We are just at the start of the new season, but it is time to update our skincare routines. While we adapt our daily regimen to the rising temperatures, we can grab this occasion to joy the benefits of trending skincare ingredients.

It is incredible how something simple and trendy like buying second-hand shows to be the best choice for the planet and ourselves when paired with a healthy decluttering and an organised spring cleaning.

Photo by Cottonbro, Pexels

Choosing second-hand can help our finances and break today's consumeristic chain. To kickstart the change, consider decluttering. Interiors therapist Suzanne Roynon offers expert advice on how to carry out a sustainable spring cleaning.

Social Habits And Data

Photo by Julia M. Cameron, Pexels

We all collect more than we need either for the sentimental link to gift, an impulsive shopping spree or the hope to squeeze back inside some dear, old and shrunk clothes. An annual wardrobe spring clean can be the perfect way to give unwanted clothing a new lease of life. The latest data from Shpock’s annual Second Hand Effect report, released ahead of World Environment Day (5th June), shows Britons potentially saved 5,175 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions last year by buying and selling on the app – which is the equivalent amount of emissions as driving around the world in a standard car 574 times or driving to the moon 60 times.

Pros Of Decluttering And Second-hand

Photo by Victoria Borodinova, Pexels

Decluttering is a satisfying and healthy habit to gain more space and clear our mind in one go. It often starts from clothing and it ignites a green renovation. Giving away, or re-homing pre-owned clothing contributes to a circular economy; while buying second-hand translates into saving in gas emission, usage of water and wastage during the production chain. From January 2021 to March 2021, Shpock data saw the number of fashion items sold on its website increase by a third on average (33%) and future predictions show that by shopping on marketplaces, Britons could be potentially saving 1.2 million tonnes of plastic, 7.8 million tonnes of steel and 0.7 million tonnes of aluminium.

Photo by Rachel Claire, Pexels

Interiors therapist Suzanne Roynon shares her top tips and tricks on how to carry out a sustainable spring clean:

1. 'Give yourself time and focus on items not bringing you joy. Spring cleaning the wardrobe isn’t a ten-minute job, but when you get it right, you’ll save yourself countless hours in the months and years to come. Take everything out of your wardrobe and pile it on the bed. This is where you get totally honest about each item; does it remind you of anything unhappy, disappointing, hurtful or bring you down in any way?'
2. 'Always Think Sustainably - give pre-loved items a new home. When it comes to letting your unwanted clothes and possessions go, use marketplaces to sell items on, they have a huge array of buyers and it's also a great way to earn money. Never send stuff to a landfill.'
3. 'Tackle drawers, shelves and anywhere else you keep foldable clothes. Follow the same principles to assess how they make you feel and if anything does not make the grade, let it go. Do the same with accessories, jewellery, gadgets, and products – anything you don’t use isn’t serving you and it’s taking up space.'
4. 'Time to organise and clean - give the items you're keeping a fresh space. Before putting anything away, vacuum and give every drawer and cupboard a wipe down with a suitable cleaning product inside and out. Your clothes deserve a fresh, clean space and so do you!'
5. 'Think about the clothes-hangers you use. The brain responds well when things are ordered, so using hangers which match rather than a jumble of odd shapes and colours is a simple mind-hack as well as being visually rewarding.'
6. 'Order your wardrobe. Hang clothes so items of the same type are together and sort them by length; that way you’ll know exactly where to find your perfect outfit every day. This method makes putting away laundry much more straightforward and your eye will appreciate the organisation each time you open the door.'

The 'three Rs' rule never fails: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Original data by The Red Brick Road

More of us are looking for ways to beat social media algorithms, with searches for ‘algorithm meaning', ‘new Insta algorithm’, and ‘TikTok algorithm’ increasing by up to 550% since last year.

Nature has started to become green and fresh again, and the days are staying lighter for longer. Although it feels as though spring has barely sprung, most people are looking a little further ahead. Having spent much of the last year trapped indoors, who could blame you for starting to make plans for a sun-soaked, adventurous summer?

Photo by Bradley Hook, Pexels

While you can look and feel great whatever your plans are, it is vital that you also give some consideration to how you can stay healthy.

