Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Sigma Brushes - Update

This is just a little update on what's happening over at Sigma Beauty, Sigma has been hard at work updating their line of brushes etc. Their best selling Professional brush kit with it's 15 brushes now comes in a 'delux carrying case' rather than the brush roll it used to come in. This was something that was requested by many people when Sigma brought out their 'Extravaganza' range before Christmas ... thanks Sigma :)


This brush kit sells for $149.00 (including the case)
Kit holds 15 brushes securely
Smart looking new case :)
Another item Sigma has added to recently is their Cleansing and Polishing tool, originally it came with three different brush attachments, soft, medium and hard for exfoliating and polishing your skin. You can now buy three more attachments to compliment the kit that are designed to 'create the ultimate spa experience'. There is an extra soft brush, massager and a pumice stone which is great for your rough spots :) The full new kit is call 'Spa Solutions'.


Three new attachments


Complete Spa Solutions Kit
The full kit sells for $59.00

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Butterfly Wall Art - DIY How To

I love my butterfly wall, it's dreamy and fun and adds that little something to an otherwise normal room I guess. It was also really really easy to do.



For Christmas I was given an iron wall art piece from Target, it was pretty but I couldn't figure out a way to make it work by itself, it just needed something extra? I tried handing it different ways but it still didn't look 'great'. Then the idea of butterflies came, inspired by a photo on the net from Gossip Girl (no, I don't watch this show) I really liked the look and feel of it although that one is done in metal and designed by the Artist 'Paul Villinski', I wasn't going to go cutting beer cans open in the name of my wall art, hehehe I wanted mine to look different as well because I wanted to incorporate the iron flower wall art.

So, by hanging the iron wall art from the top corner of my wall (thanks dad!! :)) I could work out a way to do the butterflies, I already had my fairy lights hanging so using this as a bit of a guide helped with the direction of the butterflies. I roughly sketched a quick design on paper and then found a butterfly outline I liked online (just google butterfly templates). By copy and pasting the butterfly into a word document I could re-size it how I wanted. My aim was to have three different sized butterflies with the biggest being no more than 10cm across.

Once I had my butterflies printed out and cut out then came the job of cutting them out of cardboard, depending how many '3D' butterflies you want, start with 5 of each size (you can always cut more later). I chose a very dark purple cardboard (like my curtains) and a patterened creamy/brown cardboard (it was double sided) and black cardboard for them. My sister Jessica helped with the cutting out, you will have to trace the different sized butterflies onto the cardboard sheets. My cardboard came from my mum's craft stash but you can get it from any scrapbooking shop, you will need the heavy card, not the large poster card.

cut out butterflies
Ok, butterflies all cut out :) Grab one of your butterflies and a lead pencil and, with your rough sketch close by, start tracing around the butterflies. REMEMBER the more random you place them the better they will look, butterflies are never flying around in an even group, they are always 'scattered' so resist the urge to space them evenly hehehehe every so often take a few steps back and have a look at your design, it looks nice to have a few overlapped occasionally. It's a good idea to have more butterflies at the centre (focal point) of your design and then less butterflies as they fly away, almost like they are 'taking off'. Be sure to mix up the sizes of your butterflies too.

rough sketch

draw butterfly on wall using cutout as a template


After you've traced all your butterflies, and you're happy with your design, it's time to paint. I chose black craft paint because my iron wall art was black, any colour will work it's up to you. It's a good idea to start at the upper left of your whole design if you are right handed and if you are left handed you should start at the upper right corner. This will prevent you dragging your arm over the wet butterflies as you work :) With a small paint brush, paint the edge of the butterfly first and then fill it in, this may look a little rough to start with but don't worry, you will be giving it a second coat of paint so you can fix up any little bits then.  Once the first coat is dry, go over all the butterflies again.

a small paint brush


carefully paint edges first


fill in first coat of paint

once dry, add second coat of paint


Remember, if the weather is really hot the paint will dry quickly, even on your brush!!! hahaha Be sure the paint is not too runny because you don't want your butterflies 'running' :(

Butterflies all dry? Now it's time to add some dimension, this step is completely up to you, you may want to leave it with just the painted butterflies but because I had the iron wall art I wanted some balance.

