Interview With Christine From 15 Minute Beauty

I’ve been a fan of 15 Minute Beauty for a while now. It’s actually one of the first beauty blogs that I ever read and one of the reasons that I started blogging in the first place. Recently I had the opportunity to interview Christine, the owner and editor of the blog and wanted to share it with you.

How long have you been blogging?
I’ve been blogging since January 27th 2007 (my daughter was born on my 4th “Blogiversary” that’s why I know the exact date!)

Why did you decide to start a beauty blog?
It was actually my husband’s idea for me to start the blog. I’d been commenting and answering questions for readers like crazy on a few other blogs, and he thought just having my own blog would consolidate things a bit. Little did he know what he’d suggested!

What are your favorite products?
I’m really a product junkie, not so much a beauty junkie. For me I love new packaging, the feel of a cream, putting on a new lippie… I’m all about new products! But, there are a few that I’ve gone back to over and over because they work so well for me. Revitalash eye lash conditioner worked really well for me, and I get a lot of compliments on my lashes. I’ve repurchased that every 6 months since my first review and I refuse to review other eye lash conditioners now. My holy grail daily moisturizer is Kiehl’s Ultra Facial SPF 15. It doesn’t clog my pores, protects me from the sun and is perfect under makeup. My new favorite mascara is Beauty Addicts Show Off Mascara, which gives me unreal lashes! Love it. Elizabeth Arden eye liner doesn’t smudge on me and I also really love Make Up For Ever’s Full Cover concealer, which makes me look awake.

What was your least favorite product?
Right now my least favorite is the Maybelline Foaming foundation. Maybe I got a bad can, but that thing turned four shades darker and orange within about 30 seconds! I don’t know how they think it will match any one.

What is your daily beauty regiment?
I don’t really have a “normal” routine since I am constantly testing out new products. In general, I wash my hair a few times a week and break out the dry shampoo for days in between. I also like to use my Beachwaver curling iron for pretty curls on those “off” days. I’ll wash my face with a gentle cleanser and apply a light SPF moisturizer. Once that has sunk in to my skin, I like to apply a light layer of Milk of Magnesia to my t-zone, which is a great way to really keep shine under control. I’ll vary my foundation depending on what I’m doing that day, fuller coverage for days that I’m working. I always use eye primer (I most often use the NYX one that comes in a pot), I use 2 or 3 shadows and I have liner on both upper and lower lids. I usually leave the house without a lippie on since I have about 30 in my purse, so I just grab one at random in the car.

How did you learn to market like a pro?
I’m not sure that I do market like a pro! I like to give my readers a lot of different options to engage with me, so I’m on a few different platforms such as Twitter, Google+ (which I need to use more, but it does confuse me a bit), Pinterest, etc.

What advice would you like to offer to new bloggers?
I think the most important advice for a new blogger is to just stick with it! Most new blogs don’t make it past a month or so, let alone past 6 months. In the first 6 months you should be discovering what type of blogger you are, what your voice will sound like and just sticking with it. Once you’ve done that the other things (like photography tips, website layout, etc) are all items that you can change easily.

What was the biggest mistake you made in blogging?
I think the biggest mistake I’ve made in blogging is that I am too easily giving in to my own natural shyness. I’m a very (VERY) shy person in real life, and sometimes that spills over into my online life. I don’t approach brands, I am sometimes too shy to respond to emails about press releases, etc.

Where can people find you?

I can be found a few places!
http://www.15minutebeauty.com
https://twitter.com/15minbeauty
https://www.facebook.com/15MinuteBeauty
http://pinterest.com/15minbeauty/

Thanks Christine for taking the time to do the interview with me.