Okay, we’re admitting it. We’ve become a little obsessed with Alice Haran’s blog and Instagram feed, Alice Catherine. Think vintage styling mixed with ? photography… and can we talk about that fringe and cat-eye?!
Currently living in the heart of Manchester, the 24-year-old has recently quit the 9-5 slog to become a full-time influencer. Here, we chat to Alice about everything from leaving a job she hated to wading through the unspoken aspects of blogging.
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with Allegra Rose Berger, Zoelaz’s Zoe Lazerson, Design by Aikonik‘s Carissa Smart.
1. Best beauty product of all time? Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream – I get through so many of them!
2. Five beauty products you can’t live without? The eye cream I just mentioned, Nuxe Rêve de Miel Honey Lip Balm, Pai Rosehip Oil, Avene Thermal Water, and always a good SPF – at the minute I’m using the Mario Badescu Moisture Magnet
3. Hair “done” or messy? Messy always
4. Makeup or no makeup? A bit of makeup but never too much. No makeup is nice in summer when my skin looks a bit sunkissed and the freckles are out in full force…
5. Favourite fragrance? Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone – I love masculine scents…
6. Favourite item of clothing? A great pair of high waist vintage Levi jeans
7. Favourite fashion brand? At the minute, a French brand called Sezane
8. Sneakers or heels? Converse over heels every time – I’m all for comfort first!
9. Gym or exercising outdoors? Outdoors, it feels less organised and fresh air is always best…
10. Yoga or running? I can’t run for very long and I’d really love to get into yoga, so let’s go with yoga…
11. Healthy eating or treating yourself? A balance between the two
12. Can you cook? I think so, yeah
13. Favourite food? I love all food – at the minute it’s this vegan shepard’s pie that my boyfriend’s started making, it’s full of sundried tomatoes and chickpeas and completely guilt free!
14. Favourite drink? Some kind of gin cocktail or gin with apple juice, which a lot of people find strange…
15. Best place to eat out? Anywhere with good music and a great atmosphere
16. Happiest moment? I’m having lots of happy moments lately! I recently left a job I hated to pursue full-time blogging – it’s a big risk but it felt like the right time to take the leap and channel my energy towards what I love!
17. Saddest moment? When my gran died – she had a huge influence on me and still does today…
18. Instagram or Snapchat? Instagram
19. Blog or YouTube? Blog, I don’t dislike Youtube and I admire many, but there’s something about penning down your thoughts and feelings that appeals to me in a more personal/authentic way
20. Iphone or camera? Camera
21. Type of camera? Film camera looks the best but is’t always the most practical – I want to start using mine again!
22. VSCO cam or Snapseed? VSCO cam
23. Facetune or untouched? Untouched – although I do think a bit of editing is fine. I always filter my images – Instagram is always the best version of someone’s life, the side they want to show and I think that’s fine. It’s a form of escapism to me to scroll through my feed and imagine other lives or get inspired by new outfits – just as much as reading a book or opening a glossy magazine
24. Favourite filter? J5 on VSCO cam
25. Shooting on-the-go or location scouting? Usually a bit of both, it depends if I have a story in mind or I’ve if been given a brief by a brand for a specific type of aesthetic
26. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? I recently started blogging full-time!
27. How did you get into blogging? I’ve always loved fashion and writing – I wanted a place of my own to combine this so I started a blog on my birthday and have kept posting ever since. I quickly realised there wasn’t a singular role that appealed to me within the fashion industry – there was numerous hats that I wanted to don, I wanted creative control and I didn’t want that to be filtered down by someone else’s vision
28. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? It really depends, if it’s taken on the go and then quickly edited/posted – maybe 5/10 minutes tops
29. Who takes your pics? A joint effort between me and my photographer Adriana
30. Most exciting moment since being an influencer? When brands I have admired for years get in contact – it’s always really flattering and reinforces that you’re heading in the right direction in terms of your content
31. Most terrifying moment since being an influencer? The whole business/admin side of blogging takes a lot of getting used to – it’s still not spoken about much so it’s often a lot of trial and error until you figure your routine out
32. Best campaign you’ve ever worked on? I worked with Sandro Paris recently – a dream come true!
33. The best gift you’ve ever received as an influencer? Probably my Lou bag from Sandro – it’s the first high-end piece that I’ve really owned and makes me feel like a grown up
34. Last thing you googled? ‘Bedding’ – we have just had our flat painted and I’m on the hunt for some new bed sheets. I’m really boring – I could look at homeware for hours…
35. Favourite film? I’m film addict so this is never an easy question – ‘Lost in Translation’ is way up there. I love Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, Tarantino, Kubrick…
36. Favourite book? ‘Lolita’
37. Favourite song? ‘Sound and Vision’ – Bowie
38. Favourite band? Of all time, maybe Velvet Underground or Fleetwood Mac – more recently, probably Wolf Alice or Hinds
39. Living in the city or living by the beach? I love being in the city – there’s always something new to explore, but I do love the beach. It’s a dream of mine to own a little house by the water, somewhere I can escape with my books and switch off from the world!
40. Summer or winter? Summer – people are outside more and generally seem happier
41. Favourite travel destination? Greece – I’ve spent a lot of time there and love the culture, how green it is and how friendly and welcoming people are
42. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? These days, probably dinner with friends
43. Partner or single? Partner, he’s my best friend too!
44. Siblings? Two brothers and a sister, I’m the oldest
45. What city are you currently living in? Manchester
46. Celebrity girl crush? Alyssa Miller, her Instagram is amazing!
47. Celebrity boy crush? Joaquin Phoenix or Vincent Gallo in Buffalo 66!
48. Pets? We plan on getting a little Dachshund in the next couple of years – we have already picked the name (‘Mulder’ after Fox Mulder from X-Files). I kind of want a kitten so we can call it Scully too…
49. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? Obviously Alyssa Miller (@luvalyssamiller) and Jeanne Damas (@jeannedamas), those two ladies inspire me daily! I’m also really inspired by the following clothing brands, Staud Clothing (@staud.clothing), Lisa says Gah (@lisasaysgah) and Posse (@posse)
50. Favourite quote you live by? ‘If nothing changes, nothing changes’ – I can’t actually remember where I picked that up, but it’s become my little mantra for when I’m feeling unmotivated and overwhelmed
All images: @AliceCatherine