This time of year really does bring out the stationery obsession that I have kept hidden from many people but if your anything like myself you will more than likely enjoy this post. Printkick* is an amazing website if you are looking for back to school, home office or business products; selling everything from pens and promotional folders suitable for meetings and lectures to bluetooth speakers and notebooks.
The website allows customers to buy stationery in bulk to kit out everyone in your business or offer up to potential clients and customers as gifts or you could even treat yourself to the odd thing to ease you back into University life.
There are a variety of products in a range of different colours that you can add your own brand or logo to as well as having a bit of advertisement for your business.
I had the opportunity to test out their website and I found it super easy to use with a friendly and helpful chat option, if needed. I’m a huge music lover and I think anyone who follows my social media will know that so I had a peak at the technology section. There are so many interesting things that can help with looking after your important tech including screen protectors, phone stands and folders that can comfortable fit your iPad in which would be brilliant to take to meetings or lectures.
They kindly sent me a little goody bag that included: a practical pouch for my iPad, a screen cloth, pen, 3-in-1 adapter, bluetooth speaker and notebook. The speaker itself is amazing quality. It easily connects up to my phone, iPad or laptop with bluetooth or an Aux cable. The volume is fantastic and so loud which would be perfect for all those fresher’s parties too. I’m really impressed. I’ve been using it to blast a focus playlist which helps me with work.
The pouch easily fits my tablet in and I can see it being extremely useful for travelling to and from University. The screen saver cloth protects the screen as well as being used to clean my gadgets’ screens and can also be used as a mouse mat. The notebook is one of those classic essentials that I know I will use for something or other at some point in my academic year. I like how the notebook has a loop to keep your pen enclosed without having to dig in your Mary Poppins handbag for a solid five minutes.
Overall, I was really impressed with the customer service and quality of the products that I received from Printkick. If your looking for some new stationery to take to University with you or to help kick start your business, I highly recommend giving Printkick a look.
♥
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At the beginning of July I attended the Viking Photography Masterclass based at the Botanist, Newcastle. The aim of the evening was to give bloggers like myself the chance to enhance our photography skills whether that be with a camera or a smartphone and ask any photography based questions.
The evening was organised by Viking, a stationary and office supply company, and Elouisa Georgiou, a Yorkshire based photographer who specialises in events, commercial, travel, interiors and food & drink photography.
When we arrived, we were kindly given a named sticker with our Twitter handles on which was such a good idea as there was so many new faces and a glass of Prosseco or water depending on what you fancy. I grabbed a table with Amy, Alice, Becca, Kate and Mel who are all lovely girls. We were able to catch up and introduce ourselves to each other which was so lovely.
The first thing which Elouisa explained was to try and get out of our comfort zones and start shooting in manual rather than automatic. It gives you better control of your images which I completely understand. Ever since I have started photography as a hobby, I’ve tried to shoot in manual especially when it comes to still life photos. The only time I tend to use automatic mode nowadays is shooting outfit pictures with Alice.
The evening gave us a chance to explore creative portraits, product photography, flatlay images and food & drink photography by using boards to bounce light and prisms to refract and reflect the light – something that I’ve never tried before.
Firstly, here’s some key words that you may come across across when talking about photography. You may even have knowledge of these already.
Shutter Speed – This is how fast the shutter captures your image. For stop motion, you will need a higher shutter speed number compared to capturing motion where you will need to shoot at a lower shutter speed to create that blurred effect. Remember the higher the shutter speed means less light is being let into the camera.
ISO – The lower the ISO, the less sensitive the sensor is to the light. As the ISO increases the camera is more sensitive to the light. For clear and less ‘grainy’ images we always want to shoot with the lowest ISO possible.
Aperture – This is also known as the F stop, this controls the depth of field. When buying a lens for a DSLR camera, you will usually come across eg. EF 50mm f/1.8 so in this case the aperture is f/1.8. The aperture is the amount of subject you will have in focus in the foreground or background of an image. A wide aperture such as f/2 or low F stop has a softer focus of the background which lets in more light as well as creating a lovely blurred background . A narrow aperture such as f/22 or higher F stop has more focus in the background and lets in less light.
Elouisa explained that balancing all three of these without sacrificing one will give you a clear and attractive image. Tripods are useful for shooting at a lower shutter speed to capture an image without the motion blue if you don’t have a great deal of light.
So, what have I learnt?
Natural light will be your best friend. The phrase is so true. When shooting my images, I much prefer natural light because my photos look better. Be aware of ambient light in a room, play around with colour balancing images.