With a good double sided tape cut very thin to fit on the body of the butterfly, randomly place your cardboard butterflies throughout your art work, keep stepping back to have a look and when you're happy, STOP!!! You don't have to use them all :) Keep the left over butterflies and tape in a safe place so you can use them at a later date if you want to.

strong double sided tape

cut tape to fit back of butterfly's body, bend butterfly


store left overs safely :)


I hope this 'how to' was of some help and I hope your art work turns out beautifully!!!



See my Room Tour video HERE and more photos HERE

Monday, February 20, 2012

Goodnight Macaroon - Online Store/Fashion Review

This year I’m really starting to take more of an interest in fashion and styling so when I was asked to try out some clothes from ‘Goodnight Macaroon’ I was pretty excited :)

Crochet/Lace Shorts and Top from Goodnight Macaroon
‘Goodnight Macaroon’ is a fairly new ‘E-Boutique’ that is inspired by celebrity, blogger and street fashion trends. They cater for the budget conscious through to the seasoned spender and have a fairly regular turnover of new clothes.

What did I get?

I was able to choose some garments of my liking from the store which was quite easy to navigate.

Sweetheart Dress – I chose this dress in lilac and in a small size and can honestly say it is exactly as the online picture shows it. It’s very soft and flowing  and is a nice fit. The only problem I had with this dress is that the shoulder straps were too long for me but that can happen when you purchase clothes that come in small, medium and large. It’s no big deal to take the straps up a little. All the seams were finished properly and met up and the gathering was even, the buttons were all fixed on securely.

This dress comes with a detachable collar piece which is a cute addition but I think I would have preferred it to be attached on the inside of the dress rather than the outside. I love the colour and think this dress is very pretty and easy to wear  :)




Crochet Lace Shorts (high waisted) – I’ve seen these in pictures and was curious about them so thought they would be a fun addition to my wardrobe, I chose black because I’m just not too good with white bottoms, haha :D When I first put them on I wasn’t too sure if I liked them that much :/ but after about half hour wearing them I really liked them, it’s good to try new looks out :D I like how you can dress these shorts up with heels and not look ‘trampy’ and that they look just as good styled casually with flats! :)

Again, the shorts were true to the photo on the site, they fit nicely and would also fit the sizes stated in the description which is sizes 6 to 12 (although I think a 12 would be a tight fit). The seams were finished properly and straight and the elastic waist was made well.

Silky Satin Oversized Tee – I was pretty pleased with this when it arrived because I was half expecting to find loose threads and crooked seams because of the type of fabric it’s made from but apart from a slightly crooked overlocking seam on the inside (which does not affect the outside at all) it was really well finished. The colour on the site said ‘white’ but to me it is more a ‘winter white/cream’ colour. This top is made to be big and is a ‘one size’ garment but honestly I don’t think you would get the same effect on a size 12 figure as you would on a smaller size, I think it may hug a little too much at the hip. I will probably wear this top a lot because it will go with so many other things in my wardrobe, it’s loose and comfy and will dress up a pair of jeans instantly :)

Goognight Macaroon seems to cater more for sizes 6 – 12, you should always check the size charts when shopping online and don’t just presume that sizes will be the same for every country, if you still don’t know if something will fit you then contact the store and ask. The customer service was friendly and helpful and the postage took about a week and is $7.99 for regular post to Australia and $35 for express.


* I have noticed on their site that they are advertising FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE so maybe check this out if you place an order :)

There have been a few changes to the store over the past few months which make it more attractive and easier to look around so I think with time there will be more features and a greater selection of clothes to choose from.