Yes, having lived through a pandemic, you’re probably sick of hearing about protecting yourself against illnesses. However, the world is not completely out of the woods yet, and there are still other issues that can present health risks that are not connected to COVID-19. With a few adjustments to your plans, you can get the most out of your summer.

Nourish Your Body

Photo by Daria Shevtova, Pexels

When summer starts to roll around, a lot of people motivate themselves to start a diet. While a healthy diet can help you maintain weight and wellness, taking on short-term, goal-oriented weight loss programs is not good for your overall wellbeing. Your brain is designed to rebel against this approach; informed partly by a genetic predisposition to be within a certain body mass range.

Your hormones also respond to rapid weight loss actions with cravings for dense foods. Whatever your motivation, depriving your body of nutrients is not the safe or effective way forward. Rather, pay closer attention to the types of food you eat and make sure that your body gets the nutrition it needs to thrive during the summer.

Perhaps the most common way in which people fail to nourish their bodies effectively is through their water intake. Your body needs between 2.7 to 3.6 litres of water per day to remain functional. Without sufficient hydration, especially when you plan on going outside, you can experience fatigue, skin issues, headaches, and even urinary tract infections.

The need to keep well hydrated is enhanced in the summer months, particularly if you have an active lifestyle. Prepare by making sure that you take a couple of bottles of water with you whenever you leave home — not soft drinks or energy drinks since neither of these options is effective or healthy. If you plan on regularly exercising, drinking water that is infused with electrolytes can help replace those you’ve lost through sweating.

Maintain Your Energy

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto, Pexels

When summer rolls around, you want to make the most of it — particularly in parts of the UK that don’t always see a lot of sunshine! As such, it’s important to make sure that you are in a position to keep your energy levels up so that you don’t find yourself overexerting yourself during activities. You certainly don’t want to reach one of the most enjoyable parts of the year and find that you are suffering from fatigue.

One of the most important areas for you to focus on is getting the right amount of sleep. With the sun remaining high for a large portion of the day in the summer, you may find yourself staying up later and rising earlier, thus losing sleep. Doing this can be disruptive to your circadian rhythm, which in turn can be detrimental to your health.

You can help to keep your system in sync by sticking to a routine each day, and consistently applying winding down procedures. Make sure that when you go to bed your room is well designed to support sleep — soft lighting, drawn curtains, access to a book rather than your screens. The better quality of sleep you can get, the more able you’ll be to experience a healthy summer.

Protect Your Skin

Photo by RF._.studio, Pexels

When summer rolls around there’s a natural tendency to let your skin drink in some of that revitalizing sunshine. There are certainly health benefits to this; vitamin D can boost your immune system, enhance your mood, and it can even help aid better quality sleep. However, it’s equally important to understand how exposing your body to the elements for extended periods can be detrimental, so you can better protect your skin and your wellbeing.

The first step, and probably the most important step, is to make certain that you keep a robust sunblock application routine. Most people know why to wear sunscreen — doing so can reduce your chances of developing both squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and lower your melanoma risk — but most people don’t always know how to protect themselves against these concerns with proper application.

Firstly, you should be using a sunblock that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. If you’re using a chemical sunscreen, it’s best to apply it before you use any other skin or beauty products since it needs to seep into your skin to function correctly. If you’re using a mineral-based screen (like zinc) that blocks UV rays, this needs to be applied to the top level of your skin, so put it on after any other skin products are used.

The sun isn’t the only threat to healthy skin in the summer. Fewer clothes and more time outside can mean that you have greater exposure to pollution, especially in cities. This is considered to cause accelerated signs of ageing — wrinkles, blemishes, less collagen production — and even cause health issues, particularly for those with sensitive skin. As such, it’s important to keep well hydrated to keep your skin clear and exfoliate regularly to prevent pore blockage.

Photo by Leah Kelley, Pexels

Conclusion

To get the most out of the summer, it's important to approach the season with consideration to your health. Make sure that your body gets the food and hydration it needs, and pay close attention to the quality of your sleep. This, alongside a skin protection routine, can make sure you can have a happy and healthy summer.