Turn off or block out ambient lighting in the room
Foam boards are cheap and can help to bounce light
If the lighting is to strong, diffuse the light with a clear curtain
Use a tripod so you can shoot slower
Use natural reflectors in a room
Creative portraits is something that I’ve never really explored but given the chance to use prisms, glasses, bottles, windows and mobile phone screens added something interesting and gave my images a bit more of a creative field. I experimented with holding items over my camera lens to create interesting light and blurs and some of them worked really well. Shadows and reflections create visibility through a reflective surface which offers something different to your usual portrait.
I really like the creative portraits that I took at the event of Amy, Becca and Alice with the prism in front of my camera lens. I think they were really unusual and different to my usual style of photography.
Every blogger wants to achieve the best flatlay images for certain kinds of blog posts and I would say that mine have improved over time however these tips might help if you’re a newbie or just looking to improve your flatlays.
Use a tripod to help with stop any motion blur
Keep the shot consistent
Use the live view to help compose different elements within your flatlay
Don’t be afraid to go outside the frame; play around, have some subjects in shot and others half out the frame
Large gaps between subjects aren’t aesthetically pleasing
There are no rules to flatlay photography
Try and use a lens with less distortion to create the ‘perfect looking’ flatlay
I really like the flat lay image that I took of the snacks that were provided on the night however it would have worked better if I was angled at a bird’s eye view or used a tripod to look directly down so the sugar snap peas weren’t blurred.
Food, drink and product photography is the one that I personally want to improve the most and fortunately for me it’s the one that I tend to photograph the most whether that be my favourite haircare range or what I’ve had to eat at a restaurant. It was really nice to be able to explore and have some time experimenting with the tips learnt at the masterclass as well as ask questions.
Practise using ‘magic angles’ to find your favourites – straight on, 45 degrees, bird’s eye view
There is no rule to say you need the entirety of the plate or product in shot
Bounce boards, menus and paper even out the light in shot to create light and shadow where you want it
Use what you can find to decorate the image but try not to make it busy
A lower aperture creates a lovely blurred background or move the product further away from the background
Don’t be afraid to focus on other details
Try and use a lens with less distortion to give more realistic proportional images
We had about two and a half hours to take a range of photos using the tips that we had learnt from Elouisa. After some time, we could send one to an email address for it be printed off and talked about what went well and what didn’t. There was so many amazing photographs that was shared on the night and it was super lovely to see so many skills. Elouisa shortlisted a couple of photos however Amy’s won and she was given a printer that was being used on the night. The printer used on the night was the Canon Pixma TS5050. I’m so proud of her!
On our way out we were kindly gifted a document with all the tips from the night and a tripod with a bluetooth remote which is going to come in super handy.
I just want to say a huge thank you to Viking, Elouisa and the Botantist for a fabulous evening. You can follow Elouisa on Instagram for photography tips and inspiration.
Are you a pro photographer or are you just learning your way round a camera? I hope this post can help you with some tips or tricks.
♥
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We all know how much I love discovering new haircare products especially when they are cruelty free and vegan friendly. Hempz is a brand that I’ve tried a lot of over the past year. All of their products are enriched with 100% pure natural Hemp Seed oil which is known for high levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals making it a really well nourishing ingredient for any formulation.
The Herbal Haircare Collection is made up of five different products that include: Shampoo and Conditioner, Dry Shampoo, Workable Hairspray and Flexible Styling Sculpt all of which share a delicious Hemp and citrus scent. The whole collection is cruelty free, vegan friendly and also free from sulphates and parabens.
The Hempz Shampoo & Conditioner have been specially formulated with gentle cleansers to not only help maximise the life of coloured hair but to aid the condition, soften and smooth. The Hemp Seed oil helps to nourish and strength your locks leaving them looking healthier and shiny. On using the products, the first thing you notice is how amazing they actually smell. Similar to other Hempz products I’ve used in the past, the scent was like a tropical paradise leaving quite a fruity scent. The shampoo foams up extremely well which is something that many other sulphate and paraben free shampoos struggle to do. Both formulations are rich and thick to help de-tangle and calm frizzy hair as well as being able to seal in moisture. Another issue I’ve struggled with when using a natural haircare combo is that my hair used to get greasy quite quickly but after using the Hempz Shampoo & Conditioner, I can go up to a week without washing my hair which is brilliant for natural oils. My hair still looked and felt great after day four.
Next up was the Workable Hairspray which is designed to add body and volume. I’ve never really had a memorable experience when using hairspray in the past but that’s probably because I hardly ever used it. My hair is extremely frizzy and it gets worse due to humidity so when I heard the Hempz Hairspray works to guard against dryness, humidity and control frizz, I was excited to give it a go. I noticed that even after a full day of shooting photos or working, my hair style for that day would still be in tact which is fantastic! As far as controlling the frizz is concerned, it does do a fab job but I’m not sure whether it is a mixed combination of the hairspray and other products.
