You may have noticed that I occasionally spotlight trends, here on the blog. Trends are definitely a large aspect of the fashion and beauty world; in fact, it's probably the largest component as it pushes the industry forward and breeds excitement for its consumers. It's definitely unavoidable, and can easily pull you in into the mass craze. Unfortunately though, this can quickly lead to the dreaded "blending in", which is something that has taken a few years for me to grow wary of. Individuality and originality, I feel, is something that has recently been applauded by society more than ever, which is great. Yet, staying on top of the beauty and fashion trends may put you at risk of losing your own distinct sense of style. So, here are my top 3 tips that I follow that enables me to stay "trendy", yet still maintain my personal sense of style.

1. Be Self-Aware
This is really important because unconsciously giving in to each and every trend can mean that you're losing your own sense of style. You shouldn't be going after every trend if you truly don't enjoy it and so it's important to know and keep in mind what you like and don't like. Now, I'm not saying for you to keep a rigid sense of style, since your own personal style will forever change and evolve and sometimes, trying new things can help you discover things that you would never have thought that you would like. What I mean with this tip is, to not blindly conform to every single trend, including the ones that deep down, you absolutely abhor.

2. Inject Your Individuality

So, you've jumped on the bandwagon of a massive trend that you truly do appreciate as does the majority of the population. So then comes the risk of blending in. To deter from that tragic outcome (dramatic, I know!), it's best to adjust that particular fashion piece or beauty trend to your own liking. For example, fashion and style are two complete different things, style being the factor that determines your individuality. So, styling a certain piece in your own way allows you to be on top of the trend while simultaneously preserving your own uniqueness, since you are still nurturing your own preferences and style.

3. Adopt & Adapt
Another way that is actually something I do quite frequently, is to inject something "different" and unique to a trend, by opting for an alternative version of the trend. This can be a difference in fabric, details, or even colour. For example, the denim A-line skirt has become very popular, but opting for perhaps a different length, or denim colour, can easily allow you to manipulate the trend to your own preferences.

            

As you can see, the skirt on the left is very true to the classic A-line denim skirt trend that is very popular currently. The skirts on the right, however, still do align themselves with the trend, but represent a much more unique version of it. For example, the first one utilizes a unique patchwork of varying colours, making the skirt much more different and statement; the middle exudes a more sophisticated vibe with its rich dark blue shade, along with its mature detail of zipper and tie; finally the bottom incorporates a very similar structure to the original piece, but with an olive-green shade, thus transforming the entire look.

So, here were my tips for staying on trend, without running the risk of comprising your own individuality. I hope this helped! Just remember: in the words of Yves Saint Laurent, "Fashions fade, style is eternal."

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Inspiration plays a large role in just about everything we do. It's what enables us to think outside the box, conjure up innovative ideas, and explore concepts that we would not think of on our own. Inspiration comes from the most expected and unexpected places, and once it does, it becomes embedded into our minds, becoming a large component in the things we create or do. Sometimes, we willingly hunt for inspiration and at other times, we just simply come across it. The former can sometimes be difficult, and even frustrating if you don't look in the right places that can fulfill what you need. It's personally taken time to discover sources that I can consistently rely on when I'm on the hunt for beauty and fashion inspiration, but now that I have, I feel less limited and more creative, which is why I'd like to now share with you where I get my beauty and fashion inspiration:

Magazines. This source basically serves the purpose to offer inspiration and tips to its readers by catering to a multitude of categories and styles. Magazines are a great source as it provides visual and textual information and inspiration that you can properly gain knowledge from; basically like a really intriguing and fun textbook! My personal favourites are: Elle, People Stylewatch, and Life&Style (which is also a celebrity tabloid magazine - my guilty pleasure!).

Instagram & Bloggers. I put these two in the same category because nowadays, these two groups do indeed go hand-in-hand; I myself utilize Instagram as a way to expand my blog. So, most often, I keep tabs on some of my favourite beauty and fashion bloggers via their Instagram. Taking inspiration from people who you admire their makeup or style is a great source, although you should be careful not to copy! I personally have solidified what I want my style to be, so being inspired by other bloggers enables me to simply give me ideas on how to style or coordinate pieces that I already own. My favourite Instagram accounts/bloggers are: Kristina Bazan, Louise Roe, Julia Engel, Inthefrow, and Olivia Palermo (street style).

