Readers Q&A With Lorna Raindrops + Site Relaunch

Before I start, I wanted to welcome you to my new blog layout! I’ve spent a long while with a designer (Phil from Pipdig) to create something perfect that I love and I think I am finally happy! It’s sleek, minimal, clean and classic, with a mature edge to it and I love it! I’ve added new sections to the sidebar and footer, I’ve created a newer header/banner and I’ve tidied a lot of things up. I’m really happy that I found Phil as he seems to have an amazing knowledge of what fashion bloggers love when it comes to themes and design! Money well spent! I hope you like it!

You probably already know that I love getting to know all of you and reading/replying all of your lovely comments that you leave me, so I thought it was about time that I did a new and updated reader Q&A for 2015! I mentioned this on my social media for 24 hours, especially Instagram, and lots and lots of you left me questions to answer and asked for some advice, so here are my responses! Thank you as always for reading Raindrops of Sapphire and supporting me! Lorna xx.

Janelleebean – #asklornaraindrops What’s your go-to outfit when you’re short on time?

This usually consists of a pair of Citizens of Humanity Rocket skinny jeans or 7 For All Mankind, paired with a GAP long sleeve jumper top and my Zara Parka coat, finished with my New Balance 410’s. This is my current one that I usually wear for running errands during the colder months! In the Summer, it’s my Levi’s 501 cut off shorts, a tank top and some espadrilles!

Figjamlifestyle – #asklornaraindrops what’s the best pair of jeans for my body type? Please include, wash, fit and anything else you can pin point about me! Thanks!

This depends entirely on your body shape, but as you look slim and tall, I would say skinny jeans, or a very slim straight jean. They are the most flattering on slim guys. Wash is dependent on the preferences of your personality, but you can’t go wrong with dark ones!

Figjamlifestyle – #asklornaraindrops what’s more important…your handbag or heels?

This one is impossible to answer as I love both and am always looking to buy both, I love them equally! But, if I had to pick, it would be heels since you can’t really leave the house without shoes!

Travelcrazyone – #askloraindrops – where is your favorite place to travel!?

From the places I have been, it’s Italy. It’s such a beautiful country and I had such an amazing time in Tuscany/Florence, I will never forget it. The people are so friendly and it’s a gorgeous country! I’m not well travelled though, so I don’t have many places to compare it to. I also like going to London, Wales and down south!

hwenjae – Do you plan to do a YouTube channel as well as blog? 🙂

I actually already have a YouTube channel (click here) which I update sometimes, usually for special occasions, so I don’t have many videos on there. The reason I don’t use it more regularly is because it takes up so much time to do videos and my blog is more important, but things may change in the future if you guys want more videos?

UKarchitect – #asklornaraindrops how do you choose good jeans for a man?

Like one of the questions above, it depends on your body shape and personal style, but I would say the pointers are slim, well fitting jeans that give you a nice silhouette (not baggy, not overly flared etc) and a nice, authentic looking wash. It’s best to go premium too if you are investing in one pair, they last ages and the denim quality is much better. My go to brands for men’s jeans are Diesel and Nudie.

Telina – Does living in the countryside instead of a major city have its disadvantages in blogging? I’m looking to set up my own blog but I live in the country too and am worried.

I wont lie and say no it doesn’t, as I have found over the years it is a hindrance in someways, but great in others. Living in the country brings a new light to your photos as you have different scenery to the usual cityscape and it can make it more unique, however, most of the events I’m asked to attend and be part of are in London so it requires me to take the 2 hour travel there and fork out a lot of money if it’s not paid for, or miss it. I would love to go to all of the events weekly, but it’s just not possible unfortunately, so I do miss out on a lot of chances to network and meetings. I will say that it makes you work harder though, if you can succeed while living in the country, you definitely know you are doing something right! If you love and have a passion for blogging, definitely give it a go. Dreams and success are down to the work and perspiration you put in, so if you really want it, it will happen.

Arielleader – Are you married? @lornaraindrops.

See the question just below!

