1. Anthony Algae Facial Cleanser - £36
Don't let the name put you off with this one! The Algae facial cleanser contains Azulene - a known ingredient in algae but also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties so it's perfect for reducing blemishes and softening the skin. There's also a heavy presence of lavender here so if you're a fan then this is definitely for you.
2. Aesop London Travel Kit - £50
This fantastic travel kit for Aesop contains loads of travel-sized skincare essentials - perfect for a long weekend somewhere. No need to bring a huge bag of lotions and potions. The London kit is all you need. There's shampoo, condition, bath oils and much more. It's also an affordable way to try out some of Aesop's best-known products before you go all in and purchase the full size versions.
3. Diptyque Mimosa Scented Candle - £24
There's no better way to burn your hard earned money than candles (sorry I couldn't help myself!). I've never been lucky enough to own one from Diptyyque but this Mimosa scented one sounds incredible! They'll burn for around 60 hours which makes them pretty pricey but from visiting several of their stores and testing out the scents it seems worth it to me!
4. Kiehls Daily Reviving Concentrate - £38
This one's a must buy! I've been using the equivalent night time concentrate for around 3 months now and it's fantastic. It takes some getting used to as it's extremely oily on the skin and certainly doesn't feel like it's going to do anything good to your skin. But when you wake up in the morning your skin instantly feels nourished and softer. So this is the versions for applying before the day ahead. Round the clock visibly healthier looking skin sounds like the dream to me!
5. Tom Ford Noir Eau de Toilette 50ml - £54
Did I mention Space NK sell fragrances? They've got a wide selection and this is certainly one of the ones I'm so excited to add to my collection one day soon. Noir is made up of citrus and notes that create a fragrance that can be worn in the office or out to a formal event. It's also pretty reasonably priced for a Tom Ford scent at £54 - most of them are just under £100!
6. Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream - £24.50
Lastly, here's one of Kiehl's most popular products that I'm still yet to try out for myself. It's hyped up as a 24-hour moisturiser than you're supposed to combine with the aforementioned day and night concentrate oils. It ensures your skins remains soft and healthy-looking throughout the day, which sounds perfect. No need to top up during the course of the day.
Get £10 off your first order at Space NK by using this link.
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When you're constantly comparing your blog to others it can often be difficult to be happy with the content you're creating and making sure it's truly unique. Does your latest post really fit with the other content your readers are enjoying or is it an excuse to gain additional views and followers? Never create content just for exposure.
Spending hours over not just the words in your post but also the photography and links is so important, why waste all of that work on something you're not actually proud to call your own? Now i'm not saying there's anything wrong with chatty life update posts.. in fact this is kind of turning into one of those now I think about it, but you always have to make sure you're being true to yourself and your content as you write. Here's my 5 sure fire ways to create content you can really be proud of...
Write posts you'd love to read yourself
Kind of an obvious one I think, but re-read your post a few times after you think you've finished creating it and just make sure it's something you'd enjoy reading and that it meets the description of the title. I'm assuming you're creating content for followers that have the same interests and passions as you do? So just make sure it actually meets the brief if that makes sense. If you came across your post on another blog would the title alone make you want to read on? This also rings true when it comes to sponsored posts. Getting paid to blog seems like a dream come true for most content creators but never agree to a paid post if it doesn't match the theme of your blog - readers will be able to see straight through it!
Partner up
Everyone hits a brick wall sometimes when it comes to blog ideas. You can read my post about it here. It's so frustrating scrolling through Bloglovin reading all kinds of different posts and wishing you had a killer idea that would both engage your readers and get them sharing it all over social media. The key to keeping your readers coming back is fresh new content posted regularly and sometimes the best way to achieve that is teaming up with a fellow blogger for a collaboration or guest post. I always find I'm much more creative and ideas come quicker when i'm writing something with another blogger and it's also a great way to get your name out there and reach new readers.
Create a schedule that works for you
Most bloggers these days are combined to force their love of writing with a full time job.. blergh. There's very few bloggers that are able to quit their job altogether to focus on their blog, which I actually think is quite a good thing. I enjoy the fact that blogging is more of a hobby as it never seems like a chore and certainly not something I'm forced to reply on for income. If you're busy 9-5 for most of the week like I am then creating a schedule for creating and posting content is essential if you want to put the most time into each post as possible, rather than cramming writing into a Sunday evening which is something I've found myself doing for too long now.
There's loads of planners available on Easy or Amazon but I find the best way to plan your content out over a month is just a simple calendar template from either Evernote or Google Docs. That way you can plan your content on the go and create checklists to make sure you've done your links and image alt tags etc. for the best SEO.
I always try and allow 30 minutes each evening after work just to brainstorm new ideas and write short descriptions of each post - that way when it comes to actually sitting down and writing them I've got some clear direction on what needs writing next.
So that’s it there’s my advice on creating content you’re proud. I hope it helps! Do you have any more tips to share?
Blogging can often be insanely addictive and rewarding, but also extremely intimidating especially when you're just starting out. The fact that you want to create content and share it with the world via your blog would suggest your confidence may be relatively high already, but often when you start to face criticism it's easy to be tempted to just throw in the towel and stop writing about the topics you're passionate about - just because others don't agree.
