Learning To Cook!

Hello everyone. Following on from Wednesday's post which was student/university related, I wanted to do a blog post about cooking as a student. This can be a relatively daunting task if you are used to having your parents cooking for you. Suddenly having to prepare, serve and clean away all of your meals can be a big change and without decent preparation could lead to not eating enough, or just constantly eating junk which is also not good. My advice is LEARN HOW TO COOK. It will (hopefully) make the adjustment into university much easier! Myself and one of my best friends, Caragh, attending a student cooking course this week with the amazing team at Vivaldi Catering. They taught us how to make simple, quick, but also really tasty and healthy dishes. I wanted to share their Facebook page on this post and also show you all some of the pictures that were taken to capture our amazing experience. I would highly recommend either going on a cooking course or learning through your parents on how to cook before you head off into the big world of university. I hope you all enjoy the photos and get excited for some great fashion and beauty posts coming up next week. See you Wednesday. X

Vivaldi Catering: https://www.facebook.com/VivaldiCateringIOM?fref=ts
                          http://www.vivaldi-catering.co.uk/

University Room Shopping Guide!

Hi everyone!
Today's post is going to be all about where is the best to shop for your university room essentials. Having a nicely decorated room at university is something we all want to achieve, however realistically students are pretty poor and therefore when it comes to making your room look nice, it used to be hard to find things on a budget. This post will hopefully solve all those problems. As I have been completing my preparation for university I have been compiling a list of cheap and cheerful websites for interiors, both bedroom and kitchen, that are still stylish as well as affordable. I hope you enjoy this guide.

Firstly, H&M Home is amazing. The prints of the bed sets are really trendy and pretty. However a little girly, this is one for the female readers and the bed sets tend to all be under £20 which is pretty good. They also offer nice bedroom accessories like candles and scatter cushions. ALSO, if you guys go there in the next few days until the end of August, by using the code '2200' at the checkout, you will get your most expensive item 25% reduced. BARGAIN.

Next is good old faithful Ikea. The quality may not be the best in terms of comfort of the material however the prices are unbeatable. The colours and patterns are also quite unisex, so this is a good one for the boys too. Their single bedding tends to be around £10 per set so is really good if you are on a budget. I will definitely be using Ikea if I decided I slightly want to change some of the items in my bedroom so create a different theme, or also if I forget to buy something and am in a last minute rush on the way down to university.

Tesco is really good for kitchen stuff. They do have a large range of bedding available and the prices are very competitive however I found it difficult to find more plain and simple bedding as a lot of the offerings are very bright or with a busy pattern. The cutlery and crockery from Tesco are the ones I have bought and will be taking to university and I can also say that the delivery time and service was very quick and efficient.

George at Asda also seems to be very popular. I haven't used them yet but their bedding range is really diverse and in terms of getting any last minute wardrobe additions, the clothing line is extremely impressive and all very reasonably priced.

Tkmaxx Home is AMAZING. I have found some really amazing one off or more unique pieces that are so cheap compared to how expensive they look. This is the place to go if you are looking for something a bit more quirky and individual, rather than places like Urban Outfitters Home as the prices at Tkmaxx are much more realistic.

Argos is another place to look for really good priced pieces. If you are shopping on a really low budget then Asda prices can be as low as those of Ikea which is really ideal. The website is also laid out really well, one of the best of the bunch, which makes it incredibly easy to work your way around. LOVE. Argos is also really good for any electrical items you may need for university.

