Blogging 101: 5 Tips To Help Boost Your Photography

Photos are, in my opinion, so vital to blogs. A good, sharp image draws you in, inviting you to read the post presented to you. It frames an argument or review, can give you just as much information about a product as words and has the ability to captivate an audience. It's true that even if your post is well-written, a dark, blurry photo can turn your reader off; it doesn't exactly ooze slick professionalism. Before you say it, I know I'm not an expert in photography. My photos are nowhere near as amazing as some bloggers' are, but I have learned a lot in the past 7 months that could help a little bit. Here are 5 tips to help boost your photography:

Why Do All Our Photos Look The Same?

One of my favourite things to do in the evenings or at the weekend is take some time out, sit down with a cuppa, read the blogs I follow and immerse myself in their beautiful writing and photography. There's something magical about a blog as an endless catalogue of thoughts; a unique place where an individual's writing illuminates their personality and their photos transport us to a place of beauty (and usually envy). But recently, I've noticed that a lot of bloggers have the same style of photography, and the props, backgrounds and lighting of these unique, individual blogs are all blurring into one.

One For The Students: How To Juggle University and Blogging

Lately, I've been really struggling to juggle a heap of university work and posting three times a week on this site. Three posts a week may not seem a lot, but when you mix that amongst reading, seminars, lectures, dissertation, other assignments, and (of course) maintaining a healthy social life, it becomes tricky to come up with fresh content, photograph what needs to be photographed and edit. Before, I've found myself behind on reading because I'm too busy stressing out about which lipstick I should review, or worrying because the lighting isn't quite right in a recent batch of photos. I want this site to be successful, but I also want to graduate with a first and progress to further education. While sometimes, like at the moment, it is a struggle, I strongly believe it is possible to have both. Here's some bits of advice for you students who are finding it a bit tough to study and blog at the same time, from someone who is feeling the same!

Tweezerman: Overpriced Or Revolutionary?

You might be able to tell that the last few posts have been influenced quite a lot by what beauty products my mum has been loving at the moment. Taking a short break from university, I spent a few days at home last week and did a lot of catching up with my mum- including an evening dedicated to talking beauty and playing with makeup. One new product to her beauty hoard is a snazzy pair of Tweezerman tweezers. I asked a while back (on her behalf- I avoid tweezers due to trichotillomania) what the best tweezers out there were. I was greeted with a unanimous 'tweezerman' by the beauty blogging community. So, here they are!

Lancome Visionnaire Trio: Skincare Solution and Correction Creams

Since forever, my mum has sworn by Boots No7 skincare range. She follows a set skincare routine both morning and night, and sees incredible results as a consequence. She recently added a new step to this Boots-orientated routine; a trio of Lancome Visionnaire creams and serums. After receiving a free sample of the Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector, she became hooked and these three have become a staple in her skincare routine since. The trio includes the Advanced Skin Corrector, Advanced Multi-Correcting Cream and the Advanced Eye Contour Perfecting Corrector. (Could they make these names any longer?!)

Lift, Volume, Definition: The New Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

I don't know about you, but I buy into every beauty hype going. So, when Elle announced they would be giving a way a world-exclusive sample of the new Benefit Roller Lash mascara with this month's edition, guess which magazine I ran off to buy? I usually find Benefit products a bit inconsistent in their quality; some I love (They're Real mascara, Porefessional, Benetints), others I simply can't get along with no matter how hard I try (They're Real eyeliner). As a general rule, I've found their mascaras to be pretty ace, and this newbie is probably the best of the bunch.

Is Blogging Suited To You? 5 Reasons Why You Should Start A Blog

The ever-developing and expanding bloggersphere has engulfed the way we use media in the past couple of years, and the increasing number of bloggers and readers doesn't intend on slowing down anytime soon. 2015 has been predicted by many to be the year of the blog, highlighting the sheer value and power the blogging community holds. Blogs have undoubtedly changed the world of marketing; the way we relate to brands, voice our opinions, and engage with debates. But with so many amazing blogs (with incredible authors behind them) out there on the world wide web, how would you make yours stand out? What could your views, writing and mind bring to the internet, and more importantly, your readers? Ultimately, what I am asking is, why start one in the first place?

Hair Loss and Trichotillomania: How To Cover Up Bald Patches

If you've read my blog before, you might be aware that I suffer from trichotillomania. Since I was three years old, this anxiety disorder has caused me to pull out my eyelashes and eyebrows, leaving me with bald patches and other mental health and self-esteem problems as a result. I have written before about how trich makes you feel, how to deal with comments from other people, and how to cover it up using eye make-up, yet haven't ventured into talking about hair loss from the scalp. This is the most common manifestation of trich, but as I do not suffer from this form myself, I haven't really spoken about it. While I do understand the emotional distress of hair-pulling, I have not been able to offer practical advice. SO, I turned to Twitter and Instagram to gather up the best nuggets of advice (from fellow sufferers, to fellow sufferers) on how to cover up bald patches.

The £1 Wonder: Primark's Nail Varnish Remover Twist Pot

Always being one to try out the latest beauty hype or gizmo, I was especially grateful to be greeted by a little nail varnish remover pot sitting in my room when I returned back to High Wycombe for a visit. My mum, knowing my deep-running nail varnish obsession, had lovingly bought it for me to try out. Not having tried much of Primark's 'P.S Love' beauty range, I was sceptical about the quality of the product but definitely couldn't argue with the £1 price.