Day dreamer and Believer

It's almost that time of the year again! 2 months from now and it's Christmas season already!!! I've been seeing Christmas lights and hearing Christmas songs anywhere I go. (I love playing Christmas songs every morning to spread that Christmas vibes in our house!) Most places get easily crowded- malls with lots of people shopping for marked down items (I'm guilty about this! I have this 4/7 or 5/7 attendance in a week haha), churches and parks with lots of families and couples, restaurants with lots of festivities and get-togethers happening. Everyone just seems so happy and busy in this season and it's something that I've always want to see. It's also this time of the year when my cousins who live in other countries come home for family reunions and get togethers. Everything about Christmas just excites me and I really can't wait to end this semester, take a break and spend everyday of December a merry Christmas! :)

Outfit. Since it's getting colder each day there's already an excuse to wear long sleeves and jackets! I didn't know I have lots pala HAHA but I only have the opportunity to wear it in colder months and in other countries. I'm getting more excited this season because I'm going out of the country again with my family and it's a first time that it'll happen this Christmas season. Speaking of travelling this December I'm slowly preparing my closet for a number of jackets, coats, and warmers. I got this black jacket that I'm wearing from Shein. It isn't actually enough to be worn this coming winter but it can already suffice the cold season here in PH this coming December. This is actually the most useful jacket that I have because I'm also using it every time I workout! Hahaha! If you love to have this same jacket of mine you can avail yours for only $21 or Php 1,050.

Thank you Shein for my jacket! I can't wait to wear the other clothes that I ordered from your site!

Watch out for my next posts! You can reach me through instagram (@shairangelique) :)

xoxo,

Vlogging is actually one of the most hyped way of sharing personal stories nowadays. A lot of people has actually entered the world of video making and have been sharing it around the world through the social media. I have been doing it once in a while when I get to spend some time in travelling but I started without any plan of actually pursuing it because I lack the knowledge on how to manipulate and run it. I recently read an article about video marketing from My Emma and I wanted to share it with you especially to those who wants to start their own vlogs like me. Here's "How to get started with Video Marketing..."

Amy Landino shares 5 steps to videos that capture attention

Do you need a video strategy that cuts through the noise?

There are so many options for video today that it can be difficult to know where to start and how to stand out. Enter Amy Landino: business owner, YouTuber, and best-selling author of the book "Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill It Online with Video Blogging." Amy also happened to give one of the highest-rated talks at Marketing United 2018.

According to Amy, the question for today's marketers isn't WHY they should be using video—after all, there are a million voices giving them compelling reasons to do so, like...

1/3 of all online activity is viewing a video (Insivia).

50% of those views are happening on mobile devices (Ooyala).

81% of people say they were convinced to buy something because of video (Hubspot).

We all know the "why," so now it’s more about the "how." How do you get started with video marketing and do it effectively?

Thankfully, Amy had plenty of simple, actionable tips to help us all dive into the world of video. Here's a quick recap of what she shared.

1. Sustainability

Many marketers are great at producing one-off videos, but very few produce video sustainably, which is the best way to get lasting results and build an audience. The best path to sustainability, Amy argued, is to follow the HUB | HERO | HELP strategy.

Simply put, that means that there are three categories of videos you should regularly be producing:

HUB – 60%. This content keeps current subscribers engaged and is aimed at people who already know, like, and trust your content.

HERO – 10%. This is content you produce less frequently and showcases big moments. Rather than nurturing current viewers, it allows you to raise more awareness and is aimed at a more general audience. It requires more time and resources, but it has more potential for virality.

HELP – 30%. This is Q&A-style content. It's how you play to SEO, especially considering that YouTube is owned by Google and the second-largest search engine out there. It's also a good way to make content more interactive by answering viewers' questions and comments.

Examples of HUB content:

• Product recommendations

• Reviews

• Experiences

Examples of HERO content:

• Trends

• Timely topics

• Inspiration

Examples of HELP content:

• Tutorials

• Solutions to pain points

• Checklists

To showcase a practical application of this, Amy shared a selection of video content from popular YouTuber Brendon Bouchard.

See how he hits all of the categories? For instance, here's how a few of his videos can fall into the HUB | HERO | HELP framework.

HUB: "How Brendon does social media"

HERO: “How to take care of yourself while taking care of others”

HELP: "What’s high-performance?"

By providing this sort of variation, Brendon ensures he's catering to all of his optimal audiences, building awareness for his own personal brand, and providing material for SEO.

2. Consistency

Just as companies struggle with producing video sustainably, they also have trouble releasing them in a reliable cadence. Let's just look at the major platforms: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. What's the shelf life for a video on each of them based on how their algorithms work?

Instagram – 24-48 hours

Twitter – 24 hours

Facebook – 24-72 hours

YouTube – days/weeks/months/years

When you think about what consistency looks like, you have to look at what the platforms look like. For instance, the industry standard for YouTube is one video per week. A channel that does well gets really good at the once-a-week upload, so here's what that takes:

24 hours a month equates to three entire work days devoted to video, and marketers know they shouldn’t be leaning into the things they aren't good at. So let’s talk about batching, instead.