You can see how I styled the shorts and top in my Video HERE and visit Goodnight Macaroon HERE :)



Goodnight Macaroon are offering 10% off discount code : Enter "CM10" at check out to redeem the discount

Skin 79 – mybbcream.com – Korean Cosmetics Review


I’ve had the Skin79 Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream Triple Function for quite some time now and really love using it so when I was asked by mybbcream.com if I would like to try out a couple more products from the Skin79 range I was very willing.

Photo property of Public Domain

What is BB Cream?

‘BB stands for "Blemish Balm" and originated from Germany where dermatologists initially used it to help laser surgery patients protect, soothe and regenerate their highly sensitive skin while also providing good coverage for post-laser scars and redness.’   ... extract

With pale flawless skin being such an asset in Asian countries, Korean Actresses found this miracle worker to their liking after having surgery and starting using it on a regular basis. Cosmetic companies took notice and started producing BBCreams for the general public. The public versions are aimed at those with sensitive and acne prone skin, giving coverage to dark blemishes and protection from the sun. You are getting both skincare and makeup in one.

A great reference when trying to choose the right BBCream for your skin type can be found here - http://www.mybbcream.com.au/index.php?route=common/qa02
Just follow the 2 simple steps.

The way to apply BB Cream is after you have cleansed and moisturized your face, apply the bb cream and then allow to sit for a bit, apply a little extra to the areas that might need more coverage. BB Cream will oxidize within about half an hour and take on the look of your own skin tone. In hotter weather you may get some shininess like you do with any other foundation but nothing a little blotting or powder can’t fix.

Skin79

See my review on the Hot Pink BBCream HERE

Mini BB Cream Travel Set

This set is a great way to sample BB Creams and also for those that are travelling and don’t want to take too much with them. This set contains 4 x 5 ml tubes of BB Cream in –

Hot Pink Super Plus BB Triple Function
VIP Gold Super Plus BB Triple Function
Diamond the Prestige
Diamond Luminous Pearl

Mini Travel Set $18.00
Diamond II All Day Sun Powder SPF 30

This product is very prettily packaged in a clear container with metallic pink lid and powder applicator fitted in the top, there is also a sifter to help control powder distribution. The sponge applicator is great for applying the powder to your face but I also use a brush to finish the job.

The powder appears to have a very slight pink colour and shimmer and it’s said to contain ‘Diamond Powder’ and ‘Blooming Jewel Complex’ with 5 jewels which help to make the skin luxurious, shiny and luminous.

I have been using this powder after applying all my makeup to ‘set it’. The powder is not too heavy and only has the slightest shimmer to it. It has added sun protection so that’s a plus, is whitening and anti-wrinkle :)

Although very pretty on top of my makeup trolley, it’s not something that I can carry around in my handbag.

Would I recommend this product, yes I would, especially to those who enjoy using BB Creams.

All Day Powder $32.00
Orange Super Plus Triple Functions BB Vital Cream

This is the newest addition to the Skin79 range, apparently it’s ‘upgraded’ with the addition of a higher sun and all round weather protection and added vitamins. This ‘Hot Orange’ bb cream has an SPF 50!!

I’ve been using it over the past week or so and have found no real difference from the ‘Hot Pink’ one apart from it does look a lot paler on my skin. It works well and I haven’t broken out more than usual but I personally prefer the ‘Hot Pink’ probably because I am a little tanned right now and want my face to blend better with the rest of my upper body area hehe but if you are wanting that 'pale porcelain skin' look then this is a good choice :)

The packaging is the same as the ‘Hot Pink’ but obviously ‘Hot Orange’ which is something I really like, I almost expect to smell citrus whenever I use it, hahaha. Because of the packaging I find there is little to no wastage and it just looks cool :D

Orange Super Plus $45.00


MyBBCream Korean Cosmetics

My BB Cream is an Australian based online Korean Cosmetics store that of course specialises in selling BB Creams and associated products.  They have a large selection of brands to choose from including skincare and some makeup. The service is professional and reliable. MyBBCream only ship online orders within Australia with a flat rate of $8.00 and there is free shipping with orders over $50.00 (Australia only)


