In the words of Shrek (a one-liner ICON if we ever did see one), ogres have layers, onions have layers, and as it turns out, so do we as soon as the month of October hits and the weather cools enough to warrant a PSL before work every day. It’s called self-care, look it up.

Thin knits, gilets, turtlenecks, trench coats and hoodies, layering is an indecisive dresser’s dream, with the option to mix, match and marry up your fave pieces to create a curated cocktail of a look that exudes cool-girl chic. We’re stepping it up this season as the first autumn since 2019 when socialising is properly on the cards. Embracing trends such as shackets, collared polos, leather trench coats, the humble grandad vest and knitted co-ords galore to really step up the style game, inspire stares in the street and ‘omg where did you get that?’ comments over bottomless brunch.

It’s hard being as much of an autumn style icon as the cast of Gilmore Girls, but someone has to do it!

Zoe

When it comes to layering as the autumn months roll in, I love the transitional stage where you can still wear something typically “summery” but with a long sleeve t shirt or roll neck underneath and some chunky black boots to activate the autumn. I love a silk slip dress for this, and if you need some extra layering, throwing on a cropped oversized jumper always works well here too!

*ASOS, ASOS DESIGN ultimate turtle neck long sleeve top in white, £12 | *All Saints, HADLEY EPOTO SILK BLEND DRESS, £199 | *All Saints, BILLIE LEATHER BOOTS, £249 | *ASOS, ASOS DESIGN oversized sweatshirt in washed grey, £22

Charlotte

Now I have to say summer is my favourite season for dressing so I’m always a tinyyyy bit upset when the autumn rolls around, but as long as it’s still semi-warm enough for skirts without tights (aka the actual devil) then I can just about manage. I’m obsessed with everything Saturday by Megan Ellaby make and their amazing printed roll necks are a layering dream- if I could have one in every colour I seriously would.

Having said I don’t love cool weather dressing, I do have a bit of a thing for nice jackets and my coat collection is somewhat out of control, however, it doesn’t feature a trench so I feel like this needs to be my next purchase.

H&M, Faux shearling gilet, £19.99 | *I Saw It First, Khaki Maxi Trench Coat With Self Tie Belt, £75 | *ASOS, ASOS DESIGN knitted cami cropped jumper in black, £30 | Saturday, The Janey Blue Tiger Print High Neck Top, £40

Lareese

I live for autumn dressing! Give me all the layers, coats, knitwear and gilets over summer clothes any day. For between-the-seasons styling, you can still get the wear out of your dresses by layering them up with an oversized blazer or a collarless jacket and boots, then when it starts to get a bit chillier dial up your winter warmers and introduce your belted wrap coats and woolly textures.

*Marks and Spencer, Padded Collarless Puffer Jacket, £55 | *Mango, Textured cotton-blend dress, £69.99 | *Cos, OVERSIZED-FIT BLAZER, £135

Danielle

One of the best places to shop for layers that is often overlooked is Uniqlo. For me, they’re the OG basics brand and everything I’ve bought from there is always great quality and a really lovely shape. You can never go wrong with a mock neck long sleeve, which is like a turtle neck but not as restrictive and a bit more flattering. This can be worn over a vest and under a flannel or cardigan – which by the way, I think will be bigger than ever this winter.

*Weekday, Lash Extra High Mom Jeans, £40 | *Uniqlo, U HEATTECH COTTON MOCK NECK LONG SLEEVED TOP, £19.90 | *Uniqlo, HEAVY FLANNEL CROPPED FIT SHIRT JACKET, £34.90 | *Uniqlo, U SWEAT V NECK CARDIGAN, £34.90 | *Uniqlo, SOFT SOUFFLÉ YARN V NECK CROPPED CARDIGAN, £24.90

Darcey

I’m going for the ‘walking my dog in the countryside’ vibe today. I think a hoodie paired with a gilet is perfect for Autumn and the transition to cooler weather. Especially for someone like me who can be quite warm all the time, so a gilet is a perfect middle-man until the winter coats come out the wardrobe. This green gilet from ASOS is unreal, in my basket ASAP! I’ve paired it with some black leggings (I’m channelling muddy paws) and these chunky knee-high boots which look perfect for stomping around in and can definitely be worn with so many different Autumn/Winter looks.

*ASOS, ASOS DESIGN gilet puffer jacket in green, £38 | *Weekday, Oversized Hoodie, £30 | *Marks and Spencer, High Waisted Leggings, £9.50 | *ASOS, ASOS DESIGN Wide Fit Carla chunky flat boots in black, £40

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First off, how are you and how is your 2021 going?

I’m good thank you, my 2021 is going well so far, different to what I thought but that’s not a bad thing. The last 6 months I have worked much less and made more time for myself which has been awesome. Now I’m throwing myself back into work for the rest of the year but still with a good balance!

Can tell us about your hair journey, and how you got into the industry?

Sure, I’ve been hairdressing for the last 12 years, I started out when I was 14 years old when my school opened a hair salon so students could have an insight into other industries while doing their GCSE’s. I totally fell in love with it and coming from a family of many hairdressers I was kind of always going to end up being a hairdresser too.

I worked my way up in my first salon from the Saturday girl to the senior colourist then upped and moved to London when I was 20 years old where I studied to become a colour specialist and over time learnt how to become an educator. Throughout the last 12 years I have been on many different hair teams, entered lots of competitions and taken part in anything and everything so I could continue learning, meet like-minded people and build my profile. In May last year, I took the plunge into being my own boss and have since opened 3 small businesses.

Your Instagram is packed full of tips and tricks, when did you start creating content online?

I have been posting my work on Instagram since August 2013, at the time I had just qualified and was looking to build a clientele so I started sharing my salon work and very quickly I built up a strong base. I started treating Instagram more like a business when I moved to London over 5 years ago, again sharing my work to attract clients and to show brands what I was up to and eventually changing the direction of my page slightly to attract students for the education I was teaching. In the last 18 months, I would say I have become more focused on creating content to grow my businesses as the online world has very much gone that way. Social media has played a huge part in my career, I’ve made friends and connected with people from all over the world and it’s helped to open many doors.

The beauty industry has a reputation for having long days and few days off, how do you work hard whilst still keeping your mental health in check?

At the start of this year I decided this year was the year that I was going to focus more on myself and for the first time ever start actually looking after myself by creating healthier routines, learning to cook and being kinder to myself….. I’ve always wondered when I would become a yoga person haha. In my previous job that I was in for 4.5 years I worked 6/7 days a week for most of the time I was there and I don’t regret doing so because of the experience and growth I gained career-wise but my mind and body massively suffered.

The hair industry can be bad for that, young stylists thinking they have to work every hour under the sun to get somewhere. Well, I believe that things have changed and especially since covid-19, everyone’s starting to appreciate and respect self-care more and wanting a better work-life balance. Throwing myself into work had always been my survival mode which I now realise since taking time out, I also started seeing a therapist at the start of this year and it’s the best thing I have ever done. I’m finally looking after myself properly, eating the right things, exercising, not overworking and now in turn I’m performing better in my work life. Mental health should be spoken more openly about online and when I’m ready I will share more about my journey and what I’ve learnt on my platform to hopefully help towards taking that sigma away in the hair and beauty industry.

How did you take the leap to go freelance as a hairstylist and what tips would you give someone looking to do the same?

Last year I had originally planned to take a complete timeout from the salon life, to travel on the way to Australia and then settle there for a year or two. I wanted to work for a salon that potentially specialised in cutting and take things in a new direction; yes, I love colour, I really love colour. But my cutting had taken a backseat in London, and I wanted to refocus on that again. Covid-19 was a complete curveball, as it was for everyone, but I had to change all my plans – change literally everything. I hadn’t yet reached my final day in my old salon, and actually went into lockdown employed. This gave me space, and obviously financial security being furloughed, which meant I was able to spend time really thinking about where I wanted to go next now that everything had changed. If I’m honest, I was actually completely burnt out going into the first lockdown. Having that downtime, for the first time in 10 or 11 years of being in the industry, forced me to pause and really acknowledge the effect that working so hard had had on my mental and physical health.

