‘If I can help make even one person confident, I’ve won’

Regan Kelly

The modern world has allowed many people to showcase their passions and turn what would have been a hobby into something that garners a following. One person who follows her passion deeply is Hazel Martin. The Mullingar woman has amassed almost 42,000 followers on Instagram since first posting in 2018.

Hazel’s love for fashion stems from when she was a child, as her mother also loved fashion and had her own shop.

“It was when I started working and was able to afford to buy my own pieces, and putting them together, I get a real buzz from it, to be honest,” said Hazel.

“What you wear can give you self-confidence, and when you wear nice clothes, especially for women who feel good in themselves, I think it is so important.”

Hazel is now a healthcare worker and has worked in the disability sector for some time; she ran her own boutique prior to the recession. Hazel said: “Instagram came on stream while working in healthcare, and at the start, I suppose I was lacking in confidence in setting up my own page, just as most people would, I’d worry about what others think.”

Starting out posting online can be a difficult and tedious process, but Hazel has taken that in her stride. “I’m eight years at this now, and it has just grown organically; it all just came gradually. Over the last eight years, it grows and then slows down, but I think it is really just about being yourself, sharing things that are affordable and that people can relate to.

“People have to be able to relate to you – you can have whatever number of followers, but if you are not a person that people can relate to, it’s not worth a damn to you.

“You have to be able to communicate with people and build their confidence in you. For me, it’s picking stuff that I think they will like; it’s not really about the big following.”

Helping people is her main goal on Instagram, and as a qualified personal stylist, she is well positioned to style outfits.

“I get a lot of questions every day about the items I share. I might share my outfit of the day, and someone will screenshot it and be delighted, because they could have that jumper in the wardrobe, and now they can pair it with something else.

“You would be surprised how many women are just looking for guidance and ideas, and that’s important for me.

“I love helping women feel the best in themselves, and it’s not about how much the item costs; it’s how you style it. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune.”

Supporting local businesses is important to Hazel, and she purchases from smaller stores where she can, but mostly she aims to purchase from outlets that are attainable to her followers.

Hazel enjoys positing on social media, and although difficult at times, it brings her a sense of reward: “There is a lot of work that goes into the page, through researching and linking stuff together, but really, if I can help one woman, then that’s where I’m happy.

“I get lovely messages from women saying how happy they are that they found my page, and they always seem to be praising the fact that the outfits are within their budgets as well.

“The way I see it is, I’m winning if I get messages from people saying how happy they are. I just love helping people, and if I can help one person or make them confident in what they are wearing, then I have won.”

Hazel also hopes that she can inspire like-minded women toying with the idea of posting online. “I think you should just go for it, 100%.

I held back for way too long, and now I am sorry that I did. I worried too much about what other people thought of me.

“At the end of the day, people are so nice and supportive of what I do, but I really don’t think you should worry about the ones who do not.”

For those interested in keeping up to date with Hazel's Instagram, you can do so here: https://www.instagram.com/hazelshintspirations/