Smushpocalypse: A Cautionary Tale of One Plugin and Total Website Mayhem

Because nothing says “glow-up” quite like your entire homepage ghosting its own images.

The Morning Started With Lipstick and Confidence…

I had my makeup done, my lashes fluttering at full capacity, and the motivation to record a welcome video that would make Oprah jealous.

But before I could hit “record,” I decided to do a quick bit of behind-the-scenes polishing on Voguegenics. Just a sprinkle of optimization. A whisper of plugin love. I mean… what could go wrong?

One word: Smush.

It Promised Me Image Optimization. It Gave Me a Digital Blackout.

Smush — the plugin meant to gently compress your images for faster loading — instead went full scorched-earth on mine.

I refreshed the page and was greeted with a digital wasteland.
No images. No video. Just captions sadly floating in space.

My homepage looked like it had entered a witness protection program.
All while I sat there in a full face of glam, blinking at broken image thumbnails like they owed me an explanation.

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The Investigation: Jetpack? Cloudflare? WP-Optimize? Me?

First, I blamed Jetpack. Then I cursed Cloudflare.
I even wondered if I had accidentally deleted my entire uploads folder while sipping a latte.
(Not impossible — I multitask dangerously.)

But after checking every plugin, purging every cache, and channeling my inner detective in Incognito mode…

It was Smush.
Quietly wreaking havoc behind the scenes.

The Fix: Because I Was This Close to Summoning Tech Support With a Sledgehammer

• I deactivated Smush with the force of a thousand fiery glares
• Cleared every cache — Cloudflare, browser, server, and probably some karmic ones
• Cried into my settings menu
• And finally… my images returned
  Like loyal pets who had just wandered off into another dimension.

What I Learned in the Smushpocalypse of 2025

• 🔍 If something breaks, check Incognito mode first. It tells you what’s really going on behind the cached curtain.
• 🛑 Just because a plugin says it’s “helping,” doesn’t mean it won’t smush your soul in the process.
• 💅 Full glam + a site crash is an emotionally confusing experience.
• ☕ Caffeine fixes 60% of things. The rest require a “Deactivate Plugin” button and a little faith.

Final Thoughts (And a Small Cry for Help)

Smush and I have officially parted ways — at least until I can tame it into submission with safer settings. If you’re reading this because your site just went blank too… I see you. I was you.

But you’re not broken. You’re just cached.

And if all else fails? Put on lipstick and clear the browser cache. It’s a vibe.

💌 Stay connected:

• Explore the Voguegenics Blog
• Grab your free Power Pages
• Follow @voguegenics for more wisdom and way less chaos

Self-care is more than bubble baths — and sometimes, it’s deleting a plugin before it deletes your brand.

Dorey Duncan Scott Senior Litigation Paralegal

Hi! I’m Dorey Duncan Scott, a mother of three, wife and fashion entrepreneur. I started my career in fashion back in the early 90’s when I did print, still and runway modeling. I studied Fashion Merchandising, Music Business and Marketing, while also obtaining certificates in such industry-necessary areas such as make-up, styling and runway choreography. In addition, I had work as a spokesmodel for several brands, appearing in print and in person. As a former model, turned senior litigation paralegal, artist manager and on-air personality with a passion for fashion, beauty, and personal development, I bring a unique combination of style, strategic thinking, and legal expertise to my work. My years navigating the legal world have sharpened my attention to detail, while my experience and passion for fashion, beauty, and personal development drives my desire to help others feel empowered and help them in their journey toward self-empowerment. My experience in the fashion world has taught me the power of confidence. 

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