A Day In My Life (in partnership with Clinique)

I often get asked for interviews etc, to describe my working day. And I always answer the same: no day for me, is ever the same.

Like most Freelancers and any busy individual, my life is about ‘making it work’. I don’t really have set times I stick to, or set hours anymore, my day consists of a list of tasks I try and get done.

So when Clinique asked me how I would ‘Take The Day Off’ – I thought it would be a nice chance to actually show a day in my life and how I wash it all away…

7am

Wake up (or try to). I’m a terrible morning person and need coffee just to stand up straight.

I usually plan my outfits the night before so it’s quick to get ready (having my wardrobe in different rooms due to renovations means it takes too long otherwise!).

I head into town for breakfast meetings – most PRs tend to want to meet first thing and it makes it easier for me, before I get bogged down with too much work.

I carry my laptop most days (which is why I always end up carrying two bags!), in case anything needs to be urgently replied to…and I usually stop in a cafe to get some admin done within my day. Today, I stopped at Hot Milk – a newly opened cafe near me in Bowes Park – I love seeing new places pop up in my neighbourhood – and it helps that they serve great coffee.

I usually try and head home at some point during the day at the moment, just because there is so much to sort with the builders and renovations. I cook lunch at home and try and make calls and sort things during my working day as it’s easier to deal with Tradespeople then, and then will pick up my work admin around that. Currently, we’re still in the pick-ups bits for our study – we still need skirting boards, a window, desks and cabinets measured. It’s a work in progress (!) but once finished, it will help with our workload and life balance.

In the afternoon head to back into central London, for a showroom appointment (this is where I see all the new clothing collections and what the trends will be for the new season) and a shoot with my photographer. I don’t usually shoot around my area just because I’m always in town, it’s easier for backgrounds and I like to separate my work and life where I can…Eva is always great, we used to work together at Red magazine and she is great at directing me as well as understanding what I want to achieve (and allows me to smile in photos!).

Now the evenings get longer, I can shoot later, which is great for me. So Eva and I head out to the streets by my appointment to shoot some more Streetstyle shots (typically, the one we shot this, it poured with rain!). I try to plan my shoots around which areas I’ll be in, and which backgrounds would work for my feed, so they look different etc. It’s a bit more of a thought process than people tend to think…

On a good day, I’ll get home around 6:30/7pm.

I often have work dinners and events that I need to attend but today I am in charge of my schedule. We have a rule that whoever gets home in our house cooks dinner (which we pre-plan so we know what needs to be made) – we usually try and make a one-pot dish as our ‘kitchen’ consists of one hot-plate, a microwave, mini oven and a sink. Our favourites are usually curry or chilli con carne, as we save leftovers for lunches throughout the week.

Before I do any of this, though….I have to wash my face.

I’m not one of those people that can sit around in their work clothes and make-up. I change into ‘comfy’ clothes and remove my make-up at the first opportunity.

I’ve used balms and oils as part of my cleansing routine for a few years now, it glides onto the skin so easily and takes off make-up easier than anything else. As someone that has combination skin, I find that oil based products really are the best.

I spend more time cleansing than I ever used to and have noticed a real improvement on my skin in doing so…I lock myself in my bathroom and it’s my real sanctuary. I wash the day away, and go back downstairs feeling fresh and like myself…and ready to tackle dinner and some more household chores (and occasionally, fitting an episode or two of ‘Love Island’!

We also filmed a little video for YouTube, following me around for the day, so you can see what a day in my life actually looks like. You can view here:

To find out how my husband and I work together without killing each other, click here.