Requested | Whats in my work bag?

Hi everyone, it has been faaar too long! Todays post was inspired by a lovely reader of the blog, who asked me to share one of these 'whats in my bag posts'. Can I just state how much I adore Claire's versions of these on Youtube? Total magic! ✨ I am going to get straight into the post, so as you may know if you read my blog now and again I'm currently a trainee teacher. So it was really important for me to get myself a decent sized bag which I could carry my laptop and a folder or two in comfortably. Before I got really into makeup, I use to be obsessed with handbags haha, however since the last three years my money has been spent on makeup and food I had to cut out one indulgence and bags it was. However when I graduated, my current handbag was in such a state that I had to go on a hunt for a sturdy one that wouldn't cost an arm or a leg. Of course TKMaxx was the store that delivered in the end, because their handbag selection is probably the best on the highstreet.

I came across this awesome Valentino bag, which obviously isn't anywhere near new in season, but it came with a dust bag and it IS valentino....so it counts as my first real designer bag right? Haha, I honestly am not fussed by labels at all and I don't aspire to own any designer gear any time soon, its more the fact that its a great size and comfortable to wear that drew me in. The best part was by far the price, its less than £50, I wish I could link it for you all but its one of those in store gems :(  I appreciate that it has a strong shoulder strap so I can wear it closer, or when it's a little less empty I can wear it with the longer strap and have it hang as a bit more of a casual vibe. The only real gripe I have is the fact that it doesn't have studs at the bottom, so as you might be able to see the corners are already a little worn ._. I may have to ask my uncle to attach some on if he can without damaging the bottom of the bag, because I would like to to last of course.

Right moving swiftly on to whats inside the bag, I HAVE to carry my diary around with me everywhere because I honestly have the memory of a goldfish and if I don't write stuff down theres not much hope. I also sometimes carry my bullet journal the khaki book pictured above, because when I make the time to use it, I LOVE IT! Bullet journaling is really great, but it is something you have to take time out of your routine to do, or even schedule actual time in to do. I have the Leuchtturm 1917 in the plain style and what makes this book a little bit too expensive, is that they have numbered pages which works really well with the whole index system of the book and style.

I also have my keys of course! And I used to have a bunch of keyrings, including a little teddy and a few of those pom poms, but they all fell off and the only thing that remains is the beautiful Palestine keyring which I adore. I normally always have one or two of these lanyard things, I spend Mon-Fri in two different schools and without my I.D it makes getting around them pretty hard because schools have tight security! That different coloured marble thing on the right hand side is my laptop, I always carry this around which definitely makes my bag heavier but I being on this course means I'm always having to check my emails or printing something out haha.

The little leather square is actually a spare bag in disguise, I love it! My uncle gifted it to me and it has already come in really handy - on that note if you're ever interested in leather, suede and sheepskin garments then do check out their business crossbow factory, based in East London. They obviously tend to work with designers and larger companies, but if you're a fashion student or in the area then get in contact for sure ^_^

Getting into the makeup side of things, I ALWAYS have my Charlotte Tilbury airbrush powder in medium, which also happens to be linked in my little shop right next to this photo ayyyyyyee! Anyway this is the best powder I have ever tried ever, I usually don't set my whole face when I first apply my makeup, so this is my touchup powder if I'm a little too shiny - because it restores my makeup like nothing else could and I feel like it blurs my skin a little too. I should probably mention that I DO wear this powder on special occasions or when I'm going for a lighter dewy base. To apply the powder I have this mini ecotools brush, which I got in their travel set - can I just take this moment to say how under rated ecotools brushes are, srsly they're so good for the price especially.

I sometimes have my Tarte gifted mascara because it's the best EVER. Often these days I won't have time to do any eyemakeup, but if I do get stuck in traffic on my commute, a quick layer of this just makes such a difference. And I have a bunch of different lip products, to be really honest with you I usually have 4 or 5 because I'm super indecisive. I also always pop on a lip product last minute before I leave my car, so having options is always useful. I've linked some of my favourites below ^_^

And thats about it really, aside from chocolate wrappers receipts and change haha. I used to carry everything AND the kitchen sink around with me, but the heaviness of a laptop and sometimes folders is more than enough for me these days.

What do you ALWAYS have in your bag?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Requested | Whats in my work bag?

Hi everyone, it has been faaar too long! Todays post was inspired by a lovely reader of the blog, who asked me to share one of these 'whats in my bag posts'. Can I just state how much I adore Claire's versions of these on Youtube? Total magic! ✨ I am going to get straight into the post, so as you may know if you read my blog now and again I'm currently a trainee teacher. So it was really important for me to get myself a decent sized bag which I could carry my laptop and a folder or two in comfortably. Before I got really into makeup, I use to be obsessed with handbags haha, however since the last three years my money has been spent on makeup and food I had to cut out one indulgence and bags it was. However when I graduated, my current handbag was in such a state that I had to go on a hunt for a sturdy one that wouldn't cost an arm or a leg. Of course TKMaxx was the store that delivered in the end, because their handbag selection is probably the best on the highstreet.

TEACHER TRAINING JOURNEY PART 2 | Interview process

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've been able to type up a part 2 of my teacher training post, for which I apologise!  This is for my readers who are also interested in teaching and todays post will specifically focus on the interview process of the school direct route. Please do read through my part 1, which also covers the skills test which is application, skills test and personal statement - I got a couple of questions on these but Ive already covered them, so have a read ^_^.


So bare in mind that my interview process will be a little different from any other, unless you are applying for the exact same school - but I highly doubt that! Teacher training schools are going to run things differently, however they will be 'testing' and 'asking' similar things, so I'll be going through the way my day went, but just take it with a pinch of salt.

The basic outline of the day was emailed to me about a month before the interview date and below I will be describing each activity and also giving you my top tips for them. We had times when the below activities were slotted into our own schedules, otherwise we would be spending the day with the same class of children and observing.

I was told that I would need to organise a 'learning opportunity' for a group of 12 children in year 5 and they would be giving me lego bricks to use. I was quite nervous about this because I would be observed for 15 minutes and the words learning opportunity, are kinda vague! That could be anything, maths, history, P.E anything at all really. I have my little sister to thank for the idea of doing a quiz, with different questions from across the subjects. I ended up splitting them into three teams of 4 children each and they worked together to answer the questions. Then after about 10 minutes, they added up the number of points and got 5 bricks per point. The team that build the most creative bridge would receive a prize (a 'smelly' sticker!). It went really well actually and although for the first couple of seconds my voice wobbled, once I got into the activity I felt myself relaxing a little, smiling, walking around and feeling like I was in my element. Of course it was a little nerve-wracking to have the headteacher and deputy observing, but I just blocked them out and it worked like a charm - their job is to observe my rapport with children, how I interact, if I am actually listening to them and ensuring they understand or not and so on.

