While stuck indoors preparing for their final uni assessments (AKA procrastinating on the wonderous thing known as the internet), The Two decided to turn their attention to the blogosphere by reviewing some of the most popular blogs viewed by Australians. The Two have each chosen their favourite fashion, food, lifestyle and miscellaneous blog, and reviewed it for your convenience. There are so many blogs starting up on a daily basis, but which are worth clicking on?
FASHION
Brittany's choice: Streetsmith
A: I have never taken pride in being fashion-forward; something that Brit (without realising of course) will always take me out in. But Streetsmith gives me hope with its fresh fashion inspiration from the streets of Melbourne. The title is nice, simple and indicative of its content. It’s also really simple to share an outfit you like on social media outlets – Pinterest is one I personally love. The blog is also really effective with its use of photo space: photo sizes are nice and big, and it seems like they really cater to their audience. It’s a simple blog, with a simple incentive for solving your personal fashion dilemmas.
The verdict: 4.5/5 clicks
B: This is best blog to peruse when you’re in despair over 'having nothing to wear'. Entirely dedicated to Melbourne street fashion, photographer Liz Mcleish snaps the incredibly diverse and stylish peeps she spots on the street. It gives a great insight into what the people of Melbourne are really wearing and how they’re styling it. I like to think of her as our equivalent to The Sartorialist – and the blog has a really nice, clean, and attractive layout too.
The verdict: 4/5 clicks
Streetsmith are looking for new stylish Melbournians to feature on the blog over summer. Sign up to their monthly email for more details!
Ally’s choice: Lady Melbourne
A: Lady Melbourne is a blog that evokes absolute class, but still stays close to home. Post journalism student Phoebe Montague runs the blog, and completely understands her audience and how to present their wants and needs in a simple way. I think the key to a successful blog (which I admit I’m still learning how to do), is being clear and concise about who you are and what you write about. I think Lady Melbourne has got this covered.
Tip: follow her on Instagram at @ladymelbourne, her photos are always blissful to look at.
The verdict: 4/5 clicks
B: I love Lady Melbourne, too – I’ve met her a few times and she is absolutely lovely! Her blog is always a pleasure to look at, and I love how she has her own unique and quirky sense of style, but always looks very ladylike. She often mixes vintage, op-shop, high street and Australian designer items while maintaining impeccable nails. It’s not just stylish pictures, though – on the Lady Melbourne blog you’ll always find detailed and intelligent fashion commentary alongside the pretty photographs.
The verdict: 3.5/5 clicks
FOOD
Brittany's choice: Not Quite Nigella
A: The second I saw Brit reviewed Not Quite Nigella I knew I was in for a treat! I’m just going to put it out there now – I absolutely adore food. Half of the people I follow on Instagram are people who post photos of amazing meals every day. There, I’ve said it. There is a business type feel to the blog’s layout, but I think that's due to the extreme amount of content. My favourite post is ‘Four hot chocolates to get you through winter’, even though the season is behind us now. I find the recipes inspiring, salivating and aesthetically pleasing!
The verdict: 3.5/5 clicks
B: I was first drawn to this blog for the brilliant name – given Nigella Lawson is one of my favourite chefs with all the chocolate, butter, cream and general goodness she includes in every recipe. Lorraine Elliott – the blog's almost Nigella – offers both recipes and restaurant reviews with photographs guaranteed to make your stomach rumble. She’s just released a memoir of the same name about baking and blogging with tips on how to win a man’s heart through food – sounds like a winning combination to me! My only criticism would be that I find the blog layout a bit busy and it is only Sydney based. But the detailed personal anecdotes woven into the recipes and reviews make it well worth it.
The verdict: 3/5 clicks
Ally's choice: Love and Lemons
A: I’ve always enjoying looking at Love and Lemons because of its clean, fresh and rustic approach to food blogging. It is on the healthy/vegan/vegetarian side, which many people might not find an interest in, but it’s also a great one for those who need inspiration in that area. Their tagging and categories for their recipes is very simple, and it is really easy to find what you’re looking for. Something I’ve been dying to make for months (and probably will when uni is finally finished!) is these absolutely mouthwatering blueberry and banana pancakes. If you’re not drooling by this point, then I don’t know what’s wrong!
The verdict: 4/5 clicks
B: This is probably my favourite looking blog – very minimalistic cool, with healthy recipes and arty photos detailing each step. Never has healthy food looked so mouth-watering! Meat lovers may not be so keen, given most recipes are vegetarian, but they sound good enough to make me contemplate giving up bacon altogether. In fact, it’s making me hungry just looking at it…
The verdict: 3.5/5 clicks
LIFESTYLE
Brittany’s choice: Garry Pepper
A: Gary Pepper Girl is the epitome of the multi-platform working class girl, with the icing on the cake being her impeccable style and beauty. Her style is hard to define as it seems different in every photo, but she always depicts simplicity with an edgy twist. The photography is absolutely stunning, and you can really escape into her photos and posts. The landscapes and settings of her posts just reiterate she is living the dream; but she's not pretentious about it. In saying that though, I’m still immensely jealous!
