Meet Courtney.
Courtney Connolly is a beauty blogger with much passion and love for what she does. She went to George Brown College in the School of Fashion Studies and took a double course of Fashion Design and Fashion Business Communications. She left in her second year after an illness, which is what got her to start blogging. She took to her computer to start building her beauty blogging empire.
Courtney started her blog "La Belle Sirene" in March of 2014. She states that her blog is intended to be a piece of her. "I like to think of it as a best friend to my readers." "I focus on educating my readers and giving out honest information so they can brave the aisles of the drugstore with confidence." She focuses a lot on self acceptance through the posts in her blog, and she wants her blog to be a relateable source for readers.
This beauty blogger has been working on some other side projects as well to go along with her blog, that I am sure you will love! Follow Courtney's journey through her blog, or Instagram. (PS. Courtney's feed is beautiful and worth the follow!)
Read below my full interview with this gorgeous girl below!
Mikayla:
Where did the passion for makeup and beauty products come from? Has it always been something you loved?
Where did the passion for makeup and beauty products come from? Has it always been something you loved?
Courtney:
I have loved beauty for as long as I can possibly remember. To be honest, I can't think of a time when I didn't have a bright lip on even as a very young girl. I grew up quite close to my grandma and she was one of those women who always looked completely pulled together and sophisticated and never left the house without a touch of lipstick. I'm not sure if she was the spark that ignited my love for makeup but I can definitely remember watching her, fascinated by how beautiful she looked. As I grew up, she taught me everything she could about makeup and skincare and I have no doubt that she was a huge influence on who I am today. Apart from my grandma, I was always drawn to the makeup displays in the drugstore and I had a bad habit of wandering away to look at the Bonnebelle display while my mom searched for me on the other side of the store.
I have loved beauty for as long as I can possibly remember. To be honest, I can't think of a time when I didn't have a bright lip on even as a very young girl. I grew up quite close to my grandma and she was one of those women who always looked completely pulled together and sophisticated and never left the house without a touch of lipstick. I'm not sure if she was the spark that ignited my love for makeup but I can definitely remember watching her, fascinated by how beautiful she looked. As I grew up, she taught me everything she could about makeup and skincare and I have no doubt that she was a huge influence on who I am today. Apart from my grandma, I was always drawn to the makeup displays in the drugstore and I had a bad habit of wandering away to look at the Bonnebelle display while my mom searched for me on the other side of the store.
Mikayla:
What has helped you the most in terms of getting people to notice your beauty blog? What platforms and/or tools have helped you to develop your audience?
Courtney:
What has helped you the most in terms of getting people to notice your beauty blog? What platforms and/or tools have helped you to develop your audience?
Courtney:
I think the one thing that has helped my blog get noticed is my dedication to being a person and not just a face. I try to be relatable to every person that reads my blog no matter what lifestyle they lead or background they come from. I am always very honest and open with my readers and I think people appreciate that. I think that people can see how genuine I am in my recommendations and tutorials and that makes them want to see what I will post next.
In terms of social media, I'm very active on instagram and snapchat, because they are both great platforms for being able to actually connect with your readers but in very different ways. Instagram is probably my favourite social media platform because the possibilities are endless. It's all about branding and consistency but you can connect with millions of people who relate to your blog and that can really help grow your audience. Snapchat is a completely different story but I love it just the same. Snapchat is all about sharing a peek into your day to day life and because I try to have such a good relationship with my readers I really love having the chance to share special moments with them.
Mikayla:
What are some tips you would give to someone starting their own beauty-based blog?
What are some tips you would give to someone starting their own beauty-based blog?
Courtney:
If I were give advice to someone starting their own beauty blog I would say to be passionate. The beauty blogging world can be a pretty intimidating place and it definitely was for me but I think it's so incredibly important to remember that it started from a place of passion. If you remember why you started, whether it's a love for makeup, special makeup artistry or a skincare addiction, you will always love what you're doing no matter how difficult it gets. It takes time to grow in blogging and it can get discouraging but if you remember to be passionate you will always succeed.
If I were give advice to someone starting their own beauty blog I would say to be passionate. The beauty blogging world can be a pretty intimidating place and it definitely was for me but I think it's so incredibly important to remember that it started from a place of passion. If you remember why you started, whether it's a love for makeup, special makeup artistry or a skincare addiction, you will always love what you're doing no matter how difficult it gets. It takes time to grow in blogging and it can get discouraging but if you remember to be passionate you will always succeed.
Mikayla:
What inspired the name of your blog, "La Belle Sirene" ?
What inspired the name of your blog, "La Belle Sirene" ?
Courtney:
People always ask me where the name, La Belle Sirene, came from and I don't blame them. It's definitely not your average blog name but that was really important to me when I started. I wanted a name that meant something to me and would last me throughout my blogging career and La Belle Sirene was one of the first names that came to me. It's inspired by a few things but in all honesty it's a tribute to my grandma. My grandma was such a huge influence on me when I was growing up, she introduced me to the beauty world and taught me everything she could but she also completely supported my obsession with mermaids. When I was little she gave me a personalized book that was all about a mermaid named Courtney and it was probably the best thing anyone could have ever given me. The love for mermaids and for beauty carried through into my teenage years and she never stopped trying to support and teach me so I wish that she was here to see where her support has gotten me to today. She was also a huge fan of french culture and she passed that onto me so I chose to use the French words for "the beauty mermaid". So in a nutshell, La Belle Sirene is a combination of everything she taught me.
