Barbie Realness

Who doesn't love a bit of pink? Well clearly I doooooo, and this outfit is totally me, I love a statement tee with a good pop of colour somewhere, and my god does this outfit POP colour and I mean come on, it even matches my phone case!

Top: Missguided £18
Trousers: H and M £39.99

Lessons From A Fashion Student

So about three and a half years ago I rocked up to a new university, with so many worries, expectations and hopes for the next four years of my life. I didn't know anyone who had done a course similar to this before and I really didn't know what was expected. So after I've been doing this a while now, I wanted to put something into the universe  that could possibly help future students. 

1. Be Prepared To Work Your Ass Off

    This is number 1 for a reason, quite a lot of people go to uni to get drunk, sleep and have a break before the 'real world' begins, no no no, doing a fashion design course you will be doing any amounts of all nighters, you will find the cheapest and nearest food joints to your building and then spend every second working. Dedication is the key, and it will pay off. You may want to ball your eyes out (and trust, I don't know one girl on my floor who hasn't had a melt down) but it will all work out just keep going.

2. Save, Save, Save

   This course is going to cost money, you will need fabrics, equipment, threads, components, and you will even need to buy things that you will just stick in a sketch book and never use. If you can search around, look for bargains and never throw away, I collected fabrics from first year that I have only just used in my fourth year, you may think its rubbish but using spare fabric or anything for samples is a help. 

3. Research and Keep Up To Date

   Researching will help you massively when developing ideas for your collections, and help to develop your creativity. So basically if you don't already, look at catwalks, ads, anything you can, even if you have 5 minutes on a train or something, use your time. We were advised to make files on your computer of collections you like, manufacturing details you like, colours, and label them with who the designer is and the date of the collection. Its so good for referencing and you may be able to use them later as inspo in your sketch book. 

4. Listen, Write and Respond

   TAKE NOTES, right, you may think 'oh I don't need to write that down I will remember that'...you won't. You will take in so much information that you WILL forget. The amount of times I have thought that and then had to actually ask one of the girls who did write it down is ridiculous. Also ask questions, no question is silly, you can really get ahead by asking the right questions and if your too nervous while in a seminar or a large group, wait till the end, or message someone from a higher year, I love it when people from a lower year ask me things, I feel so helpful, ha! 

5. Be Your Own Support System

   In the fashion industry you will get people who want to knock you down, and friends may even turn on you, its a very cut throat world, and so many people will try to bring you down, so you don't need to bring yourself down too. Have confidence in yourself, and it will pay off, arrogance and confidence are different, be confident in your work, I have seen girls who are confident and it shows in their work, they have a reason for their designs and they see their goal. This tip also ties in with being independent, you need to know how to work on your own, you won't be able to rely on others in the fashion world, and even your classmates have so much work that you need to know how to work and can't keep asking for help with every little thing. 

6. (The Most Important) HAVE FUN

   This is gonna be your life, if this is what you really want to do, enjoying it will make it sooooo much easier. You will meet the best girls in the world, and have such a brilliant support system. You will need to work your butt off but you do need time to unwind and I'm telling you, fashion girls know how to party, and when we let our hair down, who knows what can happen!

And finally, just do it, you'll love it ;) 

New Glasses

So after like 100 million years I finally invested in some new glasses. I knew it was time for a change my prescription had gone up and I was starting to hate my thick black and green framed porno secretary glasses. I wanted a total new look and something fashionable that I would actually wear out of the house rather than just on a Saturday morning when I was too lazy too put my contact lenses in. 

I had looked about in a few places for some glasses that weren't ridiculous prices and I wasn't bothered about anything designer, I mean they're glasses. I came across two pairs in Specsavers and because they were on 'two for one on glasses over £69' I was so happy because this included lenses and frame which is such a good deal! 

I picked two pairs that were totally different cause I knew I could pair them with any outfits, and would be worth the money. I'm so happy with them and I would 100000% recommend looking for glasses there!

Getting Back Into The Swing

So now it has officially begun, I have my cute little house and the summer brief has arrived. I am so very nervous for 4th year of university but still none the less so excited!

Watching all the girls go to GFW this weekend has really brought it home and I feel so proud of all the girls of UCLAN for their amazing collections. 

This month I feel like something has changed, I have got a new job for the summer where everyone is so lovely and it's getting so close to going back to uni I feel like I can really plan my life. 

Don't get me wrong I am so happy to go back and don't want this year of uni to end and leave all my girls but on the other hand I want to travel and see new places that I know I cant go to right now, also I would love to move out, make somewhere mine. 

But I think what i've really learnt is, be happy in the stage of life your at, your not going backwards you will get where you want to be, so enjoy right now, and work your butt off it will all be worth it in the end.