From my personal experience, I have found other sites that sell BBCreams at a cheaper price than My BB Cream but that being said, they do not have as large a selection of BB Cream products and fast delivery within Australia. 'MyBBCream' have two Sydney Stores and one in Melbourne for that 'hands on' try before you buy experience :)

Where can you buy BB Creams - Price Comparison

My BB Cream – Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream  - $ 39.00 - HERE + $8.00 post (1-2 days delivery)
Hikosen Cara – Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream - $22.04 - HERE + $3.42 post (7-10 days delivery)
YesStyle – Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream - $20.52 - HERE + $9.99 (7-10 days delivery)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Likes and Dislikes ...

What I’m loving right now ...

I haven’t done one of these for a long time and because I’m not really someone who does ‘monthly favs’ regularly I thought I would blog my loves that I’m loving right now :D

First up would have to be my boyfriend hehehe ..... nuff said :D

I’m loving my new room and the freedom that comes with not having to share with someone else, I feel slightly more grown up and a little more creative in my own space.

My room at night  :D 

BB creams are one thing I’m really enjoying right now, I’ve been trying out a couple of new ones and am quite happy with the results. 



Fashion is also higher on my list at the moment, I’ve taken a new interest in styling and fashion in general so you may be seeing more videos on that :) 


together with photography, you all know I bought the Canon T31100 in December and I’m enjoying getting to know it better, but I’ve just ordered myself a new Instant camera to play with, I can’t wait for it to arrive <3 I think it’ll be so cool to have an instant camera :D cos you know ..... I’m so cool and all :P hehehe

The Aussie Sample boxes were lots of fun this month, out of the four on offer I think I liked the ‘Glossybox’ and ‘ILoveThisBox’ the most, not just because they put lots of effort into the Valentine theme but the samples were pretty darn good this month :)



February Special Edition Glossy Box


February ILovethisBox


What I’m not liking much atm ...

My hair, it’s bleached at the hairline from the sun and I haven’t dyed it since October :( I was trying to leave it to go natural until about June and then do something with it but I don’t think I can !! I’d like to get a really good cut and colour it something different to what I normally do, maybe I’ll go lighter this time around :)

I’m also over the hot and steamy, heat and humidity of Summer, I won’t to feel fresh, clean and dry again, hahaha roll on Autumn :D

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Hikosen Cara, Korean Makeup Review

I've always admired the lovely packaging of the Asian beauty products I've seen used so when I was given the opportunity to try some products from 'Hikosen Cara' I eagerly accepted :D :D


Hikosen Cara is a New Zealand based Korean online store that sells the cutest products, they don't just have cosmetics, but also the cutest cushions, backpacks and slippers :)


The products I received were as follows


Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream SPF 30 


I really like the feel of this BB Cream, it applies nicely and settles well on the skin, the colour is a great match for me and the coverage can be built to suit the individual. The packaging is great, pretty pink with gold touches. The only drawback to this product is the smell, I really do not like the smell which is a bit 'chemical' for me :( but other than that I do like the product.






FacePowder – Peripera ‘I Love Pact’ SPF40 – Shade 21


Not only is this product really pretty to look at with it's silver silver and black compact with rose coloured embossed pattern on top,  but it definitely is a great face powder. The compact contains a nice sized mirror and sponge applicator and the product comes with a refill which I absolutely love, what a great idea :)  The powder applies well and stays on for quite a long time. The colour I chose was well suited to me. I have no dislikes about this product.







Peripera Smile Fit Blusher – Shade 2 ‘Vanilla Pink’


Very nicely packaged with metallic rose lid embossed with white lace design and black base. This blusher appears to be quite pale but once applied it is simply beautiful, the brush that is in the compact is actually a wonderful quality which surprised me because you don't normally get that. I love this blush :)






Peripera Lip Makeup My Colour Lips - No. 13 'Mandarin Orange'


Haha how pretty is this lipstick!!! With it's pink clear lid that is embossed with a lace design and the metallic base that seems to have a 'pedestal' it is very over the top 'pretty' and the lid itself has a good 'snap' shut sound and feel :)  The lipstick is very creamy and of a great quality but unfortunately I think I chose the wrong colour for me so unless I mix it with another lip product I won't really get to use this a lot. 








