Welcome 2021!

By now on the blog it’s tradition that the first post of the year will be wishing everyone a Happy New Year and sharing some words of wisdom.

Nobody knows what 2021 will hold but we want it to be ‘better’. I don’t have any expectations so that way I can’t be disappointed. 2020 was challenging for a lot of people (myself included) but there were also good moments. I try not to focus on the bad but realistically it’s not always easy. I applaud myself for getting back up each time something goes wrong and the idealist in me never loses hope that one day everything will be okay and it will all make sense. I don’t want this year to start off on a negative note so, goodbye 2020, I’m not sad to see you go and let’s move on!

The past 12 months were relatively quiet on the blog and initially I feel 2021 will follow a similar pattern. I have post ideas in the pipeline and will write when I get time and feel inspired but gone are the days when I would churn out new posts each week. I turn 26 at the end of the month and I will have been blogging seven (!!!) years in June – it’s understandable that over that length of time circumstances change. Blogging doesn’t hold the place in my heart that it used to but I still enjoy it and don’t want to stop.

For 2021 I need to be more selfish with my time and do what helps me to be happy and stay relaxed and as less stressed as possible. I’m getting better at being assertive and saying no and not feeling guilty for it. Often I feel like I’m letting people down but at the end of the day that person is me 90% of the time. This is me saying I’m done and I don’t want that any more.

Keeping a bullet journal is one thing that fell by the wayside in 2020 and when I’m able to clear my head and have a place to organise my thoughts it helps a lot. I didn’t have many pages left in my current bullet journal so I purchased a new one to begin 2021 and I can’t wait to spend time setting it up. Exercise is another thing that helps me feel good within myself. I got back into a routine during April/May last year and over the past 10 days I’ve started using the exercycle again. I’m going to try hard to keep it up!

2021 is the year I wish to welcome proper happiness. I want to let go of some of the fear I carry with me daily and embrace new things and experiences with people… who knows what the next 365 days will bring!

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What are you excited for this year? Do you have any goals for 2021?

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Hello 2019!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope the first few days of 2019 have treated you well. Let me know how you celebrated in the comments – did you go out or stay in?

I always think it’s important to write a post like this at the start of the year so I can prepare my readers for what’s to come and run through any changes for the year ahead. Throughout December 2018 I started thinking about the direction for the blog and I knew I still want to write and share posts but I’m not sure how frequently that’s going to be. For the first month or so of 2019 I will be having a very relaxed posting schedule and mostly sharing when I feel like it. I want to have some time to immerse myself in the new year and get into the swing of things without having a strict three post a week promise to myself.

I still have a few post ideas in the pipeline and I will be creating a list of future ideas in my bullet journal. When I do post I will likely still be posting on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, I find those days work well for me. I won’t be writing a Redhead Rambles update every week and I am unsure whether I will still share my daily highlights at the end of each month. Perhaps I could do a combination of the two and share any significant highlights and things that have happened at the end of each month or every two months. I am not unhappy with my past posts but I want to write quality rather than quantity. If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram (links at the bottom of the post) you will be able to keep up with me more regularly and see what I’m up to!

I was curious to see what my most popular posts from 2018 are, not only as a source of inspiration for 2019 content but to look back and reminisce.

1. Rimmel Match Perfection Two Years On – I am a little surprised this was the most popular but it shows beauty/makeup is what a lot of my readers are here for.

2. The Breakup 💔 – I am so proud of this post! I’m not bashing my ex or being disrespectful, I simply recounted what happened. Everyone left such thoughtful comments and I really felt the support.

3. 1,000 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY! – Following closely behind is the giveaway I ran at the end of September for (finally) reaching 1,000 followers. Nadine was the lucky winner!

4. GRWM: Trying New Makeup – I loved this neutral look I created back in August. I used a MAC lipstick with possibly the cutest shade name ever, Hug Me.

5. 30 By 30 – A list of things I want to accomplish before turning 30. I’ve got just over 7 years left!

6. First Peek Inside My Bullet Journal – I fell in love with my bullet journal in 2018. In this post I share some of the first pages I created. The post also features a flick through YouTube video.

7. Blogger Cliches – This is not poking fun at bloggers, I share what the majority of us seem to do and love.

8. Current Thoughts & Feelings: Dating/Relationships – Personal, honest posts tend to do well and this post follows my mindset after the breakup.

9. Remembering Tango – It’s highly appropriate this post was the ninth most popular, Tango would have turned nine in October 2018. I’m glad she features as in a few days it will be one year since we lost her.