People always ask me where the name, La Belle Sirene, came from and I don't blame them. It's definitely not your average blog name but that was really important to me when I started. I wanted a name that meant something to me and would last me throughout my blogging career and La Belle Sirene was one of the first names that came to me. It's inspired by a few things but in all honesty it's a tribute to my grandma. My grandma was such a huge influence on me when I was growing up, she introduced me to the beauty world and taught me everything she could but she also completely supported my obsession with mermaids. When I was little she gave me a personalized book that was all about a mermaid named Courtney and it was probably the best thing anyone could have ever given me. The love for mermaids and for beauty carried through into my teenage years and she never stopped trying to support and teach me so I wish that she was here to see where her support has gotten me to today. She was also a huge fan of french culture and she passed that onto me so I chose to use the French words for "the beauty mermaid". So in a nutshell, La Belle Sirene is a combination of everything she taught me.
Mikayla:
What is your go-to everyday makeup look?
What is your go-to everyday makeup look?
Courtney:
My everyday makeup routine is still pretty glam for what most people consider "everyday". I always love to play with new products and try out new techniques so it changes pretty frequently but on the day to day I apply quite a bit of makeup because it's fun and I enjoy getting ready. I usually wear primer, foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, highlighter, brow pomade, neutral shadow, black eyeliner, mascara and lipliner.
My everyday makeup routine is still pretty glam for what most people consider "everyday". I always love to play with new products and try out new techniques so it changes pretty frequently but on the day to day I apply quite a bit of makeup because it's fun and I enjoy getting ready. I usually wear primer, foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, highlighter, brow pomade, neutral shadow, black eyeliner, mascara and lipliner.
Mikayla:
What are some of your all-time favourite beauty products?
What are some of your all-time favourite beauty products?
Courtney:
It's so difficult for me to narrow down my favourite products because I have quite a few but I would say the products that I can't live without are: the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, the Essence Cosmetics Lip Liners, the Maybelline Master Camouflage Concealer, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, and the L'oreal Pro Matte Foundation.
It's so difficult for me to narrow down my favourite products because I have quite a few but I would say the products that I can't live without are: the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, the Essence Cosmetics Lip Liners, the Maybelline Master Camouflage Concealer, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, and the L'oreal Pro Matte Foundation.
Mikayla:
Talk a little bit about your experience at George Brown College, and the programs you took.
Talk a little bit about your experience at George Brown College, and the programs you took.
Courtney:
Attending George Brown was a really great experience, I met so many amazing people and I learned so much more than I ever thought was possible. I took a double course of both Fashion Design and Fashion Business Industry so I spent half of my time learning how to design and construct clothing and the other half learning about the business behind the fashion industry. In that course I learned about manufacturing, logistics, retail business theories and even the history of fashion. It was a really fascinating course and I really enjoyed it. Even now, a few years later, I find myself using things that I learned especially the business ethics that work in any setting even blogging.
Attending George Brown was a really great experience, I met so many amazing people and I learned so much more than I ever thought was possible. I took a double course of both Fashion Design and Fashion Business Industry so I spent half of my time learning how to design and construct clothing and the other half learning about the business behind the fashion industry. In that course I learned about manufacturing, logistics, retail business theories and even the history of fashion. It was a really fascinating course and I really enjoyed it. Even now, a few years later, I find myself using things that I learned especially the business ethics that work in any setting even blogging.
Mikayla:
You have said that beauty is all about expressing yourself and being able to play with an art form. In what ways do you express yourself through makeup?
You have said that beauty is all about expressing yourself and being able to play with an art form. In what ways do you express yourself through makeup?
Courtney:
Makeup is truly an art form but one that should be taken with a lighter view. Makeup is fun and it shouldn't ever not be fun. I love to sit at my vanity and pull out products randomly and then create a look that works for whatever I've picked. I like to play with different techniques and methods so one day I might do a deep smokey eye and the next a cranberry halo. I like to try out new trends and play with different products that I haven't tried before. It's all about taking the time to play around and practice, remembering that nothing is permanent so if you aren't happy with the finished product you can take it off and start again. Right now I am really loving exploring different colour families in both eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Makeup is truly an art form but one that should be taken with a lighter view. Makeup is fun and it shouldn't ever not be fun. I love to sit at my vanity and pull out products randomly and then create a look that works for whatever I've picked. I like to play with different techniques and methods so one day I might do a deep smokey eye and the next a cranberry halo. I like to try out new trends and play with different products that I haven't tried before. It's all about taking the time to play around and practice, remembering that nothing is permanent so if you aren't happy with the finished product you can take it off and start again. Right now I am really loving exploring different colour families in both eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Mikayla:
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you hope to keep blogging? Working as a makeup artist? A beauty guru on YouTube?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Do you hope to keep blogging? Working as a makeup artist? A beauty guru on YouTube?
Courtney:
In 10 years I hope that I have grown my blog and my brand. I definitely see myself still blogging but I hope to have gained a larger audience and I hope to have helped as many people as possible learn to love themselves and love makeup. I would also love to have taken La Belle Sirene onto Youtube and to be successful on that platform. Mainly, I hope that in 10 years I am still getting up every morning looking forward to doing my makeup and loving every second of it.
In 10 years I hope that I have grown my blog and my brand. I definitely see myself still blogging but I hope to have gained a larger audience and I hope to have helped as many people as possible learn to love themselves and love makeup. I would also love to have taken La Belle Sirene onto Youtube and to be successful on that platform. Mainly, I hope that in 10 years I am still getting up every morning looking forward to doing my makeup and loving every second of it.
Photos Submitted by Courtney Connolly
Check outfit + makeup details for photos @ www.labellesirene.ca
© All content is my own. Feel free to use anything you would like, while giving proper credit.
Thank you.
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