Why should we regard fashion as something important? Because we live our lives in it. Day in day out we wear clothes - and they help to define us. You can almost tell a someone's personality from their clothing; those who wear bold, authentic statements are probably going to be outgoing and confident; those with long maxi skirts, tie dye prints and feathers may take a hippy lifestyle; contrastingly those with band tees and a dark colour scheme could be into rock music, etc... It's amazing how the essence of what we wear helps create our very own identity, it can help shape who we want to be and allows us to connect with other people who may share a similar fashion sense or identity.
But the best thing about fashion is the playful flexibility we can endure. I can wake up one morning and wear skinny jeans and a band t-shirt and the next, I could wear a tight fitting dress with a silver necklace and heels. Fashion can never limit you - it's up to you how you use it. I've learnt that it's important to always look good - people are drawn to attractiveness and materialistic elements that look appealing to the eye - effort in general is attractive, and if you look like you've made an effort, you will probably look good. Your rooted style will show through in your clothes and your clothes are a mirror into you. For example, a person who dresses like a slob isn't going to attract the right kind of people. And this is why fashion is so important.
However, it's not only what you wear: it's how you wear it. I do not have a large amount of money and thus cannot afford to buy designer items or brands I wish to pursue. Like most teenagers, I'm sure I'm not the only one. This is not a problem though and here are some of my personal tips to help you achieve your ideal identity:
1) Have a role model. Or just admire the style of someone, it could be the designs of Pulitzer, or Quant, or Gucci, or Ralph Lauren - whoever interests you with the aspects they design. It doesn't have to be a fashion designer, it could be a model or celebrity that captures your eye: Tyra Banks, Kendall Jenner - anyone. Find someone who you look at and think "I like their style", but don't copy it - make it your own. Individuality is alluring and being confident enough to do something a little different is intriguing. Make yourself stand out the crowd a little with your fashion sense. Again, your style role model doesn't have to be someone famous, perhaps it could be your mum or best friend. Whoever inspires you to take a real interest in fashion. I've always been drawn to the beauty and class of Marilyn Monroe and the genre of vintage clothing is a particular favourite of mine. Furthermore, the eccentric designs of Vivienne Westwood and the elegance of Vera Wang are ideas I could put my own twist on.
2) Own the basics. A pair of black skinny jeans can go a long way. As does a LBD. I feel like the colour black is a necessity to have a lot of in your wardrobe because there's so much you can do with it - anything goes and you can mix and match a lot easier. Or at least a monochrome colour scheme somewhere in there. Build from the simplicity of more neutral colours to create a more intricate, detailed statement in your outfit.
3) Wear clothes that fit well. This may seem obvious but coming from someone who has the physique which is not typical of a 17 year old, it's important to wear clothes that fit well. I always see clothes that I love the look of, try it on and then realise how hideous it actually looks on my body because it doesn't fit right. So always try clothes on before you buy them, and if it doesn't fit then don't waste your money on it.
4) Be confident. This is probably the most attractive and essential thing. Wear your clothes with confidence and you will feel 100x better. Being confident in general is incredibly important and can open a lot of doors - when it comes to fashion it's that step between wearing something plain and boring, and something that actually gives you an identity and a personality. We only have one life so we should do what we want in order to be happy - and that includes wearing that daring item because why the hell not?
I'm no fashion guru but I hope this helped you channel your inner Chanel.
"Life's too short to wear boring clothes."
Yas
x x x
Monday 11 January 2016
Thursday 7 January 2016
Thoughts on make up and my routine
It is safe to say that I do love make up. I wear it everyday and I invest in it - like most women of this generation. Money and time is consumed within this ritual of being captivating and flawless. However, what ever happened to "natural beauty"? I would not go to sixth form, or out with my friends with no make up on. And I just look back and think how I used to hardly wear any make up at all, it's only been since the end of summer that I started paying a real interest in it. I started to wear make up back in year 9 but literally it would be the bare minimum. I see girls that age now (and younger) plastering themselves in foundation and contour, and I think what has society become - what is the media doing to our young girls, who should be enjoying their youth and not caring what they look like?
We have a warped image of perfection. No matter how much you highlight your cheekbones, or bronze up your complexion, or extend your eyelashes, or have your eyebrows on "fleek", there will always be something to adapt and change. It's effort, it's time and it's money. So why are girls so hooked on this form of art? Because in honesty, I enjoy doing my make up and buying new products. But why? Because it is that boost of confidence. It does give you a pleasing feeling to look in the mirror at the end of your masterpiece and see a more chiselled, polished structure. However, it can get monotonous and sometimes you hit that tedium when doing the same 25 minute routine over and over again, every single morning. But like I said, I do love it and I wear it everyday. So here's my make up routine:
1) Cleanse and moisturise: I cleanse my face with warm water to open up pores and get the dirt and grease out, and then splash with cold water to close the pores, not allowing bacteria to get in. Sometimes if I have spots I'll use the Neutrogena visibly clear pink grapefruit daily scrub. I don't tend to use many spot treatments as I find them harsh on my skin. If my skin is feeling very dry then I will cleanse with my Coconut Oil (which everyone needs to own in their life because it works miracles). For moisturiser, I use Simple replenishing rich moisturiser which I've used for many years.