10. Decluttering My Beauty Drawer – I got rid of beauty products I didn’t like or use very often.

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It’s important to look back but it’s also important to look forward and not stay in the past. I have four goals for 2019 and I thought I’d share them with you.

1. Try not to buy any lipstick – This will be tough as lipstick is my favourite makeup product but I’d love to be able to say I did it!
2. Make recipes from my Kmart cookbooks – I bought two cookbooks last year and haven’t made anything from them yet, I hope this changes.
3. Read 50 books – I read 48 in 2018 so I don’t think this is impossible! I’m also taking into account I work slightly more hours now.
4. Drive at least twice a month – During the last couple of months of 2018 my driving practice fell by the wayside so I’m hoping to get back into practising more regularly.

Over the coming weeks I may think of more goals but they are what I have for now.

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I hope 2019 brings everyone lots of love, laughter and happiness! Cheers to the year ahead!

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The Christmas Tag 🎄

Last week the lovely Sage nominated me to do The Christmas Tag! I had a look at my past posts and was pleased to see I hadn’t done this tag before. This year for Christmas I am keeping things relaxed but still wanted to do something a little festive.

1. What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Home Alone and Home Alone 2 always make me laugh and never get old! They are some of the only Christmas movies I can watch repeatedly without getting tired of them.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas morning. Christmas Eve technically isn’t Christmas yet 😛 When my brother and I were children we never opened presents early.

3. Do you have a favorite Christmas memory?

In 2002 we moved to the city I still live in now and the first Christmas we stayed with one of my aunts. I remember on Christmas Day itself everyone was awake before me and my brother and my mum were bringing in presents to me while I was still in bed. My brother and I got a Playstation One (which I still have) and another thing I got was a sparkly pink and lime green Barbie vespa. I absolutely loved Barbie!

4. Favorite festive food?

Pavlova for sure! I don’t know why it is associated with Christmas as they can still be bought throughout the year but most people tend to eat it at Christmas. A big slice of pavlova with whipped cream and strawberries and vanilla custard is one of the highlights of my day! Scorched Almonds from Nestle are another favourite; it is literally an almond covered in milk chocolate but so delicious.

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

I must have been about four years old and all year I’d been wanting a Barbie folding pretty house (as it was called) – basically a dollhouse for my Barbie dolls – and I was so excited when I got it. My dad gave it to me and I think that was the first Christmas after he left.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Pork crackling. We usually have a roast pork dinner with my mum’s homemade gravy and vegetables but the crackling is my favourite bit! Again, roast pork is available to buy year round but we don’t have it often.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

When I was a kid I always used to leave a drink and food out for Santa; either a couple of biscuits or a carrot. My brother and I would also stick name tags at opposite ends of the couch where our presents would go.

8. What tops your tree?

A glittery silver star.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

As a kid I didn’t really ask for presents, I got what I was given and appreciated it. I don’t think there is anything I desperately wanted but never got.

10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?

The food. Almost every family has a big meal and has food they don’t usually eat throughout the year and buys treats especially for Christmas time. Also, I like not being on a time limit and being able to relax and sleep in and just plod through the day at an easy pace.

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How do you usually celebrate Christmas? Do you have any special plans this year?

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Sunshine Blogger Award #2

Last week I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by the lovely Hunida – (thank you for the nomination!) Make sure you check out her blog if you haven’t already! Enjoy this post!

Rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the 11 questions asked.
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and include the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post.

Hunida’s Questions:

1. Are you okay with setting your alarm to a time not ending in five or zero?

I think I would be ok with it but I prefer the time to end in a five or a zero, it feels more satisfying.

2. What do you regret spending your money on the most?

I’m quite frugal with money but probably makeup and clothes that I haven’t worn much.

3. How many shots of tequila (or your alcohol of choice) does it take to get you super, super drunk?

I’ve never been drunk and I don’t drink alcohol so I have no idea!

4. Do you like reality shows or do you hate them? If you like them, which one is your all-time favorite?

I’m indifferent, some I like, some I don’t. I used to really love the British version of The X Factor before it became scandalous and over sensationalised. Now I don’t watch very many reality shows but I do enjoy Britain’s Got Talent, The Block NZ (a renovation show), My Kitchen Rules Australia and I watch Strictly Come Dancing if there’s one of my favourite celebrities on it.

5. If any, what superstitions do you believe in?

If you break a mirror you get seven years bad luck.

