Permanently Unique

Individualism. What does this mean? Definition: an individual quirk or peculiarity.

Not only does everyone seem to be striving for a sense of individuality but unknowingly to some of us, we all show this in a certain way. How, you may ask. If you think about it logically, it’s simple...

Beginning college, I saw everything from Nike Blazers to Military Jackets to Bobbled Beanies. Which may have been expected? People are following the ‘latest trends’. Aiming to stand out, we subconsciously buy clothes which are seen to be in fashion and by doing this, we represent our individuality. However, some of us want to rebel against this ‘following’ tendency and represent our own identities in a completely different way.

My thoughts about this continued throughout the days, weeks and first couple of months of college. Personally, I know how eager I was to represent who I am through what I wore, so I felt obliged to notice others, too.

The more I think about it, the more this intrigues me. Every day we wake up, each and every one of us think about what top or bottoms or shoes we’ll wear. We think about the colours, the materials, whether the outfit ‘goes’ (some more than others). We all consciously or subconsciously make the effort; we know we’ll be looked at by someone this day. So continuously we want to show people who we really are. We put up a front. We know that others who do not know us are going to judge us; not on our ‘personalities’, but by what we wear.

Thus, fashion plays an important role in how one is perceived and wants to be perceived.

None of us want to be ‘the same’. Some of us may choose to shop in TOPSHOP or River Island, others may prefer Charity Shops. And how interesting it is that each and every one of us has our own, individual preference. A question I constantly ask myself is ‘do others notice this?’

Perhaps we’re all caught up in worrying what we wear, that we don’t notice others. We’re all determined to represent ourselves through our clothes; do we really pay attention to the amount of effort one puts into them?

Although the case may be that we do not, I definitely feel that we should. Waking up every day I know that subconsciously my aim is to look my best. Yes, even when I’m at college, I’ll admit. So, if I were told that nobody ever looks at how I represent myself, I’d be truly offended, wouldn’t you? Being noticed isn’t a bad thing and representing our own identity is even better; so remember to embrace it.  Embrace the colours, the materials, the peculiarity or quirkiness and take time to notice how  each and everyone of us show our true selves.

By Frances McClean

How can I achieve the perfect look?

Above: Ginta Lapina AUTUMN/WINTER VOGUE 2012-13 - Shades of grey. 

Tips and tricks for perfect results: Alice Wood looks into the secrets of beauty to see what’s best for our skin this season.

According to the experts at Vogue, the secret to achieving flawless, healthy-looking skin lies with a good skin cleansing and moisturising regime. These days that means a bit more than dabbing your face with soap; the skin trade is now a multi-million pound business, with thousands of products promising to rejuvenate and revitalise your skin. All we need is a bit of time (and a few quid) and we too could be sporting that movie star ‘glow’.

But the reality is that most of us buy a product, use it a couple of times, forget to moisturise, moan when the spots appear and then have a panic attack with the concealer stick. Of course there is no quick fix. The advice from Vogue is to keep it simple. Once you find the cleanser and moisturiser that suit your skin type (and budget) it’s a question of adopting and sticking with a daily cleansing routine.

Building from the base

Choosing the right foundation - both colour and texture – is also key to achieving that perfect look. Vogue says that we should find our ‘true’ skin colour before buying a foundation. How? By testing the product (powder, cream or liquid) on the area of skin between your neck and ear, to determine exactly what shade you need. Who knew that? And does that mean an end to the tell-tale sign of bad foundation – the dreaded tide mark around the chin?

It’s all in the eyes

Foundation perfectly matched, it’s on to the eyes, or more specifically, the eyebrows. The golden rule here is simple: do not pluck your eyebrows too thinly, as they will never grow back properly. Eyebrows that have been drawn back do little to enhance your facial features. They can look quite scary too.

As for mascara, Vogue tell us to make our eyes ‘pop’, to make them more feminine and alluring. This means using a gentle, smooth brushing technique to lift and lengthen’ lashes, rather than short, dabbing movements – which leave unsightly lumps and clumps.

When it comes to choosing eye shadow, do you know your perfect colour match? Blue shades are a definite no-no for blue eyes, in the same way that excessively dark make-up does nothing for brown eyes – in both cases they make the eyes look smaller and less prominent on the face. If you use eye pencils, stick to brown, black or grey, as they complement the tones in your eyes, and effectively work with most outfits. Do not wear coloured eyeliner on the inner rim of the eye.

Violet and purple are this season’s shades; as all skin tones have a touch of purple, you should find they give you a warmer glow – and are definitely more funky than ‘safe’ old brown and grey.

