Opportunities

Not only has blogging given me the chance to do things I wouldn't have the money or chance to do ordinarily, but recently I had an interview for copy and content production that I know I wouldn't have been offered if I didn't have 17 months of blogging on my CV.

There is no manager or boss telling me when to post or how to edit the photos, I have taught myself and kept myself accountable for it all. It started as a fun hobby, but along the way I've learned how to communicate with brands and better my site, and now it's a real asset.

Understanding

I've always had an open mind and absorbed facts about people different to me, but blogging has allowed me to hear it straight from them and understand their perspective. My empathy and awareness have developed as a result, and without realising it, the bloggers I read have made me a better person.

Disabled bloggers like Beth and Sarah told me about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a condition affecting connective tissue, which I'd never even heard of before. They've helped me to recognise my privilege, spot where things are unfair for them, and opened my eyes to using the correct terminology and assistance with other disabled people.

Bloggers like Lima and Laila discuss issues they face as women as colour, from brands excluding them to ignorance I didn't even know I had. I love reading their blogs and tweets because I see how they affect real people on a day to day basis, and I learn best through small chunks of information.

Charley is the first gender fluid person I've spoken to, and she has shown me how misrepresented she feels and taught me the things that hurt her so I can avoid them and see things from her side. I know it's not the role of disabled or gender fluid bloggers to teach, but my responsibility to learn, so by speaking to Charley I've been encouraged to do my own research and expand my knowledge.

Friendships

When I started talking to a camera in 2014, it was pretty much the only thing I talked to. I was at university, living in a poky little house with my boyfriend, studying a course I didn't love, and crying with loneliness every day.

Thanks to those videos, then this blog, I have friends I speak to every day. I have people I check in with on Twitter, friends who come to me for support and vice versa, and a group chat of girls who discuss everything, from the latest gossip to helping one another through grief. To an outsider it may seem strange that I'm mainly chatting through a screen, but I've always struggled with friendship and fitting in, but this group has made me feel more supported and celebrated than anyone I've met through work or school. Maybe it's because our shared love of writing and beauty brought us together rather than our environment forcing us. 

These people are without a doubt the best bit of blogging, and I'm so incredibly grateful that the hobby that started out of isolation has brought me the answer.

What have you gained from blogging?

 Despite opting for natural makeup on a day to day basis, there's something within me that just cannot resist the glittery goodies that have been trickling into the makeup market. From liquid eyeshadows and lip toppers to highlighters saturated with sparkle, this magpie wants it all. I know that glitter would act like a neon sign pointing to my crooked teeth and scarred skin, so I've chosen to keep the twinkle on my eyes only with four products I've picked up recently.

Barry M Glitter Bomb

I thought I'd found a Stila dupe before, but this is even closer. I have mine in the shade 'Oh Snap', which consists of tiny gold shimmer and larger silvery, holographic flecks suspended in a super light liquid. When I swatched this is store it was dense with glitter in one swipe but this must have been due to the sample drying out, as my tube does require lots of building or you can dab one coat over an eye look for a twinkly topper.

Topshop Chameleon Glows

These pressed pigments are one of the coolest and most unique products I've seen, and when the shades Wax and Wane and Changeling were on sale I had to snap them up. It's hard to even describe the colours because they shift with the slightest turn of the light (and even harder to photograph!). Wax and Wane is mostly purple and blue reflects in a warm base, whereas Changeling can appear peach one minute, then green, then golden, and blue! They make for a really interesting, high impact product that can be used on the face, over lipstick, or my favourite: in a bright eyeshadow look.

Primark Glitter Junkie Metallic Eye Pigment

'Glitter junkie' is definitely a bit of a fib here. At first squeeze this cream does look like it has holographic micro glitters, but somehow they disappear when applied to the lid. What's left behind is a foil effect wash of colour that can be built up to a beautiful, strong rose gold. £1 for 14ml of shiny goodness definitely deserves a shoutout- even if it's not quite as sparkly as its counterparts! Run to Primark now to grab this or the denim blue version.