See? It's much more efficient and realistic. Think about batching and what that means for you and your organization. You want to try and maintain timeliness, but producing evergreen content is also powerful, so no worries if it makes more sense to work ahead.

Most importantly, build trust and show up. When you say you’ll post a video a certain day, do it. Everyone wants to know the hack for getting an audience on YouTube, and it’s consistency.

3. Channel

With so many platforms available to distribute video content, it can be tough to know which one is best for your business. When you choose where to put your videos, it’s all about viewer culture. What’s happening for the viewer when they go to these places to watch?

Rather than intentionally searching for something and being given a list of titles and thumbnail images to choose from, on Facebook, you find yourself presented with a video that's auto-playing silently. Therefore, it has to grip you visually (and quickly) for you to get interested enough to begin watching on purpose. The game to capture attention is completely different.

You have to think about the viewer experience if you’re going to create something that’s worthwhile. A video you made on Youtube won’t always work on Facebook. Long-form can work, but how does it work? How do you make it more visually compelling versus a really great title and image on YouTube?

One important note: Posting a link to a YouTube video on Facebook generally isn't the best route. Not only does it ignore the difference in viewing experiences, but Facebook's algorithm doesn't favor links to other site's content, as they want to keep those users on Facebook. Native uploads are your best bet.

4. Content

Once you've figured out what you want to produce, how do you figure out what you're going to say on camera? First off: Don't just wing it. During filming, you should hit all these marks.

Subject First: Don't waste any time getting your subject, whether it's a person or a product, in front of the viewer. If you're doing a tutorial, start with the result first, not the “before.”

Loyalty Treatment: Rather than introducing yourself every time you get on camera, treat every viewer like they’ve been watching you for years. They don't care about your elevator pitch, they care about the content, so just deliver. You can do a quick “Hey, glad you’re here," then move into the whatever you're supposed to be talking about. No spoken names, titles, or website link, though those can be included in the captions if necessary.

8-Second Rule: This is the average amount of time it takes a viewer on YouTube to decide whether they'll stay or go. Again, don't waste time: Get to the point and showcase value as quickly as possible.

Minimal Branding: Keep it simple, and don’t lean on those things that make you look more professional and polished. Instead, lean on the things that make you relatable.

The Content: As for the meat of the content itself, be focused and really deliver. Be generous with your topic, because if you don’t give them everything, they’re going to find someone else. If we don’t work hard to keep people watching, they probably they won’t, so use B-roll and jump cutting to keep the eyes moving.

Audible & Clear CTA: When you’ve gotten to the end, give viewers something else to do by providing a clear call to action. We need to not only see you saying it but hear you saying it, so text on screen won't cut it.

2-5 Minutes Max: Amy admitted this one was debatable, but she believes 2-5 minutes is best for the majority of video content. Long-form content works, but you first have to prove that you can deliver without wasting time.

5. Equipment

In the world of video, everybody wants to know what camera you need to produce great video.

To address this, Amy asked the audience a question: How important is your message? Most people will wait to start video until they have the right gear, then that gear sits and collects dust until you REALLY need it. Instead, use the camera that's closest to you, stop making excuses, and get started.

This is just a summary of what Amy shared, so be sure to check out her full talk here, visit her on Youtube at youtube.com/amytv, and connect with her on Twitter at @Schmittastic!

It all seemed so easy but the real thing is that it requires a lot of hard work and time. Everyone is doing their own thing- working hard and progressing in their own fields and you should be too! The most important thing is that, you get to enjoy whatever you're doing and you get to inspire others through the videos that you share online! I hope I get to see and watch your videos soon! If you'd love to share it here on the blog comment down the links in the comment box below. :)

xoxo,

I'm turning 22 in just a few days. I don't feel old nor young. I feel like I'm still in the process of enjoying and at the same time taking more responsibilities than before. As I age I am able to encounter a lot of experiences that shaped me to who I am now.

I've experienced my lowest this year. This is the first time I felt really stressed for more than 2 weeks. I think that was during the first month of first semester of school this year. My close friends are aware of it because I became less talkative (HAHA) or maybe because I've experienced a series of breakdowns every night. Wag na sana maulit yun. Please lang haha

This is the year wherein eating became my favorite past time. Grabe lang no! I gained 11 kilos!!! My friends eat a lot! Dalang-dala nila ako. My boyfriend eats a lot! Our dates were always in restaurants with super meals and unli rice. Tapos nag open pa ang family namin ng food house! I have so many reasons why I gained weight. I don't really have regrets that I did gained weight but I always make it a point to still stay fit and healthy plus go on a quick exercise every time I have the time. I also have my blood sugar, urinalysis and cholesterol checked once every 2 months. (Adulting na talaga! Haha)

This is the year wherein I learned to live up the saying, "Trust the Process". Everything is possible. We cannot predict what will happen. This applies every time I schedule things on my planner. All of my days are jampacked and every single day is important to me. The moment I wasn't able to do a certain thing on that day, my schedule is already ruined. Paulo thought me to always trust the process because not everyday is a bad day. There's still a day after to make things right and I believe in that. I've been in situations like this for a couple of times already and those things that I'm worried about before were the subjects of my proud and funny stories now. It always ends up with, "Ang galing, kaya ko nga pala!" But behind the thought of "Trust the Process" you should not forget to pray and do your best in everything that you do. :)

Lastly, I've seen myself growing and maturing for my age, taking more risks and believing in my capabilities. I'm in the process of being that independent woman I'm always longing to be. I'm starting to overcome greater fears; I'm starting to give myself the gift of being lost- lost in the way of helping myself to figure things out and to stand on my own; I'm starting to lead my life in my own vision; I'm starting to become an emotional rock whom people go to for help and I'm starting to fix my own shit together. I hope I could be as strong as I've imagined and that will be the best birthday gift I could ever receive.