Celebrity Stalk. In line with the previous category, pinpointing your favourite celebrities such as actresses or singers in terms of their beauty and fashion style is also a way that I gain inspiration. Since these celebrities are not actually beauty or fashion bloggers, sometimes it takes voluntarily searching up their looks to gain inspiration. My personal favourites for beauty are Lily Collins, Kate Bosworth, and Elle Fanning. If you couldn't tell from these choices, I absolutely adore the "doll-like" makeup look (aka, excessive blush and doe-eyes). My favourite celebrities that rule the fashion game are: Alexa Chung, Kieran Shipka, Jamie King, and Emma Stone (red carpet). I'm definitely forgetting many more, but these are my top favourites. 

YouTube. When it comes to YouTube, I usually gain more beauty inspiration rather than fashion. In fact, I owe it to YouTube that made my makeup obsession flourish as well as bring me out of my comfort zone. My favourite beauty YouTubers are: simply_kenna, Mariah Leonard, Kate la Vie, and Tanya Burr. I enjoy a lot more YouTubers, but when it comes to makeup inspiration that fits my own makeup preferences, these are the ones that I can rely on. 

Tumblr. Nothing too specific here, but I can honestly say that tumblr has changed my life. It's a big statement, I know, but in more ways and aspects than one, tumblr has really shapened my values and preferences - including beauty and fashion. Take a look at my own tumblr to see what my own preferences are if you'd like, but in general, tumblr is a great inspiration source as you can find blogs that fit your style as well as venture into others that you may find that you also enjoy. 

Pinterest. You may be wondering how one can keep track of all these inspirations? How can one even remember all of them? Well, the answer is Pinterest. If you're not aware, Pinterest is where you can create "pin-boards", assign them to any category, and add or "pin" whatever images you'd like. So, whenever I come across anything that inspires me, I simply screenshot it, or take a picture of it, and pin it to the appropriate board on my profile. It's super convenient; whenever I feel like I'm in a rut, I simply scroll through my boards and instantly become inspired again. Also, Pinterest has its own search engine where you can simply enter in a tag, and then loads of images come up! You can check out my profile here.

So, here are my sources of gaining beauty and fashion inspiration. It can be quite difficult to think outside the box or come up with new and fresh ideas simply on your own. The interesting thing about inspiration is that sometimes, it can actually allow you to think of something completely different than what inspired you in the first place, by acting as a prompt instead. It's quite magical how inspiration can trigger things in your mind and conjure up innovative ideas that are still true to your own style and preferences, yet allows you to explore and discover new things. 

What's your favourite way to gain inspiration? 

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Self-awareness is an important thing, right? Well, I do confess that at least at this point in my life, I would identify myself has a relatively organized person, although maybe sometimes too much thanks to my obsessive nature, but I digress. Honestly, I actually feel that I may know exactly what point in time I "officially" became organized, although all my life I was usually inclined towards neatness anyway. I feel that ever since I took more online courses in university, I became much more organized in my work, whether that be scheduling, schoolwork, or other stuff like blogging and even wardrobe and makeup organization. Maybe it's because I was more liberated to define my own schedule as I prefer to figure stuff out myself, or maybe it's because this meant that I could stay at home more, thus reducing distractions. Regardless, I can say that I am very satisfied with my organization, especially when it comes to work, which as we all know, is the most important. So, here I'd like to share with you my tips for becoming a more organized person:

1. A Calendar is Your Best Friend.
It really is. Personally, I prefer electronic calendars like the one on the iPhone and MacBook, but written planners do the same thing. I can't believe that I used to hardly write anything down for myself and honestly, because of that, I did forget many things and made everything hectic for me. Writing things down on a widespread calendar like on the MacBook is ideal for me since I can see the entire month and properly assign my work on the days ahead. Also, to-do lists are great for personal little things that we always seem to forget; this is great to jot down on your phone.

2. Look Ahead. Wayyy Ahead.
Sure, a calendar is great, but sometimes lack of proper scheduling can make a calendar useless. Whether it be for work or school, it's important to write each and every due date on your calendar so you won't be caught off guard when it's too late. So, when assigning work to do on a day, it's important to consider what you have due in 2-3 weeks time rather than what's only due in a few days.

