Ok everyone I have an announcement to make: Jared and I have finally moved into our new house!

We finally moved in on the 28^th October and I hope you’ll forgive me for taking so long to write this post. As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s been pretty hectic and I haven’t had time to do anything other than work on the house. 

We celebrated our first night with a picnic on the floor because we were too tired to cook. It was a pretty sweet meal though, knowing all our hard work was worth it in the end. 

By the time this post goes live, we will be returning from a trip to Birmingham to collect Jared’s stuff from his parents house. This is our final phase of moving stuff and then we can finally consider ourselves settled.

So we spent a week moving our stuff very slowly each evening, one car load of stuff at a time. Eventually we only had the absolute essentials at my parents house. By Friday evening my room only had my bed and my empty wardrobe left it in. It looked like I had just moved in, rather than moved out.

That was the worst part as I felt all over the place and quite emotional about the huge change that was about to take place. I was desperate to just get on with it as I knew it would be fine once I actually moved. It finally dawned on me how a big a moment this was and how permanent this would be.

On Saturday Jared and I took our bed apart and reassembled it in our new room. My Dad very kindly helped up move my wardrobe and mattress and did all manner of small jobs like helping put up curtain poles and installing our new cooker (thank you Daddy, you're the best).

It was all going so swimmingly until we started to reassemble our TV. Jared’s sister very kindly gave us our TV for free just after we graduated last summer. She had bought it second hand at uni and then moved to a house where it wouldn’t fit. Although a 50 inch plasma looked ridiculous in my bedroom at my parents house, I can’t afford to turn down a free TV. It worked fine but the only downside was the stand that it came with. Not only was it ugly but it didn’t seem sturdy enough to hold the weight. But the previous owner had removed all the attachments you needed to fix an alternative.

On top of all of it’s other negatives, the stand was also a right faff to take apart and put together. After an hour of aggravating messing about, the TV was finally back on its stand in our new house. At which point there was an almighty crash as the TV fell off onto the glass stand which shattered into millions of tiny shards. To cap it all the TV landed on a leg from the stand and smashed the screen. Pretty disastrous all round.

It took us an hour to carefully pick up all the tiny pieces of glass and hoover the whole room. At which point we discovered that it wasn’t our fault that it happened. The metal bracket on the TV had physically sheared off, causing the TV to fall. So it was basically an accident waiting to happen and I’m mostly grateful it didn’t fall on anyone. 

My parents very kindly let us borrow their TV from their bedroom (after they had finished laughing), while we waited for our new one to arrive. As we didn't have a stand now that our old one was in a million pieces we had to improvise! 

The plus side is we now have a lovely new 4K 50 inch Samsung and it is so so nice *inserts heart eyed emoji*! Watching Blue Planet 2 on it is pretty out of this world compared to our old one.

Our spare room is still an absolute mess and will only get worse once we bring all of Jared's stuff back from Birmingham. But I'm just calling it a work in progress ;)

The best thing is that our cat Boo is now feeling settled and at home here. I love her being here as it reminds me of home and it's hard to feel stressed when a cat is asleep on your lap.

Actually living here feels very strange and although all of our stuff is here and we both feel comfortable, it doesn't yet feel like home. It feels like we're staying in a holiday cottage for a few weeks and then we'll be going back to my parents house. I guess that will change with time as we get used to it. 

If you have any tips for making a new place feel like home, let me know!

Crete 2015

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry for my unexpected break from blogging but sometimes you just need to take a step back to regroup and feel refreshed with it.

I've recently come back from the trip of a lifetime to Crete with my boyfriend Jared and would love to share some of the pictures with you guys.

We started our trip by catching a late train to Gatwick in order to catch a 6am flight. The joy of being a poor student and getting cheap flights. After an hour delay of just sitting on the run way doing nothing we finally got going and 4 hours later we were arriving in Chania.

We were staying with my late Grandads fiance Audrey who kindly came to meet us at the air port. We collected our hire car and I had to learn very quickly how to drive on the wrong side of the road, on the wrong side of the car on absolutely INSANE roads.

Luckily I soon got to grips with it and we had an incredible time. We spent a day exploring Chania and enjoyed walking round the Venetian Harbour, eating lunch over looking the sea. We were staying in the mountains in the west of the island and I was a pro on the mountain roads by the time we left.
Other adventures included exploring the Aya Sofia church, spending lots of days at the idyllic Elafonisi beach snorkeling with loads of fish and relaxing with a book overlooking the mountains.

After an amazing 8 days living in a tiny undiscovered village where the rural way of live still survives it was sadly time to leave it behind. I drove our trusty car 300km to Heraklion which is the islands capital city. Here we spent two days visiting the archeological museum as well as Crete's most famous site: The Minoan Palace at Knossos. While not as pictursque as Chania the city was well worth the trip.

An 11.30pm flight meant we got back to the raining UK at an eyewatering 1.30am. Luckily I had managed to get a cheap deal at the Hilton hotel which is directly attached to the terminal so we were able to go straight to sleep.

Crete has totally captured my heart and I really hope I get to go back someday.

When is the right time to do something?