Dunelm is not a brand I had ever heard of before, however my lovely friend Sascha introduced me to it and I believe she has bought a few bits of a bobs for her university room from the site. The prices can be a bit high however I hear that the quality is fantastic and some of the designs are really unique and lovely for the bedding and cushions. However, similarly to H&M, I found the designs to be more female oriented and not as much for the guys so it would be more suitable for the girly girls among us. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading this post and for those of you going to university, moving out or just into a new house or flat, I hope that this helped. I don't claim to be an expert in interiors but I see a lot of overpriced rubbish on the internet and these are some of the sites that I have visited and used that have been selling for good prices. I will see you all on Sunday and I hope you have an amazing rest of your week. X

Style Profile - Ruby Agate

Hi everyone, last Sunday I posted my first style profile which was of my friend Chloe. The response and popularity of that post was mad. So many people read it and the feedback was really positive. I also really enjoyed writing that post so it made me really excited about the possibility of doing more style profiles. That leads me on to today's post. I had a really fun chat with my gorgeous friend Ruby Agate about fashion and beauty and created a style profile for her. The way these posts work is that  I will informally interview various members of the public, starting with my friends, about their favourite products and shops, as well as any other fashion and beauty related question I feel that I could not answer myself. Ruby has AMAZING style and is one of my closest friends so I hope you enjoy this post. 

Q- What is your favourite high street shop right now?

A- Zara, their collections always contain classic and timeless pieces that can be dressed up and down with the seasons.

Q- Very good choice, I'm a huge fan of Zara Menswear! What's your latest fashion purchase? 
A- My latest purchase was a khaki duster coat from New Look. I love it because it's simplistic and clean cut. It also helps to smartly pull together an outfit if I'm in rush!
Zara!

Q- What is your favourite item of clothing, generally. What could you not live without? 

A- My favourite type of clothing is definitely jeans. Blue, black, white. They're my second skin.

Q- Now slightly more specific, what is your favourite item in your closet?

A- My favourite piece that I own is probably my AQAQ dress that I wore to prom. I don't know when I'll get to wear it again but I think it's beautiful!

Q- Very good choices!!! I have never heard of AQAQ before! need to give it a look! Do you have any other less well known brands that you really like to shop at?

A- Not particularly less known brands, I'm pretty loyal to Topshop and other high street stores. I think All Saints has gorgeous pieces.

Q- Oooh I love All Saints, they have such amazing basics, I think you would really like Brandy Melville, they have just come over to the UK online and their basics are so nice!  What was your must have fashion item this summer?

A- I was obsessed with crop tops this summer and denim cut offs. Who wasn't?! In particular a white pair of shorts from River Island!

Q- I have to say, having been with you at so many parties this summer, you were looking very trendy!! Have you seen a trend for Autumn and Winter 2014 that you think will be your kind of thing?

A- I think I'll be wearing a lot of khaki come the cooler months. I tend to find colder colours, like browns and blues suit me more and are more wearable colours during these seasons. 

Q- Very nice! you suit that colour so well. What is your go to outfit when you want to be really comfortable?

A- When I want to be comfortable I always throw on my black jeans, a black vest top and then whatever jacket or coat suits the weather, usually my green Topshop parka.

Q- Sounds comfortable but also stylish. Do you have any recent beauty discoveries you want to share with my readers?

A- I've really enjoyed using the Rimmel 25 Hour foundation. It literally does what it says on the tin! It has survived long hot days and nights out until the early morning. It just doesn't budge. It's also really affordable which is always a big plus when you're a student. 

Q- Whats your cheapest makeup item and what is your most expensive makeup item? 

A- My cheapest item of makeup is probably a Rimmel eyeliner and my most expensive makeup item is my favourite, 'Twig' lipstick by Mac.

Q- MAC is amazing, I think you would really like 'Whirl' lip liner by MAC, a very you shade. Do you have any high end makeup items (including MAC) on your current wishlist? 

A- Sounds good, I really want to try Benefit's Watts Up highlighter. I love a good highlighter, and bronzer, they both really wake up the skin. 

Q- Very true, they add dimension back into the face after foundation and powder have been applied. My last question is, who are your style inspirations?

A- Rosie Huntington Whitely. Effortless, classic and chic. Her style is timeless perfection. Kendall Jenner and Blake Lively are also up there.

