University Tips!

Hello everyone!

This is probably a little off-topic for my blog, but I didn't want it to solely be about beauty. Of course, it is mainly about that, but a bit of variety never hurt anyone right? So, I have seen lots & lots of excellent posts with hints and tips for people who may be starting university or even college in the next month, and thought I might as well add my two-penneth worth!

 

image from weheartit.

 

I started university last September, so when I go back, I will be starting my second year. I actually still live at home while I am at university because the uni I go to is close enough to my house for me to drive to everyday. When I told my friends that I was staying at home rather than moving away to a university, many of them thought that I would have less of the "university experience" than I would have if I moved into student accommodation. In all honesty, I was slightly worried that I may feel left out if friends I made were living in the halls of residence while I was still living at home with my parents. In actual fact, nothing was further from the truth. The first point to make is that you are not alone in living at home. I was pleasantly surprised to find that quite a few of the people on my course commuted to university rather than living in. Don't get me wrong there were obviously people living there too, but there were plenty of times when I went to the flat of a few friends that were living in the halls.

 

Before I started my course, I scoured Facebook to see if there were any groups or pages for people who were starting at the university (the chances are there will be - if not, why not think about setting up a page? There will be plenty of people in the same boat as you). I found a group, and left a post stating which course I was doing and asking if anybody else was doing the same. Before I knew it, there were about 10 people commenting saying they were doing my course! This is a great way to meet people from your course before you start and also to meet flatmates if you are living in university accommodation.

 

When you actually get to university, don't be shy. I know it's difficult to act confident when you're not, but the chances are people will be feeling as nervous as you, so get chatting to them in the induction sessions for your course, and who knows, you could meet a best friend for life. I know I did this in my induction sessions, and met a couple of people who I now class as some of my closest friends. Another great way of meeting people who may not be on your course is to join a club or society. My university ran a fayre type thing during fresher's week with stalls from all different clubs and societies, ranging from sporting teams to even the Christian society! There really is something for everyone. Fresher's Week is also a good way to get to know people better. Your uni will probably have lots of events organised in the Students Union, so do try and go to them!

 

Now for the actual work! I've mentioned all the social activities, but it can be easily forgotten that while you're at university, you do need to do some work! Before you start your course, check on your university's online resource to see if there are any particular books you need to buy or read. There may also be a small project to complete before you get there, and it is important to do this as it sets a good impression about yourself to lecturers. As they year progresses, try to keep on top of the workload as it's not fun realising you have three 2000 word essays to write in a week (I'm speaking from experience here!). Try and make good use of the university library too - at my univeristy you generally get to keep the books for a week or two, and you can take out up to 12 books at a time. As my lecturers keep reminding us - the library is part of what you pay your extortionate fees for so make use of it!

 

So that's just my view! I know this won't be relevant to everyone who reads this blog so apologies if this was no use to you at all!

 

xx

GOSH 549 Holographic Hero

Hey everyone!

I have finally managed to get my hands on 'Holographic Hero', the re-release of GOSH's much hyped 'Holographic'. They have rebranded this as a "one night only" polish, following complaints that Holographic didn't last for long before chipping etc. I have heard some people say this is kind of like a "cop out", but personally it doesn't bother me too much as I change my nails quite often anyway.

 

This has been brought back by popular demand, and the best news is it's permanent, unlike the original version!

 

 

 

 

 

My pictures don't really do the polish justice - in direct light it really is amazing, flashing all the colours of the rainbow. As you can probably see, it is a bit patchy here and there, and if you've seen any reviews on this, you will know that it's not the easiest polish to work with. It's not *too* bad if you wait for the first coat to completely dry before applying the second, so this isn't a polish for when you're in a rush. It's worth mentioning that if you apply a top coat, the effect is somewhat dulled.

 

Now, I don't actually own the original holographic nail polish, but I have had my nails painted with it before, and I don't think they are exactly the same. Holographic Hero is slightly less obviously holographic (if that makes sense?). Holographic was really effective when under direct light, whereas this, while still pretty cool, is less obvious. Which is a shame really, as people just wanted the original back, not just a very similar one!

 

That being said, this is an effective polish and I would definitely recommend picking it up if you like this kind of thing. It's quite hard to get hold of at the minute as GOSH have only just re-released it, but give it a few weeks and it should be easily come across.