Now I'm in my third year at uni this question surrounds me constantly. I'm no longer a carefree freshers who's major concern is working out how much I can drink and still make it to my 9am lecture. And its not just me, its my friends too. We're no longer stressing about how we're going to do all the things we want but rather WHEN is the right time to do them.

I know one day I want to explore the world a bit more. But when should I do it? Do I get it all out the way in a year long trip after I graduate? Sounds amazing but I have no money to do that, so I guess I need to get a job. But once I have a job heading off on such an adventure would probably ruin my career. So just how am I going to make this dream work?

Another major goal of mine is to one day own a house. I've lived in rented housing for three years now and I don't see that situation changing anytime soon. Its ok, but I would like to have something that is actually mine. I want to be able to do things as simple as change the wall colour or hang a picture without having to ask first. But most of all I want to feel settled somewhere, to create my own home and to feel it is my own personal sanctuary. I'm desperate to unleash that nesting urge women seem to have and put my own personal stamp onto something. So I guess I am going to have to get a job and save damn hard if I want to make this one work. But when is the right time to actually say you want to put some roots down and start building your life?

Most difficult of all when is the right time to have children? If I'm being honest this is my only major life goal I have. But ask anyone and they all have different opinions on whens the right time in your life to embrace this enormous change and responsibility. I've got friends who already have children and those that are shocked at the thought of having kids before they are 30. I think I'm probably somewhere in the middle of those two but even so I have no idea if or when there will ever be a time when I'm ready. I don't think its fair to have children if you are not able to support them. But will I ever get to that stage before the biological clock has stopped altogether? With a family history of early onset menopause it is definitely something I need to be thinking about.

These worries keep me up at night sometimes. This is the big stuff that I actually really want. And it scares me that I have no idea if its even possible to achieve all of it. And because its what I want I think its worth giving it some thought. I'm starting to see that stressing about it endlessly won't help either. I have no idea what the future holds and my current situation might change dramatically. I might win the lottery or get some amazing job that will allow me to afford these things easily. I guess I just need to wait and see what happens and try to ignore the pressure society puts on us to 'have it all figured out'.

Also, in all honesty though I am not sure there is ever a 'right' time to do anything and if you are determined to wait for it then you might never achieve anything. Sometimes you just have to go with it and take the risk. That I guess is the tricky part and the point I am trying to make with this post. You just need to decide if you want it enough to try.

For now, I am going to focus on finishing my 3rd year at uni and going on holiday to Crete. These are all baby steps towards what I want in the long term. The rest of it will just have to work itself out.

Picture

Doing Life the 'right' way

So last week I finally finished the book I was reading called I want it that way by Ann Aguirre (free to download on iTunes just FYI) and I have to admit its not often a book stays with me for this long.

Although this is not a post reviewing this book I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good raunchy romance story. Its a seriously relateable book and I would would be a good read for anyone in their twenties who is stressing about their overall life plan.

The reason I wanted to write this post is the overriding theme of the book is there is no right way to live life. The book focuses around the idea that we have a predetermined path expected of us by society and it can be tricky to deviate from it. As young adults we feel a huge pressure to get our lives together and to start being a responsible mature adult. Slack on this front and you will feel the full force of everyone's disapproval but this can also happen the other way round. Grow up too quick and people will question if you have made a rash decision or bitten off more than you can chew as you are 'too young to know what you want'.

What I loved about this book was the way it encouraged me to pursue what I want and my own happiness. Life is complicated and the right way for most people may or may not be the right way for YOU. And that is absolutely fine. Only you can know what is right for you and by making that choice you also accept the consequences should it not work out. Having said this people mature at different rates and we should allow for this. You might be 30 and nowhere near ready to settle down but you might be 20 and totally in the right place mentally. We are all different and I think you are mature enough to do what you want if you are capable of dealing with any potential fall out.

 If there is one thing we have to accept is we cannot control life and the timing we have in our heads does not always match up to the reality. Sometimes opportunities do not come along at the right time but we should take them anyway as we all have to learn from our mistakes.

The other thing we have to remember is you are not a failure if you deviate from the predetermined path. For instance I originally applied to study Veterinary Science at uni and had dreamed of becoming a vet for a long time. I was a good candidate, my grades were good enough, I had done loads of work experience plus I grew up on a farm with a lifetime experience with animals. However after one interview I received no offers and it was probably one of the lowest points of my life. All around me my friends had their pick of 5 unis and I didn't even have one. I vividly remember the day I got my final rejection and when I told my friends I didn't get a single offer one of them replied "Yeah Amber, you think YOUR news is bad? I got rejected from Exeter today". I wanted to punch her as I knew she had 4 other offers from really good universities which included both of her top choices and had never had any intention of going to that uni in the first place. As I went to a highly competitive grammar school I was one of the few girls not to receive any offers and I had no clue what to do with my life.

But I had to pull myself back together and make some tough decisions. I've never been one for quitting and I desperately wanted to reapply. However there are only a handful of veterinary schools in the UK. Two of these are in Scotland and one is Cambridge and I didn't want to go to any of these. This only left with me with my 4 original choices (RVC, Nottingham, Liverpool and Bristol) and several of these were planning on raising their entry requirements or did not allow repeat applications. I decided that maybe this wasn't the career path for me and decided to change direction instead of giving up. The point is that this does not make me a failure just because I did not follow the expected path for me. Its made me who I am today and I do not regret the decision.

