Hello I'm Mia and I'm a trainee journalist.

Bute Building - Cardiff University 

Yup, that's right. I finally started my postgrad course on Monday and now I'm officially a Cardiff University postgraduate magazine student! (yay!). 

After graduating from my BA Hons journalism degree in 2012, I made the decision to take some time out to sort out my funds and to gain a little industry experience. I was lucky enough to be given a job in Media Wales which meant I spent 9 months having a very good insight into the world of newspapers. During my time working for the company I was given the opportunity to write some really interesting stories, including a few front pages, but my heart stayed with magazines. 

Magazines intrigue me. Like most young girls, I was addicted to magazines. I wrote to them, created my own versions and cut out my fave pictures to stick in my little magazine scrap book, so knowing that I'm one step closer to having my own real input to the industry makes things very exciting! 

Leading up to my course, I spoke to a lot of editors, bloggers and friends about what they thought about the postgrad and I faced a lot of different opinions on it. Most, if not all, of the editors said they really valued a postgrad and all commented on the reputation that Cardiff University has. However, I did have a few people question my decision mainly because of the cost and the fact that there are other ways to make it in the industry. Nowadays anyone can be a journalist. 

Personally, I believe the course is invaluable and vital. In today's society and today's industry, I think it's incredibly important to have a strong knowledge of the industry and not just a talent to write. I believe that I have a responsibility to know the legal aspects of a story that I'm writing, which is why I believe that learning about media law is essential for any young wannabe journo - something that this course will teach me. 

Yes, it's costly but I believe that it's very important and I can't wait to develop as a journalist over the next few months. 

So what does it mean to my blog?

The course itself is pretty intense so unfortunately I'm not going to be able to blog quite as much as before. I'll try my best to post on the weekends but for the next few months, I really need to put my all into this course. Although we do have to create a new blog so keep an eye out for that! 

I have a few posts coming up this week so make sure you keep checking the blog. 

Oh, and lucky for me fellow Welsh blogger Georgia Hathaway from Fashion Oyster is also on the course! She's the sweetest most genuine person and it does help having someone you know there so you can both support each other during the tough days! (which I'm sure there'll be a lot of!) 

Anyway, I'd better head off. 

Love you lots 

By Mimi x

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Showroom 2013

On September 4th, I made my way to London with my friend, Adele, to visit the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Showroom 2013 which had been set up to showcase some of the work, research, campaigns and products that were supporting the cause this year. 

Being a woman and having family members who have suffered with breast cancer meant that this topic was something not only close to my heart but also important to me, so to attend this event was really special and I thank the charity for inviting me. 

Breakthrough Breast Cancer is one of the UK's leading breast cancer charities. They fund a remarkable 25% of the UK's breast cancer research and every year, they work tirelessly to raise the money needed to do this. 

"We will achieve this by finding new treatments, discovering the causes, promoting early detection and ensuring the best possible care for women diagnosed with the disease"

The showcase was held in Weston House, Holborn - a part of London that I haven't really explored. We headed to the afternoon session meaning there were some wonderful treats put on my Pure. The room was set up with different areas of interest from an information point about the hard work and pioneering research that Breakthrough Breast Cancer do, to the TLC (Touch, Look, Check) campaign and the Great Pink Bake Off. You could also check out all of the pink products that help raise money for the charity from Marks and Spencer's underwear to Avon nail varnish.

Now I don't want to overload you with information in one post, so I've decided to highlight two of the areas that were showcased on the day. I first wanted to introduce you to the TLC campaign, which I believe is incredibly important in spreading the work on how to check for the signs of breast cancer. I also wanted to quickly introduce you to the Great Pink Bake Off as I know a lot of bloggers LOVE to bake ;)

The TLC campaign was launched to try and highlight that in fact, there are 5 different signs to breast cancer that women need to be aware of - not just checking for lumps. 
The 5 signs are:

It's important that, as women, we check for these symptoms to ensure that if there is indeed something irregular, then we can get to the doctors and catch it early. 

This campaign is really important and we need to keep spreading the word about TLC. If you head to the Breakthrough Cancer website then there's loads of information about how to spread the word, as well as a video on how to check plus a link to download the TLC app. 


I also wanted to quickly highlight the Great Pink Bake Off to you. 

Everyone loves a good cake - whether it's a sweet and sticky chocolate fudge cake, or a demure carrot and walnut treat, so why not get your friends together and take part in the Great Pink Bake Off. Myself and Adele are both keen bakers so we've already decided that we are definitely going to get our bake on for this cause. Basically, the Great Pink Bake Off takes place on Friday, October 18 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All you need to do is grab all your friends, family, colleagues, students etc together and organise a Bake Off - where everyone bakes a cake and brings them to a venue (your choice) to raise money. There's loads of information on the Bake Off on the official website so make sure you check that out. 

