Blogging, Blagging and Blackmail

Macarongate probably didn't escape your attention. It happened a couple of weeks back and blew up T'Intz. (If you missed it, catch up here). I'd like to think my moral compass points (pretty) firmly to Magnetic North, but there seems to be right and wrong on both sides in this case. The whole débacle- however- definitely got me thinking about the murky world of 'freebies', cue: earnest debate.

There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

Not according to bloggers (that's us!! hiya!!). We would have you believe that what we do is incredibly hard work. Something akin to toiling at the coal face. Yes, it is exhausting hauling and shooting and editing and writing and socialmediaring but saving lives we are not. A freebie is a freebie is a freebie. Don't try and dress this shit up (pardon the pun). Evidence (should it be required) is all over Depop- in the form of clothes that bloggers have only worn once for half an hour to shoot in and are now trying to make dollar on.
Must Be Funny
Whilst on the subject of cold hard cash, let's just remind ourselves that a sizeable minority of bloggers charge for their posts. To be honest, I'm still wrapping my swede round that one, but I can only say bon chance guurrrllllfriend, go forth and milk it.

Getting A Bad Rep

One thing that Macarongate highlighted was that bloggers seem to be getting diva reps to everyone that isn't us. Civilians, PRs, Russian oligarchs sick of girls from Kent trying to conduct impromptu shoots on their otherwise immaculate street in Belgravia. You name 'em, we seem to be pissing them off. This is not a good thing. Of course, magazine editors have always hated us and regard us as mere amateurs whoring ourselves out for the slightest chance to waft in front of Tommy Ton's lens or snag one of those aforementioned freebies. Can owt be done to restore our reps? Possibly, but 'The Blogger' in Macarongate definitely got way more hate than 'The Baker', indicating it may be a long road.

Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie

Speaking of being a diva and annoying the sweet baby jesus out of PRs, let's get down to the rights and wrongs of 'asking for things'. Personally I'd rather die than ask a PR for anything. I guess it comes from being a journalist and having the mindset of regarding them as annoying irritants constantly trying to flog me shit I don't want. Am I missing out? It's entirely possible. It goes back to the old playground thing. Some girls wanted a crisp out of their friend's packet of Walkers at break time so asked. Some other girls also wanted the crisp, but thought it better not ask believing they were then more likely to be offered. In life- some people are of the 'don't ask, don't get' ilk, whilst others keep it on the down-low. (You don't say). Which reminds me, you know how 'Céline at Selfridges' have got their own Instagram account? I once saw a blogger shamelessly write under one of their pictures, 'I'd love to do a collab'. Christ Oh Lord did I blush. I even nearly cried. I cringed for her. I cringed for myself. I cringed for the entire known universe. Guess what 'Céline at Selfridges' pinged back- just a simple, damning, one word response- 'Collab?'. Holy shit: there were lolz. At the same time you may be thinking 'good for her', and part of me also admires the mahoosive cojones involved in such a punt*. *Yes, I said punt.
So, can we conclude anything from this sugary firestorm? (Apart from the fact that I never asked anyone for a crisp during break). Probably only that money talks and bullshit walks (with bare props to Bobbi Flekman). Where do you stand on the whole freebie thing? Do you hit up PRs? Tell all chicas xx

Notebook- The Bloggers Planner//Macarons- M&S (lol)

6 Very Annoying Things About Blogging

Blogging is a right old rollercoaster. Some might even say "a journey". One minute you're putting out ace photos and highly pertinent posts; the next you're losing followers and questioning your very existence. Whilst it's all sunshine, priddy flatlays and shit loads of Instagram likes on the good days, the darker moments where everything bugs the hell out of you also need a little more delving into. So, let's delve.

Time Is The Enemy

Holy Moses, where does the day go? I mean, srsly. I get up at 6.30am but somehow I just never have a minute to do anything. And blogging is nowt if not time-consuming. It just munches time like a fat kid eats cake. If I shoot outside (which I increasingly don't- you guessed it- seem to have time for) I have to plan like a very planny-person to make it happen. And then there's the editing. Uggghh. This is literally the bane of my life. It takes me sooooo long. Admittedly I lack the skillz, but basically one shoot outside = a week of work. I shit you not. Shoot outside on Saturday- post won't be ready until Friday. Gun emoji.

The Best Things In Life Are Free

Coco Chanel once said "the best things in life are free, but the second best are very expensive". To which I can only posthumously reply "yasssss Gabrielle". Dunno about you, but I see a lot of bloggers banging on about how you shouldn't be in blogging for the freebies. What a load of balls. Of course you should be! Personally I rarely get sent anything- and oh my days- you should see things I do get offered. Jesus wept. But you know- I'm not cool, or cute and nobody reads this shit, so I can't- and don't- expect much. Bloggers who whinge on about how companies expect them to do posts "for free" hack me off the most though. Ok, so these girls are mostly full-time and need the dollar. I get it. But I also think they require a teeny perspective check. So, you get sent watches and clothes and make-up and get flown on free trips around the world....and you want paying too? What.The.Fuck. Count yourself lucky and stick a cork in it. 

Perfection Doesn't Exist

Life can look pretty sweet through a lens. And a filter. But perfect girls don't exist. They may look tall and thin and stunning- inside though- trust me, they're evil and have black souls. (Not sure if I need to write lolz now or not). The flip side of this 'perfection dilemma' is...do you reallllly wanna see an un-photoshopped picture of a girl with greasy hair tied-up in a scrunchie? Thought not. *NB I actually like scrunchies, but you get my drift.

Houston We Have A Problem

I have technical 'Reverse Midas Touch'. Literally every bit of techie kit I own dies or breaks or is something I could never work properly in the first place. My laptop is years old, super-slow and does the most random things. It takes me forever to upload any blog pics but, on the upside- it does give me time to paint my nails or do a quick scroll through IG as I wait for it to whir and click. As for iPhones- well- I am your granny. Blogging needs lots of cameras, and memory cards, and remotes and extra bits of storage, and wires, cables and HTML skillz and the list goes on. In my whole time blogging I've learnt piss all about any of it.

You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry

There's a lot of fakeness and insincerity flying around, isn't there? Shitehawking I call it. Like the blogger who just writes 'cute' over and over and over on literally everyone in the whole wide world's IG pics. So, how amazing would it be to just go batshit and say what you really think? Imagine if everyone did that. Just for one day.  

I Don't Care About Clever, I Don't Care About Funny

Illiteracy is, seemingly, highly fashionable. I'm not sure if blogging just attracts spectacularly thick girls who can't even construct sentences, let alone spell, but it sure as hell feels like it. One high-profile blogger- particularly- seems massively adept at brandishing her stupidity. She can't even spell the brands of the items she's gifted correctly. Swear down. You'd think the brands would be pissed off, right? Doesn't seem that way. Sure, fashion blogging is primarily a visual medium. Readers (or perhaps that should more accurately be "viewers") wanna cut to the chase and see those images. And I understand that possibly everyone under the age of twenty one doesn't get the difference between your/you're, his/he's, their/there/they're; so it's not legit to solely beat bloggers with that stick. But not spelling your branded links correctly? Piss off back to school (or at least use spell check FFS) and stop wafting about pretending you're Sincerely Jules.

What narks you most about the big wide world of blogging? Hit me up x PS And please feel free to say "negative bitchy shit like this".

Shoes- Zara//Sunnies- Céline