Week 2 at University

Well week 2 turned out to be just as intense as week 1!! I'm writing this on my Monday day off so I'm actually to start week 3 tomorrow which means its down to the nitty gritty but before all that I think it's time for a little bit of reflecting...

 

Week 2 actually turned out to only be 2 days but there was a whole bunch of scary stuff crammed into those two days!!

 

Monday started off with my strategic management class which made a lot more sense this time round I must admit. It turns out that a lot of the stuff I learnt in my advanced Higher class in high school is gonna relate to that class so once I've finished writing this I'm going upstairs to somehow dig out all my old stuff from under my bed.

 

After that class I had my collection meeting and luckily my origami theme got approved and I just found out about an hour ago that the teacher I really wanted to b my mentor for the year is actually who I got!!

 

So my collection this year is about how origami has affected high street fashion and I've decided to make it for the Topshop Unique brand which is beneficial as they go above and beyond with their collections because it's presence at LFW makes it so much different from other high street brands.

 

Thursday was my international trading issues class in which we had a bit of a more in depth look at China and how much its grown in the past few decades which is really fascinating. Chinese people have much better work ethics and saving methods than us brits, many Chinese people save about 50% of what they earn which is incredible compared to the 10% or less that most brits are managing to save at the moment.

 

So that was my week! After the meeting where  my collection idea got approved I started immediately on my first sketchbook of ideas and this weekend I found a great fabric I'm wanting to incorporate into my designs.

 

I have never worked with prints in my time at university and was considering using a Japanese style print for my collection. However my mentor said that would be too cliché so I have found this fantastic geometric print instead that I'm loving and has a nice young look to it which I'm hoping will really fit in well!!

 

This week at university I'm in on more days and I'll be starting to meet with my mentor to get everything started. I'm hoping to post another update on Wednesday so I'll tell you all how things are going!

 

 The fabric I found for my collection

 A little snapshop from during the week after a 5:45am start

The first few pages of my sketchbook

 

 

Make-Up Atelier Paris Waterproof Gel Foundation Review

Hey everyone! So today's blog post is about something I seen on gossmakeupartists YouTube channel which I fell in love with immediately and that is Make-Up Ateliers Waterproof Gel Foundation.

I've mentioned on this blog a few times already that I suffer from really oily skin and as a result I've become pretty obsessed with foundations and what finishes they create on my face.

Over the past month I've switched from my Benefit foundation to a combination of a YSL and Urban Decay Naked foundation. This combination has given me the flawless full coverage appearance that I like but as the day goes on my skin gets oily again and the foundation moves about so by the time I finish and come home I just want to take it all off as soon as possible because my face looks terrible.

So I took to YouTube again to find some advice on what foundations would be good for my skin and came across this one through the video I've posted above!

 It is AMAZING!!

This foundation is 100% waterproof and is extremely full coverage. I wore it for the first time on a night out 2 days ago and when I put the foundation on I looked and felt a little bit like I had a mask on! This is because of how full coverage it is! My face was just one complete colour which looked a little mental but once you apply your bronzer and highlight etc. it really does create a flawless look.

The foundation is also completely matte and so was totally suitable for my night out since I don't like it in photographs when my skin starts to get really shiny.

The one thing I'll say that was pretty annoying about the foundation was that once you've been dancing and worked up a bit of a sweat the foundation's waterproof properties mean the sweat sits on the top of your face in little beads which is pretty unattractive. HOWEVER! because the foundation is so heavy when you wipe the sweat off, the make up remains perfectly intact!

The photo below is of me once I out my make up on.

As you can see the make up is extremely matte and it did photograph extremely well.

The other wonderful thing about the foundation is that it only cost me £30 including delivery and it arrived the very next day. Its definitely a product I will repeatedly purchase from now on as it is truly wonderful in covering up my oily skin!

A slight warning however! The foundation is so hard to get off because it's waterproof so its best to get a good make up remover specifically for waterproof products.

You can buy the foundation and other Make-Up Atelier face products here http://www.makeupatelierparis.co.uk/face-c-2.html

Back to University! (Noooooo!)

Hey everyone! So I'm finally back at university and thank goodness because I've been dying to write about what I actually do throughout the year an how everything builds up over the weeks, I have no idea how I've managed to keep the blog going over the summer without having my course to provide interesting topics...

 

So it's actually Monday morning when I'm writing this because I've been luckily enough to have them off this term (woo!) so I'm aiming to post a course update every Monday from now on to keep you updated on how my collection is going.

 

So what's happened in my first week of 4th year?

Apart from having to get up at 5:45am every morning!?

Well, it all started off with a few daydreams of me in my graduation gown but as the weeks gone on those thoughts have become few and far between! We've been getting  lot of serious chat about how important the year is and whilst it is motivating to be told about how close you are to finishing university, constantly hearing the same thing can have the opposite effect. Come Friday I was so keen to enjoy the weekend! Especially since I left campus with 8 library books!

