Yes, I'm back. Let's catch up!

    Let me start this post by saying, Hello, 2025! I know this is kind of late considering that we're pretty much 22 days in in January but hey, it's the thought that counts, no? I also want to open this post with a positive note since I have a good feeling for this year.

     So let's get to it then. I think know what you're wondering: where the hell was I? I was pretty much absent and postless in the last few months of 2024; heck, I only did 1 post in October (cause I had to because it was sponsored lol) and 3 in December (because as I've said in those posts, I love making gift guides). I stopped posting beauty features and reviews and the last ones were in the first two(?) weeks of August. So where was I? Well, honestly, I guess you could say that I was at a crossroads and I didn't know how and where to proceed.

I've been blogging for years now and though I admittedly wasn't able to make this blog really big and popular like the others, I still do it because I enjoy everything that goes into blogging, like product testing, writing, and photography. However, I think it was starting to also exhaust me. It was becoming repetitive, I was losing my creative spark in photography, and writing posts and reviews were becoming more of a chore than a passion. Around this time, I also started to seriously contemplate whether or not I should leave blogging and shift to microblogging instead. Microblogging to me seemed a bit easier, briefer, and more fun, plus it also gives me the option to explore video making as well. I can do it on both Instagram and TikTok, where microblogging has instant engagement, whether it's through comments or the number of likes. The months I was gone, I was semi-preparing everything I need for the big shift because I really thought I'd take the leap.

HOWEVER, there was one thing that stopped me: earnings. On both IG and TT, you need a certain amount of followers to qualify for monetization and trust that both my accounts are nowhere near the target number. Another way to earn is through paid deals, and for those to happen, you still need a good number of followers. Here in my blog, ran by Blogger, we have a good program called AdSense. AdSense doesn't depend on followers; it depends on the number of clicks on the ads you see in my blog. I already have AdSense up which does earn already (but not much tbh but still). So in that sense, I can't let go of Shash Stash yet because of AdSense earnings plus a few sponsored posts that come my way.

Now that I've had a good few months to think things through, I think I know what I have to do: prioritize my dear Shash Stash blog while dipping my toes in microblogging. For full on reviews, I'll post them here then post a footnotes version on TT and IG. And smaller features and additional casual content, they're all going straight to the 2 platforms. At the end of the day, blogging is still my business and I have to prioritize the one that generates earnings BUT I owe it to myself to also explore microblogging as my creative outlets. It'll be a bit harder and I will pretty much disappear again now and then but at least right now, I know what to do. And now that I have a clearer view on things, I feel excited and eager to produce content again. Let the creative juices flow!

To end this post on a high note, in Shash Stash fashion, here's my first haul for the year! Dear Self Beauty had a six-hour sale around 10 days back where almost all their products were 50% off so I knew I had to pick up a few things I've been eyeing from them. Curious what I got? Well, here ya go!

I didn't splurge a lot but I got the items I really wanted which was great! Starting with skincare, I got their Dailyplump, a moisturizer that I can, fingers-crossed, use everyday; Aquaface, a gel-type sunscreen with SPF50 PA+++; and finally, Eyecoffee, an eye serum with caffeine!

For makeup, I just got two items: a mini Deargloss in Yvonne, a warm tan shade; and Betterbrow in Brooklyn, a warm black (that also came with a free spoolie!).

I also got two cute stickers in my package!

And that's pretty much it! I'm currently working on new blog content so please stay tuned! I have been using these products for a good amount of time and I can't wait to share my thoughts here on the blog.  See you around! xx