LauraHadley.co.uk: blogging

blogging

How To Create A Blog Post For All Types Of Bloggers

It may be tempting to go straight into doing your post but this can sometimes cause you trouble further down the line. Spending a bit of time thinking about what you want your post to be like is always worth it. Some of the key things to identify are what style you want the post to be written in, such as a review, chatty post or an advice piece. When you have the idea in your head, you can set out a timeline for yourself to achieve your finalised blog post, taking and editing your photos, writing your content and then doing your last checks before hitting publish. Starting a blog is quite straightforward, so to really make the most out of blogging you should plan each post out even if you're just writing for a hobby.

Taking photos for your blog is one of the most vital elements and can really compliment what you're writing about. One of the most important things when taking your photos is to consider the lighting situation. This can make or break the outcome of your photos. Where possible try to use natural lighting as this will give the best balance. If this isn't possible, aim to use some form of artificial lighting such as box lights or similar. Think about where you'll be shooting to make sure you have a suitable background, while the use of props can really bring your photos to life. There are a whole range of camera lenses available and using the right one can noticeably improve your picture and give you different options, such as blurry backgrounds. I use two cameras for my photos, the Olympus Pen E-PL7 and the Panasonic Lumix G6. After finishing taking the photos, there are a couple of ways to get your photos onto your device for editing. One helpful article about 'How to Transfer Images from your Lumix' explains how to do this. Once your photos are on your device, you can choose which way to edit them. I edit my blog photos on Photoshop but similar programmes and websites can help you achieve the same edit.

When it comes to writing your blog post it can sometimes be the point where you don't know where to start. This is where you can refer back to your plan to see how you intended to write the post and what needs to be included, as this will help you break it down into sections. If you concentrate on a smaller section at a time, it makes it easier to write. Letting your creative mind flow is great once you've got hang of it, but even if you get stuck you can look for some inspiration and you'll soon be right on track. Once you feel that your post is finished, go back over and read through it one more time. This will help you to spot mistakes you may have missed, along with slight improvements that could be made to make your writing that bit better.

It can be easy to publish your post and think that your work is complete but promoting your post is really important to get people to be able to see your post. Think about how often you want to share it and one what platform. Make use of the photos in your blog post to include in your social promotion as this will help to catch the eye of people scrolling through their feed. The better photos you get, the higher quality your Pinterest and Instagram feeds will be, and posts with photos tend to gain more views from Twitter and Facebook. Overall, having better photos should boost your engagement and increase traffic to your site, and help you find more blogging opportunities.

This is a sponsored post

How Blogging Has Changed

It's coming up to my 4 year blog anniversary which seems absolutely mad. I feel that things have changed so much over the time I've been blogging and I've learnt a lot about how to do things and the way things have moved on in the blogging world. When I created my blog as a hobby I never thought that it could turn into what it is now and be going full time with it. I've been thinking back about some of the main things that have changed over the four years I've been blogging.

Photography
When I first began taking photos to use in posts I was borrowing a camera and attempting to get the bests shots possible while attempting to learn how to use it. I didn't really plan them out or spend time getting the setup correct, it was more a case of laying the products out and snapping away. I'd take quite a few photos of the products and then just choose my favourites. I did start to edit my photos but to be honest this mostly just meant brightening them a little bit. After nearly two years, I saved up money from my job and bought myself an Olympus Pen. This was a game changer and meant the quality of my photos noticeably improved. For my photos now, I spent a lot more time thinking about what I want them to look like, which props and backdrops to use and making sure I get the best lighting possible.

Working with brands
Getting sent products for review is a great opportunity to try out new products but also to give honest reviews to people who may be thinking about buying them. It first started out with one item whereas now I can find myself getting a new collection to test out. I've also expanded the type of companies I've worked with to include restaurants as well as home and lifestyle-related products. This has meant I've been able to try out places that I may never have thought about before. When I started doing my first paid collaborations they were sponsored posts where I would help companies advertise their products or services. More recently, this has expanded to include sponsored content on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. One thing that hasn't changed is that you still see some companies trying to pay you £10 for a bunch of follow links, and with this, my stance on what's right and wrong hasn't changed and I still refuse them.

