So this year has been the best year of my life. People say uni is the best period of your life, although I do like to think that it will only get better from here. There's been ups and downs, I've made some incredible friendships and this is what I've learnt over the past year at Durham university...

My beautiful best friends at uni
1. It is almost physically impossible not to make friends Speaking from a shy person's perspective, the thought of being surrounded by hundreds of strangers at university terrified me. The structure of stability that comes from your closest friends and family is taken right from beneath your feet, forcing you to begin again with nothing. But you soon realise that everyone is desperately clinging on to each and every person they can make any small connection with to begin to build friendship groups. If you're lucky your flatmates will become your second family and support network, but if that doesn't work out course friends, or friends made through other friends, are your best route to finding like minded and brilliant pals.
2. New friends will (usually) be nothing like the friends you have at home I started at uni in a flat with 5 people who I literally thought I had nothing in common with whatsoever. 9 months later and 3/5 are my closest friends at uni, and I couldn't imagine Durham without them. University is mainly about opening your mind to change and really broadening your horizons, learning new things from people you would never normally expect to have a connection with. One of my most interesting relationships is with my Chinese flatmate, who I learn so much from. Make the most of your connections with people outside of your little bubble of comfort. 

Clearly having too much fun here
3. Building friendships isn't an overnight thing Generally you cant bowl into a friendship and expect your new pals to be your soul mates for the rest of your life. The first term is crucial for putting work into relationships, so make some time to actually get to know people without the layer of alcohol hanging over your brain, clouding your judgement. Choose friends wisely and try you hardest to avoid drama.
4. Cheese is bloody expensive And so is meat. And alcohol. Depending on your financial situation, you need to take into account the important things to spend money on, and the things which could maybe wait until you earn a little cash. Online shopping is a very dangerous thing; be super careful with your cash and only spend it on what you actually need. Yes, that means I had to swear off the FeelUnique browsing all year... sob sob.

This is where Harry Potter was filmed in Durham cathedral!
5. Things are really different up north People are friendly. Bus drivers talk to you. Heaven sent chips and gravy exist. So do triples... and (dangerously) quaddies.
6. Uni summers are not particularly 'fun' Those 3 months of blissful freedom you've been dreaming about all year? Yeah, they will be filled with 9-6 of being screamed at by irate customers in your part time retail job, or pretending to be interested in your work experience while all the while regretting your choice of degree... or maybe just lying in bed all day watching endless hours of Netflix and stalking your ex's holiday photos. Come September you will be salivating at the thought of uni life.
7. Social status is irrelevant There isn't really any such thing as 'the popular people' at uni, just a lot of different, intermingling friendship groups. Its much better to find people you have things in common with, or just click with naturally, than forcing relationships based solely on improving what you may perceive to be social status. 

A montage of hazy fresher memories
8. Fresher's Week is a load of shit Best week of your life, they said. Nobody seems to tell freshers the truth about Fresher's Week. Its a whirlwind of emotions, from homesickness and crying on your own in your room, thinking you are alone when really everyone is feeling down, to being blind drunk and giggling with randoms whom you will probably never speak to again. You will be asked the triple question over and over and over again until you head spins... Name? Location? Course? You will probably be drunk or hungover in a constant cycle for a week, wondering if its all downhill from here. Uni only gets better, I promise. 

9. Make memories and remember them I kept every wristband, every tshirt, every fancy dress item, every club promotion, every train ticket, every picture and stuck it up on my noticeboard at uni. All of these memories remind me of days or nights out and I will keep them for a long time yet. Freshers is potentially the year when you you have the most fun, make the most mistakes and have the most learning curves... so remember them. We had a board in our kitchen full of posters where we literally wrote down everything that happened that year; confession chart, pull chart, chunder chart, rejection chart, best and worst of the flat, quote, goals, interventions... you name it, we documented it. Don't let your first year go by forgotten.