Obviously, the last 18 months had been really tough on the industry, how did you manage not seeing clients for so long, and what kept you going?

What a crazy crazy time the last 18 months has been, I still don’t think it has actually sunk in what we are living through. Our industry has taken a real hit and in the first lockdown, it kind of felt like a break for everyone for the first couple of weeks before we realised that our industry wouldn’t be opening for a really long time. As I’ve just previously mentioned I went into the first lockdown employed and came out self-employed so that time for me to plan my new business was what kept me going, knowing I was working towards something exciting and towards seeing my clients again!! Then in October 2020 myself and my business partner Anneliese Hesse started our own hair academy – Humankind Hair which kept us insanely busy over the following months and lockdowns!

Can you tell us about the Humankind Hair Academy?

We have a mission:

For humans in our industry to be treated equally, with kindness,

consideration and respect. We adapt everything we teach to suit all

hair types for all humans. Our courses are for kind humans.

Be human. Be kind. Be both.

Myself and Anneliese Hesse have been friends for years, have worked together previously and both love education, we are literally the opposite of each other but that’s exactly why we work so well. The real idea behind Humankind for both of us was creating something really special, and offering the kind of education that we have both always believed in. We launched in October 2020 and within 36 hours, our courses were completely sold out. Crazy, I know. Sadly for us, lockdown intervened and restrictions meant that we had to rethink our whole business plan, and make the terrifying decision to take Humankind Hair online into total alien territory.

Now we are back to running our education in person, online and in salons around the UK which is a dream. Myself and Anneliese are huge fans of travelling and once the world opens back up again properly we plan on taking Humankind Hair Academy overseas to anywhere that wants to host our education and at the same time we plan on taking time out on those trips to explore ourselves, experience different countries and cultures. 

Congratulations on your recent win for the ‘IT Girl’ award at the creative head mag most wanted awards, what would your top tips be for the other stylists wanting to get their name out there and network?

Aww thank you so much, winning ‘IT Girl’ was 4 years in the making and a lot of hard work went into not only writing my entries but also into every aspect of my career to have something to write about. My biggest advice would be to throw yourself into everything you can, take up every opportunity you can, enter competitions, audition to be on teams and just surround yourself with like-minded people. Lastly, remember that success doesn’t happen overnight, you do need to work really hard but at the same time make sure you enjoy the journey!

What are you currently working on or what’s next for you??

I’ve got a really busy couple of months ahead with education, which feels like life is getting back to normal as we’ve been limited to teaching online for so long. We have just launched a new course with Humankind Hair called ’The Science Of Curls And Coils’ in collaboration with expert and trichologist Tatlyn Grant, which we are really excited about, it’s going to be amazing. I’ve also got some really exciting education dates coming up teaching for L’Oréal Professional up and down the country, as well as lots of projects with BaByliss and BaByliss PRO. The plan is to keep splitting my time between looking after my gorgeous clients in the salon, educating and having time out for myself.

What does your perfect weekend look like?

Well, my favourite day of the week is most definitely Sunday so it needs to be done right. Starting with a lazy morning in bed, followed by spending time with friends or family exploring somewhere new. If I’m in London then I do love visiting Brick Lane market and Columbia Road flower market, which is such a typical East London Sunday. Then I’d be ending my weekend with a face mask in the bath for the ultimate chill, you just can’t beat it!

What do you always carry with you?

I’m totally guilty of styling my hair on the go, especially on long train journeys so I always have my BaByliss cordless straightener with me!

What would your last ever meal be?

A roast dinner with a huge Yorkshire pudding and lots of extra gravy. I’m actually allergic to gluten… it makes me fall asleep so I would happily have anything gluten for my last meal!

What Is one positive piece of advice you could give to our audience?

There is nothing more powerful than believing in yourself, go out there and do whatever makes you happy!

We may have shed a tiny tear when saying au revoir to the summer that never was, but if there’s one thing we can get excited about as October hits it’s the prospect of jackets and layering GALORE. It’s one of life’s tiny pleasures- along with taking your bra off at the end of the day or sinking into a hot bath. Putting a jacket on for the first crisp morning of the year really does signify the change of seasons, a fresh start and all the back to school vibes we’re craving as very (very) mature students (of the world).

Shackets had a big moment in 2020 and we’re thrilled to share that the obsession continues this season as the perfect interim style staple for both Autumn and Spring when an extra layer is needed for your hot girl walk and coffee run requirements. With the best offerings from Topshop, Zara, Arket, Skinnydip and more, keep scrolling to get seriously inspired ahead of your next haul.

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In the final part of this month’s Digital Detox series, we’re swapping wifi for watercolours and picking up our paintbrushes with Brighton-based illustrator and card publisher, Louise Mulgrew.

Louise started painting animals for the first time after a trip to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage in Nairobi. She continued to grow her portfolio and develop her hand-drawn characterful style, selling her animal illustrations at local markets and fairs. In 2016, she showed her first collection of greeting cards at Spring Fair and five years on, her very first Furry Friends collection is still her best-selling range.

Now stocked in Waitrose, John Lewis, Waterstones, Fenwick and Paperchase, Louise Mulgrew Designs is an award-winning eco-friendly paper empire, supplying over 400 independent shops in the UK.

Keep reading to see how the team discovered their inner artist, got to grips with colour wheels and unleashed their creativity with the wonderful Louise Mulgrew.

To see more of Louise’s animal-loving work, you can find her over on Instagram at @louisemulgrew or visit her website here.

Lareese says…

After the questionable masterpiece I created with Sophie Tea Art earlier this year – it was meant to be a heart, looked suspiciously like a butternut squash – I didn’t have a whole lot of faith in myself, ha. Alas, true to form, I fluffed up my colour wheel approximately 0.4 seconds into Louise’s class by drawing one too many segments. We needed 12, I had 14. Where do I go from here if not downhill? Poor, poor Louise, trying to teach me must have been a real career-low for her. My technical ability (or lack thereof) aside, I love the sense of calm that ensues when you’re playing with paint and working on paper. It’s such a treat to be screen-free which is what this activity is all about, after all!

For this workshop, we were using gouache which is an opaque watercolour paint. Starting with the colour wheel, Louise taught us how the primary, secondary and tertiary colours work together. Once we’d cracked that, some of us better than others (woe is me), we had a go at
painting some leaves and flowers, experimenting with various brushwork techniques, creating a colour wash for backgrounds, using dry brushes to build texture, blotting and using extra water to push the colour around the page to create a mottled effect. At this point, I wish I could redeem myself and tell you that I smashed this part of the class but I think we all know that foliage requires significantly more skill than colouring in a wheel. Louise made it look truly effortless, even painting petals upside down like the pro that she is. I’m in awe.

To bring this self-deprecating tale to its close, I love painting, it just doesn’t love me back and I’m quite gutted about it because I would like nothing more than for this to be a reciprocal romance. I kept looking over at Holly’s beautifully neat berry branch creations and wishing I could have such control over the way my hands behave when holding a paintbrush. I have to say though, from a digital detox perspective, dipping into your watercolours is the ideal activity to drag you away from your phones and laptops, especially with Louise at the helm. I dread to think how much more damage I would have done if I had digital distractions to contend with as well, haha. I’m forever grateful she didn’t task us with hedgehogs or elephants for our first go. Big thank you to Louise for having the patience of a saint to teach us (read: me) and for sharing her expertise with us. What a babe!

