The VIPXO Chatterview

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Howdy doody?

As promised, in between chatterviewing industry celebs like Liz Earle, I shall be interviewing 'blogger celebs', like Zoella and VIPXO. Hooray!!

I met Victoria at the Glossy Box Blogger Event and I like to think we hit it off straight away (I hope she does too!) -we even shared a little secret love of Harry Potter....because we are cool.

Oooohhh she's got that 'wind in the hair' look down to a tee hasn't she. Jealous.

The VIPXO Chatterview

Hi Victoria, luurvly to have you on Lou's Chatterviews today. How are you today?

Hey Louise! I'm good thanks! I'm on my last couple of days in Canada right now so I'm going through all the photos I've taken for the next photo blog post to be put up!

(FYI. Victoria is now back on British soil. Huzzah!)

Ooohhhh I bet you've got some cracking OOTD's coming up for us all! Would you say OOTD's are you favourite things to blog about?

It's actually been really hard to do them out here without my tripod or lovely boyfriend to take them for me. But I think I've done OK! I wouldn't say they're my favourite thing to do, but they are pretty fun! I feel as though I've found my own style and taking the pictures in different locations is always good to do! Since I've been doing outfit pics its given me a lot more confidence in myself, and it's always nice to know what people think of an outfit. If I don't get much feedback from an outfit post I know it's probably not the best so will probably not wear the same things together again and therefore try something totally different!

So as well as being informative and interesting for your readers, it's quite useful to you as well, as a confidence builder and a style guide?

Yeah totally! As I live with my boyfriend it's very hard to get a real take on an outfit, he doesn't know if it look bad or looks good fashiony wise. It's always nice to have a girly imput!

(brb dinner) Hahaha Yeesssss, we totally did our chatterview on facebook chat and being in different time zones, something was bound to pop up! I could've edited it, but I thought you'd enjoy it ;)

Ooohh you've given your boyfriend a little mention there. How long have you been loved up and what does he think of your other love, your blog?

LOL! We've been together for nearly 3 years. He's so understanding of it all and he's always interested in what's going on! He knows so many of the blogs I read and often asks about X person! He really likes taking my photographs because he knows how important it is to me! He always says as long as I love doing what I do, he does too!

Ahhhh he sounds like a treasure! It's great that you have someone so supportive of your blog. Can I go back to the very beginning (not of time, just of your blog I mean!), What started it all?

Without being totally sickening and lovey he really is the best! It's weird talking about him actually because I don't really talk about us on the blog so it's nice to actually mention him! I started blogging way back at the start of 2010. The whole idea came from a uni project and so I just made a side one and made it more personal. I was having a crappy time living with the girls I was with at the time so it was a kind of escape. It was a place where I could chat to girls with the same interests as me! It all went from there really, can't believe it's nearly been two years!

A tricky one now. There has been a lot of controversy of late surrounding blogs that make a bit of money, either from ads, shops etc. What are your opinions on the matter?

I’m all for it! Each to their own! At the end of the day, if you can make money from doing something you love then why the hell not! It really annoys me how some people are so against sponsored posts and believe ‘it’s all lies and how can they be telling the truth when they’re being paid etc etc.’ The thing is, if a blog has built up a reputation and has turned it in to a job it would be a pretty stupid thing to then ‘review’ a product and totally lie about it. A review is such a personal thing you can’t really know a product until you try it yourself anyway! Some people are incredibly lucky to make their hobby a full time job, and I think the people who moan about are only jealous and wish they could do the same. The money I get from my blog pays my bills every month. Not having to worry about something like that is really nice and I’m very thankful to be able to do that but I don’t get anywhere near enough for it to pay my rent, holidays and shopping sprees! A blog is a marketing tool, so use it as one.

Here here!! I'm totally with you on that!!

I think its a very taboo subject in the blogging world!

As an 'established blogger', like many of us you are lucky enough to have products sent to you to review. What would you say is the best thing you have ever been sent?