Photography is one of the most artistic, creative, shapeable skills to pursue these days. You can take your skills to almost any industry and make a living. One of the most popular sectors of photography is fashion. 

You’ll want to ensure you have a polished skill set to bring to the table when you decide to fuse your passion for fashion and photography.

Whether you’re interested in fashion photography as a hobby or a potential career, the following tips will help you refresh your fashion photography skill set and get you on a path to pursuing fashion photography full-time.

Three Ideas for Refreshing Your Fashion Photography Skillset

Fashion photography is one of the most exciting careers in the industry.

Adobe quotes notable photographer Flo Ngala: “Fashion photography is the way a photographer uses their own eye and perspective to highlight, curate, or speak to anything in the fashion industry.”

Photography is essentially telling a story through visuals. Fashion photography allows you to tell stories through the photographs and the fashion being worn in those photographs. If you’re enthusiastic about refreshing your fashion photography skillset, here are few ways to do so.

Do photoshoots with family and friends 

Picture By holdosi, Pixabay

As basic as this suggestion may seem, the best way to get better at anything is to do it. So, doing photoshoots with family and friends could be a great way to start rebuilding your fashion photography skillset.

Family and friends will usually give you the freedom to be as creative or simplistic as you’d like to be in the photoshoot. Being the creative director of a shoot can boost your communication and collaboration skills. You can practice how to give suggestions to models, explain your creative vision to them, and nurture everyone involved in the process to ensure the photos turn out exactly how you pictured them.

Shooting family and friends also gives you a sense of comfortability. You don’t have to worry about it being perfect, the criticism you’ll receive, or whether or not you will get along with everyone on set. Instead, you can focus on bettering your general photography skills and your eye for what makes good fashion photography.

Take a fashion photography course or complete a degree program

Fashion photography is an intricate career path. With so many opportunities in the fashion photography world, it can be hard to pinpoint precisely what skills you need to succeed. A photography course or degree program can give you the guidance and specific skills required to pursue this endeavor seriously.

Some of the skills a course or degree program in fashion photography can teach you are:

• Technical photography skills
• Artistic perception
• Time management
• Fashion and photography trends
• Collaboration
• Active listening
• Public speaking
• Critical thinking
• Interpersonal skills

Although a degree or certificate isn’t required to begin a career in fashion photography, the network, extensive language, and technical skills learned, as well as the resources you acquire when pursuing higher education, are all valuable assets.

Become a photographer’s assistant

Picture By Free-Photos, Pixabay

If you aren’t sure a college degree in fashion photography is the best route for you, becoming a notable photographer’s assistant may be a good option. You can learn on-the-job skills and receive a variation of “in-class” instruction to ensure you’re getting a holistic fashion photography experience.

If you’re unable to land an assistant position, look into internship or apprenticeship opportunities in your area. These sorts of options also allow you to gain real-world experience as a photographer and polish your skills simultaneously.

You can also look for an entry-level fashion photography position or explore getting in on the ground level of a startup or small business.

Moving Forward with Fashion Photography

Once you’ve decided to pursue fashion photography seriously, use the following tips to find opportunities to hone your craft, create a list of routes to follow to become a pro, and identify which type of fashion photography is best for your vision.

You’ll want to decide which type of fashion photography is best for your career goals. Shot Kit lists the following as the main types of fashion photography: 

• High fashion
• Editorial fashion
• Street fashion
• Catalog fashion
• Runway fashion
• Look book photography
• Advertising fashion
• Glamour photography

Use the internet to research any university or college degree programs that fit your location, curriculum, financial, and professor desires. Join groups on social media geared toward supporting new fashion photographers. Sign up for free resources like email lists, webinars, and classes to hone your photography skills and garner support from others moving forward with a fashion photography career.

If you aren’t pursuing higher education in fashion photography, utilize job search engines to see what positions are out there right now. See if any of them resonate with your career goals and apply for those that do.

If you want to make money off your fashion photography skills, it’s also best to brush up on specific business skills to ensure you're running a seamless operation. Sharpen skills like how to fill out and send invoices to clients, how to conduct interviews to solidify business relationships, and how to do taxes when you’re self-employed.

