My 2016 Blog Goals

I'm not usually one to set myself New Year Resolutions. I often find them a little clique and it almost feels like I'm setting myself up for failure when I do. With that being said, I may not set myself personal goals out loud, but I would like to set myself some blog goals to help keep me on track; I feel 2016 is the year for me and my blog.

When I started my blog back when I was at university, it was purely a hobby and a way to bu8ld my writing skills and experience for my course. But over the years, despite nothing major coming of it, I definitely feel like I've grown with my blog and it's slowly becoming something I'm extremely proud of. While I do now have a full time job, I am determined this year to make my blog a priority when I can and not let it slip back into what it did in the latter part of 2015. After all, my job is social media/writing so if I  can manage that I can certainly stick to my blog!

So with that in mind, I'm going into 2016 with every intention of putting everything I can into my little blog, with regular posting and great content and imagery. I'm going for the quality over quantity approach this year.

So with that in mind, onto my blogging goals/resolutions for 2016!

#1 Join The Community

When I started blogging, I loved talking with people, engaging in weekly blogger chats and of course making new friends. Now while I do still engage and try to be involved where I can, I definitely don't do it enough. So in 2016 I want to get more involved with the blogging community as a whole, both online (I'm looking at you Twitter/Instagram) and in real life.

#Photography and Imagery

One of the things I love most about blogging is the imagery it creates alongside the written word. I love all aspects of photography and while my photos aren't nearly as good as I would like them to be, I'm definitely planning on learning and developing my skills in 2016 to make them just that. In 2016 I want to push myself even further and really up my photography here on iamemmawilde.com, as well as on my social channels as that is a huge part of what I love doing too. Don't forget to follow my social media to keep updated, links to the right...

#3 Quality Over Quantity

As mentioned, I'm opting for the quality over quantity approach this year. I've always strived to post everyday, feeling like my blog wouldn't thrive if I didn't when in actual fact, that isn't the case at all. I want to feel proud of each and every post I put up and so I'm really going to be focusing on my photography and written content and put thought into what I put out there. I hate feeling so proud of a post and then the next day it being overshadowed/pushed down by another, possibly rushed post. The plan is to post around 5 days a week with quality, varied content.

#4 More Fashion-Focused

Although my blog is very beauty-focused, my passion is fashion and I'd like to inject this more into my blog with regular outfit and polyvore-type styling posts. I did do this mid last year but it sort of dropped off as beauty posts are far easier to put together for me but I'm going to put a lot more effort into the fashion aspect and really thing about tips, tricks and styling while doing so.

I'd love to know your thoughts on my blogging goals for 2016. Do you prefer daily updates or is it a case of quality over quantity for you too?

5 Tips For Preparing For an Interview

It's that time of year again where thousands of people, often graduate hopefuls, are all on the hunt for their next chapter in life and with that comes the dreaded interview. Whether it be for the career of your dreams or the in between job to keep your head above water, it's important that you are prepared as much as possible and you put your best foot forward. First impressions count after all! 

From personal experiences, it's hard going to interview after interview, making your best impression and then hearing nothing or being told (in my case) that you lack the experience the role requires. You put in so much effort beforehand and then it all seems like a big old waste of time afterwards but that isn't the case. More often than not it's not you that didn't get you the job, it's the employer (their having a bad day?), the role or simply you were unlucky. With that being said, if you're prepared beforehand, you definitely stand the best chance of success. On with the tips...

Pink Leather Jacket (& a tortoise?!)

I'm finally back with another outfit post and apologies that it's so short, the sun was playing havoc with the quality and so these were the best photos I could find. Hopefully this photo of me and my grandma's tortoise makes up for the lack of actual outfit photos. This tortoise, Freda, has actually been around since I can remember and despite tortoises not being the most active pets (she literally just walks round her run and sleeps), I love visiting her and being the annoying one who picks her up to have a photo taken - at least one of us looks happy in the photo! 

#Instagram Week(s)

Here's a little roundup of the past few weeks over on my instagram and if you aren't following me already (you should here) then you too can get a glimpse into my daily life! 

It was actually my birthday at the weekend and I had a double whammy present of going to the races/seeing Kylie Minogue live (full post here) and going to see Idina Menzel, who was absolutely incredible and exceeded all expectations I had. That took up the bulk of the weekend/this week on instagram but in-between I drank a lot of caramel latte coolers, watched a couple of beautiful sunsets from my bedroom window and wore some of my favourite accessories - I'm looking at you neon trainers and Alexander McQueen inspired scarf. 

