The Autumnal Staple

30 September 2017


My favourite season is finally here - leaves mutating to a warm array of orange hues, thick jumpers begin making their way back into my wardrobe and shamelessly, the majority of my money is spent on the finest whipped cream and marshmallows. Summer has, once again, flown by and it is time to exchange my clothes; get out my favourite yellow sweaters and live in burgundy accessories. Auburn red is my go-to for the coming season - I will always paint my nails a deep red, wear lots of darker lipsticks and purchase maroon accessories to complete my autumnal outfits. 

This year, I am so excited to be working with an incredible brand - Leather and Thread - to share the perfect autumn accessory and companion. Leather and Thread are an independent company that are outwardly known for their signature leather purses, alongside their other gorgeous accessories including belts and keyrings. Each product is uniquely designed and handmade by the wonderful team at Leather and Thread. The beautiful mahogany Signo Purse has been my go-to accessory for my evening attire; made with the finest leather and held closed with a single brass stud, the company display a high aesthetic of class.




PERSONALISATION

If you're extremely organised and thinking about Christmas presents already, this may be one for you. Personalisation is the key to my heart; I love when people put thought, time and effort into a gift, making it extra special when someone has decided to personalise it for you. For just an extra £5, Leather and Thread can offer that perfect personal touch, for people like me, who love sentimental presents. Etched onto the back of my luxurious Signo Purse are my bloody initals! I had no idea they would send over such a thoughtful and personal gift - I was extremely excited when I saw 'CP' placed subtly and sleekly placed on the rear of the purse. 



THE PERFECT ACCESSORY

Not only is this little purse probably one of the prettiest autumnal accessories in my collection, it is super convenient. The thin, sleek design of the purse enables a comfortable fit in every handbag or clutch size. With the ability to hold more than 5 cards in, you are able to fit in all your essentials into once place for your night out or event. I've recently moved to university and spent a lot of evenings in nightclubs. Leather and Thread's Signo purse has been my number 1 companion - fitting my cards, notes and coins all into one place without using a large space in my bag for other necessities. On a day to day basis, this little beauty holds my business cards, train tickets, loyalty cards and more! If you are looking for a small purse that is super compact but is still able to fit all of your daily needs, make sure to check out Leather and Thread. 

What is your favourite autumn accessory? What reminds you of your favourite season?


Lots of love


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This product was kindly gifted in exchange for a review; however, all opinions are honest and my own.


How To : Achieve the BEST Blogger/Brand Relationships

16 September 2017



Being a blogger for 3 and a half years has been an absolute dream. Although I don't blog as a full time job, I adore putting in the hard work and dedicating a lot of my time to my online presence. Everywhere I go I'm eyeing up locations for outfit photos, becoming inspired by someone's makeup that I see in the street or simply snapping a photo of my lunch. I am constantly finding ideas and working on SO much content. From building up an online audience, alongside followers on social media channels, this little space of my own on the internet has become something slightly more than a hobby. I am still creating content that I love, whilst also getting to work with some incredible brands and companies. I honestly feel so privileged when I get to work with someone who genuinely complements my blog and has taken the time out of their day to contact little ol' me! It's just crazy.

Anyway, over these past two years I have built up some great, and some not so great, connections with brands that enjoy my work. A little disclaimer - I only work with brands that I genuinely love or am interested in the products they offer. I would never, and HAVE NEVER, worked with a brand that I didn't initially believe were going to fit my blog. All of my reviews are completely honest and are 100% written by me, unless stated otherwise. I thought I would share my top tips on how to create the best blogger-brand relationships whilst staying true to yourself and your readers. 





COMMUNICATION

Communication is always key when working with brands - without a constant reach between the brand and influencer, it is difficult to manage the collaboration. Whenever you are working with a blogger or brand, make sure you are consistently emailing to ensure the post will be up by the designated deadline or that the product is suitable for the blogger/vlogger. I'm not exactly saying you have to email the brand every hour; I would just personally advise to send messages within 48 hours of the first email (even if you are not interested, there is nothing wrong with being honest), notifying the brand if a product has been receiving safely, clarifying when you intend to publish the post and finally once the post has gone live. 