It is no secret that when the temperature falls, people often find it challenging to pull together dresses that keep you warm as well as look both flattering and fashionable. Nevertheless, it can be done - despite the chilly and cold weather outside. Are you wondering how?

Alesia Kazantceva. Unsplash

Don’t worry, we have your back! We have curated a list of simple yet amazing tips to show you how to style your winter outfits fashionably.

Tip #1 Wear A Classy Leather Jacket

If you are a fashion expert, you would know that jackets make you look trendy as they reveal a bold statement about your fashion sense. And this is the reason why they have been popular among both men and women for a very long time.

Did you know that pairing your clothes with the right type of jacket can make you look elegant and help you stand out from the crowd at the same time? Although there are different types of jackets available in the market, like denim, bomber, etc., if you want to look good and protect yourself from the cold, a leather jacket would be the perfect pick for you this winter season.

Besides this, a leather jacket can give you a more stylish appearance and make you look impactful. All said and done while buying a leather jacket, it is crucial to ensure that you are buying from brands that offer genuine, high-quality leather jackets. This is because such types of jackets are not only durable, but their elegance is priceless. Apart from this, for a unique and bold style statement, you should right away buy a high-quality, black leather jacket.

Tip #2 Carry A Knitted Sweater

According to past studies, it is predicted that the global sweater market will generate 104.8 billion US dollars in sales in the year 2021. This is because people like wearing sweaters as they don’t just make them look stylish, but also make them feel comfortable and confident. However, many people find it tricky to choose the perfect sweater for their wardrobe. So, we have curated a list of some of the basic things that you should consider while purchasing a sweater that can make you look stylish this winter:

The Neckline

There are different types of necklines available in sweaters. So, firstly, you should see which one would look best on you. For instance, do you want a V-neck for a stylish look or a turtle neck for a comfy appearance?

The Length

The length of the sweater plays a critical role when deciding to buy it or not. You can either go for a classy looking cropped sweater or a long, traditional one, depending on the clothes you’d wear underneath that sweater.

The Volume

Similarly, one of the defining factors of a sweater is its volume. For example, you need to decide whether a fitted one would enhance your overall look or a relaxed, comfy one.

Tip #3 Find The Perfect Coat

It is no surprise that in case of cold weather, a coat becomes your best friend. It is your closet item that you can pair with most of your outfits, so you should find the perfect coat for yourself. You should choose the one that saves you from the cold and reflects your personal style.

Not sure how to choose the perfect coat? Here are a few expert fashion tips to help:

- There are many different types of coats available in the market, but you should go for high-quality ones if you want to look good.
- Select the color of that compliments your complexion.
- Go for the coat shape that enhances your body’s shape and figure.
- Make sure the coat of your choice has pockets.

Ryan Spaulding. Unsplash

If you are still not sure how to style your winter coats fashionably? Here is an ultimate winter coat accessory guide.

Tip #4 Wear Your Show Stopper Boots

Buying the most suitable pair of boots can be difficult if you aren’t sure what you need to look for. But, don’t worry, we have curated some expert tips that can help you in finding the perfect boots that fit your feet so well that you will never want to take them off! And let’s face it, girls, don’t you love a stylish yet comfy pair of boots?

While looking for your ideal boots, always remember comfort is key. You need t be able to wear them for long periods of time, and you dont want to end up looking clumsy, walking strangely and feeling uncomfortable before the day is through.
  
One of the most significant tips for buying the perfect boots is their size. Pay extra attention to the size of your legs and ankles so that you can find a flattering style. Always make sure that you select the ones with the best material. For boots that you will wear often, it is best to go for the ones made out of leather.

Tip #5 Add A Trendy Scarf

We all know that scarves have been an essential fashion accessory since the beginning. This is because they make you look comfortable and stylish at the same time. Besides this, by adding a fashionable scarf to your outfit, you can protect your neck from chilly winds in the winter season.

Below are a few tips for selecting a trendy scarf to pair with your outfit:

- Go for a scarf with a longer length as it is easier to style a lengthy one.
- Don’t forget to check the quality and softness of the scarf’s material.
- Inspect both the front and backside of the scarf.

