May Hidden Gem: TheBelleAdventures

This month's Hidden Gem is Zerina of TheBelleAdventures. I met Zerina through a Facebook group and love her content. Her videos have a style of their own and are fun to watch.

 

 

 

 

When did you start your Youtube channel and why?

I started uploading videos to my channel the first week of November 2013. I've always wanted to make beauty videos ever since I discovered the beauty community on YouTube around 2008. It was just something I didn't have time or equipment for until I finished college and found myself with so much free time on my hands. I figured I'd finally take the leap and start my YouTube journey. 

 

What is the main focus of your channel?

I mostly do makeup tutorials because those are the videos I enjoy watching the most. I'm in no way a professional, but I've realized having a channel is such a great way to track your skill growth, and I believe I've come a long way since I began recording. Other than that, I enjoy filming DIY videos as well. I haven't had a chance to do as many fashion videos as I would like, but hopefully that will change with the warmer weather. I've been thinking about starting a series on my channel and I'm almost done planning it, so I'm really excited for that!

What or who inspires you and why?

I get inspired by people in the community the most. From big gurus, to smaller channels. A lot of people might think running a beauty channel is superficial, but I see them as a vessel for empowering women all over the world. There's nothing wrong in being passionate about this form of art - but I especially respect those who emphasize the importance of loving yourself in your bare skin and feeling as confident then as you do with a glammed out full face of makeup. That's a message that I would also like my channel to portray, which is why I make a point of starting every tutorial with a bare face that I love, imperfections and all. Smaller channels inspire me in the way they keep going and uploading content even though it's so hard to get your channel out there and reach a wide audience. 

 

What has helped your channel grow the most?

Probably the relationships I've formed with other content creators. I love supporting other people and most often those people reciprocate. Joining Facebook groups geared towards beauty channels has also been a major helping factor. Other than that, I'd like to think the videos themselves are a big deciding factor whether or not someone will subscribe.

What would you like people to know about you?

 

I use to be a very outgoing person but over the years I've grown more timid and I have cynical sense of humor. Some people who don't understand this about me might see me as off-putting. I know many prefer watching content creators who are bubbly and loud, but that's just not how I am and I'd rather be myself than pretend to be something I am clearly not - that would be counterproductive and exhausting.

Where you can find her:
Youtube
Blog
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Tumblr

See last months Hidden Gem.

Review: Daiso Oxygen Face Mask

A review on the Daiso Oxygen Mask. It is $1.50 for two treatments which makes it a great bargain. See what I think about it and check out my face full of oxygen bubbles!

What's your favorite skincare product from Daiso?

1K Subscribers Q & A

To celebrate hitting 1,000 (1K) subscribers I decided to do a Q & A. 

Thank you so much for all of your support over the years. I really appreciate each and everyone of you.

April Hidden Gem: A1nettie

I met Annette through mutual friends on Youtube. She has a great knack at obtaining free stuff and I love her unboxings.

When did you start your Youtube channel and why?

I Initially Started in 2010 on another channel just to do reviews on things. BzzAgent was failry new to me and I thought why not share my views on products on videos too. That was my main reason for starting my channel was to share my thoughts on products.

What is the main focus of your channel? 

Mostly reviews now. I love beauty and always wanted to go there, but freebies, couponing, hauls, unboxings and reviews are my main things I publish. 

 

What or who inspires you and why?

My kids inspire me to be good and be kind. The world has so many positive things in it and if you just stop to look it can inspire you to want to do good for others. My job inspires me to want to help others more and be patient. Kindness is a must and compassion is a must, without it we would never have understanding. When I see others helping one another, I want to do it too.

What has helped your channel grow the most?

I think maintaining communication and being friendly to all. Also sharing to different groups at times helps to. It seems to be just content that if you are interested in you will subscribe. 

What would you like people to know about you?