 

I have two management classes this term, one is strategic management and the other is international trade issues which are pretty interesting topics to read into. I've said before that I done business and stuff throughout high school so I'll be studying hard to get the grades that will (hopefully) contribute to a 1:1 degree this year! I'll maybe talk about these more over the coming months cause they can be pretty interesting topics (I promise!)

 

So anyway, my year is taken up mostly by my honours collection which is where I undertake an area of research and develop clothing to back up that research.

I can now tell you all that I've submitted my topic and tomorrow I'll discuss it with my year head. My chosen topic is an investigation into Origami and it's influence on high street fashion. This might change after tomorrow if my lecturer feels bits need tweaked but I'm pretty stoked to get my teeth into it all.

 

We've got a dissertation/report to do as a part of it which is pretty worrying but once I sit down and actually plan it all out I'll be a bit more confident in tackling my subject! We've had two mini workshops on dissertation writing and it's starting to sound a lot more in depth and complicated than I initially thought.

 

I have a few photos from the week to upload including a photo of my new mannequin!! I'm going to do a review on it later on this week, hopefully Wednesday because I've literally wanted one since I was 13 so I've got one so that I can continue to work from home this year as well.

 

So yeah! That's been week 1 at uni, there's a bunch of new stuff to learn but it's nice to back into the swing of things, can't wait to show you all how my collection turns out!

 

So here is this week in photos!!

 

 In order to get a lie in we stay at a friends house in Galashiels on Thursday night! Here is a snapshot of me pre-sleepover

 Thursday nights is also the night for the business homework...with wine...

 The new mannequin I got at last!

 A student fireplace

 An origami structure created for my research project

 The chaotic 5:45am 'hot girl disguise' workshop, I honestly dunno how I can function so early in the day

Playing about with origami structures on the mannequin

 

Industry Insider: Kirsty Evans

Introducing Industry Insider! A new segment on the blog inspired by Natasha from www.drawdrobeblog.co.uk who recently interviewed me about my course at university. The aim is to get information on different courses and jobs in the fashion industry out there to help educate those who want a foot in the door through a series of interviews.

First up is Kirsty Evans, a fashion student facing her 4th year at university. As the prospect of finishing school and going out into the 'big world' looms, I ask her how she came to be involved in fashion and what her hopes are for the future!
 

What/Where do you study?
The course I am studying is Fashion Technology at Heriot Watt in the Scottish Borders. I’m just about to go into fourth year, which is a little bit scary!

What parts of your course do you find interesting and why? 
I honestly think I made the best decision in going with Fashion Technology instead of some of the other courses available at my university, for me personally. It has given me an insight into so many different areas of the fashion industry that I didn’t think was possible in the little time that I’ve been there. The design element within my modules has always been my favourite if I’m entirely honest.  It’s strange, because the things I imagined I would love haven’t been my most favourite to study. For example, I’ve always been a bit of a computer geek that loved a fiddle with photoshop. But at university, I think computer aided design is one of my least favourite after a 9 hour day in the computer labs – although I still enjoy it!

What made you choose this particular course?
It was a throw up between this particular course and Fashion Communications when I was applying to the university. Although I was keen to do both, I think the Fashion Technology course tipped it because there was a lot more versatility within the course. Either that or because I wasn’t successful with my interview for Fashion Coms – it was fate!

Is there any areas that your course doesn't cover? Or any ways in which you feel your course isn't entirely relevant to what you want to do?
I really wish there was an element of photography in this course, because it is something I have always been interested in. I have just been sure to keep it up as a hobby throughout my course and who knows, it may be something I go into later. Just because I haven’t studied it in depth doesn’t mean I can’t pursue it I guess. I guess the only other thing I wish I could have got more involved in was fashion journalism, but I guess that’s why I have such a love for fashion blogs – photography & journalism in one! I think there are many days in our course where every single person in the lecture theatre is sitting there thinking ‘why is this relevant?!’, but we wouldn’t be taught it if it wasn’t in some shape or form.

What made you want to get into Fashion? Was there a specific moment when you fell in love with it all?
I was that little girl that was obsessed with dressing up. I know most girls were, but I took it to another level with my Mum’s clothes & lipsticks. I think I just grew up appreciating it. When I was younger drawing at my friends house, I used to draw dresses when everyone else was drawing houses, weird. I remember reading some book series when I was about 12 that was about a group of friends & one of them (I swear her name was Izzy) used to make her own clothes & I was like, oh I wanna do that! Why do I remember these things?