6. On your birthday, what kind of cake do you usually request?

I don’t have cake every year, there’s probably been more years I haven’t had cake than years I have. I love Victoria Sponge though, the combination of the jam and whipped cream with the soft vanilla sponge is a classic!

7. Do you still blow out candles on your birthday?

I don’t tend to have cake but if I do I like candles.

8. How old did you turn and what did you do for your most favorite birthday celebration?

My 21st birthday was happy and memorable. I went out for dinner with some friends and family and went clubbing afterwards. When I came home from clubbing my mum had decorated the table and living room with balloons and a banner and presents were all over the table. I wrote a blog post about it *HERE*.

9. What is your favourite online store to shop on?

ASOS because they have free returns or Glassons because they have super fast delivery.

10. Do you ever eat raw ramen noodles as a snack?

I’ve never tried ramen noodles before.

11. What is your absolute favorite candle scent?

I like scents that aren’t too strong and I’m not the most adventurous. Can’t go wrong with a simple vanilla!

Nominees:

• Dannii
• Angela
• Rachael
• Sophie
• Galit
• Huda
• Cleia
• Jamie
• Rebecca
• Pamela
• YOU!

My Questions:

1. What is your favourite online store to shop on?
2. What is your favourite social media platform and why?
3. What does love mean to you?
4. What country do you want to visit that you haven’t before?
5. Tea or coffee? How do you take it?
6. What camera do you use for blog photos?
7. Favourite part of your makeup routine?
8. One style trend you hate?
9. Hardest part about running a blog?
10. What topping is usually on your pizza?
11. What makes you feel better when you’re sad?

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There’s no pressure to accept but I’d love to see your answers to my questions! Hope you liked this post and learnt something new about me.

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The End of Blogging?

No, don’t worry I’m not saying goodbye yet… you’re stuck with me a while longer, but have you ever thought about what happens when you decide to stop blogging? Do you remove content? Do you leave your blog up? What would happen if blogs didn’t exist anymore? Over the past wee while I have had these thoughts pop into my head and I wanted to use this post to explore them.

As some of you may know I started this blog in June 2014 and I have stuck with it for over four years! My blog is where I share what’s going on in my life, what I’ve been buying, the makeup I love and some of my most personal thoughts – it’s almost like a diary. During the four years I have been blogging I have seen many bloggers come and go, others segue into more of a YouTube presence and some stop because of something that’s happened in their life.

I have wondered when’s the right time to go and if blogging ever became unenjoyable and felt like a chore that would be a sign it may be time to move on. During my four years I have had a few breaks here and there and they do help me feel refreshed and miss writing again. If something major happened that meant I couldn’t blog anymore I would be sad but it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

One of the biggest things that puzzles me is what happens to all the words and the posts you’ve written? I know there’s an export tool through WordPress but does that keep all the posts in one place or does it export your site and your theme only? It’s sad to think all of the comments and the words each blogger has carefully written and crafted could just disappear with the click of a button. Personally I don’t draft/write my posts in a program like Microsoft Word then copy them over to WordPress. I draft in WordPress and once that is done posts are scheduled and published. Do people keep backups of all their posts?

If you do decide you want to stop blogging, would you delete your site and remove all the content? If you choose not to delete your site, after a certain amount of time does WordPress do it for you if there’s been no activity? I’ve never heard these things talked about in the blogging world before and maybe I’m naive for not looking into them myself but I’d rather have discussions with my readers than read through articles on Google and not have any personal experiences to go off.

With the likes of Snapchat, Instagram stories and IGTV, micro-blogging is becoming more of a trend. I can see the appeal and it’s quick and easy but I believe there is still a place for blogs. You can’t beat hopping on your laptop and scrolling through a bunch of posts from your favourite bloggers! There’s something about Instagram that seems polished and there’s definitely a certain aesthetic that lots of people follow and stick to. I also feel that you couldn’t write as many words as you can for a blog post because let’s face it who wants to sit there and scroll through Instagram if your captions are 1000 words long. With a blog post it’s easier to digest the length because often words are broken up with pictures. If you don’t read the post straight away it’s easier for you to go back to later, there’s no algorithm that puts certain posts above others.

The rise of social media has no doubt been a contributing factor to the popularity of blogs and the number of people creating a blog in the past 5-6 years. People who choose to start a blog have their own reasons for doing so and I started mine when I was unemployed and looking for a job. Over that time I have grown and learnt so much and while I’ve never seen my blog as super popular, I have come to know of so many lovely people and the people that do take time to read and comment make my day. I don’t blog for money, popularity or freebies. I blog because I enjoy it and it’s my own little place on the internet.

