1. Taste Cadets
A new discovery for me and one I've been telling my boyfriend, my mates and my grandma about, Taste Cadets is equal parts food, travel and comedy run by a trio of "swagged out freaks eating everything the world has to offer" - one of which is Seapa, co-creator of People Just Do Nothing and otherwise known as MC Grindah. From London's Chinatown to the streets of Barcelona, the Taste Cadets are never far from a gone-in-one-bite local delicacy or a six-course meal, all of which they review with a unique hilarity on their Instagram stories. It's basically three really sweet, really funny guys bopping around the globe in search of flavour-parties, and them letting us be a fly on the wall of their enjoyment. Also, I haven't actually recommended it to my grandma as I'm not sure whether Jean would get food being described as "highly f*ckable", but I know she'd respect it all the same.
2. Callie Thorpe
I met Callie at a press dinner in 2016 a couple of weeks after one of her Instagram posts, in which it's her wedding day and she looks an absolute vision in her dress, had gone viral. Her caption was about how "you are deserving of happiness no matter what your size, and you will still be the most beautiful person in the room next to your love", and as she told me about this I realised that I'd crossed paths with a lady glowing with light and life who left a lasting impression on me. Over the last two years I've looked forward to Callie's hugely relatable Instagram stories like they're the latest Orange Is The New Black episode, and I get all my best healthy recipe ideas, cat content and general laughs from them!
3. Jules Von Hep
Tanner to the stars (seriously, think of any babein' celebrity that you've had a girl-crush on since forever and Jules will have tanned them), perpetual smiler and all-round delight, Jules might just be one of my favourite humans that I've never actually met before. Also on that list: Steve Carrell, Amy Poehler, Tom Hanks, Jessie Ware. I was prompted to follow Jules on Instagram after listening to an episode of Estée Lalonde's comforting and informative podcast On The Line and have felt everything from inspired to emotional to proud ever since, and his stories make me cry with laughter! Jules is the creator of Isle Of Paradise (there's a PR package sat at home in Norfolk waiting for me and I am positively dying to try it!) which has rave reviews all-round, so get bronzed whilst you're feeling buoyant after looking at his feed.
4. Giovanna Fletcher
Giovanna is the supportive, hilarious best friend or sister that we all wish we had - and with the invention of Instagram, we kind of can! A Sunday Times bestselling author, host of the brilliant podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby and all-round blogging/vlogging/presenting whizz, she's a multi-talented modern mum who'll make you think "how does she do it?" but without a smidgen of smugness. You're bound to find inspiration in Gi's posts whether you're a parent or not, as they have a refreshingly real 'this is actually me, this is my actual life' vibe that encourages us to be a whole lot kinder to others and a whole lot easier on ourselves. Expect charity awareness, no-makeup selfies and lots of very adorable family content. She once said I was "always a little ray of sunshine", and I'll never forget it!
5. Emily Coxhead
Emily's feed is nothing but loveliness, rainbows, happiness - and come to think of it, so is Emily herself! If you've ever seen that meme of the baby hedgehog waving it's teeny arm in the air with the quote "this little hedgehog is cheering for you because you're doing great", that's basically how following Emily feels. Every post is like a warm hug, and it's pretty amazing. Her dedication to making others feel better in themselves with her cute illustrations, uplifting poems and reassuring letters is never-ending, as is the way she shows how much good there is (and how many everyday heroes there are) in the world through her wonderful publication, The Happy Newspaper. A sweetheart and constant stream of smiles.
6. Beth Sandland
A cutie with a booty and a great sense of humour, I found Beth's account through Lydia Elise Millen and needed to share her brilliance with you. It's not just the gorgeous imagery, although that deserves a big shoutout - Beth's photos are always amongst the prettiest on my feed with clear thoughtfulness behind them - but her captions. Honest, thought-provoking, genuine, funny: Beth strikes a beautiful balance between being aspirational and relatable, evoking an empowering "I want to be her but at the same time, she's so unapologetically herself that I know I can draw from that and be confident in myself, too" feeling that I think's quite rare in the influencer world. She's also just announced a big move from the UK to backpacking life through Australia, New Zealand and Asia to name a few - so you're gonna want to start following that adventure as soon as possible!
7. Britton Loves
One of those chicas that I just feel so happy and lucky to know, Lauren is the brains and beauty behind blog Britton Loves. Her accompanying Instagram page of the same name is everything cosy and comforting: this week it was all about the childhood throwbacks, fairy lights, cups of chai tea in Christmas mugs and much more, which gave me all of the festive feels that I'm currently missing out on being outside of the UK in December for the first time ever. As a professional photographer, Lauren's images are always stunning (her flat-lays are the best in the biz) and one of my favourite things about her feed is the mix of life, beauty, fashion and food - there's something for everyone and when I'm not getting cruelty-free skincare recommendations, I'm drooling over her latest bake. Gimme.
8. The Comparison Coach
Ever heard the quote "comparison is the thief of joy" and related on such a deep level that your vehement head-nodding makes your hair fall out of its messy bun? Then you're gonna need to start following Lucy Sheridan on the old 'gram, who posts "daily expert advice to help you find your own peace and go after your own success". If you often find yourself mindlessly scrolling and finding nothing of inspiration in your feed, Lucy'll swoop in with some insightful, wise and positive words that are guaranteed to brighten your day and bring a calmer mindset your way! I've learnt a lot from her about how fruitless comparison is and the power that comes with truly accepting yourself.
9. Jake Gallagher Hair
Hair extraordinaire and extremely lovely human being, Jake is the man who sat me down in his chair in 2015 and transformed my previously self-dyed locks from what I thought was platinum to what's actually platinum, giving me such new-found confidence through my 'do. Absolutely the coolest and most fashionable person I know, Jake's feed is a constant stream of inspiration and art and creativity. He's currently on tour with Lily Allen: together they've been serving looks left, right and centre, all of which I've been double-tapping and "yaaas"-ing at, whilst my own hair is in the same mediocre topknot that it always is, of course. Follow for insane outfits and fire hairstyles!
10. Body Posi Panda
Without a doubt the most empowering person I've come across online (and in real-life on the night we both picked up our InStyle Project 13 Awards, yay!) is Megan Jayne Crabbe. Her bravery in sharing her own story to help others is something of beauty and her message is always one of inclusion and love regardless of gender, race, weight, sexuality, mental illness, or anything about a person that society has deemed 'not enough'. We need more people like Megan in the world and following her on Instagram is a start, because the positive ripple effect that grows from seeing posts that tackle fatphobia, prove that anxiety doesn't equal worthlessness, encourage self-love, dismantle everyday sexism and celebrate all bodies is really important and necessary. She's also simply delightful and rocks a pink sequin dress!
I'm always on the lookout for new people whose social media presence I can fall in love with and follow religiously, so please let me know who I need to check out next! I hope you follow all ten of these wonderful accounts and end up loving them just as much as I do.
Jumper | Earrings
Photos by Megan Duffield Photography
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