Beauty is your key area for you but many influencers are branching into more general lifestyle areas, have you found this to be the case? Are you expanding into other areas? As a mother has the ‘mummy market’ been an area to consider?

Beauty is my greatest passion. That’s why I started my blog in the first place. I believe to succeed you need to stay true to your passion. Of course, I have other interests such as fashion, art and travel but I prefer to incorporate them into my images rather than in my writing.

I’ve never had much interest in the ‘mummy market’. Being a mum is a full-time job on its own. My blog is more of an escape from motherhood and a chance to express myself as an individual rather than somebody’s mother. Having said that I am yet to write about skincare for pregnant women.

Your posts provide an honest opinion to readers, how do you deal with a product you don’t like?

I don’t like writing negative reviews, and I simply won’t write one unless I believe I need to warn my readers about using a specific product. I believe that every skin is different. Despite all the skin type names (dry, combination, oily…) - no skin is the same! Therefore, what might not work for me, might be great for someone else with exactly the same skin type. Moreover, factors such as the environment, ageing, nutrition, health and lifestyle have a great impact on our skin condition and the products we use, so I think it’s unfair to write a negative review about a product just because I don’t like it.

But I do normally mention disadvantages of a product or treatment; I might write about poor packaging, sensitivity issues or low concentration of a key ingredient for example. 

You are yet to post on YouTube channel - are you planning to?

Yes, this is something I’m definitely planning on doing this year. In fact, I noticed that videos get a much better response on social networks than any other media. I don’t want anything to look rushed so it is important that I get the right equipment, lighting and feeling etc. before getting in front of the camera.

What content do your followers love the most?

I normally get great responses regarding treatment reviews and interviews with dermatologists.

What’s an average day like for you?

Very busy! I’m up by 7am to get my son ready and take him to school. After I walk my dog, I go running for 30-40 minutes. Then I shower and follow my morning skincare routine, apply make-up, have a coffee whilst doing some research (normally https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). Once I’m dressed, I’m only left with a few hours for all my meetings and the blog. When my son is back from school, I switch back to ‘mummy mode’. I go to bed relatively early, around 10:30 pm. I know not very glamorous, but sleep is very important to me. I literally cannot function with less than 8 hours of sleep. But I never miss my essential evening skincare routine! 

What advice would you give PRs looking to promote their clients through your blog? How do you think PRs and influencers can work better together? Any pet peeves?

There are many ways that PR and influencers can and should work together. It is fair to say it’s a relationship where both sides need each other. When PR is focused on their client’s promotion they need to approach influencers as they would any other formal publication. My only pet peeve as you say is when PR expects me to work for free. Influencers work hard and often to their own detriment in order to gain their readers' trust. And it’s about so much more than money, building a longer term relationship based on mutual interests and co-operation is also valuable, but of course, it cannot be a one-way street.

​​​​​​What is the best and worst thing about your job?

I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love. The best and worst thing is working from home. On one hand, I’m my own boss but on the other, I miss being in a busy office with lots of people. 

What would be your dream collaboration?

Chiara Ferragni of course! I dream big! 

What inspires you and how do you keep your blog content fresh?

It’s easy, as I age I get more inspiration but on a serious note, fortunately for me, the beauty industry always evolves, I always discover something new and exciting on the market to write about.

What are your favourite products, brands at the moment? (anything that stands out)

I love SkinCeuticals! It has really changed my skin and helped my acne problems. Their products contain very high concentrations of quality key ingredients and their research holds up to very high standards. This is probably the one brand I would actually consider selling via my blog.

What other bloggers/influencers do you follow and why?

I follow many - Caroline Hirons, Olivia Palermo, Something Navy, Into The Gloss…I follow some for inspiration and some for information. I also have many blogger friends with whom I collaborate on various projects, sometimes even photoshoots. I’m a big believer in collaborations.