Thank you so much to Ruby for taking part in my style profile. She is a stunning girl with amazing style so hopefully you can all take some tips from her answers to my questions. Again this was so much fun to create and these posts are definitely some of my favourite to make. If anyone would like to take part or be interviewed for my blog, please inbox me on Facebook or see my 'contact' page on the blog for how to get hold of me. Also if anyone has any good suggestions of questions you would like me to ask people about their style, I would love to hear them. Thank you so much again everyone, the support behind this blog is amazing. See you Wednesday. X

 

 

Styling a Bridal Fashion Shoot!!!

Today's blog post is a really cool fashion post based upon the amazing experience I had yesterday. I got to organise and style a bridal couture photo shoot. This was amazing experience and I had a number of roles including sorting out a venue, selecting the gowns, assisting in the selection of jewellery, and styling the looks during the actual shoot itself which was 8 hours long but was totally amazing. This work experience was incredible and so valuable not only for my future in terms of making my C.V stand out, but also for my future mentally as it showed me how amazing working in fashion could be. Thank you to all who were involved and I will put some links to various Facebook pages at the bottom of the post. I was aloud to take some sneaky behind the scenes photos of the model, the amazing makeup and hair, and the incredibly talented photographers at work in order to share this amazing moment with you guys. I hope you enjoy looking through the picture and let me know what you think of our team's hard work. When final images have been completed I will create another post showcasing some of my favourite shots for you all. Thank you to the amazing Sarah Jewell who gave me this opportunity, you are amazing. I will be bringing you another style profile on Sunday to look forward to that as the last one was received so well.

Photographer: Sarah Jewell
Makeup: Charlotte Easton
Hair: Anna-Lucia 
Flowers: Heidi Keane 
Jewellery: Charles Alexander

X

Style Profile - Chloe Gledhill

Today is going to be a slightly different post. I know that as a blogger you want to give your readers the biggest amount of information possible. I also know that as a human, I do not know everything and therefore can only give my audience a limited amount of information about shops, clothes , and beauty. Therefore I am going to start a feature on my blog every now and then called style profiles. These are when I will informally interview various members of the public, starting with my friends, about their favourite products and shops, as well as any other fashion and beauty related question i feel that I could not answer myself. 

Today, i'm starting with my gorgeous friend Chloe, who has been a close friend of mine since we first met 2 years ago. I hope you enjoy her style profile and interview. 

Q - If you had to shop at one high street shop for the rest of your life, which would you choose? 
A- I love TopShop I really do. I would love to choose TopShop, but New Look offers a similar look, but much cheaper. So it would be difficult to choose. Based purely on clothes it would be TopShop, however on price, New Look would win.

Q- What has been your favourite item of clothing this summer? 

A- When I went on holiday to Malia, I wore lots of patterned shorts, I love more relaxed and flowing shorts with a colourful print. My favourites are from H&M, and they kind of look like a skirt which is something I really like.

Q- What changes to your makeup are you most looking forward to as we come into Autumn/Winter?

A- Matte textures on the lips! I also love to wear softer colours on my eyes during a/w, but more me its all about the changer from glossy to matte on the lips when the seasons change.

Q- What about clothing? 
A- I am so excited to feel cosy and warm in my big knitted jumpers! 

Q- What's an item of clothing on your current wish list? 

A- The skorts from TopShop are really nice, especially the egg shell baby blue ones! Anything that is that colour is going to be on my current wish list. It seems to be a really on trend colour at the moment which is lucky for me because I like it so much.

Q- If something gave you £100 to spend on makeup, what would be on your hit list? 
A- I have the drugstore basics, so I would probably go for some high end purchases to add to my collection. Yves Saint Laurent products would be a must as I used them for prom and really liked the luxurious feel and professional finish they gave. I would also really want to get a MAC lipstick as iv'e always wanted one. It would have to be a pale pink I think, and also a deeper colour, maybe a dark red.

Q- You would really like Russian red from MAC, it's a fantastic blue toned red lipstick. Anything else?
A- A good quality foundation! 

