Self-care will forever be our favourite hobby but we appreciate that recharging and putting yourself first looks different for everyone. Each week, we'll be asking the celeb lot to share their ideal self-care Sunday routines, the hard-working beauty products they recommend to their friends and which TV show they're currently binging…
This week is all about Perrie Sian, the fashion influencer and In The Style ambassador who just hit one million followers on Instagram. Her fashion reels have been the secret sauce to her success and one trick saw her reach over 500k followers on Instagram in just three months (but more about that in a minute!)
The former call centre girl has since grown a strong community online thanks to her expert eye for trends, impeccable style and hilariously relatable Instagram stories which prove she doesn't take herself too seriously. Our kind of girl.
As well as plenty of sell-out collections with InTheStyle, Perrie has worked with plenty of huge brands including Nasty Gal, Filter by Molly-Mae, LookFantastic and Rodial.
The content creator chats exclusively to heat about her journey so far, self-care favourites and her secrets for glowy skin...
Her journey to one million followers
"I've always been into fashion and it's always been my thing. I've always been into bargain fashion as well, but never really did anything with it. Then just over two years ago, when Instagram introduced Reels, I started doing some for fun and they were terrible. But I didn't mind as it was fun and I already had a business on social media anyway which wasn't about growing my own platform.
"So I was making these reels and I hit 40 thousand followers which I was really happy with and it was super organic. I had said that when I hit 40 thousand followers I would do a giveaway of a Dyson Air Wrap and it was just when they had first come out. I had bought one and I loved it on my hair, so I thought I'd do a giveaway. That giveaway went really viral randomly and had like 500 thousand people enter it which basically pushed me to 120k in three weeks, which at the time felt like I had won the lottery and my life changed so dramatically. I went from a micro… not even an influencer, because I wasn't sharing links, I was just making these reels for my own pleasure. It wasn't a place of income, I was doing it from a place of passion.
"I then started to take it seriously. Before I did all my reels in my bedroom and then I got myself a studio, I rented a space because that's how seriously I wanted to take it. I wanted a space of my own to work from. In six months, my following didn't grow at all, but I worked super hard on building an organic audience of people that actually trusted me. I then started working with my lovely manager and got a big deal with InTheStyle doing collections with them. Last year, when I got my dressing room installed in my house, that's when my Instagram grew 500k in three months which is unheard of, it's just insane.
"I get so many people following because of my stories and people enjoy my daily content and stuff like that. It's been amazing."
On self-care
Self-care looks different to everyone, so how does Perrie spend her ultimate self-care Sunday?
"First of all, I'm really into fake tan. I'm not ashamed to say that I used to go on sunbeds and I'm so glad I don't anymore. I just think that life is so much better when you have a tan. So for me on a Sunday, I'll start the day by washing my hair.
"That is self-care for me, I have a lot of extensions so washing my hair and doing a proper hair mask. I know it sounds ridiculous but also taking the time to actually blow dry my own hair because I'll be that person who goes to bed with wet hair and it's probably one of the worst things you can do if you have extensions.
"I definitely wash my hair, blow dry my hair, hair mask and then exfoliate off all my fake tan and shave, then I would apply a fresh layer of fake tan on a Sunday night and then put on silk pyjamas from Primark - that's probably one of my favourite things to do.
"I also find it so therapeutic cleaning. We moved into our house in May but we are nowhere near organising it. We're just constantly shuffling crap from room to room, so I like going through my things and give always things to my followers. Weirdly it's like self-care to me, I really enjoy it.
On fake tan
"I have two and honestly these are the ones for me. I've tried so many fake tans but for my body, it's Filter by Molly-Mae in shade extra dark. It's such an amazing tan and the deepest shade is really really good. I find that one layer lasts me an entire week and I go to the gym five times a week and sweat!
"For my face, I use the Iconic Prep-Set-Tan Tanning Mist. It looks the same as their really famous setting spray, but with a smaller and narrower tube. I literally applied it last night and it makes your skin so glowy. It comes with a little brush and you just blend it in. I find using a mousse on your face can break you out or highlight your pores, whereas this one is a liquid mist and it doesn't smell, which is amazing. I will not use anything else, those are my ride-or-die two products that I use."