The online store itself has a nice variety of products, it's not huge but they haven't been around for that long. It's based in New Zealand which is great for New Zealanders but unfortunately, although it's close for us Australians, the currency conversion doesn't always work in our favour which is a downside to ordering online because you also have to include the postage costs, so be aware.


The customer service was very nice and the ordering process was very easy to understand and navigate. 


Check out my video using these products HERE :)



Valentines Picnic in the Park - on a budget

This is the first year I have been in a relationship at Valentine's Day and I am super excited about it :) However, over the years my friends and I have always been each other's Valentines in a fun way and I didn't want to loose this tradition, so I decided to hold a little picnic in the park for us girls to enjoy :)



If you're looking for something to do this Valentines and are not sure what, why not have a picnic with your friends!! If you live in a cold climate and you can’t get outside, make it a tea party instead :) Throw some quilts on the floor and set the table just like on a picnic :)

It doesn’t take much to put something like this together, all you need is a handful of friends, some fun food and a bit of creativity.

Theme

Haha, well the theme of course was 'Valentines' but I wanted a bit of a mix for my look, it was to be pretty but not ‘old’ pretty, more a fun thrown together kind of look.  I went off to the Op-Shop/Thrift Shop and found some napkins, a bed sheet, an odd cushion and some flowers.

What I used

Lemon coloured bed sheet – thrifted $3.50
Pink and Lemon coloured napkins (damask) - .20c each x 8 - $1.60
Cushion - $2.00 plus some I already had
Blue Glass Water Bottle - $1.99 – Woolworths
Assorted china and glass plates – mum’s
Red check fabric – mum’s
Tablecloth – mum’s
Green Plastic plates for food – Woolworths $1.99
Glass bowls for food – mum’s
Flowers (artificial) – thrifted - $3.50
Lanterns (birthday gift) – hung by wrapping twine – already had
Throw quilts – mum’s
Bubble blowers - $1.00 each x 2 - $2.00 plus some I already had from my 18th
Old picnic basket – mum’s
Old net curtain – mum’s








Food

I asked everyone to bring something ‘pretty’ to eat (no chip bags, hahahaha)
I bought watermelon
Mini Macaroons
Cupcakes
Mini Marshmellows
Bottled drinks

Invites

I invited my friends over Facebook because it was really short notice, a nicer way would be to email designed invites or actually send paper ones!!!! :O haha

Location


We went to a local Park and found a ‘cabana’ over the water, the centre was covered so that if it rained we would be pretty safe. I threw quilts on the ground and some cushions and laid fabric etc on the wooden benches to use like a table. I hung lanterns in one opening of the cabana and the curtain in another opening. Fake flowers were thrown in various places and a scarf hung near the food to add a bit of interest.

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


The picnic started around 10.00am and went for a couple of hours and it was a really nice way to spend time with my friends and a great way to celebrate Valentines Day. We had it a few days before Valentines so that those with partners could still have the actual ‘day’ with them.

The picnic was fun to do and everyone seemed to enjoy it :)

I hope you enjoyed this quick post and that it inspires you to do something with your friends :)



Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Beginner's Guide/Tips to having a YouTube Channel



Please be aware that I'm writing this from my experience, other's may have different ideas and tips and that's all good too. I get asked quite a lot for help with starting a 'Beauty Channel' so I thought that this may be helpful to those starting out. Most of the tips will work for any type of channel, not just beauty, but remember that's the type of channel I have so of course this information is based on that! :D  If you have a comedy or more 'hardcore' type of channel just adjust the information to suit that, who knows, you may like bad comments and trolls, hahaha :)


MY STORY

A lot of you may know that I started my YouTube Channel when I was 15 and bored during the April School Holidays, just for fun I decided to upload a tutorial of my own with no real plan of keeping it up but mainly for something to do and that was it, people started watching and asking for more tutorials and I was amazed that people wanted to watch me so I did ... hehehe i remember how excited i was when i had my first subscriber XD

Back then we were on ‘dial-up’ internet with a very strict limit each month so I could only upload at the end of the month if there was enough downloads left so it was one or two (if I was lucky) videos a month for the first few months. That made it hard for me to get many views but somehow I did, people liked my tutorials and that made me happy.