Charlotte says…

I was a little apprehensive going into this workshop as my art skills certainly leave a lot to be desired, (quickly realised after our workshop with Sophie Tea earlier this year) but I was pleasantly surprised both by how smoothly Louise guided us through the session and my final leafy results! I’ve never worked with gouache before but follow a few illustrators and designers who do and so was super intrigued to be giving it a whirl as a newbie. To my delight, I found it far more workable than either watercolour or acrylic and it seemed to hit a happy medium of buildable and opaque when used dry and more glossy and with the ability to create a light wash when adding water. First, we created a colour wheel to learn the basics of colour theory and how to create a range of shades from the main primary colours, and although this whole experience was supposed to be relaxing I found myself oddly stressed about making my wheel ‘perfect’ or as neat as possible. I had to take a step back and remind myself that you cannot dictate the outcome of creative and mindful tasks and that the aim of these activities is the detox from our screens and do something different with our minds! I think once I was able to let go of expectations and just enjoy the process a bit more I eased into it and really appreciated the challenge of trying something new.

Louise is so knowledgeable and a fantastic teacher who was extremely patient given the fact I apparently cannot follow simple instructions and messed up my colour wheel approximately 200 times, and learning from her was a real privilege! Her work is so gorgeous and even picking up a few tips, tricks and techniques that she uses in her daily practice was so insightful and left me feeling far more confident about picking up a paintbrush in the future.

Although I initially found the workshop a bit overwhelming (perfectionist tendencies alert), the time totally flew by and I left feeling like my brain really had an opportunity to time out and totally focus on the task at hand. As much as I love yoga and find it can really chill out my brain, I find my mind can still wander, whereas the concentration required in learning something new and focusing on something tangible was a real tonic.

Danielle says…

I’m often left feeling a bit deflated post craft session as I’m simply terrible at most arty things but I really enjoy the actual doing part and taking my mind off the stresses of the world! The last time I painted was when we had Sophie Tea give us a tutorial for one of her infamous hearts and I was actually pretty proud of what I produced, so I went into this one with a bit more of an open mind!

Instead of just going straight into the deep end with attempting to paint a bunch of flowers Louise let us play with the paints and try making a colour wheel. This was such an interesting process as she really taught us how to make so many colours by just using primary red, blue, yellow and white. I know that probably sounds obvious and something we learnt at school but I really enjoyed learning about making so much with so little! The paints we used were Gouache and they felt like a combination between watercolour and acrylic, this meant if it started to ‘run out’ or dry up we could just add a bit of water and it would start flowing nicely again. There were so many effects you could use that looked so pretty when dry, I always think watercolours are really hard to get them where you want them whilst still keeping that lovely translucent effect but with Gouache you can manipulate them much more easily.

Painting is such a good DDD activity because you have something tangible to work on that you can see come to life is the best distraction to the digital world. Plus now I know I only need to buy 4 colours, it’s much cheaper than expected!

Darcey says…

It felt so good to be getting arty again as it’s something I did quite often in education as I did textiles at A-Level and then a fashion degree, and although I love art it’s one of those things I don’t make the time for (terrible I know). I’m no Picasso, but art is fun and it’s nice to create something with your own hands which is one of a kind!

Louise was so lovely and creates such beautiful artwork, so I was really excited to get such an intimate masterclass with her. We started off by creating a colour wheel, apparently not as easy as one would think. I was missing a segment (maths wasn’t my strong point), it started off looking like a real mess, not the best circle I’ve ever seen. This was such an interesting process though, I have never learnt almost the art of creating so many different colours and the science behind it. By the end my lopsided circle didn’t look too shabby, I was actually quite impressed with my colour wheel ha!

We used a paint throughout called Gouache, firstly does anyone else just love the sound of that? I have a feeling I like it so much because it sounds like ganache hahaha. This paint had such an interesting texture, it was gooey and thick, but add a touch of water and you have a watercolour, super cool and versatile! We practiced our leafy strokes and Louise taught us all these different techniques to create our own masterpieces. We all had a good go at making some floral designs and the whole team made lovely art. I really enjoyed this DDD activity, art is such a brilliant way to distract your mind and take you away from screens, even for 30 mins. I have felt so lucky to do this Digital Detox Series and absolutely will be implementing this into my daily life, I think taking time every weekend to step away from it all, even for an hour, is my goal moving forward!

AD in partnership with Depop

No doubt you’re already familiar with the wonderful world of Depop – the Instagram-meets-eBay fashion app changing the way we shop for the better.

Carrying fashion behemoths like Balenciaga and Gucci to the cool-girl brands and faithful high-street names, you can peruse the virtual Depop rails and discover second-hand, vintage and designer gems at the click of a button, and from the comfort of your own couch. Huzzah!

Not only is it considerably more convenient than battling your way through the infamous Zara queues of a weekend, it’s also a more conscious way to get your hands on the labels you love to wear, giving items that are destined for landfill a second lease of life.

Having a clear out no longer requires multiple sweaty trips to the charity shop or organising a car boot at 7am on a Sunday. Whether it’s too big, too small or never worn before with the labels still intact to prove it, selling your once-loved items on Depop is a great hassle-free way to recycle your outfits and give the clothes that already exist in the world their due wear.

Shop the Team Zoella Wardrobe here!

As a platform, Depop operates in much the same way as Instagram, with an incredibly user-friendly interface that makes scrolling for outfits outrageously easy – sleep, eat, Depop, repeat, kinda easy. You can follow your favourite sellers and view their wares in a feed, much like Instagram, with hashtags to help filter your search. Not sure what you’re looking for? You can browse by category, check out the trending ‘what’s hot on Depop’ items and utilise the My DNA function to see personalised recommendations based on your style to save you the legwork.

Alongside its commitment to circular fashion, Depop champions entrepreneurial spirit and has given smaller, independent creators a platform to launch their very own fashion brands, so if you’re in the market for a dress no one else will be wearing, Depop’s got the scoop on one of a kind wares, as well as the up-and-coming names and trends to watch out for.

To set up shop and start selling your garms, all you need is a mobile number, an account name and a PayPal account and you’re good to start listing your lewks. Simply upload your snaps, write an appropriate description to go with your product (you can go as catchy and clickable or as product focused as you like) name your price and build your empire.

With the start of a new season, the team were looking for ways to declutter our wardrobes responsibly and part with the items that no longer spark joy – come through, Depop!

Featuring brands from All Saints to H&M, Zara and Nobody’s Child, you can browse the Team Zoella page and get snapping up some pre-loved ‘fits that didn’t quite get the wear they deserve with us (lockdown really did that).

Click through the gallery below and come and join us over on the app. Got a question about any of our items? Feel free to drop us a PM by clicking the envelope on our shop page. Happy thrifting, fellas!

Charlotte’s Wardrobe

My online shopping habits have been a little intense since socialising became a thing again in 2021 so being able to find on-trend and new clothes at a cheaper price on Depop has been such a lifesaver! I love following my favourite influencers to be one of the first to see when they upload the clothes they no longer wear anymore and have managed to get some absolute steals in the past from doing so. Depop shops and small businesses thriving on the app also have a special place in my heart for helping me find super unique and special items that no one else has, and I love the individuality Depop encourages. 

I’m normally a bit of a hoarder when it comes to selling my own clothes and keep a lot of items ‘just in case’ but I actually feel incredibly free when I finally let something go and leave space in my wardrobe for something new and more ‘me’. It can be hard to part with items that have a sentimental value, but it feels really fulfilling being able to give them a new lease of life with someone new and helps me feel like I’m doing my part in helping clothes have a longer lifespan. 