Outfit: Wearing this cute crop top from Shein. Thank you Shein! You can get yours for only $12 or Php 635. You can visit their website for more fashionable finds! ;)

xoxo,

It's already September and it's already my birth month! I'm turning 22 in just a few days!!! I've seen myself buying a couple of cosmetics recently (I think I'm purchasing every week since last August!!!) and it feels a bit weird because I'm not really into splurging my money to these small expensive unnecessary things. I don't know if this is because I've been eaten up by all the youtube videos that I've watched or maybe because there's a need for me to look more presentable and professional because I am a blogger who meets and encounters a lot of people through my blog. Either of the two it's my birth month anyway and I want to treat and give myself even the least and littlest thing that would make me stress free and happy. Sharing with you some of the makeup haul that I have and my monthly favorites here on the blog! :)

First among the list is the most recent package that was sent to me by Esqido. Esqido is popular for their mink eyelashes (They do have lots of it!!! I made a review of it before) but they have released a newest addition to their site and it's no other than these Esqido eye gel liners!

Esqido sent me 2 gel liners to try. They have it in colors brown and black. I actually haven't tried on what the hype is all about (saw reviews from instagram!) but will be posting my own review next to this post after I try it. A lot of review says that it's creamy smooth and I can't wait to use it as an under liner and smudge it for a soft and natural look. These gel liners are on sale for $12 each instead of $16 on their site. I don't know on how long will their promo be but if I were you I'm going to take advantage of the sale! Haha! $4 is a good discount already if you convert it in Philippine peso. By the way, Esqido is a UK brand and a trusted brand for me. I'm a user of their products and they produce good quality items. Wait for my review! :)

Next are these Super Stay Matte Liquid Lipsticks. I bought these because I've been overwhelmed by all the reviews that I have been seeing all over social media especially my friends! They said it's true to its campaign that it can stay 16 hours on lips even if you drink or eat. I was encouraged by all the hype to try and ended up buying these 2 shades for myself.

I bought 2 shades- Seductress and Amazonian. I bought first the Seductress because I think it's the most wearable among all the shades because it looks natural and nude. Little did I know that I looked pale and sick after I tried it. Haha! Anyway, I still love the color but it's not the "wearable" shade for me. The second purchase is my favorite! Amazonian is a little bit edgy and bold but it's what I like about it. It's not really dark pala and it reached my "wearable" standard. It highlights and brings color to my face every time I use it. These Super stay products really stands for "Super Stay" because even if I remove it I still cannot completely remove it without having stains left on my lips. (I'm using Vaseline petroleum jelly to remove it!)

Luna Organics Autumn Clay Blush. I've seen this all over facebook and I've seen my friends selling and reselling this product. I was curious to try this product because I've seen in the reviews that I can achieve natural looking rosy cheeks by just blending it well. I purposely bought it as a blush but I didn't liked on how it turned out as clay blush. I have applied so much on my cheeks already and yet after I blend it, it easily washes off and it doesn't stay long. However, I like it as a lipstick. It's creamy and smells really good like a bubble gum. I use it on a daily basis in school and I recommend it more of as a lipstick. I just don't know what's the real brand of this clay blush or if it's MD approved so you should consider the risks too in buying this one.

Last but not the least is this Vice Cosmetics in Ekzaj shade. Vice Ganda launched his own self titled cosmetic brand this year and everyone is hyping about it. Again, this curious girl in me really wanted to try for myself and decided to buy one of her matte lipstick in the shade Ekzaj! Nakakatuwa ang shades ng Vice cosmetics. Very witty! Haha! Ekzaj shade is a little dark in color- maybe a mixture of red and brown. (I told you I like dark colored lipsticks!) It's creamy and it also smells good but it doesn't really stay long on lips. I love to have it in other colors as well plus I want to try their lip tints too! I recommend this product because it is budget and student friendly! It's the cheapest among all of the products posted here in my blog (Php 195).

There you go! Those are some of my favorite cosmetics from my makeup haul. I'm still eyeing some makeup and very random products and if you're asking me what what birthday presents would I want for my birthday here are some of it (Char! HAHA!)

Large LED Vanity Mirror- Php 799 instead of Php 1,300 in BeautyMNL (It's still on SALE!!!)
Infallible Setting Spray- Php 600 in BeautyMNL
True Match Lumi Cushion in Nude Beige- Php 900 in BeautyMNL