Introducing Isabelle From IsabelleKateGM
Today I'm talking to Isabelle from the beauty and lifestyle blog IsabelleKateGM, I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF ISABELLE
I’m absolutely hopeless at talking about myself just so you know. But for starters my name would probably help, I’m Isabelle, I’m 17 and I’m a college student with an unhealthy obsession with beauty and blogging. I consider myself to be a little bit dog obsessed, and I’m partial to a good netflix binge session every now and then.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BLOG?
Isabellekategm.co.uk is my little internet haven in which I can share my knowledge and love of beauty with others like me. I love being able to share what I’m loving, give advice and generally just chat. I also love being able to learn something new almost every day, it’s a lovely little corner of the web in which we can all learn and grow from each other, that’s what my blog is - I hope.
WHAT MADE YOU SWITCH TO CRUELTY FREE BEAUTY?
I decided to go cruelty free with my cosmetics at the end of April this year, I feared it would be an incredibly difficult transition but I’m actually so surprised at how many brands actually are! I came to the realisation that in this day and age, testing on innocent animals for our own vanity isn’t necessary and I didn’t want to put my money into such a practice anymore, I’m slowly but surely discovering a load more brands which cater for my cruelty free needs and I’m super happy with my decision.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START UP A BLOG?
I started reading blogs about 5 years ago and I was always amazed at how much I would learn about beauty, how much I would feel like I knew the person that was writing and how much I would be enabled to buy - oops. After building my platform on Instagram, I decided that I wanted to be more than simply the photos I was sharing, I wanted to be a voice that could help to educate people whilst sharing my passions with those similar to myself.
APART FROM RUNNING YOUR BLOG WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO?
At the moment I’m still a college student and am in the middle of doing my A levels - scary stuff! But aside from that when I’m not blogging I too dabble in makeup and makeup artistry, I’ve been doing it for about 4 years now and I have to say I think I have a knack for it. I really love to sing as well and I’m currently working two part time jobs alongside being a blogger and college, so it’s all a bit hectic!
CAN YOU SHARE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN WEST YORKSHIRE AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS?
Life in West Yorkshire certainly isn’t too shabby. I live in the countryside so it’s pretty peaceful, but it’s lovely in summer. There are so many different places to eat here and I’d recommend a place called Soul Kitchen if anyone ever decides to stop by - I just love food..
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE BLOGGING AND STUDYING
I have to admit that recently I’ve been finding it rather difficult to balance the two, albeit I do try my best. I find that having a set posting routine really helps with the blogging side of things as I can write and schedule posts well in advance, leaving enough time for me to get my studying done. I also swear by taking photos in bulk, and I usually dedicate an afternoon a week to this; I guess you can say I find solace and sanity in planning ahead.
WHat's your favourite thing about this whole blogging thing?
8) My favourite things about blogging, what a question. The first thing that comes to mind is being able to push myself with photography, I’ve already learnt so much about cameras and how to use them to their full potential, as well as learning how to edit on photoshop from scratch; i feel like a new creative flame has been lit! Of course I have to mention the sheer number of lovely bloggers I have had the privilege of getting to know over these past few months, blogging has created so many new friendships and new ventures for me. There's such a sense of community with blogging and it’s truly something special.
A FEW CURRENT FAVOURITES?
Ah something I could talk about forever! I’ve recently been obsessed with the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in ‘Pearl’ for achieving a beautiful glow on the skin, I like to amp up the highlight in the summertime and this packs one hell of a punch. The Too Faced Milk Chocolate Bronzer has been a favourite of mine too, it’s the perfect shade for paler girls like myself for warming up the skin without looking too orange! In terms of fashion, I recently purchased this bomber from Missy Empire, a new find of mine which is extremely similar to Missguided, it’s super lightweight so would be the perfect for wear in the heat. I’ve picked up a few homeware bits from Oliver Bonas and H&M over the past month too, their current pieces are so minimalistic yet chic and simple to style.
ANY AWESOME BLOGS WE SHOULD ALL BE READING?
Again, I could go on and on about my favourite blogs. But, a few standout favourites have to be Tamira Jarrel; her photography style is completely flawless and her writing style is so professional yet still friendly and relatable. I love Mediamarmalade for a similar reason. An all time favourite of mine is the lovely Mandy from AGirlObsessed, I love her photography and writing style, and I was lucky enough to be able to guest post for her recently which was a huge honour.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR BLOG?
It’s hard to say exactly what the future holds for Isabellekategm but I’m hoping to be able to introduce some more 'life tips’ style posts, I don’t want to be strictly a beauty blog and I really want to push myself to go out of my comfort zone. I’d love to be able to get some travel posts up over the summer, but I hope that whatever happens, I’ll have some lovely readers to follow along with me.
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