Today I'm going to be doing a more serious blog post than usual so prepare yourself. I was reading some blogs a few days ago and came across Robyn's 'I Am Not Dumb' post and it really made me think. She explains how you shouldn't judge other people just because of their interests. As just because we as beauty bloggers enjoy beauty and fashion it doesn't make us all airheads. She explained how she often feels judged when she tells people that she runs a beauty blog because they hear the word beauty and assume she only cares about how she looks and has nothing else to her, that she's just one dimensional.

Being a girl in this world is tough enough (I'm sure it's difficult being a boy as well but I can't really speak from experience in that area) without people judging us for our hobbies. I don't know if you've noticed but teenage girls are often the brunt of jokes, especially by boys. Anything that girls take an interest in is automatically mocked. If you're interested in makeup, have uggs and enjoy Starbucks you're an airhead or a 'white girl'. If you're interested in comics and Marvel you're a fake fan and only saying it to try and impress boys. If you're edgy and like rock bands and wearing dark clothes you're just trying to be different and apparently that's a turn off?

Not only are girls often the victim of these jokes by boys but we've been conditioned to judge each other as well. I know that when I was younger I used to judge girls who wore too much makeup or wore heels for college because they were putting in to much effort but guess what, who cares. I've come to realise that I need to stop judging other girls. Who cares if they look like they got up 3 hours early to make themselves look pretty? In fact I applaud girls who have the patience to put on fake eyelashes every day or wear heels just to run errands because I certainly couldn't. And who cares if they wear jeans and a hoodie with no make up? Well done to them for being brave enough to do what I rarely can. I do love makeup but I feel self conscious without it so rarely leave the house without concealer and mascara.

Just because I run a beauty blog doesn't mean people should assume I'm dumb. Just because I wear make up doesn't mean people should assume I only care about my looks. I enjoy wearing make up. I like making myself look pretty and it makes me feel more confident. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm not dumb. I'm currently studying English Literature at Newcastle University and I had to study really hard to get the grades to get in. I came out of College with 3 A's and 2 B's. Just as Robyn said, 'must I humble brag to prove to you that I am not an airhead?'

Do we judge people who play football as a hobby or who read in their spare time? No. Then why is it deemed so negatively to blog about beauty? After all, to most of us it's a hobby. Our lives don't revolve around make up. Many of us blog whilst we study for a degree or are working full time, and blogging takes up a lot of time and is filled with many useful skills. Even if your life does revolve around makeup then no one should judge you for that.

It's not only being a beauty blogger that I sometimes feel judged for. I'm the type of person where if I'm interested in something I'm a super fan and know everything about it or I'm just a casual fan and only listen to the album/watch the show when I remember. There is no in between for me. At the minute I'm really into One Direction's new album and as a result I now follow way too many 1D blogs on Tumblr. Just like with the association to beauty, because they're a boyband people assume there's nothing going on upstairs despite the fact I've just read and analysed 100 pages of Homer's, The Odyssey today and love reading into and analysing my favourite shows if I find them interesting.

I think I've rambled on long enough so I'm going to finish with a point Robyn made that really stood out to me. Beauty bloggers shouldn't be judged just because of their interest in makeup because 'not only do bloggers know a whole bunch on make up and cosmetics or fashion and style or whatever their niche may be, they also own a piece of the internet that attracts readers. This shows a business mind, literacy skills, promotional skills, PR skills, people skills. Bloggers write all the time, we create articles online that people take the time out of their day to read, that in itself proves we are intelligent and have skills more than how to apply eyeshadows.'

What I'm trying to say is, stop judging people just because of what they choose to do. If it's not hurting anyone then you don't need to have an opinion on it. Also, if you haven't read Robyn's article 'I Am Not Dumb' then you really need too!

Holly x