Three Years Later – Blog Anniversary + Giveaway!

Miscellaneous

Three Years

Three years ago I started this blog without really knowing where it would take me. It had been a long, long time since I’d created content online and I really wanted to get back into the online world. Let me give you a little bit of background on my life online:

In 1995, at the age of 12, I spent a lot of time connecting via dialup to my local library’s freenet and connecting with people via message boards and chat rooms (mostly talking about Star Wars to be honest). And yes, it was at 12 years old that I started meeting people in person from online (which is a bit terrifying in hindsight to be perfectly honest).

I eventually graduated to America OnLine where I racked up a ridiculous $120 bill that no 12 year old can rightfully pay off (hence my parents cutting me off). Thankfully, proper internet with a single monthly cost eventually became a thing in my mid-teens, just as I was becoming obsessed with the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was with that obsession that I eventually learned how to create web sites and developed my first web site about Buffy (you can still see it here!) in 1998.

Years later (still running the Buffy site), I eventually created a personal blog while I was in university  while also running various fan sites for actors and TV shows along the way. For me, the internet has always been a way of connecting with people over a shared passion and it has allowed me to create amazing friendships with people over the years that I would have no other way of accessing if it weren’t for the internet (hell, I even met my husband while playing World of Warcraft!). I have friends all over the world that are the result of online encounters and I love that so much!

Right now my passion is makeup (and has been for a good long while) and I have made some awesome friends once again by sharing my passion online. It’s given me the opportunity to connect with people in a city that can be hard to get to know people if you don’t put yourself out there, and for me, the internet is always the first step. 🙂

I also started my YouTube channel in December of 2015 which felt like a terrifying leap at the time, but now the whole thing feels fairly natural. It’s a lot of work putting out two videos a week alongside 4-5 blog posts a week, but the whole process has felt incredibly rewarding. I get tons of feedback from you guys which is the aspect I enjoy the most – responding to comments was one of the things I looked forward to the most when I first started my blog! I’ve also had the opportunity to interact with brands and PR companies that I hadn’t dreamed would even bother to pay me any attention at all considering the beauty industry is already saturated enough with bloggers and vloggers.

Anyway, this post was mostly just a stream of my thoughts as I reflected back on not only this past year in blogging, but also my own online “career” as it were.

Alright, time for the giveaway!

Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly palette ($36 USD)
Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly palette

As I did last year, I wanted to give out my favourite palette of the year (so far) and that honour definitely goes to the Too Faced Peanut Butter & Jelly palette. I brought this on vacation with me to Iceland in April and kept on using it as the months roll by!

Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly
Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly

Giveaway Rules

  • This giveaway is open internationally!
  • This giveaway starts on October 16, 2016 and runs for two weeks.
  • Please be aware that all entries will be double checked to ensure fairness.
  • Once the winner has been contacted, they will have 48 hours to provide me with their mailing address. If the winner fails to respond within that time frame, I will pick another winner. (And so on.)
  • “Giveaway accounts” will not be considered for this prize. (If you want to know what I mean by that, please click here.)

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

173 thoughts on “Three Years Later – Blog Anniversary + Giveaway!”

  1. I found your blog awhile back through a tweet. I can not remember who’s tweet I saw a giveaway on. But, this is a cool palette, and Congrats on 3 years of your blog!

    Reply

    1. No worries Shireen – I’ll know it’s you!
      And thanks for the congrats! Two years kind of flew by, this third one definitely feels a bit longer! (More work put into the blog I think.)

      Reply

    1. That’s cool! I’m surprised so many people clicked through from YouTube – usually people prefer one medium over the other, you know? I’m so glad I’m inspiring you to wear more colour! 😀

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  8. I enjoy following you. My favorite part of following you is I can find your products as you are in Canada. Or you tell us where you bought something.

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  10. Happy Blog anniversary! You totally deserve it because you have done such a great job on it. I found this blog because I was looking for a replacement for a Too Faced product that was discontinued and the blog has turned into my obsession! I have picked up so many new beauty/make up products because of you! I

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  14. This is such an exciting giveaway! I’ve always lusted after that PB&J palette but haven’t yet picked it up (damn no-buy!).
    Congrats on your 3 years! Your blog is absolutely wonderful!
    P.S I can totally relate to your internet past haha, I remember making my own website back in the day!
    Dina recently posted…Decluttering & Using My StashMy Profile

    Reply

    1. First time web sites… man, what a rush that was! “LOOK WHAT I CAN CREATE ONLINE!!” I’ll never forget that feeling. 🙂
      Good on you for sticking to your no buy – they’re quite tough!