Biggest tip for this part - don't over plan because time goes faster than you might imagine. Speak slowly and clearly - I have the tendency to kinda mumble or speak too fast when I'm feeling apprehensive, so make sure you are reminding yourself to slow down. Also SMILE. Children aswell as adults tend to respond well to smiles, plus the more you smile the more you trick your brain into feeling relaxed - top psychologist tip from yours truly 😋.

Group talking exercise 
So on my interview there were around seven other candidates and part of the day involved a group discussion, which I was very apprehensive about. The way they did it was in the meeting room, around a large table the deputy head gave us a set of scenario cards and we had to read them aloud and discuss them. It wasn't just our answers being judged at this point, but also our ability to discuss or debate, to chime in AND to listen to others' and their opinions. There were definitely a few moments where I felt like I was being over shadowed by the three loudest and most confident individuals in the room, however I must have done alright since I got through haha.

Biggest tip - it sounds so obvious but try to think fast in this situation! If you're spending too much time thinking of an articulate way to put your answer, they'll have moved onto the next scenario. So don't overthink, chime in when you can and ensure you're making eye contact with others when listening. 

Reading to the class
We were also told to bring in an appropriate book for the year group we had been given and we would have to read for around 5-10 minutes. I picked a Michael Morpurgo book, which I was told was a good one for their age. Again like with the group task, for the first couple of seconds my voice was wobbling, but I did okay. From all of the activities on the day, if I had to redo any of them I would have picked a bit more of a fun book. The story I choose was very serious and in hindsight - HARRY POTTER ALL THE WAY.

Biggest tip - If you've been given a younger year group, choose a book where you can show off your excellent accents! Have fun with it, children from ages 4-11 LOVE to be read to, so the more comfortable you are with the story the better it will go.

Presentation in front of the group
We were given a title and told to prepare a short presentation, which we would be giving to the rest of the applicants and to the head teacher and other staff involved on the day. The title was something along the lines of 'what are your expectations of the training year'. I was one of the last to do mine and my palms were drenched, I was sooo nervous. To be really honest I'm pretty terrible at presenting infront of adults, talking to a whole class of kids if not so scary, but adults - my heart starts pumping at 1000 miles an hour and I really do worry! I ended up writing brief bullet points on small note cards, but tried my hardest to make brief eye contact with people around the room, whilst I was talking about my expectations.

Biggest tip - write down your key points in note form and ensure that you've actually answered the question haha! Also rehearse as much as you can, the more confident you become with WHAT you're saying, the easier it'll flow when you present for real.

The actual interview!

And finally, the interview itself with the headteacher of the school you're in and the head of the teaching school organisation. This lasts for about 15-20 minutes and you will definitely need to prepare. I recommend having a read of this site here, for some sample questions. Jot down some answers and again rehearse saying them out loud. There are only realistically so many topics they'll cover and want to know, so the more time you spend preparing and reading up on this the better. Some of the answers will come to you naturally, like 'why do you want to teach?' - although its well worth having a long think about his before hand mind you! A key question they'll probably ask is can you tell me about a current issue in education? One you'll definitely have to do some reading up on. The main thing with the interview is to accept that you will feel nervous, but essentially they want to find out if you really want to teach, your passion for education and for working with children, as well as if you have a good idea of what the year will take.

Biggest tip - read read read, practice with a friend or family member and when you're actually in the interview sit up straight, smile but not too much and speak slower - don't let your words run away with you. Give yourself a moment to think about the question and most of all answer honestly.

General tips:

• Dress smartly, you're being judged from the moment you walk into the school and your appearance counts. Trousers, a plain shirt or non-figure hugging top and a smart cardigan will work really well. Sensible and comfortable shoes are a must too, you don't know how much of the day will involve being on your feet
• Arrive early and mingle with other candidates, it'll calm your nerves and also remind you that you're not the only one going through this day.
• If you're asked to bring in any documents or photocopies, make sure they're organised so this process is quick and simple.
• pack a big lunch because you'll be surprised how hungry you may get throughout the day
• when you're in class, try to interact with the children rather than taking a back seat, even if the class teacher doesn't specifically give you a place to be - s/he has a lot to think about, but they will be observing you from a distance and feeding back to the headteacher, so just relax, be yourself and talk to the children!

Answering your questions

1. How much experience did you do?

- You're supposed to have at least 2 weeks of experience in a school, within the past two years. However I've been working with kids for the past 5 years, spending my whole 4 years of student life as a tutor so I was able to get away with using that. However I did spent my entire year of (year 12) volunteering an afternoon a week at a school. I would strongly recommend you begin volunteering at a local school, it'll give you a great idea of what the classroom is like and yes although we have all been in classrooms, it's been over a decade at least since you were in your primary school...and believe it or not things have changed. Definitely start voluntary work asap, obviously right now it's the xmas holidays - HORRAAAAAY! But get on your emails and start emailing around. Most schools are happy to have a volunteer. 

2. What were you most nervous about?

A hard one! Probably the presentation though, because like I said I'm just not great at it. However it went okay, it's a hurdle I had to jump through and it didn't last too long either. You might not enjoy every aspect of it, but theres a good reason for each part, so just try and go with the flow.

3. When did you know the results?

We were told at the start of the day that we would be told the very next day if we had been successful or not. However the headteacher actually came up to me at the end of the day and asked me which year group I had mentioned I would want to work in, which made me so incredibly happy! Obviously this wasn't exact confirmation but it did make me feel like the day had gone well.

4. What types of questions did they ask you?

I feel like I've kind of covered this above, but they will ask you questions like, 'why do you want to teach?', 'when did you realise you want to be a teacher?', 'when was the last time you felt like you had failed and how did you recover from this?'. So you can tell that they're really trying to get to know you from all angles and also trying to suss out how you handle difficult situations too. Preparation is key again here, just prepare and try to think logically.

Final words for you all is that, as scary as the day will feel, make sure you take it as an opportunity to show your passion for teaching and for working with children. There was one lady who went through the same day and at the end she turned to me and said, 'I've blown it, I have completely failed to show my personality because I was so nervous.' And I really really felt for her because she then wasn't accepted onto the course - which just reiterated my point that you just gotta be yourself and realise that this is your chance to shine ^_^

I hope I've answered your questions everyone, please let me know if theres anything else I've missed out!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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TEACHER TRAINING JOURNEY PART 2 | Interview process

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've been able to type up a part 2 of my teacher training post, for which I apologise!  This is for my readers who are also interested in teaching and todays post will specifically focus on the interview process of the school direct route. Please do read through my part 1, which also covers the skills test which is application, skills test and personal statement - I got a couple of questions on these but Ive already covered them, so have a read ^_^.