2) I then apply my foundation. I combine both Maybelline Super stay Better skin Flawless finish foundation and the Rimmel BB cream Radiance 9-in-1 because I find the foundation too pigmented on it's own, and the BB cream doesn't give enough coverage for me, so combining them gives a good balance. I blend them on the back of my hand with my Beauty Blender and then apply to my face and blend into my skin.
3) Next, I use the Maybelline Dream touch, illuminating concealer and apply this under my eyes, on my eyelids and on blemishes with my finger. I prefer this concealer to many others because it gives a natural highlighted radiance, and has great coverage.
4) Base complete, I then move onto contour. I use the Collection Contour kit, Highlight and Sculpt. I apply only the contour at this point with an angled brush along the natural shadows of my face and blend with a larger brush. This is great value for money considering it contains both a contour and a highlighter.
5) Using Collection Gorgeous glow Blush block, I apply to the apples of my cheek and along my cheekbone using a blusher brush. I enjoy this blusher because you can blend the darker pinks with the more rose-gold, shimmery pinks to create your preferred colour.
6) Going back to the Collection contour kit, I use the highlighter and apply under and around my eyes, along my brow bone and the top of my cheek bone. This creates a very pretty look which enhances and illuminates the eyes and makes the skin look dewy and fresh.
7) Moving on to eyes, I apply two mascaras. I cannot use eyeliner or eyeshadow because I have very sensitive, delicate eyes and make up does irritate them. Firstly, I use Rimmel Scandaleyes in extreme black and coat my eyeslashes in this. I love this mascara because of the brush - it allows you to reach tiny eyelashes in the inner and outer eyes, and creates great definition. Secondly I use Rimmel Wake Me Up to add extra volume to my lashes.
8) Lastly, (unless I do my lips) I use Rimmel Brow This Way brow sculpting kit. This kit comes with a wax and powder formula, a double ended brush and a combing brush (very good value for money). I use the wax first, applied with the hard end of the brush, followed by the powder with the soft end, and complete by combing it all through. This kit creates a very sophisticated, neat brow look.
9) For the lips, I love to do a red lip look, although when I go to sixth form I tend to just use lip balm as it is more natural. If I'm going to do a red lip, I use the MUA lip liner in Drama Red to outline my lips and create precision, and then using a lipstick brush, I apply my favourite Lancome lipstick in Le Rouge Absolu which is a beautiful, vermillion red.
And that's my make up (and cleanser/moisturiser) routine. As you can see, I only tend to use drugstore brands as they are affordable. I do desire to invest in Chanel, Dior, Clinque, Mac and Benefit products one day...
“The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.”
― Yves Saint-Laurent
“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”
― Gwyneth Paltrow
Yas
x x x
We have a warped image of perfection. No matter how much you highlight your cheekbones, or bronze up your complexion, or extend your eyelashes, or have your eyebrows on "fleek", there will always be something to adapt and change. It's effort, it's time and it's money. So why are girls so hooked on this form of art? Because in honesty, I enjoy doing my make up and buying new products. But why? Because it is that boost of confidence. It does give you a pleasing feeling to look in the mirror at the end of your masterpiece and see a more chiselled, polished structure. However, it can get monotonous and sometimes you hit that tedium when doing the same 25 minute routine over and over again, every single morning. But like I said, I do love it and I wear it everyday. So here's my make up routine:
1) Cleanse and moisturise: I cleanse my face with warm water to open up pores and get the dirt and grease out, and then splash with cold water to close the pores, not allowing bacteria to get in. Sometimes if I have spots I'll use the Neutrogena visibly clear pink grapefruit daily scrub. I don't tend to use many spot treatments as I find them harsh on my skin. If my skin is feeling very dry then I will cleanse with my Coconut Oil (which everyone needs to own in their life because it works miracles). For moisturiser, I use Simple replenishing rich moisturiser which I've used for many years.
2) I then apply my foundation. I combine both Maybelline Super stay Better skin Flawless finish foundation and the Rimmel BB cream Radiance 9-in-1 because I find the foundation too pigmented on it's own, and the BB cream doesn't give enough coverage for me, so combining them gives a good balance. I blend them on the back of my hand with my Beauty Blender and then apply to my face and blend into my skin.
