Tag Archives: summer

Bronzed Beach Beauty

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Planning a getaway to a tropical island or beautiful beach resort? Or just want to re-create a Victoria’s Secret look? Here are some tips on how to get a beach babe inspired ‘no makeup’ makeup face.

adlima

BB Cream
It is preferable to choose a BB cream with spf as you always want to keep your skin protected and also has a light texture so you feel hydrated and not so caked and baked in the scorching sun! (If the product does not have SPF make sure the moisturiser applied prior to BB cream does have sun protection).
There are various brands out there to try, so make sure you pick the perfect CCC – colour, consistency and comfort for your skin! Everyone will react differently to different products, so I recommend testing a swatch on a small area of your face before wearing it fully. This will help you tick off the CCC checklist. Prices vary depending on the brand. New products to keep an eye out for: 

HIGH END: Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets BB Creme Skin Perfector SPF 20 for £38.00 (price found on www.yslbeauty.co.uk website).

ysl

FOR LESS: The Body Shop All in One BB Cream for £12 (price found on www.thebodyshop.co.uk website).

bodyshop

Bronzer
So you want to make sure your skin has a gorgeous golden glow to match your tanned body, I would advise opting for a matte bronzer as it looks more natural. Too much glitter can highlight imperfections. My personal favourite is NARS Multiple Bronzer £29 (price found on www.narscosmetics.co.uk).

nars

I think it is always paired nicely and looks more radiant when adding a little pink pigment to the cheeks to show a natural flush of colour. Should be applied lightly to the apples of the cheek or in between the hollow of the cheeks and cheek bones.

I would recommend lighter pinks for fair skins, medium pinks for medium skin tones and deeper pinks for darker skin tones. My personal favourite is Bobbi Brown Blush £18.00 (price found on www.bobbibrown.co.uk).

bobbibrown

Lips
For the lips I would steer towards something light and glossy rather than a lipstick. It gives the illusion of sheer, effortless and natural and when it hits the light will draw attention to your pretty pout. My personal favourite is Bare Minerals Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Polish £18.00 (price found on www.bareminerals.co.uk).

bareminerals

Eyes
Eyes can be left bare but I always think it’s nice to go for a light sweep of colour on the eyelids to brighten the eyes. Opt for colours a shade or two lighter and brighter than your skin tone. My personal favourite:
MAC Pigment £16.50 (price found on www.maccosmetics.co.uk).

mac

Lashes
To finish the look curl your lashes and coat once with a long lasting mascara (Tip: always use an eyelash brush to separate lashes after application of mascara as it will look more natural, less clumpy and create volume as lashes will not be stuck together!) I would recommend Clarins Wonder Waterproof Mascara £21.00 (price found on www.clarins.co.uk).

clarins

And there you have it – the effortless looking ‘bare-faced’ bronzed beach makeup look is complete!

Images reproduced from ok-magazin.de, yslbeauty.co.uk, thebodyshop.co.uk, narscosmetics.co.uk, bobbibrown.co.uk, bareminerals.co.uk, maccosmetics.co.uk and clarins.co.uk

Fresh Faced Fun in the Summer Sun!

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Show off your glow at awesome bbqs with the bffs and beach parties with bonfires this summer!

Summer can be the most tricky of times to get your skin looking perfect because of the humidity! So let’s take a look at some steps to achieve a more flawless look. With options for high end products and/or for less!

washing facePrepping Your Face

Step 1 – Cleanse tone and moisturise! To perfect the skin as a base for your makeup you  MUST always do this step! Be careful not to be so harsh with your skin and use the products that are most suitable for your skintype (oily/combination/dry) and be cautious of any conditions you may have (sensitive/mature/dehydrated).

During the summer your skin is likely to get more prone to breakouts, whether you have oily skin or not. This is due to the glands producing more sweat and sebum, leading to dirt and excessive moisture falling into the pores thus creating pustules, papules and comedones. For this reason I would advise a daily cleanser with microbeads. It works as a gentle exfoliator which is not harsh for the skin.