Writing and blog style
I remember saying hello to my readers in each post as if it was a video but started to realise this wasn't the style I wanted to go for. There's no correct way of doing it but you need to find what works for you and how you want your posts to come across. I've noticed the style change across other bloggers as I think that there has been a shift towards more of an editorial style as opposed to a diary format. On the visual side of my blog, I began with one of the basic themes that blogger provide. Since then I've switched between a few different ones and now found one that I love and feel that it suits me, my content and what I'm trying to deliver.

Social media and blog community
On Twitter, there used to be a blogger chats pretty much every day the host would ask a series of questions around a particular topic. In more recent times, it has sometimes been used as a way of causing drama between bloggers, whether this is related to buying followers or even just disagreements on a topic. I feel Twitter is the best platform to interact with people and grow your following. Instagram didn't always follow a certain theme that people tried to fit into and there wasn't a worry about the follower to following ratio. The new algorithm introduced has made the feeds not be in chronological order, reduced your visibility and we've become victim to the follow/unfollow game. On the positive side, Insta now has the ability to create stories, slideshows and is a platform used to shout out to other bloggers to recognise their work.

Things That Annoy Bloggers - A Lot Of Asks

I've written a range of blogging posts, but there are some things that annoy me on a daily basis. Things that I can't get out of my head or things that I see over on social media that really grind my gears. I thought to myself 'why not just write a post'. Here we are, so I'm discussing what really annoys bloggers and how these situations can be avoided. A few other bloggers have also put their thoughts into this post, so make sure to check out their links too.

Asking them to regram a photo for a 'chance' to become an ambassador.

This annoys me for a few reasons. First of all, if you need an ambassador then you should search for one that will benefit your company, ask them if they want to be an ambassador then go from there. Secondly, it's so clear that you're just using this method to advertise your brand, but if I see these photos on Instagram then you've made me totally lose respect for you. Finally, you get new blogger's hopes up and it's really not fair. To be an ambassador for a brand it should benefit you both in terms of advertising and content. Note to brands, please don't do this.

Asking for 50k followers to review one item when the product value is low.

This is a tricky one since brands work with bloggers in multiple ways. If you're a new brand, with low-value products but you want to get your word across, please don't advertise that you want people with a ridiculous amount of followers to review your products. Chances are, if you have 50,000 followers then brands will be offering paid reviews your way, and it wouldn't benefit the blogger to review a low-value item if it wasn't unique or in line with their content. Brands who fit this description are much better off asking a few smaller bloggers to review items and then collabs will be mutually beneficial.

Asking for YouTube reviews to bloggers who don't have YouTube.

Massive bugbear. There are three types of influencer in my opinion. 1) people with just written content so bloggers or Instagram influencers etc, 2) people with just video content, and 3) people with both. It is vital that you do your research on who you want to work with, so don't ask someone in category 1 to create video content if they don't already provide videos. I fall into category three, as I have a travel YouTube channel. This means that although I provide written content for beauty products, it does not mean that I will do a sit-down video for a product when my video content is in vlog format that doesn't feature very much of myself, let alone my voice. If you want written content ask bloggers, and if you're looking for video content, ask YouTubers.

Asking for extras to be added to posts after it has gone live.