3) Next, I use the Maybelline Dream touch, illuminating concealer and apply this under my eyes, on my eyelids and on blemishes with my finger. I prefer this concealer to many others because it gives a natural highlighted radiance, and has great coverage.
4) Base complete, I then move onto contour. I use the Collection Contour kit, Highlight and Sculpt. I apply only the contour at this point with an angled brush along the natural shadows of my face and blend with a larger brush. This is great value for money considering it contains both a contour and a highlighter.
5) Using Collection Gorgeous glow Blush block, I apply to the apples of my cheek and along my cheekbone using a blusher brush. I enjoy this blusher because you can blend the darker pinks with the more rose-gold, shimmery pinks to create your preferred colour.
6) Going back to the Collection contour kit, I use the highlighter and apply under and around my eyes, along my brow bone and the top of my cheek bone. This creates a very pretty look which enhances and illuminates the eyes and makes the skin look dewy and fresh.
7) Moving on to eyes, I apply two mascaras. I cannot use eyeliner or eyeshadow because I have very sensitive, delicate eyes and make up does irritate them. Firstly, I use Rimmel Scandaleyes in extreme black and coat my eyeslashes in this. I love this mascara because of the brush - it allows you to reach tiny eyelashes in the inner and outer eyes, and creates great definition. Secondly I use Rimmel Wake Me Up to add extra volume to my lashes.
8) Lastly, (unless I do my lips) I use Rimmel Brow This Way brow sculpting kit. This kit comes with a wax and powder formula, a double ended brush and a combing brush (very good value for money). I use the wax first, applied with the hard end of the brush, followed by the powder with the soft end, and complete by combing it all through. This kit creates a very sophisticated, neat brow look.
9) For the lips, I love to do a red lip look, although when I go to sixth form I tend to just use lip balm as it is more natural. If I'm going to do a red lip, I use the MUA lip liner in Drama Red to outline my lips and create precision, and then using a lipstick brush, I apply my favourite Lancome lipstick in Le Rouge Absolu which is a beautiful, vermillion red.
And that's my make up (and cleanser/moisturiser) routine. As you can see, I only tend to use drugstore brands as they are affordable. I do desire to invest in Chanel, Dior, Clinque, Mac and Benefit products one day...
“The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.”
― Yves Saint-Laurent
“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”
― Gwyneth Paltrow
Yas
x x x
Wednesday 6 January 2016
New Years Resolutions
January is a dreary time. The hopes and expectations to stick to unrealistic, over-ambitious goals is only a set up for failure. And who likes failure? Most of the nation are stuck beating themselves up for eating a chocolate bar when they said they would give up chocolate forever - they should of never made a promise like that in the first place.
That's the problem with promises. They are incredibly delicate - like a piece of paper or a sheet of glass; once the paper is torn it cannot be stuck back together, if the glass is broken, it may be fixable but it will always have the cracks. Making a promise is another way of forming trust, and trust, as we all know, is crucial for relationships - but don't forget about the relationship you have with yourself. If you make a promise to yourself and don't adhere to it, what is that going to make you feel like? Like you've mistreated your own trust, and we dislike people who break our trust and relinquish on them, hence we give the same punishment to ourselves without even knowing it. So my point, don't make intricate or unachievable goals for the new year.
The reason why I'm writing this is because I did it to myself - a few days before the new year I wrote 23 new years resolutions. 23 is pretty prodigious, and I was clearly kidding myself, but being the obstinate person I am, I was determined to give all 23 a go. Which, of course, did not happen. Learning from this mistake I decided to pick my 4 most important and stick to them. I did not call them "new years resolutions" either; they are simply called goals. Because these are things I want to achieve throughout life and not just for a few weeks:
Number 1: Worry less. This is the most important one for me. Everyone who knows me knows I am a massive worrier, and I become very anxious about certain things. But I've learnt that worrying is not worth it in any way - everything will always be okay in the end.
Number 2: Study harder. Okay so this isn't one which I will carry on throughout life, but for the rest of my A-Levels and University, it is colossally important. I want to be successful so I need to work hard to get to where I want to go.
Number 3: Live in the moment. I need to stop thinking and living in the past or future and focus on right now, because not living in the moment can cause many issues and it is the main reason why I worry so much. I need to stop doing it to myself by not letting time pass me by - every one has to take control of their life, seize it and live it.
Number 4: Spend less time on my phone and don't go on social media as much. I waste so much time on my phone it's unbelievably. I don't have the time to be staring at a screen which does not benefit me in anyway. Also, when on social media I tend to compare myself to others which is a painful habit. So from now on, I will use my time wisely, serving to grow and develop as a person and find my true self.
All these I believe are realistic. For me they are challenging; if I put my mind to it I know it is achievable. And that's the most important thing. I have my piece of paper, or sheet of glass: they won't get torn or shattered.
I hope everyone has a lovely 2016.