You know what, I don't actually get sent that much stuff! Because I'm more a fashion blog I get offered clothing to be featured or reviewed etc and I have been sent some lovely things before. But I think I get more excited getting my Glossybox every month!

OOhhh yeesss, the glossybox is lovely isn't it. AND we got to meet each other! Hurrahhh!! Rightio, I think I've covered your super duper blog (which I urge you Sprinklerinos to check out), shall we crack on with some personal-ish questions?

Sure! Why not?!

Okiesmokes! In three words, what is your style?

Can I just say ‘Recycled’ 3 times?! I still wear clothes that I bought years ago, I’m forever mixing my outfits up!

Ooohhh thrifty- you're tres savvy then, and very green! Ok, where are you most and least favourite places to shop?

Well my favourite has got to be Primark! What can I say... I'm all for throw away fashion! Even if their prices are increasing week by week! I'm not a massive fan of Tophop to be honest! It's so expensive for what it is and I think everyone ends up looking the same!

You can't beat a bit of Primarni! What was your last big splurge?

Oh wow! I can't even remember! That's so bad isn't it?! I'm dying to go shopping when I get back home so who knows I might blow my months wages! I'm hoping to get some make up or perfume in duty free too! Does that count? I'm too good at saving my pennies sometimes!

Ooh I'm jealous of your big spend! We should totally go shopping together sometime, I could do with some tips! Hahaha! As much as I could chat about shopping all day, I'll round it up a bit now. So with 2 years blogging behind you and a good sturdy relationship, where are you hoping to go in the next 12 months?

Ohhh yeah we so should! Only when the sales are on though, of course! I joke… kinda!

In the next 12 months I’ll be so happy if I can continue with what I’m doing now. I’m so happy right now and I feel as though I’m doing what I want to do in my life. I now have a degree under my belt, I’m a part time free-lance writer which also means I can continue with my blog and I get to live with my boyfriend. Life is pretty sweet right now and for the first time in years I’m starting to feel comfortable in myself. I want to make my blog the best it can be, and knowing I’ve been nominated at the Cosmo Blog Awards for ‘established fashion blog’ just means the world to me. I never in a million years thought I’d be where I am now, nor having the opportunity to work part time when most people my age have to work all the hours they can. I’m so lucky, and I hope everything continues to work out!

WOW! What a 'feel good' answer! Well Chummy, I really, truly hope that you achieve all of those things. Thank you ever so much for taking part in this Chatterview, perhaps we should do another one in 12 months to see where you're up to! And of course, plan a shopping trip..in the sales indeed!!

Count me in! Byeeeee Louise Glitter! XO

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Good ol' Victoria's blog is definitely not one to miss (VIPXO) if you like fashion, beauty, superb photos and a bit of chitchat. Victoria also has a great weekly eBay feature which is always a great temptation to do a spot of online shopping!

I'd like to shout a big THANK YOU to Victoria for coming along to Glitter World and having a chatterview with me, she was such a good sport and said before we started that I could ask her literally ANYTHING- risky little minx!

 If you have any suggestions for people you would like to see chatterviewed, please do let me know.

Toodlepip!

xx

Chatterviewing Bloggers

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Thank you all SO much for your brilliant response to this new blog and to the rather swanky chatterview with Liz Earle, yes, THE Liz Earle- eepp!

I have a couple more exciting chatterviews lined up, but of course, with this not being my full time job (errrrr, unless anyone would like to pay me real money?), I can't easily jet set off all over the show chatterviewing folk.

So, with this in mind, and to keep this blog updated and fun, I will be chatterviewing a few of my favourite bloggers, as well as interesting chums with fun jobs or wacky (did I really just say 'wacky'?) people I am fond of.

I have a few of my own favourite bloggers that I am working with, but what I would like to know is...who is your favourite? Who is your favourite blogger, why do you love their blog, what do you like to see on blogs?

I hope you don't mind me asking for your opinions and thoughts, I feel that this blog will work best if we all have an input...after all, I write it for you to read!