There is a grey area when it comes to blogging, and that is the law. Now I'm only going to touch on this subject but from having a law degree myself, I feel fairly confident that I can speak a little about this. Some dispute whether collaborations actually form contracts. There are essentially three things that make a contract up: agreement, intention and consideration. Two parties agreeing to a review campaign consists of one party making an offer i.e. emailing you to say they'd like you to review an item. You then accept the offer (over email for example) if it suits you, based upon all terms they have laid out such as must include 2 photos or must include the full name of the product. Consideration is something of value, say receiving the product and keeping it in return for the review, or being paid to review something, the payment is the consideration. Now for intention (to create legal relations). If a company sends you a contract to sign and you do sign it, there is intention there. Now I'm not saying that without a formal contract there are no legal relations, but a court would have to decide whether your collaboration forms a contract if something went wrong. I hear you say 'but why would we go to court' and I know for the most part blog collabs don't end up there, but in all seriousness, they could. Treat every collaboration like it's a matter of law and agree with all terms before a product is sent out to you. If you post your review and a brand asks you to add a link in, that's a term that should have previously agreed, so in the blogging world I wouldn't say you have to do it, but you could either as 1, a gesture of kindness or 2, ask them to pay for a no-follow link.

Asking bloggers to post content on their website for nothing.

If you own a website, then someone has to do the written work. That person will be paid to write that content, so when people ask bloggers to write content for their website then surely they should be paid too. Some people don't think so, but what benefits could come from this? If they have a higher domain authority than you and they add your link in then there will be a short-term benefit there. Aside from that, I can see no benefit from you taking time out of your day to write quality content that may as well just go on your blog.

Asking for follow-links.

This is possibly the thing that annoys me most and was suggested by Paige. I've written about this in more depth over on this article but brands need to be clear about what they want. They need to read blogger's Work With Me pages to determine whether they accept follow links or not. For the bloggers who don't want to be penalised, we include no-follow links only. Don't ask bloggers to add a follow link, or more so try to offer money to do something frowned upon which to me seems like a bribe.

Asking if they can post their own content on your blog for nothing in return.

Rosie suggested this one, and I've seen a lot of it online. This has been seen with both brands and other bloggers, asking if they can publish their content on your blog so that you have an extra blog post. What some people don't realise is, bloggers love writing their own content. Unless you ask yourself for a guest piece, we don't tend to offer it. Brands try to wiggle around this by saying it's just a guest post when in reality it's content that would have to be paid for, therefore if you accept it's 'free advertising'. I actually saw on Facebook the other day, someone asking for payment to host your guest post like it was a huge favour to you.

Asking for reviews but you have to put your own money into it.

This is something that annoyed Justine and many other bloggers. If you want someone to review a product for you, then them keeping the product is payment in return for the content. Asking for a blogger to pay for a product to then review it for them is a huge no. If someone wanted to review the product out of their own pocket anyway, then that's fine. But requesting them to part with their money to provide a service is not only disrespectful but it shows us that you don't value our work. There's a difference between offering a big discount for bloggers in return for a review and then emailing with an opportunity then adding it in later that they need to be the ones coughing up the money.

How To Start A Blog

I've been blogging for pretty much four years now, and one of the posts in my blogging tips series has been how to start a blog. I had read blogs for some time before setting one up, and I feel like there are some tips I wish I had read before setting my own up. It doesn't matter what type of blog you're wanting to set up, whether it be broad like this or very niche, reading some information on blogging will really help you get started.

Choosing your platform

There are plenty of platforms to choose to start your blog on. I chose Blogger as it's pretty basic with options to expand further if you purchase a theme externally. Platforms like Wordpress are more in depth with plugins you can use to customise your blog. Other platforms are Wix, Tumblr, Squarespace, and Weebly. You need to decide on what type of blog you are aiming for and read up on what the different options offer you. If you decide you would rather be on a different platform further down the line, you can also migrate your blog over.

Picking a theme

I bought my theme from an Etsy store to make sure it had what I wanted from my blog, such as the sidebar, sliding header, feature posts and more. Pipdig and Creative Market have some other great themes too that provide you with plenty of features to accessible and engaging. If you're looking for a free theme outside of the ones provided, make sure they don't have huge ads on them.