Elegant Touch Nail Review

I've always been a nail girl, I was the girl in school that got really into nail art, I mean deeply into nail art. I tried all the tricks from newspaper printing to water marbling, I even had angry birds nails, yes  your heard right, angry birds but I was never one to have fake nails. Being in school and dance I would always have to remove them but also being a contact lens wearer, touching my eyes is a daily activity which can become painful if something sharp and pointy is in your eye.

But not too long ago my best friend gave me a half used pack of elegant touch stiletto nails as she had used all the ones she needed and I wanted to give them ago. They were so beautiful and I was hooked on them instantly. The nails come in so many different shapes and designs, plus they have most beautiful Henry Holland collection!(Like serious, they're amazing)

They usually stay on for about 5 days but can be more/less depending how hands on you are at everyday life, and also come with two pairs of each size, and therefore can be used twice (but i blates use them more than that, just re-glue them its sound).

For everyday use I do love the bare nails, they're great as you can just swap out colours when you need them rather than being stuck with the same colour all week. They don't chip and I have recieved so many compliments from people thinking I have gone to the salon for like £20 acrylics when they're really just £4.50 glue ons.

Also if your a bit nervous to use the nails as they can sometimes damage your real nails underneath, elegant touch also have nail guards which are just clear adhesive strips that you stick on underneath your fake nails and they will help protect but also help with the removal of your nails and are well worth picking up.

Tips To Save Money As A Student

So as I'm about to go into my fourth and final year of university I think its would be a perfect time to share my tips on how to save money at university. As many people have found in the England (not sure about other places) the student loan can just cover the slight basics of living and especially being a fashion student, there just is no time for a part time job, and even though we are students we still like a good treat once in a while, or maybe nearly everyday!

- My first tip would be to join as many student discount sites as you can, each have their own different sites and stores to give eligibility to, so get NUS, Unidays, the lot, your entitled to it, so sign up! Also for online shopping, search for the site your wanting to by products from for discounts, or google '..... discount vouchers' and occasionally you'll get a gem of a discount.

- Secondly check your universities opportunities, some give bursaries or grants to help students, the process of applying may be long winded and stressful but keep going, they're so worth it in the end! I was actually able to get a brand new free laptop from my uni which was soooo helpful when it came to doing work.

-Loyalty cards, I think I own every single points card in the world, its beyond a joke and my purse will not close properly anymore for points cards, they're great for getting money off things or even just getting something free say your 10th coffee free. And I'm not going to lie, the day you do get something free, you'll feel unreal!

-Look around. Search different stores for the same products, use your time rather than just going for convenience, it can save you sooooo much. Also bulk buy, if you know your going to use the product a lot, or if its food it can be saved, buy bulk packs, they really do work out cheaper in the long run. For example there was a body wash I loved and for 1 bottle it was £1, but for 6 somewhere else it was £4.50 and some may think its being cheap, but being a student, that's a drink on a night out or a packet of doritos...your choice ha! 

-Make the most of your summers and Christmas break, some students use this time when going home to get little part time jobs, and it can be so helpful when returning back to uni. However just remember, this is a break, take it!

Current Favourites

It is coming now to the end of February and since the new year I have found a lot of products that I I'm totally in love with, not necessarily anything new but products that I certainly have not tried before. I love makeup but being a student, money is an tad bit of an issue and spending money on food becomes a priority over spending £29 USD to spend on a Kylie Jenner lip kit, I mean don't get me wrong when i can i will get my hands on one (have you seen the maliboo...amazing) I tried this liquid lipstick by NYX and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Its dry like you would expect from a liquid lipstick but also has a creamy feel to it. The colours are very pigmented and develops quickly to give a bold colour, as well as lasting all night!

Now onto clothing, I live in jeans and seem to go through them like theres no tomrorow, i have tried jeans from so many places, i bought some from New Look and in the first wash most of the colour had gone, also Missguided jeans (which i do still like) ended up quite baggy around the top of my legs which made my body look very weird. I recently purchased some Jamie Jeans from Topshop and they are brilliant, they're soft and comfortable but also stay tight and dont seem to sag (hallelujah!)

Moving on to things not beauty or fashion related, I have had a bit of a cold recently, you know all this English weather is harsh on a girls body, so I started drinking hot water with a slice of lemon, and since then I've not stopped. It helped with my cold and now I'm just addicted, but its so good for you body and your metabolism its a bonus that its so delicious!

This post is getting a bit long, so i will keep it as short as possible, but my last favorite is just this little 2017 planner from Paperchase for £8...sale, recently i have been quite stressed out and I have learned writing things down and planning my days makes things so much simpler and keeps me  on track. I've never been into keeping a planner but now I am finding it so helpful and it takes a lot of pressure off. 

Please let me know of any thing your currently loving so I can check them out too :)