What It's Really Like to Be A Blogger with Esther Santer

What It's Really Like to Be A Blogger with Esther Santer

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Esther Santer of esthersanter.com stopped by Finding Ferdinand HQ to discuss personal style and give us the scoop on what it's like to be a blogger.

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Finding Ferdinand: We obviously love your blog. How did you get started?

Esther Santer: When I first moved to New York City I was living on the Upper West Side right near Lincoln Center where they used to host Fashion Week. I would pass by there and daydream about going to shows. On the last day of Fashion Week one year, I grabbed one of my friends and decided “that’s it, we’re crashing a show!” And we did! After that I was determined to start a fashion blog with the goal of one day getting those coveted invites to shows at NYFW. Fast forward to today, 4 years later, my days at fashion week are pretty busy!

 

FF: A fashionista by any means necessary! How would you describe your personal style?

ES: Feminine with an edge. I love taking girly pieces and pairing them with something edgy, like a leather jacket. I like to try new trends and apply them to my own style.


FF: Do you have a specific beauty routine?

ES: I'm all about skincare more than anything. When I wake up and before I go to bed I always use a face wash, moisturizer, toner and eye cream. Also, 2 or 3 times a week I like to use a mask or exfoliating scrub. I am not particularly brand loyal with my skincare products because I love to try out new products. For makeup I am somewhat of a minimalist. I can get ready in 15 minutes but if I have more time I’ll take it! I have my basic routine of mascara, bronzer and highlighter. I love highlighter!! It gives your face that extra glowy touch. And I love to finish off my look with a bold lip. I have also been loving a nude lip lately. But, as a blogger I am shooting all the time and a bold lip is great for photos.


FF: Back to fashion. New York Fashion Week was just a few weeks ago. Who were some of your favorite designers?

ES: I loved Rebecca Minkoff’s show and how she took over The Grove in LA. Some of my other favorite designers are Tadashi and Vera Wang. I love designers that take a minimalistic approach yet still create these amazing pieces that stand on their own.

FF: We noticed you recently re-branded your blog and you’ve given it a new voice, a behind the scenes look into the blogger industry, while still of course showing off your great sense of style. What made you choose to go in that direction?

ES: I have had a lot of influences along the way in terms of how I built my blog. One person in the business who I respect highly told me in complete honesty that he thought my posts were boring, he said “Stop trying to be Vogue! Be yourself! Write your blog as if you’re talking to a friend, or writing a diary entry.” And that was my wakeup call that I really needed to give my blog a more personal voice. Stop doing just the typical posts on the latest trends. I decided that having been in the blogging industry for a while now, there is a lot I can write about from my perspective. So that is why I chose to put the main focus of my blog on the behind the scenes of this industry.

 

 

FF: So tell us, what is the blogging life really like?

ES: It’s actually more cutthroat than people would imagine. My favorite part about this job is getting to work with companies I admire. And the thing that keeps me on my toes is always chasing new opportunities and making things happen. I’ve also made a lot of friends in this industry, I’ve got my blogger gang! But, sometimes you encounter some girls who aren’t as friendly. And then there are the collaborations, oftentimes they go super well and are a great experience. As I said, that’s my favorite part of the job. It definitely has its ups and downs.

FF: What do you tell yourself when times are low?

ES: I always remind myself that it's more about the bigger picture. Some days my following won’t budge or new collaborations aren’t coming up. I actually wrote a post about “blogger depression” and how to avoid it. I try to remind myself about the awesome things I have had the opportunity to do as a blogger. It’s a cycle, just like anything else. You can’t always be on top, it won’t always be great. But whenever you’re at a low point if you just keep up your momentum and work hard, good things will come.

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