New Hair New Hair!!

My local hairdressers was doing a deal where you take along your own box of hair dye, they match up the colour and give you a choice of a few, and then dye your hair in the chosen colour.  Just for £15!  Of course I snapped up an appointment quickly.  I always dye my own hair because I'm happy with the way it looks when I do it, but also because having your hair done at the hairdressers is very expensive, especially for a poor student like me.  But at just £15 I couldn't resist!

I went along there today with the intention of becoming blonde.  But after the advice of the hairdresser I chose a coppery/reddish colour.  It's quite different to my usual mahogany colour, but I quite like it.  It just needs some getting used to!  I got quite a bit chopped off the bottom too.

This is what my hair looked like before.

I'm very sad summer is coming to an end.  Not that we've had much of a summer here in England this year but now it's getting colder I can start wearing boots and warmer footwear which I love.  I wore my Converse today which are one of my favourite pairs of shoes but I don't wear them very often so thought I would give them an airing.

Top: Topshop
Hoodie: Republic
Jeans: River Island
Converse: Were a present 

 Last night I went karting which was a lot of fun!  Although now today I am quite achey.  Tonight I am off to see Total Recall.  Wednesday night I went to see The Expendables 2.  Tomorrow I am off to watch some paralympics.  Sunday I have a family dinner and then am off to move into my new University house.  I'm so busy, busy, busy and I still need to do some last minute packing for Uni, preparing for my placement and complete an assignment! AHHHHH!!

In Love... With My Top

Yesterday afternoon I went on a shopping trip for my Mum's birthday present and then I went to see a friend.  Why are Mothers so difficult to buy for?! Me and my brother always struggle to decide what to get my Mum for her birthday and Christmas.

Yesterday evening I also went to see my new house where I'll be staying for University this year.  It is looking very nice!! I also went back there today and will be there tomorrow so I'll put some pictures up of it soon.  I am loving my new room!!

I wore my new top from Primark yesterday.  I think I'm in love with it!  I wore it with jeans and some old boots to dress it down a bit.

Top: Primark
Jeans: River Island
Boots:  Got them too long ago to remember!
And yes, I realise you can see my dark purple bra underneath the top.  I soon changed after I took the pictures when I realised you could see it!

 Just a few days left of my summer holiday! Time is going too fast!

Festival Weekend!

So gutted I wasn't at Reading Festival this weekend.  With Foo Fighters, Green Day, Crystal Castles, Enter Shikari, Kaiser Chiefs, Bullet For My Valentine, Bombay Bicycle Club, Angels and Airwaves, Two Door Cinema Club, Billy Talent and Hadouken! it would have been an amazing weekend. On television I saw Kasabian's live set and a set from Florence + The Machine and they were brilliant!  However I had already been to Download Festival earlier on in the year and my poor student bank account wouldn't let me pay out for another festival.  So yesterday evening I went to a local, much cheaper one.

Of course I had to wear my new shorts, and paired these with leggings for warmth and my old black, scruffy boots in case it was muddy.  And I wore two t-shirts.  I like to layer my clothes at festivals - you never know what the weather is going to be!

Blue T-Shirt:  H! by Henry Holland
Black T-Shirt (underneath): Primark
Shorts: Primark
Leggings: River Island
Bag: H&M
Boots (few years old): Barratts

 It was a very fun evening with lots of wine and dancing.

Did anyone else go to Reading Festival or any other festivals this weekend?

New Clothes!

I had to go into town today and as I haven't got any spare money to spend I did not allow myself to go into any clothes shops.  But as my Mum owes me £30 I thought what harm can it do to go into Primark.  So I did... and came away with two new purchases (both a size smaller than normal too)!

Both were £12 each.

In the last few weeks I've been sorting through my clothes and realise that I wear a lot of dark colours, especially black, navy, green and purple.  I want to break out of this and start wearing different colours.  Luckily I fell in love with these two items, which are different from what I would usually wear.  I also saw some other bits I quite liked in Primark so when pay day comes around, ermm I mean student loan pay day, I will be making another trip back to Primark!

I also couldn't resist going into the old sweetie shop.

