Starting University

For those of you starting university, or even if you're in your last year...

1. Stay organized 

Honestly, having a calendar on your desk/wall/phone with major events, times and places really  helps to make sure that 1) you know what you have to do and when, but also it shows you how to manage your time. Seeing what you're doing in a month or a week in text really helps me. 

Also if its your first term, have your phone screensaver as your time table and have a photo of your school map! This is very useful. 

2. Make it homey! It makes such a difference when your living space is comfortable. If your room is bleak and empty chances are it will have an effect on you. Its horrible coming home to an 'empty' space. I personally think having fresh flowers, photographs, cards, posters really makes it seem like my space.

3. Eat Well, Drink well, Sleep Well. I feel like this is self explanatory. If you eat badly, you're gonna feel it. I know its hard if you're not in control of what is being made but really try and get as much fruit and veg in as you can. I really think taking those vitamin C dissolvable tablets in water seriously handy. It is so shit to get sick during uni so definitely keep your immune system strong. 

4. Make an effort to make friends during orientation but also during your classes...thats where you'll be spending the most amount of time. A lot of people I know say that the people they made friends with during orientation (freshers week) did not remain their friends throughout the year. Personally I made most of my friends through classes. I think this is really helpful because if you're sick, you have a friend thats able to take your notes or fill you in. You also will have people to study with and will probably have a similar if not the same schedule. (i.e cram for fridays test and go out after)

 

5. Find out what studying habits work best for you- morning/night/ groups or solo. This is really important when it comes to exam time. Myself and friends included have wasted so much time studying poorly. For me I like to study by myself and when I feel confident about the material, study and review in a group, chances are everyone there will know something that you don't.

9. Dont be so hard on yourself..grades definitely drop from high school.  It sucks but thats just how it is. University is totallllyyyy different when it comes to marking, so don't beat yourself up when you think that your 69% paper was worth at least a 75%. Speak to your professors and find out how to improve.

10. Enjoy it- don't feel pressured to fit into a certain mould or to have a certain experience. These are years you are never going to get back, so do what YOU want to do. 

That time I met Malala Yousafzai...

That time I met Malala Yousafzai...

Over the summer I was incredibly blessed and privileged to have met a remarkable woman, Malala Yousafzai. 

For those of you that don't know, Malala is a 17 year old Pakistani education activist. At the age of 11 she was writing a blog for the BBC under a pseudonym sharing her day to day life under Taliban rule.  I asked her, weren't you terrified to share your experience knowing the danger? To which she replied, "yes, but to not share what was actually happening was so much more dangerous". 

In 2012 she was shot in the forehead by the Taliban whilst on a school bus with friends.

Since then, she has been in Time magazine, nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, the list goes on. 

Chances are, if you are reading this right now, it means that you have been able to go/are going to school, and it probably doesn't cross your mind that thousands and thousands of girls live in fear and danger of going to school. Something majority of us take for granted.

I study Politics at university, and sometimes it becomes too much. I am bombarded on a daily basis with facts such as 

1. There are 170 million children across the world that do not attend school.. and of those children, 70 % are girls.
2. Seventy percent of the world's 1 billion people living in poverty are estimated to be women
3. Women work two-thirds of the world‘s working hours, produce half of the world‘s food, yet earn only 10% of the world‘s income and own less than 1% of the world‘s property.
4. Around the world women earn on average 20% less than men. 

Facts are from http://www.facingthefuture.org/TakeAction/FastFactsQuickActions/WomenGirls/tabid/184/Default.aspx#.U_oXl4CwL8Q 

I highly recommend her book, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban. Not only is it written beautifully,  her message is simple, uncomplicated yet insanely powerful, moving and inspiring.  I love how personal it is. When I met her, I realized in some ways she's just like me, a young girl who is passionate about education, who has brothers that play on their xbox, and wants to make a difference in the world. But then. I asked my self, what do I do that demonstrates my wanting to help people and empower them? Literally nothing, and with Malala she is constantly doing things which reinforce her mission and make a difference. 

So I pose this question to you. What do you truly want, and what do you DO that achieves it? 