 

This is available exclusively from Superdrug and is priced at £4.99

 

xx

 

(P.S. I got sick of doing my posts in purple so from now on the font will be black :))



New Look #holidayhop Competition

Hello everyone,

Michelle over at daisybutter has joined forces with New Look and come up with this fabulous competition! As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to have a go :)  

All you have to do is this:

"Imagine you are going to Ibiza for a long weekend. Create a post on your blog stating which items from New Look you would wear to complete each of the following outfits on your holiday. You have 5 outfits for 5 occasions so which items would you wear and why? Head over to the New Look store and start picking your favourite party dresses, bikinis and accessories.

Style these looks: Travel Style, Poolside, Beach It, Sunset Supper and Beach to Club" 

So, here are the outfits which I have put together:

1.TRAVEL STYLE

While travelling, you want to look stylish, but still be wearing something comfortable and practical. I went for the floaty top and super soft skinny jeans for comfort, but the blazer and wedges make the outfit look more on-trend.

2.POOLSIDE

The swimsuit does two trends in one - cut out swimsuits and ombre. The kaftan and trilby are both essentials when out in the sun to prevent you from burning - a plus point is they look stylish too. The sandals are a perfect take on the flatform trend while the colour of them complements the swimsuit.

3.BEACH IT

You only need a simple look to look amazing on the beach. The maxi dress has a lovely summery print and the bikini matches it perfectly. The bag is a fun accessory as it is bright and the bow is super cute. The sunglasses and sandals are beach essentials, and I love the diamonte embellishment on the sandals - they add just the right amount of glam to the look.

4.SUNSET SUPPER

The playsuit is perfect for an evening out in the sun. The floaty material means it's nice and cool, while the print and colouring are in season. The belt cinches in the waist, giving you shape, and the clutch bag matches the belt and shoes perfectly. The hair flower and necklace add something to a simple but effective look.


5.BEACH TO CLUB

A dip hem dress is an essential in a summer wardrobe, and would suit the transition from beach to club perfectly, as you can dress them up or down. For the club, the gold wedges make a statement and the necklace and bracelet jazz up the outfit without taking too much attention from the dress.


So, there are my 5 summer looks! I've had a lot of fun putting them together, even if I am no fashion expert.
xx

Winter Wishlist

Hello everyone!

I shouldn't *really* be browsing clothes websites as I still haven't finished the uni projects I mentioned last week, but I miss writing and thought I would do a quick little wish list today as there are so many lovely clothes out there at the minute. I have barely any wintery clothes as I did a wardrobe clear-out earlier in the summer and threw out most of my cardigans etc (I don't know why, it seemed like a good idea at the time).

#1. Khaki Camouflage Knitted Cardigan

£24.99 from New Look.

This looks really cosy and is on-trend with the camouflage print. It's also extremely similar to this one from Topshop but is almost half the price!

#2. Casper Knee High Boots

£45.00 from ASOS.

I have wanted a pair of knee high boots for ages now and I think these ones are lovely and not too badly priced either :)

#3. Grey Blazer

£35.00 from River Island.

I think blazers can make a casual outfit look quite smart, and I have been on the lookout for a nice one for a while now. I like the colour and the style of this one.

#4. Coral Stripe Jumper

£18.00 from River Island.

I really like this colour and think it would be a good versatile jumper for me to wear to uni :)

#5. Floral Print Leggings

£16.00 from Next.

I love the floral leggings that are around at the minute but I'm not brave enough to wear them! I thought these were a good compromise as they are on trend without being too in-your-face.

xx

A Small Interruption!

Hey everyone,

I haven't written a post in a week now which makes me sad :( Please don't think I have forgotten my blog or anything like that, it's simply a matter of not having enough time!

I enrolled for my second year of uni last week (scary, I swear I didn't already do a year?!.. anyway) and discovered I have two projects to do before I start back in September, hence the reason for the lack of blog posts! I am aware I don't go back for around four weeks yet, but I wanted to get them done now so there's no last minute rushing about.

I am also very excited to purchase new stationary (I'm a stationary geek, haha), which may seem slightly sad, but I don't care ;)

So, the projects will probably take me a couple of weeks, so there won't be any blog posts until they are completed :( But I WILL be back when they are done and dusted!

I thought I'd just write this as it makes me feel almost guilty when I don't post for ages with no apparent reason! This post is just for my conscience (I have no idea how to spell that?) really!

