Testing...

The first test shooting went well in the sense I was able to set up the camera and lighting with ease, but I had difficulty arranging the props I had. I was looking for really simple images but found the images looked very basic. 

I did not plan what I would do for this initial testing as I was really looking at the lighting and set up in the still life studio. This was my first time working in there.

The studio has a great vibe and I loved working in there. I enjoy that is quite and no one disturbed me so I was able to experiment by myself with no pressure.

I’m really looking forward to getting back in there with a planned still life shoot.

#usesappropriatematerials  #responsibilityforindependentlearning

Domain name and Header Image

Domain Name 

• .co.uk is best to be recognised as being from the UK
• .com is usually for international trading
• .co.uk is significantly lower in cost

 I have purchased www.liladescent.co.uk

Initially I wanted a .com site, as I thought it was more memorable and hope to reach a wider audience than the UK, as the majority of natural and organic beauty bloggers come from the states due to the weak FDA regulations. However, after looking around I discovered a .co.uk would suit best for this moment in time as blogs do not happen over night and can be developed over time.

Blog Header Image 

This was my first attempt at the header image, I found as soon as I uploaded the image onto my blog it did not look how I had hoped. The banner is too busy and does not make good use of white space, which is what I was initially trying to do, but felt it was too simple.

After uploading this image I discovered I would need to perfect balance between less and more, while less can look too simple, more is definitely too busy.  

This is my second attempt, while the banner looks much better on the page, I’m still not satisfied with how it looks.  The symbols I have chosen above the title are spiritual symbols used in the new age movement. The star represents protection, in my meaning it is that of the earth and body. The female symbol represents female energy, it is not suggesting that the content is exclusive to females, but rather the positive energy when related to yin yang. The triangle also represents protection and the crescent moon is a symbol represents balance, renewal and emotion to name a few.

 Third time lucky, here is my final banner image. I have adjusted the colour scheme and removed the sub heading. I feel it is clear and clean without being too simple. I have changed the triangle for the symbol that represents the element earth. I may adjust the heading once my content is uploaded to the blog, but I am happy with the logo.

I used the 2016 Pantones released as a guide when choosing the colour pallet. 

Storyboard overview

After a meeting with Emma and Elizabeth, I have adjusted the blog story board to better fit the blog I'm creating.

 In the beauty tab, I have decided it would be best to have skincare as the main feature, I thought I was most passionate about organic make-up, but have discovered it is the skincare I am most excited about, and this will be my main priority. Then comes organic and natural products in make-up followed by hair care.

I was struggling with my life style section, one of the sub sections I was thinking about was a smoothie tab, with different ingredients to target various issues. However, the more I thought about it the more articles I came across debating whether to juice of smooth and then I came across horror stories of how some women were relying on either smoothies of juices for their entire diet. I realised then I would not like to focus on something that could potentially encourage this unhealthy lifestyle.

It was then I had an epiphany, I needed a section to promote positivity, a wellbeing section was far more appropriate.

In the wellbeing section there will be a crystal of the week feature, this will initially cover the more common stones, their healing properties and uses and then look at newer technologies to create contemporary stones and so on.

The book section was something Sharon suggested in the very early stages of research, I thought more about the benefits of having a book section and it will open up a space for conversation in the comment section, and hopefully I will also be recommended books I have not yet found.

The holistic tab will be for products that cannot simply be defined as skin care for example, the Wild Medicine soap cleans both the physical body and mind with the use of crystal healing. Essential oils and alternative fragrances will fill this space.

Liladescent Ethos and Philosophy

The blog ethos is vital for the project; it enables the readers to understand exactly what the project aims to do and how it does that. A carefully put together section is required, as it will set the tone for the rest of the content. I want my readers to be clear with what content to expect as the search for organic beauty is harder than it seems with marketing strategies such as greenwashing.

 I have decided my blog will not be exclusively vegan friendly, I find the vegan beauty world confusing and as I am not vegan personally, I do not have the current passion to delve deeper.

Looking at RMS beauty’s philosophy/ethos had helped me identify what needs to be included, and what is beneficial for me as the reader.

RMS beauty have a section dedicated to the ‘world of RMS’ which is really helpful for the reader, the first section being their philosophy, which outlines the strict use or organic products and past personal experience when it comes to chemicals in regular beauty products. I know when I purchase a product from RMS I can feel comfortable in knowing all about the product ingredients and company just from one page.

The project ethos isn’t only important to my reader but for me personally, the project ethos will be a useful guide when looking into new products to review.

"After many years in the fashion and make-up industry, I've learned a lot about the impact of daily exposure to chemicals in beauty care products. I've seen what works and what doesn't live up to its promises. I see the results of taking a quick-fix approach to looking good. I know first-hand the price our health can pay in the pursuit of beauty. I realized that what women need is a cosmetics line that is as pure as possible, one that creates a solid foundation for anti-aging and long-term beauty."

Quote source: http://www.rmsbeauty.com/pages/about-us

Looking at a few organic beauty bloggers ‘about me’ page I have found what I would like to avoid in my text, here is Amanda from theorganicbunny.com, her mission is to prove that an organic lifestyle can still be glamorous, which personally I feel is a much known fact among the organic beauty community, with the likes of Amanda Kerr choosing organic products.