How do you wear glitter?

Animal Lover Tote Bag

£8.50

Pastel Elixir

What a perfect bag for this post! I love that it features furry friends, but is also a more sustainable option than plastic bags, so it's good for the animals overall. Ellis is a massive animal lover herself and her adorable designs are also available on mugs and mirrors- she even has an axolotl one!

Personalised Pup Greeting Cards

£4

Carla Gebhard

Carla offers a huge variety of beautiful watercolour dog designs and these personalised cards are extra special. Alongside the Collie there are also labradors, boxers, bulldogs, bassets, spaniels, and chihuahuas to choose from. If you still can't find your own furry friend on there, Carla offers personalised pet portraits from £25, which make a thoughtful gift for the cat or dog lady in your life.

Calf Original Acrylic

£50

Naomi Wicks

I am absolutely blown away by Naomi's level of talent. She has original paintings of many animals in her shop, including birds, elephants, frogs, and bugs, and each one is just stunning. The proportions, colours, and details are nothing short of perfect, and you can be the only one to own a unique A4 piece from just £25. Definitely one to check out if you're looking to gift your home or a loved one.

Geeky Badger Pin

£7

Lily In Space

Badgers are Lily's 'thing' and her shop holds a whole host of the cuddly critters on badgers, notebooks, and prints. Alongside this geeky badger pin, she also offers sassy enamel animal (say that ten times fast!) pins such as 'oh deery me' and 'get otter my way' which will definitely bring a smile to any animal lover. 

Penguin Print

£10

The Penguin Patrol

If you know someone flippin' mad about penguins, this is the shop to stock up on all their Christmas and birthday presents! They offer cuddly toys, jewellery, stationery and homeware all revolving around the waddly little guys. If you love the illustration style, see more of Abby Cook's work here.


Prices are correct at time of writing. All images belong to respective shops.

What's your favourite animal?

Not to be hipster here, but my sister was in love with llamas and alpacas long before they were plastered on, oh, everything, so a few years back I bought her a llama walk, and for my birthday she returned the favour and gifted me an alpaca walk experience.

The alpacas live in the children's zoo at Walton Hall and Gardens in Warrington, Cheshire, and from the moment we arrived we were taken aback by how lovely a setting it is. The children's playground is immaculate, with varied and inclusive equipment, and the zoo is home to all kinds of animals, many of them rescues.

The animals we were there to see were Topaz, Jim, and Malbec, a trio of adorable alpacas. With temperatures in the 30s lately, I was worried that it would be too hot for them to walk, but we soon saw that they had been sheared and even given paddling pools to chill out. They're only taken out a maximum of 3 times a week, and always at quiet times to keep it as fun for them as it is for the visitors. We gave them leaves as a peace offering, slipped their harnesses on, and set out with keeper, Peter, alongside us.

Peter was really friendly and laidback, telling us all about the alpacas and their friends, the grounds, and the hall itself. It was given to the people of Warrington to enjoy and it totally fulfils its purpose. Not only is the hall a stunning wedding venue (and alpaca photo backdrop), there are formal gardens, crazy golf, and a huge pond filled with turtles and koi carp. It's a shame I don't live closer because it's such a relaxing, well kept place to visit.

The alpacas were so fun to walk, as they generally stayed calm and gentle but showed us their personalities as they grew used to us. Jim, the multicolour one, was the cheekiest of the trio and even had a quick bite of the flowers on my sleeves! They certainly enjoyed seeing the sights and nibbling at everything in reach, treating their walk as one big buffet. They loved throwing themselves into bushes to scratch their backs, and quite a few dog owners and visitors loved spotting us strolling down the paths.

Both of us loved the experience, and it's definitely one we won't forget in a hurry.

What would you name an alpaca?

