Look Who's Talking...

Dear LOOK/fellow bloggers (don't want to be alienating anyone now do we!),

You may notice that I'm writing this blog post an hour before the deadline. Well there's no point denying it, is there? There's a time at the end of the post and I'm not going to backdate it to make myself look better!

In all honesty, the reason I have left this so late is because I know, deep down, that there is a very slim chance of me getting it. In my eyes, all of the girls (or guys) who have bothered to take the time to write a cover letter to LOOK essentially asking for their place on that coveted front row of the LOOK show, deserves a seat on that coveted front row of the LOOK show. We're all rooting for each other deep down. We're all a community.

I love not just writing blogs, but reading them too, I love nothing more than to sit down of an evening and read through my blog roll with a cup of herbal tea. Lavvely. I've learnt that blogging is not just one way - it is not simply enough to just write and write and expect to get anything in return - it is essential to be a part of the blogging community as well if you want your blog to grow. Not only that, but at least then you feel like you belong somewhere. More often than not, we have struggled all our lives with that feeling of belonging and now we feel like we finally belong, to a culture... of blogging enthusiasts.

The thing I hate about blogging is this need to categorise blogs into certain genres. I respect bloggers who aren't afraid to take risks. Who aren't afraid to not conform to what other bloggers expect them to be. Yes, Muhsine's blog Bubblegarm might be one of the top beauty blogs in the UK, but who's to stop her writing about her pregnancy? Who's stopping her?! The same for Holly and the Yummy Mummy Beauty Blog. It's in the name. She's famed for her beauty blog. But why not write about an enriching weekend, or a last minute trip to Paris. It's these kind of bloggers that surprise me and leave me not knowing what to expect. I'd like to think I'm one of those blogs. I wouldn't categorise myself as a fashion, beauty, health or lifestyle blogger - I'm simply a blogger. We all are.

However, one thing I am passionate about (and I'm not afraid to admit it) is high street fashion. I haven't grown up with loads of money but I've learnt the importance of taking care of yourself and feeling good about yourself from the inside out. I take pride in my appearance, but love finding a bargain in somewhere random like Poundland or a car boot sale and passing that onto my readers. Nobody can assume everyone has loads of money to buy the latest MAC foundation or YSL purse. That's why my blog has always focused on looking good on a budget. I have never and will never feature a high end fashion item on my blog. My blog is purely high street and you're more likely to see Primark or H&M than Prada or Hermes. After all, why waste your money on something when you can get it at a fraction of the price? Beats me.

Having a background in fashion retail (I've worked for Next for 3 years) has allowed me to keep on top of the latest trends and feed my insatiable appetite for fashion. We have our summer sale in July and right after that it's time to buy our Autumn/Winter uniform. It's easy to predict trends when you're surrounded by them months beforehand. I mean, who else has got a pair of black gloss Hunter wellies on their A/W wishlist? Hands up, ladies!

I would also add that I'm a good role model for other girls and other bloggers, I'm not one of the biggest, nor the best, but I feel like I know what I'm doing and I can give advice to others easily if they need it. Being an unemployed Journalism graduate is rather depressing - I haven't worked my butt off for 3 years and swapped the tequilas for text books for nothing. Blogging has helped me get through this difficult time and give me something to focus on, to achieve, to enjoy. Blogging for LOOK would be an absolute honour and I'm so grateful that you have read this far. THANK YOU!