Hope you're all having a good weekend! :)

Happy Days!

Fitness Update
I weigh myself each morning after I wake up before eating breakfast.  This morning when I stepped onto the scales I was happy to realise that I have lost 6lbs in the last week and a half.  I haven't been trying very hard either.  I have changed my diet but I certainly haven't been doing any exercise.  In the next week or so I will start exercising and hopefully will start losing more lbs!

What have I been eating?

Breakfast:

Special K or Weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and a cup of tea

Lunch:

Salad or Ryvita with fruit

Dinner:

Salad with chicken or pasta with fish

Snacks:

Fruit

Drinks:

Water, green tea, orange juice, cranberry juice.

Good luck to everyone else who is trying to lose weight!

My Skin Journey

As long as I can remember, throughout my teenage years, I have suffered from bad skin problems.  I'm not saying my face was completely covered in acne, but it was certainly something that I thought was a big problem as it frustrated me and knocked my confidence.  I tried a few products and it felt like I had tried everything and nothing was working, but it wasn't until I got to the end of those teenage years and into my 20's that I really started looking into skincare.  I realised that there are much more products out there than I had previously thought, some more expensive than others, some stronger than others, and it can be quite overwhelming when you're not quite sure what to try.  Now at the age of 22 I feel like I have worked out how to look after my skin as it has cleared up tremendously and I have much more confidence now I don't have any problems.

What I am going to write about here works for me.  I know not everyone's skin type is the same, and what might work for me, might not work for someone else.  But I guess it's all about trial and error, trying different products and methods and seeing how well they work for you and if you are satisfied or not.  My skin type is quite oily but if I don't moisturise then I get dry skin on my nose and cheeks.  So I suppose you could say I have combination skin.  I used to get spots on my forehead, nose and chin.  These days if I get any it's usually on my chin and sometimes on my cheeks, but like I said, I rarely get any now.

Diet
I feel that diet plays a big part in how my skin looks.  I have experimented a lot and have finally worked out what foods I should avoid.  I make sure I eat plenty of salads, vegetables and fruit, and not just for my skin, for my health too but I think these help my skin as well.  Some of the foods I avoid include chocolate, cheese and McDonalds as well as other greasy and fast foods.  If I eat one of these 'bad foods' I am guaranteed to get a spot or few some days later.  I don't never, ever eat these foods as I like to treat myself once in a while, but very rarely.
Another factor of having good skin is the liquids you put into your body.  I drink about 5 glasses of water a day and although I know I should drink more, I used to drink much less and I think this extra fluid intake has paid off.  I also consume at least two cups of green tea each day.  There are many articles out there about whether green tea helps to reduce acne and spot problems or not, but personally I think it does.  I don't just drink it.  I put it directly onto my skin as well.  Once I have made the tea I put the tea bag to the side and place a piece of cotton wool on top, once the tea has soaked through and has cooled down a bit I wipe this all over my face.  It feels refreshing and feels like it does cleanse the face.  You could also miss out the cotton wool part and put the tea bag directly onto the skin once it has cooled down.

Make-Up and Removal
I have tried many different foundations from cheap to expensive and at last, back in January, I discovered my  favourite foundation so far.  It's from a brand called Lily Lolo.  Unlike all other previous foundations I have experimented with, this one does not cause me to break out and is not heavy.  I have very fair skin and Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation makes light shades to suit my skin colour which is perfect.
Make-up removal is also very important.  If you remove your make-up using just a face wipe, you may think you have removed all of your make-up.  But in fact, you have not.  I use three different products to remove my make-up.  First I use a make-up wipe, either Johnson's Face Care Fragrance Free Facial Cleansing Wipes or Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes.  I then use Dove Extra Sensitive Beauty Cream Bar to wash my face.  Once it is patted dry I use Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean which is a cleanser.  After this last step, I then feel my make-up has been completely removed.

Morning Facial Care

Before I apply my make-up each morning I have a routine to clean, cleanse and moisturise my face.  First I use the Dove Extra Sensitive Beauty Cream Bar to wash my face.  Once it is dry I then use T-Zone Shine Control Cleansing Wipes followed by Johnson's Baby Lotion to moisturise my skin.