Creating a name

Blogs come in a range of different forms; from hobbies, full-time businesses, professional and more. Your name will help define your blog and set it aside from others. I went with my name as my blog is ran full time but it doesn't confine me to one specific topic such as beauty. Note down a number of different options to give yourself a few different choices. Don't feel like you have to decide on one straight away either, give yourself time to be sure.

Setting up social media accounts

To help your blog become successful, it's important to set up relevant social media accounts to help promote it. When deciding on your social media platforms, try to get one that is available across all platforms. This will be much easier for people to remember and find you at ease. My fiancé's blog is andrewmarksmith.co.uk but had to use @amsblog for his social media accounts so be prepared to shorten or modify usernames too.

Have pages set up

This is a good way to section up the different content on your blog. A couple of useful ones to start with are to have About Me and Work With Me pages. This gives people an area to come to so they can find out a little bit more about you and what type of thing you are looking for when collaborating with brands and companies. As you develop your blog you might find you another page you'd like to add on which can be done in the same way.

Clear imagery

Taking the time to get good photos is definitely worthwhile. This doesn't mean you have to spend hundreds of pounds on a brand new camera. If you have a smartphone then this is a perfectly good camera to use when starting out. Getting your set up right is more important than the camera you are using and getting good quality lighting can make a lot of difference to the quality of your photos. You can always edit your photos later too if you're not completely happy with them.

Plan ahead

It will be exciting when you've finished your first post and ready to hit that publish button. Although you are keen to get your post up, it might be worth writing yourself a few more so that you have some other content ready. This means that people will be likely to start viewing your blog is you start having posts going up consistently. Don't feel like you need to publish one each day as you will probably soon run out. Space them out by a few days as it's better to post more consistently than having long gaps between your posts.

For other blogging tips and tricks, make sure to have a look at my post 'The Best Blogging Tips, Written By Bloggers' for helpful ideas on writing, photography, editing, HTML, SEO and much more.

The Best Blogging Tips Written By Bloggers

Expanding your knowledge as a blogger and learning new tips is great for your own development. With new algorithms and techniques coming out, us bloggers need to keep on top of the game to progress. I've shared my favourite blogging and social media tip posts that have actually been written by other bloggers that are informative and most definitely useful. I've split them into handy categories to make it easier for viewing, hope you enjoy!

How To Increase Blog Traffic - The Lifestyle Love

20 Tips To Make Your Blog Traffic Explore - Ellduclos
How To Increase Traffic To Your Blog From Social Media - A Branch Of Holly

Organisation

10 Things To Remember For Every Blog Post - Andy Hadley-Smith

Must Have Blogging Apps & Staying Organised - Hannah Heartss

Top Tips For Getting Your Blog Organised - All Things Beautiful

Staying Motivated And Organised With Blogging - Hannah Heartss

Managing Blogging Whilst Working Full Time - Paige Joanna

Monetising

6 Things You Can Do To Increase Your Affiliate Income - Life In A Breakdown

Do You Need A Contract For Sponsored Blog Posts & Free Template - Tea Party Beauty

Sponsored Content - Legalities & How Much To Charge - Xomisse

5 Tips For Offering Sponsorships On Your Blog - Becky Bedbug

What Are Affiliate Links & How Can I Make Money From Them? - Raspberry Kiss

How I Make Money Blogging - Forever Amber

Everything Bloggers Need To Know About Sponsored Posts - She Might Be Loved
What To Charge For Sponsored Posts - Thou Shalt Not Covet

Everything You Need To Know About Blogging, Taxes and HMRC - Coco Chic Blog

Social Media In General

How To Promote Your Blog Posts - Laura Hadley

How To Better Use Social Media As A Blogger - Lady Writes

Why We Should Be Re-Promoting Our Old Blog Posts More - XAmeliaX

50 Tips For Growing Your Blog & Social Media - She Might Be Loved

Instagram

5 Ways I've Improved My Instagram - Pint Sized Beauty

The Best Beauty Instagram Hashtags To Get Your Photos Noticed - Laura Hadley

15 Tips To Grow Your Instagram Account - The Vienna Blog
26 Ways To Make Your Instagram More Interesting - Forever Amber

6 Simple Ways To Increase Your Pinterest Reach - The Violet Blonde

Building Your Pinterest - Annie Writes Beauty
23 Pinterest Tips For Bloggers - Chantel Arnett