Looking forward to seeing your favs,

Toodlepip!

xx

Image: www.weheartit.com

The Liz Earle Chatterview

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

As you will have seen from Sprinkle of Glitter, I have recently chatterviewed Liz Earle- woweewowee!

For more information on the experience, fun and frolicks, click HERE.

The Liz Earle Chatterview

Hi Liz!

Firstly, thank you ever so much for taking part in Lou’s Chatterviews and giving me a bit of your time, you must be a very busy lady, so I really appreciate it.

The Fabulousness of Liz Earle

You started this company in 1995 with your chum Kim and since starting off on QVC, it has gone from strength I even saw you in vogue the other day-

I know, I know, So exciting!

I couldn’t believe it! (haha I don’t know why I said that- I think I was nervous- of COURSE I can believe it ahahaha lame).

Yes, 2 mentions- we had the facial and then we also had sheer skin tint.

Did you know that was coming?

No, not at all and they had 3 ‘glow getters’ featured on the page, two other big brand names and us, and we were number one, the first one they mentioned.

I think the Colour Range will win awards.

We always get so excited when that happens- we have to fan ourselves when something like that happens.

I thought you must know it was coming, so you would sit waiting for your copy of Vogue?

Nooo, noo, we never know!

Well how it started... I suppose I better answer your question really shouldn’t I?

The inspiration was really very much 2 things: One, I have a background as a Beauty Editor and as a Book Writer and I used to make TV programmes on beauty, health and well being, which was lovely. As part of that, I tried everything, as you do- you get sent things to try- and even after trying everything, for a decade, STILL couldn’t find the perfect skincare range. My own skin is very sensitive, I’m one of the patrons of the National Eczema Society, I have always had a long struggle with eczema and I knew from books I was writing, many of which appear in this corner (points to cosy little corner of the store where all her books are lovingly stacked) that there are plant ingredients that really work! But you have to use the genuine ingredient, you have to use it in the right quantities, in the right way, to get the best results. My good friend Kim, she knew that I knew about this and her background was in business and marketing, she used to run John Frieda Haircare, so she knew all about getting products into bottles and getting bottles on shelves, so she actually approached me, it was her idea.

So you were the perfect pair!

She said, ‘We’ll get together and we’ll do something really strong’. And they key to it has always been, it’s a very edited line, that’s why we’ve only had one cleanser, after sixteen years.

I love that, you don’t get confused with anything.

No you don’t. You don’t go to the counter and think, ‘Should I have a wash off cream, a foaming gel or an oil whatever?’, we take all the guess work out of it, we do it for you. We stand by it. We know it works for everybody. Kim and I are actually very good co-founders together because our skins are very different, her skin is very oily, problem prone, mine is very dry, eczema prone, so we knew that it was the Eureka moment when we had Cleanse and Polish because I got fantastic results with it, it didn’t strip my really dry sensitive skin. And for Kim, it really helped purify and clean her skin, and regulate it. So we knew that we had the two ends, and that applied then and it applies now, with Sheer Skin Tint. I love it for my dry skin-

I’m wearing it today!

So am I. Kim with her skin which is still oily and problem prone and she wears it every day too. Interestingly, we both wear the same shade, we both wear number two, beige-

So do I !!

Exactly! Now, you would not normally think that (that myself and Liz would wear the same foundation), I mean you are a lot younger than me, you have a different skin tone. Kim is much more olivey toned, I’m much more pink.

I just kind of like, magics itself into your skin.

Absolutely! We’ve never before shared a cosmetic product- ever. I would always go for a creamier, richer foundation. She would always go for something mattyfing, oil free perhaps, and we both wear it. So for us, we’re as excited about Sheer Skin Tint and as we are about Cleanse and Polish. We think it’s another absolute classic.

I love it!

Good. That’s nice to hear.

We all know that a huge feature of your products is that they are ‘naturally active’. Would you mind explaining a little about what that actually means?...And why is that important to you?

