As most of you will already know I work in PR and social media (and LOVE it), and I also, obviously, run this blog! It's so fun being both sides of the e-mails and I really enjoy interacting with fellow bloggers as well as fellow PR companies! In my time within this industry I have talked to many fellow bloggers (and yes they are all total babes)! When it comes to contacting and organising bloggers, I have noticed there can be a few things that hinder a company or brand getting the information they need so I thought why not write out a few TOP things for you guys to ensure you are including all the information that's needed! Check out these 5 EASY bits and bobs below..... Tell Us Your Name Yes, you would think this would be a total given, but yet there are still blogs out there where there is actually no indication at all of what the writers name is. I hate having to write "Hi there" in my e-mails and one of my personal pet hates is getting e-mailed "Dear ayellowbrickblog". I mean fair enough if you want to keep anonymous or not use your real name, but make sure there is something that we can call you by! I have been on Blogs, Twitters, Instagrams and more of the same person and still have no clue what their name is or what to call them! Social Media - the kings of the internet It is always fabulous to have your social media channels in plain sight on your blog and even better if your followings for each are showing! Being able to find all your platforms in one place is a life saver.... believe me! (Oh and for the love of God... get them to open in a new tab :) UK? North, South, East, West? Now this one is handy for event invites! If PR companies are looking for bloggers in a certain area it's great for them to be able to see if you are close enough or not! I'm not saying give up your street name, postcode or even town but just the area you live in makes it so much easier for PR companies to send you relevant e-mails that may be of interest to you - Manchester, London, North West, South East, Isle Of Wight.... it's always good to know - even if it's just on your Twitter or Instagram! Contacting YOU It's all well and good finding your blog and loving your content - but if you want to be involved in PR opportunities, having your e-mail address prominent on your blog/social is essential. Having a 'Contact Me' section is always perfect.... one where you have a contactable e-mail address too not a form to fill out ;) Including it in your social media bios is also perfect - it makes life ALOT easier and saves so much time. Searching... Having a search option within your blog is also a fantastic addition and useful tool for people looking to work with you. It gives them access to be able to find any relevant content you may have created previously. These may all seem SO super obvious but you may be surprised to know I sit there weekly looking at blogs unable to find names, e-mail address or even if they have a Twitter or not! Do let me know if you'd like any other PR themed posts, or maybe if you have any questions at all!
Photography is a huge part of blogging. No matter what anyone else says - photography can make or break a blog in my opinion. I've been very conscious of my blog photos since starting A Yellow Brick Blog and I'm sure I'm not the only person who has felt this way. Looking at other bloggers, their amazing set-ups (crisp white, gorgeous lighting, pretty flower arrangements... you know the drill) and their awesome camera skills I've not felt great about my own work alot of the time! (Silly I know but comparison just comes naturally to me!)
It's only been the last few months or so that I've started to feel 'okay' about my photos and that's all down to my new little set up I've put together.
A few people who I know in 'real life' have said to me "your flat looks so lovely, so white and pretty" - to this I cannot help but laugh. It is incredible how much influence one photo can give.... as you can see above all it is is a cheeky bit of thick white card.
That's right - it cost me £5 and has lasted me for MONTHS! All I do is pop this onto my ottoman in my lounge, push it up against the wall and - Bobs your uncle, the perfect backdrop to pop anything onto!
I use a soft box light alongside this as lighting truly is key when it comes to blog photography - it really does transform a picture.
Normally the light is facing the wall not to the side as the photo above shows. (I just wanted to show you it all in one photo)
This light was from Amazon but I actually bought it off of a lovely blogger who had two but really only needed one - so it was a total bargain and has totally changed the way I do my photos! One of the best things now is that I don't have to wait for daylight - I can take photos whenever I want - which is great as I am at work 5 days a week adn evenings most of the time are more practical!
With this plain backdrop I really can transform it into anything - I've used everything from books to candles to hairbands to help create an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for the products (or whatever it may be) that I am photographing and I really do try to mix it up!
The camera I use is the Canon 700D which is a DSLR and I LOVE it! One of the best investments I've ever made, I'm still learning constantly with it though as I'm no professional ha!
A few of my photos with my new set up....
So there we have it, there's your sneak peek into my blog photos and what goes into making them..... I'm sorry if the illusion has been ruined for some of you!