GO THE EXTRA MILE

One thing that I've learnt recently, and works well in both favours, is going the extra mile. You will be granted in return, for sure! For instance, I've taken the time out of my day to post an Instagram story using the product or mentioning the item in my daily vlogs if I've been loving it! Stay honest but expose the brand in places you don't have to...especially if you're genuinely enjoying the collaboration. I've also realised something great to do is to check the social platforms of the brand you're collaborating with. Analyse their themes and their general aesthetic - I tend to find if I spend slightly longer on my photos or adapt my style to suit the brand's look then you're more likely to receive recognition. If you're lucky enough, you might even get a feature on the brand's social accounts as a thank you! 





REQUEST PATIENCE

A lot of people succumb to strict deadlines, which could potentially lead to a rushed post and something you aren't exactly proud of posting. I absolutely hate rushing things, especially my written content, and want to product the best content I possibly can (hence my 40934892 planners and journals). Thus, whenever I come face-to-face with a brand, I will always ask them whether they have any deadlines they want the post to be published for. I will never work with a brand that only allows a few days or a single week for the post to be published. In my opinion, a short time frame is definitely not enough to gather your honest thoughts on a product and whether you're genuinely promoting something useful to your loyal readers. The typical time frame I usually abide by is between 2-3 weeks, anything more is a complete bonus! This way you are being honest to yourself, your readers and are able to acknowledge real/genuine experiences to share.




Tee - LOTD
Skirt - Tobi
Shoes - Vans 


What are your top tips for working with brands? Have you had any bad experiences?!


Lots of love

Sensse Facial Cleansing Brush | Review

11 September 2017



Cleansing is a firm part of my daily skincare routine. Every evening, I will remove my makeup and cleanse my face before heading to bed. Over the years, I have found the perfect skincare routine that works best for my dry skin and the products that enhance my skin to its best possible condition. However, I had never tested a product that helped apply and get involved in the whole cleansing process. On a daily basis, I simply opt for a little cotton wool pad to apply my cleanser; I would have never thought to try out a cleansing brush that made application so much easier and less messy.




PACKAGING

Sensse Beauty is a wonderful brand that sell an incredible range of skincare enhancing products. I've written about their Deep Pore Suction tool that has made a significant difference to my skin - make sure to have a read if you want to know more about the brand. Anyway, this gorgeous brush came held in a stunning white box with rose gold embossed print on the centre. The simplicity of the packaging instantly drew me into the product and literally screamed 'LUXURY!' I was completely shocked at how gorgeous the product is itself - a baby pink brush with a rose gold trim at the bottom of the handle. The compact size of the brush is ridiculously handy for on-the-go cleansing, travelling and to hold in your palm. Sensse Beauty have designed a brush that holds silicone bristles that smoothly and deeply cleanses the skin once product has been applied to the face. Accompanying the brush in the box, there is a charger, charger stand and a glittery pink bag to complement the product.




MY THOUGHTS

Right, so you're probably wondering how I got on with the product?! I am in shock. I cannot believe the convenience of using one of these little electrical beauty tools. After applying cleanser to the brush or straight to the face, the facial cleansing brush will vibrate to your desired tendency (slightly weird but...) and smoothly applies your product evenly over the surface of your face. My favourite thing about using a beauty tool, like this one from Sensse Beauty, is that there is NO WAY you can get messy. The brush is the only thing that touches the products so prevents my hands from getting greasy (I use lots of oily products due to my dry skin) and all the other product I use when deeply nourishing my skin every evening. If you hate getting messy, barely have any time to do an intensive skincare routine or just want to try something new to spice up your skincare, then I would 100% recommend investing in Sensse's Facial Cleansing Brush.





Have you tried an electric beauty tool before? What are your favourite skincare products?

Lots of love

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I was kindly gifted the product by Sensse Beauty for review; however, all opinions are honest and my own.



Benefit Cosmetics X Olympus Pen | Fool Proof Brows Event

10 September 2017


On 29th August, my best friend Megan and I headed to Chelmsford for an exciting event at the Benefit Cosmetics headquarters! Kindly invited by the wonderful team at Bene Towers, my lovely boyfriend drove us for two hours so we could get to the event in time. Everything was a bit of a rush as Megan and I had been at work from 6:30am till 3pm; we quickly did our hair, threw some new clothes on and hopped straight in the car. The drive went relatively quick considering - we literally spent a whole hour applying our makeup in the car (very shakily) as it bumped along all the roads. 