Willeysworld – #asklornaraindrops Do u have any plans to get married? And what is your boyfriends job? X

I am answering both of these together since they are similar, so no I’m not married yet, but yes, I do have plans to get married, more towards when I’m around 30 though. My boyfriend and I will have been together 7 years in April, so we will soon see! And his job is actually a printer, he’s not a professional photographer despite most fashion bloggers boyfriends being so, ha ha. We have learned together over the years about photography and Photoshop and now I couldn’t be happier with our set up!

Purva_Kukde – I’m 14 years old. What make up products do u suggest for me to use? I want a party look but not a wild animal look. Hope I make sense.

As you are 14, your skin is still quite young, I don’t think I even started wearing make-up until I was about 17 and even then it was only mascara, ha ha! I would suggest a nice mineral powder foundation, so your skin can breathe, maybe from Bare Minerals or Body Shop, they have nice ones. Lips I would go with a nice soft pink lip gloss, that’s really feminine and for your eyes, a few sweeps of mascara usually does the trick. If you have dark hair, some grey eyeliner will help make your eyes pop and if you do want to wear eyeshadow, I recommend going with lighter colours and nothing too heavy.

prestion_wake_them_up – Hey, do you like traveling??

I love going to new places and exploring what’s there, I definitely adore that, but the travelling part isn’t something I like. I don’t like going on trains, in cars for too long or long haul journeys. I get bored and irritated really quickly since I get travel sick quite a bit, but if the destination is worth it, I will do it!

_Rosa_122 – What colors do you like best to wear? By the way your beyond Gorgeous❤

First of all, thank you! That’s really kind! My favourite colours to wear for my skin tone are definitely burgundy shades, I love them! But I also really like grey now too, mixing it with the burgundy tones, and black. Those three shades are perfect together and definitely what I’m attracted to!

Jo – Do you have any things you don’t like on yourself?

I do. Like most women and men, there are parts of me I don’t like. I’m not a huge fan of my knees since the joints are formed incorrectly, they point inwards and are swollen most of the time from bone rubbing, so they don’t look too appealing in photos. I’m also not overly fond of my upper arms. I actually have quite big biceps, but it means when my arms are not tensed or flexed, there’s a lot of skin and mass so my arms always look large, that is something that bothers me but none of these are things I can fix, so I learn to like them. I also don’t like the scars on my face from having acne a while ago, but I know those can be fixed in time. I try not to dwell on negatives though and only focus on positives.

Jessica – Do you have any secrets or things that you keep from sharing on your blog?

I’m sure I do, as everyone has a personal life they keep private, so that would be telling! Ha ha. One thing I can share though is I do have mild twitches, so that’s not something I write about, but often I end up having spasms and things so I sometimes jerk once randomly, making me look insane, lol. Maybe I should try doing a couple of dance moves after to make it look intentional, or perhaps that might make me look even more crazier, ha ha.

Tam – Your hair is really thick and long, how do you maintain it?

It definitely is. I know my hairdresser says it takes 3 times as long to wash/cut/blow dry! I like it as it is though and would be lost without it. I used to have boy short hair when I was younger so I don’t want to go back to that. I use Kerastase intense shampoos and conditioners now, as well as the oils to keep it soft, but it is quite coarse since it’s thick, so it’s unruly most of the time, but it feels soft.

Ann – I’ve been dealing with a lot of disappointment lately from people and it’s getting me down. Do you have any tips on how to deal with it?

When I first got into this job, I was really naive, young and I thought everyone was like me, as in stick to commitments and promises, however as I’ve grown up more and worked longer, I soon began to realise that you can’t trust many people, often peoples words are not set in stone and you need to expect disappointment. There is no cure for this at all, but how you manage it is what’s important.

Don’t trust every single person you meet, you should only tell your close friends that you do trust the personal things. Don’t share your life story with random people, don’t trust everything that everyone says and if you are arranging a deal or work commitment, don’t get excited about it until it’s confirmed, signed and paid for. That way you wont be disappointed. I’ve been let down more times than I can count and it happens on a weekly basis, so instead of getting mad about it now, I just expect the worst. I know it’s not a great way to think, but when you get something good, it’s that much better!