Let me know what you thought of this post - I'd love to do some more 'behind the scenes' type posts!
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March is here - yes, we are already into the third month of 2015... I'm as shocked as you are! With that in mind, it's about time I shared with you my February favourites for this year!
Lee Stafford Ubuntu Oils Heat Protection Spray I've actually just finished this bottle ... and am totally gutted to be out! I love LS products and the ubuntu oils scent is awesome. This leaves my real hair and my extensions smelling lovely and feeling soft even after abusing it with heat! Bleach London Reincarnation Mask Now I think you all probably could have guessed that this would make an experience in my favourites - I've raved and raved about it this past month! I managed to get one for only £3 from Boots (half bloomin price!) which was awesome! And once I'd used it and fallen in love I went straight back and got 3 more! This stuff is a life saver for dry, bleached, over-processed hair - it has changed my for the better and I will continue to use it until they stop making it! Bleach London Silver Shampoo & Conditioner Alongside the mask I managed to get these 2 half price aswell - and it was 3 for 2 so I only had to pay for 2 of them... bargain central! I have used silver shampoo's before but have always been nervous about leaving them on too long! I have been using these two around once a week for the past month and I can definitely see the difference, plus the conditioner makes my hair feel so nice! Mac Lip Liner - Hip n Happy This was a birthday present from one of my bestests and I'm in love! It is actually my first Mac lip liner (although I have just purchased another!) I love the baby pink shade and the quality is awesome.... why don't I owe them all?! Bourjois Velvet Matte Lip Colour in Nude-ist Hands down my most worn lip colour of the month. This nude is perfect, I love the velvet matte formula, they stay on for hours and don't budge an inch!
Taylor Swift Incredible Things Another lovely birthday present, this time from my Mum & Dad! We all know I'm a huge T-Swiz fan and so her new perfume was on the top of my wishlist! I love it and have been wearing it everyday that I'm not at work! Remington Waving Wand Alot of people on twitter and facebook ask me how I curl my hair. This thing is the answer! I have the babyliss version too! It has a squared barrell instead of the usual round and works so well! Hold it upsidedown and wrap your hair around it away from your face to create the perfect waves and curls! Simple Facial Toner! Keeping my This has been a great cheap replacement for my Liz Earle Skin Tonic for the month and it's been great! Funky fresh skin every morning and night. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Like the rest of the beauty obsessed world I got this with last months Elle magazine! I have been so impressed with it and think I may have to invest in the full sized product! Rodial Contouring Powder This stuff is beautiful! I have been using it daily to create sharper cheek bones and give myself a bit of colour (I'm so pale right now!!) and I LOVE it.
Nutella
Now alot of us have been discussing Nutella on Twitter over the past few weeks haha! My boyfriend thought I was the only person who ate it with a spoon.... oh how wrong he was! You can't not like this stuff right?
My Kindle
I have been making a conscious effort the last few weeks to get earlier nights and read alot more before instead instead of sitting on my laptop or phone! It's been so nice to get into a book again and I'm hoping to keep it up!
Canon 700D
Yay! I finally have a DSLR! I'm so so pleased with it and have been loving playing around with it over the last few weeks!
Clipper's Green Tea With Peppermint
Now.... I love green tea.... and I love peppermint! Together they are a winner!
Popchips
I was sent a box of these to try at the beginning of the month and they have become a welcome snack in my cupboards! They've been on offer at Tesco only 89p for a huge bag! I LOVE them! I don't really eat crisps and these are the perfect alternative... I think BBQ are my favourite!
Pinterest
Yes.... my obsession is real. I cannot get off the app - I love it so much. Shame on me for not using it sooner!
What have you been loving this month?
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It's official - I own a DSLR! I have been wanting one of these beautiful cameras for so, so long now and after receiving some money for my birthday I went ahead and invested!
I went for the Canon 700D for a few reasons and have been overwhelmed by how awesome it is so far! Obviously I'm a total beginner with this sort of thing so there is definitely alot for me to learn but I can't wait!
Dirty Looks Quad Piece
After my lovely friend G chopped this clip from my extensions set to my own hair length a few weeks ago I have been wearing it non-stop! I have actually given up on wearing the whole set of extensions and live for this one easy clip!
Being a quad piece it is alot thicker than all the other bits I have and it gives such an amazing natural look! Here's a photo of me with it in - here! I think it blends so well with my hair now I've had it dyed and makes me hair look so much thicker than it is - I really want to buy another one on payday!