Pinterest Tips For Bloggers - Laura Hadley

Twitter

Why You're Losing Twitter Followers - Skinned Cartree

5 Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Twitter Chats - Becky Bedbug

11 Big Twitter Mistakes & How To Fix Them - A Branch Of Holly
A Bloggers Guide To Twitter - Xomisse

Facebook

How To Get More Traffic From Facebook - The She Approach
19 Facebook Tips - Amy Lynn Andrews
25 Tactics To Promote Your Blog Via Facebook - Heidi Cohen
How To Use Your Facebook Page To Promote Your Blog - Chloe Social

Other

The Best Blogging Podcasts To Up Your Blog Game - Tea Party Beauty

Should You Accept Pre-Written Content? - Skinned Cartree

Product Reviews & Google Best Guidelines - Xomisse

6 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Blogging - A Curvaceous Vegan

How I Use OneNote For Blogging - Andy Hadley-Smith
How To Start A Blog - Laura Hadley

Blogging And Copyright Basics - Forever Amber

50 Potential Tax Deductions - Coco Chic Blog
How To Set Up A Custom Domain In Blogger - The Wonder Forest
How To Create A Press Pack/Media Kit - As You Wish UK

The Best Beauty Hashtags To Get Your Photos Noticed

Instagram at the moment has been tough in terms of growing your account. With the algorithm no longer in chronological order, it means you're having to focus on high-quality images and promoting your photos to the best of your ability. I take my Instagram photos with my favourite blogging camera, my Olympus Pen E-PL7. I edit my photos mostly on Photoshop and create images like the one below on Canva. Once you've got the perfect images, you need to create a good caption and include the right hashtags. For beauty users you can hashtag brand names from products you've featured but aside from that there are plenty of hashtags that you should include. I've listed my favourites below in a handy Pinterest-friendly image.

If you're into tips posts, here's some other posts you may be interested in: The Best Blogging Tips Written By Bloggers Pinterest Tips For Bloggers 200 Blog Post Ideas How To Find Blogging Opportunities How To Promote Your Blog Posts How To Create A Successful Blog Post A Basic Guide To Working With Bloggers How To Start A Blog