It was hard at first to feel really comfortable in front of the camera, I had to learn everything myself and hope I was doing things right. I had my mum’s dodgy little camera for the first year or so which made me sound like I had a lisp and I would get a lot of criticism for this too, people still leave negative comments on my older videos about this :(

Back then it was harder to get noticed on YouTube because there weren’t many Australians doing tutorials or even watching them in Australia and the YouTube front page only showcased those that had thousands of views from other countries so you had to really earn your spot if you got there :/ The set up youtube has now is much easier for people to get views which is great for anyone just starting out and for those that have been doing videos for a while :) Australia has it’s own section that showcases Australian channels.

When I got to about 1,000 subscribers which took me about 8 - 9 months I was offered a Partnership (yes they were much stricter back then, you had to have at least 1,000 subs to get partnered and been on youtube for a few months) I was so excited and quickly went about making a banner for my Channel  :D

As our internet changed to broadband sometime the next year I was able to start uploading more videos but still restricted to some degree, I was also really restricted on my computer usage as it was a shared computer in the living area so I think I had a time limit of 1 hour a day, this included doing my homework  :(

So as you can see, even with quite a few obstacles I kept my Channel going and it grew accordingly :) I love to make videos and really get a buzz when I upload a new one :D

SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL :)

If you are thinking about starting your own Channel and uploading videos there are a few things that are important.

LIGHTING

 I know everyone seems to think lighting is easy and they can’t understand when it’s off in one of your videos but honestly, lighting is probably one of the most annoying things when filming, you really do have to try to get the best lighting in your room that you can.  You should ideally have lights in front of you, it could be a window (always take advantage of natural lighting when you can) or artificial lamps set up behind your camera but whatever it is try to make sure it’s not casting a yellow glow or that it’s too ‘cool’, you want it to look as natural as possible.

I have a small desktop lamp that I sometimes use with a ‘daylight’ globe (thrifted $2), a taller lamp with two heads (Kmart or Target?? $20) and then another tall lamp with another daylight globe (thrifted $5) and even with these lights my lighting still has problems at times, usually when it’s raining!! :(

CAMERA

Try to use a decent camera, I used my mum’s Canon Powershot A520 to start with, I didn’t update this until I had quite a few thousand subscribers and I bought a Sony Camcorder which worked wonderfully until it died in December 2011, now I use my Canon T31100 which I’m still trying to work out but I love all the same, although I do miss the Auto Focus of my old one hahahaha

Whatever you use or buy, try to make sure it has pretty good quality and good sound. It’s also handy if you have a flip screen that you can see yourself in too. If your camera doesn’t have one of these screens and only has the screen on the back, set up a mirror behind your camera so that you can see yourself in the screen this way, this is how I used to do it when I started and it’s how I do it now because my new camera doesn’t have a flip screen. This method is also good because you’re not tempted to look directly into the screen while you’re talking which can make it appear like you’re ‘looking at yourself’ all the time :) haha

Remember to look into the lens of the camera as much as possible, that is your audience, not the screen.

Camera position is also something you should play with, don’t have the camera so low that people can see up your nose :/ it’s not a good look! If you’re recording from your laptop this is the angle that usually happens, try propping your laptop on a few books or something to get a more flattering angle. Play around with different heights with your camera, use books and boxes and find out what angle makes you look the way you want to appear. I find eye level or a little higher is a good height. If you have a tripod, use it but it’s not a necessity at all.