On budget beauty buys
"In my opinion, the Maybelline Sky High Mascara is the best mascara on the entire planet and it's only around seven pounds. I've tried a lot of mascaras and I've tried a lot of other expensive brands and it is my favourite mascara ever and it's so affordable.
"I also love the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip liner in the shade 'cool brown' and it's incredible. It's always out of stock so you have to find it quickly.
"Also, the Sol De Janeiro sprays - I have the mini one and what I do is I buy a big one and refill it and keep it in my handbag. Cheirosa 68 is a dupe for Barrcat Rouge and smells exactly the same. People ask me all the time, 'What smell are you wearing?' And it's this. You can use it in your hair as well which not many people know."
On getting the glow
"I love the Tatcha Dewy Cream which you can now get on SpaceNK, I didn't know has bought mine in New York. I didn't want to like it, but it's so so good. I also take a collagen supplement, I'm 31 and they say after 25 the percentage of collagen that your body produces goes down significantly. I take it every day and I've noticed a massive difference.
"I also swear by a good exfoliator, anything with AHAs and BHAs which makes my skin glowing and dewy. I think with skincare it's important to be consistent. I've had botox and stuff before, but now I'm consistent with my skincare I don't really feel the need to go again."
On daily wellness habits
"One thing that I do daily and is a morning ritual of mine is I will do a ginger shot. You know that time when everyone was getting ill at once and not even ill but on death's door? I was like, I'm not having that!' So I ordered some ginger shots from Amazon and I get them delivered every two weeks. It's the brand Pressand it really sets me up for the day. So I set up my camera, do my ginger shot, take my collagen in some water and then I go to the gym. That is my daily ritual and it sets me up so much for the day."
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On go-to outfits
"It's probably activewear at the moment! It definitely changes depending on the season but right now I normally wear activewear in the mornings and then after filming I'd put on a tracksuit, and chunky trainers and then I'd maybe throw on a blazer over the top to make it feel more dressed up. I really like mixing quite sporty stuff with quite formal stuff. But then it wouldn't be surprising if I went to a meeting in tights and boots, so I do have a versatile style."
On tips for budding content creators
"I think just go for it. If you have something in your mind telling you that you want to do it then you should go for it. But I think people like the idea of being an influencer or a creator but they don't actually fully know or understand what goes on behind the scenes. Hannah [Perrie's manager] will be the first person to vouch for me, I work extremely hard, I work long hours, and I've got 10 different plates I'm constantly juggling.
"I also think it's really important to only do it if you're super passionate about what you're going to create content about or the cracks will start to show. For example, I'm not a make-up artist, I like putting make-up on my face and I like how I do my make-up, but I would not be a good make-up TikToker, therefore I'm not trying to force that and try and be something I'm not.
"I think the message from me is that this space is not overcrowded, there is not enough of us and there is so much opportunity for everybody to be successful. But my biggest piece of advice is to stay true to who you are. Don't become a walking and talking advert machine and be mindful of brands you work with and be very mindful when you come into it of the brands that you work with. Don't fake things and you will build an audience of people that trust you. Because it doesn't actually matter how many followers you have any more, there are micro-influencers that have 20/30,000 followers that get more engagement and more conversions than people that have a million.
"I think it's more about being the real you and influencing from a place of love and trust, not just getting paid. Obviously, annoyingly, you have to be consistent and Instagram is a game, I see it as a game and when I started to see it as a game, things really changed for me. You have to put the likes, the followers, all of that to the back of your mind, you really do and you just have to focus on being consistent."
Quickfire round:
What show are you currently watching? Love Island!
How do you like your cuppa? I'm a coffee girl and I have a latte with skinny milk and sugar-free vanilla.
Go-to loungewear brand? That's a hard one! I love InTheStyle's new fITS rangeand you can't beat Adanola.
Favourite face mask? I absolutely swear by the Pillow Glow Sleeping Mask by NuSkin
Go-to takeaway order? I love an Indian and I'm always really basic and have a chicken korma.
Favourite candle? The White Company Seychelles .