I do this as a hobby and love it. It has taken away from my family at times and have had to put reality in check. I have a family to care and provide for and they are my number one priority, but Youtube is my secret obsession along with my love for anything beauty related. I enjoy interacting with my on line family and friends which is the main reason I love it so much. I have chatted with people all over the world and it's amazing. This is the modern 

day pen pal! Let's keep in touch!

Social Media Links

Youtube
Blog
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

Walmart Beauty Box Spring Edition

Check out what products I received in my Walmart Beauty Box Spring Edition and only for $5! This is a quarterly subscription service offered by Walmart and you can sign up using this link. (It's not an affiliate link.

See what was in my Winter Box

Top 5 Spring Lipsticks

Sorry, I am a little sick but I really wanted to be part of this fun collaboration for Spring. I was doing a little makeup Spring cleaning and thought that I would share my Top 5 Spring Lipsticks. 

What is your favorite lipstick this Spring?

Review: Daiso Charcoal Proe Strips

I recently picked up these charcoal pore strips from Daiso for only $1.50! You asked for a review so here it is. 

Let me know if you want me to compare them to the Biore ones.

March Hidden Gem- BeautyByAndriana

This month's Hidden Gem is BeautyByAndriana. 

I came across Andriana's channel about a year ago and fell in love with her videos. Her eye makeup is always flawless and her reviews very informative. Now, let's get to know her a little better.

1) When did you start your YouTube channel and why?

I started my YouTube channel on February 25th, 2013 (my 2 year anniversary just passed!). I decided to finally start a channel because I was obsessed with the online beauty community. I loved talking about makeup products and creating new, exciting looks, so I thought making a YouTube channel would be perfect!

2) What is the main focus of your channel?

My main focus is makeup. This means that my videos can range from tutorials to first impressions to reviews...you name it! And of course, I occasionally post a tag or haul when I feel like it.

3) What and who inspires you and why?

Let's see...I'm going to stick with YouTube and say Marlena from MakeupGeekTV. As many of you may know, she started off making beauty videos on YouTube and then came out with her own makeup company. I want to do the same thing, so to see how successful she has gotten from it, inspires me to work 10x harder than I already am.

4) What has helped your channel grow the most?

I would say that interacting with my viewers has helped my channel a lot. People really like to know when you find them important and that's one of my biggest goals on my channel. I really want to create a friendship with each of my viewers and I want them to know that they can come to me for any of their beauty questions. 

5) What would you like people to know about you?

Hmm...this one is tough. There's only so much people see from watching a 5 minute video of me. I'm going to cheat and write two things. First off, I'm an extremely shy person, but once I warm up to you, I get extremely comfortable and act very funny/quirky. To go along with that, I am also a very loyal person. I will go through hell and back to help anyone close to me. I'm that one person who you can count on for anything you need help with!

Where you can find Andriana

YouTube

Beauty Blog

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

See who the Hidden Gem was last month.

Review: Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist

I have used the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle before but realized that I have never done a review on it.

I give it 5/5 stars and would definitely recommend it. To see why watch the video below.

Do you like Aussie products? What's your favorite?

Daiso Haul

Recently, I went to Daiso (a Japanese version of a dollar store where everything is a $1.50) and I picked up some beauty and planner items. 

What items would you like me to do reviews on?

See what items I have picked up in the past here and what I thought of some of them here.

Review: First Aid Beauty Cleanser

Check out my review of the First Aid Beauty Cleanser. 

What other First Aid Beauty products would you recommend?

My Foundation Routine - Full Coverage

I recently made a video of my full coverage foundation routine. 

Products Used:
Laura Mericier Silk Creme Foundation in Cream Ivory
Revlon Nearly There Pressed Powder 
Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser
NYX Wonder Pencil
Benefit Brow Pencil
Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara
Milani Bronzer in Hermosa Rose
MAC Blush in Gentle

See the full video here

What is your favorite full coverage foundation?

Walmart Beauty | Winter Box

This is a subscription box service offered by Walmart. It is free and you only have to pay $5 for shipping! It is a quarterly box and the one I am showing here is their Winter box. 