CHANNEL NAME

Make is something relevant to what your videos will be about, think it through and make it simple to remember if you can. Try not to copy someone else’s name and use simple spelling as well.

I didn’t think this through at all when I made mine, I was 15 and there wasn’t much information on ‘how to start a channel’ back then, but if I was to do it over I definitely would put more thought into it!!

BACKGROUND

I know it’s not always possible, but whenever you can try to be conscious of what’s in your background, it’s amazing how people can be distracted by it. Try to move any bottles and mess from around you and at least tidy up a bit before filming. Always try to keep true to yourself though, a fake background can sometimes seem very ‘unfriendly’.  It’s a personal choice really, if you’re a ‘makeup artist’ and just want to do tutorials and that’s it, a plain background is perfect but if you want a more personal channel, then keep it friendly and casual. I know I like to see people’s rooms behind them, it makes them seem more real to me like a friend, but that’s just my opinion :)

RELAX AND BE YOURSELF

Take a few deep breaths before turning the camera on, imagine your camera as your best friend, smile laugh and try to relax as much as you can while you’re filming. Be yourself and have fun with your videos, people will  enjoy them much more if they can see the real you and they will also know if you are ‘faking’ your personality so be yourself.

Don’t try to act perfect because everyone knows that ‘no one is perfect’, people will love you for your little imperfections a lot more :) YouTube is about you, it’s not a show like on tv!! You are not ‘famous’ just because you have a few thousand subscribers, there are millions and millions of people on youtube and you are but a speck, so keep it real. :)


BE PREPARED


If you're filming a makeup tutorial or something similar, have all your products ready to use beforehand, it will make things so much easier when filming :) Try and know what you are going to say in your introduction, I'm not saying have a speech ready but more like work out what you're going to say beforehand :) and try to take a stillshot or picture of the finished look, it's great for your for your intro and also if you get partnered at some stage you can use it for a thumbnail too :) 

EDITING

Unless you’re vlogging or something, you will probably want to edit your video after you have filmed it, most laptops and PCs come with editing software that will have all the basics to do the job. Windows will have ‘windows movie maker’ and mac will have ‘imovie’.  If you have something better then you are very lucky! :)

Be sure to take the time to edit as best you can, this can be very time consuming when you first start out, learning the program and knowing what’s important to leave in and what can be ditched. Try to make your transitions as smooth as you can, cut out footage of you answering phones, looking for products etc and of anyone film/photo bombing unless it’s what you’re going for .... hahahaha

Keep your videos to a suitable length, a quick makeup look doesn’t really need to go for 12 minutes but a TAG video may need to. If your video isn’t entertaining and goes for too long, people will X out.

GETTING VIEWS AND SUBSCRIBERS

To grow your channel takes time and effort, there’s no quick and easy way to do it. You should make videos like the ones you would personally want to watch :) If you are doing the same videos as everyone else then what makes you any different?

Upload videos regularly, start off making one a week or fortnight if you can, people like to see regular content but not every day, this can be a bit annoying seeing the same person uploading all the time and filling up your subscription box :/

Leave nice comments on other’s videos, remember you are representing your channel so if you are rude it will not work in your favour of gaining views and subscribers. Try and make friends with other youtubers, this can be a bit hard for some, I tend to keep to myself because that’s my nature .... but if you are outgoing then make friends with likeminded people and make a twitter account too, a blog and facebook can compliment your channel and give you a place to write things that seem out of place in a video and even formspring for answering questions, but just remember with formspring that you are in total control of what questions you answer so keep in control and delete any that you don’t want to respond to.

Of course you can get heaps of subscribers from shout outs, sub for sub or even go to the extreme and paying for views (just to let you know, I haven't done any of these) but honestly the best kind of views are by the people that really want to watch you. Lots of people ask for shout outs and are given them but then they find they might get lots of negative comments on their videos and trolls etc, the kind of subscribers that genuinely like your videos are the BEST kind :) they are the ones that leave lovely comments and have found your channel and subscribed for that reason hahaha that's not to say if someone sweetly gives you a shoutout that you can't enjoy it though :D :D and if they do, when you have a nice subscriber base, maybe you could do the same for them :)

Don’t go spamming other’s channels trying to promote yourself, leaving a nice comment will get people taking a look at your channel in a better way. Don’t ask for shout outs, you will get so much more pleasure knowing you earned your views and subscribers yourself rather than being given them.