HIGH END:

Dermalogica Precleanse(£33.20) followed by Special Cleansing gel (£27) and Daily Microfoliant (£40.30) – prices from Dermalogica website.

FOR LESS:

Neutrogena ‘Visibly Clear’ Spot Stress Control daily scrub (£4.79) – price from Superdrug.

Toner is important because after cleansing and scrubbing dirt from the open pores you need to tighten and close them up again before applying moisturiser. Also helps your skin stay refreshed in the heat!

HIGH END:

Dermalogica Multi-active toner ( £26.40) – price from Dermalogica website.

FOR LESS:

Botanics 100% Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz (£3.49) – Price from Boots.

After toning your face it will feel tight, not only does moisturiser make our skin feel supple and smooth but also provides the skin cells with the nourishment that it needs. Most of the time we get confused with moisture and sebum. Excessive Sebum/sweat is the cause to breakouts and icky sticky faces! It is also beneficial to purchase a moisturiser with SPF to keep hyperpigmentation and age spots at bay!

HIGH END:

Chanel Ultra Correction Line Repair Anti-Wrinkle Day Fluid SPF 15 (£80 for 50ml)- price on Debenhams, Chanel website.

FOR LESS:

Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Moisturising Lotion for all skin types 150ml (£1.50) – price on Boots website.

Because the above does not have spf it is essential to find a primer that does!

Step 2– Primers act as a barrier between your skin and makeup, it also helps your makeup stay in place longer and fills in pores and fine lines.

HIGH END:

Creme De La Mer, The SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid (£60 for 40ml) – Price on La mer website.

FOR LESS:

Victoria’s Secret PRO Airbrush FX Perfecting Primer SPF 20 ($18/£11.59) – price on Victoria’s Secret website.

Now you’re ready to apply your preferred makeup!

Next article: step by step application from runway makeup trends.

You’ve Graduated! Now What?! – Part 1

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Graduated Now WhatThe time has come. That moment that you have spent that past 3 or 4 years dedicated to achieve. Graduation. The time has probably crept up on you and now you’re faced with the decision ‘now what?’ Well, fear not, we have lots of options and advice to get you started on your life journey. We spoke to graduates who have been in the same position a few years ago and found out what they got up to when the time came for them.

The prospect of growing up and leaving student life behind to go out in the big bad world on your own can be a scary thought. There come lots of worries and a responsibility that you may feel uncertain of facing but the plus side is that you have a whole new world waiting for you and can literally do anything you wish. The first 5 years after university are the times you have to find who and where you want to be. You can make mistakes and learn from them.

You have many routes you can choose from; you can take some time out to find yourself and go travelling. You may go job hunting or if you’re lucky you may already have a job waiting for you. Whichever you path you decide on, you need to go out there and walk it confidently. We spoke to some recent graduates who have been out of university for about 5 years to see what experiences they have had after student life.
Let’s say you want to take the career path, where do you start? Have you got a portfolio of work and an appealing CV? If not then this is your starting place, you need to make sure it is up-to-date and that it sells you as a person and employee. Depending on what industry you are going into, you need to be prepared and know what is expected of you. For the creative industries it is a good idea to have an imaginative approach that is creative and shows off your skills. For the technology industries you need a similar CV but concentrate on the design aspect showing you can use certain technology and so on.

A good example of a well-thought CV, a man got an interview at Google and so he designed his like a search page of Google. This is exactly the kind of thing you want to aim for, get creative and make your CV stand out and be memorable. Prepare a good cover letter to send along side it, you don’t want to make a general one that you send to multiple companies. It has to be adjusted to fit with the job and company you are applying to. Mentioned before was a portfolio of work, this is appropriate when applying to more creative industries or any industry that requires it. For instance if you are applying for a job at a magazine it would be good to have a portfolio of written and art work that can show your skills for the job.