Lareese’s Wardrobe

I’ve recently rediscovered the magic of Depop after signing up for a personal account years ago. I’m excited to clear some space in the wardrobe, safe in the knowledge that these items will continue on with their journey, passing from person to person just as it should be. 

I’ve still got a lot of love for these clothes, some of which I’ve barely had the chance to wear but in the interest of streamlining the wardrobe for an autumn spruce up, I’m begrudgingly rehoming them, so they’re guaranteed to get the wear they deserve. The leopard print dress from Zara is such an easy dress to throw on with Converse for workwear and layer up with tights, a leather jacket and boots in winter. The H&M check shacket is also a firm fave for in-between-the seasons dressing but with various lookalike prints in my possession (when I like something, I tend to really overdo it), I need to part ways with at least one of them. Depop to the rescue! It feels incredibly satisfying to upload your bits and bobs knowing it’s going to land straight in the hands of someone who will love and enjoy it all over again. Landfill: 0, Planet: 1.

Darcey’s Wardrobe

I’ve been using Depop for a really long time and have always loved it for selling clothes I no longer wear/can fit in! I’m selling a handful of bits which range in price, mainly all of it doesn’t fit me anymore but is such great quality still so deserves a loving home. I find dresses are my worst offenders for wearing once and never again, so I thought I’d list a few of those on here and see if it takes anybody’s fancy!

Danielle’s Wardrobe

I’m a complete Depop novice so I’m really excited to see how the platform operates and start a new secondhand journey with my wardrobe! I’ve always found vintage shopping harder as a size 20, but I’ve already found tons of garments that look great on the app already

I’m selling a few bits I’ve bought new and never worn because they just didn’t suit me, a brand new leopard print peplum top I love and keep thinking it might fit me one day, spoiler alert: it won’t! A light pink silk shirt I’ve loved for a while that I think deserves a new home, and a dress I’ve worn so many times for Christmas and New Year parties that I’m hoping will fund this year’s dress of the season!

Shop the Team Zoella Wardrobe here!

Here at Zoella HQ, we are skincare fiends- face mask fanatics, cleanser crazed, oil obsessors, and there’s little we love more than a thorough and relaxing skincare routine at the end of a long day at work (read: wondering how we can reintroduce Regé-Jean Page into our content calendar). From dry to acne-prone and oily to combination, there’s a range of routines, cult products and must-haves amongst us large enough to occupy a small Boots store- our Advantage Points are truly off the charts.

Honourable mentions go to CeraVe, Glossier (pink pouch crew unite) and La Roche-Posay who hold a special place in our hearts as ‘can do no wrong’ brands that always have our back when our complexion is feeling chaotic. 2020’s lockdown saw little reason for us to spend our £££ (current bank balance can no longer relate) and many of us turned to skincare as both a mindful self-care activity and a means to fill those long, drawn-out evenings. As such many of us have nailed our routines and found the ride or die products that are simply chef’s kiss- that’s one good thing to come out of lockdown, eh!

Keep scrolling to shop the skincare essentials we would be lost without.

Zoe

I’ve been absolutely loving the “then I met you” cleansing balm and am almost done with my second tub! I usually like to use a balm to remove makeup or SPF and then I’ll go in for a second cleanse with my Oskia renaissance cleansing gel which has been a firm favourite for years. I tend to mix up my serums and toners but I’m currently loving “heroine” by PSA for my toner. A solid re-purchase every time I run out is the Peter Thomas Roth water drench hyaluronic cloud gel eye patches which are so refreshing and hydrating! I keep them in my fridge.

*Cult Beauty, THEN I MET YOU Living Cleansing Balm, £37 | *Cult Beauty, EMBRYOLISSE LABORATORIES Lait-Creme, £20 | *Allies, HEROINE MANDELIC & LICORICE SUPERFOOD TONER, £28 | *Cult Beauty, PETER THOMAS ROTH Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, £45 | *Cult Beauty, OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel, £36

Lareese

I haven’t refreshed my makeup in months, my brushes are balding and you wouldn’t want to smell my spoolie, let me tell you. I’m hitting pan on everything, squeezing out the final blobs of my foundation but skincare – skincare is a different story. Unlike doing my makeup, I look forward to my skincare routine, especially in the evening. There’s nothing a double cleanse and a good twilight pamper can’t fix. Right now, I’ve got some faithful favourites on the go like the Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cleanser (I love this stuff) and the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum which I repurchase as soon as I’m out. Then after reading good reviews, I caved and bought the Sunday Riley CEO Glow because I feel like my face needs some vitamin c right now and the Khiel’s activating treatment which is v refreshing in the morn.

*Cult Beauty, KATE SOMERVILLE Goat Milk Cleanser, £34 | *Space NK, CAUDALIE VINOPERFECT RADIANCE SERUM, £46 | *Feel Unique, Kiehl’s Iris Extract Essence, £39.50 | *Feel Unique, Bondi Sands Coconut Body Moisturiser, £4.45 | *Glossier, Futuredew oil serum hybrid, £23 | Boots, Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème, £33 | *Cult Beauty, SUNDAY RILEY C.E.O. Glow, £34

Danielle

This is currently what my morning routine looks like, I decided to try out some more reasonable priced serums as I find a roll through them quite quickly and I’m more likely to use it every day if I don’t feel like I’m pouring money down the drain, or into my pores in this case. I kick things off with the Cerave hyaluronic acid cleanser, always a good staple! I then blast on toner with cotton wool to have me feeling extra clean, highly recommend Scientia products and their tonic is so satisfying to squirt out. I’ll then use The Ordinary Buffet and The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid, no particular order, so feel free to tell me if one should go before the other. I recently purchased this moisturiser from Paula’s Choice as I liked what it offered and enjoy a pump, and I have to say I’m really enjoying the silky feeling it leaves on my skin without being sticky. I finish with some tanning water every other morning, especially while it’s sunny, so my face matches the tan on my body. My absolute fave is he Jamie Genevieve Utan CBD tanning water, the lavender scent brings a sense of calm to my skin.

*ASOS, CeraVe hydrating hyaluronic acid cleanser, £9.50 | *Cult Beauty, SCIENTIA Pure Clarity Purifying PHA Skin Tonic, £34 | *Cult Beauty, THE INKEY LIST Hyaluronic Acid Serum, £5.99 | *Cult Beauty, THE ORDINARY ‘Buffet’, £12.70 | *Cult Beauty, PAULA’S CHOICE Omega+ Complex Moisturizer, £32 | *Beauty Bay, UTAN UTAN X JAMIE GENEVIEVE CBD TANNING WATER, £18

Charlotte

My makeup routine stays very much the same throughout the year but skincare is the part of my routine in which I go to town and tend to switch things up. I’ve repurchased the La Roche Posay Serozinc spray a couple of times now and although I can’t say I notice a crazy difference when using it or not, I really enjoy how refreshing it is (especially during the summer) and love using it after a hot shower. The Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser is a bit of a cult classic and is probably my favourite make-up removing cleanser at the end of a long day- it leaves my skin feeling super duper clean and hydrated. Highly recommend!

I was introduced to Scienta Beauty via Zoella and their Rescue Mask is one of the best I’ve ever used. I love trying CBD skincare and I would repurchase this one in a flash. Finally, this serum from Beauty Bay’s own range is surprisingly great and so affordable. I really want to try more of their range!