Click Here

I believe that I receive a few things that other people didn't. 

Click Here

Where you can get your box. (This is not an affiliate link)

https://beautybox.walmart.com

As always, let me know if you would like me to review anything for you.

January Hidden Gem - Megalizabeth9

This month's Hidden Gem (see last month's here) is Megan of Megalizabeth9. Megan is a professional hair stylist who makes amazing hair related videos. I have been watching her for a couple years now and she inspired me to create Quick Tip Tuesday videos last year. 

Now, let’s let Megan tell us about herself.

1. When did you start your Youtube channel and why?

I started Megalizabeth9 on December 12 2011 when I launched my first "12 Days of Christmas" series that I now do every year. I decided to start it because I missed doing YouTube videos that I had done in high school with my best friend. We were both theatre nerds and made music video remakes and put them on a channel we called SmarganM. They're still there…and super embarrassing, but part of who we were then.  But she had gone away for college and we didn’t make them anymore and I loved YouTube so much. So since I'm a hairstylist, I decided to make a channel dedicated to hair, and here I am 3 years later!

 

2. What is the main focus of your channel?

I call it all things hair.  I have hair tutorials but I also have Tuesday videos called Quick Tip Tuesday in which I talk about hair advice. However, I'm ready to take my channel for a turn, so I'm taking a break for the month of January and only having a couple videos up so I can focus on these changes.  Still hair tutorials, but imagine a hair tutorial that tells a story and teaches you how to do the style in the story!

 

 

3. What or who inspires you and why?

Lately my viewers have really been inspiring me to keep going.  Right now I'm just being inspired by everyday life.  For example, I started having an idea for a video after seeing a balloon, and I wanted to incorporate balloons.  Then a wave of my friends got engaged. So what did I do?  Just filmed a hair tutorial for a romantic date look that involves balloons! I'm really excited about it, it's going more in that new direction I want to take!  

 

 

4. What has helped your channel grow the most?

Honestly I've had to stay dedicated to it and work on growth

 all on my own.  I think the thing that has helped the most is getting to know viewers.  I really do enjoy reading comments.  And I try to respond in a conversation like way.  It's actually helped me to get to know a lot of people so it's like my channel is a big group of friends.  I almost always squeal when I see two of my viewers talking to each other in the comments.  It shows me that the idea of us all being friends is right.  I also do a lot of giveaways.  I don't ever do it in a "Bragging" fashion as in "Oh look at all this money I spent", I just enjoy giving cool hair stuff to my viewers.  Actually I take the money I make off of my YouTube channel and go buy things for the giveaways.  So it's certainly not a show off contest. 

 

 

5. What would you like people to know about you?

That I am indeed a licensed cosmetologist, which means I professionally do hair. I know most of my regular viewers know that, but I will get random comments from people that they think I don't know what I'm doing.  Of course,  I know there's always those people on the internet,  but I make my videos because I want to share my love of hair with people and help them do fun things with their own and keep it in good shape. I'm always growing in my career, you never stop learning.

Thank you Megan! Please make sure to check her out!

Where you can find Megan:

Youtube

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Blog

Website

Last month's Hidden Gem

Happy New Year & Goals for 2015

Happy New Year! I can't believe it is 2015 already! I hope you're having a great new year. Today I thought I would talk about some of my goals for 2015 since everyone is talking about their New Year resolutions.

Several years ago I resolved not to make New Year resolutions and instead change things when I felt they needed to be changed. This year I would like to focus on goals for the year. I think it is very important to have goals for yourself and to write them down. So, here are a few of my personal and professional goals.

1) Reach 10k subscribers on my Beauty channel - I know this is a big number but if you don't dream big then you'll never get there. 

2) Walk 3 hours a week - aka I want to be healthier and I believe walking at least 3 hours a week will help me get there.

3) Help my church grow - We are very small and are looking for ways to reach out to the local community. I hope that I can help with that.

