I'm a makeup obsessed tattoo'd beauty blogger living in Virginia. I originally started my blog because I needed a place to talk about my obsession with others who are just like me. I post loads of swatches, reviews, some tutorials, giveaways, and more! I hope you enjoy checking out this blog and if you ever have questions or a request don't hesitate to send an email -- I do my best to reply to everyone!
xoxo with love & beauty,
Crystal Valentine
BE LOVE!
Contact Me: kisses@valentinekisses.com
Enter my glittery, girl world...
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Lucky Magazine online community contributor
Lucky Magazine online community contributor
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT get paid to do any reviews or to give my opinion. In fact, I even keep my blog ad-free because I am not in this to make money. Sure, as with a lot of beauty bloggers, I do get sent promotion samples for my consideration - but I am never obligated to talk about anything.
No matter if I purchased the item myself or received an item for free, I still review all items the same way. My responsibility to you (my readers) is to give my honest experience and opinion. I never allow the fact that an item was sent for free to influence my review or my opinion in any way. You can always expect true and honest opinions from me! If I'm really loving something, you'll know about it. If something really failed, you'll also know about it.
MY RATING SCALE: When reviewing products, I rate them on a 1 to 5 Kisses rating scale. Here is what each one means:
- 5 Kisses: Amazing, I LOVED it! Couldn't find anything wrong.
- 4.5 Kisses: A really great item! Close to being amazing.
- 4 Kisses: A great item!
- 3.5 Kisses: Above average, but not exactly great
- 3 Kisses: Average/Good
- 2.5 Kisses: Below average
- 2 Kisses: Not good and probably pretty bad
- 1 Kisses: WTF!
Q: What kind of camera/camera settings/lighting do you use?
A: I had my own photography studio and re-purposed my studio lighting for my blog photos. I use my DSLR camera, which was a Nikon D80 and it's now a Nikon 5100. The photos you see on my blog could have been taken with either one. I shoot everything in manual mode, adjusting the shutter and aperture settings as needed. I never use macro; I know that's kind of the go-to setting for a lot of bloggers but I like to have full control over my camera settings. Plus, macro doesn't seem to do any better job than the settings I use. Macro is great though for non-photographers; it's an easy setting to use but you have to have a steady hand to get the clearest, crispest photos.
Q: Do you wear makeup everyday?
A: Usually, but I don't always wear a lot. Some days it's as simple as concealer, brows and lip balm. Other days it's full glam. I love using makeup and I love testing makeup, so I am more than happy to "pile it on" even if I'm staying in my house.
Q: How often do you paint your nails?
A: I used to paint my nails every single day, but now life has taken me down a different course and I don't have the time do to my nails the way I used to. Now I'm lucky to change them up once or twice a week.
Q: I'm new to blogging, can you please tell me how to run a successful blog?
A: Nobody can tell you how to run your blog, except yourself. My biggest tip is to stay true to your style, what you want to talk about, and be realistic with what you have time for. It's easy to get burnt out from blogging - as many bloggers (myself included) go on breaks. The minute your blog becomes a chore it's time to step back and ask yourself if this is what you really want. For me, blogging is something I truly enjoy and when things get busy I step back and remember it's my blog and I answer to nobody but myself. Sure, I hate to disappoint readers but a blog is not a life or death situation. My biggest advice is to just have fun and see how it goes!
Q: I'm a blogger and want companies to send me stuff for free; how do you do it? Tell me!
A: I'll start by saying you shouldn't get into blogging if your goal is to have companies send you stuff for free. It just doesn't work that way. Of course bloggers get sent stuff for free, myself included, as it's a great marketing tool for companies to get the word out about their brand and their products. But keep in mind getting sent free stuff isn't something that happens right away and it's not something that happens for everyone. It could be months or even years before you're even contacted by a company. All I can say is if you're a hard working, honest person who truly loves blogging and puts forth a great amount of effort, companies will find you.
Q: Why do you waste so much money on beauty products; are you rich?
A: HA! I wish I was rich; believe me, I'm far from it! If you know me, you know how amazing of a shopper I am - I'm the one my friends and family come to when they need to find the best price on something. Because I'm a stay-at-home mom I'm very frugal with money and do everything possible to get the best deal. Not only that, but my beauty collection didn't appear overnight or in one shopping trip. It's been years of buying things here and there. And yes, sometimes companies will send me products and I feel very lucky to get those opportunities. But really, when it comes down to it, what I spend money on isn't anyone's business. Sorry to be blunt, but it's the truth. I don't ask you what you spend money on, nor do I care. I am proud of my beauty collection and how good I take care of everything (keeping things very organized and well kept), and I'm proud of my deal shopping ways!