Searching and applying for the job takes hard work and dedication. You need to be prepared to spend some of your days trolling the internet for job vacancies. A good idea is to make a wish list of companies you would like a job within then find out everything you need to know about the company, do your research and be prepared. Often large organisations take applications months in advance especially for work experience. You may need to prepare yourself to work for free for a little while, that is why it is essential you network and get placements whilst you are still a student. It is vital to know people and like they say ‘It’s not what you know but who you know that matters’. A tip is to remember the word ‘networking’ and apply it to your life daily and you will soon see your contact list grow. You need to show determination and be ambitious and you can be sure you will achieve. However, if you do opt for the career path, it’s important to be prepared for rejection and have the attitude that you will continue until you succeed. It’s a tough market out there at the moment with the economic state but if you are determined and ambitious this will show and someone will give you the job.
We spoke to Helen from London who told us about how she got her career rolling by doing work experience and working for free before she was offered a full-time position at a well-known PR company in London.

‘I graduated 3 years ago and it took some time for me to realise what my ideal career would be. I had work experience at a magazine, a modelling agency and a PR company before I decided exactly what it was I wanted to do. I did my final work placement at a PR company and it opened my eyes to see that this was the career for me. I have spent the past 6 months learning the ins and outs of the company and have been given a promotion. My advice for anyone coming out of university is that you have to work hard and do it with a smile on your face even if you hate what you are doing. Commitment and hard work does not go unnoticed and you will be thankful when the company gives you a shining recommendation that may just land you the career you want.’

Read Part 2 of You’ve Graduated! Now What?! next Friday

Time to Bare

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Think of Summer and you might conjure up various images of beaches, picnics in the parks, Bank Holiday weekends and a lighter atmosphere.  For the fashion-minded among us, these images might focus on colourful accessories, shortening hemlines, and the need for long, tanned and smooth limbs.  And it’s this last one that gets me worried every year.

The paranoia starts towards the end of March.  That freakishly warm day where everyone decides it’s time to put on shorts has me running for my duvet, willing the sun to go away so I can go back to wearing jeans.  Because let’s face it, Summer is high maintenance.  All of the extra flesh on display requires a monstrous effort in terms of tanning, toning, scrubbing and smoothing.  Sometimes I’m willing to go that extra mile (or hundred) and make the transformation from hairy caterpillar to beautiful butterfly, but quite often the expectation to keep this up just seems a bit too much.

When the ad campaigns start appearing in magazines shortly after January, complete with Allessandra or Cara or Lara and their miles of perfectly hair-free, honeyed skin, I just want to curl up into a furry little ball until Autumn.  Is there a term for hibernation during Summer?  I’m all for a bit of personal maintenance, and I would never go out sporting the ‘European look’ (furry armpit friend, anyone?).  It’s just the fact that during Summer there are no handy chunky jumpers and thick leggings to hide under if you haven’t recently wielded a razor or gone to the gym.

My Winter beauty regime is very simple: lots of moisturiser, shave legs every week or two, keep up the monthly waxes, done.  And that is truly enough for a time of year where the most amount of flesh exposed is my face and arms.  Summer brings in a whole different ball game.  The war on cellulite starts somewhere mid-February (after Valentine’s day and pity eating have been and gone); the transformation of skin tone from milk bottle to something less offensive might start in the second week of March; feet that have spent months happily snuggled in socks and boots must be wrenched out of their cosy caves and given a thorough service.

It’s a fact: Summer beauty trends are harder work and more expensive.  Even getting that perfectly tousled look with my hair takes ten times longer than a glossy blow-dry.  And yet, as much as I might moan and gripe about it, I still do it.  I find myself getting out of bed half an hour earlier in order to stage the next battle on whatever body hair might have appeared overnight.  Evenings are spent applying self-tanning moisturiser and perfecting the home pedicure.  Each year I persuade myself that I’m one step closer to coaxing my dead-straight hair that refuses to be styled into something resembling a boho beach look.

And so, reluctantly, I admit it: the effort is worth it.  After hours (and sometimes days) of waxing, plucking, shaping, painting and grooming, I genuinely feel amazing.  Hello Summer, I’m ready for you.

