Dilan Sabah, an ambitious gorgeous 23 years old beauty blogger living in the Netherlands. Besides her study Journalism at Windesheim University she has a big passion for her Beauty by Dilan blog. Dilan has several other jobs. She works as an assistant editor at No Pictures Please and as a makeup artist at the cosmetic store ICI Paris XL. The things that Dilan does for work are a result of her hobbies: beauty, fashion, writing, filming, stories, cosmetology, languages, culture, traveling and cooking.
Here is the interview of Dilan Kutlubay owner of Beauty By Dilan Dilan Sabah.
What is Beauty By Dilan? What can you tell us about your blog?
Beauty By Dilan Sabah is a beauty blog for every woman. It doesn’t matter how old you are and it certainly doesn’t matter how much you can spend. With this blog I want to encourage other women to help each other. I want my blog to be approachable for any women out there, without having them spending too much money on beauty items.
Furthermore I would like to show that ‘beauty’ is for everyone. For the sporty girls who aren’t wearing any make up, for the mothers who are very busy and of course the girly girls who cannot live a day without wearing heels! Everyone is welcome! You can see how diverse my followers are. Dark- light skinned, young, old… There is something for everyone on my blog. This represents exactly who I am. I am approachable for everyone and hopefully I have helped quite a few women with my blog.
I think it is amazing when someone sends me a private message saying she gained more confidence. I once helped someone with a face condition, she asked for some tips and tricks to make it less noticeable. Personally I think it is really great when a private message like that comes in!
How did you start online, what was your first step?
I started with my Facebook page last year. The page was not meant for blogging at first. I was working as a makeup artist and was temporarily unemployed at the time. Because I wanted to keep the page updated I posted quite regularly. People enjoyed my posts and before I knew it my blog was born!
How long did it take Beauty By Dilan to become a successful blog?
I am very grateful to everyone who helped me sharing my page. Because of that I will always help other people if I think their work deserves more attention. After six months my blog became more successful.
What was other people’s opinion about your beauty blog? What were the reactions?
The people around me have always been positive about my blog. Everyone is proud of me. My mother always thought I was ordering too much stuff online, until she really realized I was getting the packages from the press and other companies. My father keeps an eye on me which I think is very sweet. And my fiancé will always support me.
How do you get along with the reactions?
Because most of the reactions are positive and encouraging it makes it easier to prove that I really like doing this.
I did once have a preach from my dad. It went like this:
“What if they send you a bikini? What if you have to wear that too?!”
I said: “No dad… It’s up to me I can decide everything. It’s beauty by DILAN, you know I would never do something like that!”
My dad answered: “That’s right, I was just saying…”
Well, fathers… It’s just part of it!
Did you have any pitfalls?
Of course I did, it’s never perfect. I am not very technic so I had to do a lot by myself. Like finding the right camera for great photo’s, but where should I start? What about a website… How do I do that? Because I’m still studying and working it was hard for me to combine with my blog. Luckily there were a few people who helped me doing thing. But many things like contracts and invoices I had to learn myself.
I noticed that you have to be ‘hard’ and business minded to get things done. That took me a while to find out and I’m still learning.
There are times on which I have some trouble with negative reactions, I am a human after all. But it also happens that I don’t care about the negative reactions, it just depends on how I feel that day. With negative reactions I mean the unrespectable and prejudiced messages but luckily I don’t get them often.
How did you get along with the pitfalls?
I have thought many times of quitting. I just didn’t feel like doing it anymore. Especially when the negative comments started to come in. My fiancé was my biggest support and he was the one who encouraged me. That was the time I realized it would be weak to stop because of some criticism. Because people who comment negative things, might be very kind in real. So yeah, I did have those times too.
How many hours do you spend on your blog?
I work almost 50 hours a week besides my blog. I try to post every day on my blog, but that isn’t always possible. Sometimes I spend 5 hours a day on my blog and the next day only 5 minutes. It depends a lot on my free time.
What was your biggest challenge you had to go through?
My biggest challenge was to develop my business skills. In the beginning I didn’t talk that much; I prefer warm and kind e-mails and phone calls. Very soon I realized this wasn’t the way to approach things. Luckily I’m warm towards my business relationships but I always keep in mind: ‘What’s in it for me?’
What was your biggest success till now and how much did it offer you?
Mm… I don’t know how to explain. I think the little things such as the short interview at Moslim Omroep and an invitation at Koffietijd (Dutch televion shows).
My followers are my biggest success; they made my blog possible. Without these followers I would not have that much awareness as I have now. They are truly loyal and very motivating. I love them!
We see you as an entrepreneur, you start something little and make it something of your own. How do you see yourself?
Well, you can call it like that. I think entrepreneur sounds very businesslike. But I do take initiatives and undertake my passion about beauty and share it with other women. I invest my time in my study as well as in my passion. So a bit of both worlds.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I want to have a very successful blog, my own PR-agency or my own magazine. Something in that direction. So I know exactly what I want.. uhu..
Thank Dilan you have been wonderful to chat with!
You’re welcome and thank you for having this interview with me!
See Beauty By Dilan Sabah blog
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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