Don’t forget, when you are starting your channel and getting subscribers it’s good manners to thank people for subscribing, a quick thankyou on their profile goes a long way. Once you have a few thousand subbies and are gaining lots each day this is very hard to keep up, I still try to do it every once in a while when I can  :)

The same goes for messages, it’s not always possible to answer every message when you get a lot, but I still try to do this as much as possible, it’s good manners.

BEST FRIENDS

That’s exactly how you should treat the people that leave comments, always be nice even when the comment may not be, you don’t need to answer every question, if a comment is vulgar or just plain crude then delete it, I do this because lots of younger girls watch my videos and I don’t want them reading creepy stuff that may sometimes be said. I don’t get a lot of bad stuff at all but if I find something in very bad taste I will delete it. I do not delete negative or constructive comments or even rude comments but I will answer them politely with a smile :) If I find an argument arises in the comments and someone starts to get ‘bullied’ I will also delete all the relevant comments because no one should be bullied. Remember, sometimes it can be hard to 'read' what a person is really trying to say because the internet shows no emotion, they may not be 'hating' on you at all they may just have worded a comment wrong :/ use your best judgement.

Give your faithful subscribers your attention, not the trolls or haters :) Not everyone will like your videos, you just can’t please everyone so don’t let it get to you.

Just remember if you don’t have the time to thank people and answer all the nice comments, don’t bother answering all the negative ones.

Also, ratios on likes and dislikes are not something you should get stuck on, a lot of people will dislike a video for no apparent reason, as you get more views on your videos this is something that may happen. If you know that there is nothing 'wrong' with the video to deserve lots of dislikes just relax.

There's usually a 10% rule for comments, dislikes etc all over the net so if the ratio is within that % there's nothing to worry about :) If however, people are telling you something constructive about your video in the comments, take notice :)

PRIVACY

My mum always said, “If you don’t want it splashed all over the front of the newspaper, then don’t do it” or “if you don’t want your grandparents to see it, then don’t”!!!!! Don’t jump around in a tiny bikini on youtube if you don’t want anyone to comment on it :) what ever you put out there you are going to get comments on – Just remember that :)

In other words, keep your personal and private life just that if you’re going to get upset when people get too curious or personal with their comments.

I always go to youtube to feel happy and uplifted, the last thing I want to see is someone in tears or giving me ‘advice’ all the time. Once in a while it’s ok to do a ‘serious’ kind of video about your personal life but don’t let it take over. I’d much prefer to watch a funny or uplifting video than a sad one and I’m sure I’m not alone.

It’s a good idea not to use your surname on the internet or give out any personal information like your address etc, always be cautious!

IT’S NOT A COMPETITION

It’s exciting when you start getting subscribers and views, each day you will look to see how many you have, yeah it really is exciting :) Once you get to a certain amount however, you really should stop looking so much, some people get obsessed with numbers and their channel goes from being about fun to being about ‘winning’ or something like that :)

When I got to about 5 or 6,000 subscribers I stopped checking my channel page for the numbers, I was so happy to have got that many that I was ok with not looking any more. I still don’t really look, other people tell me from time to time how many I have and it’s a nice little surprise :) Honestly, don’t obsess over your numbers, youtube is not some sort of competition, you can’t compare people’s channels because everyone is different and everyone has something different to offer. As long as you are happy with where you are and what you’re doing,  that’s all that counts.

If you loose the fun from youtube, there’s no point in doing it any more :)

I hope this post is helpful, I know I would have enjoyed knowing some of this stuff when I started out. I may add to this post over time if and when I think of anything else :)

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