5 Ways to Spend Summer on a Budget

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Reproduced from http://www.benefitseveryone.co.uk

With summer fast approaching it’s time to say goodbye to studying. halls and student finance, you’re back home, you’re broke and so are all your friends so what on earth are you going to do all summer? You could get a job, though their not easy to come by and besides who wants to work in weather like this? You could borrow from the bank of Mum and Dad but you still owe them for helping out last month when you didn’t correctly work out your budgeting, again. So why don’t you try out my top five ways to spend summer without actually spending;

  1. Volunteer at a Music Festival – Love festivals but can’t afford the tickets? Not a problem, with various volunteer programs you can attend them for free in return for just a few hours work. The jobs range from litter picking to bar work, there’s no uniform, you can work with your friends, and some companies even provided you with food. There’s also the added satisfaction of listening to your favourites knowing you well and truly earned it. Check out https://www.festivalvolunteer.co.uk/ & http://www.hotboxevents.com/about/festival-stewards-and-festival-volunteers/ for the chance to attend some truly awesome festivals.
  2. Host a Frock swap: Summer means night’s out and parties galore it also means you need a tonne of new outfits which you can’t actually afford. Still we all have clothes tucked away at the back of our wardrobes that we never wear. Clothes that looked amazing under the bright lights of the changing room but transformed into monstrosities the moment we got them home. So gather all those unwanted, unworn items, get your friends to do the same and swap.
    Spend an afternoon trying on each others outfits, it’s just like shopping but without cramped, overheated fitting rooms and impatient shop assistants. Plus that one friend that insists on trying on everything can be left to it whilst you lounge in the comfort of your own home. It’s the perfect way to spend a rainy day and you can get a stunning new outfit for free.
  3. Have a Photo Shoot – We live in the age of Instragram and SnapChat the chances are that if your not a budding photographer at least one of your friends are. Local woods make great locations or skate parks for a more urban setting. Turn it into a summer project that combines all your friends strength. Have a friend whose into beauty and fashion? They can be the make-up artist, sporty friends can be the subject of fantastic action shots. Get creative and just have fun. You could even pack a picnic and make a day of it, it’s a great way to soak up the sunshine and spend time with friends. You may also get a portfolio out of it.
  4. Give back to your local community – There are hundreds of volunteer projects in the UK that run the whole year round. With so much free time during the summer months why not take part and give something back. You can find local projects at http://vinspired.com/ or why not create your own? Rally the troops for littering picking at your local park and see how quickly your tan develops . Or if you’re more artistic you could paint over graffiti with a colourful mural people will enjoy. Volunteering allows you to hang out with your friends with the satisfaction you’re doing good. There is also the added benefit of keeping you out the path of annoyed parents whose “get out of my house” hints have become far from subtle.
  5. Host a Pot-Luck BBQ – Activities involving a lot of people and food are often very pricey when providing it all depends on one person. However the idea of a Pot-Luck is that everyone brings a plate of something and everything is shared. Not only does this keep the cost down it’s also a lot of fun, you could end up with all sorts of combinations. Previous Pot-Luck’s of my own have involved a banquet entirely of pudding. Many parks and woods have there own designated barbecue areas so you an invite as many of your friends as you like, just remember to clear up afterwards.

Hopefully these ideas will help you make the most of the last of your penniless summers before we all have to get jobs and spend these months working instead.

Image reproduced from benefitseveryone.co.uk

Bags: This seasons hottest

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Like clothing, accessories have changed this season to cater for  the flavoursome ambiance created by the  SS/14 trends. They have proven to be rather an inciting challenge with so many ideas blooming from designers; because of this we have a variety of apparel and accessories to choose from this summer.   Here are just a few examples of the summer bags that you might be interested in.

The bag for the the Spic-and-Span 

Clutch bags are convenient to carry all your essentials in complete weightlessness. Nevertheless the controversial see-through clutches are currently a trendsetter’s favourite accessory for going out to exclusive  events. It is a simple, yet a clever idea for exposing ones personality. These bags are perfect for the summer as the season is all about simplicity, weightlessness and freedom to express! There is a time and a place to carry these bags for sure therefore walking with them in a busy street may give you unwanted attention. However having said that,  if you are carrying a few but fashionable items, this is your best bet.