Makeup Starter Kit | Affordable Edition

Hello everyone, I thought I'd type up a makeup starter kit filled with ethical recommendations from yours truly. As 2016 draws to a close, you and I will be bombarded with fantastic deals and sales, so I hope this post is helpful for all, but especially for those of you who may not be too much into makeup, but just want to add a couple of bits to your collection. These items are all affordable and most of them you can purchase from the highstreet, however some I would recommend picking up online, because there are always great deals on them. These are also the items that I would repurchase if all my makeup disappeared, so I hope if you purchase any of them, you enjoy them as much as I do.  Apologies for the lack of photos, teacher training AND short days = no time!

To prime or not to prime?

Personally I only use a primer on a special occasion, because I tend to stick to my Soap and Glory (£14.99) SPF 50 as being a base, which is so important ladies! I have written a post on it before, but the basic jist is that it manages to get makeup to stick onto the face AND protect the skin. However the Topshop airbrush primer (£12.00) is fantastic for providing a smooth canvas if you have uneven skin. If your makeup melts away quickly, spritz your face with a makeup setting spray after moisturising, but before applying any makeup - the MUFE Mist and Fix 30ml (£8.00) is travel size and very affordable to try out.

Foundation

If we are talking strictly bases you can buy in the drugstore, I would recommend the Bourjois Health Mix Foundation (£10.00) which has a beautiful medium coverage and really leaves a healthy glow to the skin. However the shade range isn't fantastic...so I highly recommend the EX1 Invisiwear Liquid Foundation (£12.50), which I didn't love at first but I've grown to like it a lot. I find its quite versatile, though the finish is more on the matte side, if you mix it with some illuminator or even a tin drop of oil you can achieve a glowy finish. The coverage is great too, a solid medium but buildable. I tend to apply it with my E.L.F Stippling brush (£4.50) when I'm wearing it for 'everyday' as it sheers it out a little. They have actually recently released a bunch of new shades, so its no longer limited to just olive skintones. My new shade is 6.0 and I found their website quite helpful when trying to determine the perfect match here.

Correctors and Concealers

My all time favourite corrector is the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in Medium (£10.00), which IS pricy for the amount of corrector you actually get! This is a three piece kit and the good thing is, I can use each of the items just fine, however it is the corrector which I love the most. It is the perfect shade for neutralising my horrendous dark circles and works even better than a similar Benefit product! Pricy, but worth it...especially when theres a 3for2 deal on! In terms of actual concealers, the L.A Girl Pro Concealers creamy beige (£5.00) and Collection Lasting Perfection in 3 (£4.19) are my two tried and tested. The L.A girl one is more hydrating, yet has great pigmentation and manages to conceal and brighten at the same time. The collection one is thicker, creamier and if you have dry under-eyes won't be your cup of tea, but as long as I have colour corrected it works a charm.

Powders

Over the years I have liked powders more and more, because quite frankly I cannot wear makeup without a light bit of baking under the eyes these days! When I don't I notice the most awful creasing and melting of my undereye concealer. My favourite brightening yellow powder for under the eye is the Wet 'n' Wild Megaglo contouring palette in Caramel Toffee ($4.99), which I have a post on here. I like to bake with the Coty Airspun loose powder ($8.99) which works really well. I keep it on for about 50 seconds and then brush it off - works like a charm. I don't have a favourite face powder for all over the face, instead I just use the excess of the coty powder over my T-Zone which can get a little oily sometimes.

Contour, Bronzer, Blush and Highlight

For bronzing the face, Topshop's Mohawk (£9.00) is my all time favourite shade and formula from the highstreet. It is beautiful for those of you who have an olive medium skintone and provides the perfect warmth of the skin. Contouring wise, if you're looking for a really strong one which sharpens your features the Natural collection shadow in crushed walnut (£2.00) works a treat! I would advise you go with a light hand though. I have a few favourite blushers from the highstreet, the Sleek blush by 3 in spice (£10.00) is gorgeous for a medium skintone and I often will mix and match the shades. The value for money there is fantastic and so is the pigmentation! I also enjoy the Rimmel soft colour blush in pink rose (£4.00), which has been a long time favourite of mine and mentioned on my blog many times. It is a gorgeous natural flush and you are at no risk of looking like a clown. I have to say for highlight, I am a firm stickler for my highend ones - especially ABH! But when I think my collection and the one I would want to repurchase, I go back to the Topshop Glow Pot (£9.00) or their baked highlighter - either one is BEAUTIFUL. A little goes a long way and both of them can look very natural on the skin, or be built up for a more intense glow.

Brows, Liner and Mascara

Brows is a tough one because I am again so used to my ABH products, which are well worth the investment ladies! However if they're out of your budget, I would recommend checking out the Freedom eyebrow kit (£3.50) which I used to use all the time. It has a range of shades and even a gel in the kit, as well as a mirror, applicator and mini tweezers - the biggest bargain of all time! If you like a bolder brow and don't mind practicing, pick up their version of the ABH drip brow (here for a fiver). I don't think its quite as good as the ABH, but it does the job so long as you have a good spoolie. I am a real fusspot when it comes to eyeliner, but if I HAD to pick one I'd recommend The Balm's Schwing liner (£13.50). Not the cheapest, but by far the best you can pick up in superdrug or online! It is extremly black and lasts all day long. The applicator is thin and relatively easy to create cat eyes with, once you get the hang of it. When it comes to mascara, the only drugstore brand I ever spend money on is Essence! The 'I love crazy volume mascara' (£2.80) is a firm favourite and worth at least 4x the price.

Lips

Finally I'd recommend you pick up a good lip liner and the Rimmel 1000 kisses lip liner in spice (£3.00), is one I have back ups on, just in case they stop making it! My favourite affordable lipsticks are most definitely the Wet n wild mega last lipsticks ($2.00). They're very pigmented, beautifully creamy and ridiculously cheap - you can find a bunch of reviews for them on my blog by searching wetnwild! Liquid lipstick wise, The Balm's Meet Matte Hughes Liquid Lipsticks (£13.50) are fantastic. They feel comfortable, have a good pigmentation and aren't too drying. At the moment there is a cute little gift set available to purchase for the holidays, which contains 6 of the shades and is sold out everywhere, but keep an eye out, its a good one!

Final Touches...

How could I type up a makeup starter kit without my all time favourite Mario Badescu Facial spray (£7.50). It is definitely my go-to spray for before and after makeup, it hydrates the skin, diminishes any powderyness left on the face and just leaves me with a subtle glow. Although I am loving a more expensive version a little more, I'll always have a bottle of this in my collection!