As well as organic beauty there is a ‘home’ section on Organic Bunny, I was confused to find a hot pink plastic kitchen appliances set, which is not organic, environmentally friendly or natural. It shouldn’t be there in my eyes, so I am hoping not to make mistakes like this that would cause my readers to lose faith or interest in my blog. 

Organic VS Vegan

To vegan or not to vegan, that it the question…

After having a converstation in my 1:1 with Emma and Elizabeth about potentially writing an article on organic vs vegan beauty. Having thought more about it, this may not be the best decision for my blog. I do not want to cause offence or emit any kind of negativity so may leave it alone.

The definition of vegan is a person who does not eat or use animal products. I've been thinking about what my brand manifesto will be and the vegan issue keeps cropping up.

Social media is exploding with vegan beauty right now with Lime Crime, Jeffrey Star and Kat Von D's make-up line fronting the online vegan market. However I don't really buy it, I am all for animal rights and and buy cruelty free, but I feel the vegan market is more green washing than good practise.  

 As I am not that familiar with vegan brands I decided just to type the word vegan and makeup into google to see what came up. One of the first options was Superdrug's own brands- B. Makeup.

I had no idea this brand was vegan, I am surprised, it is really that easy and affordable to buy vegan brands? Maybe not, after visiting the website and scanning for a vegan logo, it was apparent that the only certification this brand has is the leaping bunny cruelty free certification sitting alone at the bottom of the page. But I thought this was a premium vegan brand? Would they not have the certified vegan logo on show? Or at least have a combined cruelty free and vegan certification? Not as far as I can see...

 I thought the ingredients list on a random product might help me determine whether this brand is vegan like they say, or could it be that only selected products are vegan? Its hard to say, because there isn't an ingredients list available on the product I chose, which was the B. sweet Popping Candy Highlight Serum. If a brand is vegan, why would they hide their ingredients? Rather than being transparent, this suggests there maybe something to hide in this already confusing situation. 

So as it stands, I know this brand is cruelty free, but I don't know if they are a "premium vegan make-up brand". 

As I am not personally vegan and find it all a bit confusing my blog will not be exclusively vegan, but market posts that do not use animal products as vegan to appeal to that audience.

Still Life Inspiration

Still life photography is an important element when constructing the blog. The style and appearance of the site will be clean and minimal reflecting the project ethos as said in my proposal, which translates to the image making.

The images that inspired the most are images with clean white backgrounds, I found when searching for inspiration images seemed much to busy with a background colour and a few too many props.  

I also found I was most inspired by images taken from a birds eye view, I appreciate uniformity and having items laid out with precision, which may be influenced by my military background.

Image Sources:
1. https://www.instagram.com/structure_minerals/
2. http://www.apoterraskincare.com/
3. https://www.instagram.com/structure_minerals/
4. https://www.pinterest.com/
5. https://www.instagram.com/structure_minerals/
6. http://iphonephotographyschool.com/cristina-colli/

Image sources

1.https://www.instagram.com/structure_minerals/
2.https://www.pinterest.com/
3.https://www.instagram.com/structure_minerals/

The use of handmade paper is something I’d like to look into, as I do not want background colours I feel I need an element of colour/texture to keep the images interesting. I could use small pieces to place products or crystals on top, although I will need to test this idea.

Images sources:
1.http://aquariansouldesigns.com/
2.http://depositphotos.com/6037649/stock-photo-handmade-paper.html

Smart Girls Go Green 2k16

#smartgirlsgogreen is a hashtag used by Content Beauty one of the competitors mentioned in my proposal. I have learnt much more about the shop since my proposal and has become my favourite online beauty and wellbeing stores.  What attracts me most to the London based shop/website is the completely transparency with customers, ingredients are clearly listed and explained with a list of ingredients that it doesn’t contain, so you can be really sure of what you are purchasing. The products are all free from ‘bad mojo’ which is light hearted and fun, as at times the subject can be really serious when talking about contaminants of emerging concern.  

 The communication between the company and customers is also impressive, most questions are answered via their Instagram page and it feels as though they truly value their customers, which I can’t say for many normative corporations (which only seem to respond to negative comments-I'm talking about you Lime Crime!) This is something I have to be very aware of, I want to produce informative and helpful posts that are unbiased and transparent with my readers. I feel my passion and dedication is important for this project to be a success.


Some other brands I've discovered through Content Beauty are:

W3LL PEOPLE is an uncommon beauty dream team founded by an elite makeup artist, cosmetic dermatologist and treehugging entrepreneur. We're passionate about making positive choices in life, particularly when it comes to self care. Skin, our largest organ, absorbs about 80% of what we put on it. This crucial fact drives our mission to create super premium quality cosmetics without using the potentially harmful artificial chemicals found in most conventional makeup. 

- w3llpeople.com/index.php/our-story/

Our skin is our largest organ, and can absorb just about anything we put to its surface. ILIA is formulated with this in mind, and dedicated to creating the purest products possible. The ethical-sustainable approach embodied in each piece is filled with certified organic bio-active botanicals that nourish and rejuvenate the skin.

- iliabeauty.com/pages/about

Founded by veteran makeup artist Kirsten Kjær Weis, Kjær Weis cosmetics was created to fulfill a need for natural and organic color makeup that doesn’t compromise luxury or performance. Years of research and development have gone into what you see here: a high-performance makeup, created from the most luxurious organic ingredients in the world. And did we mention it all comes in a gorgeous silver signature “KW” compact?

 - kjaerweis.com/philosophy/