The bottom line is, it’s not rocket science, it comes down to the ingredients. How do you make a great product? You make it with great ingredients. It’s like cooking- how do you make something taste great? You use great ingredients when you cook it. So the same is true- it’s what’s in the bottle.

I think people appreciate that it’s not just a tonne of chemicals and synthetics that are similar to the product, it’s actually the real deal.

We’re not 100% natural, we never said we were, because we aim to be the best and this means being predominantly botanically based. If we have a synthetic that’s better, we’ll use it, it doesn’t often happen, occasionally it does. So it’s about capturing what’s best out there to give the best result on the skin. We only ever use plant oils, not mineral oils because the plant oils are better. They’re loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients, vitamins, essential fatty acids- they just give so much more than a mineral oil that just has nothing, it’s just bland and devitalised and so that’s why we aim to use the best and ultimately, selfishly, Kim and I, we use these products on our skins every single day, so we are only going to put the best things on our faces, and those of our daughters and our mothers and our friends.

Well I love it!

I read in the guardian that somewhere in the world, every 30 seconds, someone is buying a Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. What do you think when you hear facts like that?

It’s true, it’s more than that now. It’s 93 countries I think, it seems to grow all the time!

That’s crazy! I wonder how many people have bought a cleanse and polish since we’ve been sitting here?! That must make you feel, “WOW”!

It’s just an extraordinary thing. You know, you talked about the Vogue piece. Our very first piece in Vogue came when they had a special edition, it was gold covers, a classic edition, it’s the millennium issue and it was December 1999 or January 2000, I can’t remember which one. They had one page of iconic beauty products, only one page, and they had all the classics, and baring in mind this is going back a few years ago, eleven years, so we’d pretty much just started and they had classic beauty from the millennium. So they had Chanel No. 5, Yves San Laurent Touché Éclat, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion, Clarins Beauty Flash, the real absolute classics and the last one on the page, right at the very bottom was Cleanse and Polish.

Have you framed that?

We have framed it actually. We still talk about it to this day. We had to go and lie down in a darkened room! It was such a surprise. We never know what’s coming out, and to be picked up and spotted as a beauty classic, with such an amazing hall of fame. I mean, you talk about proud moments, that was really one.

I’d be amazed- I’d faint!

Haha, and we still get them. You know, we’re working tonight with Sarah and Jo who’ve written the Beauty Bible (click HERE), and again, everyone thinks it’s a fix because we always win the top marks in there and they’re absolutely not.

Cue me, babbling on about my love for Cleanse and Polish and how it takes off even the most stubborn of mascara. Oh yes folks, I became the ultimate fan girl.

Well for older skins, you won’t appreciate this yet, but for older skins, to get the most iconic moisturiser, that is like the holy grail. And Jo Fairley has tried more moisturisers than you and I have had hot dinners, no question, she has flown around the globe, to every makeup launch in the world and there is nothing she doesn’t know about moisturiser, nothing she hasn’t tried. Anndd, I remember reading a quote from her, and we didn’t know it was coming, it was just written in an interview that she did, saying that Superskin Moisturiser was in her opinion the greatest moisturiser ever created. Wow!

Now, as luck would have it Jo was actually in the building that evening for a Beauty Bible event and so ensued a little chat about moisturisers and she confirmed her undying love for the wondrous Super Skin Moisturiser and we had a bit of a giggle. I can honestly truly confirm, she DOES love love love it-and she isn’t paid to say that, haha!!. I felt like I was chitchat with celebs! Ahaha

I have heard that you are teaming up with Avon, and you are going to the USA. Is this true?

Yes, Avon bought us 18 months ago now, and I think some people were a little bit worried when they heard that, but we remain a stand alone brand.

So it will always be ‘Liz Earle’, not ‘Liz Earle by Avon’?