My Top 7 Funniest TV Shows

In my humble opinion...and in no particular order,

1. Inbetweeners. Every single minute of this show I am laughing. Sometimes I actually have to PAUSE the show because I'm laughing so much. My humour is very immature, graphic and on the whole quite vulgar and this fits the bill perfectly. The thing I love the most about this show is how relatable it is, it definitely speaks to the average teenager encountering all things awkward

2. Modern Family. I know everybody loves Modern Family. What really speaks to me about this show is that at the end of every episode there's always a really nice resolution to whatever conflict or situation that was going on. I think it manages to be so entertaining as well as heartwarming which is really rare in a 20 minute TV show. 

3. Frasier. I started watching Frasier at a really young age, probably when I was about 10 years old, and at the time I was very similar to Niles due to me being a complete hypochondriac. Again this is a famous classic. I love how incredibly pompous Niles and Frasier are, and how down to earth and 'regular' their Father Martin is. 

4. Golden Girls. Picture it, Sicily, 1943. Go grab some cheesecake. Basically this show stars Betty White, at her absolute best. This show received an amazingggggg 57 Emmy nominations. If that doesn't convince you, then I sure as hell cant. 

5. The Office (US Version). Honestly, I feel like I am made up of percentages of each of the characters. If that makes sense. Probably doesn't, you know like, I'm 40% Pam, 20 % Jim and 10 % Angela. I'm guessing I'm the only person that does that....BUT anyways this show is HIGHlarious. The characters are so exaggerated and I love the style in which its filmed. Thanks Ricky Gervais. 

6. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Every Friday when I was younger, this was my jam. While I had Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches. I could probably still do the Carlton dance in the privacy of my bedroom but no one should have to see that. You could argue this was the show that really showcased Will Smith's talent. One of the most famous and standout scenes is when Will's biological father comes to visit. It kind of reminds me of Modern Family and Manny and his biological father (how his father bailed when they were supposed to go to Disneyland), heres a link of the famous scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmerFuzRNZ4 

7. Ja'mie: Private School Girl. I bow down to Chris Lilley, the creator of this amazing show. This show actually scares me in the sense that it is freakishly similar to my old boarding school. Its a mockumentary style, so just like the Office, and it follows Ja'mie's last year at school. Basically you have to watch it even if its just to find out what quiche is. And on finding out what it means, to call everything you love quiche. 

Please let me know what some of your favourite comedy shows are !

The Best Firming Cream: Nivea Firming Body Milk

I know its quite a statement to make, but I have been using this cream since I discovered it a year ago and do not plan on stopping any time soon. The Nivea firming body milk has no scent (in my opinion) which some people like, some don't, however it completely transforms dry and sagging skin.

When I'm in Canada my skin has a tendency to become very dry and lizard like, which is not the most attractive, but it also has a tendency to 'sag'. Granted I am 19, so when I say sag, what I really mean is my skin around my thighs and bum can become slightly flabby.

Within a month of massaging this cream into my targeted areas every other day, I noticed a HUGE improvement. My skin was much more hydrated, my dry patches were gone, but to my surprise my skin was SO firm. My thighs and bum appeared to be much tighter and I noticed a huge decrease in cellulite.

I think it's an amazing price, especially for the amount you receive and the results you see.

Runway Lips

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2014 Spring Trends

This year the number one trend for spring would have to be bold orange lips.  During NYC fashion week (double check) almost every runway was sporting a red lip, from Rag & Bone to DKNY.  Luckily I have a few bargains to get the runway look on a budget!

If you love a sheer finish, I highly recommend Colour Sensational Colour Whisper in Orange Attitude by Maybelline for $7.46. It gives a really pretty touch of orange, which is perfect for daytime and easy to apply but it is also buildable if you want a bit of a bolder look and is quite moisturizing!

For the matte lovers, I suggest Sephora’s Colour Lip Last in 16 Orange Rocks for $13. I found this lipstick was highly pigmented and had a lovely matte finish, but it did dry out my lips a little bit which was a bit annoying.

Glossy girls, listen up. This is probably my personal favorite, and it is the Maybelline Elixir in Mandarin Rapture for $10.99. This lipgloss is extremely pigmented, has a lovely applicator, and provides a gloss that is obvious but not too sticky (which I hate because my hair always ends up on my mouth and I look like an idiot). Below is a picture of a swatch.

I have to say I LOVE this trend because surprisingly orange is a colour that suits almost every skin tone. I would recommend pairing an orange lip with very neutral or bronze eyes, nothing too over the top otherwise there would be some serious clashing going on and one might end up looking like a tangerine. 