Here's a few pointers on how to avoid just that. Don't give up and be confident about the content you create. The key to diving into the blogging world is just that - dive in.
Here's a few pointers on how to avoid just that. Don't give up and be confident about the content you create. The key to diving into the blogging world is just that - dive in.
1. Join welcoming communities
Blogging is all about the community. Whether that be the relationship between you and your readers or with your fellow bloggers, it's key especially as a newbie to get as involved as you can in Twitter chats and Instagram pods that are all aimed at helping new and aspiring bloggers share their content and reach new readers. I've also recently been getting involved with Facebook groups that are focused on sharing and commenting on other people's content and getting new followers. I've seen some fantastic results in terms of traffic to my blog so go ahead and get involved.
2. Don't over complicate
It's so important, and yet often over looked, to focus your mind on exactly what your blog is all about. This is especially key when approaching brands for potential PR samples or product reviews. You need to be able to deliver that 2 minute elevator pitch on what your blog stands for and why brands would what to associate themselves with you. And the same goes for your readers.
I only tend to read blogs regular that have consistent content, both in terms of regularity and subject matter. Nowadays it's so obvious when bloggers start writing about specific products that have nothing to do with anything else they've done or their readers interests. Stick to what you love and stick at it.
3. See others as inspiration
Before I started The Guy on Trend I used to spend hours scrolling through some incredible blogs with fascinating content and impressive imagery and it always got me thinking "Well how hard can it be?" Turns out... very. Even once you've set yourself up with a catchy name and fancy looking blog template you've still got to actually fill your little corner of the internet with something interesting for your readers to consume.
It's so easy to compare yourself and your blog to that of others. But just remember no matter how many followers you have or what your monthly page views stats look like it all comes down to how much you enjoy writing. It's inevitable that you'll start comparing your content and your stats to your fellow bloggers but try and see it as inspiration rather than competition. It sounds selfish but write for you and you alone.
I hope these tips have helped. Do you have any ideas on boosting your confidence as a blogger?
// Matt
I'm a huge gaming fan and also have been, ever since my parents bought me my first PS2 for Christmas the year it came out. I can still remember sitting there eyes glued to the screen losing hours of my day, and entire weekends. It. Was. Awesome. While other kids were outside climbing trees or generally enjoying the outdoors I was inside frantically trying to win the Royal Rumble using my created superstar on WWF SmackDown Just Bring It.. impressive I hear you say, and you'd be right!
Clearly I don't have quite as much time on my hands these days what with a full time job, but I still like to keep up to date with the newest releases and play as much as I can. March is usually quite a dull month for new video games to hit the shelves as most are still in development right up until the big Christmas rush in November. However, there were a few notable releases in March from Bioware and Guerrilla Games so I thought I'd share my thoughts on them.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Where to start with this game? It's unlike anything I've ever played before and that's why I had to call it out first. Think of it as a mixture between an incredibly well written RPG like Oblivion or The Witcher 3 thrown together with a 2017 version of Jurassic Park's mechanical monsters. Sounds good right? Horizon Zero dawn is a game that combines flawless combat with role playing elements that will make it hard to tear yourself away.
Unlike many games, you'll find yourself really caring for the central characters, including the spritely Aloy which is the main hero. There are some quite profound themes within the story that involve the player making decisions that can result in plot-twisting deaths and actions that really feel like they've made an impact on the world around you.
Despite a strong story the side quests can often become a bore, and are clearly added to the experience as a way to level up more quickly, which isn't uncommon at all in these kind of games but often become repetitive and bring you out of the game world when you realise you're fighting the same enemies over and over again just to access chests filled with better weapons and armour. Combat is where this adventure really shines. Aloy utilise bows, slingers, electric wire and all kinds of devastating attacks to down her mechanical enemies and they are all a joy to use and often with real precision.
Across a vast and open world filled with things to do, Horizon Zero Dawn is a joy to play from start to finish and an experience that I won't be forgetting in a hurry. Truly a must buy! Available from Amazon here.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
The other big March release was a new Mass Effect game from Bioware, which has to be one of the most hyped games I've seen over the past year or so since it's teaser announcement a while back. Unfortunately, despite some great story telling and combat mechanics, this latest venture into deep space suffers from some quite serious (yet hilarious) character animation glitches that will leave you wondering how this managed to get released so soon, and in fact why on earth you paid £50 for the privilege.
It's certainly not all bad news though, even in the graphics department. The game has an incredible opening segment that looks stunning and instantly drops you into the actions as you and your team of space explorers begin the hunt for a new planet for the human (and alien) race to call home.
It's just unfortunate that the gameplay gets very stale very quickly. You'll find yourself carrying out the same "go here and kill these guys" or "go there and capture this base" missions over and over again, which is a shame because there's some great story telling going on underneath all of that but the missions are just so boring! There are some also some beautifully crafted conversions in the cut scenes which are where the graphical glitches just ruin the experience.
All in all it just feels unpolished. A game still very much in development, filled with gameplay bugs and an open world that just feels empty a lot of the time. One to pick up in the Black Friday sales I think! Available from Amazon here.
What games have you been playing recently? Any recommendations?
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