*Glossier, Milky Jelly Cleanser, £15 | Scientia, CBD VEGI-TOX™ RESCUE MASK, £26 | Boots, La Roche-Posay Serozinc Face Toner Mist, £10 | *Beauty Bay, BY BEAUTY BAY SKINHIT HYDRATING SERUM, £5.95

Darcey

I LOVE skincare and I really have tried everything, so my firm faves have been really put to the test. Cerave foaming cleanser for oily skin is so good and if there are any other fellow oily people out there looking for something new, you need to try this! Cerave’s moisturiser is fantastic as well, it can be used on your face and body too. The Inkey List Vitamin C serum is the best one I have tried so far, but it’s strong so if you have sensitive skin use carefully as it will tingle! Mallows Beauty Enzyme Peel Mask is vegan and SO GOOD, if you have acne honestly give this a go it has such amazing results and has been really great for acne scarring especially for me. Lastly, I had to include my fave SPF the La-Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF50, I wear it all year round due to using a lot of acids/exfoliants etc on my face which means I need to protect it every day (we should all wear SPF on our face every day though reallyyyy), also sits well under makeup!

*Beauty Bay, CERAVE FOAMING CLEANSER, £14.95 | *Beauty Bay, CERAVE MOISTURISING CREAM, £8.95 | *Cult Beauty, THE INKEY LIST Vitamin C Serum, £7.99 | Mallows Beauty, Pineapple & Mango Enzyme Peel Mask, £17.95 | *Look Fantastic, La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF50+ Sun Cream 50ml, £18

Maddie

I recently left my whole makeup bag in Cornwall and insisted I could cope without it for a few weeks… Skincare is a whole other thing and there are a couple of products that I genuinely NEED. The first one being my eye cream. Estee Lauder advance night repair eye is a repeat x10 product for me and I honestly have never found another eye product that comes close to it. I would probably look 500 years old without it. A good cleanser is also essential and I have a couple that I really rate, Cerave hydrating cleanser is my current favourite, it works so nicely and is so affordable which is great for a wash-off product. I have a couple of treatment products that really help protect my skin which I’m becoming more and more conscious about, the Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants firming treatment and the body shop SPF 50 I would also include in my essentials.

*The Body Shop, Skin Defence Multi-Protection Lotion SPF 50+ PA++++, £22 | *Beauty Bay, CERAVE HYDRATING CLEANSER, £9.50 | *Estee Lauder, Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex, £48 | *Cult Beauty, ALLIES OF SKIN Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment, £105

PSL in cake form you say? Hold my Starbucks.

Someone let Paul Hollywood and the gang know that the GBBO tent can be packed away this year because this pumpkin spice latte cake wins.

Creamy, comforting and moist (sorry, it had to be said), putting your feet up with a cuppa, watching Hocus Pocus and getting stuck into a slice of this on a cosy autumnal afternoon is the only way to spend a rainy day.

If you’re looking for Sunday baking inspo or you want to have a go at whipping up a showstopper for a Halloween party, this freakishly good Jane’s Patisserie recipe is all you need in your life.

First off, how are you and how is your 2021 going?

Honestly? Right at this very moment, I could be better! I found out today that my bike was stolen – not my top highlight of 2021! But other than that, it’s been such a wonderful, chaotic and rewarding year.

What inspired you to start your YouTube channel Unjaded Jade?

I was the last person that any of my friends thought would become a YouTuber! I fell into it out of what felt like necessity.

I loved school, but when I was 16, I found my GCSE exams incredibly stressful. For exams that would apparently “determine my whole life”, I was confused why we were never taught how to revise for them. I started researching the science of learning and teaching myself effective study methods which helped me somehow come out with all A*s.

When I reached sixth form, I knew I needed to share what I’d learned with other students who might be equally stressed, which is why I started my channel. This went on to pioneer an online niche called StudyTube where students shared helpful study techniques and inspired others to look after their mental wellbeing.

Can you tell us about the content you create on your channel?

My channel has evolved over the years as my life has changed, but it has followed my educational journey from school, to my gap year, to now at University. I discuss helpful study techniques, productivity tips, and why I love learning. I also make vlogs about living a life with more gratitude and intention!

We love that so many of your videos concentrate on forming habits for your mental health, what has had the biggest effect on you this year?

Thank you so much. Mental health is often overlooked in the narrative around studying and productivity! Two things have been especially important for me this year: meditation and journaling. My Mum is a yoga teacher so I grew up very resistant to anything in the mindfulness space, but as soon as I tried meditation, it changed my life. I often overthink things, so it helps me to ground myself. I also love journaling to reflect on my life, set goals and remind myself to express gratitude!

Tell us about your book ‘The Only Study Guide You’ll Ever Need’

This is the book I wish I had when I was 16. The first half is focused on how to study based on the science of memory, from revision techniques to building a timetable. The second half is more holistic and sees the student not just as a grade-producing machine, but as someone who also needs to prioritise their own wellbeing. I discuss perfectionism, the academic system, my own mental health during school and what helped me to have the right mindset before an exam.

How did you find the differences between creating video content and writing?

Both feel incredibly personal, but writing allows a depth which you can’t always reach in a video. When people watch a video, you have no idea how much they already know about studying and it can be hard to level it right. With a book, the assumption is that the reader is investing time in the topic, so I could build on frameworks and cross-reference ideas throughout the book to further explain why things work! Another main difference was that I would often write in the middle of the night in my dressing gown.

What are some of your most popular videos our audience should check out?

I love the video on my revision technique ‘Blurting’. It’s changed so many students’ lives! I also recommend watching my ‘Study With Me’s if you’re looking for real-time motivation to get work done and stay off your phone!

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently studying Cognitive Neuroscience with a minor in Business Development (oh, so different! Can you tell I’m indecisive and love learning?) so most of my time is preoccupied with Uni, but I’m also building a mindfulness app in my free time for fun!

Do you have any favourite follows for people to be inspired by online?

So many! Ali Abdaal is amazing for productivity advice, Jack Edwards always inspires me to read more books, and Vee Kativhu is amazing for educational empowerment.

What does your perfect weekend look like?

Waking up early in nature, doing yoga and meditation, making porridge, drinking tea and reading books. I’d then spend the weekend hiking with friends!

What do you always carry with you?

A hairband. My curls can be exhausting.

What would your last ever meal be?

My Mum’s vegan lasagne.

What is one positive piece of advice you could give to our audience?

You are enough. Whether you get the grade or not, get into your dream uni or not, woke up early today or not, you are enough, exactly as you are. The internet tells you a million ways of how to be and how to live. While it’s important to grow and learn, we don’t give the present version of ourselves enough credit!

Follow Jade on YouTube here, and keep up with her on Instagram here!

Sitting in a stuffy careers office aged 16, surrounded by musty sixth form decor and a somewhat clueless head of year pondering what you’ll be doing for the next 50 years, it’s no surprise many of us feel disillusioned by the career choices we make so early on in life with little information or intuition about what direction we should head in. Some follow the route ‘expected’ of them, are influenced by parents or friends or simply fall into a job that pays the bills but doesn’t necessarily light a fire of inspiration or motivation.

But all is not lost- you can escape the boss who gives you the Sunday night blues, the endless to-do list that never lets up and the industry you’re still not entirely sure how you ended up in. Introducing: those who do a career 180- a career cartwheel if you will. You’re never stuck and your job destiny is not fixed, and these inspiring folks reminded us of that tenfold. Transitioning from working in education to luxury candles, office roles to OnlyFans, teaching to designing vintage china, HR to crisis counsellor and supermarket worker to 999 call taker, there’s proof in the pudding that changing careers or industries later in life is more often than not, a risk worth taking…

Having spent decades of her career working in corporate roles, 47 year old Nichola, based in Houston, Renfrewshire, took the plunge and lept on her ‘now or never’ feeling and launched Olapip Home, a luxury hand poured home fragrance business 5 months before lockdown. Having always loved fragrance and cosy interiors and with a growing frustration at expensive candles that didn’t burn as well as she’d hoped, Nichola ventured into the unknown in starting Olapip and hasn’t looked back since…

We adore the Olapip ethos and really admire how much success you’ve achieved in just under 2 years since your initial launch! You decided to change careers aged 45, what was it about this point in your life that made it feel right to take the plunge?