Don't forget to following my isnatgram @iamemmawilde to see all of my daily snaps and let me know if you like this type of post! 

A Day at the Races & Kylie Minogue Live!

Saturday was my 22nd birthday and along with some lovely gifts and lots of chocolate cake, my mum and dad took me on a surprise trip to what I thought was a going to be a fancy meal, as I was told to dress up. So off we headed down the motorway, still non-the-wiser as to where we were going, only for us to pull up outside Haydock Park racecourse. At first I was confused but then it all became clear when I was handed my ticket to Harry's Bistro (the fancy meal part of the day) and to see Kylie Minogue sing live later in the evening!

Now it may come as a surprise to some but I've never actually seen anyone sing live before but have always hoped to someday see Kylie as I love her music and her concerts always seem so much fun, so it was a huge shock and of course a surprise that she was playing on my birthday and that my parents got us tickets to see her. So first we headed to Harry's Bistro where we were seated at our table for the rest of the day and asked to choose what we'd like to eat from the menu. Now anyone who knows me well will know that I'm not exactly adventurous when it comes to food, I usually stay safe and opt for a burger or chicken but I decided to have a change and I chose the peppered steak and potato, which I actually thoroughly enjoyed. The came dessert and normally if there's chocolate on ten menu I'll choose that but once again, I opted for something different and went for Eton Mess and I have to say, it really did taste as good as it looked. 

Once the meal was over it was time to place our bets for the upcoming six horse races and having never betted before, I used the skilled tactic of choosing the name/jockey's outfit I liked the best - who really needs to look at the odds anyway!? On reflection, maybe choosing a horse with a 20-1 odds isn't the best idea but it was fun cheering my horses on, despite them coming last in pretty much all of the races. I did however end up winning £70 on one of the races and experiencing the exhilarating feeling that comes with that, as well as the disappointment that comes when your horse runs first all the way round and then gets pipped at the post. But it's all just a bit of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed this whole part of the day. 

The final part of the day and probably the part I was most looking forward to was seeing Kylie Minogue live and she really overtook all expectations I had. After pushing through the crowds (we got a lot closer than in the photo above) we ended up with a great view and could take in the outdoor concert atmosphere while listening to Kylie sing some of my favourite hits and even add in a few unexpected acapella numbers! I thought I'd include a few of the clips I managed to film just for good measure.

I had such a fantastic day, it was filled with things I've never done before and it was such a great surprise, which I'm so so grateful for from my parents. Kylie was fab, I had fun cheering on the horses and the food was yummy, what more could I have asked for? Part two of my birthday outings comes on Tuesday when I'm going to another concert to see Idina Menzel. I've gone from seeing no one live to seeing two people over a few days! Crazy! 

May Non-Beauty Favourites | Video

Last week I uploaded my May beauty favourites and this week I thought I'd do a non beauty favourites. I plan on doing these every other month just to gather enough items to feature but that may change to every month depending on how it goes. Don't forget to head over to my channel and subscribe to see my videos as they are uploaded! 

Confessions of a Fashion & Beauty Blogger

There are so many myths that surround beauty and fashion bloggers. One that I constantly hear is that all bloggers are obsessed with beauty products, to the extent that we can't wait to get our hands on the latest and greatest serums that prove to banish ten years off your face, infused with various crazy ingredients like dragons blood and snake venom. Now admittedly I do love my Nip + Fab Dragon's Blood serum but that's about as far as it goes and I am in no way a skincare or beauty expert. I love what transformative power make-up has but I'm not totally consumed by the latest releases. In fact, I'm a bit of a beauty slob if I'm honest.

I'm not really a step-by-step skincare routine kind of girl. I do have somewhat of a skincare routine but it isn't at all regimented, I basically just grab whatever I think I need at that moment and go from there. I sometimes even just use a face wipe and with a quick swipe, my make-up is removed. Though I've heard that this is a huge no no among the beauty elite so maybe I should just a. Find myself a proper skincare routine or b. Stop listening to the beauty elite. I'm thinking option b...

TMI alert. I get that satisfied feeling after squeezing any spots I may get. I've heard it's actually better for you to get all the gross stuff out of the spot anyway. Maybe the whole clawing your face part isn't so great for you though.