I really hope this was helpful for you all! It was so nice to sit down and blog without worrying about my huge to-do list, I kind of despair when I see the lack of posts I've managed to get up this year :( But thankyou SO much for continuing to read and support my blog, I hugely appreciate it!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Makeup Starter Kit | Affordable Edition

Hello everyone, I thought I'd type up a makeup starter kit filled with ethical recommendations from yours truly. As 2016 draws to a close, you and I will be bombarded with fantastic deals and sales, so I hope this post is helpful for all, but especially for those of you who may not be too much into makeup, but just want to add a couple of bits to your collection. These items are all affordable and most of them you can purchase from the highstreet, however some I would recommend picking up online, because there are always great deals on them. These are also the items that I would repurchase if all my makeup disappeared, so I hope if you purchase any of them, you enjoy them as much as I do.  Apologies for the lack of photos, teacher training AND short days = no time!

Teacher Training Journey Part 1 | Why, Which Route and Application

Hello everyone, another requested post from me today so I hope my regular reader don’t mind. This post is my first on my teacher training journey and as I began thinking about it roughly around this time last year, I thought it would be beneficial to write up a post now for those of you about to begin your final year at University. This is going to be very text heavy and I will be going into as much detail as I can, so I recommend you get yourself a cuppa before you begin.

Why choose teaching?

Before I start talking about the route I have picked and why, I want to talk about WHY you may want to go into teacher training. I have just completed my second week of training and I can honestly say I have never been so exhausted in my life!  The journey to becoming a teacher is very tiring and I think its important to know that to go into teaching, you are not doing it for the money, or for the security of the job. You are doing it because you love children, because you enjoy learning as-well as teaching and because you yourself want to play a part in shaping the next generation’s future. These things are crucial and if at this point you are unsure about either of these things, then it is worth rethinking your decision. A teacher’s day is not 8am-4pm, although of course it varies but I have already, in my first week of training, been in my school at 7:45am and come home at 6:30pm. As a teacher you spend a LOT of your time working and that is a reality which is vital to keep in mind. In many ways it is much more than a 9-5 job, and I think its valuable knowledge to go into the process with this in mind. You really have to want to teach for the sake of teaching, intrinsic motivation is key!

The different routes

Moving on to the routes into teaching, there are a few and it is worth having a look on the UCAS teaching website as there’s a lot of information on there, with videos too explaining the key points of each route. If you haven’t got a degree yet and definitely know you want to go into teaching, you can do a 4 year degree, which will be entirely focused on education and should provide you with a PGCE qualification too. You do not need a PGCE to teach in the UK, however this qualification means you are qualified to teach worldwide. It was vital for me to pick a route which allowed me to work towards this qualification as I plan to move abroad in the future and experience life outside of the U.K. You do need to get Qualified Teaching Status to work as a teacher in the U.K and this is available to complete through almost every university, as well as many collages. There are also some schools which offer teacher training with PGCE, but you will not have to go to University yourself, it is all done through the school. 

A lot of people choose to do a degree in their area of interest and then go into teacher training, which is the path I personally took. Although I had a pretty good idea that I wanted to teacher in first year, I didn’t necessarily want to spend a whole 3 or 4 years studying to be a teacher and decided to do a degree in developmental and educational psychology instead. I LOVED the course, aside from the statistics element I really enjoyed what I was studying and that made a big difference to my university experience. The two main routes are University based ITET training and School-led ITET training, with the latter being government preferred. I don’t know much about the University route, however from what I have read and been told, this type of training is done in blocks. So you will spend a few weeks in University lectures , earning the theory of teaching in the traditional university way which we have all experienced. Then you will spend a few weeks in a school and so on. This route is great for people who prefer the university based style of learning. 

The School-led route AKA School direct is what I have chosen because it made the most sense for me personally. We spent 3-4 days within our school and the remaining 1-2 days in the training school. This means we are directly immersed in school life from day one and for more than half the week every single week of the course. So we not only get to build bonds with the children in our class, but we are constantly learning from the teacher we are shadowing and others across the school. It has only been two weeks, but I already feel like I've soaked up a fountain of knowledge! I really like having a few days with my class and then coming back with other trainees to discuss our week and encourage each other. It’s really beneficial to see so many people from different walks of life, on the exact same journey as i am and we are all a really supportive bunch. I already feel like I can turn to anyone in the room and ask for advice, so just having that support goes a long way! Within this programme there are two strands, salaried and non-salaried. Getting a place on a salaried programme is VERY difficult, you usually have to have three years of working within a school and their support to obtain this. I tried because I have been tutoring for over 3 years, however that wasn't enough. So it's worth bearing that in mind.

The third route which I briefly looked into before I began second year is Teach First, which is an intensive course over 6 weeks, where you're trained to be a teacher during the summer and you begin teaching in September. It is not the most accessible course, my nearest was in London and as I'm not willing to move out of my home yet, it would have been a very expensive decision to make. Anyways as I really don't know too much about it, I'd suggest you spend some time reading their website.

Applying

This part is quite straightforwards, you have to apply through UCAS just as you did with University and they have a course searcher tool which is a life saver. You search your post code or what course you're wanting to apply for (school direct, university based etc.) and they provide you with a list of courses. When you click on the courses you can read more about the training provider and get an idea of what they offer, what they expect and what you can expect in terms of the interview too.

Although they have their own section of the website here and again I'd highly recommend you having a little browse around on here because there's a lot of helpful info! You have about a month till you can apply for teacher training next year, UCAS application opens on the 18th of October so you have a good amount of time to think about which route is good for you. The first step for the application is the basic name, date of birth, education thus far etc. It can take a while to complete, but the good thing is you can save and return later - which is what I often did! Then you have the option to apply for three courses and they don't all have to be the same type. For example your first choice could be a school based one, second could be a university based one and third could be another school based. Places are allocated on a first come first serve basis, so it is important to get a little bit organised NOW and make your decisions before the start date (18/10/16), to avoid disappointment. 

You'll need to have two references before you can submit your application, I asked my manager to be one and my dissertation tutor and they both got back to me within a week so I didn't have to wait too long. However if I had to apply again, I'd ask my references a good fortnight BEFORE the application open date begins so in that first week I could submit everything and have that peace of mind. 

In order to train to be a teacher, you have to complete the professional skills test which consists of a maths and an english test. The first time you sit them is free but if you fail, you'll have to pay for the second round. These are not as hard as you may have heard - my biggest tip is to practice online as much as you can! The mock tests are available here which you can access once you've signed up on the gov website. The reason the practice tests are so important is that they really give you a feel for what the real thing will be like, the format of the test, the timings and the visual layout are really helpful to see. I sat my tests in January of this year and it was a relief to get them out of the way before my interview process began, so start looking at these as soon as possible.