Tip #6 Layer Yourself Perfectly

One of the most important style tips is to experiment with a mixture of thinner pieces that offer maximum warmth, and at the same time, make you look fashionable. You can also play with shirts and sweaters of varying lengths for flattering your body shape.

The Final Word

Oftentimes, the best outfit is one of the simplest ones. So, if you want to make an impact and spend your winter season fashionably, you should choose a classic winter outfit that is easy to put together and carry by following the above-mentioned style tips.

With all those YouTube tutorials and tips on the internet, it is now much easier to master applying makeup. However, it is not enough to just invest in expensive products.

How we decorate our homes has a great impact on how we feel spending time there. It is now widely believed that our home decor can subconsciously affect our mood as well as our mental wellbeing. Hence, interior design is something we should carefully think through.

Toa Heftiba. Unsplash

The line between fashion and interior design is becoming blurred so if you have a favorite fashion designer, chances are that they already have a home line you can use to decorate your house or flat. This is great news! However, the most important thing about interior design is that we feel pleasant and at peace in our home environment.

For this to be achieved, our home décor must reflect our personal style and fashion tastes. Only then will we be able to create a true oasis for ourselves, a sanctuary in these trying times amidst the pandemic.

In this guide, we will show you how to use interior design to reflect your personal style.

Think About Your Lifestyle

Flaunter. Unsplash

Before you start throwing out your furniture and replacing it with new items, take a moment to think about your lifestyle in general. Are you a person who revels in elegance and stylish items that look like they came out of a magazine? Do you love wearing couture and designer clothing and turning heads at parties, or are you more the type for joggers and sweatpants of generic brands?

It may sound silly, but you should consider this in order to create a home that makes you feel comfortable and peaceful. If you do spend most of the time with your hair made up in a casual bun and your joggers on, then perhaps you wouldn’t feel comfortable and at home in an elegantly decorated flat with expensive, yet uncomfortable furniture, and vice versa.

If you enjoy wearing fancy attire and you prefer elegant, white sofas, maybe you wouldn’t quite feel like you’re at home in a casually furnished, farmhouse-style home.

Comfort Or Style

Roberto Nickson. Unsplash

When it comes to choosing an outfit, do you go for comfort or style? Are you someone who follows the latest fashion trends? Someone who never wears high heels and even if you do, you can’t wait to go home and change into your favorite trainers?

You should approach interior design in the same way by asking yourself a few questions. Do you prefer soft or bold features? Cozy boho chic or the simple, clean Scandinavian style? Or are you more into bare bricks of the industrial style?

This doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve both comfort and stylishness if you allow your personality and your tastes to guide you. For example, if comfort prevails in your book - but you also want a dash of style in your bedroom, you can pick one of the numerous wooden bedroom furniture sets that provide both. They’re cozy and comfortable but also timeless, hence, suitable for every taste.

Another great thing about wood is that it can fit into any kind of home décor so you can express your creativity and complement your bedroom with minimalist, mid-century modern, French Country, or traditional style details to create a space that truly reflects your style.

Bold Colour Or Neutral Palettes

Annie Spratt. Unsplash

White, beige, and grey flats look stunning in magazines, however, is it really for you? If you’re the type who prefer bold colours such as purple, red, green, your interior design should reflect that. If you surround yourself with the colours that you usually love wearing, you’ll be much more relaxed at home.

Maybe you want to add some feminine accent to your home such as pink details in the form of art, flowers, etc. Some pink or velvet-coloured cushions would be an excellent addition too.  On the other hand, if you usually avoid flashy hues and always pick the “sure thing” when it comes to your outfits, honour your taste and pick colours that feel natural to you.

Creativity Or Simplicity

Trend. Unsplash

Maybe you’re the type of person who can make any ordinary outfit unique by adding some interesting details such as jewellery or accessories. Or you might be someone who feels best in a plain simple outfit such as a classic white T-shirt and black trousers, no accessories.

If you enjoy simple, minimalist décor, you shouldn’t force yourself to add home accessories such as bohemian-style rugs or materials such as fur and leather. Remember that the focus is on creating a home that reflects your personality and taste. On the other hand, if you find immense joy in collecting rare, handmade pieces, souvenirs, and combining various textures, you should think of your home as a white canvas ready to be painted.