In conclusion: respect the opinions of those older and wiser than you. They probably do know better. But that isn't always the point. You have to learn your own way and we must be prepared to be flexible with our overall life plan as you never know whats going to happen. The right path for some is not always the right one for you. Know and trust yourself.

Also the book is a seriously good read. Check it out if you get bored ;)

Picture: Pinterest.

Are high end beauty products worth it?

Over the last year or so my love for make up has increased ten fold. I'm not sure when this change occurred exactly but I suddenly realised how creative you could be with it and its gradually become the best part of my morning routine.
Since becoming a blogger I read a fair few blogs and a lot of these feature make up reviews. While this is not an area I personally want to get into I do find other peoples opinions and experiences of products to be extremely helpful. I'm much more likely to try a product if someone else has already bought it and loved it.
However one thing I have noticed is a lot of bloggers tend to focus on very high end brands and this has lead me to question are these products worth the money?
Generally in life I would agree with the statement that you get what you pay for. Those Primark shoes you got for £4 will probably fall apart but a £60 pair from Zara probably won't. But is it the same with make up?

Does a higher price equal a better product?

In my experience a lot of the time the high end product ends up being of better quality than the cheaper option, but this should be a no brainer. After all you are paying a lot more money, the product SHOULD be better. The question is more whether there is a significant enough difference to justify the extra cash. This is a tricky thing to decide and much depends on the individual product in question.
This is where beauty blogs come in handy for make up newbies like myself as the people who write these blogs have a passion for make up. By writing their blog they try a wide range of products and are better equipped to make a good comparison than someone like me with limited experience. Sometimes there are really good alternatives out there and you could potentially save yourself loads of money. Like most things by doing a little research you can make an informed decision as to which product is best for you.

Are you buying the product or the brand?

Like with everything fashions and trends change endlessly and it can feel like there is endless pressure from social media (including blogs) to keep up. Are you buying the product just because the brand on the packaging will make you look cool? Or because its a 'cult classic'? I actually don't think there's much wrong with enjoying something that lots of other people like. After all, its popular for a reason so there is a strong chance you will like it too. If wearing your Ruby Woo lipsticks makes you feel fierce and strut your stuff like the badass bitch you are then you should definitely get it. But I don't think you should buy it purely because everyone else has. Buy it because YOU like it.

Are you paying for the packaging?

A lot of high end brands have gorgeous packaging, ranging from girly and adorable to chic and sophisticated (looking at you Chanel). But are you forking out the extra money for the pot in comes in? The packaging is there to try and suck you in and could potentially house a substandard product. Equally some of the less snazzy looking drugstore versions can be amazing. There's nothing worse than buying something you really like but it doesn't work. If you love the actual product itself then buy it regardless of how it looks. If it happens to look stunning as well (no matter what it costs) then consider that a bonus.

Are you actually going to use it?

When it comes to choosing whether to splurge or save I personally think it depends on the useage you will get out of the product. Is it only ever going to get the occasional use or will you wear it everyday? Items that you will use day in, day out are worth investing in as you get good value for money. Make up has a shelf life and theres no point spending £30 on a lipstick you only wear five times a year. However if you invest that in a shade you wear twice a week that lipstick only costs you 30p each time you wear it.
You could argue its too expensive to wear these things everyday but I think its better value to treat yourself to your best products and get the maximum use out of them. If you never wear it then the product was a waste of money regardless of how much it cost.

So how do you make a good decision?

Over the years I think I have actually wasted far more money on cheaper products that I don't like than I have ever spent on more expensive ones. The lower price encourages impulse buying and I am guilty of just thinking 'What the hell, its only £3.99'. But this adds up if you consistently purchase items that don't suit you and that you don't actually like.
Sometimes taking a risk is good but I would never spend loads of money on a product I am unsure of. I never thought I would like a dark vampy lipstick so I dipped my toe in with a £5 Rimmel one and I love it. But taking a risk style wise is not the same as just buying stuff without considering if its right for you.
So far I have never purchased a high end product I don't really love. When I know that I am about to spend a fair bit of cash I make careful decisions. I research the product, I read reviews, I watch videos and most importantly I always try it first. If it doesn't make me feel like a goddess then I don't buy it.
Respect the need to experiment in order to learn. But you will make better decisions if you take your time to think about it regardless of how much money your are spending.

So overall are they worth it?

I believe make up is all about how it makes us feel about ourselves. It helps us put on a the face we wish to present to the world regardless of how we feel inside. That extra confidence is priceless and can truly change the way we are perceived by others. Buy the one that suits you, works for you and makes you feel good. You have only wasted your money if you buy it to please others regardless of whether you spent £5 or £50.

The Liebster Award

So I've been nominated for this by MakingLifeACamera which was such a lovely thing to find when I turned my laptop on this morning!A huge thank you for that, you should definitely check out her blog, her photography is lovely and I always read her posts.

The purpose of this award is to recognize the up and coming blogs that you personally enjoy and to share them with both your readers and fellow bloggers.

