My First Ever Q&A

Today’s post is a first for me as I’ve never done a Q&A sesh before, but over time a lot of you guys have been asking me certain questions across my social media channels. So after almost 9 years of EJ Style I thought I’d give you the opportunity to ask me anything you like. There were A LOT of questions about my 5 furry amigos so I’ve decided to create a separate post (it’s been a long time coming) introducing you to each of them and telling you about their little world, so stay tuned for that if you’re a fan of my mini Mexicans. I was surprised at the amount of questions you guys sent in on Snapchat and I didn’t want this post to be too epic as I have a habit of rambling when when answering a question so I have cut the questions down to a selection which appeared to be the most frequently asked and a few rogue ones thrown in for good measure. So here goes…

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Fashion

From: silvia on Snapchat
Q: What does the perfect wardrobe consist of?
A: I love the idea of having a capsule wardrobe but I would find it difficult to stick to because as soon as I enter a shop my eyes start to wander. But I do have a few staple pieces which form the base of my existing wardrobe, pieces that I just wouldn’t be without, timeless pieces which are both chic and versatile…
1. Biker Jacket
2. Breton Stripe t-shirt
3. Levis 501’s (Vintage and new)
4. Black suede court shoes
5. A selection of good quality basics t-shirts in white, grey and black
6. Boyfriend jeans
7. Black blazer
8. Aquazzura flats
9. Saint Laurent Ankle Boots
10. White shirt

From: shennai on Snapchat
Q: What has been your worst fashion disaster?
A: Oh crikey I’ve had loads, although at the time they didn’t seem like disasters to me. Most of the have probably been documented on my blog too which is gutting because I get reminded of these disasters via Pinterest on a daily basis haha. I wonder if any of you remember when those high waisted sequin knickers (to be worn as the actual outfit) were all the rage? They had them in Topshop and I think it was probably around 2009/2010 and I thought they were the best thing ever…how wrong could one person be?!

From: happyasaglam on Snapchat
Q: What are your measurements, I love the way your clothes fit!
A: I thought this was an odd question at first but actually now I think about it, it’s like asking how tall I am to know how something will fit you in comparison. So here goes:
Height: 5ft 9 (it’s all in the legs)
UK size: 8 – although I buy most things in a 10 so they are slightly oversized
Waist: 26″
Bust: 30″ (A cup…may as well be -A cup haha)
Hips: 35″
Leg inseam: 34″

From: twirly1gale on Snapchat
Q: What is the one item in your wardrobe you couldn’t live without?
A: Ahhhhh I was dreading someone asking me this! It’s so hard to choose as I have a handful of ‘staples’ which I just NEED in my life but if I had to choose, it would be my Levis 501’s. I have a few pairs but give me any of those and I’d be happy.

From: sinead_jeffery on Snapchat
Q: How many designer handbags do you have and which is your favourite?
A: I have only started building my designer handbag collection over the last year. Before that I had a couple of classics which I wore to death but I now have 17 designer handbags, which is crazy! My favourite would have to be my studded Givenchy Antigona (seen here) which my husband bought for me last Christmas.

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Beauty & Hair

From: georgiahum on Snapchat
Q: Do you use fake tan and how do you keep it nice?
A: Currently my tan is au natural as I’ve been away to some hot countries over the last couple of months but when I do use fake tan I like to book in for a St.Tropez spray tan, or use St. Tropez self tanning products. Exfoliating and moisturising are the key elements here. I always do a full body exfoliation before having my tan applied and once the tan has developed I keep my body hydrated with plenty of water and moisturise twice a day with the St. Tropez Moisturiser.

From: charliemayhudson on Snapchat
Q: If there was one beauty product you couldn’t live without, what would it be?
A: A really good moisturiser. I’m quite happy to go out without make-up on so I wouldn’t be tempted to pick anything cosmetics related but a good moisturiser is somethingI can’t live without. I always make sure I drink plenty of water, around 6-8 glasses a day and to lock in that moisture I’m currently using La Mer soft cream as my every day product. It really is amazing stuff!

From: harrietcoleforth on Snapchat
Q: How do you get your eyebrows so perfect?
A: My brows are actually part tattoo. I have them done by the legend that is Tracie Giles at her salon in Knightsbridge and I’ve been having them done with her now for just over 2 years. I had uneven brows due to over plucking as a youngster and it was a huge insecurity of mine. Now that I have the tattoos I can wake up in the morning and my brows are perfect without having to do anything to them. I have them topped up twice a year to keep them looking fresh.

