My Letter to the Fragrance Community(My Blog Story)

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Hello, ladies and gentlemen! I hope everyone is having a blessed day. It cooled down a bit here today, so that is always a good thing. The heat can be pretty brutal here at times.

This is a different type of article. This one isn't about drama and what we need to fix. This one is a thank you note and how the fragrance community has helped me through the years. It's not really a letter, but I couldn't think of a catchy title, so I just went with it.

I am not naming any specific people in this article because I want this to be about the community as a whole... I might be slightly afraid to forget to mention someone too. Anyways, I will stop running my mouth(fingers?) and get to what I wanted to say. Let's get into it.


My Eternal Gratitude

Again, I find it difficult to articulate the words I really want to say, so I named this section what I felt was appropriate. There have been many people who have helped me along the way...

To the people who believed in me before I started my blog and encouraged me to start it...

To the companies and people who sent me stuff early on when no one knew who I was(they still probably don't)...

To the people who gave me a kick in the rear when I wanted to quit...

To the reviewers who inspired me...

To my viewers who come by and support me...

To the people who have helped me with non-fragrance related things...

To the people who listened to my venting...

To the people who gave me something when I had nothing, both mentally and physically...

To anyone else who I forgot...

Thank you. You have done more for me than you know.

You see... I was scared about putting myself out there. I was scared of what people would think. I was scared of failing. I would have failed if I never tried.

I decided to put myself out there with encouragement from some friends. That was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. It has opened up so many things for me...from personal friendships with people to even being able to do some writing for a few brands... That is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more things I want to accomplish.

As many of you may or may not know, I take care of my mother who is ill. She has a wide plethora of health issues including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stomach diseases, and she is blind in one eye. She had to have her legs amputated a few years ago and she doesn't walk, so she needs someone to help her often.

All of that pretty much means that I don't have an income. That is why you see me say where I get every fragrance I review. I want to be fully transparent. I also want to give credit where it's due. No one that I have done a review for influenced me to say anything positive. The ones who wanted a positive review were declined, even if they offered money. I don't play that game.

Now, as selfish as this sounds, it kind of put me in a rut. I felt like I was wasting away. I felt depressed. Fragrances helped get me out of that a bit, but it wasn't enough. I ultimately decided to start blogging as a way to feel like I was working again. That helped a lot. I could pour my time and energy into writing and it helped me express myself, without manifesting those negative emotions.

I had to work hard to get relationships with some companies. I can't take credit for all of it. Many companies reached out to me as well. It took work on both sides. That is when I realized I could make this work.

Random people also reached out and sent me stuff as well. They did it just because they wanted to. There were no strings attached. They just did it out of kindness.

I figured I could make a few dollars to maybe buy a fragrance every now and then with ad revenue. Well, it turns out that ad revenue is terrible. I have been blogging for almost 2 years and still haven't made enough to get one check from it. I am not worried about that anymore. I have truly been blessed.

I got obsessed with followers, views, and all of the glitz and glam that people think of. Only to find myself falling into darkness again. I took a break and thought about things...

After thinking and weighing what I was doing, I came to a defining realization in my life. It's not about me. I was selfish. It's about passion, love, and helping people. However, it's not just about me helping people. All of those who helped me got something out of it too. They got that fuzzy feeling inside that they get from helping someone. This is about a group of people who believed in me. It's not just about me. It's "our" blog. Even though it's my opinion. They helped build it just as much as I did and I cannot fail them.

This is why I push on. I may get discouraged sometimes, but I know there are folks who have my back. They have had it since day one.

There is literally no way I could have kept reviewing stuff on my own. The fragrance community built this blog and they deserve the credit for doing so. I am eternally grateful to all of you that have helped me. I cannot put it into words that could articulate what I mean. Just know that I haven't forgotten you. I remember every package and every word of motivation you have given me.

We live in uncertain times. People want to think that the world lacks kindness. They want to think the fragrance community is full of trolls and jerks. It's simply not true. Yeah, a few bad apples get through the cracks. This blog is proof in black and white that the fragrance community is full of amazing and selfless people.

This article is number 193. 200 is coming up soon and I hope to be able to do something special for that. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

There are so many more things I could say. However, I didn't plan on this article having my blog story in it, but it just happened. I was just writing. and what came out is what I feel.

As I always say, a kind word is free. We need more of those. You never know what someone is going through. One word can mean the difference between darkness and light. Choose the light, my friends. The sun will always shine again. Not quitting through the rough times defines us. If no one else has your back, then message me. I got your six.

Everyone have a blessed day. Enjoy your family, friend, and loved ones. They will go through the storm with you and not think twice about it. Do the same for them.


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