Hopefully, I've managed to get a bit of important information in this post for you but please make sure you visit their Breakthrough Breast Cancer website to check out all the work they do. At one point in your life, it's likely you'll be affected by cancer so do what you can to help. 

By Mimi 

From red to...

 

Very bright hair at the Company Magazine Blog Awards 2013

There comes a time in every red head's life when they question how long they can maintain their fiery locks, and, after 5 years of being a fake red, that time has come. 

From the very first time that I dyed my (then) dark brown hair red, I knew it wouldn't be forever, yet here I am nearly 6 years after (yes, I know that's hardly forever), questioning whether I can still pull off the red look.

I adore my hair and to be quite honest because my natural hair is quite fair (ash brown) it doesn't take a lot of dying or hair work to keep it bright. However, now that I'm on my way into my 20s, I'm starting to wonder when the right time would be to go for something a little more easy on the eye and natural. 

You're always told that there is no place in society for bright red dyed hair. Dramatic? maybe, but think about it. When you're in school, you are told that dyed red hair is unnatural and inappropriate. Then as you go closer to Uni, you're told that maybe red isn't professional enough to be taken seriously in a working environment. I don't personally believe that your hair should determine this but that's what is drilled into you. 


I've never really paid much attention to this kind of pressure until now, where I can think about is what I'm going to look like at 30, 40 etc... with fake red hair. 

Oh, When I talk about red hair in these circumstances, I obviously mean dyed red hair and not beautiful natural red locks!
So, what are my options? 

Well, as I said before, my natural colour is a fair brown, however, I'm not a fan of it (my little brother calls it grey, much to his amusement). 

For ages now I've been very tempted to strip it all back and gently highlight my ash locks but in all honestly, I'm more scared to go back to a natural hair colour than I was going red? 

A little darker than my natural colour

Can any of you guys help me decide? 

By Mimi

The Review Party

Every girl wants to work with their best friends right? Maybe open a shop or start something new and exciting? Well, whilst busy chatting on whats app about life after University a few weeks ago, my best friends and I decided to do just that. 

As a fashion blogger, I occasionally get asked to write about specific items or events, but recently I'd been sent a lot of information about new beauty products. Now, I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to all things beauty related so I suggested to my friends that we all get together one night and try out some new products I'd been sent to see how they worked, and so, The Review Party was born.  

The Review Party is a brand new beauty blog which has a little something different to offer you. Written by myself and my best friends: Elinor, Stephanie and Sophie. The basic concept behind it is that every week or so, we all get together for a girly night and review new beauty products. As each of us have completely different looks (hair and complexion) we thought it would be quite interested to see how the same products looks on each of us. Plus, it's a great excuse for a girly night! 

Our first post is now up and tells you a little bit more about us and our blog. You can read about it here: blog

Also, we've just set up our twitter so make sure you follow @thereviewparty to keep up to date with news etc...

If anyone reading this is interested in knowing more about our blog or would like to work with us then email thereviewparty@gmail.com

Oh, and how much do you LOVE our blog banner? My brother, Corey, designed it! (copyright belongs to him). 

Make sure you check out the blog and let me know what you think! 

By Mimi

Weekend getaway

Being freelance, it's not often that I'm actually able to take time off and go and enjoy myself (I don't get holiday pay remember) so every now and then, it's lovely to grab a long weekend to go off and enjoy a getaway. 

Last weekend, myself and Aaron headed off on our little road trip across Pembrokeshire, West Wales, and visited some of our favourite places. We always stay in Tenby and go on mini road trips across the coast, stopping off at some amazing beaches. Who needs trips abroad when you have places like this on your doorstep ey? Really going to miss these views when we move to London.

Definitely my favourite way to spend my time off. 

By Mimi

PAPERSELF Lashes

A few years ago, I headed to London for my first ever London Fashion Week. I got a press pass through my blog and heading to Somerset House all on my own, ready to experience one of the most prestigious events in the industry. 

Polka dot lashes

This was the first time I came across PAPERSELF lashes and of course, I instantly fell in love. The intricate lashes which are made from paper, amazed me. The amount of detail and design that goes in to creating each set of these beautiful eyelashes is honestly astonishing, so when I was asked if I wanted to review a pair, I obviously jumped at it. However, in true By Mimi style, I obviously nabbed the opportunity to do a quick Q&A with the innovative brand which will be going live tomorrow at 12 noon. 

But first, let's chat about the lashes. The lashes come in many different forms, taking inspiration from everything from London to lace. The ones I received were the new Polka Dot pop lashes which featured beautiful bows and beads, which according to Paperself, represent "a subtle mixture of sweetness and funkiness" while "the leaves depicted by the embellishment of beads add a touch of sophistication". 