4) Grow church Youth Group - Kinda the same idea as above. I am the YG leader at my church and would love to see it grow even bigger.

5) Cook more meals at home - I do love to cook but recently I have gotten lazy and have not been cooking as much. 

6) Read the Bible in 1 years time - I started this last month and am already behind but I know I can do it. I am reading it chronologically to make it a bit more interesting. 

7) Read more in general- I usually read about 50 books a year but last year I read about half that. (Although, several were 1,000+ pages.) I would like to get back to that 50. Follow my progress on Goodreads.

I have many more goals for 2015, but I hope you enjoyed the few that I shared with you. 

What are your goals for 2015?

Hidden Gems - December 2014

https://www.facebook.com/Blacklockbeauty

Our very first Hidden Gem is Courtney of BlacklockBeauty. If you have been watching me for awhile you’ll know that Courtney is the reason I started watching Youtube way back like five years ago. I wanted to learn how to curl my hair with a curling iron and I came across her video. Five years later I am glad to be able to call her a friend. She has great content and I think there is something for everyone on her channel and blog.

Now let’s let Courtney tell us about herself.

1. When did you start your Youtube channel?

I started my Channel back in 2009 and then I took a long break where I did videos off and on eventually stopping, I'm not sure why, I think it was a few things, negative comments, losing control of my weight, figuring out who I was. I just got back into it the beginning of this year.

2. Why did you start making videos?

I started making videos because my dude, now husband suggested that I make my own channel. When I did it just took off, but that was before I took a long break, now it's coming back, but very slowly now that I'm much different on camera.

3. What is the main focus of your channel?

Mainly Beauty, but I do diet and recipe videos as well as fashion occasionally.

4. What or who inspires you and why?

I don't have one person in particular, I would say the youtubers that have consistently made videos despite negative feedback and have made their channel grow.

5. What would you like people to know about you?

This one is hard to answer. I would like people to know of only great things about me, but I also would like them to come to their own conclusion.

6. What has helped your channel grow the most?

I did a lot of Google advertising and a lot of pinterest posts. What I noticed is that the photos make a big difference, an eye catching photo sells. Photos and video quality.

Where you can find Courtney

Youtube

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Holiday Hodgepodge 2014

I’m doing Holiday Hodgepodge again!! It’s my version of Vlogmas. I created it last year because I wanted to do Vlogmas but I’m not a vlogger and I felt like posting a video everyday would be too much for me. I had successfully done Makeup MAYhem before where you post a video every other day in the month of May. I thought, “Hey! Why not combine the two?” And thus, Holiday Hodgepodge was born!

The way it work is that I post a holiday related video every other day starting December 1st and ending on Christmas day. The videos range from makeup tutorials, DIYs, recipes, gift guides, tags, and some vlogs. 

Here is the playlist from last year. Starting December 1st I will be adding new videos to it. I will also be posting video lists for that week on here. 

I hope you’re as excited as I am!!

New Blog Series!

Starting in December I am starting a new blog series called Hidden Gem. Every month I will pick a Youtuber/blogger who is one of my favorites that I feel should have more subscribers/followers than they have. I will not be featuring already very established Youtubers. I think I will cap it at 20K subscribers/followers with maybe an exception here and there.

If you have anyone that you think I should check out let me know in the comments below. =)

Video Flashback - October

We are almost all caught up! After this I will posting a monthly list for each channel. =)

Beauty

Review & First Impressions Anatomicals Eye Patches

October Empties

Haul: Sephora, Target, and Ulta

Updated Haircare Routine

Minecraft

Expanding World Borders Episode 3

Video Flashback - September

Here is the second installment of videos. =)


Beauty 

Influenster Haul: Victoria's Secret Sport

Tutorial: Quick School Look

Bioderma Dupe!

Minecraft

Expanding World Borders Episode 1

Expanding World Borders Episode 2

BlockHead SMP Episode 8: Greenhouse