Return of the Backpack 

Whether you’re a student or not, backpacks  are perfect for when you are carrying the world on your shoulders. The old-school trend has been revived to  a range of different styles ; from classy and neat, to urban and chic. The best thing about backpacks is that they are adaptable and adjustable. But how should you choose a leather backpack at https://www.globosurfer.com/best-leather-backpacks/? The  material of the bag you buy can determine the the occasion it can be worn for.  For example Topshop‘s leather backpack is perfect for an effortless weekend out. The adjustable straps of a backpack can also change the function of the bag from carrying heavy college equipment to carrying small, but equally as important, accessories.

Tote Bags 

Tote bags are perfect whether  you are on holiday or staying put .  They are favorable for a more elegant look when you need to carry more than just a few accessories for the day. Stripe or printed pastel bags like the one provided by Lacoste are  desirable for the summer holiday. They represent the modern and effortless look needed for the sea and sand. For the city look- bold and solid colours are your companions.

So whether you are cruising on a beach holiday or exploring the  city- it is always important to stay fashionable and functional this summer with the bags showcased by our favourite brands. Here is to a brilliant summer wherever you are.

Summer Sales Secret Tales

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Summer sales are hard to uncover, especially when they’re behind closed doors. The latest sales that will lead you to your trendsetting destiny will be unveiled to your satisfaction . From high street shopping sales, to online trends, the hottest sales will be brought for your eyes only and even styling tips on how to put them all together to make the best out of your money.

Forever 21 – OOTD vs OOTN Special

Forever 21’s sale covers all ranges from clothing to accessories, which is fabulous to create that complete head-to-toe “Outfit Of The Day” look at a generous price. The all-American brand offers the ideal going- out summer look. No need to worry about the clothes only appearing once from your wardrobe. The finest thing about Forever 21 is that it allows  you to make a combination of their styling with your own and no  fashion dangers are involved. After all, what better store to buy summer clothing than Forever 21 that is based on a pledge to keeping up with the trends. The variety of styles that Forever 21 has is perfect to make this season sweet, simple and fabulous.

Maxi Skirt £13.99 £28.75 For a sophisticated look

Damasked Crop Top £7.99 £10.50 Daring and sophisticated. Goes well with the neon blue maxi skirt for a modern look!

In summer, there is definitely an “Outfit Of the Night”. What happens in the day is different to what happens later on. Make that transformation from barbecues to a classy evening meal with friends/family. Polka dot shorts from Forever 21 shows the difference from the teared up casual shorts, to pristine and elegantly designed shorts. If you don’t want to show the legs for a while, the neon blue maxi skirt is also flattering to give you a look that’s pleasing to the eye, along with a damasked crop top to make it look more contemporary rather than just vintage.

Class it up with these polka high waist shorts £8.40 £12.00 Looks fabulous with a white shirt, even the graphic tees

H&M – Beach Haven

H&M’s mid-season sale – up to 70% off its splendid summer outfits, including their famous “beach 2013” collection is sure to send our wallets driving. The eye-catching £10 bikini that’s on sale is undoubtedly a perfect start for a beach holiday . The attractive floral bikini suit nicely shapes up the body to give you that desirable figure. For those evenings then you’re dancing in the moonlight or looking up at the stars, you can keep warm  with a long Californian-style  tunic top in the summer evening for just £7.00.

Floral print Bikini Bottoms £4.00 £7.99
Floral Print bikini Top £6.000 £12.99
Available in H&M stores and online

Tunic £7.00 £14.99
Gives you that effortless finish after sun-tanning at the beach all day
Available in H&M stores and online

Dazzling Designers

For those who like luxury brands or want to meet the expenses of them to wear for the summer, there are great deals where you can recieve 50% off . You can never go wrong with designer accessories as they always compliment even the simplest of clothing. To give you that expensive finish detectable designer  sunglasses are a way forward. They not only protect you from the harmful rays of the sun but they keep you from looking overcast this summer.  Marc Jacob’s caramel Willow sunglasses are perfect to style with the prevalent trends. They look flattering with the yummy pastel colours, as well as with the all in rage fluoro makeup collections that are appearing in our favourite makeup labels. With a combination of these you create a  daring yet delicious summer dream!