Bleach London Reincarnation Mask
You may have read my review all about this in my last post (see sidebar for that one!) so I won't ramble on about it again! All you need to know is that this stuffed has saved my newely bleached hair from dry, cottoon-wool feel hell! AND I've actually grabbed a bottle for one of you to win :) So head over to Instagram now and enter quick, comp ends on Wednesday evening!
Popchips
Holy Moly I've found a new snack that I'm obsessed with. Damn, it's like weekly now that I'm finding these new treats I want to eat 24/7! I was actually sent some bag of Popchips from their lovely team to try and as soon as I tried my first bag I was sold! I'm not really a crisp person, I hardly ever eat crisps - if I was to have anything it would be Ryvita minis or snack-a-jacks! So these are right up my treat street! Me and Joe have already eaten the whole box we were sent.... shame on us BUT I managed to get some more today in my local Tesco AND they were on offer - only 89p for a huge bag, YUM!
Better Call Saul
I'm sure I'm not the only person who sat down as soon as they could this past Monday & Tuesday to watch the first 2 episodes! I am a huge Breaking Bad fan and always will be so for there to be prequl/spin-off show just gets me hugely excited! I loved Saul in BB - I thought he was hilarious, such a loveable fool and after seeing the first couple of episodes It think this series is going to be just as brilliant as BB!
Mac Pink Pearl Pop Lipstick
Opps! I had forgotten I owned this! I bought this in the airport in Orlando before I flew home to England and it just kind of got chucked into my make-up collection when I got home! But after wearing it out shopping last week I have found myself reaching for it more and more! This fairly sheer (compared to others I own) baby pink is perfect for a simple girly look.
Taylor Swift Incredible Things Perfume
As soon as I had mentioned this to my lovely Mum I knew it would be wrapped up for me for February 8th! (She's such a babe!)
Yes T-Swiz - my queen - has another perfume out and I bloomin' well love it! I've decided I'm not going to use this daily - only on my days off work and when I'm off out doings things.... wearing it to work is a waste. (Especially as I work with perfume and end up spraying myself for half the day anyway!)
Cloud 9 Magical Duet*
Now this is something that I have to admit - I forgot I owned until about 2 weeks ago when I was having a good old tidy! I used these two alot just before xmas and at the end of last year and really, really enjoyed them!
There is the Magical Remedy and the Magical Potion. The Remedy I've found is fab for popping in the ends of my hair after I've washed it and letting it air dry, this is hands down my favourite way to use it although there are a few other options! Where it's such a small tube I only like to use a small dollop. It really does make my hair feel softer and alot less coarse, perfect for all this dying I seem to be doing lately!
The potion I used more at Xmas time as I had alot more things to "do" my hair for which involved alot of hair drying ..... I'm not one to dry my hair everytime I wash it I normally just let it air dry! This stuff is great as a heat protector too and I reckon it does cut down drying time ... plus I have the ghd air which helps too! Check them out on the official site here they makes an amazing present for a hair obsesser like myself!
Fifty Shades Of Grey Movie
Last but not least it's probably what you all want to read about - what on earth did I think of the 50 Shades movie?! Well being in this particular post I think you can probably tell that - yes I did like it!
I read all three books in just a week back in 2012 - and I'm not ashamed to say I enjoyed them! Yes they aren't literary genius or going to go down in history as a fantastic novel but they were easy to read and I enjoyed reading them (it isn't all about sex you know!)
I was a little reluctant at first to see the movie - the reviews out have been a tad critical and some just totally harsh, so when I went into my local cinema I wasn't expecting much!
Saying all this when it came down to it.... I actually really liked it! I think going in with an open mind and not really expecting alot helped (plus a shirtless Jamie is always going to up my rating of anything!) I knew the plot obviously and yes there were a few bits missing but I think that happens with every book-to-movie transition!
Dakota was a fantastic Ana in my opinion, she made me laugh out loud with her one liners and sarcasm and that drunk phone-call scene was brilliant! Jamie is a god as we all know and I loved him as Christian all dark and brooding!
I think this movie has been taken way too seriously by some and should just be taken for what it is! I will be looking forward to Fifty Shades Darker whenever it may appear!
Have you seen it yet? What do you think?
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