I’m not sure what will happen with blogs in the future but for now I think they’re here to stay! Blogging full time has turned into a career for a number of people and I say good on them for being so dedicated and working hard to do a ‘job’ they love. I put job in inverted commas because there’s a quote that goes, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” If you truly love what you do day to day you feel fulfilled and working hard comes easy because it’s fun.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I don’t intend to stop blogging soon. To all of the people who currently blog or those who are thinking of taking the plunge and starting, enjoy it! Once it stops becoming enjoyable it may be time to assess and re-evaluate if it’s still what you want. It’s cliche, but write a blog you’d want to read!

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What are your thoughts on how blogging has changed and have you thought about stopping at any point? What would make you stop blogging?

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Day (or Two) In the Life

Last week on Instagram stories I asked what posts followers would like to see on the blog and I got this suggestion from Dannii (A Beautiful Thing). I have written similar posts before – What I Do In a Day – but this time I decided to share what I got up to during my days off from work and actually share two days rather than one. Nothing overly exciting happened, I am mostly a homebody but it is an accurate representation of how I spend some of my time.

Friday 17/08/18:

7:02 am: Wake up and first scroll through social media.

7:47 am: Feed Halo and take daily medication.

8:00 am: Back to bed.

10:00 am: Get up, brush teeth and moisturise face.

10:23 am: Breakfast; Toffee Nut Latte (in my favourite cat cup) and a banana.

10:30 am: Second scroll through social media, catching up on Instagram stories this time.

11:06 am: Empty dishwasher.

11:30 am: Get dressed. OOTD is a cream jumper and black leggings.

11:38 am: Trying to figure out whether Deja Vu by xoBeauty is too beige for my skin tone. (I decided to keep the lipstick).

1:15 pm: Driving practice. Got very anxious and upset on today’s drive.

3:16 pm: Watch YouTube videos and prep blog posts.

4:58 pm: Listened to Sweetener by Ariana Grande on Spotify.

7:10 pm: Dinner; pork chop, vegetables and gravy.

7:30 pm: Watch The Chase.

8:43 pm: Laptop time. Spent a while browsing the Feel Unique website and watched a few more YouTube videos.

11:20 pm: Daily bullet journal entry and added some things in my Filofax for this week.

11:42 pm: Read then sleep.

Saturday 18/08/18:

7:44 am: Feed Halo and take morning medications.

7:55 am: Back to sleep.

9:30 am: Alarm goes off and scroll through social media.

10:12 am: Get up and brush teeth.

10:17 am: Texted a friend about meeting up for hot chocolate.

10:21 am: Breakfast; yoghurt.

10:53 am: Post image to Instagram.

11:50 am: Read blog posts on WordPress reader.

1:09 pm: Vacuum.

2:55 pm: Garlic bread for lunch.

3:20 pm: Cut mum’s fringe.

3:39 pm: Shower.

4:33 pm: Read on the couch.

7:00 pm: Watch The Chase and Silent Witness.

9:05 pm: Watch YouTube videos and browse the internet. I looked at the Target Australia website and another website for handbags.

10:40 pm: Final scroll through Instagram for the day and read.

11:38 pm: Lights out, time for sleep.

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How do you like to spend your days off? Do you plan things or catch up on chores or a mixture of both?

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Reading Habits Book Tag

I stumbled across this tag a couple of weeks ago over on Starring Pamela’s blog. As I’m sure most of you know by now I am aiming to read 50 books by the beginning of September.  I thought it would be fun to share more about my reading habits with you!

1. Bookmarks or random pieces of paper?

I prefer an actual bookmark but if I don’t have one with me and I do have a piece of paper I will use that. My current bookmark is from Book Depository and it has all the starsigns and dates on it. I’m an Aquarius which is at the top of the bookmark so I have a little bit of that end sticking out.

2. Stop reading randomly or after a chapter/certain amount of pages?

I like to stop reading at the end of a page with a full stop, I can’t stop mid-sentence. Even better if the full stop happens to be at the end of a chapter.

3. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

Usually I sit on my bed or the couch, so, yes.

4. Do you eat or drink whilst reading?

No. I don’t want to spill anything on the book and I don’t like to be distracted when I read, I like to be fully immersed in the pages of what I’m reading.

5. Multitasking: music or TV when reading?

I can tolerate if someone has it on in the background but when it’s just me I prefer silence.

