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. 

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! 

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. 

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.