The final product I was able to try was the Flexible Styling Sculpt. Not going to lie to you, I was a bit confused when I first received this product mainly because of texture and formulation of the product. Firstly, a little goes a long way. It helps to provide hair with moisture, shine and protection whilst controlling frizz and combating dry hair. I’ve got to be honest with you, when I first started using the product I wasn’t sure whether I loved it or hated it until I went back to using it a couple of weeks ago and realised how much I’ve missed it. I melt a little bit in between my palms and then smooth it through the ends of my hair. It controls my frizz and highlights my natural curls.
Overall, I am really impressed with the Hempz Herbal Haircare Collection. The products I’ve tried have been amazing and I would definitely recommend them if your wanting to try something a little bit more luxurious. As I mentioned in my previous Hempz post (read here), I love the products that they come out with and would love to try their other products including their Aftersun and Milk & Honey Range.
Have you tried the Hempz Herbal Haircare Collection recently? What’s your thoughts?
♥
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Today is my birthday! I can’t sit here and say that I’m thrilled about being a quarter of a century this year especially when it felt like only yesterday where I was sipping cocktails on a beach for my 19th birthday but life continues. I thought I would take this time to create a list of 25 things. It’s like a little bit of a recap of what I’ve achieved, things that I have learnt and perhaps a couple of things you might not know about me. It’s definitely a little bit cheesy but hopefully we can get to know each other a bit better…
I started my blog. It’s definitely one of my favourite things that I have achieved to date. When I say it has changed my life, I honestly mean it.
There’s so many places on my bucket list but I’m an anxious traveller especially when it comes to flying.
I am definitely a stay-at-home type person. After moving to Shrewsbury and back up to the North again, I’ve learnt I love my home comforts too much. There’s nothing better than being around your family and living less than a minute away from the beach.
I’ve always had body confidence issues but I’m learning to overcome them now. It’s something that I have struggled with right from an early age but I have curves and I do have places I don’t particularly like about my body but this is me and I’m slowly learning to love it.
The Greatest Showman is the best film that I have watched to date. I’m a complete film buff especially since I treated myself to the Odeon Limitless card. My favourite film used to change on a daily basis but ever since seeing The Greatest Showman it has changed my outlook on life.
I’ve overcome school bullying. I left school nearly nine years ago this year and it’s took me that long to overcome the horrible comments and remarks that I received. In the end, I’m such a stronger person compared to what I was back then and I am so proud of it.
I am a Prince’s Trust award winner. Last year I won the Rising Star Award for the North East. At first I didn’t think it was that much of a big deal but the fact that I’ve won something for how strong I have become as a person is rather fantastic. It has literally filled me with so much confidence.
I’ve taught myself how to use a DSLR. Nowadays I feel pretty confident with my camera skills but when I was younger I had no clue. I never studied photography so I’m pretty proud of myself for being able to use a DSLR.
I’ve learnt to cook meals which don’t actually taste too bad. I’ve always enjoyed baking but I’ve never really been a strong cook until recently.
Social media has always been something that I’ve enjoyed. I would spend hours designing and creating my Bebo and tumblr profiles.
I got into University twice. Okay so I’ve not achieved a degree but I’ve successfully went through the University process two times. I’m actually going to be studying for a Foundation Degree starting this September. I’ll be studying Fashion Retail and Enterprise which I am super excited to start learning about. I might seem a little old for it but I have finally found something that I enjoy.
I have taught myself to enjoy reading. I was diagnosed with dyslexia whilst I was at school and it has always put me off reading until I read The Fault In Our Stars and since then I’ve read some amazing books. Okay, it might take me a little longer than others but I’ve started to enjoy reading books in my spare time. I’m currently reading Wilde Like Me which I am really enjoying.
Mark and I met on a website called Tagged when we were 15 and we’ve talked ever since. We used to send each other love three times a day for two and a half years, cringe!
I have an unhealthy obsession with Spotify. There’s nothing better than finding new music to listen too and Spotify is my favourite app to do this. There are some amazing music artists on the platform that I just love.
My style used to be pretty basic until I started working at New Look. I used to always wear black jeans, converses and some kind of top but nowadays there are a number of different styles I enjoyed wearing including pinafore dresses and jumpsuits which I used to avoid like the plague.
I am such a sentimental person. Do you know those cocktail sticks that you get on holiday? Well I’ve got plenty of them in my memory drawers. I’ve got four under bed storage drawers which are full of cards and childhood memories that I just can’t go through and sort out because I want to keep everything.
99% of my wardrobe is from New Look mainly due to the staff discount but also because it is the only place that I can actually buy clothes that I enjoy wearing.