Personal Statement

Yes, another one of those is required! This is the part I procrastinated the most, because I honestly didn't know how I'd articulate why exactly I wanted to go down this path and what I could offer to children's lives should I get past the application! However this section of UCAS really helped and I tried to keep it as straight to the point as I could. I did delete a lot of corny stuff, but it is important to keep at least one or two really honest and perhaps slightly cringy things in here, because it shows that you are passionate about wanting to teach. Reference to your previous experience working/volunteering in schools or working with children is a biggie that you have to include. Definitely get someone to read over it before you submit it as once you've submitted your application, you can't make any changes and it will be the only one used for all courses that you apply for. 

Once you've completed everything and your references have sent in their required pieces, you can proceed to pay. It costs £24 to apply for teacher training and this covers Apply 1 and Apply 2. Essentially the first time that you send off your applications, the course providers that you have chosen have 40 days to review your application and get back to you with an interview date. Once those 40 days are over you'll have a certain amount of time to decide which of your offers you want to accept - and you can only accept one! You'll get a welcome email from UCAS just before this, with an ID number that'll let you track your application and if you aren't successful, you wait for 'Apply 2' to open up. Then you have the option to apply for different programmes, but one at a time rather than picked 2 or 3. 

Personally I only applied for the School direct course as I knew it was the only one I wanted to do, however I applied for both salaried and non-salaried. Sadly as I've already mentioned I got rejected from the salaried 😪 but I was happy to receive an interview date for the non-salaried!

I was going to cover the interview process in this post, but its already VERY long and lengthy. So in approximately a month I'll be writing that post up for you lovelies, meanwhile I hope this has been helpful. Please do leave me any questions you have below and if you have any specifically about the interview process also let me know so I can include them in that upcoming post! My hands are aching and its way past my bedtime now, so I'm off but I shall be back soon with a makeup related post this week for sure.

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Teacher Training Journey Part 1 | Why, Which Route and Application

Hello everyone, another requested post from me today so I hope my regular reader don’t mind. This post is my first on my teacher training journey and as I began thinking about it roughly around this time last year, I thought it would be beneficial to write up a post now for those of you about to begin your final year at University. This is going to be very text heavy and I will be going into as much detail as I can, so I recommend you get yourself a cuppa before you begin.

Why choose teaching?

Before I start talking about the route I have picked and why, I want to talk about WHY you may want to go into teacher training. I have just completed my second week of training and I can honestly say I have never been so exhausted in my life!  The journey to becoming a teacher is very tiring and I think its important to know that to go into teaching, you are not doing it for the money, or for the security of the job. You are doing it because you love children, because you enjoy learning as-well as teaching and because you yourself want to play a part in shaping the next generation’s future. These things are crucial and if at this point you are unsure about either of these things, then it is worth rethinking your decision. A teacher’s day is not 8am-4pm, although of course it varies but I have already, in my first week of training, been in my school at 7:45am and come home at 6:30pm. As a teacher you spend a LOT of your time working and that is a reality which is vital to keep in mind. In many ways it is much more than a 9-5 job, and I think its valuable knowledge to go into the process with this in mind. You really have to want to teach for the sake of teaching, intrinsic motivation is key!

How to get a first in your dissertation

Hello all! Quite a specific non beauty post from me today, but I have been meaning to type up a couple of these Uni/work related posts for a while as I have had quite a few questions from my readers and wanted to help out where I could. Obviously this won't be relevant to most people, so do excuse this post if you fall into that category, perhaps read my last post top three topshop beauty one instead? ☺️ If you are one of the people who asked for a post on the whole dissertation process, or you're a University student then I hope this is a helpful post as you get started with the big dissertation! I'm really not expecting many comments on this post, its just for those who could benefit from it haha. Also its a long one, so grab a cuppa tea or some lemonade and maybe a notebook.

I graduated from University last month and I cannot express how great it was to be standing there in the robe and cap and to realise that all that hard work, all that stress was worth it. Whilst writing my dissertation I was extremely stressed out and I'm definitely very self-critical so I did doubt myself a lot. When I got the email from my tutor telling me I had be graded a first for my disso, I nearly passed out in shock. Seriously I was SO shocked that I had done it! Now reflecting over the whole process, theres a couple of things that I did well which I know helped me to get to that grade. Obviously getting a first is not the be all and end all, but if you can score highly on such a weighty part of your course, it takes off a LOAD of pressure from the rest of your grades!


1. Time is the KEY to success.

Not to get all DJ Khaled on you, but the better you use your time, the more likely you will do well. My tutor actually met with us at the end of second year, treated us to lunch (very kind of her!) and got us discussing some of our initial ideas. Each University is a little different and each tutor is different too, some prefer you to stick to their own field of expertise, whereas others are more lenient. My tutor was a specialist in Educational psychology which is also MY preference. Each university has to be strict with the amount of support their students are able to get too, so we decided to meet for an hour each fortnight in a group of 4/5 students. This kept us on track because we shared where we were, what we wanted to get done in the next two weeks and any concerns. Bottom line is that the earlier you get started on growing your idea, the greater the chance that you will do well.


2. Don't expect your idea to remain concrete throughout.

This is certainly more aimed at social science students, who must conduct a study of some sort for their dissertation. It is very likely that you'll come up with an idea and continue with your literature review and then end up going in a different direction. The whole point of writing such a large piece of work, is that theres a lot more than a week or two of reading required. A literature review takes weeks and weeks of work and reading so deeply into a topic becomes something you end up really enjoying, even if at first it feels like you're drowning in a sea of information. So just go with the flow!


3. Maintain contact with your tutor and complain if they don't.

I have heard horror stories about tutors who just abandon their final year students in the midst of their dissertations and I always feel so sorry for the people who have to go through that. A dissertation is a huge piece of work and as students who are paying tuition fees, we deserve to get the support we need! So keeping in contact with your tutor is vital and if they do end up being useless then you must go to whoever is in charge of dissertations, or in charge of the whole department. Somebody will be able to help in some way or another, by either making your tutor get their act together, or by stepping in themselves.


4. Use the dissertation handbook.

I'm sure your university will provide you with one, either an electronic copy or a paper copy. I used mine to plan out my weeks, once I had decided upon the study. I started with the methodology and continued by reading the handbook and figuring out how many hours each section would roughly take. By chunking the sections up, it helps to stay on track of what you're doing and it's also very comforting having over 50% of it done, when you're still adding to the methodology over the whole amount of time. My tutor taught us that the methodology should be one of the last things finished, as again the whole point of the disso is to really delve deeper into the subject of your choice and this needs to be a developed over the weeks.

5. Make use of the internet and YouTube.

You'd be surprised how much a simple google search can solve, even when it comes to your dissertation! I ended up googling and youtubing a lot, especially when it came to the statistic elements which I found the most challenging. Yes a dissertation IS complicated and you won't find exactly what you're looking for from start to finish, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much information there is out there. A lot of the time I found YouTube videos much easier to understand, than reading through boring text books on how to navigate SPSS - so take advantage of all the free info out there on the net!