Willow round-frame acetate sunglasses by House of Harlow

£60.00 £120
Enjoy Marc Jacobs designer glasses at 50% off online at outnet.com

Those special summer evenings can be made extra glamourous with a touch of designer jewellery and  the reduced price of them is the icing on the cake. An ordinary evening dress can be transformed into a one-of-a-kind with Noir Jewellery that creates an unforgettable look. For more designer sales, don’t hesistate to go online to outnet.com

£110.26 £245
Noir Jewellery is special for this summer as it contributes to a glamorous summer evening
Available at outnet.com

There is a lot of sales out there, we just need to keep an eye out for them.Make your summer different from the rest and stay fashionable!

You’ve Graduated! Now What?! – Part 2

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Graduated Now WhatA career path is an excellent choice after all you have studied for years to get the qualification in your chosen field of interest. Getting your foot in the door straight after university is a wise idea as you can get experience and really chase the career you want from day one.

However, if you chose the other path of taking some time out to decide what you want from life then this is also a great choice. You can enhance your life and really find out what you want from life and there are many options you can take. Whether that be a round the world trip, volunteering or simply just relaxing, it is a good idea to plan well and be prepared. It’s exciting to try something new and explore the world. Whilst this is good and you should always know how to keep safe and secure on your adventures. Always check that your source is from a reputable place and any agencies that require travel are backed up with ATOL and ABTA as well as ensuring that you have the correct insurance that will cover you in all cases. Most of all be safe and use your instincts to judge whether something is good or not, it is usually right. That aside, let’s get talking about all the exciting things you can do in a year out from the responsibilities life can bring.

If you chose to travel then you have a whole world to explore. Perhaps you always wanted to go to America and do Route 66 or dip your feet in the Pacific Ocean or Indian Ocean whilst soaking up the sun in Australia. How about a ride on an elephant or being a wildlife care taker where your days are looking after kangaroos or swimming with dolphins? Sounds amazing right? Whatever you chose to do you can be sure that it will give you a whole new perspective on life. You will grow as a person and discover what you really want from life. There are many companies who can help you plan and organise your year out such as Bunac, Trek America and PGL.

Have you ever thought about experiencing a new culture first hand, learning the traditions and living like the citizens? If you like children and have some experience with them (babysitting a sibling is fine) then a good way of soaking up a culture is to Au Pair. You can do this all over the world and there are many agencies that work with families and are fully checked so you are sure you will be safe and have the time of your life. If America is the culture you’re interested in then Au Pair in America is a very experienced and trusted agency that have been helping young women have a year of a lifetime for over 25 years. The process is thorough and safe so you know that you are well looked after. You sign up online and begin payments (which are very little for what you get) then you are matched to families who meet your requirements. You then spend some time getting to know some families who contact you before making a decision on who you are going to live with for the year. During your time in America you are giving an orientation in New York before you fly to your family and begin a year of a lifetime. You take care of the family’s children and get pocket money of roughly $200 per week which is yours to do as you wish as the family take care of all your food and bills.

Someone who knows all about spending time out is Emily from Sussex. She took a year out in 2008 to do Au Pair in America. It was an exciting time for her and a decision she has never looked back on. Emily began her journey on August 4th 2008; she boarded a plane to New York where she would spend 3 days on orientation before heading to Atlanta Georgia for her year of a lifetime. She got the chance to live with an American family and was treated like an older sister to the kids she looked after. She had her own apartment in the basement of a luxurious house in a picturesque neighbourhood and loved every minute of her time there. Emily told us ‘If someone is looking to gain independence and experience a new culture then this is the perfect way to do it. I had the time of my life there and would highly recommend anyone thinking of doing a similar thing to grab it with both hands.’