From: curly_carol on snapchat
Q: How do you do your hair? It always looks so good even when you say you look scruffy.
A: Haha I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one 😉 I’m not very adventurous with my hair, mainly because I’m quite lazy when it comes to the ‘hair & make-up’ segment of getting ready. But for creating my waves which is how I normally have my hair I use a GHD Classic wave wand (the best thing for waves ever!), and taking sections of hair about 2″ wide I alternate the direction of wave. Believe it or not it only takes me 20 mins max. to do my whole head and then I leave it like that and it lasts until my next hair wash, usually every other day or every 2 days depending on what I’ve been up to and the state of my hair.
OR, if I’m at home all day I just spray some salt spray though the ends of my hair when I get out of the shower and let it dry naturally. These waves are little messier and more beachy. I then spray some texturising spray through the ends once it’s full dry to give it that deliberately scruffy look.

From: pltasha
Q: What do you do to have such beautiful skin?
A: Thank you so much, I have always been very lucky with my skin. I think it’s down to genes, my mum never had any skin complaints and that’s been passed down to me. I do drink plenty of water to keep my skin hydrated and I always, always make sure I fully cleanse my face before going to bed and then apply Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair so that can work it’s magic as I sleep. I don’t really wear much make-up and on days when I’m at home I wear none at all so I think that helps keep my skin clear.

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Home & Personal

From: charchadwick on Snapchat
Q: What are your dogs names?
A: Ok so for those of you who don’t follow me on Snapchat, or maybe you do and you’ve just lost count of how many dogs I have…I have 5. They are Chihuahuas and they are a little family, mum, dad and 3 pups. Their names are Bella, Bean, Bumble, Bow and Boris, and they are my life, I couldn’t be without them.

From: mrskweston on Snapchat
Q: I’m a mum of 2 and I can’t wait for you to have children. I want to see your maternity style, how you dress your kids and how your style changes when you become a mum. Are children on the cards for you?
A: Yes children are very much on the cards for us, but at the moment both me and my husband are enjoying the travel benefits of my job and we don’t feel ready just yet. My schedule is so hectic at the moment that throwing a baby into the mix wouldn’t be fair on anyone.

From: sashamorris on Snapchat
Q: It looks like all you ever eat is burgers, HOW do you stay so skinny??? Gym routine?
A: Haha! I do eat a lot of burgers, it’s sort of my thing. I’m a bit of a finicky eater, as my friends say I like children’s menu food, and burgers tend to be served wherever you go so they are my fail safe option. I’ve always been very slim, I put it down to having a fast metabolism. I actually do’t go to a gym at all, I don’t even think I’ve ever stepped foot in a gym in my life. It literally is down to metabolism and genetics but I am starting to cut down on the burgers and junk food because I know it’s not doing my body much good internally.

From: er1nmorr1 on Snapchat
Q: How come you don’t drink alcohol?
A: There are a few reasons behind this. Firstly I really don’t like the taste of most alcoholic drinks, I can’t stand Wine or Champagne and I can’t bare the smell, let alone the taste of beer or cider. Cocktails are ok but I can still taste the bitter alcohol in there at some point. Secondly, and I mean no disrespect to anyone that does have a drink to relax or have fun but I don’t need alcohol to do that. I can still dance the night away with a diet coke and if I want to relax alcohol certainly wouldn’t help me do that, I’d rather watch an episode (or 5) of the Kardashians or stick on a boxset. Thirdly I like to be in control of my body. I hate the idea of being so paralytic that you have no idea of what you’ve done the night before (Like all of the men from MIC it would appear), or passing out in a park somewhere. I know these are all extreme cases and obviously it depends on how much alcohol is consumed but I like to think that when I’m around I can watch out for everyone else and make sure everyone is ok and doesn’t get into any bother. And lastly…the hangovers. Really I just don’t think it’s worth it for that feeling the next day. I’ve been drunk in the past and I’ve suffered 2 or 3 hangovers in my lifetime and they were not good. I had a little slip up last Fashion Week in London where I went to a party with Claire and I only had 3 drinks but I had to pee in the middle of the street (and at the time I didn’t care) which I now find so incredibly embarrassing, but it was either pee in the street or wet myself in an Uber. The following day Claire dragged me to a Sophia Webster presentation and I have never felt so rough in all my life, I then vomited in McDonalds, and that for me was the full stop to any drinking. I now have serious smug face when everyone else is suffering from a hangover and I’m fresh as a daisy, however this does mean that I am always the designated driver and breakfast maker haha.

From: thesparkleinyoureye on Snapchat
Q: What does the tattoo on your arm stand for and is it the only one you have?
A: This is my one and only tattoo, although I do have plans for a couple more. It is the date of my wedding in roman numerals…and I love it. My husband has a matching one on his chest but his is a slightly chunkier and a more masculine font. I had mine done a few months after the wedding but my husband surprised me with his and he unveiled it on our wedding night, it was all very romantic, although I thought the surprise was going to be a handbag haha.