My dogs have helped me to overcome my social anxiety. When you are out for a walk so many other dog owners come up to you and talk to you about their dogs. It has helped me improve my confidence talking to other people which has helped me grow as a person.
Hareshaw Linn in Bellingham is my favourite place to be. I love how calm and relaxing the walk is to the ‘big waterfall’. As a family, we used to have a caravan and spent every weekend in the countryside.
When Mark isn’t staying at mine I still sleep with teddy bears. I alternate between my build-a-bear that Mark got me which smells of strawberries and one I received as a present from my Grandma when I was three years old, cheesy I know but I actually don’t care how childish that sounds.
I really don’t like the feeling of being drunk or having a hangover now. Don’t get me wrong a love a cheeky little drink now and again but the feeling of being drunk actually scares me and at the tender age of 25, I just can’t hack the hangovers no more.
I love anything related to Harry Potter although I’ve only been to the studio tour in London once and I have yet to see the Cursed Child play – something else which is most definitely on my bucket list!
I’m hopeless when it comes to budgeting and saving money. Anyone who knows me personally will understand that when I have a little bit of money, I struggle to save it. Now that I’m 25, I would love to be able to save and budget for grown-up things like a mortgage and stuff.
I love Greece. There are so many beautiful islands just waiting to be explored. The last time I went on holiday was to Zante and I had such a lovely time. I really want to visit Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes…
Lastly, I am so proud of who I have become. I find myself feeling so much more comfortable in my own skin which is a huge thing for me. I don’t find myself wanting to hurt myself and wishing I was someone different. I am actually a nice person.
This was actually ridiculously difficult to do although it has been something really good for my mind! Even if it’s not your birthday grab a pen or open up your laptop and write down a couple of things you are proud of or achieved during your lifetime. It’s definitely a post I am going to be able to look back over when I am having a shitty day.
I would love it if you could leave one thing you have achieved in your lifetime. Let’s all inject some positivity into each others lives.
♥
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When it comes to makeup everyone has products which is their weakness and for me that is a good old eyeshadow palette. There is just something special about lifting up the lid to see an array of untouched, shades of mattes, shimmers or glitters for you to experiment with no matter what the colours are. You may remember how excited I was when I finally got my hands on the Revolution Soph X Palette which I still use regularly, you can read all about it here. So when I watched Soph’s video about the her new collaboration with Revolution, I knew that I needed it in my life.
As you can probably see from the photos, the palette is heavenly and screams Summer nights. It’s a collection of 18 handpicked shades with a variety of shimmers and mattes that are suitable for everyone. Not only did the shiny rose gold packaging catch my eye but the price is super affordable for what you are receiving too. If you are creating a day time look there are plenty of shades to choose from however there is many shades to take your fancy when creating an evening look as well. It is just another palette jammed with a variety of different looks.
I’ve been playing around with the palette since I brought it and the pigmentation of the shadows is absolutely fantastic and the colours come off really bright and colourful. I feel as though the top row of shades are perfect for transitioning whilst the other two rows are for creating the eye looks that you are after. My favourites are definitely: Twenty One – cherry pink matte, Aurora – khaki green shimmer and Sweet ‘N’ Sour – electric orange matte.
Overall, I am highly impressed with this palette as I thought I would be. The pigmentation is fantastic and it is budget friendly for anyone looking to add a little something to your make-up stash.
Have you got your hands on the Revolution Soph Extra Spice Palette? What’s your thoughts?
♥
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The pouch easily fits my tablet in and I can see it being extremely useful for travelling to and from University. The screen saver cloth protects the screen as well as being used to clean my gadgets’ screens and can also be used as a mouse mat. The notebook is one of those classic essentials that I know I will use for something or other at some point in my academic year. I like how the notebook has a loop to keep your pen enclosed without having to dig in your Mary Poppins handbag for a solid five minutes.
Every blogger wants to achieve the best flatlay images for certain kinds of blog posts and I would say that mine have improved over time however these tips might help if you’re a newbie or just looking to improve your flatlays.
We all know how much I love discovering new haircare products especially when they are cruelty free and vegan friendly. 
Today is my birthday! I can’t sit here and say that I’m thrilled about being a quarter of a century this year especially when it felt like only yesterday where I was sipping cocktails on a beach for my 19th birthday but life continues. I thought I would take this time to create a list of 25 things. It’s like a little bit of a recap of what I’ve achieved, things that I have learnt and perhaps a couple of things you might not know about me. It’s definitely a little bit cheesy but hopefully we can get to know each other a bit better…
This was actually ridiculously difficult to do although it has been something really good for my mind! Even if it’s not your birthday grab a pen or open up your laptop and write down a couple of things you are proud of or achieved during your lifetime. It’s definitely a post I am going to be able to look back over when I am having a shitty day.
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