Moving away from home to a new city can be scary enough when you start Uni; let alone the thought of not knowing anyone when you get there! Luckily, there are lots of things you can do to ensure you don't feel isolated and make the most of being around new people! As a fourth year student, I'm going to share with you my tips for making friends at uni, which I can honestly tell you do really work!

1. Invest in a doorstop! Let's start with the strangest one. From my experiences, if you're living in halls or student accommodation, bedroom doors tend to be heavy and uninviting. Make yourself seem friendlier and welcoming by wedging your door open so that your flatmates feel they can approach you easily! It really can make a difference, no matter how small.

2. Bring chocolates/cake for your new flatmates. Who doesn't like chocolate? It makes for a great icebreaker and allows for easy conversation to flow over cake and tea!

3. Ask questions. Once you've got the conversation flowing, don't forget to ask lots of questions. Fun fact: we love talking about ourselves! It's the thing we know the most about and it also helps to get to know your new housemates better. You don't have to go in with the deep questions straight away; simple things such as where they grew up, what hobbies they have, do they play any sports etc.

4. Everyone is in the same boat! Don't forget that your flatmates probably feel just the same as you! So be the one to initiate the conversation because chances are they're dying to make friends with everyone else too. 

5. Join societies. Not everyone clicks with their flatmates - and that's okay! Even if you do, a great way to make new friends with similar interests to you is to get your bum down to your Uni's societies fair and join any that interest you. Societies often hold events or weekly meetups where you can meet and socialise with other people. 

Hello all!

Happy September everyone!

As well as September being my birthday month (6th September if you're asking), it's also the month that many young adults move out and start their new adventure at University. This year, I'll be going into my final year but my younger brother will also be joining me in Cardiff as a fresher! So I thought I would share the checklist I made for him because I'm sure it'll help others going to Uni! Sure, you can Google "what to take to university" and it'll come up with dozens of results, but I'm hoping to add my own personal touch as someone who's been student-ing for the past three years.

Let's start with the boring things: so-called important documents.  It's probably a good idea to take the following:

• Passport - not always essential but it may be needed as a second form of ID, or it may come in handy if you decide to take an impromptu trip to Budapest (YOU NEVER KNOW).
• Debit/credit card - probably already in your wallet but don't forget it, okay? You live on your own now, you need to buy your own shit. On this subject, change your account over to a student account as you'll have much better overdraft rates (often 0% interest) and great little student perks.
• Uni information - any documents about accommodation, your course and inductions, and any student finance information.

Hello all! It's been a while!

Tim and I took a trip up to my new flat in Cardiff a couple of weeks ago and obviously I couldn't have gone without diverting into the city centre for a spot of shopping! I didn't pick up too much but I thought I'd show you guys the few bits I did get because there were some very exciting things (in my opinion anyway).

Let's start with the (potentially) least exciting of the bunch - my new duvet set! I've had my eye on this beaut set for a while, ever since I saw it in Primark's Tottenham Court Road store. When I got to Cardiff I realised I had no duvet cover for my bed with me so perfect opportunity to pick up a new one! It only set me back about £10 and I absolutely love the print and colours. I also love that it's totally reversible for if I fancy a change of bedroom scenery with very little effort put in!



I felt slightly pressured into buying this next item (LOL pushover!) but I'm actually so glad I bought it. Cardiff has a new Models Own pop-up store in St David's shopping centre so I decided to have a bit of a nosey. One of the staff members came up to me immediately and was talking me through all the new products and said that I would get a free gift for just having a chat. Now I'm not one to turn down a freebie (especially a make-up related one!) so I went along with it but DEFINITELY felt the need to buy something else with it! I picked up a nail polish in the shade Colour Chrome Indigo for £5 and I'm so in love with this metallic colour. I'm a little disappointed at it's lasting power but I'm determined to find a top coat that'll prolong it! Any suggestions, please do let me know! The freebie, in case you were wondering, was a 4-in-1 nail file with a nail buffer/shine etc.



I had part of a gift voucher left from Christmas for New Look so I dragged Tim in for a look around the sale items. I found these gorgeous high-waisted shorts for £9, so I picked them up despite them being a size smaller than I would usually go for (although they actually fit pretty perfectly - for now!)



The last item was a bit of  a naughty purchase, but it's something I've had my eye on for a while. I've heard so many things about the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess fragrance and as soon as I smelt it I was in love. Nothing like your usual floral/fruity fragrances, this perfume is a holiday in a bottle. I was going to ask for this for my birthday (6th September if you were wondering), as it usually retails at just under £50, but The Fragrance Shop had 21% off and so I just couldn't resist! And look how beautiful the bottle is!

I have been a loyal Real Techniques buffing brush user to apply foundation for a good couple of years, but since the introduction of sponge beauty blenders being brought out by many brands, I've been very curious as to how they compare.  After attending the #BloggersUniteSummer15 event in Sheffield organised by Bloggers Unite Events, I received an incredible goodie bag including a Nanshy Marvel 4 in 1 make up blending sponge. How cute is the packaging?!



Firstly, I had to research what was so "4 in 1" about this product, and I learnt that this refers to the different surfaces of the sponge and its ergonomic shape.  Traditional beauty blenders tend to boast a 3 in 1 design, but the Nanshy sponge has an added fourth flat surface. It must be said though, that this added surface is not gimicky in any way at all. It's probably my favourite surface to use! The pointed part is perfect for blending in under the eye and around the nose and I think the sponge works so well to blend in concealer over acne scarring and over dark circles. I've noticed that using the beauty blender on dark circles as opposed to using my finger or a brush leaves such a nicer finish and leads to a lot less creasing under the eyes, which I'm very happy with!



In my opinion, using the sponge gave me more of a natural finish than a full coverage, so in this respect using the sponge for foundation works best for me when doing make up for work or for days off when I don't want to look fully made up.  I didn't feel the sponge worked well for blending in concealer over raised spots and blemishes, so for these I just continued to use my finger, which works perfectly fine for me.  



Overall, I'd say it isn't a matter of conversion as I'm continuing to use both the beauty blender and buffing brush to suit my needs, and I would say I use the beauty blender pretty much every day to blend in concealer to cover up dark circles. I'd definitely recommend the Nanshy blending sponge with the flat edge as it fits beautifully to the contours of my face, and makes blending foundation and concealer so easy!