Here is my favourite, the Elixir--> so pigmented !!

Excuse the awkward hand, love the packaging 

How to Save $$$ When Shopping

I really love shopping, however my wallet doesn’t. Sometimes I’ll go out and spend the entire day at the mall having a lovely time and as soon as I go home and unpack, I realize how much I’ve spent and feel quite sick… To help us all, I have come up with few tips on how to dress well on a budget.

My first step is crucial. Look inside your wardrobe and see what you have. Really assess your clothes. Do you have a ton of jeans and hardly any tops? Do you only wear black? I suggest arranging your clothes by category, so tops, pants, sweaters etc. Then arrange them based on colour. I think failing to do so, sometimes leaves us buying the same thing over and over. And then we complain about never having anything to wear…

Secondly, after organizing your wardrobe you might realize that you buy many items that don’t always suit your lifestyle. For example if you live in a country with --15 weather but you buy a bathing suit every time you shop, that might not be a good idea…trust me on this one. I strongly recommend thinking about your day-to-day activities and the clothes best suited to them.

Thirdly, TRY ON THE CLOTHES AND THINK ABOUT IT. I can’t stress this enough. I have bought so many things because ‘it looks nice’ and as soon as I go home, I hate how it looks on me. I don’t know why I have such an aversion to trying on clothes; I think it’s just a trait of extremely lazy people. After trying it on, take a picture of it, and if you still really like it after a week, you probably should get it.

After having an incredibly organized closet, look through magazines, fashion blogs and even pinterest. Pick outfits that you really like, which you will get a lot of wear out of, and think about how you could use what you already own to replicate the look. After doing that you’ll recognize that you probably only have to buy an accessory or one item of clothing.

Lastly, after buying something new. Don’t take the tag off, and keep the receipt. Try it on with a few different things that you own, and if you cant make a few outfits out of it, or you don’t like it as much as you thought, you can return it!

Here are some apps that help saving $$$$

Moven and Spendee

Smells like Spring

I don't know if I am the only weird person that does this, but I like when my perfume reflects the season and after browsing The Bay, I have found the perfect spring perfume, the limited edition Miss Dior Blooming Bouque. I have no idea why Dior made this limited edition because it is such an amazing fragrance. It smells like clean linen air drying in a garden full of peonies and roses. It's a very feminine, fresh and clean scent...just in time for Valentine's day

Review on Clinique Cleansing Balm

At first I was hesitant to try a 'cleansing balm', I was skeptical that it would leave my skin with a greasy or oily residue but I was pleasantly surprised.

Living in Canada the wind chill takes a serious toll on my skin, I was experiencing extreme dry skin and needed a cleanser that would offer more protection.

The balm  removes all of my makeup. Its so easy to use. Before my shower I use a very small amount and rub it gently all over my face, including my eye area, and then in the shower I gently rinse it off and when I get out my face is completely clear. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and fresh.

I definitely recommend this product!

Review On MAC Mineralize

Let me start off by saying, it is impossible to find the right shade for my skin tone. I have a very olive complexion and live in the Caribbean for half of the year, and the other half of the year I live in the very cold, but lovely Canada. Recently, I have gotten a lot paler and was in the need for a new foundation. I had heard some lovely things about the Dior Nude and the Chanel Vitalumiere.

Firstly, the Dior Nude gave a good bit of coverage and was very matte, however I thought it was a little on the yellow side for me.
The Chanel Vitalumiere had a lovely dewy finish, but again the shade was a little too yellow.

Feeling a bit defeated I wandered into MAC, and I am very happy I did. I was persuaded to try on the MAC mineralize foundation (shade NC20). As soon as I looked in the mirror I knew it was the right one. It gives a generous amount of coverage, but what I especially love is the glow it gives off. It really is like a 'J-LO' glow...and who wouldn't want to look like her? The girl helping me added a small amount of bronzer to the top of my cheeks and it really helped to warm my skin.

When I went home I used my Rimmel Stay Matte powder (shade 004 Sandstorm) and it still looked really beautiful with a matte finish. What really did it for me was when my boyfriend said "Your skin looks perfect" - and trust me, for him to notice, it must be really amazing.

I really recommend this foundation, especially for anyone with normal/dry skin.