200 Blog Post Ideas For Every Type Of Blogger

Sometimes you get blogger's block and have trouble thinking about your next blog post. I've created a list of two hundred different blog ideas and titles to prompt you into creating the best posts possible. They're created in mind for beauty, fashion, lifestyle, travel and food bloggers so there is something here for everyone. When times are tough and you can't buy something to review, how about using some of these ideas to inspire you to get writing? 1 Inside your makeup bag 2 What inspires you 3 Share a recent haul 4 Write about a makeup collection 5 Facts about yourself 6 Write about a public figure who inspires you 7 Show off a recent vlog 8 An OOTD 9 The best money saving tips 10 Your morning routine 11 Create a cheat sheet 12 How to take outfit photos 13 Bucket list for the year 14 Share a charity fundraiser 15 Write about the home 16 What's in your handbag 17 Talk about what helps your wind down and relax 18 What you've experienced because of blogging 19 A book review 20 Chat about past hobbies and why you enjoyed them 21 Write a guide to working with bloggers 22 'If I won the lottery I'd spend it on...' 23 Talk about a current trend 24 Share what you do to keep you motivated 25 Food diary 26 Review a subscription box 27 Tell a travel story 28 Share some stories others have written 29 Advice for beginner bloggers 30 Guilty pleasures 31 Chat about your education 32 Bust a myth 33 Pros and cons of being a blogger 34 All time favourite songs 35 Ultimate life bucket list 36 Review some food 37 Chat about something that interests you 38 Top 10 TV shows to watch 39 How to complete online courses 40 Share a skill and give tips 41 Talk about your generation 42 Share a Pinterest board 43 How to pick a university 44 How to make a commute more enjoyable 45 Write a recipe 46 How to improve blog writing 47 Experience a technology blackout and write about how it felt 48 How you take your blog photos 49 Tips for choosing a student house 50 'In another life' if you had chosen a different path 51 How to pick a blog theme 52 How to use apps for blogging 53 Write a guide on writing blog posts 54 Share your favourite recipes from food bloggers 55 Show readers who your favourite bloggers are 56 Write about sexual experiences 57 Plan an event 58 How you've changed since you were younger 59 Host a giveaway 60 A list of your most used apps 61 How to use social media to your advantage 62 A decor wishlist 63 Review a TV show 64 Review some sample sized products 65 Checklist of bands you'd like to see live 66 How to get your dream job 67 Your evening routine 68 Crowdsource on a topic and write about it 69 Things you wish you could have i.e. a luxury home 70 Write about something in the news 71 Host guest posts 72 How to choose an Instagram theme 73 Secrets to success 74 How you edit your photos 75 Write about what you want to achieve in the future 76 Talk about an event you've been to 77 A fashion wishlist 78 Write about an illness 79 How to be self-employed 80 Talk about your regrets 81 A blogging wishlist 82 How you've conquered a fear 83 A roundup of your most popular blog posts 84 Review a makeup product 85 Why working at home is a positive thing 86 Music concert/gig review 87 Write about 'behind the scenes' of something 88 Monthly favourites 89 Share your blog earnings 90 How you started your blog 91 Things you wish you had known when you started your blog 92 Write some fitness goals 93 Holy grail makeup products 94 How you met your partner 95 HTML tips and tricks 96 Create a blog series 97 Write about a makeup experience 98 Share your favourite blog posts 99 How to buy a house 100 Seasonal makeup picks 101 Write an FAQ post 102 Recent snaps to share 103 How to turn a hobby into a career 104 Share discount/affiliate codes 105 Monthly blog goals 106 Talk about something kind you've done 107 A university packing list 108 How you can earn money through blogging 109 A makeup wishlist 110 How to start a blog 111 Review a fragrance 112 Create a list of topics you'd like to blog about 113 Write about something you dislike 114 Visit an attraction and write about it 115 A gift guide for the opposite sex 116 Share your blog stats 117 Money saving tips 118 Favourite nail products 119 Share an experience 120 Celebrity inspired makeup look 121 Favourite attractions in your area 122 Discuss your skin type and how to look after it 123 Show off some photographs 124 Organisation tips 125 How to grow your following 126 Yearly blog goals 127 Create a travel diary in photos 128 How to use blog props in blog photos 129 Make a seasonal wishlist 130 Makeup dupes 131 DIY instructional post 132 Write about mental health 133 SEO tips and tricks 134 Tattoo/piercing stories 135 Things you wish you never purchased 136 A week in photos 137 How to organise your makeup 138 The best products to take on your travels 139 CV improvement tips 140 How to get organised when it comes to blogging 141 Blog photography: All about lighting 142 Write a letter to your younger self 143 Do a tag post 144 Create a challenge 145 Write a gift guide 146 Talk about something that changed your life 147 Hairstyle ideas for different hair types 148 Products that didn't work for you 149 Healthy eating alternatives 150 Music playlist 151 Create a brand focused post 152 Horror stories: Beauty and style 153 Travel bucket list 154 Write about a change of direction in your life 155 Your ideal wedding day 156 A list of life hacks 157 Things you're thankful for 158 Share your makeup routine 159 How to increase your blog traffic 160 Share a life update 161 Write a blogging advice post 162 Your wardrobe essentials 163 Write about your camera 164 Top 10 films 165 How to get through a difficult time in your life 166 Write a sponsored post 167 Celebrity fashion: Get the look 168 What you want your future to look like 169 Talk about how you've changed since leaving school 170 A packing list 171 Things you should always include in a blog post 172 Share some deals 173 A day in the life 174 Things that are worth splurging on 175 Things you miss about a previous decade 176 Create a festival look 177 Tell a story 178 Write a product comparison post 179 Things you find in the bottom of your bag 180 Favourite restaurants to visit 181 Blogging mistakes that nobody should make 182 Fancy dress/halloween makeup looks 183 Creative gift ideas 184 A room or house tour 185 Best places to visit where you live 186 Things that you've learned to love 187 Reminisce about your blogging experiences 188 Q&A post 189 Share your achievements 190 What you got for X (Christmas /Birthday etc) 191 What's on my phone 192 Travel essentials 193 How to create a successful blog post 194 Interview someone 195 How to make an infographic 196 Review and swatch a product 197 Share tips on a subject 198 How to make your makeup stay on all day 199 Revisit your goals 200 Thoughts everyone has when...
If you enjoyed reading this post, make sure to check out similar posts below: The Best Blogging Tips Written By Bloggers How I Take My Blog/Instagram Photos How I Edit My Blog Photos The Best Beauty Hashtags To Get Your Photos Noticed How To Start A Blog