Blog

From:
Q: What blogs, Instagrams, YouTubers, Snapchats do you follow?
A: Blogs wise I’m very much drawn to the photography. I love Viva Luxury, Annabelle has such beautiful imagery, so bright and clear. I also love Collage Vintage; Sara’s travel posts are stunning and I love that she smiles so much in her photos.
When it comes to Instagram the usual suspects pop up on my feed: Sincerely Jules (obviously), Songofstyle, Negin Mirsalehi to name but a few but I also love the feeds of Lorna Luxe, Fashioned Chic Styling and Walk In Wonderland. Everyone has something different to offer and I love the variation of inspiration. Inso accounts like StreetStyleLuxe and OOTDMagazine are also faves of mine to follow, they feature a lot of my favourite girls but they also introduce me new people to follow. I know a lot of my own followers have found me through these kind of accounts and they provide so much inspiration, all in one place.
When it comes to YouTube I’m sorry to say I just can’t get into it. Over the years YT has grown I still only use it for photography/camera tutorials, the odd music video/playlist and of course funny animal videos. Although having said that I did recently watch InTheFrow’s video from the Hamptons and it was amazing and so great to see so many other bloggers/influencers featured in there too.
Now Snapchat is a medium I could really get behind. So much so that I actually had to unfollow everyone I was following because I would find myself spending hours on there, hours I just don’t have haha. Isn’t it addictive! But there are a few ladies I will go back to watching when I have more time; Lorna Luxe, again, I just enjoyed her snaps and she’s northern so that’s always a winner with me. But my biggest love was watching Brittany from Thrifts and Threads (see her blog here). Brittany has a daughter and it’s watching their relationship together that I just found so touching, oh and she lives in LA which is one of my favourite spots on earth and when it’s a shitty day here in London I love to watch her escapades in the LA sunshine.

From: brittanyflondon
Q: Do you have a professional photographer? Your pictures are always so beautiful!!!
A: Firstly thank you very much! Over the years I have shot with other bloggers, my husband and some professional photographers. For the last few months I have hired a very good friend of mine, Debs, who happens to be amazing with a camera, to take my pictures. We have a great working relationship and because we are also good friends I feel comfortable around her and we have such a great time shooting and I think that shines through in my imagery.

From: lozzahumps on Snapchat
Q: What made you start your blog?
A: Well I first started my blog in October of 2008 and at the time I worked in retail as a Visual Merchandiser. I worked my way up in retail pretty quickly and soon I became a Manager which was great but I missed the creative side of VM. The managerial side of things involved lots of figures and HR so I started my blog as a way to express my creativity through my personal style.

From: itsjusttracie on Snapchat
Q: What are the best and worst things about blogging?
A: I’ve had so many incredible opportunities that come as a perk of the job and I feel so lucky to be able to travel the world. The phrase ‘do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’ is totally accurate when I think about this job. Blogging, although hard work and long hours, is so rewarding and so much fun. There aren’t many downsides but I think it can turn you into a ‘workaholic’ and because I’m self employed, it’s hard to know when to stop and have a rest.

From: xicalindaaaa on Snapchat
Q: How did you expand your blog. How did people get to know your blog and what are the secret and key elements to start and run a successful blog?
A: My blog started to really grow when I finally quit my job and decided to turn it into my career back in 2013. In hindsight I wish I’d done this much sooner because one the main factors in making your blog successful is time. You really need to invest time into a blog and writing, taking pictures, coming up with ideas for content all takes a lot of time. Posting regularly was always top of my agenda and I always took pride in my photography. To start and run a successful blog in my opinion the main element you need to have is passion. If you don’t love your blog and love what you do then it will all be for nothing and more importantly, if you don’t love it it will show to your readers. My blog also grew through exposure from the press, I was featured very regularly in LOOK magazine back in the early days and once the Instagram revolution took hold of the world my reach spread through regrams. Pinterest is also a useful tool when gaining exposure for your blog, I have about 25-30% of my site traffic coming from Pinterest. It also helps to have a niche these days as the blogging world has now become very saturated and most people now have a blog. A unique selling point will help you stand out from the crowd but just remember to be you, don’t try and be something or someone that you’re not. From day dot with EJ Style I always sold myself as the girl that can style high street and make it look high end and that it wasn’t about how much something costs but how you wear it. I now like to mix in designer pieces with my mainly high street wardrobe and I know you guys still love how I’m putting my looks together.