Have a good couple of weeks and normal blogging shall resume shortly!

xx

Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades

Hello everyone!

I feel like lately I've been leaving so long between blog posts, but I don't honestly know where time is going at the minute! It's going way too fast for my liking, I can't believe we're into the 2nd week of August (I sound like an old woman here, but it's true!).

Anyway, today I thought I would write a little post about Collection 2000's "Shimmer Shades". Collection 2000's website simply says that this is "4 shimmering shades in 1 compact for a subtle, radiant glow". They have the Shimmer Shades in 2 colours, 'Way-to-Glow' (the one I have) and 'Blushalicious'. Way-to-Glow is more of a bronzing compact and Blushalicious, as the name suggests, is more of a blush compact!

The compact contains a white, champagne colour which I use for highlighting, a warm bronze and a cool bronze, which can be used for contouring, and a peachy, blush colour, which is nice, but I don't tend to use this colour as much as the other three as I have lots of blushes to choose from!

The colour payoff for all of the colours, particularly the two bronze colours, is excellent. This has become a must-have in my everyday routine, as I think it's a great multi-functional product. I really like the highlighter as it is subtle, but still really effective. Apologies for the lack of swatches on my face by the way, I took these pictures aagggessss ago and completely forgot to do any!

The packaging is not the most beautiful packaging you will ever see, but I like the fact it is see-through so you can immediately know what it is when you open your make-up bag, and it feels very well-made, so I wouldn't be too worried about it breaking if you just threw it into your bag or went travelling etc.

The staying power of this is good too, the shades generally last me all day with no touch ups. I can honestly say these last better than some more expensive bronzers I have.

They are available for £3.99 from Boots and Superdrug (Can't find it on the website to link but I know they definately sell it as that's where I got mine from!)

xx

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter & Body Scrub

Hello everyone,

I have been a fan of the Body Shop body butters for ages now, I first tried the mango one about 3/4 years ago and I loved it. I have tried almost every one of them now, and I nearly always go back to the mango one, but when it came to repurchasing a few weeks ago, I decided it was time for a change and chose to buy the shea one instead. I picked up the body butter and the body scrub - this is actually the first scrub I've tried from the Body Shop so I thought I'd give you my opinion on that whilst I was doing a review of the body butter.

I really like the packaging of these - they haven't changed too much in the time I've been purchasing them, and so the packaging makes them instantly recognisable to me (although I think they have changed the picture on the front of this since I purchased it). I like the image on the front of the tubs, as you can see which butter/scrub is which without too much difficulty.

The body butter is described by the Body Shop as "a feast for the skin". It claims to give 24 hour hydration and be great for dry skin. I used this when I got back from my holidays, so naturally my skin was very dry from all the exposure to the sun. This gave my skin lots of moisture, and I could still see the effects of the butter 12 hours later, which to me is impressive because most moisturisers I have tried last only a few hours. It is a thick formula, but I think this makes it easier to work with and it doesn't create a sticky mess when you apply it. It sinks straight into the skin, leaving no greasiness.

The scent of this one isn't particularly strong, it's described on the Body Shop website as a "subtle nutty scent" which I think sums it up perfectly. From experience, the coconut and mango body butters have quite strong scents, so if you're not fond of overpowering scents, this one would be a good one to go for :) I really like the Body Shop body butters, and I can't see myself switching moisturisers anytime soon.

As I mentioned before, this was the first body scrub I have tried from the Body Shop, and overall I am really liking it so far. It is quite similar to Soap & Glory's "Flake Away" (review here) in terms of texture. It's quite a thick exfoliator, but it isn't too harsh on your skin. That being said, I probably wouldn't use this everyday as my skin doesn't really agree with that much exfoliation! You can use this on wet or dry skin, although obviously it is harsher on dry skin.

I think this is a really good exfoliator - it gets rid of dry skin and generally reawakens the skin. The body butter is great to use after this as it really soothes the skin. The smell of the scrub is the same as the body butter - a pleasant, subtle scent.

I can't recommend this range enough. If the smell of the Shea ones isn't your thing, there are plenty of other smells to choose from, and from my own experiences, they are all of a similar high quality.

I will definately be repurchasing these when they run out. They aren't particularly cheap but I really do think they are worth the money.

These are both available either from the Body Shop, or online at www.thebodyshop.co.uk

They both retail at £12.50 for 200ml.

xx