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  16. Congrats on this huge milestone! I’m just in the initial design stages of my beauty blog so your story is very inspiring! I found your blog through a Twitter post and now follow you on several social media accounts.

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      1. It is pretty cool! Hopefully within the next few weeks it’ll be live. I’m just designing it on WordPress now. Still not entirely sure what it’ll look like but I guess I’ll figure it out as I go. Lol

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        1. Yeah a lot of it is definitely figuring it out after you’ve launched your blog. Too many people wait for it to be perfect before they launch… but then they wait months… years… and it never gets off the ground!

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          1. Ya, that’s a good point. No better time to act than now! I’ll send u a link when it’s up and running and u can check it out. And maybe even tell me what U think if u have the time. 😉 I welcome all feedback as a newbie! Lol

  18. Congratulations on 3 years. I discovered you as I was looking for canadian content as we can not get anything from ULTA unless we visit or have someone buy it for us. I love how brave you are with color as I love color also. Good luck with your future posts as I love to hear your opinion (youtube as well)

    Reply

    1. Sometimes I feel a little bit like a cheater for Canadian content because I either go to the US and buy stuff there and/or have friends send it up! As always, thank you for your sweet comments Susie. 🙂

      Reply

  21. (I swear that Buffy website is older than some of the freshmen I went to school with last month LOLLLLLL) Reading this post has brought back flashbacks of using dial-up internet to access games back in the day… -shudder-

    Congrats on three years! You’ve done so much with it in the past few years–here’s to another three years! (And another three after that, and another three. etcetc) 😀

    Reply

    1. Your first comment is horrifying – WHY IS EVERYONE SO YOUNG NOW??? Ughhhhh.
      What dial up games do you play? I wasn’t really into much online gaming at that point – was definitely still kicking it with my NES or SNES… playstation can a lotttt later for me.

      Reply

  24. i love your blog 🙂 i think i discovered you via Twitter- thanks for the throwing great contests and for all the reviews/videos you do!

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  26. Ohhh Happy Anniversary! I think I found your YouTube channel first and then started reading your blog.kisses ❤️

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  28. I love the palette and would actually give my to a friend who wants it too! I don’t remember exactly when I started following you but I’m glad I did! I’ve made friends with some rad people off the internet. Have you seen his new sneak peek of the honey palette 😬😬😬😬 I’m so intrigued

    Reply

    1. I actually think it was the opposite way around – I found YOU via Julie’s (Swatch and Review) IG because I think you commented on one of her pics. Then I saw your pics of Iceland (cuz I was going to go visit sometime soon) and I was intrigued. Reverse following! haha

      I’m DYING for that honey palette! OMG I NEED TO KNOW MORE!!!

      Reply

    1. You’re absolutely right – most of us started out doing something else online (similar or otherwise) and we’ve just all ended up here. I know I sorely missed not creating content for quite a while when I was locked up playing World of Warcraft all the time – so it feels great to create and share again. 🙂

      Reply

  35. Firstly, happy 3 years!!! And also, holy crap, what a generous giveaway gift! I found your blog way back when while hunting for eyeshadow swatches. At first, I didn’t visit regularly because I’m big on neutrals and you have some awesome out-there looks so I figured maybe I wouldn’t enjoy your content. Nope. All the nopes! I ended up really loving your engaging voice and once I started watching your vids…big love! Like you, I’m a big Buffy fan (but maybe not as big!) and a lot of the friendships I still hold dear are from underage internet meet ups thanks to shared interests. It’s a miracle I was never murdered or harmed, but hey… that’s the way it goes 🙂
    Tarryn B recently posted…Empties – the Benefit editionMy Profile

    Reply

    1. That’s so interesting Tarryn! Thanks for telling me how you thought you wouldn’t be into it, but then turned out to be! It’s cool to learn how even thought someone’s aeshetic may not work with your own, you can still like what they do! (And I know the same is true for me of people I read/watch when all they do is neutral looks! haha)

      And yay for being a Buffy fan! 😀 Underage internet meetups have been some of the best things ever for me in my life… but I agree, it’s a damn wonder nothing bad ever happened out of them.

      Reply

  36. Congrats on three years! I just found your blog when I was looking for makeup swatches on google and I’ve been reading it daily since 😀

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  37. Happy Anniversary!!

    I can’t remember how I found you. I think it was a giveaway posted that I seen shared or through a collab.

    ….and….do you still play WoW?? I’ve been playing it for 10 years now. Love that you met hubby that way!