Q- Which do you prefer, Summer fashion or Winter fashion, and why? 
A- Summer fashion. This is because I feel like nothing is too outgoing or extravagant in summer, you can try any colour or print in summer without sticking out from the crowd so much. 

Q- If you could dye your hair any colour without damage, what would you choose?
A- I have always wanted dip dye my hair with a cherry red, so maybe that. However I think my hair is my distinctive feature so I can't imagine it any other colour.

Q- What celebrity do you have a style crush on? 

A- Kendall Jenner, I love how she manages to look classy, but also effortless and very simplistic. I think her look is quite easy to achieve without breaking the bank or looking too wacky and she always keeps up with the fashion trends. 

Q- If you were going to a really fancy party this weekend, describe your ideal look to me? 
A- On my feet is would have to be heels, I would choose platform heels as I find them really easy to walk in. A bodycon dress or a skort and crop top combo would have to be my outfit of choice. I think in terms of colour, keep it black and simple, with maybe a pop of colour in the 2 piece outfit. I would always wear a statement necklace but keep it simple for all other jewellery! Sometimes I do go abit fancy with the earrings, but it all depends on the neck line of the outfit I'm wearing. If I have a lot going on with my outfit, then I tend to keep the hair natural or just add some simple curls as I find I don't need to make much effort with my hair because it's so thick, updos are too much effort. For my face, the makeup would have to be a bright lipstick or a smokey eye, with a heavy coverage foundation or a good setting powder so that the base lasts throughout the night. 

Q- Final question, what is a clothing item you aren't so fond of?

A- I would never personally wear PVC or leather skirts. They can look lovely on other people but they just aren't for me as they don't suit my style or shape.

Thank you so much to Chloe for being my amazing Guinea Pig for this style profile. I really enjoyed making it as it was so much fun to get other people involved in creating content and chatting about fashion and beauty. I hope you all enjoy this post and share it on social media and with your friends. And watch out, you guys and gals could be the next people I ask to do a style profile on! 

See you next time! X

Lets Talk Denim (Fashion)

I was recently inspired by an American Apparel campaign to think about the key materials in fashion. I thought it would be an interesting blog post idea to talk about why these materials are so popular and how they are used in all varieties of clothing. Today's segment is going to be about... 

In my opinion, denim has been one of the most important and prominent materials in fashion in the last century. Since Levi's began with the first pair of jeans in Nevada, USA in 1872, jeans have been the centre point of denim in fashion. In the 1930's women's jeans began to become more widely known thanks to Levi Strausse once again. 

In the 1940's fabric was in short supply after the war efforts, and this is when the first denim dress and skirt designs were created. This is because denim is a relatively long lasting, sturdy and cheap material, which is probably why 'jeans' are the most common form of trouser in the 21st century. The 1940's was also a time when other brands, for example Lee, began creating women's jeans. 

Since these first beginnings, denim has become more and more popular as the trouser of choice, and is now used in a variety of different garments, the 1960s/70s made jeans even more popular through the hippie movement (flares were cool back then). More recently the skinny jean has become the fit of choice, over the past few years the skinny jeans has reined supreme on the high street. 

Now in 2014, mens jeans tend to either be stretch or spray on skinny, or they are a slightly more relaxed 'vintage slim' fit which is slightly looser but with less elastic. Women's jeans have a lot more variety, generally skinny jeans are still most popular however in the past few years, rips, patterns, bleach washes, prints and artificial colours have crept into denim bottoms and have given the denim look a lot more variety. 

Recently...

For men, denim has been used in other items including:- Shirts

                                                                                    Denim Jackets/ waistcoats

                                                                                    Ruck Sacks and Duffle Bags

                                                                                    Shorts

                                                                                    Hats/Caps, etc...

For women, the material has been used for items like:- Dresses, mostly skater style

                                                                                  Skater Skirts

                                                                                  Mini Skirts

                                                                                 Shirts

                                                                                 Jackets

                                                                                 Mini shorts, etc... 

