‘HILARIOUS!’
Colin Mathura-Jeffree, New Zealand model, actor and Next Top Model judge‘Delightfully quirky and witty… vivacious and full of pep… a must-read.’
Hong Kong Blogs Review‘It’s OK.’
My boyfriend
I’m Rach Read, a features, style and beauty writer, former kindergarten teacher and general layabout. You may recognise me from Page 187 of Sean Smith’s Cheryl (as in Cole), calling Tallulah Riley ‘delightful’ on her Wikipedia page or my former role as long-standing/suffering Music & Style Editor of Teentoday… or you may not recognise me at all, in which case ‘Hello!’
I created Through The Looking Glass, a beauty, food, Hong Kong and whatever else I can think of blog, as one of the few English-language beauty blogs in Hong Kong with in-depth product reviews and swatches. It also features posts about Hong Kong including write-ups of tourist spots, restaurants, exhibitions, shows, arts events and other quirky things, alongside an eclectic mix of music, film, television and book reviews and random musings on ‘pretty things’.
Through The Looking Glass currently receives over 1000 visitors a day (over 30,000 a month if you can’t do the math) and the number of visitors continues to increase each month.
A long time ago, I graduated with a First Class Degree in English Studies from Nottingham University. I wrote a dissertation about The Stylistics of Chick-Lit (versus generic romance novels), which I am all too happy to whore out to anyone that’s interested.
Some stuff I love: dancing at high levels of intensity, middle eights, epic key changes, dresses, garlic, my boyfriend, Bliss Spa, Girls Aloud, studying dance routines and attempting to learn them, men with posh accents and suits, inappropriate crushes, seafood and things that make me laugh.
Some stuff I don’t: people who dislike the mainstream in misguided attempts to ‘be cool’, getting my hands dirty, insects, wanting stuff I can’t afford, ingratitude, tardiness and curry.
All in all, not too shabby, right?!
If you are interested in my writing, sending products for review or have anything else that may be niggling you, please email me at rachelmread+ttlg@gmail.com. Or if you’re young and hip, tweet me at http://twitter.com/rach_tt.
Thanks for visiting!
Hi Rachel
Faith works with Benita
Great site, it could be a glossy international magazine. Keep it up.
Thx Faith – although I can’t take much of the credit! WordPress makes it very easy! Hope you carry on reading xxx
Hi, your mum told me to contact you – my mum (Joy) works with her and I’m starting an English degree in Spetember. I wondered how you got work with magazines and writing reviews and such – a blogs a good idea, may have to think about one for myself
xx
Hey Hannah (of course I remember you!)
I wouldn’t start worrying too much yet – once you’re at uni, you should get the opportunity to write for the student magazine/newspaper. Also, you could start looking on the Internet for work experience with magazines – careers department at your college should be able to help – or websites/existing blogs that are looking for writers or contributors. But this will all be unpaid and work experience placements are very competitive and mostly not in Nottingham! I think setting up a blog is a good start and WordPress makes it pretty easy – or you could try tumblr or Blogger and see what works best. Write about what you’re interested in, that way it will be more fun! Keep me updated! xxx
Hi, nice to meet you !
Hi Rach
Do you sell your artwork
I love the print of Audrey Hepburn with the word moment on it…
Are you selling a version of this print?
I would like to have it mounted on canvas as artwork for my place
Please respond to my email
thanks
Maria
Hi Maria
I hoped my post made clear I am NOT the artist. The artist is Heiner Meyer and his website is here http://www.heiner-meyer.de/index1.htm.
You can purchase the calendar that I wrote about which features those prints from http://www.calendars.com or http://www.amazon.com, by searching for ‘Heiner Meyer Glamour calendar’.
Rachel
Hey!
Just thought I’ll comment since I really liked your posts on different restaurants in Hong Kong and its in English! Planning to go to a few with my friends the next time we meet.
Also I thought it was cool to read that you also teach kindergarten X’D
Its been a pleasure to read your blog!
Hey Connie,
Thanks for the comment!
Glad you enjoyed my blog and hope you carry on reading! There are lots of other great food blogs (in English!) for HK (not many English HK beauty blogs though) and most of them take MUCH better photos than me, so I try to compensate on the word count! Openrice also has some English reviews and is good for getting a general overview for restaurants.
Alas, my kindergarten days are behind me and I’m still working out what lies ahead!
Thanks again
Rach
x
Hi Rach,
Came across your website on a pretty boring day in the office and wanted to say I found all the content really interesting, from reviews on restaurants to your insight on the McBride/Myers murders. Being a HK kid myself, I went to uni in the UK and then came back to HK again with no real ideas of what I want to do so also trying to figure out what lies ahead. I thought it was pretty inspiring that you have taken things in your own hands and tried to do something you love.
Hope it all works out for you, and keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Cat
Hi Cat
Thanks for your kind comments and encouragement; sorry for the delay in replying… I’m so happy that you enjoyed reading my blog and that it helped you while away a few boring hours in the office!
How are you finding being back in HK? Hopefully, we’ll both find our true callings here sometime!
Rach
x
Wow, I’m quite inspired by how you’ve gotten to where you are. I studied something similar (Event Management) and want to get into writing/journalism. Very inspirational =)
Definitely keeping a tab on your blog ^^
Hi Maggie
That is so sweet and lovely that you are inspired by me! But honestly, I’m a lazy good-for-nothing slacker really!
Glad you’re enjoying the blog too! Make sure you comment on stuff so I know what you like! And thanks for this comment, it means a lot!
Rach
x
Hello Rachel,
Great pieces of writing you’ve got here. This will be the first bookmarked blog in my phone. It’s nice to take a break from reading about cars and guy stuff sometimes. Thanks for sharing your insights
Hi Allen
Thanks so much for the kind comment and glad you are enjoying the blog! Hope all the make-up doesn’t put you off!
Had been busy at work did not realise you replied! Now I’m on a one week break in HK
no, doesn’t put me off. make up is very important!