    Reply

    1. I haven’t played WoW in about three years! 🙁 I quite mid-Pandaria because that expansion just wasn’t doing it for me. At that point I had been playing since BC and so much of what I loved about the game through BC and early Wrath has gone the way of the dodo in WoW. I miss it SO, SO much though. I miss my raid team, my guild members, raiding and downing new bosses and content. It was such a great time in my life, but it was also unhealthy for me because I did nothing else! I was skipping soccer, not exercising and I whacked on like 40 pounds. Not the healthiest of habits for me! My husband is back playing it this expansion, but he hasn’t started raiding – he’s mostly tinkering around with pets.

      How are you finding this expansion though? Do you like it? Hate it?

      Reply

    1. It’s kind of crazy when you think about how many of us met up with strangers when we were so young (and even more terrifying for you with kids!!). Meeting people from the internet is at least a far more common thing now, but it’s still kind of dicey for pre-teens to be making decisions like that.

      Reply

  45. Can’t entirely remember how I found your blog/YouTube channel… maybe one of the other Canadian beauty bloggers?

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  46. Congrats Chelle. I didn’t realise that this palette was US only. I’ve been waiting in Debenhams (one of the only UK stores that stocks too faced) for MONTHS for it </3

    Reply

    1. Ahhh no!!! Yeah you can buy it on the TooFaced.com site too, but it’s crazy expensive for shipping and duties (at least… it is to ship to Canada!), but other than that… only via Ulta.:(

      Reply

  50. I found your blog through bloglovin’ suggestions. Congratulations on the milestone, and thank you for the chance!

    Reply

  56. I found your blog because a friend of mine shared a giveaway, but I’m still here.

    What did the grape say when a car ran over it?
    Nothing, it just let out a little whine.

    ^– That’s my favourite joke. 😛

    Reply

  57. Happy Anniversary! Last Christmas my boyfriend gave me the Too faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette. I searched Youtube for inspiration and found your channel 🙂

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  59. Happy 3yr Blogiversary and here’s to many many more! I can’t remember exactly how I found your blog but I have been watching on Youtube for a while now.

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  60. Congratulations on your anniversary! I came through your YouTube channel (where you totally influenced me to buy the MAC Star Trek LLAP lipstick…and I love it!) Wonderful contest – thank you 🙂

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  61. Happy 3rd anniversary 🙂 Not too sure how I found your blog, but I have been following you for a while now as I love your posts.
    I’ve graduating to vibrant colours in my makeup thanks to you 🙂
    Wishing you many more years of successful blogging!

    Reply

    1. Hey Jenny!! I wondered if people would be turned off by the YouTube aspect to be honest. Cuz you know when you read someone… how they speak is not alway how you imagine they would! (At least that’s what I’ve notice with people who I read and then they suddenly do YouTube!).

      Reply

  65. I am not a FB user and recently decided to join IG and twitter to follow my interests. Late to the party I know. I found you bc I was looking for Canadian ( and Ontario) bloggers who share my interests. Liked what I saw so I just joined up. And yes I will be sticking around. Your age range and personality on YouTube def suit me! Congrats on 3 years.

    Reply

    1. That’s interesting! I was always an FB user, but I think I originally joined Twitter and IG to follow my favourite YouTubers. And I DEFINITELY did that for snapchat! I like that you said my age range appealed to you – I find I often have a lot of problems relating to much younger YouTubers (25 or younger really) so I tend to watch the “older” ones.

      Reply

  72. Happy 3rd blog anniversary! Thank you for all your generous giveaways, this palette looks amazing! I think I found you through a tweet

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  73. I think I found your blog through giveaway that you are collab with other beauty blogger. And happy 3rd blogging anniversary!!

    Reply

  74. Congratulations on your 3 year blogiversary. I found your blog via your youtube channel which was a recommended channel for me.

    Reply

  76. I’ve been following you for the longest time now…one of the best decisions ever..learned so much from all your posts

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  78. I really enjoy your channel and your makeup tutorials! Keep up the great work!! xo

    From one Canadian to another!

    Andrea C

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  79. Love all your makeup looks! You’ve inspired me to use more color this past year,, and I’m loving it. 🙂 Thanks for having this giveaway!

    Reply

  81. Congrats on 3 years, I found your blog when I found your YouTube. I really love how colorful your looks are I think the makeup world needs more of that.

    Reply

  84. I honestly can’t remember how I found you but I’m sure it was a Canadian thing 🙂 Congrats on all your success!

    Reply

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