So the official rules are as follows (as stolen from MakingLifeACamera) 

1.Thank the blogger who nominated you
2. Answer the questions given to you by the nominator
3. Nominate 5-11 new blogs with less than 200 followers and link them
4. Create 11 questions for them to answer
5. Notify the bloggers you have nominated

So here are the questions given to me by MakingLifeACamera


1) What is your favourite type of food?

This changes literally all the time. I'm quite a fussy eater but I try really hard to combat this by trying new things when I get the opportunity. However my all time favorite has to be a roast dinner. Nothing can beat that.
 
2) Who is your celebrity crush?

Channing Tatum. He's funny, he's hot and he can dance. Tatum get in my pants. 
 
3) Where in the world would you most like to visit and why?

Since I've got a bit older I have a huge urge to travel. Luckily my lack of actual money quickly reminds me to calm the eff down. But right now I would really love to go to Iceland. I'm not sure I can be a proper geologist until I've been there. Pretty much everyone I know has been and they tell me how amazing it is and I've seen a blog post on NISHAANTISHU and dear god it looks incredible.
 
4) On an everyday basis, what puts a smile upon your face?

The little small things people do for me. Making me a cup of tea without being asked, a surprise bar of chocolate just because, cooking a nice meal. Its the small easily forgotten moments of happiness that create a happy life. 
 
5) What is your favourite quote?

I have loads but back when I was 13 and just about to compete for GB for the first time I went to a sports psychology conference where the guy said to us "Good sports people are like a horse with blinkers: always looking forward". 
I have that quote pinned up above my bed and I think it can be applied to all areas of life. In order to be successful we must learn from our mistakes and channel them into something positive. 
 
6) Who makes you happy?

My hilariously crazy family. I love them so much. I'm also lucky to have some amazing friends who make me laugh so much. And my boyfriend Jared who really understands me. They all make me incredibly happy.  
 
7) If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self?

It will all be ok in the end and everything will work itself out. Worry less, live more.
 
8) Any embarrassing stories?

Most of these are too awful to type. I embarrass myself on an everyday basis by saying stupid things. Unfortunately a lot of my cringy moments are recorded on home videos so there is no escaping the shame. 
 
9) What is your favourite scent?

Nina by Nina Riche. My Mum used to wear it and I got given it for Christmas a few years ago. It reminds me of my Mum whenever I wear it and it makes me feel powerful and strong. 
 
10) What song are your loving right now?

I'm currently loving Heaven by Amber Run. Such a great track! I love singing to it really loudly in my car.  

11) What is your favourite part of blogging?

I love the chance to express whatever I'm thinking and being able to do something creative. As I am doing a science degree I often end up having very little to show for my efforts. For instance weeks of work might culminate in a few pages of A4 paper which is unlikely to be something I treasure. By writing this blog I am producing something I am proud of and want to continue to work on and improve. 


I would like to nominate 

Laura Leanne

Eden Markel 

Oh So Daisy

The Hunt For Fabulous

Oh Boy Lola

Your questions are:

1. What made you start blogging?

2. If you had a whole day to yourself what would you do?

3. What is your goal for 2015?

4. What is your favourite thing about yourself?

5. If you had the chance to move abroad for a year would you do it and where would you go?

6. What is the best gift you have ever received?

7. If you won a million pounds how would you spend it?

8. Given unlimited funds where would you like to travel to?

9. What do you like to do to pamper yourself?

10. What is your favourite beauty brand?

11. Who in the world would you most like to meet?

Making decisions is hard

First off, apologies for not being so good with making posts. I've had a busy week with working and stuff and y'know life just got in the way.

I wanted to write this post because I've been feeling really on edge and stressed all day. I've been on the verge of tears a fair bit too and that's not my normal happy state. Its taken me most of the day to work out why I'm upset and I think thats because I'm feeling very conflicted lately.

I've written about this quite a bit on this blog before but its clearly still bothering me so I am going to to write about it again.

Without boasting, in general I think my life is great. For me personally I feel like I have pretty much everything I want. Now this might not measure up to other peoples standards but I'm not going to get into that in this post. The important thing is its my life and I am happy with it.

Oddly though I think that might be the cause of why I was feeling upset. Before you judge me and think WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING HAPPY let me explain.

In general I would say its the people in my life who bring me the most happiness and the experiences I have shared with them are memories that I treasure. I am incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful people around me. But choosing who to spend time with and trying to justify my priorities to everyone can leave me feeling exhausted.

I know I should just do what I want. But life is not that simple. I have responsibilities such as work and uni that restrict what free time I have and a large amount of people to divide that limited time between.

Put simply I am fed up with having to choose. I am tired of having to sacrifice time spent with everyone and trying to calculate in my head who I should be prioritizing at the moment. Sometimes I have to make difficult decisions and I then spent a huge amount of time worrying I made the wrong one. Whatever I decide I inevitably end up upsetting somebody. But most of all I upset myself because I simply cannot please everyone.

Sometimes it feels like I am so busy trying to do what everyone else wants there isn't much time left for things I want to do. Perhaps I need to be firmer but I find it hard saying no to people I care about.

So yeah. This was a bit of a rambly post but I feel better for having written it down. I'm sure I can't be the only person who this affects so I would love to hear if anyone has any advice on how they cope with it.