Below, is a picture of some of my favorite denim pieces that I own, and some of my preferences when it comes to shopping for denim. For jeans, I tend to go for a spray on or stretch skinny fit as I have dancers legs so they need some give in the material. For this, my favourite shops are New Look and TopMan. I find that the jeans are the right prices whilst still having a variety of colours and a comfortable fit. For the shirts, I prefer an over sized fit so I tend to go for vintage/ charity shop, and if not I tend to go to shops that have a 'renewal' or vintage section such as urban outfitters or asos. 

I hope you guys liked today's post. I know its a little bit different but I think it is interesting to learn a bit about the story behind what we are wearing today and how certain items or fabrics have become so prominent in the fashion world. 

See you Wednesday. X

                                                                                  

Fake Tanners - High End (Beauty)

Hi everyone, today's blog post is going to be a comparison between two very popular high end fake tans from competing brands. I have seen multiple blog posts where people are raving about the St Tropez Bronzing Mousse and other blog posts where people rave about the Xen Tan Ultra Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe. Two of my favourite bloggers/vloggers are among the fans of these products. Viviannadoesmakeup is a huge fan of the Xen Tan offering whereas Ingrid Nelson (Missglamorazzi) is team St Tropez. I decided that the only way for me to make a fair judgement and recommendation would be to purchase BOTH the tans and compare them, here goes...

Firstly, I wanted to make a couple of comparisons between size and price for these products. The St Tropez Mousse is £30.50, whereas the Xen Tan lotion is cheaper at £28.99. However the St Tropez tanner has more product than the Xen Tan, 4ml to be exact, relatively insignificant differences. I am now going to compare the two products in terms of different categories that I feel need to be considered when choosing a self tanner. 

Packaging: Both products have nice packaging, in terms of appearance I prefer the Xen Tan as I like the colours used and it has more of a luxurious feel than the St Tropez Mousse, I also like that it will be easier to see how much product has been used up as the shape of the tubes will change, however the St Tropez bottle gives nothing away. However, in terms of practicality, the St Tropez packaging walks all over Xen Tan. The pump on the bottle gives you way more control and distributes even amounts of products, compared to just squeezing the tube. It also it much cleaner and less high risk (brown tan on white floors) than the tube. 

Scent: When it comes to the scent, the Xen Tan lotion wins every time. It claims to be scent secure, which is something it almost lives up to. Whilst the St Tropez mousse has the typical fake tan smell (biscuits?), the Xen Tan lotion smells strongly of Vanilla and Cocoa. This is something very rare to find in a fake tan and makes going to sleep much easier as you aren't overwhelmed by the stench of fake tan. 

Ease of application: The St Tropez mousse applies beautifully. I find that the skin needs a good exfoliate, however once done the tan applies easily and gives an all over even colour. This makes the tan look most natural as there are no uneven patches of orange or white. I find that a pump per arm and two pumps per leg is more than even to get the desired colour. Also the application process is made considerably easier by the fact that the instant colour given when applied shows where you have done and where you have missed. However, the application of the Xen Tan lotion is not as easy, the colour does not show up anywhere near as much upon application which may lead to applying too much or not applying and even layer. Also I found that when I used this tanner I was a lot more blotchy than I have ever been with the St Tropez tan, even though I fully exfoliated and moisturised.

Formula: In my opinion, a mousse formula will always win over a lotion. I know a lot of bloggers complain that mousse is a more drying formula than lotion, however I find that the mousse makes up for this is many different ways. The main reason I prefer a mouse is that it is much easier to apply to the skin for a 'first time tanner' as it spreads much more evenly and is a lighter texture meaning less time is needed buffing the product into the skin whilst still achieving even and natural colour. I haven't tried a Xen Tan mousse or a St Tropez lotion so this may be a bit biased, however in this instance the St Tropez mousse is a winner.

