Little Geordie Lass

When it comes to make up I always feel like the base is the one thing you need to get right to make the rest of your make up look good. That is why I always like to experiment with different primers, foundations, concealers and powders to find my ideal combinations for different occasions. After constantly seeing Nars Sheer Glow bombing around pretty much everywhere online, I decided to go into my local John Lewis (on more than one occasion) get colour matched. After toying between the samples of Deauville and Fiji for way too long, I decided to go back to John Lewis for one last time to get their opinion. After a problem in store, the girls on the counter decided to give me a full base makeover and, lets just say, I was very impressed and stuff went on my Christmas list.

This post really has been a long time coming, I have mentioned in previous blog posts about how I have started going to the gym and how I am starting to focus on myself and take care of my body. So I thought I would actually sit down and take the time to show you how much I have changed throughout 2016, what I have been doing to lose weight and how my perspective on exercise has changed. So if you want to know how I went from being my heaviest in my final year of uni to being just half a stone off my weight when I began uni back in 2013 then please read on...

I always love seeing these kind of posts, I really enjoy seeing what everyone has been loving throughout the year and what new discoveries people have made. This year I feel like it has been my year for spending the majority of my money on makeup, 2016 was my year of makeup. But as well as makeup, I am also going to share some other beauty products, skincare and miscellaneous items that I have been loving this year. Enjoy!

Let's be honest, 2016 hasn't been the best for many of us. With Brexit, Trump, numerous celebrities passing and Newcastle United being relegated to the Championship, there has been better years. But in terms of what I have personally been up to, 2016 has actually been pretty good. I look back on the year I have had and realise how much I have achieved and what opportunities I have been granted this year.

I have always been quite adventurous with my hair when I was younger, especially in my early teens getting my hair dyed or highlighted quite often. Coming into my late teens and 20's I just left my hair alone so it could become healthy again, and until now it was the first time my whole head had been its natural colour since I was around 10 years old! But, in true style, it wasn't long before I got bored. So I did a thing...

Being a postgraduate student, I can definitely see the difference between studying my first degree my current one I'm studying now. Firstly, going from a degree where I am learning by being up on my feet all the time (wearing my leggings and trainers) to sitting and having 3 hour presentations and discussions. And secondly the difference in workload. Yes I had a lot of work to do the last 3 years, and telling people that I only have 2 essays to do before Christmas this year may seem like a doddle; but they are both 5000 words, all based off independent learning and doing my own research. It can be stressful. Hell, all university courses are stressful, if it wasn't stressful then it wouldn't be a full university experience! So with assessment period looming, I thought I would share a few of my tips on how to deal with stress at uni; or even school, college or sixth form- these will all apply!

I have always considered myself quite a charitable person, from being a Girl Guide to a university student. A lot of my spare time at university has been dedicated to the Student's Union fundraising strand Raise and Give, RAG for short, as a student committee member which I volunteer my time for. My role on RAG Committee involves planning and executing numerous fundraising events and activites throughout the year alonside other student volunteers and working closely with the SU staff to make our ideas a reality. Background done, every year we try to arrange an overnight stay in a UK city where students volunteer to raise money for a national chairity; which we call RAG Raids. This year we teamed up with Cancer Research UK and headed to Manchester to raise funds for the charity and raise awareness of Stand Up To Cancer day, which aptly took place on the day the TV show was being aired on Channel 4 later that evening.