6. One book at a time or several?

One book at a time for sure, I’d start getting plots and characters confused if I had more than one on the go.

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

Everywhere (within reason). I read at work on lunch breaks, I go out into the community as part of the Mobile Library and I’ve started taking a book with me then as well. I can’t read on the bus or in the car though, I start to feel sick after a while. With the eBook apps I’ve downloaded onto my phone and iPad I could have a book with me wherever I go if I wanted.

8. Reading out loud or silently?

Silently. Slightly off topic, but I don’t like audiobooks. I’d rather read the story myself and that way I don’t have time to kill while I listen to the story and get distracted and start thinking of other things. Audiobooks are like baths for me, people love them and enjoy them but I don’t get the hype.

9. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

I try my best to keep the spine like new, it’s much easier with hardcover books but if the spine breaks a little as I read I don’t mind.

10. Do you write in your books?

Nope.

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Fellow bibliophiles, I’d love to see you do this tag too! If you don’t want to do the entire tag, pick one question and answer it in the comments.

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Sunshine Blogger Award

Hi everyone! Last month the lovely Pamela over at Starring Pamela tagged me to do the Sunshine Blogger Award. Thinking back briefly over my four years of blogging, I don’t think I’ve done this one before which is exciting! Make sure you visit Pamela’s blog if you haven’t already and I hope you enjoy this post!

Rules:

1. Thank blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.

3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.

4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

Pamela’s Questions:

1. What is your main goal of 2018?

To read 50 books in a year. I started in September 2017 and I’ve got until September 2018 to achieve it. I think it will be close but I might not hit 50.

2. Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?

No but I find some of them interesting.

3. What is your favorite organizational style?

Minimalistic.

4. Do you have any hidden talents?

I can sing. I did a talent quest at school and sang in front of strangers so it’s not just my mum who’s told me I’m good.

5. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

England/The UK; until I have visited this answer won’t change!

6. What is one touristy thing in your hometown that you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t?

Relax in the hot pools. I live in a very geothermic city with geysers and lots of natural hot springs.

7. Do you have any surprising hobbies?

I like to watch ODI cricket when NZ play and it’s on free to air television.

8. Favorite type of socks?

Ankle socks.

9. Do you have one go-to handbag or change them up often?

I tend to stick with the same handbag unless I need a bigger one for a certain day or want my bag to match my outfit.

10. What is something you’re looking forward to this week?

Seeing my boyfriend, I look forward to that every week 😛

11. What is the most recent song you’ve listened to?

Natalie Bassingthwaighte  – Alive (at the time of writing this post).

My Nominees:

• Caitlin
• Reeva
• Gwawr
• Ella
• Amy
• Britney
• Chloe
• Rachel
• Sangeetha
• Sophie
• You!

My Questions:

1. What is the most recent song you’ve listened to?
2. Summer or winter? Why?
3. Do you have any pets?
4. What’s your favourite comfort food?
5. Apple or Samsung?
6. Why did you start blogging?
7. Is there something you haven’t done before but would like to?
8. What are your most visited websites?
9. Do you believe in soulmates?
10. Best piece of life advice you’ve received?
11. What was the last book you read?

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If you do participate I can’t wait to read your answers!

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How I Edit Instagram Photos

Instagram is one of my preferred social media platforms. I upload what I want and don’t plan pictures very often. I don’t stick to a specific theme or schedule and I like that the majority of my photos are taken in the moment. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a routine for editing photos and there are certain things I do to make sure photos look their best!

Note: The following process refers to photos taken on my iPhone.

Step One:

Think about the image, how it will look and the subject.

Step Two:

Choose a camera mode. If it is a selfie or an outfit picture I will mostly use ‘photo’ and if I am taking a picture of my nails or one object I will use ‘square’. This allows me to see how an image will look when it is uploaded to Instagram and there is minimal cropping.

Step Three:

Take pictures using the phone’s camera rather than the camera in the Instagram app. I find the phone camera is better quality and you get different mode options, I think the app only allows you to take a square photo.

Step Four:

Editing time! I do very minimal edits and like my feed to have a clear, bright look. To achieve this I play around with three of Instagram’s editing tools: brightness, contrast and warmth.

• Brightness: I will increase the brightness somewhere between 30 and 60.
• Contrast: I turn the contrast down slightly, usually -10 or -20.
• Warmth: Certain lights can cause a yellow tinge and turning down the warmth makes the cool tones in an image shine and also adds to the bright, crisp effect. Again, I turn the warmth down -10 or -20.