Picture from Pinterest

3 Ways to Brighten up your room on the cheap

As a student your room is where you spend most of your time. You work, socialize, sleep and (most likely) eat in there. Its also your haven away from annoying housemates and life in general. Unfortunately most student landlords are agents of the devil and are capable of making any room look like a prison cell. After 3 years of student accommodation I have finally managed to find a nice landlord who appreciates that students do not want to live in a magnolia box (he is most definitely the exception to the norm though). Even so, it can be hard to make the space feel like your own when you are limited by your contract and a tight student budget.

Below are three ways I have personalized my room with accessories acquired for very little money, I hope they inspire you to be creative when it comes to decorating your room!

1. It is a known fact that fresh flowers make any room look much nicer. To decorate one of my bedside tables I got this vase for £3 from Waitrose and a bunch of Daffodils for £1. The three candles are all from Primark and were 80p each. I love the yellow of the flowers against my yellow walls and how much they brighten the place up.
Total cost: £6.40

2. This idea was direcetly taken from Hannah Gales happiness advice so after a rubbish day I ran to Paperchase and picked up this postcard for 60p. I decided I loved it so much it needed a frame so picked this one up from Poundland. I am really loving having it next to my bed as it is the first thing I see in the morning. The lamp is one I already had from Tesco a few years ago, the handcream I got for Christmas and the lip balm came in my Pink Parcel. So although I already had this stuff none of it was too pricey.
Total cost: £1.60

3. My third and final idea is a craft I did myself. I've been looking at some lovely prints on Etsy but I didn't really have any pennies. So I went on Pinterest and found a quote I liked and made my own design using my sisters watercolours before adding the lipstick print. The frame is another one from Poundland and I think its a great way to display my creation. The diffuser is from Sainsburys and was about £5 (although you can similar ones from TK Maxx) as is the candle holder (not sure on price as it was a gift). The heart is from Primark and was £1 which was an absolute steal. The little box and mini candles were also gifts.
Total cost: £7

So for a mere £15 I have decorated 3 different corners of my room and made the space my own. Best of all these can be packed up and easily moved to the next student house. Has anyone else got any tips for decorating on a budget?

8 Things that have made me happy this week

Life is all about celebrating the little things as these are the moments that add up to make us happy.
It's been a busy week and I haven't done one of these posts in ages. Writing them really helps me appreciate my life and be grateful for what I have.

1. I actually knew the answer to a question in a lecture. Admittedly it was quite an easy question and I'm sure everyone else in the room also knew the answer but just couldn't be bothered to say it. But for the first time ever at uni I was confident enough to speak up. Which is weird really because at school I was pretty much Hermione Granger, leaping out of her seat with excitement every time a teacher asked a question. I think I made an effort to ditch my annoying teachers pet image at uni, but on reflection I think I've taken it too far the other way. So, I'm pleased with my small win there.

2. I've got myself a new jumper. Best thing about it is that it was free. And I just love free things. To make it even better its one of Jareds that I've had my eye on for a while and now it no longer fits him its become mine. Hehehehe. All girls love stealing their boyfriends clothes because everyone knows that oversize jumpers are the only way to survive winter.

3. Got myself some Converse which I snapped up for a bargain price online from someone who had bought the wrong size and just wanted to get rid of them. I've wanted some for ages after my old pair fell apart. Currently wearing them in so they stop being so blindingly new and shiny. Already in love with them.

4. Made a fantastic decision to purchase a new Thermos flask. Its a purple paperchase one and it has owls and unicorns on it. It is literally perfect. After looking at my bank statement and realising I am wasting so much money on tea in the canteen I've decided to curb my habit and bring the tea with me. Problem solved.

5. Try not to be too impressed but I've actually been to the gym a few times over the last week. I'm hardly claiming to be a fitness maniac but I am pleased with my small amount of progress.

6. I went home at the weekend and got to see my family. My sister is home from uni on a so called reading week and it was lovely to all be home together. Spent some time outside messing around with the horses and just generally chilling. I'm pretty tired from it though as I was also working so had to get up at 5am and probably only had about 6 hours over the whole weekend.

7. Last Friday I went for a lovely impromptu coffee date with my geology girls and we spent a few hours drinking hot chocolate and gossiping. The perfect way to spend a day off. #Sirens forever.

8. I've spent large amounts of time in my onsie watching TV and drinking tea. This is the ultimate way to distress. Jared and I also made a huge list of films to watch and have been slowly going through them. So far The Lego Movie has to be the best. I know everyone else says this but I genuinely thought it would be shit and was amazed by how good it was. Made me want to go play like a 6 year old again.

So there you have it. Got another busy week ahead yet.

Major new addition to my skin care routine: Clinique Sonic Brush

Say hello to my new Clinique Sonic Brush I promised I wouldn't get. Whoops, well I did. Today is my first day using it and its pretty damn great.

I'm justifying this as a reward for finishing my dissertation and as part of my 'doing what makes me happy campaign' I said I would do once the work was done. And taking care of my skin makes me look great, and that in turn makes me feel amazing.

My plan is to continue to use this alongside my normal 3 Step routine for 1 week and then we'll have a little review of what I reckon the results are.