Conclusion

With the help of the internet and social media platforms, figuring out your personal style and incorporating it into your interior design is not difficult. Create a board on Pinterest, write down a list of your priorities, and consider your fashion style. With these tips, you’ll easily create a home that screams YOU.

Sustainability doesn’t have to mean giving up the things that make you happy and keep you feeling beautiful.

It’s difficult to imagine that it’s already been a year since the outbreak of the coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually every aspect of our daily lives, from the way we perform our daily duties and commute to school and work to the way we shop for everything from groceries to clothes and other essentials.

Toa Heftiba Unsplash

In the times when social distancing has become a norm and working remotely has become an alternative arrangement for a number of employees, it comes as no surprise that many people are doing their shopping online as a way of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Given the many advantages online shopping has over the traditional in-store shopping and the fact that it’s a much safer alternative in times like these, e-commerce is expected to only gain in popularity during the pandemic and beyond.

Below, everything you need to know about shopping online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Are The Advantages Of Shopping Online?

 Laura Chouette Unsplash

First things first, there are many reasons why online shopping may be more beneficial for consumers compared to the conventional method, especially in times like these. For starters, shopping from the comfort of your home is far more convenient. You have more control over your spending, there’s no sales pressure, and there’s more variety – which is a big plus, especially if you’re shopping for clothes and want to get in on the latest trends.

You’re also able to get better deals this way, and you have the option to send gifts as well. There are no crowds which reduces the risk of catching COVID, and you can easily compare prices to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

Which Product Categories Are In Demand?

Charles Deluvio Unsplash

With online purchases rising, it may be interesting to take a look at the product categories that are in demand. According to a survey, product categories that have experienced a 6-10% increase are electronics, household items, gardening, furniture, and cosmetics. While some websites choose to focus on only one or a couple of product categories, others are more general and sell products from multiple categories.

For instance, if you visit shoppster.com and other similar sites, you’ll be able to find everything from homeware to clothing to electronic devices. Having everything in one place and just a couple of clicks away is less time-consuming, and websites like these can easily become your go-to place for practically everything you need. They’ll often offer loyalty programs which you can use to get various discounts and get the most bang for your buck. On the plus side, companies are working on enhancing their e-commerce experience, so shoppers may expect improvements in everything from delivery times, product descriptions, and product reviews and ratings.

How Are The Delivery Services Handling The Increase In Online Shopping?

Wynand van Poortvliet Unsplash

Aside from being a practical and efficient way to get everything you need in a hassle-free and stress-free way, shopping online is also the safest option at the moment. With the number of online orders increasing at a rapid pace, one can’t help but wonder how this increase in online shopping is affecting delivery services and the processing and packaging of online purchases.

Keeping up with the latest updates from the department of health and following all the guidelines is mandatory for delivery services. By taking precautions and enhancing safety measures, they’re able to keep the mail personnel healthy and prevent the spread of the virus. That being said, it might be best for customers to request the mail carriers to place the packages on the floor. That way, there’s no physical contact, which is much safer for delivery personnel, and the method is being increasingly applied for both fashion purchases and food delivery.

What Are The Precautions For Opening Boxed Shipments?

Bench Accounting Unsplash

Other than avoiding transmissions by hand, it’s best for customers to take additional safety steps to prevent the spread of the virus for their own peace of mind. This is especially important if you’re taking care of an elderly person or someone with a chronic condition, in which case it’s advisable to wear disposable gloves when handling packages and mail.

When it comes to online fashion purchases, your safest bet would be to wash any new clothes that have been delivered to you. Although spreading via fabric is not the main way the virus is transmitted, there’s no way of saying how long the virus can survive on fabrics, so taking an extra safety step before trying on new clothes is recommended.

Wrapping Up

An effective response to the public health crisis, shopping online helps you remain healthy and safe during these tumultuous times while also saving time and money in the process.

Now that you’re aware of the advantages of online shopping and all the health-related questions are answered, you can let go of any concerns you may have had about online purchases and shop safely and worry-free during the pandemic.