Colour: This is a difficult point to answer. I don't think I have a clear winner, although I find the colour of the St Tropez to be much more natural, sometimes I find it not to give enough of a change in colour especially for darker more olive skin tones like my own. On the other hand however, although the Xen Tan lotion is much darker and does require less layers and build up of product, it can sometimes come across a little orange and gives a more unnatural look, especially for paler skins. The colour of the lotion is also sometimes too different in colour from your original shade which gives a more 'false' effect. 

Wear: The final comparison is how the product wears off. This is very important as most tans last more than one day so you could be stuck with this change in colour for quite some time. Both products have their good points, the Xen Tan lotion lasts much longer than the St Tropez one, easily a week before all the colour is gone, whereas the St Tropez mousse lasts closer to 3 or 4 days before the colour is barely noticeable. HOWEVER, the St Tropez is definitely a winner in this category as the colour fades much more naturally and evenly on the skin, so much so that people may even believe that it is just your holiday tan fading. This is key to a good fake tan as it requires less maintenance and means you don't have to cover up in jumpers so nobody sees your awful orange patchy arms, definitely the biggest issue with the Xen Tan. 

It probably clear already, but I am team St Tropez bronzing mousse when it comes to high end fake tans, although I would love to hear your opinions and any advice on how to use the Xen Tan lotion in a different way to achieve a more natural glow. I hope this helps you choose a good high end fake tan, let me know if you make a purchase, I already managed to convince one or two of my friends into getting it (you know who you are, Kath Blenkinsop). 

See you Sunday. X

High Street VS High End - Face Masks. (Beauty)

 One of my skincare staples is a good face mask once a week. It helps clear out all the impurities and gives the skin a deeper clean than a normal face wash or scrub. One of my favourite face masks is the Origins Out of Trouble mask. This is a 10 minute mask to rescue problem skin, and through reading other blogs I have heard about it being very good for acne skin. I love this facemask because it absorbs excess oils and it contains Salicylic acid which is an acne fighting ingredient. I wouldn't recommend this to someone with a dry skin because a lot of the ingredients are quite drying but if you suffer from hormonal or stress-related breakouts, or breakouts of any kind then this would be an excellent face mask for you. If you don't suffer with acne skin but you do get oily, greasy, or shiny skin. this is a very good mask because some of the ingredients including Zinc Oxide and Camphor are very good at soaking up excess oil.

This face mask is a high end face mask, it costs £23 and is only available through high-end department stores like Selfridge's or Debenhams and possibly House of Fraser. And since I'm a poor student I knew I would not continue to repurchase this especially when I go to university. I began to look for alternative face masks a cheaper price when I came across the quick fix facials brand. Relatively new to Boots, they have a large variety of facemask for different problems or purposes. This is one of the best brands I think will ever come to boots, they have a huge variety of face masks including the one that I'm living at the moment which is called the Quick Fix Facials Anti-blemish Mud Mask for oily and spot prone skin.

There facemask has a lot of similar features to the origins one, for example they both take 10 minutes to work, they are removed in the same way by using water,  and they both contain Salicylic acid which is the acne fighting ingredient that helps draw out impurities and tighten pores. For a moment I'm going to be a bit sciency, a lot of the actual ingredients contained in the products are extremely similar, for example Glycerin, Bentonite, and Glycerl Stearate. This means that in essence this High Street mask that only costs £4.99, does exactly the same job as the high-end mask that cost around £25. Therefore I was highly recommend that instead of spending your money on high-end face mask you look at the quick fix facials brands in Boots. I have also heard really good things about the charcoal detox mask that they do and the brightening peel mask.

When I next find a High Street versus high-end product scenario I will write about it again on the blog because I think it's a good way for you all to find out more about skin care, and also about where to get the good stuff for cheap. No matter whether you have problem skin or not at top skincare tip is that you should be using a placement Release once a week however I would say using a brand like quick fix facials is a good idea as a low-cost very much and you can experiment with which ingredients for purposes suit your skin best.   See you all on Wednesday. X