The verdict: 4/5 clicks
B: Nicole Warne, AKA Gary Pepper Girl, is basically living my dream life. She’s a jack of all trades – a blogger, writer, model, stylist, entrepeuner and TV presenter to name just a few, and looks effortlessly stylish wherever she is (which tends to change on a daily basis). Her blog combines fashion, travel and photography and offers the perfect daydream escape from assignments/work/tedious reality. The photography is absolutely stunning, and while she could wear anything and look amazing, her style is impeccable. It’s classic chic with a twist – gorgeously cut clothes paired with bold colours, clean minimal jewellery and always finished off with a pair of to-die for shoes. Ah, I’m in love.
The verdict: 4.5/5 clicks
Ally’s choice: A Cup of Jo
A: I actually found this blog by accident on Pinterest about a year ago (by pinning one of her photos), and that’s where I found A Cup Of Jo. Jo, who runs it, is absolutely inspiring. Her impressive resume, including magazine and journalism experiences, makes me trust that her blog isn’t just something pretty to look at. She knows how to write, code and lay out content. There is nice diversity in what she writes about; it sort of reminds me of Mamamia, but more low-key and based in New York. My only doubts about it is that it can cater to an older generation, but for those that want to daydream about their future (like me sometimes) then it will be perfect for you!
The verdict: 4.5/5 clicks
B: A Cup of Jo is a very personal blog from magazine writer and journalist turned full-time blogger and mum Joanna Goddard. Posts range from snaps of New York City and cute baby pictures to reports on style trends and dating advice. I love it. It’s personal, well written and engaging without being self-indulgent. And if like me, you’re nosey and curious about other people’s lives, it will certainly give you your fix.
The verdict: 4/5 clicks
MISCELLANEOUS
Brittany’s choice: Esme and the Laneway
A: Vintage fashion is something you usually either love or hate, but I’ve always been on the fence about it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go vintage shopping, but if I found an item that I absolutely adored, I would buy it immediately. Esme and the Laneway gives me inspiration that those special numbers are out there for everyone. For example, I love this pastel blue vintage summer top and in my head I’m already calculating how many outfits I could coordinate this number with! A lot of her posts involve pastel colours, which are my favourite when it comes to fashion, beauty, textiles…anything! Brit has made me find a new appreciation for vintage.
The verdict: 3.5/5 clicks
B: Vintage isn’t normally my cup of tea – I have an irrational fear of anything secondhand coming from someone I don't know – but looking at Esme and the Laneway sure makes me wish I lived in a vintage haze! The crimson lipped lady behind the blog is Marianne, a lover of all things vintage and Melbourne. She looks like a 40’s film star and the blog is full of dreamy photography and of course being Melbourne based, coffee. The tone is chatty and very easy to read – don’t be surprised if you lose a couple of hours on here! I have a massive girl crush on her, and I don’t think I’ve done a very good job of hiding it.
The verdict: 4/5 clicks
Ally’s choice: Flamingo Pink
A: Flamingo Pink is the type of blog that would fall under the category of doing something to ‘treat yourself’. There is absolutely everything on this blog, so yes it could fall under the lifestyle category, but I think it is also warranted under miscellaneous, because not all lifestyle blogs have a fitness section either. It has every possible category that encapsulates a post-teen girl’s life – and even better, it’s a really attractive looking blog! It simply tells things the way they are, but without the pushy language or the unnecessary propaganda. It’s really easy to understand what each and every writer on the blog is trying to say, which I mentioned earlier is something Lady Melbourne also does well. I really couldn’t fault the blog.
The verdict: 5/5 clicks
B: I could probably spend my life on Flamingo Pink. The blog covers all manner of things, from body to beauty and life to love. Everything is well written and strikes a good balance between being informative and humorous. The beauty and fashion tips are useful and easy to follow – the perfect girlie indulgence blog!
The verdict: 4/5 clicks
Now that you’ve read all about the blogs that The Two think are worth checking out in the blogosphere, it’s also a great time to have a look at their personal ones too. Find Brittany at Halcyon Future Fashion and Ally at Maneuvered Steps.The Two hope those who have never had an interest in blogs can now have a roam around the internet for inspiration, motivation, or the most popular – procrastination.
Alexandra McManus & Brittany Stewart