No no no, absolutely not. They didn’t buy is to change us, they bought us because they like what we’re doing. So I think our customers, hopefully, are reassured that nothing has changed and we are just going from strength to strength. We still have the same management team, Kim and I still head it. The one thing that it is enabling us to do, in today’s economic climate, is to grow safely and to fly the flag abroad. So yes, we’re hoping to go into all sorts of overseas markets. We know they’ll love it because we ship it to 93 countries around the world. It’d be fantastic to be in all those 93 countries with our own stores, but we can’t do that on our own.

Will we be able to buy Liz Earle from the Avon catalogues? 

No, there’s no plans to do that.

You recently had a Blogger Event to launch your new Colour range into the bloggersphere and it has had rave reviews. What's next for this range?

Well colour is a whole new category. It’s so exciting for us because we’re known for our skin care and our treatments and Colour is a very different thing. It’s made in a different way, it’s the icing on the cake, the bit of fun, the frost.

And for makeup lovers it’s so exciting!

Well for us Sheer Skin Tint is the bridge if you like, between skincare treatments moving into colour, so definitely watch this space- there is more to come! You will be amongst the first to know, I promise you, to bring it to all your readers (Sprinklerinos- you’ll be able to find that HERE). We’re hoping to have more to say probably next spring. So there will be more to come, definitely!

Yay!

More excitement, a lot more excitement.

You mentioned there that you’ve seen some incredibly kind things written, do you read blogs in your spare time?

I do. We have our fantastic PR team here who are obviously aware of everything and they’re very good at sending through a little log or report to update us with all the links, so that we can easily just click on and see.

A sneaky one- Do you have any favourites, aside from me of course (ahahaha I had to pop that in there!)?

Well, what can I say? It just had to be yours, haha. What I love about blogging, and it is new, you know, when I was a Beauty Editor it was just very much the magazine that you were writing for- that’s partly why I went and wrote books, because I wanted to say my own thing, I didn’t want a sub editor cutting out all the good bits of my copy, and saying, ‘oh no, we had to drop that because we have this advertiser doing this’ and, ‘we should write about this’ or , you know, ‘we’ve got to squeeze in an extra page’ or, ‘ we’ve got to cut the edition size down’.

You lose the independency?

Totally! So I started to write books because, a hundred years ago, when I was a beauty writer, that was the only other option, but for you it’s so exciting because you’ve all got a different tone of voice and that really comes across.

A Little More About Liz

Thank you for answering all those probing questions up there! Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few slightly more personal ones.

What do you do on a typical day off from creating amazing beauty products?

Do you know, for me, my family is my time off. I’ve got five children and I live on a farm, and for me, just to go out, in the fresh air and walk the dogs and spend time baking muffins and being a mummy is fab.

A domestic goddess?

Well I wouldn’t say that at all! I don’t think Nigella has anything to worry about! I’m a home-body, I love being at home with my family.

What is meaningful to you in life?

My family and my children. You know, what is more meaningful than bringing up the next generation? That is the meaning of life. (As I type this, Baby Glitter is snuggled up next to me and I have to agree).

If you could, what one change would you make to the world?

Apart from world peace?

Apart from world peace. Haha.

I think I would love everybody to be a bit kinder than necessary. I think especially women to women. I’m a greater believe in mentoring and lifting others as you rise and I think you see that more in blogging, more than the magazines do. Magazines are quite cut throat, where as the one things that’s impressed me about bloggers, is there is a sense of community, and you’ll link to each other, and you’ll share things in a much more open way and that’s a fantastic spirit. I think you (the bloggers) should be highly commended for that, I think it’s really admirable. More of that!

It really is a fantastic community to be involved in.

Life IS hard. Let’s all be kinder to each other and it makes the world a much better place.

What is your numero uno guilty pleasure?

Well I can say this actually with Ms Jo Fairely over there. It’s Green and Blacks 80% Dark Chocolate- it’s just a fantastic treat. And what I love about it is actually you can’t each that much of it because it is so rich and a little bit goes a long way.

And it’s full of antioxidants!

And a low glycemic index- it’s brilliant!

