Hello Lovelies,
It’s Friday and that means one this… it’s this weeks Spotlight feature!
Today I would like to introduce you to a fantastic blogger who crops up every now and then on my site. The ever rocking Daniella from Madame Gourmand
Madame Gourmand aka Daniella not only runs her mouth wateringly informative and tantalising food blog – www.madamegourmand.co.uk, she also has a lifestyle blog, Madame G’s lifestyle over at her .com address too as well as making awesome kitsch jewellery (more about that to come soon!), a mother AND a full time student!!
Not only is she a kick ass blogger, Daniella has become a very dear friend inside and outside of blogging as we are always on the same wave length, have pretty similar style and when sharing an afternoon tea.. she eats the sandwiches I don’t like!! Chances are, if you find me wandering round Newcastle or at a press event, I’m usually there with Daniella. A blogging partnership in crime!
Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Madame Gourmand….
Q : Tell us a little bit about your blog(s) and why you started it /them
I write two blogs my first is Madame G’s Lifestyle which is a mix of beauty, fashion and general life, I’ve written many similar blogs over the years but got bored of them in the past, I now treat the blog in the same way I would treat a friend which may sound strange to some people but it means I am free to discuss all issues with honesty. My second blog is Madame Gourmand which is all about my own personal food journey, I post reviews, recipes and general food and drink chit chat.
Q : What is your favourite part of blogging?
I don’t have any one favourite part of blogging, I’ve met some great people who I would never had met without my blog. I never used to read blogs before I started to write my own and I find that not only does it cause me to spend more money on products but it actually saves me money on items that I would have previously bought but now don’t if many of the blog reviews are bad.
Q : What is your least favourite part?
My timekeeping has probably got to be my least favourite part of blogging, I start off with good intentions and life often gets in the way meaning that although I have lots of things to blog about I don’t actually have the time to write about them. My readers have been very understanding thankfully.
Q : If you could go back to the time you started your blog, what would you do differently?
If I could go back in time I would probably have kept my original blogs and learnt from them rather than starting a fresh one each time over the years.
Q : What advice could you give to new bloggers just starting their blogging adventure?
Read other blogs, engage with other bloggers, don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Use social media, it’s a fantastic tool. Try and find a niche, a lot of blogging sectors are oversubscribed and it’s very difficult to find new readership in these sectors.
Q : What’s your shopping style – Budgeted, splurge or frugal? Do you ever shop solely with your blog in mind?
I was a high end splurge spender with a bit of high street splurging thrown in for good measure. Now that I’m a full time student I don’t have as much expendable cash to throw around so with the help from some friends I’m changing my spending habits and budgeting more. I never shop for my blog, I shop for myself, if it fits in with my blog that’s great.
Q : What are your favourite brands and why?
My favourite brands are Makeup: Chanel (I love the packaging and product quality) MAC (The colours are fantastic and it’s cheap) Illamasqua (The colours and packaging draw me in, I can’t go past the beauty stand without making a purchase) Clothing: All Saints (I love the graphic tops and scarves) Urban Outfitters (Great for cheap staples) Topshop (Great for cheap Tops, scarves, shoes and underwear)
Q : Do you take inspiration from the media or do you go it alone and rock your own style?
I prefer to dress in my own style, I take inspiration from people rather than magazines. I still love the rock chick look with skinny jeans and graphic tops for daytime and like to take a Hollywood glamour approach with classic or vintage style dresses for an evening.
Q : What would you say your ‘signature look’ is, whether that’s make up or fashion?
I don’t think I have a signature look (I’m sure my friends will disagree) **I disagree with this – Katie ** in my make up or fashion style, I change my look to suit my surroundings.
Right… now on to the more interesting questions – The personal ones. These are the ones I always wonder about bloggers!
Q : How old are you?
I’m 32 so compared to some bloggers I’m really old!
Q : What do you do? Student? Work? Profession?
I’m a full time student and mother which is a job in itself!
Q : What do you like to do when you aren’t blogging?
When I’m not blogging I like to cook, socialise with friends, read books, watch films, go shopping and my guilty pleasure is playing computer games.
Q : What kind of music do you like?
I have a very eclectic taste in music I like everything from Swing to Thrash Metal, if someone found my ipod they would probably be quite shocked at some of the bands I listen to.
Q : Happy to be seen bare faced or do you always wear make up?
I always wear makeup even to bed thanks to the Bare Minerals night treatment powder.
Q : What do you love most about beauty and fashion?
I love how diverse the beauty and fashion world is, blogging has alerted me to so many amazing brands that I would never have heard of before starting my blog.
Q : What do you hate most about beauty and fashion?
My greatest hate is the sizing of fashion garments, I yo-yo between a size 12-14 and 18 meaning at my heaviest I can’t buy items from my favourite shops because they don’t make my size, sometimes when I’m a size 14 I need to buy a 16-18 in some stores due to the bad sizing, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed. My greatest beauty hate is the fact a number of brands don’t let you try before you buy, I have eczema and sensitive skin and I don’t like paying £25+ for a product that may not work on my skin, having a product tried on my skin at a counter is not enough as it often takes a couple of days for my skin to react.
And finally… the biggy…..
Q : If you had to invest in 1 designer piece… money no object…. would it be a pair of shoes, a handbag or a dress? I want to see pictures!!!
Alexander Mcqueen is my favourite designer and although I own a number of pieces I really need the Serpent Skull Karung Knuckle box clutch which costs a whopping £1150
So, this week you all met Madame G, my hard rocking amigo, so please go follow both of her blogs!!