3. Storage.
Storing things can mean different things. It can mean a highly organized and coordinated system or it can mean absolute chaos. Obviously, the former is what I'm talking about here. Has it ever occurred that you wanted to find something and you simply couldn't? Well, if you start organizing your stuff in designated places, then that wouldn't happen again. Assigning your stuff in their own folders, bins, cabinets, drawers, labels, etc. are perfect ways to organize your stuff and can also mean a tidier space!

4. Keep clean & tidy.
Basically, keep only things you need and discard what is useless. So, if you have that box full of ink-less pens or a drawer filled with scrunched up paper, that may be holding you back and even un-motivating you to work efficiently. Cleanliness and tidiness are keys to organization!

5. Stick, don't slack. 
Obviously, it goes without saying (but I'm saying it anyway) that none of these tips will remain useful if you abandon them all. Of course, staying organized and put together takes effort and sometimes, all it takes is that one time when you're in a hurry and you shove a paper in the wrong folder, and bam! disorganization ensues and before you know it, you just "don't bother" anymore. If you stick to it though, you will see the results and can make life a whole lot easier. And remember, procrastination is the mother of havoc!

I hope that these tips have been or will be useful to you! I personally have acquired these tips throughout the years and have only picked them up quite recently and have seen an extraordinary difference.

Do you have any tips of your own? Share yours in the comments below!

I love blogging. It's where I can transform my need to create into something productive and visual. Of course, any blogger would say that blogging is hard work mainly because it involves a lot of different components and editing, but honestly, it's precisely because of these reasons that I love it so much. Over time, anything anyone does improves as you learn what works best for you and your aesthetic and style. It hasn't even been a year that I've avidly pursued blogging, but I have already established a blogging routine that is part of my essential groundwork with every post that I make. 

1. Photography

Obviously, photos are part of the definition of blogging. Without it, a blog is not complete. My blog is tattooed with flat-lays and other related photos which create a great accompanying visual representation of what my posts are about. For taking these sorts of pictures, I honestly feel that your phone is enough especially for beginners. For now, I use the iPhone 5s which is perfect, but I don't just leave it at that which is probably no surprise thanks to the plethora of apps and website that are at of our fingerprints nowadays which is what I'll be talking about later on in this post.

2. Props

Sometimes, you need a little bit more than the product you're talking about. Yes, just for show. I believe that it's the props that kind of gives off your own style and aesthetic. Personally, I always opt for dainty, pink, or pretty trinkets to sprinkle at the corners of the actual product. I do try to keep in mind, however, that props should not be center stage! The most important prop is the surface since that provides the base and groundwork for all your photos; for me, it almost always has to be white since that is just the look I like. I also use white backgrounds for almost all of my Instagram photos too. Now, I personally do not even own a pure white table top surface, so I actually use a whiteboard which is so easy to get a hold of and it is very efficient since its flat, solid, and easy to store. When it comes to the mini props and trinkets, I usually opt for fake flowers, little pieces of decor, and other dainty items like keychains or jewellery.

3. Photo Editing Apps & Websites
Of course, taking the photo is the easiest part. Editing is vital to photos and can completely bring the photo to life, no matter how good quality your original photo is. When it comes to blogging specifically, I always go straight to my trusty VSCO app and sometimes to the Fotolr app if the background isn't white enough. Then, I send the finish to my laptop where I then upload it onto PicMonkey which is great for sharpness, clarity, and highlighting. I also use PicMonkey sometimes for adding fonts and styles, but it's actually Canva where I almost aways go to for creating thumbnails and cover photos.

4. Good Lighting
On top of taking the right photo with good quality and editing, the lighting needs to also be good in the first place. I definitely don't have a studio, so instead I depend on the good old sun to provide my lighting. And yes, because of the lack of control of the sun's lighting, I do sometimes have to postpone when I have to take photos, but it's tolerable nonetheless.

5. Cheeky Promos
Finally, when it comes to wrapping up blog posts, you need your posts to get noticed and that's obviously going to be through social media. The more the better, so that includes Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and possibly more that I am not even aware of. These promos do work and can expand awareness and audience.

So, these are my blogging essentials that I incorporate in my "blogging routine" every time. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other blogging tips and essentials!