I am still on the lookout for other products that suit my skin and do not cause me to break out because although I am loving my nice clear skin, it's not perfect.  But I will research the product a lot before buying, just because I don't want to undo the progress I have made with my skin so far.

Would anyone like me to do a review of any of the above products?  Does anyone else have any skincare secrets or tips they would like to share?

Weekend Nails

When choosing my nail pattern this weekend I thought I would try something slightly different.  It's perhaps a little messy, but I quite liked it!

I painted on the Barry M nail varnish in Vivid Purple which is really good stuff!  Only needs one or two coats and drys really hard, lasts for ages and does not chip easily.  I then added the foil adhesive, applied the swirly purple coloured foil, and then two coats of  the sealer.  I love the sealer!  It really makes the nail pattern or varnish last much longer!

I am off to do some cleaning and tidying now.  I quite like cleaning, but this is a lot of mess that I made and I cannot be bothered.  But it looks like I have emptied my wardrobe onto the floor, there's shoes everywhere, random books lying about.. I really have to do something about it!

What Do I Take To University?!

Well done to my little brother. He's off to University in September!  Thursday, results day, was a bit of a stressful day but we finally found out he had been accepted into Anglia Ruskin.  So well done to him!

It seems like just yesterday it was me who was finding out what University I got into.  But that was three years ago!  If I could go back to three years ago, I would do things much differently.  I started University when I was 19 after having no idea what I wanted to do.  Before this, I hadn't even thought about going to University!  Both of my parents didn't go and it didn't even occur to me that I would have to make that choice about whether to go or not.  But the end of college was soon approaching and I was panicking about what to do next so I quickly picked a course that I thought might interest me which narrowed down the possible Universities, then I just picked the Universities that looked best when I visited.

If I could go back in time I wouldn't go to University straight away after college, I would get a job and earn money for a couple of years, get a bit of life experience and possibly go travelling at the end of those few years.  I would then go to University at the age of 21/22.  By then I would have a clear choice of what course I wanted to study (hopefully!), and where I wanted to study.

I'm not saying I have had a completely horrible time at University, because I haven't.  I have met some great people who have been there for me through the good and bad, learnt a lot (and not just educationally!) and had a great experience.  I'm not sure if I picked the wrong course either, then again I'm not sure if I picked the right course.  I sometimes can't help wondering what it would be like to study another course, however I am quite enthusiastic about the subject I am currently studying.  So it hasn't all been bad, there has been a lot of good.  But if I could do it all again and change it, I would.

Well getting back to the main point of my post.  Thinking back to my first day at University, I went there so unprepared!!  So I am going to make my own little guide about what to take to Uni!

1. Passport, driving licence, other important documents
2. Text books, pens, notepads, diary etc
3. Towels, soap, toothbrush, soap, and the other usual bathroom bits.  And don't forget the toilet roll!
4. Baby wipes - These definitely come in handy!
5. Bedsheets, pillows, mattress protector (just 'cos I'm a bit strange, there was no way I was sleeping on a bed which lots of other people had slept on before without a big thick and comfy protector)
6. Decorations - Posters, photos, postcards, fairy lights (Uni walls can be very boring and depressing and it's nice to add your own touch)
7. Sleeping bag, airbed, pump for the airbed (just in case friends come to stay!)
8. Wash basket, bin, bin bags
9. Air fresheners, candles
10. Alarm clock (maybe), phone, laptop/computer, camera (for all those embarrassing freshers pictures!), extension lead, printer
11. Clothes - For lectures, nights out, the gym etc.  And don't forget fancy dress clothes, especially a school tie and shirt as well as any other fancy dress items you may have
12. Speakers, films (for film nights with any new friends, or all those times when you have nothing to do)
13. Television - although this isn't necessary, but handy.  If you have a television, make sure you have a licence!
14. Iron, washing powder, softener, clothes horse, coat hangers, Febreeze (an ironing board isn't necessary, some unis may provide them but the bed or desk can also be used as an ironing board)
15. Plasters (especially if you're as accident prone as me!), painkillers
16. Cooking equipment (and don't just take one fork, knife, spoon, plate, saucepan and mug like I did.  Take more than that!)
17. Washing up liquid, tea towels, sponge, kitchen roll, usual kitchen stuff
18. Anti-bacterial wipes, toilet cleaner, bleach etc
19. Torch, sewing kit, safety pins
20. Food.  Alcohol! I turned up on the first day without any - that was a mistake!
21. Board games, drinking games, cards - Especially handy in the first week when no one really knows each other.
22. Small suitcase - Very handy to take all your washing home on a weekend.