Did you take any specific classes or do any internships to help you gain experience and get into university?
I didn’t. I think this is one of my biggest regrets before going into university. A lot of people on the course went to college for a year and learned about the trade before delving into the whole dressmaking world and I think I’ve suffered a little from that. But at the same time, I think it’s helped me to grow as a person & a student because I’ve had to learn a lot quicker.

What does a typical day in your university class involve?
I commute to university, so it always begins with an early rise and trip down to Galashiels! But it then depends on what modules I have for the day. If it’s a lecture day, it’ll be spent with a strong coffee in hand taking notes during the lecture, and then some time at the library after. Before hand ins, it’s a full day in the library! If it’s a workshop day, the class would start at 9 and end at 5. So depending upon the time of year and how far into the module we are, it could be an entire day of pattern cutting, construction or toiling, or final garment production. Towards the end, I can remember being there with the girls until 8/9 at night still staring at a sewing machine. The days are really long, because it’s not just like a course where its an hour lecture & you’re left to your own means. The people I go to university with are amazing though, & I usually spend the majority of the day rolling around the floor laughing.

Can you think of any classes or extra curricular activities you done at high school that have aided the work you do at uni or helped you understand some of you lectures a little better?
The only subject I took at school which relates is Art. At school, I was a music kid and everyone presumed that’s something I would go on to do. I was involved in all the musical productions etc though including the styling and getting together costumes, so I guess that was something? I was quite unlucky at school because they didn’t offer fashion or photography as a subject. Just your standard subjects really. Taking art definitely helped though, even though it was standard art and we couldn’t branch out into fashion too much! I worked in a few different fashion retailers which I think gave me an eye a little. Seeing new collections, how different people wore them etc. Something so silly as a part time job has helped me a little.

Do you see your blog as a means of showing your passion for your subject?
I do. I’ve read blogs for years, and always been inspired by all the girls I’ve read and subscribed to. They’re the people I look up to and gain my knowledge from in fashion rather than what I’m told to like in the magazines. I’ve always found street style so much more interesting and real. I always wanted to express my love for all things fashion and beauty, but I guess I was too scared and believed no-one would read it so what was the point? But yeah, I’m really glad I did because I feel I’ve learned a lot from it in the short time already. Whether a million people read it or one person does, who cares. I’m doing it to learn than to please anyone else really.

Do you feel that a blog is a helpful tool in pursuing a career after university?
I honestly do because it’s real and not something you were assigned to do in the classroom. I think it’s good to future employers within the industry because it shows your drive and initiative to make something of yourself within the fashion world as well.

What do you plan on doing after university?
To be honest, I have no idea. I graduate next Summer and the thought terrifies me. All I know is that this time next year I’ll be moving to London with my best friend to dip my big toe into loads of different fashion related ponds. Who knows where or what I’ll be doing, all I know is that I’m excited to get there!

You can find Kirsty's blog at http://www.krstyvns.blogspot.co.uk/

Black Milk - The Harry Potter Collection

As some of you may or may not know, I am a massive Harry Potter fan! And in June I wrote about my trip to London and how I had the best birthday ever at the Leavesden Studios!

 

Well, shortly after returning from London my friend Amber (http://www.bambi-bell.com/) started to post links to http://blackmilkclothing.com/ on my facebook wall with the promise that a line of Harry Potter clothing was in the works! You can imagine my excitement!

 

So, shortly after her promise was fulfilled and Black Milk released photos of their new line that included all sorts of leggings, body suits, tops etc with the Hogwarts houses on them and other prints that come from within the films and books.

 

The wonderful thing about all these clothes are that they are way more affordable than the items you find at the studio tour and there is much more variety.

I also find that the Black Milk line is fantastic because its wearable. It's pretty hard to dawn a pair of Gryffindor leggings and look sexy but this stuff manages it!

 

I bought a top from the Harry Potter studios that's a replica of Harry's Triwizard Tournament Top but I can't wear it down the street without looking like a total diehard fan (and not in a good way.) But with this line of clothing it's possible to do so and look pretty damn cool at the same time!!

 

Black Milk Clothing everybody!! (wooo!)



 

 

Yves Saint Laurent vs Urban Decay (Lipstick Comparison)

Okay so my issue is that it has literally gone so cold over night in Scotland! It's like the 31st of August was the last official day of summer and overnight it has decided to get all 'Autumn' on us.

Having said that the turning of the weather has also reminded me that university is now a mere 16 days away! A time of year where I usually turn my attention to knitted jumpers, layers and layers of tops over a measly pair of leggings and (most importantly) the shades of lipstick I am going to wear for the season.

Now as I mentioned before I have done a lot of overtime this past month which has meant my pay has allowed for a certain 'splurge' to occur. Over the past two days I've been investing in a little bit of Urban Decay and YSL make up which I will write about in a later post but right now I want to compare two of the lipsticks I've picked up.

Yes, it's another beauty post!!