"Polka Dot Pop lashes are designed with exceptional attention to detail and originality to reflect the modern, intellectual women with an inner playfulness."

I also loved that they were inspired by pop art and the 60s! They are definitely ones that I would have picked out myself. 

Now, being the amateur that I am when it comes to make-up and beauty, I was a little nervous and wary about how I was going to put them on, but in all honestly, I found them VERY easy. I chose to cut mine into smaller segments so that I could wear them on the corner of my lashes and also across the whole of them. As I said, I'm a complete amateur when it comes all this beauty so it did take me a little while to figure out which way the lashes go on, however, for someone who has used lashes before, this will be very obvious to you, as pointed out by my best friend! 

The lashes didn't come with any glue, however I had some Eylure Lashfix handy from a recent goody bag so I used this. Once the glue was applied, I simply placed the PAPERSELF lashes on as shown in the tutorial below and viola, they were done! I was really impressed! I'm definitely going to be wearing mine on a special night out to add an extra something to my outfit. Perfect for the fashion forward gal! 

Here's a tutorial from Paperself on how to put your lashes on. 

By Mimi

Summer loving

It's not everyday we get some sun in Wales so when we do, it's almost as if it's some sort of festival which we celebrate. Everyone takes to the streets in their summer clothes - floral dresses, vests ( oh boy) and flip flops are a regular here. There are areas of the valley which become completely overwhelmed by summer sun lovers - from the local and legendary ice cream shop which creates the most amazing boat trays filled with flavours that your mouth can only dream of, to the local beer garden and the park greens. What do I do? Well, even though I'm not a natural red head, you'd be forgiven for thinking differently. My body reacts to the sun by turning a peachy shade of pink. I also get sick. Yup, no joke. Today however I'm fighting back by sitting in the boy's garden with Vogue in one hand and a trilby in the other. The sun won't beat me today. Oh and do you like my dress? Picked it up yesterday ready for the sun! A beaut of a buy for £12.99 Enjoy your day lovelies.

Dress: New Look

By Mimi

The Fox Problem

 Every once in a while something magical, exiting and different comes along that completely changes the norm. What am I talking about you ask? Why, The Fox Problem of course. A new interactive music show that will be broadcasted live every Tuesday from an East London pub. Impressed? I haven't even got to the juicy part yet! This new exciting project, which is run by Radio 1's Gemma Cairney, SBTV's Georgia L-A and T4'S Georgie Okell, is changing the way we watch TV by merging it cleverly with social media, which in this case is Google + hangouts.

The show will feature celeb guests, opinionated chats about sex, fashion and politics AND of course some incredible live music. Not only that, you'll also see Made In Chelsea star Ollie Lock behind the bar!

The reason why I love this concept is because it's innovative and exciting, but also because it gives the power to the viewer as you'll be able to decide what happens on the show by tweeting the girls using @thefoxproblem, including deciding which of the three presenters has to do a live dare on the show. Plus, the fact that it was created by a group of young, successful women just shows what girl power can do when we come together ;)

So, next Tuesday, grab your iphone, your ipad, laptop or any other portable device that has 3G and tune in! 

"It's social TV that answers back"

Where?  www.thefoxproblem.com and www.google.com/+foxproblem
              


By Mimi

Twitter: @miaholt Instagram: Mia_Holt

M.I.A

Apologies for being a little "missing in action" lately. Unfortunately, I am not immune to the horrific illness called the flu either, and have spent the last week suffering with what can only be described as man-flu. Apologies men, but yes, the pity level did out do the actual illness level at some points. 

After taking  few days off work (not like me but when you can't breathe properly and you need to interview someone, it can be a bit tough), I've finally resumed by normal health. I must admit, my continuously growing to-do list and emails were not a welcome sight. 

I did prepare an article for you on the debate that has hooked every blogger and writer over the last few days- the blogger credibility debate. Although, due to it being such a complex topic, I want to ensure that I do it justice. Keep a little look out and hopefully I'll have it ready soon. 

In the mean time, you can check out my review of an Example gig for work on the Media Wales website in the next few days.

I've also worked on a few fashion related articles for work lately, including interviewing a woman called Angela May Fairbank who has interned with one my favorite designers, Mary Katrantzou. Would you guys like me to interview her to get some tips for you? Let me know. 

Keep your beautiful lashed peeled m'dears! 

By Mimi 



Twitter: @miaholt Instagram: Mia_Holt

It's okay

 To those of you who have read my little blog before, I have mentioned quite a few times that I'm an advocate for raising awareness of panic attacks and anxiety.