LauraHadley.co.uk Turns Three!

I feel like every year my blog ages, I have so much more to talk about when it comes to progress and growth. I once felt like my blog was so minuscule and my photos would forever be taken on my iPhone 5s but no, it's changed completely. My layout has completely changed as is so much more professional looking and I'm proud to now talk about my blog to others outside the bloggersphere. I'm so much happier focusing my content on beauty and lifestyle when this space was originally here for fashion posts, but I didn't realise at the time how much I loved makeup and try new things out. Here is my round of my favourite posts since February 2016 and what I'm looking forward to after my blog's third birthday.

Beauty

I've had some amazing collabs in the past year when it comes to beauty. First in mind is Urban Decay when I started reviewing palettes such as the Full Spectrum Palette, the Blackmail Vice Lipstick Palette and the Naked Ultimate Basics Palette. As time went on I review their Halloween Party Kit, the All Nighter Foundation and the Naked Skin Color Color Correcting Fluids. Urban Decay are a brand that instantly makes you think eccentric and exciting, so it's been a pleasure working with them.
I never thought I would have the chance to work with YSL and although it's still a relatively new thing I've been loving their products such as the Black Opium & Black Opium Nuit Blanche fragrances and the Touche Éclat Le Teint Foundation. They're a brand I've admired since I was young and I'm so thankful for the opportunity. Another high-end brand is Lancôme, where I've reviewed two products of theirs; the Grandiose Liner and the Juicy Shakers, both of which I'm using regularly and are so worth the money.
L'Oréal Paris has been another brand that has been brilliant to work with, who create classic products such as the new False Lash Superstar X Fiber Mascara. In terms of different types of beauty collaborations, my Getting Festival Ready with L'Oréal was a breath of fresh air when it comes to blogging and it was amazing to take the items with me to V Festival. Another brand under the L'Oréal branch is Garnier who have really changed skincare for me. Their Pure Active Range has prevented me breaking out more which gave me a huge boost in confidence.
I 've reviewed amazing makeup and fragrances from Fragrance Direct such as Nars, Mac, Bobbi Brown and Marc Jacobs which was a fabulous way for me to delve into these brands by choosing products I had never used before, especially Bobbi Brown who I had never tried before. I also wrote some feature posts such as Glam Glow Gift Sexy Set, Debenhams Festive Hamper, Autumn Makeup with Boots, Kiehl's x MTVSAF, John Lewis & Charlotte Tilbury, TH Baker Does Pandora, Illamasqua Metamorph Range and Maybelline Brow Drama Pomade Crayons.