10. Procrastination is the devil Discovering the elusive world of Breaking Bad right before my January exams was probably a mistake, however a mistake I do not necessarily regret. Sure balance your time wisely, but spend time with people who matter in your life, rather than hiding yourself up in your room the whole year, whether that be buried in books or entranced by Netflix. Work is important, but so are building relationships which could last a lifetime. 
Top tips: ♥ Facebook is the messiah at university; to make friends and keep up to date with events. ♥ Make friends with the porters and cleaners or whoever looks after your accommodation, you may need it in future! ♥ Join one or two clubs and devote yourself to them. ♥ Try your best to keep on top of lecture notes and uni work, I know your bed is calling. ♥ Get a doorstop, seriously. ♥ Choose housemates and houses for next year as early as possible to grab the good ones, but don't stress if you don't find your place at uni early on, there are always rooms available. ♥ Remember, you only need 40%.
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the 10 commandments of a beauty blogger

1. Thou shalt always, always, always take off one's makeup before bed, even if it is 5 o'clock in the morning and one can't see straight... pour Bioderma on one's face!!
2. Thou shalt never, under any circumstances, use a product before photos of said product have been procured from all angles, positions, with varying backgrounds and focal points.
3. Thou shalt own a minimum of 5 MAC lipsticks, and at least a draw full of identical brown eye shadows, which look oh so different on one's eyelids... so therefore yes, yes they are all necessary!
4. Thou shalt always remember that google reader is now the enemy.
5. Thou shalt use Twitter, Facebook and *shudder* even Google+ to shamelessly promote one's new post on £500 wrinkle cream... tested, of course, on 20 year old skin. #sciencebaby
6. Thou shalt love thy's makeup like they are one's babies, protecting them from danger and mending them if they break and/or shatter.
7. Thou shalt wear at least 10 products on one's face. At. All. Times.
8. Thou shalt spend one's monthly wage on that month's 'most hyped' product even if one thinks it is overpriced, unoriginal and ineffective. It is a necessity that one owns it.
9. Thou shalt own at least one item of Chanel, or one is damned to hell.
10. Thou shalt worship Lisa Eldridge with one's life.

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To The Dark Side

Black liner is something I consistently shy away from. I have dark eyes and brows with pale skin so black always seems a little harsh, and I veer on the side of gothic if I stray from my trusty brown shadows and liners. 

But today I tried something different. Black kohl liner in the form of Urban Decay Zero Pencil paired with Maybelline Gel Liner in... (you guessed it!) black, topped off with a smudge of an old Laura Mercier black shadow left me feeling very dark and very dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that smudges are pretty much inevitable. Brows and lips of any kind of substance with this dark of an eye can easily push your makeup onto the verge of drag. In the picture I'm wearing MAC Creme Cup, but even the soft pinky nude seems almost too much for me. 

Maybe I'm just a minimal makeup addict, but I don't think black is really for me. When used minimally - a quick sweep of liner on top here, a soft smudge in the outer corners there - I am all for embracing the black, but all round the eye makeup makes my eyes appear even smaller than they are. How do you make black work for you?

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Rainy Day Designs

My lovely friend Kelly (from kellylkr fyi!) makes phone cases. She designed this custom made, YSL influenced, Galaxy S4 Mini case with me and my lipstick obsessed brain in mind, and I have not stopped getting compliments on it since! If you know me, you know how much I adore YSL lipsticks (read here and here for further ravings) and of course having them emblazoned on my phone is a dream come true. Kelly has kindly offered Beautylishious readers 10% off phone case purchases from her online shop Rainy Day Designs. She does kitch, unique designs, on phone cases of a multitude of different models, with a few pocket mirrors thrown into the mix. She does custom designs too, so if you're looking for an obsession inspired case just like mine, check this out. Rainy Day Designs - enter BEAUTYLISHIOUS at the checkout for an extra 10% off phone cases!
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Summer Ballin'

Dress - Miss Selfridge   Necklace - H&M   Sandals - New Look   Watch - Marc Jacobs
So, it's been a while. The last year has been a whirlwind of starting univeristy, freshers, work, exams, and alcohol. So. Much. Alcohol. Blogging, and normal life, was relegated to the side as I focused all my efforts on attempting to pass first year while maintaining a regular sleeping pattern... which was damn near impossible. Summer ball was the big occasion at the end of term to celebrate exam results and successfully finishing the first year of university...
In true tall girl fashion I boycotted the heels in favour of some ultra comfy sandals which didn't look too noticeable under the slightly too short dress (which was originally my much shorter sisters). It is one shouldered and navy blue with a sheer skirt, and while super simple it is actually one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe. I paired it with a delicate bar necklace in gold and my old faithful Marc Jacobs rose gold watch.
Massive curls were required so I used my Babyliss Waving Wand and then pinned the curls up for a half hour while they cooled, letting the pins out to huge voluminous curls which I clipped up the front of. Of course, as with all special occasions, the Ardell individual lashes were cracked out for sufficient flutter that lasted all night, and my lips were uber simple with YSL lipstick in 30 for a natural pop of colour.
Have a good weekend guys, hopefully I will be returning to regular blogging very soon!
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