So far I am impressed with it, it has added a grand total of 30 seconds to my morning routine (although after a month of use I plan on upping this to a minute) and its so simple to use. The reason I was attracted to this face brush over many others on the market is it does not have a rotary head. This makes it very gentle and it feels like a dream on your face. I do not want something that feels like it is scrubbing every last cell on my face off and this does not have that affect at all.

I used it in the shower with my normal Clinique cleanser for oily skin as part 1 of my 3 step routine. I followed this up with step 2 (exfoliate) and step 3 (gel moisturizer) before using All about Eyes cream and Superdefence SPF 20 Moisturizer. In total this whole process took about 4 minutes which is hardly an excessive amount of time. Plus its nice to leave the house each day feeling pampered.

Here is my mug after my first use today. So watch this space for the second part in a weeks time where we will have a look to see what the results are.

I'm really hoping its going to be as good as the rest of my Clinique Products.

The Clinique products I'm currently lusting after

Now first off, the work situation is currently dire. I am in the grip of a tortuous two week exam period and only a few days after my final exam is the hand in date for my dissertation. In case I hadn't gone on about it enough. I've been staring at a computer screen ALL DAY drawing lines in order to make my interpretive map. The good news is I've done one of my exams, submitted a deadline and my map is slowly but surely getting there. Also almost half way through the dissertation. BOOM.

Instead of revising tonight I am procrastinating by making this post. I am a top student.
I've already spent several hours watching Him & Her (rapidly becoming my favorite show of all time) and Orphan Black (only just discovered this, it is so darn gripping!). And I've had a ready meal. But I have spent 8 hours today making that fecking map so I think its only fair enough.

Just as a side note, Clinique have not bribed me in anyway to make this post (although if they want to I would be more than happy to accept aforementioned bribary). I am actually a genuine fan. Also a very poor fan, who would already own all the things on this list if I actually had any money. So please indulge me in another whiny post about all thing stuff I want. This really is way more fun than actually doing any form of work.

1. Turnaround Overnight Radiance Night Cream

I love a good night cream. There is something so luxurious about taking the time to pamper yourself before you go to sleep. Also I am a bit of a sucker for thinking I genuinely look like a model when I wake up after I use one. The reason why I've got my eye on this one is it is oil free and designed for my skin type (which is type 3 in case anyone is interested). I currently use Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask which is great but I think it is a teeeeeeny bit too rich for my shitty oily T-Zone. It also has 95% recommendation rate. Sounds pretty ace to me.

2. Turnaround Instant Facial

Another one from Clinque's turnaround range. I love their other cleansers but I am looking for something that can create a real at home treat. This product (according to the reviews) has sparkly bits in which sounds exciting! I need something that will repair damage done from a late night binge watching Breaking Bad or from too much wine. I feel like I could use this product and skip off to lectures with nobody having a clue how exhausted I am. I want people to be like "Amber's skin is always so radiant! I wish I knew how she did it!". I can dream.

3. Clinique Sonic Brush

I've mentioned this bad boy on here before. But its because I really REALLY WANT ONE. I tried one at my local Clinique counter when they first came out and it was so good. Felt so soft on my skin and I'm certain it could zap the greasy bits by my nose. I feel like it would boost my 3 Step to a whole other level but the expense is certainly holding me back on this one. The huge amount of positive reviews on the website promise I wont regret it, but I still just can't quite bring myself to part with the cash. Maybe I'll spend my birthday money on it... (By which I mean, I will.)

4. Smart Custom Serum

Now this is also a relatively new product from Clinique and I have a free sample of it somewhere. I'm desperate to try it but it has vanished into the depths of my room. This promises to address uneven skin tone and to improve radiance. Sounds pretty incredible to me. Again, this is quite pricy for a student budget so I think I'll have a good look for that free sample and see what I make of it. But serums are all the rage at the moment and I'm keen to see what all the fuss is about. This little beauty also has over 95% recommendation rate and I can't imagine all those people are wrong. I shall prepare for a trip to Boots in the near future.

5. Airbrush Concealer 

My flatmate has this and I find myself stealing it before every night out. I also tried it last time I was at a Clinique counter. Mostly cos I was looking like shit that day and wanted someone to patch me up. I haven't bought it yet because I am too poor. But I am going to. At some point. I need a concealer that will work perfectly with my foundation and I suspect that this is probably the answer. Also I just love that its a pen cos thats so handy for emergency spot hiding. I suspect when I eventually own one I will go though it pretty quickly and it will become a handbag staple.

6. True Bronze Pressed Powder

Another one that I've tried during a makeover at a counter and I loved it! I use bronzer all the time but I am always stressed my cheap one makes me look like an orange amateur. This gave me such a healthy glow and I got so many compliments that day on how great I was looking. I already own Cliniques Fresh Bloom All Over Colour and I think its incredible so hopefully I would love this one just as much.

7. Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm

This is not an essential purchase. I already have several blushers that are all great. This is purely something I want. As I already have 3 Chubby Sticks I am confident that this would be a flattering, long lasting colour. I've never owned a cream blush but I constantly read that they give a very natural flush which sounds good to me. I like to go for the natural look on a daily basis so anything that can help me achieve that has to be on my wishlist.

