Quick Update: Detox and Overhaul

I just gave my blog a mini-makeover. Not too much complications, in fact, it looks much simpler than what it did previously with frills and ruffles. I personally like this one better I better post a screenshot to remember it in case that years or months from now I decide to do something else with this blog once more.

I stripped a lot of fluff here dramatically and updated some photos to make for more recent photos in the sidebar as those were photos were almost 10 years ago. Much has changed since then. I decided early on this year to do a lot of changes also in my blog, and my first step is simplifying the layout. I want my blog to speak more, as it's what's supposed to be, for me to be able to speak and share things, whether it's the latest makeup collection that arrived and my own personal reviews or a recent class I took.

Also, I want my blog to be my own personification. When I was younger, it was all about bright colors in my closet, four eyeshadow colors, 2 hours getting ready, and maximalism. Now, I appreciate gray and neutrals and rather than spending that much time getting ready everyday for that vamp look everyday, I focus more on taking care of my skin and body. It may be the age that dictates our preferences, but that's how life is. And despite that lovely gray scheme this blog has now, my secondary title - Life in Leopard Prints says that although I've detoxed and simplified a lot, it isn't at all going to be a boring lola blog. Or wait, I can make my lola life fun. I look at stripping away my blog's former colors and ruffles as stripping away a facade for the reader to focus on the content, on what I am writing. When in college, I used to submit my reports in colorful printed paper (I would get them as gifts abroad or hoard them when I am there). Turns out although I would get the initial "wow" reaction from the colorful vanilla-scented lab report on animal physiology, it's my actual report that mattered - Times New Roman font 12 black ink. Oh, I thought of adding just a leopard print stripe in my layout, just to break the gray a bit and increase presentation level. My zero levels of html coding couldn't decipher how though.

The main title will stay though, because it is and foremost started as a makeup blog and portfolio extension as it will always be, and it gives honor to what opened my door to other adventures. With makeup, I was able to meet my pole teachers and that jump-started my journey to fitness and met all my crazy and wonderful friends and teachers. Makeup is the yang to my yin. And there will still be beauty posts here and there. It is after all, my work. And again in simplifying things, I choose to manage just one blog than several other blogs of different topics. Maybe that's why I don't have a lot of social media accounts as well.

While the thought of social media is here, I'm currently on a virtual social media "retreat", so I would be off Facebook and Instagram (save for Facebook chat since I still need that for work) for a week. As social media has its advantages, sadly, I have been seeing a lot of drama and negativity that I would like to take a break from for a while. Sometimes though, I find myself zoning in my Facebook feed with a heavy feeling or forgetting to enjoy real world life. I have nothing against social media though, I just want to take a break and do my own personal detox. I'll try it out for a few days. Checking my accounts and  the habit of zoning there has been a habit already, so let's see how this goes.

Simpler layout, less frills, more heart. Let's do this!