Goal: the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
Yas
x x x
That's the problem with promises. They are incredibly delicate - like a piece of paper or a sheet of glass; once the paper is torn it cannot be stuck back together, if the glass is broken, it may be fixable but it will always have the cracks. Making a promise is another way of forming trust, and trust, as we all know, is crucial for relationships - but don't forget about the relationship you have with yourself. If you make a promise to yourself and don't adhere to it, what is that going to make you feel like? Like you've mistreated your own trust, and we dislike people who break our trust and relinquish on them, hence we give the same punishment to ourselves without even knowing it. So my point, don't make intricate or unachievable goals for the new year.
The reason why I'm writing this is because I did it to myself - a few days before the new year I wrote 23 new years resolutions. 23 is pretty prodigious, and I was clearly kidding myself, but being the obstinate person I am, I was determined to give all 23 a go. Which, of course, did not happen. Learning from this mistake I decided to pick my 4 most important and stick to them. I did not call them "new years resolutions" either; they are simply called goals. Because these are things I want to achieve throughout life and not just for a few weeks:
Number 1: Worry less. This is the most important one for me. Everyone who knows me knows I am a massive worrier, and I become very anxious about certain things. But I've learnt that worrying is not worth it in any way - everything will always be okay in the end.
Number 2: Study harder. Okay so this isn't one which I will carry on throughout life, but for the rest of my A-Levels and University, it is colossally important. I want to be successful so I need to work hard to get to where I want to go.
Number 3: Live in the moment. I need to stop thinking and living in the past or future and focus on right now, because not living in the moment can cause many issues and it is the main reason why I worry so much. I need to stop doing it to myself by not letting time pass me by - every one has to take control of their life, seize it and live it.
Number 4: Spend less time on my phone and don't go on social media as much. I waste so much time on my phone it's unbelievably. I don't have the time to be staring at a screen which does not benefit me in anyway. Also, when on social media I tend to compare myself to others which is a painful habit. So from now on, I will use my time wisely, serving to grow and develop as a person and find my true self.
All these I believe are realistic. For me they are challenging; if I put my mind to it I know it is achievable. And that's the most important thing. I have my piece of paper, or sheet of glass: they won't get torn or shattered.
I hope everyone has a lovely 2016.
Goal: the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
Yas
x x x
A little bit about me
The meaning of "spontaneous" is interesting, and it is overall an enticing word. It sounds like it would taste good. It's difficult to pick a favourite word out of the numerous amounts we already obtain, delicately placed into languages, in which the majority of them I haven't encountered, and however impossible it may be to come across one individual, absolute favourite word, the word "spontaneous" does capture me. To endear the randomness of doing something out of the blue is completely thrilling, and almost gives a sense of living and what life is really about - not to plan; to do, not to worry; to relax, not to stress but to simply enjoy. And I believe that this is what being spontaneous is about.
I feel like the beauty of being spontaneous is often not produced - people are too scared to be crazy once in a while and do something out of their comfort zone. To live a day which we have not planned. Our lives are consumed with lists and timetables and I understand that is completely normal in a school or work environment, but when it comes to things like planning when to go for a drive, or throw a party, or go for a run, or simply go to the beach, it is completely absurd. These things make your life, so don't plan them - live them. Don't think about them - just do them. Have fun and don't waste your time planning your day when you could just be living it.
Anyway, this is me. I'm Yas, I am a 17 year old sixth form student, studying English, History and Psychology at A-Level. I am from an insignificant town in (dare I say it) the county of Cornwall. Although is has beautiful landscapes and a rugged coastline, it is not appealing to myself. Opportunities are limited. My goal is to get out. But it's that effusion of uncertainty which sends me into a whirlwind of terror - will I ever make it? Will I ever be somebody? Will I ever be comfortable with my income? And yes, it is a greedy and selfish thought patterning but doesn't everyone consume this idealistic view of actually making something of themselves in the future? Maybe it's purely to prove someone wrong, or to be awfully wealthy, or to make themselves proud and think yes - I did it. Because I know life can be a struggle and it's hard to get up in the morning, and sometimes you just want to give up - however we have to step back and think that every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.
Moving on, I have an encapsulating passion for writing, I always have. I remember on Year 6 leavers day when we had to say what we wanted to be in 10 years time and I said that I wanted to be an author. My aspirations have changed since: I am now an aspiring lawyer, but to be an author is my ultimate dream. At the minute, I'm settling for a blog where I can use my writing to express myself and also explore different areas in life which I enjoy, such as fashion and make up, and hopefully I'll be able to offer advice and inspiration to readers out there.
Just a note to end, I would like to say that I am eternally thankful for the life I've been given as the people in it are so wonderful - I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Spontaneous - "done or occurring as a result of an impulse or without apparent external cause" Oxford Dictionary definition.
Yas
x x x
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