8. Long Last Lipstick

I already own two of these and they are by far my favourite lipsticks. They are soft, creamy and really do last for ages. Ive already mentioned my newer of the two called So Sweet here and I am devastated that Clinique decided to discontinue it. What will I do when it runs out!! There are several different colours that I like the look of available such as Black Violet, Watermelon, Pink Spice, Rose Shimmer, Violet Berry, Heather Moon, Dubonet... Basically all of them! I probably need to go into store and spend a delightful hour trying them all on. I highly recommend these lipsticks. You need one in your life. And for a high end lipstick they are very reasonably priced.

So in conclusion: I need to get saving. When I finish this exam hell I plan on going on a splurge to reward myself. What the hell.

Pictures all from Clinique,

Stuff I can't wait to do

Ever since I was about 14 I've hated January as it involved some sort of exam season. Not only is it cold, with shit weather and no Christmas to look forward to but then they decide to add EXAMS into that delightful mix.

This time last year I was disastrously ill and having one of the worst months of my life. This year is not much better for very different reasons. Basically I have three exams to sit and I hate two out of the three modules. Plus my dissertation deadline is only 2 days after my final exam. That's right. TWO WHOLE DAYS. Aren't they generous?

The amount of work I've got is crippling and is leaching all the fun and enjoyment out of my life. Even when I am taking a break I am so wracked with guilt I cannot enjoy what I am doing. Right now the only thing I seem capable of doing is crying and that is really not helping because I have got a horrible cold that is already making me a snotty mess.

To try and cheer myself up I decided to write a post on all the fun things I am going to do once this work is out of the way.

1. Netflix, tea, pjs. All day, for a whole day. I don't care what I watch or how much fast food I eat but its going to be incredible. Might even do it for several days. We'll see how I feel.

2. Dinner with my Geology Girls. We've got a fun celebratory dinner planned and I can't wait to consume copious amounts of wine and relax. While stuffing lots of yummy food into my face.

3. Get back to the gym. I have not had time to even go near that place, but weirdly I find myself looking forward to going back there... Probably a good thing as I plan on doing a lot of eating over the next few weeks.

4. Date night with my boyfriend. As a well deserved treat we are off to do something special together. It will be really nice to spend some time with him where I am not on the brink of bursting into stress tears at any moment.

5. Party time! There is a big party being planned for some friends of mines birthdays. Best part is its DISNEY THEMED. Time to crack out my well thought out costume and drink large amounts of vodka and coke (mostly vodka).

6. Planning my holiday. The reason I worked my butt off over Christmas was to earn some cash and I plan to spend a bit of it jetting off somewhere hot and sunny. Even thinking about it makes me excited!

7. I'm going to treat myself to some sort of beauty item. I haven't decided what yet but I've promised myself that the day I hand in that stinking dissertation I am going to go straight to town and blow my student loan on whatever takes my fancy.

8. Doing whatever the hell I want. This is probably the most important one. I am desperate to regain some control over my own life and get back to doing stuff I find fun. Life is too short to waste and I believe in spending every moment making yourself as happy as possible. I believe in doing what you love and I am hoping that one day this degree that I despise so much might actually lead to something I enjoy. So once this is over I plan on doing whatever I please for a bit. At least until the next deadline starts looming...



Picture from Pinterest.

Things I currently want

I love pretty things!

1. A faux fur headband. As previously mentioned I think I might look like a total muppet so I have never bought one. But I want it...

2. Netflix. As my boyfriend has this and I spend a lot of time at his house its pointless to spend any money on it. But I want to be able to watch it whenever I like. AKA. All the time.

3. For my dissertation to stop ruining my life. If it could just go away that would be great.

4. To have my car at uni. It would make my life a million times easier. 

5. I really want a go pro. Like really want one. Partly for filming my horse stuff with but also for just say to day life. I've spent a lot of the Christmas holidays watching old home videos and they're so hilarious. I reckon we could record some awesome stuff on a go pro. Now I just need to find £280....

6. A cat onsie. I already have a onsie. It's leopard print and it's awesome. I also have pjamas with a hood that looks like a robin. Next on my list is to actually get a cat one. With ears and a tail and everything. I'm going to wear it and sleep for 16 hours a day. 

7. Eyelash curlers. I'm not sure I can be a proper girl without these. I need to stop messing around and just buy some. 

8. Clinique sonic brush. I feel like this will turn my skin care around and make me look like a super model. But then again it's EIGHTY POUNDS. So maybe not. 

9. Coffee. I bloody hate coffee yet I want to be as basic as everyone else and walk around with my Starbucks. Instead of having to be boring and get a hot chocolate every time I go into a coffee shop.

10. A Mac. Again I'm basic and I don't care. My sister has a Mac and it's so much prettier and cooler than my shitty HP laptop. But y'know as I don't have a spare grand lying around I'll have to give this a miss for now. 

New year... New Goals

Now I'm not really one for making New Years Resolutions. I never stick to them and that just makes me feel bad about myself. However since I was 14 every year with my sport of Carriage Driving I sit down and make a list of goals of what I hope to achieve each year. This tactic has allowed me to compete for GB so it must be working. In which case, its probably time to apply it to the rest of my life.