For many years, I've suffered with anxiety and panic attacks. Don't ask me where they came from because I have absolutely no idea. I find it quite difficult to talk about because I think the stigma surrounding the issue is still there and even though I try my best not to feel overpowered by it, I still feel like it's quite a difficult thing to openly discuss. Personally, I've managed to tackle the demon that is anxiety with the help of my family, boyfriend and friends. I wish I could tell you how I did this but honestly, it took me quite a long time to come to terms with it. I find that the more attention I pay to a worry, the worse it becomes. This is completely different from person to person so please, if you are finding something hard, talk to your friends and family about it.  

My anxiety came from worries. Insane worries which seemed ridiculous when I actually said them out loud but to me, they were very real. The more I thought about them, the worse they'd get and in the end, I'd get myself into a bit of state over something that shouldn't have affected me at all. I don't really spend a lot of time thinking about the things I used to worry about because I've learnt how to keep them at bay. 

One of the main things that I think my anxiety affected was my social life. My anxiety stopped me from going places and doing things and I became someone that my friends maybe wouldn't have recognised. What I felt was worse was that the people who were meeting me for the first time in University thought that this was the person I was which kinda made me realise that I had to sort it all out. 

After a tough half a year in 2012, I finally chilled out and started looking after myself in July-ish where I went on holiday with my cousins and left my mobile at home. Just one week away allowed me to have some time to myself where I was able to take those lovely long walks on the beach on my own and gave me the time to feel free of any problems, troubles and worries. Even now, I honestly think that that one week gave me the break I needed to make a change with my anxiety. 

It's not been over 6 months since I last felt a smidge of anxiety. That's 6 months free of panic attacks and honestly, it feels incredible. I'm happy, content and relaxed. 

The reason why I wanted to bring this up is because I think I need to start saying "yes" to more opportunities like Zoe from the blog Zoella does. When you say "yes" you are opening your life to SO many more possibilities and it allows you to try things that you probably wouldn't have tried before. You never know, you may say "yes" to something that turns out to open a huge and important door in your life. 

It's incredibly important and vital that bloggers like Zoe who have a strong following of readers discuss issues like anxiety because it means that the girls and guys who look up to her can see that anxiety and panic attacks can affect anyone and everyone. And, with more magazines like Glamour and their "Hey, It's Okay" campaign encouraging young girls to come out and talk about their struggles, I hope that more people feel confident enough to tackle the issue. 

I know that I do write about this issue quite a lot on my blog, even though I do say that I find it incredibly hard to do so, but I just hope that if I can talk about it then you guys can too and hopefully more people can kick anxiety in the groin like I have. 

I'm not naive, I know that this will be with me for the rest of my life but I know that I'm strong enough to not let it affect my life to the extent that it used to. It's NORMAL to feel a bit of anxiety. It's life's way of allowing us to assess situations and dangers but it's not normal when it affects your life every single day.  With the help of my incredible boyfriend, who has more patience than I could ever have, I know I'll be fine. 

So it's about time you were as well. 


By Mimi  x
If you need some help, visit: http://www.mind.org.uk/


Twitter: @miaholt Instagram: Mia_Holt

"Find though she is but little, she is fierce."

                       -Shakespeare

My Week

I apologise for the lack of posts lately. I've been a very busy little writer at work due to the Arctic-like weather that we've seen the last few days. I thought I'd just write you a little Instagram post to keep you updated. 

As many of you probably know, I live in the beautiful Welsh Valley called "The Rhondda". Famous for its historic coal mines (and now sadly MTV), it is a beautiful picturesque area made up of many little towns and villages. The mountains are perfect for winter walks so I headed out to clear my head on the weekend and took some little snaps while I was there. 

I've also been applying for my post graduate course this week which has been tougher than I imagined. You know that feeling where you want something so badly, that you're scared to even to do it? Well, I've been struggling with that for a few days. Everything has to be perfect. I'm currently on the personal statement stage, which as a writer should be the easiest but sadly not! To help me get through it, I've been dosing up on endless cups of tea while watching David Attenborough's "Africa". A beautiful series which definitely leaves you in complete awe not just of the nature and of the continent Africa itself, but also of Sir Attenborough. 

So, here's my week. 


By Mimi.

Personal statement hell. 

Puppy has the right idea...

Treorchy

Treorchy Café has some good humor!

Where are my feet?

Winter Walk- Cwmparc

Snowy Path- Cwmparc

Bwlch road closed.

The Maindy 

"Ello" Watching Africa

Pink contrast on the train station

*I own all photos*


Twitter: @miaholt Instagram: Mia_Holt

Winter wonderland

Morning.

I took this picture while on my way to work. I love the contrasting pink. The Valleys are always so beautiful and even more so when covered in snow.

By Mimi.

Beepo