As a candle lover, I was becoming a little frustrated with expensive large brand candles that did not burn particularly well – either tunnelling with much wax left on the side of the candle jar or a black soot residue around the top of the container – so I wanted to explore to see what I could produce.

 So, after a spell of training, continuous researching, testing, tweaking, retesting…and finally leaving my marketing profession, Olapip Home was born.

Could you tell us a little bit about your business and the day to day running of it? What does it mean to run a home fragrance brand?

Olapip Home is a hand-poured home fragrance business offering ‘a little luxury in a sustainable way’.

All our soy wax candles, wax melts and reed diffusers are carefully crafted to produce elegant scents for the home or workplace and are made in the Olapip Studio in Houston, in the countryside on the outskirts of Glasgow. Olapip’s luxury home fragrances create a delightful ambience in any space, and with citrus, fresh, fruity and floral to oriental, woody, masculine and seasonal scents – there really is something for every taste.  

Our ethos is all about offering a little luxury in a sustainable way and I was determined to develop a brand with a conscience and to not be wasteful. I limit the use of plastics and encourage customers to reuse, refill and recycle. When the candle has finished, customers can return the clean jar for money off their next order or repurpose it – plant low maintenance succulents in it, use the jar as a pen pot or to hold your favourite make-up brushes.

Day-to-day running of the business involves sourcing the raw materials, hand pouring lots of products, marketing/social media/digital activity, selling online, in-person and at events, processing customer orders, keeping log of sales, outgoings, finances and all the other admin that goes with running a business. Oh, and trying to finish my website!  I operate with a Facebook shop and to order, customers can message on Facebook/Instagram or email me.  The website was about 90% complete when the business went crazy so I never quite got round to finishing it (the shame, I should really have sacked myself!).

How long did it take you from thinking about changing careers to making the move?

Around 5 months. I was still working but in my spare time at home I was experimenting and testing. I set up a research group to test scents and products and the feedback was fantastic with a resounding ‘You’re onto something’ being a consistent comment. So, I left my job in May and spent the next 4 months bringing the product range and branding together for a launch in September.  It was a giant leap of faith but something that I was so passionate about.

Did the pandemic impact your priorities and feelings towards what you wanted to spend your time doing and the things you really valued?

Well, I launched only 5 months or so before lockdown and goodness when that hit it was, without doubt, a scary time…in so many ways. What would happen? Would we survive? The doubt. The fear. The unknown.

As a very new business I did not qualify for any of the government assistance but I was determined to save the business and to keep going where possible, to adapt our offering and to continue to fill homes and workplaces with our gorgeous scents and homewares. As a result, I set up a contactless collection box from which customers could prepay and collect their orders, I offered local delivery assuming it was en-route to fetch provisions, I shipped throughout the UK and eventually, as pockets of retail re-opened, I set up an outdoor shop.

Bizarrely, lockdown helped the business to grow as people’s shopping habits changed by shopping locally and gifting to friends and family all over the UK. It was all about a little joy and peoples’ general wellbeing. Some customers loved our scents from a sanity point of view as it was their tranquil time in a world full of fear – lock the bathroom door, light the Olapip candle, relax in the bath and breathe. For others it was suddenly having a home full of children, husbands, wives and pets and they desperately needed scent to mask absolutely everything! 

For me personally I’d never worked harder in my life keeping up with demand and I was slightly envious of those ‘lucky’ to be furloughed having all this unexpected family time. I just went into coping mode – trying to run the business, home school, keep my daughter protected and look after vulnerable family members who were shielding. But all the time I did feel very fortunate that Olapip was home-based and that every day I could be there for my daughter at what was an incredibly scary time for all.

The whole episode just seemed to focus on survival.

Were those around you supportive of your career change and move to self employment?

Absolutely. Even the business name represents the support I had.

Olapip: a little bit of me – Nich’ola’, my daughter – ‘Pip’ who was hugely excited when I told her I was leaving my job to start a completely new venture – and also two of my husband’s letters are there…all in the interest of fairness of course! My husband builds things for me, keeps me calm and has a brilliant operational mind, my mum labels and packages the products, my daughter makes boxes, counts diffuser reeds and labels bags, my sister helps at events and being a social media guru I may just need to hand that task over to her!

I love that the ‘Olapip’ name includes my family which makes it even more special. They have been hugely supportive and understanding and for me that is incredibly precious. It’s scary taking that leap but with super-supportive family and friends behind me, it made it all a little more reassuring.

What was the biggest challenge in setting up your own business?

The juggle! There’s no doubt about it, running your own business IS hard. You wear many hats. From having always had a team to share tasks with to suddenly becoming what is effectively the ‘full organisation’ i.e. R&D, manufacturing, procurement, marketing, sales, finance, HR, compliance, etc, the to-do list is endless and you never really manage to switch off. 

My challenge is always time and taking on too much – but I think that’s just the way that I’m wired.

I would say do your research, know your market, have a plan (and be prepared to adapt it), get your processes in place. Use free resources available to you – Business Gateway training courses, courses or templates offered by your business bank, there are some great Instagram accounts for small business advice or tax/finance help. 

It can also be lonely, so find your gang – join some business networks, there may be some local business groups on Facebook who meet up for coffee and a chat. It’s good to get out of the business to bounce ideas and gain a sense that you’re not alone – share the fear, excitement, confidence, successes…depending on which hat you’re wearing that day!

Yes, it can be daunting, but it’s all the more enjoyable and rewarding when you have such amazing support from your customers, family and friends…and if you believe in, and love what you do.

Which skills would you say were most helpful from your role in education to transfer to your new and totally different career in home fragrance? Do you think it helped you in any way having worked in a totally different industry previously?

I have a business and marketing degree so there’s a general foundation present and I have spreadsheets for everything. I also have an understanding that building a brand isn’t just about marketing – it’s every single contact your business has with your customer/potential customer. What you say, how you say it, what you produce, what and how you deliver and, equally, how you handle any dissatisfaction.

Communication – talk to your customer, get to know them. I love chatting to customers, describing our range, taking them on a scent journey and helping them discover new fragrances. Scent evokes memories and it’s lovely when presenting a product to them you see a smile spread on their face and hear the words ‘Ah, that reminds me of…’

Also Resilience – the ability to experiment, to fail, to succeed, to take compliments, to take criticism and to adapt…and boy have we had to adapt continuously in the last 18 months.

I’ve worked in 3 very different industries and some of those roles were also business to business which helps with the wholesale/stockists side. But I think the consistent element is always knowing your customer.

How has your quality of life and happiness been affected since changing careers?

Oh my goodness, I thought I’d have a much calmer, creative life making candles in my home studio, the doors would be open, the birds would be singing and life would be ideal! In reality, I’ve never worked harder, I don’t get paid annual leave (unfortunately) and my boss is an absolute taskmaster (he he)! People often say ‘You’re the boss, you choose your hours – it’s simple.’ That’s exactly what I’d be saying if roles were reversed. But if you don’t do what’s on your list, no one else is going to do it for you and the list just grows.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I do feel quite stressed with the workload at times but I need to work out when I’m taking that next step to outsource more of the admin to free up time and headspace. I don’t have a commute to/from work which can help distinguish between work and home, but a dog walk with a coffee straight after the school run helps to focus the mind and kick-start the day. 

I do work a lot of weekends and I know I need to be stricter and take time off during the week to switch off and rest or I will eventually suffer. But the difference is I’m working hard for MY business.  

What’s your best piece of advice for anyone considering a big career change?

If you’ve done your research, go for it. I’m proud that I had the guts to take that giant leap of faith and that I bring a little scented happiness into peoples’ lives.