1. Be better with my skin care. I started using Clinique skincare back in April and it has made a huge difference to my skin. Over the next year I want to start being more dedicated to my routine and stop being so lazy.The effort is worthwhile and will pay off in years to come.

2. Finish my dissertation. This is a bit of a cheat goal because the deadline for this is the end of January and isn't something I am going to work on for the whole of next year. But this is a project I have been working on for the best part of a year and to finally complete it will be a huge achievement. I can't wait for the day after its done. I'm going to sit in PJs drinking tea and watching Netflix. Its going to be glorious and I'm already fantasizing about that blissful moment of relief.

3. Find a replacement curly hair shampoo. I've been loyal to Naked Bodycare for the past year and I've never been able to fault it. Unfortunately they have gone out of business so now everytime I venture into Boots I find myself leaving with every bottle they had in stock. Obviously this approach is not sustainable for ever so at some point over the next year I am going to have to go through the horror of trying to find something suitable to replace it with. No doubt that will appear on here at some point so keep your eyes peeled for that in the future.

4. Stop being so horrible to myself. I am very bad for talking myself down and telling everyone how bad I am at things. Now clearly I can't be bad at EVERYTHING so this needs to stop because the more you tell yourself things the more you start to believe it. It becomes this awful self perpetuating cycle and its very hard to break. This year I am going to make a concentrated effort to stop being my own worst enemy.

5. Care less about what other people think of me. This is a lifelong goal for me and I think it will probably appear on this list for a few more years yet. Certain events that have happened this year have brought how short life is into very sharp focus for me. Life should not be wasted worrying about other people. Over the past year I have started wearing a lot of lipstick, and I am sure it is not to everyone's liking, but it makes me feel happy so I do it anyway. This blog is another example of me trying to combat this problem that regularly threatens to cripple me. I felt like people would laugh at me if I started a blog and I eventually gathered the courage to do it anyway. Now I wish I had done it ages ago. I make small little baby steps with this everyday, but its important to keep focused on it. Otherwise I slip back into my old ways and that will not make me any happier.

6. Go on an adventure somewhere. I'm not really bothered where or what it is but I want to plan it and just do it. There are few things in life that are more invigorating than doing new things and its a worthwhile use of your money. Half the fun is in deciding what you want to do, or in just waking up and doing something on a whim. So while I have no plans yet, I will definitely be making happen.

7. Try to eat more fruit and veg. I'm not going to start whinging about dieting but I do need to eat a slightly more balanced diet and stop having eating so much junk. This ties in nicely with No. 1 and I'm sure my skin will thank me. I'm not going to give up anything or start being restrictive. Instead as a very picky eater I am going to try and be more inclusive and add some new foods to my repertoire. We'll see how this one goes.

8. Go on more dates. Both with my boyfriend and my friends. As mentioned above doing new things is good for the soul and is proven to forge stronger bonds between people. But aside from that its just plain fun. And I'm keen on anything that adds extra fun to my life :) I've already got a few things planned and I'm so excited for it!

9. Do the Race for life. Again I'm not going to pretend to have unrealistic goals of turning into a super fit gym bunny but I would like to do this in memory of my Grandad whether I run, walk or crawl it I don't care. I want to do it anyway. I think its a worthwhile achievement however you complete it.

10. Be more assertive. This is my big one for the new year. Despite my friends thinking I won't take shit from people I am actually incredibly prone to letting people walk all over me. The problem is I have a hard time standing up to people who are close to me. Yet I have no issues releasing my resting bitch face or scathing sarcasm on mere acquaintances who have mildly annoyed me. I don't want to argue with people or upset them and sometimes I let that be an excuse for allowing them to upset ME instead. This year I want to try to say NO more and start focusing on whats best for me. This might mean some of my friendships will change but I'm starting to realise that if they don't see that my happiness is important then they probably weren't my friend in the first place.

Christmas Cocktail Party

Bit late for this post but who cares, life got busy as I am currently drowning in work.

Last week was the Geology Society Christmas Cocktail Party and my god was it fun.

I've been to this event every year since being at uni and with each passing year I remember less and less of it and they seem to get better and better.

Kicked the night off with girly predrinks at mine getting ready. Found myself doing everyones make up and hair which was great because I LOVE playing around with make up. I also treated myself to a pair of hair curlers so got to work on making my hair EVEN curlier than usual. Fun times.

My housemates (who are not geologists) joined us as I decided to combine this event with my birthday night out as they are so close together. We all headed over to my boyfriends house as he lives just round the corner before heading to the venue itself.

The music was excellent, with yummy cocktails and I had a lovely evening chatting with my lecturers, socializing with my course mates and dancing with my housemates. My non geology friends did ridiculously well on the raffle and someone won a bottle of fizzy red wine. Yes it is as disgusting as it sounds.

The night was only slightly marred by high heel pain as I decided to wear my highest most uncomfortable (but sassiest) heels so I decided to drink to numb the pain. This works but also means you can't stand up in them very well.

Anyway I think the pictures of the night speak for themselves. Big thanks to my housemates for coming and I think we can all agree it was the best night we've had in ages.


But then again any chance to get glammed up is good with me!
Pictures courtesy of SU Photographic Society events team

A super cringy, yet funny pic of the dance floor.