Thankfully the traffic was peaceful and we arrived in plenty of time. On arrival, we admired the stunning Bene Towers architecture and the beautiful pink flags dancing in the wind. We were greeted at the door with a welcoming smile and guided to the room we would be spending the rest of our evening. As we ventured up the stairs, Megan and I couldn't believe the intricate, pretty and VERY PINK interior of the headquarters. The ceiling, photo frames and even the TOILET PAPER was pink! I was in heaven. Ruth, the digital assistant, greeted us at the door and explained what the evening would consist of. This made us both very excited and Ruth was honestly one of the most genuine and lovely people I've ever met. She was so enthusiastic and passionate; we had a chat about the new Fool Proof Brow product that Benefit Cosmetics recently launched and a discussion about the Olympus EPL8 camera, that the event was in collaboration with. 






Our whole evening was spent snapping beautiful images with the Olympus EPL8, admiring the gorgeous Benefit flatlays, experimenting with the new brow product and indulging in the adorable Bene cupcakes and treats! We were kindly given an SD card each to pop into the Olympus cameras spread around the room. Benefit's 5 most popular products had their own dedicated stand, which I thoroughly enjoyed photographing. The core of the night consisted of a wonderful demonstration of the Fool Proof Brow Powder by two of the Bene girls - the product is packaged in a silver metallic compact with the powder shaped iconically as a brow. The demo was super quick, enhancing the simplicity of the product and how makeup beginners can swiftly pick up out to use it. Jay McLaughlin, an Olympus representative, also shared his expertise within the photography industry. How to take the perfect selfie, how to choose the right lens for your photos and the best blogger locations...he knew it all! With his extensive experience and incredible knowledge, he left me completely mind blown and told me so much information I had no idea bout. I've been eyeing up the Olympus EPL8 for ages and can admittedly say that I will be purchasing it for my vlogging channel. Megan and I left in a great mood - we were even given some goodie bags to take home! I shared everything we received in my vlog, as I vlogged the evening too so make sure to head to my second vlogging channel to check it out!







What is your favourite Benefit Cosmetics product? What is your number one photography tip?

Lots of love

My Goals : September 2017

6 September 2017



Setting goals is something I have always done throughout my whole life. It motivates me to achieve the best for myself and push me to my limits. I love falling into a comfortable routine where I can thrive, keep organised and live a life that is as stress-free as it possible can be. To spur me on and fulfill my goals/bucket list in life I've decided I want to start a series where I either set monthly, seasonal or yearly goals. So...to kickstart the series, I've decided to publish some smaller targets of what I want to achieve from the month of September. 




1. Treat my mum to an incredible spa experience for her birthday.

2. Safely move to university, fend for myself and ensure I start the year on top of work (not get distracted by numerous parties every night) 

3. Have fun during Fresher's week - try not to overthink and have the best week of my life.




4. Join the dance/musical theatre societies available at the University of Lincoln - I really miss performing, as I quit before my final year of A Levels to focus on my grades. I've performed for what feels like my entire life (since I was three) and it feels like my life has been missing something ever since I stopped.

5. Read 3 books. Reading is one of my favourite things and life has gotten so busy with my blog, Youtube channel and uni preparation over the summer that I didn't get to read as much as I planned at the beginning of July. 

6. Find a balanced schedule that works well for me. I cannot wait to fall into a beautiful routine at university where I can plan out my work time, socialising time and then my favourite, my online time writing and filming. I have so much planned for the blog and Youtube during my first few months at university so definitely watch this space...





7. SAVE MONEY! I seem to have gone crazy recently and splurged on a lot of 'unnecessary shit', as many would say. I've planned to put a certain amount of money from my wages and my university loan into a savings account each time I get paid so that I have a safety net to fall back on in my future life. 

8. Take some time out for myself. I always get worked up and stressed if I have too many things on my to-do list or constantly thinking 'what do I need to do next', that I stop living in the moment. I feel like this month I need to breathe some fresh air and have some down time. Whether that is having a girly catch up with my best friend, snuggling with my boyfriend to watch a film or pampering myself. I need to slot in that extra evening where I think about nothing but me.




OUTFIT

Shoes - Vans
Glasses - Primark
Necklace - Tiffany & Co


Lots of love

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The dress worn was kindly gifted by Tobi Clothing; however, all opinions are honest and my own.

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