Why did you start blogging?

I had been travel blogging for years while based in Japan so I could document my experiences but when I moved to London and started working within the beauty industry, my natural focus moved towards fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

I have always been writing and have published two books on travel so blogging is a natural outlet for me and one that provides instant gratification as I can post at anytime from anywhere!

What made you focus on the fashion & lifestyle market?

I work within the beauty industry and am constantly surrounded by highly fashionable people – my sister is a budding fashion designer and I come from a family with creative talent so I have always admired fashion and trends. I travel a lot as well so like to notice trends in various countries in regards to fashion and beauty.

How influential do you think blogs are within the industry? Will their influence increase or diminish over the next 5 years?

I think blogs are very influential. People like to have a peek into other people’s lives and get a glimpse of their world – especially people who seem just like you or me – i.e., not supermodels or celebrities whose worlds seem slightly out of reach.

I think that the influence of blogging will increase over the next five years and we will see more and more vlogs on the rise. People are always attracted to a moving image over the still word, however, it doesn’t mean one is better than the other.

What approaches from brands and PR/Search marketing agencies annoy you and what makes you want to work with a brand or product?

PRs have to be approachable and friendly! That’s why they work in PR. So a non-friendly approach would probably annoy me.

I want to work with brands and products that I would actually use in everyday life. I don’t want to agree to accept products I am not actually interested in.

What advice would you offer to brands and agencies approaching you?

Always be natural and honest– this applies to everyone!

Would you review any product or do you pick and choose?

I wouldn’t review products that I wouldn’t normally use but I am very open-minded and love to test new products but I want to test only those I feel really excited about or ones that have something new and innovative.

Do you use a variety of media on your blog (e.g. video, images)?

I haven’t delved into videos yet but I do use images on my blog. I tend to use my own images and don’t like to use hi res images of products that are provided by companies.

I like to photograph them as they look in real life, sitting on a dresser or table (not in a photography studio). I love how creative bloggers can get with posts, especially with beauty products and I love when bloggers use their own images.

What posts, or types of posts, have been most effective for you?

I think posts that explain ingredients are really helpful. I recently did a post on glycolic acid and what it can do for your skin that got a lot of views. I think we often hear about ingredients in beauty products but don’t actually know what they do for our skin and I think it’s important to know.

As social is a must for any blogger, what channels work best for you and do you plan to change your activity in the future?

I absolutely love Twitter to connect with brands and other bloggers. I think it’s an amazing platform that has allowed us to get in contact with just about anyone. I love Instagram for the visual appeal it has but it’s not as easy to connect with people as Twitter. They both offer something different though.

If you could offer any advice to young up and coming bloggers, what would it be?

As the great Oscar Wilde said, ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’

To see more of Jamie, check her out on Twitter.