#MyBlogLife: Meet Beauty Vlogger Siobhan McDonnell From Letz Makeup

We chat to Siobhán about getting 600,000 visitors a month and what it takes to be a successful blogger.


Siobhán’s Details:

Name: Siobhán McDonnell

Age: 33

Website: letzmakeupblog.com

Instagram:@letzmakeup82

Snapchat: ShivLetzMakeup

Why vlogging?

I started my YouTube Channel over six years ago before moving to London partly because I thought it would be a good hobby to keep me occupied until I got to know people over there and made friends. I felt the teaching side of make-up tutorials was missing, so being a make-up artist, I thought it would be fun to give mini lessons.

What’s the best part?

I love the freedom of vlogging, you can literally talk about/cover anything you feel like. And the little community I’ve built up through my videos in the comments and other social media outlets, of course.

Any fantastic goodies?

All bloggers/vloggers will begin to get stuff sent to them by PRs once they reach a certain level and you definitely get some fab bits. I particularly love make-up brushes. I have about 600. But when I saw that Zoeva brushes were making their way to me in the post I get very excited. I was recently brought over to London with a few other bloggers/vloggers by Smashbox to visit their pop-up shop in Shoreditch and we were put up on a fancy hotel and brought for dinner. That was just class!

You have over 600,000 visitors to your site each month. How does that feel?

It’s funny but that number is just an abstract thing. You don’t actually consider the actuality of that many eyeballs on your videos.

How many YouTube videos do you do a month?

I do three to four videos a week. I’ve a schedule I try to keep to which I’m pretty good at sticking to, unless I’m swamped with freelance stuff.

Ever feel like having a lazy day?

Not really. I’m very bad with boredom so I pretty much have to be always doing something, preferably productive, and I actually really love the editing side of things and still very much consider it an enjoyable hobby.

What’s your most successful video so far?

My Perfect Eyeliner Tutorial video. It’s an instructional eyeliner tutorial from four years ago. It has nearly six million views now. Sometimes I cringe when watching it back though as I looked absolutely knackered the day I filmed it.

What characteristics should a successful vlogger have?

Dedication, absolutely! It pretty much takes over your life. There was my life before YouTube, and my life now. And always be yourself, for better or worse.

Favourite make­-up look?

I love a clean eye with just mascara, strong groomed brows and a strong lip. It’s a classic but makes a statement.

Worst make-­up mistake we can make?

A lot of ‘mistakes’ can often become trends down the line and they are also often subjective. (Overlined lips, anyone?) But a too dark face against a paler neck is a clear no-no.

Essential make up product?

Eyelash curlers and concealer.

Any insider tips?

Be yourself and always be polite no matter who you are dealing with. And just 100% ignore any hate comments or abuse. Delete a comment as soon as you realise it’s negative and don’t even finish reading it if possible. Delete, block and move on.

Wanna be a part of #MyBlogLife? It runs online weekly and in the magazine monthly, too. To be considered, you need to have a personal blog. Join STELLAR’s Facebook group, open to all personal bloggers, or drop an email to info@stellar.ie, telling us why we should feature you.

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