blog as I can and I usually try to have at least one new post out every day or two. I'm always trying to think of new ideas for blog posts and I'm sure there will be more new features out in future. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated *wink wink*.

→ Has Blogging changed your life?

In a way it has yes! It has opened me up to a fantastic beauty blogging world which is always giving me new ideas and showing me where the real winners are hidden. In the short time I've been blogging I've also met some lovely people so I wouldn't change a thing.

→ What is your holy grail beauty product?

Right now my holy grail beauty product is definitely Garnier's BB Cream which has been used every day since I bought it. As an avid foundation fan I wasn't sure how I would take to the product, but in all honesty most days the foundation is ditched in favour of the BB Cream. I find the light shade to be a great match for my skin tone and it certainly does blur any blotches/marks without feeling like you're caked in make-up. Thank you Garnier, you have a massive thumbs up from me!

→ Have you any wise words for those unsure or new to Blogging.

I would just say that if you do decide to start blogging (which you wouldn't regret, I promise!) please stay true to yourself and don't change for anybody else who might not share the same opinions or blogging ideas. Your blog is for you and others will be there to share in your blogging experience, not change it. 

→ What do you think of this new feature?

I think this new feature is a fab idea and will bring together lots of new bloggers in a way they couldn't before. Many thanks to the lovely Emma for making this happen!

→ Random last one! Which sweet best describes your personality and why?

Oooh this question really made me think. I think I'll go with a packet of Starburst as you have the best of both worlds with crazy flavours which would probably drive you insane if you had too much, but others which are more mellow and easier to indulge in. That probably makes no sense but it did in my head haha.

**************************************************

I recommend you all check out Kirsty's blog!