I don't do anything to my eyebrows. Yep, not even fill them in or comb them. I think this one stems more from the fear of ending up with stick thin or worse, no eyebrows and even though I know I'd be going to a trained professional (I'd never attempt this myself) it just terrifies me that they will mess up my currently okay looking eyebrows.

I wear the same make-up practically everyday. My beauty stash is probably larger than your average, though I find myself reaching for the same products day in and day out, never really being all that adventurous with my choices. So don't be expecting any fancy make-up tutorials over on my YouTube channel, as these would get boring very quickly.

I buy products because they look good. I'm a sucker for fancy packaging or extravagant claims and I'll buy into almost every miracle lotion and potion. A rather expensive confession...

So I think from this we can conclude that when it comes to beauty, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I have no set routine, no sense of adventure and I'm clearly a sucker for a good bit of advertising. Can you confess to any of these cardinal beauty sins?

Let's Chat #1

I have that many ideas swirling around my brain at any of time that it's often difficult to filter them into actual posts. Some are worthy of their own posts and often find way onto my blog at some point, while others simply don't justify a whole post to themselves. That is why I thought I'd start this little chatty series to share some of the random thoughts I have. So on with the chat...

1. I'm feeling rather underwhelmed with my blog photography lately and I often feel like my photos could have been taken by anyone, rather than having a solid blog identity. I've been trying out different compositions and angles to find what I feel looks the best but has it all become too mismatched? Let me know your thoughts on this one please!

2. I have been completely consumed by the Clinique Lip Pop lipsticks. I initially thought they were just an overly hyped sheer lipstick but oh how I was wrong. I picked up Melon Pop last week and now I have three other shades on my list - they probably will end up in their own post at some point.

3. Is the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow palette worth buying? I've had my eye on it for a while but being the contour novice that I am, I am unsure if it will even have the power to give me glorious looking cheekbones, as apposed to my usual muddy faced attempts. Is it the miracle product everyone claims it to be? I think with this one I'm really looking for answers for you guys, preferable YES as it's far too beautiful to pass up.

4. A slightly odd one but one I've been thinking about a lot recently. The whole beauty/fashion blogger perceptions that people have are solely a reflection of what we choose to put out there to our audiences, when often in reality, we're all human and we all get blemishes and have bad days. This one I definitely want to do a post on but I'm not sure how well it would be received. Thoughts?  

5. Finally one for you TV fans out there like myself; all of my favourite shows have ended now for their season breaks and I'm rather sad about that fact. I feel like I have nothing to watch and I've been compensating by recording a ridiculous amount of reality TV - my Sky planner got down to 5% space  last week. It's become an issue. Game of Thrones is on though so there is a silver lining to the whole situation but I'll leave that one for another post, or a tweet...or both. 

Books | #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

I managed to avoid the #Girlboss hype for approximately five minutes before finally giving in and embracing my inner desire to be a businesswoman. #Girlboss = Sophia Amoruso, CEO of Nasty Gal and all-round fashionista. For all those girlbosses in the making, read this book; it's fabulous!

 #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

I'll be the first to admit that before hearing about this book, I didn't really know anything about the person behind the Nasty Gal site. I always imagined a high-flying CEO type from an affluent background, stereotypical or what?! That being said, just like anyone who has a story worth telling, Sophia's life hasn't always been this bright and breezy. After struggling to hold down several jobs during her teens and early twenties, she opened up her own eBay shop and it all progressed from there turning her from an ordinary young woman to a fully-fledged millionaire businesswoman and CEO of one of the biggest online fashion companies. Wow.

This book is by no means an autobiography; despite it offering a look into Sophia's early life and the way she reached success, the story between that offers so much more in the way of 'tips' and insights into how to make a success of yourself through understanding the mistakes she made and avoiding them. If you are wanting to hear from a straight-talking woman who really knows what she's talking about then Sophia is the one. 

The book is in it's entirety a real gripping read and it left me engrossed in every single page right from the get-go. It's the refreshing honesty from Sophia that really gives the book a non-typical look at failures and troubles as well as the expected strengths and triumphant moments in her life that many books fail to include.

This isn't a book you would read when trying to relax because it makes you want to write down her tips and tricks every two seconds, but if you want an insight into how Sophia has achieved what she has from an honest and down-to-earth point of view, then I'd definitely recommend this read!

Have you read #Girlboss?

Paris Diary 2014

A few snaps from my long weekend away in Paris. I could have included an endless amount of shots of the delicious food I ate, the beautiful streets I saw and the endless views but I've managed to keep it to just a few!