With Christmas around the corner, can I ask, are you Mrs Organised or Mrs last Minute? Do you give Liz Earle Products as presents?

I’m Mrs Organised and I do! I do give them, people expect to get given a certain amount of Liz Earle presents.

I would love it!! Haha!

Haha I bet! So, you know, my Mother is always angling for a big gift box. I am very organised, I do already have my Christmas Cards,

That is organised!

Which I bought in the sale last year. All I have to do now is find them! Haha. I love Christmas.

And finally, what was the last treat you bought yourself? (Anything from a starbucks to a private jet!)

The last treat I bought myself was actually this dress I’m wearing, which I thought was a bit of a treat.

It’s very jazzy, I like the sequins. Anything with glitter and I like it! Haha!

Well, I was in John Lewis, looking at one of our counters and I spotted a new brand, called Damsel In A Dress, which I thought was a fun name, and it’s just dresses, I love dresses, and I saw it hanging on a hanger and I had five minutes (I was going for a train), and I ran into a changing room, whipped off what I was wearing, threw it on- and do you know, I’ve worn it so many times.

It’s lovely. It’s smart but fun.

Well that’s what I thought! I even wore it to a breakfast meeting because I thought it wasn’t too glittery. (Here’s where I rambled on about how I nearly wore a dress but changed my mind at the last minute- curses!). I love dresses! Bring back dresses!

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And there ended my wonderful chatterview with Liz Earle. At this point Liz asked to see Baby Glitter to I popped next door and picked her up from the coffee shop she was in with my Auntie- I didn’t just leave her there on her own for a skinny latte!- and we all had a squish. For pictures of that, click HERE.

Liz was an absolutely fabulous (I'm now thinking of the tv programme- haha) Chatterviewee and a pleasure to talk to. If you'd like to have a gander at her skincare range, click HERE. Did you know she has a book out? I may just have to add that to my Christmas list! 

As always, don't forget to push that 'Join This Site' button, to keep up to date on all the latest Lou's Chatterviews!

Toodlepip!

xx

What is a Chatterview?

Aloha Sprinklerinos!

Well this is all new and shiny isn't it? Welcome, welcome.

I thought the best way to start this off, would be to explain exactly what a 'Lou's Chatterviews' is.

A chatterview is an interview with a difference. It's not a boring question-answer dealio, it is like a chat with your chum, where you find out the exciting gossip or things you've always wanted to know. It is a laid back approach, very friendly, very Sprinkle of Glitter.

I plan on interviewing fun people from the beauty industry, lovely bloggers or people I stumble across in life that I think are of interest. The more unusual, the better!

If you think of anyone you think might be interested, do feel free to drop me a line!

Below is the blurb I send to chatterviewees, I thought you might like to read it so you are as involved as possible and feel like you are very much a part of it all, because you are. If you are reading these words, then you are a much loved Sprinklerino :)

The Oh So Official Blurb:

Lou’s Chatterviews is a relatively new feature to the Sprinkle of Glitter world, that will be lovingly added to Lou’s Reviews and Lou’s Views. What an excellent rhyming name I have!

The aim of a Chatterview is to find out a little more about somebody, but cutting out all the boring, stuffy type questions and sticking to interesting, fun, frollicky enquiries.

A chatterview is not a way to pick holes, catch someone out or dig up dirt, it is an opportunity for the chatterviewee to open up and share a little bit of themselves in a happy environment.

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I will only be chatterviewing folk I feel Sprinklerinos would find interesting, fun or refreshing. If you are and MP wishing to talk about your latest policy on local tax, this probably isn’t the platform for you!

All chatterview questions will be uniquely tailored to the individual, there are no boring formats here!

There you have it- the birth of Lou's Chatterviews!

I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for people you would like to see chatterviewed. Also, if you'd be so kind to click that magical little 'Join This Site' button, I'd feel pretty smiley and you'd never miss a thing- it's a win win, non? 

So here's to Lou's Chatterviews- 'Cheers'!

Toodlepip!

xx