Black should not be used as a shading colour, and should be limited to the lid, inner and outer rims – avoid any shading above the eyelid. For the final twinkling touch, don’t forget your eye drops!

Don’t be cheeky 

When it comes to blusher, less is definitely more. Tans are preferable to pinks and reds, to prevent the ‘clown’ look. However, a subtle blend of pinks and apricots, on the apple part of the cheek will give you a fresh, youthful glow.

Shimmering powders really do add an extra sparkle to skin on show. For best results, apply to your neckline, collar bone, sternum and arms.

So with all that in mind, (and all secrets revealed!) we too can achieve not only the model complexion but the complete look with professional tips to abide by, and used to achieve perfection! We also need not spend a fortune—all of these products are available to us on the market for a very reasonable price!  Get looking, get buying and get doing!

Orange Pumpkin Face Cookies Recipe

Makes 12 Cookies

Cookie
150g Softened Butter
175g Plain Flour
50g Icing Sugar
Zest of 1 Medium Orange

Filling
100g Mascarpone
1 tsp Icing Sugar
25g Plain Chocolate

Glaze
50g Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Orange Juice


1. Preheat the oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4. Put the butter in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the flour, icing sugar and orange zest and beat together to make a soft dough. Knead into a ball and wrap in cling film. Chill for 1 hour.

2. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm. Cut 24 circles with a 7.5 cm round plain cutter. Put them on a couple of baking sheets.

3. Using a small sharp knife, cut out Halloween faces on 12 of the circles. Gather up the spare biscuit dough and press into pumpkin stem shapes, trimming with a sharp knife. Press to the top of each biscuit with a knife to join. Make lines on the face biscuits with the back of a knife, to look like the markings on a pumpkin. Bake all the biscuits for about 15 minutes until pale golden. Leave to set for a while and then cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Mix the glaze ingredients to make a smooth, runny icing, adding a bit more juice if needed, and then set aside. For the filling, beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar, then stir in the cooled melted chocolate.

5. Spread the filling over the cooled plain biscuits, then press the 'face' ones on top - do this just before you want to eat them, otherwise they go soft. Brush with the glaze, using a clean paint brush or pastry brush. Eat the same day.

By Kelly Thake

How Not To Farm

These are all real life experiences about farming life

Working hard, driving the tractor down the hill, then BANG. Sinking in the mud, not being able to move, and then the tractor tips, being held up by a tree. This is why you concentrate when driving a 120 horse power vehicle. Climb out the back window, the window shuts  after, and the keys are locked in…. Then falling over in the muddy puddle…. That was a good day.

Walking around the show ring at a farm show, this is make or break, the judge is looking, so stand up and make everything look the best possible. The judge comes to ask questions and all that is said is “can you hold this a for second”,  passed the judge the cow with a chance of winning and throw up over the fence… it was The National Competition, chance of being the best, and that failed.

It shouldn't have been too bad, I mean, just like getting ears pierced. That is all it was, a quick little ear tag, so the pig could go away, the brothers and sisters were good as gold. But there is always one, it is    cornered, stand on one leg to catch it, but it runs into the one on the ground, flipped over on the ground, in a pile of mud… never to be lived down.

Its not even dawn and there is work to be done: milking, feeding, mucking out, fairly easy and simple, yes? Get up at 4:30, not to be late for College, walk down the yard, to find all the cows, had escaped from the field. All alone, herding 50 cows back into the field…. That is mission impossible Tom Cruise.

Come of Age by The Vaccines - Album Review

Come of Age is The Vaccines follow up album to their debut album ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ (Released on the 11th March 2011.) Their debut album reached no. 4 in the UK album chart, and received mixed reviews, although many listeners found that some of the songs were too short. However the latest edition from The Vaccines (which made it to number 1 in the UK album chart) delivered 11 unforgettable songs, all of which were over two minutes!

The album starts off with lead single ‘No Hope’ which was released on the 8th July. One of the lines featured in the song is ‘…when I haven’t got my own life figured out…’ When listening to the song for the first time it made me dubious that if Justin is writing about how he hasn’t sorted out his own life, how is he going to manage to write an equally (or even better) follow up album, in such a short space of time. However, as the songs keep playing you begin to realise that Justin and the rest of the band have really pulled together to sort out the album, and create an array of songs, that almost all fit together and work as a whole album.