I’ve just had my 2nd birthday and I keep thinking how the heck did that happen? In some respects it’s hard to remember life before Olapip, but on the other hand it has absolutely flown by…so that must mean I’m having fun!

You can shop from Olapip Home via their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/olapiphome/shop), shop at Nichola’s home studio in Houston, Scotland, order to collect locally or with shipping throughout the UK. 

Emma Wakely of Beau & Badger is currently living the dream running her cheeky vintage china business, but her positivity and motivation for creating a successful business wasn’t always present after she was forced to quit her previous dream job as a primary school teacher after sustaining a back injury that left her unable to work in the classroom.  Moving from being active and able bodied to using a wheelchair, Emma describes feeling like her “life was over” and being left behind by her peers who continued in their successful careers as her lifestyle was forced to do a 180. 

After making a one-off vintage plate design for her mum, Emma decided to try her hand at selling her designs and soon had a successful and thriving business on her hands, stocking on Etsy, selling at local markets and amassing over 10,000 followers on Instagram. Her cheeky fine bone china is a crockery lover’s dream! 

Unlike some who decide on making a big career change, you were forced into it by external circumstances. Did you ever imagine you would feel grateful for this shift in your life at the time of your injury?

Which skills would you say were most helpful from your role in teaching to transfer to your new and totally different career in cheeky vintage china?

Communication is key in teaching and is also important when running your own business. It has helped me deliver great customer service and build up a fantastic customer base all over the world. In teaching you need to be very organised. This has been invaluable in starting my own business. I try to keep on top of my paperwork and accounts as this can easily become overwhelming. 

Did you always have an artistic side that you weren’t fully able to express in your day job or was this side of your personality only really brought out when teaching was no longer an option?

I’ve always been very creative and enjoyed making things. Teaching quickly became all consuming and I no longer had time to focus on my creative side. Since starting Beau & Badger I have had the opportunity to grow creatively and make a range of products I’m really proud of. 

Could you tell us a bit more about how you took your vintage china idea from making a one-off plate design for your mum to running a successful business with over 10k followers on Instagram? 

My mum has always been my biggest cheerleader. She gave me the confidence to put myself out there and start my business. When I sold my first plate on Etsy, I was ecstatic. Nothing beats the feeling of someone wanting to pay for your work. The orders started flooding in and I was getting lots of custom requests for swear words. This is when I realised I had found my niche and made the decision to focus on cheeky words and phrases. Starting Beau & Badger was a steep learning curve with a lot of trial and error. I had to work out quickly which products were worth focusing on and which weren’t. This allowed me to create a product range that people loved. Social media has been a fantastic platform for getting my work out there. We have a great community on Instagram that share a love for sweary china and small dogs (I share lots of pictures of my dogs Harry and Stella). This has been invaluable in growing my business to where it is today. 

What was the biggest challenge in transitioning to working for yourself and in a totally different industry? 

When I started out I had no idea of how to run a business- I learnt everything from YouTube videos and the Internet! I taught myself about product photography, editing pictures, how to grow on instagram, managing finances, branding and customer experience. It was challenging but I really enjoyed learning something new. It gave me something positive to focus on when things were hard. 

What’s been the biggest highlight of your new career so far?

I absolutely love meeting customers. Most of our sales are online, meaning I don’t get to do this as often as I would like. A highlight for me was the Bristol Christmas Market. I met so many lovely people that I found the perfect gift for a friend. This is what my business is all about. I love the meaning words hold for people. It could be your best friend’s nickname or something that reminds you of that ‘had to be there moment’.

How has your quality of life and happiness been affected since changing careers?

My life is now completely different. I am so much happier and less stressed. I can focus on the things that are really important to me, my family, friends and being creative. I’m always thinking of new things to bring to the shop and no day is the same. I absolutely love what I do and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to take a step back and turn something difficult into something positive. 

What would you say to anyone else who may find themselves in a situation in which they suddenly have to change careers because of circumstances out of their control? 

Even though it feels like the end of the world, it really isn’t. Dwelling on something you can’t change isn’t helpful. Focus on the things you can change. Take the time to really find what you enjoy and what makes you happy. Don’t be afraid to give something new a try. You never know it might be the best thing you ever do.

You can find Beau & Badger on Instagram at @beauandbadger or shop Emma’s designs via her Etsy store here.

Whilst Lauren was only 22 when she decided to change career paths, her decision to move from a traditional office job to creating adult content for OnlyFans was a dramatic change of pace and lifestyle for both her and her family and friends. Feeling she had nothing to lose and unfulfilled by her office roles following sixth form, Lauren’s life changed overnight as she went from making 19k a year to 19k a month on OnlyFans. 

How did you get into your original social media/office role and was this something you were excited to be a part of originally?

After sixth form I went to a secretarial college and studied to be a secretary. I learnt in depth Microsoft packages, shorthand and more. I felt really prepared for the working world after I left there. I applied because I was interested in social media and websites. I felt that it was within my capabilities. I was extremely excited to start my social media job. I had a few jobs after leaving college. I worked for a fashion designer for a year and the social media and website job was my second full time job. I was only 20 years old at the time.

In the 2 years you worked in an office environment did you ever feel like this was the right job for you? 

Was the move from PAYE to self employment a big appeal in changing your career path?

I have always wanted to be my own boss. When I was a child I used to imagine what kind of business I would start. Before I began OnlyFans, whilst I had my old job I posted loads of bikini selfies on Instagram and this used to make me feel good about myself. Ultimately starting my own business made me feel like I was taking back control in my life. No one could tell me that I was not good enough at anything apart from myself! 

What was it about OnlyFans specifically that appealed to you? Have you worked in the adult industry before?

I had never worked in the adult industry before. I always used to look at girls like Kelly Brook and Rosie Jones growing up and I wanted to be a page 3 model but the glamour industry has changed a lot since then. The main thing that appealed to me was independence and that I could be in control of my own life and happiness again. Ultimately, all I wanted was my happiness back.

Are there any drawbacks to being self employed that you didn’t experience whilst working in an office environment?

Overall the positives outweigh the negatives. Tax is not fun and the strange thing about becoming a business owner is you are expected to know everything about it including all of the terminology as soon as you start! I think it can be a lot more lonely in the day. However I would rather be by myself than in a toxic environment like my old job where they used to bitch about me when I left the room.

Has it been difficult to navigate self employment during a pandemic?

The pandemic actually positively affected my business because people spent a lot more time at home. There was not really much change to my job apart from I could not go to photoshoots for my Instagram.

Was there any judgement and concerns from those in your inner circle about taking this risk and how did you manage those emotions if so?

When I first began OnlyFans, my own family did not agree with me which was really hard considering I lived with them! I lost a lot of friends and that was extremely mentally challenging for me. I found that even if someone wanted to be my friend and did not agree with my life choices I could not relax around them and always felt like I needed to justify my life choices. Which, sadly, came off as boasting because I was insecure. 

How has your quality of life and happiness been affected since changing careers?

My life right now is like a dream compared to my old life. I am one week away from closing on my first rental property and I live in my dream house in the Cotswolds. I honestly could not have even imagined this being my life when I was sad and depressed at a normal job. 

I understand now that I was extremely lucky and this does not happen for everyone starting this career. I was in a BBC documentary last year called Nudes4Sale and in the documentary it explores a few people’s experiences on the platform including mine.

Have there been any downsides to making the move?

The biggest downside and something I did not foresee is that my identity completely changed. I was no longer just Lauren anymore, I am “the OnlyFans girl”. People in my hometown would stare at me and sometimes say negative things to me whilst in public. It used to really mentally affect me but now I tend to just avoid negative people and I have moved away from my hometown!