Lifestyle

As I've switched from more fashion orientated posts to more lifestyle posts, I've explored a ton of new things. Restaurant reviews started for me after my blog turned two and although it did give me anxiety since I've never been great in such public places, it helped me try out new places such as Yard & Coop, Crust and Jamie's Italian. Wth three restaurants in the bag, I'm hoping to try out some others along with reviewing hotel stays or days out, not only to collaborate with companies but to see if broadening my horizon makes me realise that the same is not always the best choice.
Another achievement is that I'm nearly celebrating a full year working with Degustabox which has been very different to my previous product reviews. With new items each month, it's changed my food routine and encouraged me to get back into the kitchen more. Subscription boxes can be quite hit and miss, but with Degustabox they give you full sized items to really try out and review the items.

Blogging

Starting off with the biggest milestone in the last year, I surpassed 30,000 followers which was mind-blowing. Followers isn't everything but it did make me smile when I was updating the Work With Me page for brands/prs to look at, or for other bloggers curiosity. Something else that made me happy is that I created my Blogs I'm Loving Right Now series which displays a list each month with twelve blogs that I'm enjoying reading on. Every post in the series has different people featured with links to their blogs to encourage readers to have a look and so far it's gone down really well.
I've created more tips posts for other bloggers such as Pinterest Tips, A Basic Guide To Working With Bloggers, How To Find Blogging Opportunities, How To Promote Your Blog Posts, How To Create A Successful Blog Post, How I Take My Blog Photos and Why Blogging Enhances Your CV which have all taken ages to write but have had mostly positive responses from. In the future, I plan to write SEO posts but I feel this blog still needs to grow before I can give that advice to others. I'd also love to write an Instagram tips style post but feel I need to still learn myself before dishing tips out.
I really feel like my photography has improved, especially in posts such as the Anastasia Beverly Hills Ultimate Glow Kit Review, my Colourpop Haul and my Huge American Makeup Haul. Getting a new camera at the end of 2015 completely switched up my photography game, and although I'm still learning I'm quite confident that I take good photos now. Learning features such as how to alter the aperture, using the touch focus on the screen and making the most out of lighting has made the biggest difference and hopefully in the next year I can upgrade my lens to get even better photos.
And finally, I've really gotten into creating YouTube videos with my boyfriend Andy. We don't do sit down videos as that's 'not our vibe' and we're keen explorers, so we vlog our trips out, such as our UK Travel Vlog and the LA Vlog. Obviously they're completely different in nature as walking around Hollywood isn't the same as walking down Oxford Street but you get the picture. Fingers crossed we have some great content to feature within the next year!

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Thanks for 30,000!

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I hit 30,000 followers combined today! This blog turns three in about three weeks and I think it's a happy accident that I hit 30k today. This is obviously spread across multiple social media platforms (you can see the breakdown here) with Pinterest being around half of the number.
I feel like since I've changed my blog design that I'm a lot happier, and I'm so optimistic for the future of laurahadley.co.uk. Followers isn't everything, but it brings forward new opportunities. I've said in my blog goals and then goals evaluated that increasing your following to the next milestone does set you apart, especially when brands are weighing up who to work with since they have to look at in on a numbers basis in part, to justify the advertisement.
With me saying I'm looking forward, I'm hoping to start posting a few times a day, with a few chatty updates, opinions on set topics etc being some short posts, and keeping my reviews more in-depth. I've got a few reviews that are going live this week which I'm excited about, including a new food review which I've not done since the summer.
Aside from rambling, I just wanted to say a huge thank you for everyone who shows their support, whether it be chatting on Twitter, making me laugh on WhatsApp, liking my Instagram photos or repinning on Pinterest. Thank you for reading my posts and adding a comment underneath, and thank you for giving me advice, because everyone needs advice.
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