The MC team talk to Lauren, queen of neutral & gold, and content creator
The Matthew Calvin team have always been drawn to neutral tones, and Lauren (otherwise known as @aestheticalblog) does neutral styling better than most. We first met Lauren in November 2018 when she visited an event of ours in Old Street, and we were glad to see that she’s just as lovely in person as we had imagined. Her content’s diverse mix of fashion, homeware, jewellery and travel somehow blends together to create the perfect aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed, and we’ve been hooked on it since we first came across her!
I can't start the day without...
As cliche as it is, I’m going to say caffeine. I’ve also recently started doing yoga in the morning and having a morning stretch is a good way of waking up. My friend recommended a 30 day challenge on YouTube — Yoga with Adriene — and I’ve stuck to it (ish) over the past month.
Three words your best friend would use to describe you?
Loyal, thoughtful and honest. Their words, not mine!
where is home?
Originally I’m from a town between Cambridge and Essex. I moved to London in 2018 when I got my first internship in London and have lived here ever since.
How did you first get into blogging?
I started blogging when I was half way through university. I studied English and amidst writing all the essays, I began to miss having a creative outlet and that coincided when Instagram was getting popular.
WHAT'S THE BEST AND HARDEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I work as a freelancer in social media, and it’s probably no surprise that the worst thing about it is the work/life balance and switching off when you’re working on other people’s schedules. I’ve still not mastered it but implementing boundaries on my own terms and setting aside time to do non-digital things is key for me.
WE'VE ALWAYS LOVED THE WAY YOU'VE STYLED YOUR JEWELLERY. WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER 1 TIP?
Less is never more. I’m all for the layering and stacking!
HOW DO YOU SWITCH OFF?
Switching off is always something I’ve struggled with and given my life revolves so much around a world that never sleeps (as it does for so many of us), it’s taken a while to find ways that truly work for me on a long-term basis. Usually it’s no-phones-allowed activities; 1Rebel spin classes are my favourite for completely zoning out of a busy day, as well as yoga and having dinner with my friends. I also find listening to French music very relaxing—tried and failed many times to learn the words to Édith Piaf’s songs!
"I feel instantly more put together if I've got a pair of earrings in."
WHAT'S YOUR BEST GUILTY PLEASURE?
So many things. Probably reality TV shows; I live for The Mummy Diaries and I have watched re-runs of old Made in Chelsea far too many times than I care to admit to.
IF YOU COULD BE ANYWHERE RIGHT NOW, WHERE WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Sunbathing in thirty-degree heat and a margarita in my hand. I’ve got a couple of warm climate destinations on my list for the next couple of years and right at the top of it is Mexico – so I’d say there!
NAME ONE ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ITEM TO TAKE WITH YOU?
It’d have to be a book. I’ve always reserved holiday reading for crime thrillers like Linwood Barclay or Jo Nesbo novels. So easy to get through in a day and the ultimate escapism.
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN?
Be kind to yourself – sounds simple but hard in practice!
"Be kind to yourself - sounds simple but hard in practice!"
We’ve loved seeing how Lauren chooses to style our jewellery. Need some more inspiration? Head over to our tagged photos on Instagram to see how both influencers and customers style their Matthew Calvin pieces! Want to show us how you style yours? Tag @m.calvin or #matthewcalvin today.
Do you love Lauren’s style as much as we do? Keep up to date with her on Instagram @aestheticalblog or head over to her website here.