6. Reading through other dissertations will help.

Again at my university they had a psychology dissertation database which has a good variety of dissertations from the past few years. It was clearly stated that these are not all amazing dissertations but they were there for the purpose of guidance. I found it really helpful to look through them, see how other people had laid out their sections, their contents page, their results etc. and paired with the handbooks and online advice it made the whole process a lot easier. Especially because it really is such a HUGE amount of work in one go, which is definitely challenging to handle - but I found it helpful to look through other dissertations and see what worked well.


7. Set your own deadline for you to finish 2-4 weeks before the actual one!

This is hard and I admit I definitely didn't stick to this point, but if I had to do my dissertation all over I would definitely be more organised and plan ahead. The best part of finishing with time to spare is you don't have that panic towards the end of writing, where you're thinking did I include everything, have I put everything in the appendix, are my references on point?? Those are tasks you want to have plenty of time to do! It also helps to be able to give yourself a day off towards the end when you feel like you've been working on it for YEARS and not months. I remember anyone mentioning the word 'procrastination' (which was the topic of my disso by the way) felt like they were giving me a swift punch in the stomach in the final two weeks. Having a day or two off is helpful, as is reading aloud paragraphs to a friend or a parents and ensuring that what you've written makes enough sense.


8. Don't overthink the word count - quality over quantity.

This is obviously something you need to check out with your tutor, but from my understanding if you're doing a social science any word count over 7000 is acceptable. We were told that what we wrote is a lot more important than the amount we wrote, especially if we were just waffling and clearly trying to fill up the word count. Starting a 10,000 word dissertation is definitely a little daunting, but chunking up each section and focusing on one at a time, rather than continuously checking how many words you have written makes the whole process easier.

Questions:

1. I've just finished 1st year, when should I start thinking about my dissertation?

- Well like I said this does kind of depend on how your University does things, some give you a lot of leeway and others are more specific. At my friends University, they had to choose an area within her course and then they were assigned a tutor. At my University we were sent a document with all the tutors names on it, their key area (educational psychology, biological psychology etc.) and also what research method they specialise in, quantitative or qualitative. We then had to write down our initial ideas for our dissertation with our choice of three tutors we wanted to work with. I was so lucky to get my first choice and a tutor who was truly passionate about the area I wanted to do. In the summer between second and third year, I did a little bit of reading into procrastination, looking at what there is already and if my idea was plausible.

So going into second year, don't start thinking too deeply about what your dissertation topic should be. However if you do have any vague ideas that you want to look more into, jot them down and leave them be at the back of your mind. Once you've got to the end of second year your University will help you to think about narrowing it down! Having said that I knew girls who had got to the end of October and still had no idea exactly what they wanted to do - so bottom line is, let the seed start to develop but don't worry at all. It'll work out.

2. What was the hardest part of conducting your own study?

Although I haven't spent much time speaking about my actual piece of work in this post, I have to say I was so happy with my study. It didn't take too long to put together and I made sure it was all online so I didn't have to approach people to take part. Not the most sociable thing to say, but honestly not having to faff around with bits of paper, participant numbers, booking out labs and again approaching other busy (and sometimes rude) students took a load of strain off my experience. Thanks to my blog and social media following I managed to get all the participants I needed within TWO DAYS. Which meant I had a lot of time to look at the results and continue with my literature review. You don't need a large following to get participants in an online study, all you need to do is use hashtags appropriately and ask politely. If you are doing a study and it is possible to get everything done online, DO IT! You will seriously be saving yourself a heck of a lot of valuable time. So all in all the conducting the study part really wasn't too hard, I suppose if I had to pick one, it would be ensuring the data was put on SPSS correctly. That took a lot of patience, but wasn't too hard once I had started.

There you have it - my wrists are aching and I feel like I've just typed up a 3000 word assignment haha. I do hope this post was useful for those of you who are starting to think of your dissertations. If you have any other questions please leave them below, and if you are a graduate and have anything to add from YOUR experience, I'd love it if you shared it below too!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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How to get a first in your dissertation

Hello all! Quite a specific non beauty post from me today, but I have been meaning to type up a couple of these Uni/work related posts for a while as I have had quite a few questions from my readers and wanted to help out where I could. Obviously this won't be relevant to most people, so do excuse this post if you fall into that category, perhaps read my last post top three topshop beauty one instead? ☺️ If you are one of the people who asked for a post on the whole dissertation process, or you're a University student then I hope this is a helpful post as you get started with the big dissertation! I'm really not expecting many comments on this post, its just for those who could benefit from it haha. Also its a long one, so grab a cuppa tea or some lemonade and maybe a notebook.

Requested | How to get a long-lasting DEWY base!

Hello lovely readers, I hope you're all doing well. Today's post is a requested one, I often get asked what the best long-lasting non-matte foundation is on the market. I personally love a dewy base, however it is well known that they just don't have the best lasting power in the world - but fear not! There are ways around this and whilst I'm quick to recommend the Dior Star Foundation as well as the MUFE Face and Body (although the shades in that line aren't the best for yellow toned/medium skintones) I also know they're not in everybody's price range. There are quite a few ways of getting a dewy base which lasts well on the skin, without having to spend a lot on a new foundation (though if you are in the market for one, the star foundation is a winner!). I'm sure you'll have some of these key ingredients  in your home already, so do read on if you're interested in creating a glowing base which lasts well on the skin.

1. A tiny drop of Oil

You may be confused when reading the first point, especially if you already have oily skin, but the key word here is 'tiny'. You only need a TINY drop of oil to mix in with your regular foundation, which will add a gorgeous glow to your face and it will not decrease the lasting power either. The best thing about this step is that you can take a thick, cakey foundation and transform it into the most beautiful and wearable base in your collection. For me the EX1 foundation is a little bit too thick, however when I add a tiny drop of rosehip seed oil OR sweet almond oil it glides onto the skin, doesn't highlight dry patches and looks absolutely radiant. I actually find that I get a similar effect with this step, as when I apply the NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, which has become an absolute must have for me during the summer months. There is nothing worse that wearing makeup on a hot summers day and feeling a thick foundation melt off the face! So give this tip a try if you want a glowing, dewy base which'll stay in place (and credit for this totally goes to Wayne Goss video here).