This is just one of a thousand options you can take on your year out. The world is your oyster and you can choose to explore it in your very own unique way. So if you are thinking of taking time out to travel you should investigate all of your options. The same applies to that of volunteering; there are many companies that deal with opportunities to volunteer either here in the UK or abroad. As will the career path, you also need to be prepared that things won’t always go to plan and sometimes situations may arise which may lead you in a different direction. You need to be wise and have your wits about you especially if you are going half way across the world on your own and you don’t know the culture. Remember every country is different and although the UK and the USA have similarities, the cultures are very different and the way the Americans do things can be very different and you may find yourself in dangerous situations. So always do your research and do the best planning you can to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable adventure.
This is an exciting time in your life, you are taking a large step from being a student to being a grown up. You should take it with both hands and go running into your chosen path. The road may be smooth but most likely you will run into potholes or come up against dead ends but do not give up. Life is a journey and we learn the most when times get tough and they make us stronger. It is good to have ambition and that drive to succeed; it’s what is going to make you great.

Plan, prepare and do your research. You will achieve great things if you do this. Graduation is just the beginning of a long road to achieving the life goals you want and if you let it, it will be a fantastic adventure.

Hot Fashion Trends for Summer 2012

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City Connect welcomes Emily Kissock as our latest Features Writer on Beauty and Fashion. In her first article, Emily – an experienced make-up artist, model and fashion writer – takes a look at the hot trends this coming season and shares some key style advice on what to wear in Summer 2012 to stay fashion forward.

Emily Kissock – Style Writer

Summer is coming up and what better to challenge the dull weather than to introduce some light pastel colours into your wardrobe. Beautiful pastel shades are everywhere at the moment and the ability to wear different colours without looking like you’re about to hit the “nu-rave” scene is possible in these shades. Think 1960’s, geometric prints and pop art – yes, pastel pop art! Keeping in with the theme of pastel shades, sheer garments are a real winner right now too. It’s the ultimate ‘fashion oxymoron’ – sexy but innocent, perfect for any occasion and if you pick your sheer-shade right it will go with almost anything.

Little Mistress Embellished Waistband Dress – £50

If you like to go bold and the soft pastel-marshmallow hues just don’t do it for you then you must take a dive into ethnic prints – they are making waves again in fashion, don’t just think of the typical mass printed ‘Aztec’ & ‘Navajo’ as this time round there’s a multitude of mixed ethnic influenced prints available. H&M currently have a brilliant cause – it’s “Fashion Against AIDS” collection – and if you want to add a splash of bold print they will fix that craving and you get to help a great cause in the process.

H&M Fashion Against Aids Skirt – £7.99

Of course not forgetting those needing that touch of edge, denim is one of the on-trend fabrics. Think of it as a canvas and stamp your own personality onto it, for example what’s trending currently with the ladies and gents is to simply teaming denim with hoodies or, if you’d like to really make it your own, adorning it in studs and/or patches for that rock-out-loud look. Denim is such a versatile piece of clothing and wearable by all types of people. You could be as drowned in denim as B*Witched or rocked up like an old school metal head… you catch my drift here, it’s versatile.

ASOS Colour Blocked Denim Shirt – £30

If that’s still not tipping bold on your Richter scale, don’t forget that we have the Diamond Jubilee AND the Olympics in the UK this year and there’s a fabulous range of subtle to downright tacky Union Jack covered garments available! So if you want to show your support by being a walking flag (no pun intended) or just want that Ginger Spice 90’s Union Jack dress it doesn’t matter, stuff like this isn’t usually readily available so grab it while you can and have fun with it!

Religion Union Jack Body – £35

Finishing off today’s article in the same way you would finish off an outfit, let’s look at accessories. Get ready for summer and unleash those futuristic crazy sunglasses, enjoy the mouthwatering sweet colours mixing into the accessories – meringue whites and pixie stick pastels, and not forgetting the tribal touches slithering into those little rectangular clutch bags, big bangles and dangly drop earrings. Bags and shoes share the more than necessary strap look with chunked heels. Hats are dominated right now by big slouchy wide brimmed hats, straw hats and fedora hats. And with that I tip my hat to you and bid you good day until next time.

ASOS Wide Brim Straw Fedora Hat – £14

Images reproduced from asos.com and hm.com