Ann – I’m a fashion blogger too and I love your blog. I’ve lost a lot of enthusiasm recently and haven’t found the inspiration to blog. I know you have gone through this, how did you overcome it?

Yeah, I went through this around the holidays and at the beginning of the year. I had taken a lot of time off to spend with family around Christmas and it was hard getting back into things. What I found inspired me was looking around online for a few hours at other peoples blogs, looking at street style for enthusiasm on outfits, looking around for a new blog theme and layout, thinking about ways I could actually update my look and make it better. Focusing on a relaunch and having something new to look at really helped me! But definitely take inspiration from other successful bloggers!

Geoff – How did you actually get your job in fashion blogging?

It sort of happened gradually. I didn’t intend to get into fashion blogging and I actually didn’t know what it was to share personal style in the beginning, so when I set up my blog in 2010, I was actually looking for a place to share my outfits and likes in fashion with others who were like minded, wanting a community. I was originally blogging on DenimBlog for years (I still do) so I had experience in the blogging field and I got into that as a happy accident too. I was a part of the forum, I became a moderator and then was asked to write for the blog too, so things have kind of fallen into place for me and I couldn’t be happier. This seems to be my dream job, even though it requires a lot of work!

Natalie – Hi Lorna, I know you are shy after reading some of your other Q&A’s, how do you get the body confidence to model underwear on your blog?

Hi Natalie! Yes, I am very shy in person. I find meeting new people hard and getting to know someone difficult as I’m really reserved. I definitely wouldn’t be confident enough to walk around in a bikini or in my underwear where people can see, but on my blog it’s different since I have control over the photos and what I’m posting. So if I think they look ok, I’m happy to post them! I try to keep in good shape, to keep healthy, but I’m definitely not overly body confident.

Danai – Do you have anything blog related that you are working on in secret?

I do! I can announce it very soon actually, but it’s another denim collaboration which will go on sale within the next few weeks! I am also working with a friend on another project, a new website which is going to be a shop, so stay tuned for that one! I haven’t told anyone this yet though!

Mark – What would you actually describe your job as? I know you are a fashion blogger, but what other things does it entail?

It involves many things, it involves having to know some graphic design, writing and editing skills, Photoshop and photography, modelling, styling, programming and coding, marketing skills, business and communication knowledge and a few more things. It’s definitely not just one specific niche as it requires so many other skill sets and things to learn. That’s what I love about it though, it’s unique and you get to do many things which keeps me from getting too bored! I love the creativity. I wrote a post on how to be a fashion blogger, so check that one out as it has more in depth advice.

And just for fun:

Do you have a celebrity crush? If so, who is it?

Other than my gorgeous boyfriend who I crush on (I know he’s not a celeb), I definitely do! It’s Captain America *love eyes* ha ha! I have a thing for him! Possibly quite a major thing!

What’s your favourite song right now?

I would have to say either Taylor Swift – Shake It Off or Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud.

What are you excited for in denim for SS15?

Boyfriend jeans actually! I’m crushing on them big time at the moment, slim fitting, tapered boyfriend jeans! Especially the Citizens of Humanity Corey jeans! I’m obsessed with those.

If you were an animal for the day, what would you be?

I would like to say a cat since I adore them, but I think I would want to fly, so I would be a bird. It might be nice to be a swan since I can glide through the air and be graceful on the water as well as being protected by the Queen!

Are you doing anything fun and exciting this year that you want to share?

I am! Adam and I booked a holiday for us in June to St. Ives in Cornwall. It will be my first holiday down that far and I can’t wait to finally see proper blue sea! I’ve never seen blue sea before! We are planning a boat trip to watch the seals on seal isle and more!

And… That’s it! Thanks everyone for sending in your questions! I will do another one of these later in the year for a fresh update! Lorna xx.

Written by Lorna Burford

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