2. Liquid Illuminators

Liquid illuminators were a real game changer for me, I currently own the Mememe beat the blues Oyster gold illuminator and the Becca shimmering skin perfector in Opal and I adore them both. The mememe is a thicker, and a very much golden shade of liquid highlight. Opal is a softer shade, which appears subtle yet can be built up and is super blendable. It melts into the skin and essentially creates the glow without enlarging any pores, drawing attention to texture on the skin or looking over the top. The best thing about liquid illuminators is how versatile they are, if the base I am using has a light coverage then I'll apply the illuminator straight onto moisturised skin and then the base over the top, creating a soft glowy look. If the base is of medium/full coverage I mix the liquid illuminator directly with the base and this creates a GORGEOUS soft focus dewy look, without impacting the formula of the foundation too much. So if you have a matte base that you love already, a little bit of liquid highlighter mixed in will give you a real glow. Of course you can also apply a liquid illuminator over the top of your foundation too, however I'd only recommend this if you're using a thinner formula such as the Becca ones, because the mememe and benefit ones can look a bit patchy over a matte formula especially. Another advantage of using a liquid illuminator over the top of foundation, is that it works very well as a base for any powder highlight you apply over the top = double the long lasting glow!

P.S Anyone else reaaaaally wanting to pick up the liquid version of champagne pop?! I'm so excited for it to release in the U.K!

3. Cream Highlighters

Similar to the liquid highlighters, creams will create a beautifully seamless glow on the skin and I find you can be a little more precise when using them over liquid formulas. Cream highlighters aren't quite as versatile as liquid highlighters though as you obviously can't mix them with your foundation, but I find I reach for them most when I'm using a satin/demi-matte base (for example the NARS Sheer Glow or the MUFE Ultra HD foundation). My two favourite cream highlighters are the KIKO Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter and the Topshop Glow Pots - particularly in the shade gleam. So like I said if you want to get a dewy look using a cream highlighter, you simply apply your regular foundation and then using your fingers or a duo fibre brush, you blend it into the skin! I definitely prefer using the warmth of my fingers to blend the highlighter in and what I love most about the cream formula is it doesn't accentuate any texture on the skin! They're also great for everyday, as much as I love champagne pop it is a little too much for the more formal settings such as teacher training days! On the days when I still want a subtle glow, cream highlighter are where its at ^_^

4. Setting + Finishing Sprays

The final step to ensuring your base is glowy AND long lasting is to use a good makeup setting spray! I have been loving the Pixi makeup fixing mist, which works well at keeping my makeup in place AND leaving a beautiful subtle glow. This intensifies the glow a little and if you want to go that extra step and ensure your highlight won't fade until you're ready to remove your makeup, then I recommend putting the highlighter on your brush, spritzing the brush with the mist from Pixi and THEN applying it on the skin. One word of warning though, I don't think I'd describe the nozzle as a spritz and it does apply quite a lot at a time, I don't mind this but if you want less of a spray hold it further back or spritz it onto your beautyblender and apply it that way instead. I also included the Mario Badescu Facial Spray (reviewed here), its not much of a setting spray but it is a step I rarely skip out in my makeup routine. This is because it moisturises the skin AFTER makeup (although having said that I usually spray it before hand too), it eliminates any powdery looking skin, intensifies the glow from highlighters and just makes the world of a difference. I also love the scent!


And there you have it! A tiny drop of oil, a little liquid illuminator or some cream highlight is all you need for a dewy base which lasts well on the skin. And then a spritz of setting or finishing spray too of course. Don't be afraid of using a little oil, I promise it has the potential to change your makeup game - Goss is RIGHT! Especially with those thicker bases that can look a little too much on the skin, even with a beautyblender.

Do you use any of these tips on a regular basis?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Requested | How to get a long-lasting DEWY base!

Hello lovely readers, I hope you're all doing well. Today's post is a requested one, I often get asked what the best long-lasting non-matte foundation is on the market. I personally love a dewy base, however it is well known that they just don't have the best lasting power in the world - but fear not! There are ways around this and whilst I'm quick to recommend the Dior Star Foundation as well as the MUFE Face and Body (although the shades in that line aren't the best for yellow toned/medium skintones) I also know they're not in everybody's price range. There are quite a few ways of getting a dewy base which lasts well on the skin, without having to spend a lot on a new foundation (though if you are in the market for one, the star foundation is a winner!). I'm sure you'll have some of these key ingredients  in your home already, so do read on if you're interested in creating a glowing base which lasts well on the skin.

Philips Lumea Prestige SC2007/00 | What, Why, How? | #1

Hello everybody! I'M super excited to write this post, because the decision to purchase the Philips Lumea Prestige SC2007/00 has been one that I have ummed and ahhed over for at least a year. Three days ago I bit the bullet, went in halves with mum and purchased the little device. It arrived today (Easter Sunday) which I was very happy about, talk about speedy on a national holiday!! So I decided to write a post explaining what it is, what I hope to achieve with it, why I went for this model in particular and also first impressions too. I plan to write multiple updates and let you know how we get on with this, as often as I can and I hope these posts will be useful for anyone who's been thinking about investing in one too.


Hair Removal and I
So it's important to start this blog post off with a disclaimer - I am a South Asian female, therefore body hair is something I have learned to just deal with. Us brown girls grow so much hair it's a little overwhelming when you hit puberty and start wondering how best to deal with it! Of course when I was a teen I was mortified, my skin is a light brown shade and my hair is dark so it was pretty visible. As I've gotten older I've definitely developed more of an ehhh attitude towards hair on my body, because I'm not a fan of shaving it grows back too quick and feels prickly, at home waxing is too time consuming and going to a salon? Girl I am on a student budget, I'd much rather be slightly furry arms and highlight on point, than have smooth arms ya feel me?? The primary method of hair removal I use is an epilator - except it frequently gives me ingrown hairs, causes my skin to be sensitive and is honestly more pain than it's worth as it rarely catches the majority of hair. Despite the attitude of I CANNOT BE BOTHERED, that had developed by the age of 20, I don't particular enjoy letting all the hair grow out, I just have more important things to care about...like third year assignments and what I'm going to do post University.

So that brings us to the last year and a half, when I have seriously been thinking about more permanent forms of hair removal. Hair removal on the regular can get expensive, can be painful, can take forever, can be uncomfortable and I just had enough of the regular process, which lead to the decision to purchase this IPL!

Laser Hair Removal At A Salon or IPL At Home?
The idea of going into a clinic serval times to get professional laser hair removal done did not phase me, I mean I'm not the most comfortable person with a stranger zapping me, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do right? Laser hair removal at a salon is basically the use of a very strong laser, at least 6-8 times (over the period of a few weeks I believe) on an area of the skin, to permanently remove the hair. It is expensive, there is no doubt about it, with a full body laser course costing at least £1.6K+. Of course you don't pay it all upfront, you pay per session and the advantages of going into a salon are firstly, there is a professional who knows what they are doing and have experience and secondly the strength of the laser means you are more LIKELY to have your hair removed permanently and for a longer amount of time.  I really was considering saving up money and getting laser done, at least on my upper lip and side burns to begin with, but after tweeting about it I found out that apparently when some women get pregnant, the hair all grows back! Hearing this totally stopped me in my tracks, of course one day I would like to have children i'a and I just don't think I could risk spending so much money on a treatment which could be reversed due to hormonal changes. So I decided to spend a couple of weeks doing as much research as I could into the lumea, which my auntie has been using for over a year now.  Her feedback was one of the reasons I gave this a shot and also the fact that it's currently on sale on Amazon from £300- £269.95 and the same price on John Lewis too!

