LONDON CREATIVE: Scarlett London
This week we caught up with lifestyle blogger Scarlett London.
1. SCARLETT, WE’RE PRETTY ADDICTED TO YOUR WEBSITE, IT SEEMS TO HAVE ADVICE ABOUT LITERALLY EVERYTHING. WERE DID YOUR INSPIRATION TO START YOUR BLOG COME FROM?
Oh thank you, that’s so kind! I started my blog in 2011 because I had aspirations to become a journalist and I knew the online world would be a great place to showcase my writing ‘skills’ for future work. I was also in the process of applying to various Universities and wanted an online portfolio to be able to link to. I didn’t even know that what I’d created was even called a ‘blog’, I was totally unaware of this amazing community of like-minded creatives that existed. Slowly, my eyes were opened to this emerging new world of bloggers and I started talking less about generic things and more about my life. Over the years, it’s gradually morphed into a lifestyle blog that documents my life, my innermost thoughts, my travels and my favourite beauty buys. I love that I have an online space to explore my creative side – and if I’m totally honest, the blog is the only thing I’ve ever stuck to properly in all my life. It’s now been running 6 years! My ballet lessons only lasted a term! Oops!
2. YOUR CONTENT IS PRETTY VARIED. DO YOU HAVE A USUAL TYPE OF READER?
A few years ago, it was assumed that you had to have a ‘niche’ to get noticed in the blogging world but as things have progressed, it’s become evident that each blogger’s niche is their own individual life. As long as you let your personality shine and you talk about the things you love, you have something that makes you different. My typical reader is a girl much like myself (25-34) who enjoys travelling, high street fashion (with the occasional designer treat), beauty, wellness and food. But then again, I have quite a few guys who read the blog, some younger girls and some older women too. I love that my audience is varied because I learn from them and take their advice, just as much as they take mine. I think as a society, we are very voyeuristic and we love peeking into other people’s lives – blogging and YouTube enables that in a manner that we’d never had access to before. I think for that reason, it’s always important to be honest, stay relatable and show the lowlights as well as the exciting opportunities. Otherwise people start comparing their reality to your highlights reel – and I like to think my content is relatable but still fun and exciting!
3. WHEN NOT WRITING, YOU THROW SOME PRETTY AWESOME BLOGGER EVENTS. WHAT EXACTLY GOES DOWN AT THESE?
Well thanks so much! So I set up the events initially about four years ago – primarily because I wanted to meet like-minded writers and photographers in London. I used to attend events by myself and felt intimidated that everyone already knew one another, so I thought the events would be a good ice-breaker. The first one was a pizza and prosecco party in Mayfair and I think we had about ten people attend. Slowly, more people expressed an interest in coming along and our last event had over 400 people come along! Nowadays, the premise still remains the same – to create a welcoming, friendly and exciting environment for blogger and brand networking to flourish – only the venues have got even more swanky and a lot larger in size!
4. WE’RE A BIT IN LOVE WITH YOUR STYLE SECTION. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE FASHION HOT SPOT IN LONDON?
Thank you! When it comes to luxury fashion, I love a trip to Harrods. Even if you’re just window shopping, there’s something so magical about the grand facade of the building and all of the glitzy designer concessions displaying their latest wares. Last Christmas, I’d saved and saved so that I could treat myself to a shopping spree there. I ended up buying a classic black Givenchy Antigona and a Valentino Rockstud bag all in one trip, which felt rather exciting! I also love Oxford Street for a high street spree!
5. FOOD IS A BIG PART OF THE SITE. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT IN LONDON?
Yes, I’m a HUGE food fan and spend my life planning my next meal it seems! So food had to play a big part on the site. In the last two years, things have changed slightly because I had to give up dairy and eggs due to allergies, so I make it my mission to prove that you can still enjoy eating out – even with various dietary requirements. My favourite place at the moment has to be Farmacy in Notting Hill, purely because they have the most incredible selection of dairy free mains and desserts. They have the motto ‘clean indulgence’ on their menu, which I love!
6. WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT LAZY SUNDAY IN LONDON LOOK LIKE?
My perfect lazy Sunday would be spent with my boyfriend David, in our house just North of London, in my pj’s. We both have quite busy jobs so it can be hard to spend quality time together, so I love lazy days at home with a boxset or a favourite movie. One of my favourite things to rewatch is Black Mirror’s San Junipero, which is the most beautiful mini-film I’ve ever seen. It makes us both cry every time. Then we’d probably stroll along the river and have a huge Italian feast at Zizzi, they do the most amazing (and generous) selection of dairy-free and vegan food – dark chocolate torte, vegan cheese pizzas and doughy garlic bread. It’s incredible!
Scarlett’s blog: http://scarlettlondon.com
Photo by Kaye Ford