As with almost every album there are a couple of songs that feel as though they were simply put on ‘just to fill space’ and for me these tracks are ‘Weirdo’ and ‘Bad Mood.’ Bad Mood is just 3 minutes and six seconds of erratic guitar playing, and Justin almost shouting into the microphone. Perhaps this song was recorded to vent out the bands frustrations, and I can’t help wondering if it should have just been left in the editing room?

Each song is different to the next, with the band attempting to establish a difference between then (What Did You Expect From The Vaccines) and now (Come of Age) and you can clearly hear the difference between the more structured  songs on their debut album and the more loosely structured songs on this album.

After the success of their debut album, and subsequent sold out venues, I can only hope and believe that 2012/2013 will hold great things for the album and The Vaccines, and who knows maybe even a number 1!

My Rating

Tracks to listen to:
No Hope
Teenage Icon
Aftershave Ocean

Tracks to Avoid:
Weirdo
Bad Mood

By Rebecca Knightsbridge

Natives - Band Review

A new band are emerging. Get ready to be excited!

Natives are a pop/rock band from The New Forest, Southampton who were   formally know as ‘Not Advised’ but changed their name to ‘Natives’ at the start of 2012 creating (in their words) "a new and fresh start!".

The band consist of Jim Thomas the front man, Jack Fairbrother and Ash Oliver on guitar, Greg Day on bass and last but not least Andy White on the drums. As a 5 piece they work together and give “20% each” to   create their inspiring lyrics full of pure passion.

They have recently supported Mayday Parade alongside The Summer Set which really helped to define their sound further and bring their message out to many more people. This touring experience should really help them to create the name for themselves they deserve.

In December they are going on a quick tour of their own in the UK to London, Southampton, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham playing material from their upcoming debut album. Seeing them live is something I’m definitely going to try to do!

So give them a try and check out the band’s latest self-released single – This Island. If you’re a fan of Deaf Havana then I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Check them out:
www.youtube.com/user/follownatives
www.facebook.com/follownatives

Reviewed by Harriet Stevenson

Fun things to do for Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching but traditions seem to be lost and people are running out of ideas so here are a few tips to stave away boredom this year!

Halloween gives way to a variety of amusing pranks. Below are a few favourites;

Caramel onions
A classic prank to pull on unsuspecting family and friends: Wrap an apple-shaped onion in a caramel-apple wrap (You should be able to fin these in your local super market). Add a Lolly stick, melt the caramel lightly in the microwave for an authentic look, and leave it to set. Then you are free to serve to your victim of choice.

Spooky Messages 
Visit friends' houses and write on the mirror with your finger, delivering a scary message such as "I'm watching you!" Breathe on the mirror and you can see your words. Let it dry naturally. When your friend takes a shower, the words will appear again when the mirror fogs up.

Living dead scarecrow
This timeless classic requires careful setup, but it scares the candy corn out of trick-or-treaters of all ages. Dress up as a scarecrow or other suitable character so your body and face are completely concealed. Slump down onto a hay bale next to your front door, as though you're a dummy. When visitors have rung the bell and await the door opening, you come to life in any variety of ways: jump up and scream hideously, slump over and moan, say "hello" as though you've been waiting for them to arrive...anything will get a good reaction.

Of course there is more to Halloween than pranking so here are a few traditional ways of celebrating the holiday!

Dressing up
One of the best parts of the Halloween season has to be dressing up as scary characters or well liked idols.

Apple bobbing
An old tradition; Unmarried people would attempt to take a bite out of an apple bobbing in a pail of water, or suspended on a string. The first person to do so was believed to be the next to marry.

Credit for the pranks goes to lolpranks.com

By Emily Thomas

V Festival Review

Now in its 17th year, V Festival returns with a huge line-up including The Killers, Nicki Minaj, David Guetta and Ed Sheeran.

The organisers of the festival could not have picked a better weekend to have the 2 day festival. It was possibly one of the hottest weekends of the summer, which makes a change compared to earlier years. While most people dressed as minimally as possible to keep cool, there was still the annual V Fest attenders who like to go dressed in crazy outfits - an example this year being a group of 15 Flintstones!

Although it was impossible to see everyone, I saw some really great acts, my favourite being one of half of The Last Shadow Puppets, Miles Kane. After seeing him join Arctic Monkeys on stage at V Festival 2011, I was really excited to see him again after hearing his album ‘Colour of the Trap’. And, despite being under the blazing sun and stuck in a sweaty crowd, everyone was singing and dancing along to hit songs like ‘Rearrange’ and ‘Inhaler’.