Another negative is that whatever I put out onto the internet I will never be able to take back. It will follow me around forever. Also, in this industry a lot of your content ends up being sold by people on the Internet pretending to be you or published to websites without your permission. I had to hire a team to help me with this issue but it is always ongoing and my content will never be just on my paid site. It is just something I have had to accept.

What’s your best piece of advice for anyone considering a big career change?

Before changing careers I would absolutely recommend thinking about the positives and negatives of the move. When I made my career move I honestly was not in a good place and I just felt like I had nothing to lose. When you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up, and that’s what I did.

Ask yourself, do you really want to be working for someone else your whole life? Knowledge is power and if you know what could go wrong you will be better prepared for it.

You can find Lauren at @1laurenelizabeth on Instagram 

Having finished studying Communications and Human Resources at University in 2013, Canadian graduate Pamela struggled to find a job and ended up travelling and volunteering through her mid to late twenties. During her time volunteering in South Africa she discovered a love for crisis counselling and social work, and returned to Canada in 2018 to study this further. Pamela has just graduated aged 29 with a Master of Social Work which qualifies her as a psychotherapist and has never felt happier in her working life…

How soon into your studies and work in comms and HR did you realise the sector wasn’t for you?

It was towards the end of my last year when I realised I didn’t want to work in comms and HR. All of my classmates were discussing applying for jobs and preparing for the certification exam required to practice HR where I live. While I’m usually very studious and enjoy learning, I knew I wasn’t invested enough in the field to prepare for the exam the way I needed to, so I completed the year but never sat the exam. 

Did you ever consider quitting your studies at the time or were you hopeful that this industry might be right for you when it came to finding a permanent job?

I never considered quitting my studies. I think because I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do, I didn’t want to quit to ‘do nothing’. I’ve always wanted to do work that makes a difference, and figured I would apply for comms and HR jobs that were in line with that like comms and HR for the police department or a hospital, or children’s aid society. I didn’t necessarily want to work on the ‘front lines’, but I wanted to do work that mattered and thought this could be a good way to do that so I stuck it out. 

How did you come across social work/crisis counselling and what was it about it that drew you in?

The tipping point for me was when a young girl who attended our programs died suddenly. I was a part of a group that went to run our personal empowerment program with the girl’s classmates, but I felt ill equipped to provide them with the support they needed which was crisis and grief counselling. I decided then that if this is the work that I love to do, I wanted to be trained to do it well. I knew I needed to return to school to be able to do that. 

Could you tell us a bit about this industry and what your day to day role looks like?

Today, I am still in Canada working as an inpatient hospital social worker and I also run a small private practice as a psychotherapist. At the hospital, the role is varied day to day but includes supporting patients and families as they learn about new diagnoses, make decisions about end-of-life care, transition from home to a more supportive living environment like a retirement or nursing home, and any other ‘social factors’ that may be contributing to their hospital stay. 

In private practice, I work virtually with youth and young adults experiencing anxiety, depression, life transitions and grief. We work together to develop coping strategies and greater tolerance for challenging emotions. 

What was it you were seeking from your new career that wasn’t being fulfilled in communications and HR?

I always knew I wanted to do work that made a difference but had no idea what that would or could look like. Comms and HR likely would have been mostly if not all behind the scenes which I thought I wanted at the time, but I discovered working in Cape Town that I liked being able to work directly with people as well as behind the scenes. It’s important to me to feel connected to the work I’m doing so it feels meaningful, which is something I didn’t know about myself when I originally decided on comms and HR. 

How has your quality of life and happiness been affected since changing careers?

There’s something so special about doing work you’re passionate about, that feels like just the right fit. There’s also a sense of gratitude I have going into every day knowing that I could have been on a very different path if I had believed returning to school so late wasn’t an option for me. Knowing that I was very intentional about choosing this work/ path, and that I didn’t just fall into it makes me feel very happy and fortunate. I also work (and studied) with the very best people. Social work can be emotionally taxing, but it’s work that I love and find very meaningful. Working with people who feel the same way, who I can both laugh and cry with, is very special. 

Have there been any downsides to making the move?

The hardest part for me was leaving South Africa. I had built a life and home there, many of my closest friends are still there. But as hard as the goodbye was, once I figured out what it is I wanted to do, it was a no brainer. 

What’s your best piece of advice for anyone considering a big career change?

One thing I kept in mind when I returned to study, knowing it would take three years, was that ‘the time will pass anyway’. If you’re considering a big career change but are hesitant because of the time it might take to complete, the time is going to pass anyway. I figured I might as well spend that time getting closer to my goal. Now that I’m on the other side of it doing work that I truly enjoy, I can say it was 100% worth it in my case. 

33-year-old Siana had been working in a supermarket role since the age of 17 before taking the leap of faith and deciding to complete training as a 999 call taker for the ambulance service. Entirely different from her previous roles, she has found herself oftentimes in disbelief that this new job is hers, and her story is the ultimate testament to leaping with confidence out of the box you might have placed yourself in. 

You had spent 15 years working in a supermarket since being a teen- the entirety of your working life! What inspired you to take the plunge aged 33? Was there a lightbulb moment? 

For me it was that I was just stagnant, that although day to day I was ok and work wasn’t necessarily difficult maybe that was the problem, I was just comfortable.  I worked with some really great people and it took me a long time to realise that I needed more. I needed to do something that made a difference, something I would have to challenge myself with. 

Saying that, I never thought I could do something like this, especially such an important role! My friend’s partner came into work as a customer and I remember he asked why I was still there! After all this time – and truthly it wasn’t an easy question to answer – I laughed and said I must love it really! Later that evening he sent me a link for an emergency call handler for the ambulance service – I genuinely laughed – Not a chance would I ever get something like that! That there’s absolutely no chance! The day before the closing date I just decided to go for it, nothing changes till you change, am I right?! 

Were you nervous about taking the plunge or excited about a complete change of pace in the early stages?

My application form took a long time to complete and I sent it off with the thought that at least the job application process was some practice! After all it was a long time since I last applied for a new job – The assessments were tough, typing tests, accuracy reading tests, call taking assessments and more, but when I got the email to say I’d passed them I felt proud of myself and I think it’d been a long time since I had. After the interview I just felt like no matter what happens, I did my best – when I got the call to say I was successful, it was like a light shining inside of me I know that sounds ridiculous but I was so happy I can’t even describe it. I called my mum straight away! I still feel that little glow now when I think this is what I’m doing.

Now to the hard bit – it’s a serious job, as a friend of mine put it. It’s a proper grown up job! There’s so much to learn, many processes and protocols to follow. I often feel like I can’t take anymore information or my head will explode! 

Were you at all worried that not having prior experience relevant to working in healthcare would hinder you in changing careers? 

On the day of the induction, there were 11 of us starting and straight away I noticed that I was the oldest, the others were all much younger than me. During the ice breaker where you have to stand up and introduce yourselves (I’m sure everyone hates it!) I stood up to introduce myself and said a little about myself – luckily I was first, as when everyone else stood up I became very self conscious and felt out of my depth.

How has your quality of life and happiness been affected since changing careers?

Each day I start with a little nagging voice telling me I’m not good enough but each day I learn more, the system starts making a little more sense, I’m understanding protocols and really pushing my brain to work, each night I go to bed exhausted but feel a sense of achievement.

I’d love to say that I’m completely rocking it but I’m not. I’m struggling every day to keep my head above the water – but I am doing that with my new colleagues – all young, all attractive, all intelligent and all absolutely lovely colleagues! Yep! They are all lovely! We are all struggling, we are all pushing ourselves and we are all so supportive of each other. 

So, all I can say is yes, I might not pass my sign off, and I might fail my exams but I’m doing the best that I can every single day and I’ve never been so mentally drained, but I’ve never been prouder of myself either. It may all go wrong and I may not succeed but life is for living and life is for the brave, so here I am being brave.

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