Occasionally I will leave a photo unedited, normally the quotes for #PinterestThoughtTuesday. I don’t use filters very often either, if I do it’s most likely a black and white one.

Step Five:

Add caption and relevant hashtags. Save post as a draft or share instantly. Saving posts as drafts is useful if you want to post the photo later on in the day or the week and it means it’s all ready to go. If you don’t have internet access and can’t share your post instantly saving as a draft is also useful as the post is ready for when you do.

Now I will share some before and after comparisons with and without editing. All the before photos are on the left and the after photos on the right.

Example #1:

The second image shows more of the plane’s colour. The background elements are easier to see too.

Example #2:

The second image makes my skin look more flawless and gives my lips and hair colour more depth.

Example #3:

I remember debating whether to use the edited version when I shared this photo. The first image gives more of a true representation of the red but the second image is brighter and the petals look sharper and more defined.

Example #4:

The white and pink colours in the second image look clearer and don’t have the yellow tinge that the first image does.

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In all four of these examples the differences are subtle but it is an editing style that takes up little time and works for me.

How do you edit Instagram photos? Are there any apps you use?

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Blogger Cliches

As bloggers there are certain items and styles that we seem to catch on to. In a way it shows a connection between us bloggers, we find the same things aesthetically pleasing and feel in touch with one another. In 5 years time it will be interesting to see how the trends we associate with bloggers have changed. I am in no way poking fun at fellow bloggers, I merely wanted to share this post and play a game to see how cliche/typical a blogger you are!

#1. Copper/rose gold everything!

Over the past couple of years rose gold has become the trend. Personally I like rose gold but I don’t buy everything in rose gold and prefer to have accents of it scattered throughout my bedroom. For example, I’ve got a rose gold lamp, and a couple of rose gold baskets, one on my desk and the other on top of my drawers. I also own the rose gold makeup brush and watch featured in the main image.

#2. Fairy lights

Fairy lights aren’t strictly just a blogger thing but they are often used in blogger’s photographs as a prop. They also double as lighting and bounce light around in photographs. I have a couple of sets which I display in vases, this helps to keep the lights in one place and they look neat and tidy.

#3. Candles

Like fairy lights, candles act as a source of light. Many YouTubers have a candle lit in the background of their videos. A lot bloggers I see use candles as a photo prop and most of the time they aren’t lit. 90% of the candles I see are from Jo Malone or Diptyque. I have a few candles but I don’t tend to use them as photo props. Two out of my three I haven’t even lit yet!

#4. Flowers

Do I hear you say fake peonies? I love nothing better than a natural flower and tend to photograph them when I have the chance.

#5. Marble

Similar to the rose gold trend, marble seems to be everywhere. I much prefer rose gold to marble and don’t own anything with a marble pattern. If you don’t have a marble bench top for your photos a lot of bloggers make their own marble backdrop with a wallpaper sample and a wooden board.

#6. Lightboxes

I find these kind of cool but not not the most practical. I don’t own a lightbox but I know you only get a certain amount of letters when you purchase one so you’ve got to buy extra letters to be able to create messages. I wonder how much power these use and where people store them when they’re not in use or they’re not turned on and the message is not lit up?

#7. Trinket trays

These are really useful props because first and foremost they are used to store jewellery or trinkets in and can easily be emptied to be used in blog photography. I have a set of three ceramic trays from kikki.K and the smallest one appears in the main image of this post.

#8. Polaroid pictures

In November 2016 I purchased a pink Instax camera because the idea of instant polaroid photos seemed like a fun concept. I quickly got tired of wondering whether my picture would develop with the right exposure and I ended up throwing a bunch of pictures away because they didn’t turn out well. I actually sold my camera and the film I didn’t use and I don’t regret it. I’ve still got some nice shots from the pictures that did turn out well.

#9. Eyelash curlers

I see a lot of rose gold eyelash curlers in photos. I have a set of unused, black eyelash curlers which I did consider including in the image of this post but they didn’t sit nicely. One day I’ll learn how to get long, fluttery lashes.

#10. Thick black glasses frames

I wear glasses and it used to be considered ‘ugly’ if you wore glasses. Now it seems every second person seems to have a pair of thick black frames that they wear because glasses are cool (geek chic, right?!). I’m sure some of those pairs of glasses don’t even have lenses in them.

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How many of these are you guilty of? Me, I’m guilty of about 50% of these!

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