That's about it!  I think I've covered all the important things!

But just in case I missed a few things, here are some 'what to take to Uni guides' that are quite helpful:

The Student Room
Studential
Studentastic

The Scales Do not Lie

Sitting at home on my arse for the last three weeks has not done me any good.  In fact, it has done bad.  I have gained half a stone.  Shock HORROR.  With three remaining weeks until I start back at University I am  going to do something about this terrible weight gain so it's time to put some plans into place.

To be honest it doesn't take much for me to lose weight.  But because of this I tend to be quite careless about the food I eat and the exercise I do.  I allow myself to eat junk food and foods filled with fat, and I virtually do no exercise. Now I'm not saying I'm the world's worst eater, because I do enjoy a good salad and remember to eat my fruit and veg.  But I want this to be a long term plan, I want to love the way my body looks as well as being healthy and looking healthy.  To make sure I keep this up I'm going to log my progress here each week and how well I'm doing or how naughty I've been.

Source 

I'm not going to go on some crazy diet and starve myself because that wouldn't work out long term and I like my food too much to starve myself.  I am going to stop snacking as often though.  I think that quite often when I am hungry, I am actually just thirsty so I am going to reach for the water, orange juice or green tea instead.  However if I do find myself hungry after a drink I will eat something healthy like a piece of fruit.  At lunch time I will try eating more salads instead of sandwiches and pizzas.  For dinner I will make my portion size smaller.

Exercise-wise I will start off by jogging. Then I am going to join up to the gym and do some aerobics classes.  Then when I feel brave enough I will start doing weights to tone up (but only light ones at the beginning because I am pathetically weak).

If I stick to this, which doesn't seem too hard, I think I will start to lose weight and look better.  I will update my progress here each week and hopefully soon I will start to see an improvement!!

Is anyone else trying to lose weight or become more healthy at the moment?

Surprise!

It feels like I haven't slept all weekend!  On Saturday I went with a couple of University friends to visit another Uni friend for his surprise 21st birthday.  It was nice to see my University friends and I got to wear my favourite dress... but I forgot my camera so didn't actually get any pictures of me in it.  Then I went to visit another friend yesterday.. and now depressingly I am back home feeling quite sleepless, grumpy and lazy.

I have been experimenting with my nails again, and very much like the results!

Olympia

I've been quite busy in these last few days!  Yesterday I ended up going to see some Olympic hockey games.  It was a last minute thing, getting tickets the night before.  Then having to wake up at half four in the morning to get the train at 5:30 to get to London for 7AM.  Very tiring!  Let's just say I never want to wake up at that time again.  But so worth it!  It was awesome!  Walking through the Olympic Park, masses of people (ok that bit wasn't so fun), seeing the different arenas, walking past camera men with big cameras... It was all quite exciting!  A couple of weeks ago I was a bit sceptical about the whole Olympics in London thing, and planned to stay well away from it.  But I've been loving it!  I took way too many pictures. Here are a few:

Oh look that dress reappears again.  I love it - I think it's the material.  As you can see from the third picture down, we were so early we were the one of the first groups of people into the arena.  By the time we came out, you couldn't move for people!
It's bed time.  I am so tired from days of barely any sleep, I feel like I am about to pass out if I don't lie down!  Goodnight!

I Love A Good Thunderstorm

I've been experimenting recently trying out different nail varnishes and nail patterns.  Some are quite messy and some just turn out crap, but I'm getting better! Here are my nails of the week:

What I used:

I love the weather at the moment!  For example, today it was thundering but it was also sunny, and there was a really bright rainbow outside my house.  It was so pretty.  I love thunderstorms!  Perfect walking weather!