A minor down-point to the weekend was Nicki Minaj cancelling her set last minute due to a throat infection, which left some disappointed fans. Although, it wasn’t all bad. DJ Fresh did an extra set in order for LMFAO to take Nicki Minaj’s place, which brought most peoples moods back up. With dancers pouring champagne on the crowd, LMFAO got the whole crowd dancing too hits ‘Champagne Showers’ and ‘Sexy and I Know It’ , which for me, was a great way to end a really memorable weekend.

By Molly-Rose Gosling

Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club - Album Review

Finally, after 2 years, 6 months and 3 days we have at last been given a new album Beacon from the incredible Irish trio; Two Door Cinema Club. Even though the songs are not as upbeat like on ‘Tourist information’ the lyrics are still as meaningful to us and the songs are still as catchy as ever. Their Indie-pop sensational music is becoming more popular and well-known as they tour the UK where everyone can come together and relish their music by singing (or screaming) in unison. Since the album came out I have listened to it almost every day and can now order them with number one being the best and the last still being great but not as good as the first:

1. Next year
2. Pyramid
3. Sleep Alone
4. Wake up
5. Someday
6. Sun
7. The World is Watching
8. Spring
9. Handshake
10. Settle
11. Beacon

What do you think? How would you rank them?

Ironically the song ‘Beacon’ which is the name of the album is last on my list, as I don’t find it as appealing and memorable like ‘Next Year’ which always seems to be stuck in my head after listening to it once. As well as the song being catchy, I think many teenagers will be able to relate to the lyrics especially in the chorus:  ‘Maybe someday, you’ll be somewhere, talking to me as if you knew me, saying I'll be home for next year, darling I'll be home for next year.’ Whereas in ‘Pyramid’ ‘We have seen the world for what it’s worth’ and maybe they’re saying that the world is not perfect and we know it, but we can still live flawlessly good lives despite the depraved things on this planet. Even though ‘We have seen the lies beneath the earth’ it doesn’t stop us from living happily.

It is a very positive album as they are trying to pick out all the good things in life, which is maybe reflecting their optimism about their future careers and how they have a lot ahead of them. If they release another album which can top the last two, then I’m sure they will be just fine. Hopefully, we might not even have to wait another 2 and half years for the next album. But we will see.

By Mikaela Benson

Top 10 Movies to watch at Halloween

After the sweets, the slutty costumes, excessive drinking, pumpkin flavoured everything, and themed parties, the best part of Halloween is the scary movies! Scary movies keep you up late and give you an excuse to hold someone’s hand, so let Halloween be your excuse to throw a movie party. So here we have some of the best Halloween flicks of all time.

10. The Omen
A remake of the 1976 horror classic The Omen an American official realizes that his young son may literally be the devil incarnate. and as the child’s evil becomes more and more apparent in a world full of hate, the Biblical prophecies slowly begin to fall into place.

9. The Ring
A young journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone within a week of viewing it.

8. Jaws
The story of a Long Island town whose summer tourist business is suddenly threatened by a great-white-shark. This film may be old and the special effects may be less than impressive for the 21st century, but it’s still an excellent and truly terrifying film which will continue to remain a golden oldie for some time to come.

7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
In the early 1980's, a psychopath named Freddy Krueger murdered several children with a glove fitted with razor blades attached to the fingers. When a foolish decision by a judge sets him free, Krueger is burned alive in the boiler room where he worked by an angry mob of the parents whose children he terrorized & murdered. Years after his death, the children whose parents were responsible for Krueger's death - including Nancy Thompson, daughter of the police officer who arrested Krueger - are experiencing terrifying nightmares about him and begin to die in their sleep. Nancy realises she must do something or die.

6. Coraline
A young girl walks through a secret door and discovers a parallel reality that is eerily similar to the life she already knows, yet deeply unsettling in a number of ways. As her ‘other mother’ encourages her to make her stay permanent, she begins to find out the unsettling secrets of this other world. This adaptation of Neil Gaimon’s best-seller is perfect for those who don’t like scary slasher films as it’s not classified as a ’horror’ but it’s still an excellent film perfect for Halloween.

5. Let the Right One in
Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire. This film is both scary and heart-wrenching as Oscar and Eli’s love is doomed from the start, it will have you in tears.

4. Pan’s Labyrinth
Like Coraline, this film isn’t a horror, but it’s still chilling and very dark. It’s one of the best films I’ve seen and completely appropriate for a night in on Halloween. In the fascist Spain of 1944, the daydreaming young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

3. The Shining
Another Golden Oldie, A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

2. The Exorcist
When a girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.

1. The Silence of the Lambs
At number 1 we have an adaptation of the book, ‘The silence of the lambs’.A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.

By Ruby Butler