Colourful makeup is creeping back onto the market, with nude bronze palettes being shunned in favour of rosy hues, orange tones, and pops of pigment, but full on rainbow brights are still scary territory for most of us. I was determined to change that in my routine this year, and I've come up with an easy method of brightening up my makeup without looking like a paintbox. It works well for my hooded eyes and is actually quicker than a neutral smoky eye!

You can definitely make it more dramatic by taking it further up the lid, using darker shades, or adding a slick of liner, but I'm not that brave (yet). You will notice that I added lashes though, and I much prefer doing this first so that I don't mess with my eyeshadow when I inevitably make a pig's ear of putting the lashes on.

What are your favourite colours to wear?

One of my favourite words is serendipitous, and it's the perfect one to describe last Saturday. We woke up early and headed over to Llandudno, a seaside spot that we've visited all my life. As we drove, we noticed that the roads were unusually busy, and signs soon told us why: it was Armed Forces day and Llandudno was hosting a huge celebration.

I know that the defences are a controversial topic, but the way I saw it is that every individual walking in the parade was doing so because they are proud of our country and people and want to protect us, and it's not those individuals that decided how that is done. It was a chance for them to be celebrated for their bravery, and the community certainly pulled together to show their support. The whole promenade was packed with people of all ages clapping and waving flags as the parades went by with brass bands booming out behind them.

As a nod to the air force, the red arrows, spitfires, and Lancaster bombers came and put on the most incredible air show. When I heard people discussing it I thought it wouldn't be my thing, but we headed up the hill to watch and the pilots proved me wrong. They looped, twirled, and decorated the sky with their coloured streamers, but the best was yet to come. A Typhoon, an even more powerful plane, came ripping through the sky with such force I could feel it reverberating through my chest, yet the pilot had it swirling through the sky as easily as if it were a toy.

After all the excitement, we took a detour to Haulfre Gardens. Despite visiting so many times, it was an area I'd never seen before, and the glorious sunshine made it the perfect day to explore. Winding up through the hillside we passed beautiful houses, met the friendliest Collie dog, and even hung out with Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. Alice In Wonderland is linked to Llandudno, and you can spot nods to the characters all around the town.

Before we were homeward bound, there was just enough time for a dip in the sea- it would be wrong not to on such a sunny day! We stopped at Colwyn Bay for a paddle, where another lovely Collie joined us. He ran behind me, pushed his head between my ankles, and played tug of war with his tennis ball, but just wouldn't stay still for a photo.

Have you ever celebrated Armed Forces Day?

Years and Years

My only experience of this band before June was their song 'King', which was played roughly 1783 times a day when I worked in a big department store, so we didn't get off on the right foot! Lately I've discovered more of their tracks and fallen in love with the beats and raw lyrics addressing homosexuality. My favourites are 'Sanctify' and 'Meteorite', and if you offered me tickets to see any musician right now I'd say Years and Years in a heartbeat.

Ted Baker Pretty Pearl body spray

I love perfume, but on a daily basis I prefer body sprays, and Ted Baker ones are yet to let me down. This is my favourite yet, with notes of two of my favourite scents: raspberry and rose. It's fruity but still fresh enough to smell mature and the pretty bottle is a great travel size. 

Jordan Page, FunCheapOrFree

I'm not a mother or a homeowner, but that hasn't stopped me binge watching every one of this lady's videos this month! I know all about how to give kids healthy snacks on a budget, and the best deals to get at Walmart- information I will never use, but she just makes it so entertaining. If you do want parenting or financial advice I would definitely recommend watching. 

How To Train Your Dragon

When my boyfriend put this film on I protested, saying it would be silly and boring and I wouldn't sit through it all. I was so wrong. It's amazing! Toothless the dragon is so adorable and well animated, and the storyline really had me gripped. It's a great film for little ones and big kids like me.

Morrisons Mint Ice Cream Cones

In the recent sizzling heat, these have practically replaced fruit as my 5-a-day. The mint ice cream has little chocolate crispies on top, and secret layers on chocolate sauce, as well as solid chocolate at the bottom. They're divine, and such a bargain at £1.40 for 6.