So my little obsession with the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte line of lipsticks began when I found a Chloe Morello Vlog post on YouTube about her collection of 16 lipsticks from the range and oh my gosh I fell in love immediately!! The canisters they come in are so pretty that I couldn't really resist them and the colours were so gorgeous so I vowed to begin my own collection as of this month.

My urban decay lipstick however, was only bought because of a promotion that is on in the store I work in, buy two lip products get a goody bag free (I'm a sucker for a free eyeliner and make up setting spray) so I bought a nude coloured lipstick (used in this review but later given to my sister) and a dark purple colour.

So onto the comparison! (The following two photos are not my own)

1. First Impression of Canister
So we have two nude lipsticks. In terms of appearance I feel the YSL wins hands down, the gold shine and the band of colour around the middle are absolutely stunning and I think that you can tell straight away that this is a very high end lipstick.
The Urban Decay lipstick looks less upmarket than the YSL but it's canister is also very pretty when compared to others out there, especially because of its intriguing purple colour. So the YSL wins this round.

YSL-1
Urban Decay-0

2. Price
So the price of a lipstick is obviously going to play a big part in whether or not you purchase it. The Urban Decay lipstick costs £15 which I would say is an acceptable price to pay for something that is definitely a little more upmarket.

However, the YSL lipstick can cost between £23-£25 depending on whether it is a matte lipstick or a shine lipstick. The one I hold in the picture above is a shine version of the Rouge Volupte and cost me £13 after I (luckily!) rescued it from a bargain bin at work.

Now, as a student I would obviously go for the Urban Decay because it is a nice looking lipstick and is from a very reputable company, the only reason I buy YSL lipstick is because it is quite obviously a luxury item, it's something I'd buy as a treat to myself. My aim is to get one of the YSL a month but I'd prefer the matte ones purely because they are ever so slightly cheaper in price.

YSL - 1
Urban Decay - 1

3. Texture
Both lipsticks are very creamy in texture. The YSL feels slightly 'wetter' if that's the correct term to use but the Urban Decay is equally as moisturising. The YSL shine has bits of glitter throughout it which makes me think it could have more of a rough texture to it but it actually just glides over the lips.

Both lipsticks are also extremely opaque after just one application which means that you use much less of it and don't have to keep applying it throughout the day.

The only downside to the Urban Decay is that as the day went on my lips got a little 'tacky' feel to them which is common for lipsticks but I cant remember having a similar problem with the YSL.

Overall both lipsticks are exceptional for texture but the YSLs wetter feel can make you think the lipstick would come off easier whereas the Urban Decay goes on and feels a lot more durable.

We'll call this a draw

YSL - 2
Urban Decay - 2

4. Appearance
Below is a swatch of both lipsticks to show just how pigmented they are. Swatch number 1 is the Urban Decay and swatch number 2 is the YSL. As you can see here both colours are very similar so it helps you to see what the similarities are. The YSL is a much more glittery shade of the nude colour whereas the Urban Decay is a more matte finish. As you can see from the swatch both formulas are a thick consistency.

So the YSL lipstick is my go-to lipstick at the moment and I feel it looks really pretty, one good thing about it is that the glitter in it catches the light and gives you a nice glossy lip and since I usually got for a matte lip I found this to be a really nice change!

Also, I like the kind of neutral colour it is, its a nice light pink that's really pretty and is suitable for me to wear at work which is a really important thing for me.

Next up is the Urban Decay lipstick. Again the colour is really pretty but I prefer this one because its more of a matte finish which I prefer. I also like the lipstick because it looks moisturised on the lips, it doesn't look dry.

 

I think this is going to be a draw for the finishes of both lipsticks. Both are a nice pigmented colour with pretty, moisturised finishes that are both matte and shiny.

 

YSL - 3

Urban Decay - 3

 

5. Lasting Power

  Me and my sister wore both lipsticks on a night out (me the YSL and her the Urban Decay) and throughout the course of the night I had to re-apply the shade only once. Whist the colour stayed on very well there was some residue left on glasses etc but overall it didn't go dry and wasn't a worry for me on the night.

 

My sister however had to reapply her lipstick shade twice throughout the night because it kept coming off on her glass. She also wore this shade the other day to a friends and got it all over a cup. Whist the lipstick feels durable it doesn't seem to last very well when you have a drink. Apart from that my sister says the lipstick felt fine throughout the night.

 

YSL- 4

Urban Decay -3

 

Overall both lipsticks are very good. Whilst the YSL seems to be the longer lasting of the two (which is good due to how much it costs) you get an equally good product with the Urban Decay. If anything the price difference between the two could be down to the ornate nature of the YSLs canister or the more moisturising finish of the latter. Either way I feel both lipsticks are a lovely addition to my collection and more will definitely be getting bought!