What is IPL?
It stands for 'Intense Pulsed Light' therapy and it is one of the most effective methods to 'continuously prevent hair growth'. The pulses/flashes of light are applied to the skin and absorbed by the hair root. This will stimulate the hair follicle to go into a resting phase and prevent hair growth. To Philip's credit, at no point do they claim that this will permanently rid you of hair forever and after reading as many reviews as I could, I have concluded that this device will probably remove 60-80% of my body hair if I stick to it! This amount sounds amazing to me, I am not fussy if I have a little bit of hair regrowth here and there - the fact that a large portion of my hair could be banished for good sounds almost too good to be true! I didn't know this, but apparently hair grows in cycles and of course not every single hair on the body is growing in the same cycle, which is the reason why it takes several repeated regular treatments to get long term results.

Who can use the Lumea?
This is an important one, fair to dark skintones can use this safely, however very deep skintones cannot. It works on dark hair only - not white, red or blonde. This is to do with how well the light picks up the dark pigment of the hair. Pregnant or breastfeeding ladies, those with skin canceer, areas of excema, burns, wounds, diabetes, lupus erythematodes, porphyria, congestive heart disease and anyone with a history of immunosuppressive diseases (including HIV or AIDS). Also if you are on Accutane or have used it in the last six months, you can't use it AND if you're using skincare products containing AHAs or BHAs you should avoid those areas. (No more liquid gold for me for a while). Finally if you tan from sunbeds or creams you can't use it until its all faded, something I wish I had known before, because my face is still half tanned from the Bareminerals faux face tan ._. 

This list should be written clearly online, because I can imagine a lot of people buying this and then being unable to use it!

How does it work?
According to Philip's instructions you must first remove the hairs on the surface of the skin. A lot of people think you have to shave, I did too, however you can use an epilator, short-trim or even wax before using this! But more on that later. You cannot use hair removal cream though, as the chemicals in cream mixed with the light could cause a skin reaction. Once your skin is hair free, you select the correct light intensity according to the table above. Now based on this table I'm light brown so I should be using 4/5...but of course I'm starting with 2/3! Once you've selected the intensity, you press it down on the skin and when it's ready, a green light on the back turns on, at which point you press the button and zap. At this point there is a bright flash of red light and there is most definitely a sensation. Not exactly pain, but it's like a quick zap of heat, gone as quick as it comes but nonetheless still enough to make my mum flinch at each zap!

The Philip's guide comes with a recommended treatment schedule. There are two phases, the first being the initial one in which you are supposed to use the Philips Lumea once every two weeks for the first 4-5 weeks. After each of these treatments hair will grow back and fall out, as the weeks go on, most of the hair will permanently stop growing. The second phase is called the touch-up one, which is recommended every 4-8 weeks. Its the part of the treatment which targets the small percentage of hair which hasn't stopped growing and as far as I know, these touchups are essential to keep skin smooth all the time.

So to break this down, you need to go through 8 weeks of regular shaving and zapping on a fortnightly basis (essentially 4-5 sessions) to get the majority of the hair permanently removed. The touchups keep it this way but it is not really essential to keep it up, as far as I can tell...although I guess time will tell!

I read a review on Amazon in which this lady stated that she didn't notice a difference by following the recommended schedule. So she decided to use it once a week on a notch higher than she had been, and within 8 weeks she had absolutely zero hair left on the areas she treated. Therefore I will be keeping an eye on my treatment and adjusting it based on how it's going.

Which Model is the best?
The way Philips have numbered their models is quite confusing, because although they seem to go up in consecutive order it is not necessarily a case of the higher the number the better the model. I bought the 2007 model because it contains 250,000 flashes before it is exhausted, which means that for two people it should last approximately 4 years. The 2008 model has a third attachment for the bikini line but only has 140,000 flashes...and you can easily use the face attachment on this model for the bikini line (with regular cleaning of course). So don't rush into buying the latest model, make sure you take you time and read into the differences. Personally this one is the best in my opinion, it has all the attachments you really need and a long life too which makes it better value for money. All philips lumeas are brilliant for the fact that they don't need replacement parts and the latest versions are all cordless.

First Impressions
I started off with using this one both arms, I actually shaved them, which was bizarre and something I am not used to at all but it was nice to have smooth arms for a good 7 hours, before they started feeling prickly and uncomfortable *eye rolls*. Anyway, I turned on the lumea and put it onto level 1. The process of pushing it onto the skin and the green light switching on was super quick and simple and it didn't feel uncomfortable at all. As soon as it zapped and the flash came on, there was the slightest outline of the window, which was helpful because straight afterwards I moved it down a little and flashed again. I cranked up the intensity to a 3 and it was pretty quick and easy to zap my forearm in a couple of minutes. I used a taupe coloured eyeliner to draw lines over my arms, marking out which areas I've done. I'll definitely be using a nude pencil next time though! In terms of covering all my arm, it did take a little manouvering sometimes horizontal was good, other times vertical was good.  It wasn't too hard, but it did take a little bit of patience. All in all my first experience was good, there were pings of heat and it does take a little getting used to but it's over before you really think about it AND it's less painful than using my epilator too. In fact I wouldn't call it painful, just a tiny bit uncomfortable, but definitely bearable. Plus the knowledge that with dedication and patience, in a couple of weeks the hair will be gone for the most part is super motivating.

This morning I shaved my upperlip using an eyebrow razor (horrific to do, seriously even atom of my being was urging me not to do it, but I have faith!). I then attached the smaller piece on and turned the intensity to a 2. I was amazed at the speed, within 30 seconds I had zapped my whole upperlip area and I will definitely be moving up to a three next time.

My mum's experience wasn't quite the same, she didn't like the idea of shaving so she epilated and then used the Lumea about 10 minutes later. Mum experienced a lot of sensitivity, which I found odd considering she has quite a high pain tolerance and doesn't even wince during epilation! We both realised it was because her skin was still tender from epilation and for future treatment we'll wait at least 24 hours (which is what they recommended for waxing).

Next Sunday I think I'm going to do other areas and my arms and upper lip again, so I'm all in sync and then I'll see what the progress is on Sunday the 10th - the date you can expect my next update. Feel free to leave me any questions you have, I think I've covered everything but let me know if I haven't! Also if you're interested in this particular model - the Philips Lumea Prestige SC2007/00 IPL Hair Removal System for Face and Body, get it now whilst it's reduced because it's a somewhat affordable price here. 

Have any of you used this before? I'd love to hear your experiences ^_^

First update post is available to read HERE!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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