Rouge18 Is Eight Years Old

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Rouge18 (née Beauty Blogging Junkie) turns 8 today!

Longtime readers know I started this blog from my cubicle at PricewaterhouseCoopers (it’s finally been long enough that I actually had to check whether to capitalize that “W”) in a pretty low time in my life. I then spent four years writing this blog in the middle of the night and attending multiple beauty events after work while working in a series of financial gigs, dodging multiple lay-offs until I finally was offered a full-time beauty editor gig at a website. I did it while maintaining my blog, but alas, like my previous several jobs, this one “rightsized” minutes after I was relieved to come safely on-board and for the fifth time, I inherited three jobs and was paid for one. I did it for a little less than a year, but I made a decision in April 2010 that if I was working more jobs than Ryan Seacrest, I was going to get PAID for them. Four years of beauty and pop-culture freelance writing and blogging (and still a couple years of financial copyediting on a freelance basis) and this gal once again feels the need for a little change.

One unexpected byproduct of doing what you I all the time is that I did what I do with anything else I like – Breaking Bad episodes, Amy’s dairy-free mac and cheese, spicy rolls from Choshi, YouTube videos of Theo James singing in his band (shout-out to Corey James Luxury Kindberg, for furnishing me with THAT) and  Rory Beca silk tanks – I overloaded myself with it. I said yes to every assignment regardless of whether I had time to do it and suddenly I was contributing to, at one point, TEN other outlets. Regularly. I’m so not complaining, it’s astounding and awesome to be able to be trusted with such an influx of stories. But WEIRDLY, this Gemini needs the contrast of being “kept” from beauty for at least a few hours of the day focusing on something wholy other in order to appreciate returning to it. When it’s beauty o’clock all day everyday, it’s a little much – even for someone who lives and breathes masks, keratin-infused conditioners and the perfect cat-eye liquid liner pen.

So I’m pursuing an exciting bucket-list goal: To write a YA novel. It has not one thing to do with beauty. Of course, I’m still writing Rouge18 daily (with help from intern Julia until she graduates this May – DEVASTATING – but her friend Sara will take the reins once Julia moves on). But I’ve taken the freelance down a notch, just contributing to a few online and print publications so I have the bandwith to keep on keeping on. And when I take a break from writing a chapter, I can’t WAIT to tell you guys all about what’s in my shower that’s changing my life and which movie it brings to mind.

I adore you readers for being a part of my life since 2006. Thank you for coming here daily and talking shop with me! Your comments and questions are the best part of this gig. This blog has changed my life in myriad ways, especially the friends it’s brought me – virtual and not. In fact, I’m typing this from the air as I’m en route to see my OG blogging pals Julia, Erika and Kristen in Napa for a long weekend. Allow me to channel Dirty Dancing‘s Max Kellerman when I tell you that we’ve seen it all. We’ve seen beauty blogging go from something admitted in hushed tones to a channel embraced by major magazines to literally anyone with access to a computer starting a beauty blog – and sometimes even a freelancc beauty writing career. The evolution’s been incredible to experience. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next year.

xo,

(Gl)Amber

 

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