August Camera Roll

All photos can be found on my Instagram

Goodbye August... hello autumn! This month saw many birthdays, cakes, kittens, outfits... and a LOT of selfies. Highlights of my summer include turning seventeen, getting my own domain (.co.uk is so aesthetically pleasing), attending Wave 105's Night Air beach concert, receiving my AS level results, getting my hair chopped off, going to see Paper Towns alone, winning a £50 New Look shopping spree and posting my monthly review of Glamour Mag.

What snaps have you been taking this month?

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Autumn Fashion Essentials

In just one week September will be upon us and hot summer days will feel like worlds away - I mean, it's not like British weather has been that great these past few weeks anyway! Autumn/winter is definitely my favourite season of them all; not only for the magical scenery, atmosphere and mood, but also for the fashion! London Fashion Week, plum lips, lots of layers, boots and wrapping up warm... I just cannot wait to be immersed in it all. Below is a run down of all the wardrobe essentials I deem necessary for the upcoming season, all of which can be found at Esprit.

 OVERSIZED COATS

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Boyfriend coats are my absolute favourite and the duffle coat in the middle is so cute. Considering we all probably spend more time walking around with a coat hiding our outfits, I think it's worthwhile to invest in a good one which doesn't totally cramp your style whilst providing practicality.

WRAP UP WARM

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Is there any feeling better than snuggling up in a nice cosy scarf on chilly winter days? I think not. The more oversized, the better. Aside from warmth, scarves are also an effortless way to spice up a plain outfit. I've never been able to envision myself as a beanie-wearing girl, but autumn/winter just reminds me how much I love them on other people. If you're fortunate enough to be able to look great while wearing one, do yourself a favour and go buy 20 right now.

THE LEATHER LOOK

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I've been wearing my leather jacket all year round but I find the leather look to be all the more effective in the months of autumn. I can't explain why or how but it just gives your style that perfect edge which seems so aptly suited to the cold atmosphere.

COSY CARDIGANS

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Cardigans and ponchos are the perfect transitional piece in the midst of summer to autumn. The lightweight material is great for layering up and allowing versatility within your outfit. Most of my wardrobe is very muted (grey/black/white) but the dull weather outside doesn't have to reflect in your clothing. Teal is such a gorgeous colour alongside many other earthy tones which make up this season's colour palette.

BOOTS

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I am in shoe heaven right now. Ankle boots are such a wardrobe staple and I don't think I could ever get bored of having multiple pairs of black shoes. Whether it's suede or leather, they can be worn with absolutely everything and are great for keeping your feet warm and dry in the inevitable rainy weather.

What's on your autumn fashion essentials list?

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Birthday Haul

Exactly one week ago I turned seventeen and also received my AS level results - pretty exciting, right? I always love having a sneaky peek at what lovely gifts other people received on their birthday - so today's post is a quick little haul consisting of some of my favourite presents from my friends and family.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Lens The 'Nifty Fifty' as it's known by photographers everywhere. Every blogger I know who owns a 50mm lens swears by it and says it's the best thing which has dramatically improved their blog images. I am yet to test it out but am super excited to start using it! Eeek.

New Look Black Structured Tote Bag I've been (very sneakily) carrying a cream bag with a huge ink stain down one side of it to sixth form for the past year. Nobody has seemed to notice (or perhaps they're too polite to point it out!) but it was definitely time to get a new one and it was love at first sight when I spotted this in New Look. The bonus: it's black so won't get visibly dirty!

The Summer Of Silences

I stood still and watched the sun drip

across a candy-coloured skyline and

melt into a puddle on the pavement.

Clouds hung suspended in the air like

wavering pegs on a washing line

anticipating, frozen, a ghost trapped

between two sides. Propelled into

motion, the blanket of fog descends

and suffocates. Wraps itself around

the earth’s neck and breathes. 

Squeezing its victim into submission,

this is the kiss before the bite.

Sometimes I am forced to remember.

In the transient passing of nature: a

wisp of smoke, the crunch of gravel,

the flicker of a firefly. I once thought

I saw a shadow there. In silent screams

the moon pulsates and I find myself catching

honey between the cracks, scooping handfuls into

my mouth for there is fear of forgetting to taste.

I will watch the hourglass until the sand begins to

flow backwards. It never does but, darling, we have

waded in too deep to turn back now. It is only July, 

I remind myself. Flowers still have time to bloom;

I am just a negative waiting to develop.

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The 5 Must-Have Apps You Need In Your Life

Let's face it - phones are becoming an integral part of our daily lives. While many will be quick to criticise and preach about the decline of face-to-face socialisation, I'd rather embrace technology and focus on how we can use it to improve our experiences. There's an app for everything nowadays (some are just ridiculous!) so I've decided to generate a list of my top five favourites which I feel are must-haves. This obvs excludes the social media apps nearly everybody has (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat etc) and all links below are directed to the UK App Store for iPhones. But the best part about it? Each one is completely FREE to download!

Source: Google

FASHION: Feels
If you haven’t seen me promoting this app on social media, where have you been hiding all this time? The feels app is basically my new BFF. That’s how much I’m constantly browsing on it. For bloggers like me who also have an interest in modelling, feels is great to utilise as it’s in direct collaboration with Storm models - so you get to post your latest looks whilst also being in with the chance of getting spotted by industry leaders. I think it’s super inspiring to be able to keep up with so many people’s individual styles from all around the world. Be sure to check out my profile to be the first to see my new outfits before they go live here on Lunar Look! *Note: make sure your photography is on point before you start uploading as your images have to be approved before they go live*

MUSIC: Shazam
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you hear an awesome song playing in a shop or something and you really want to find out its title/artist but have no idea how to? If so, this app is your saviour! All you have to do is open up the app when a song is playing, click the 'Shazam' button and the app automatically tells you all the info on the song and allows you to share it on your profile. I have no idea how the technology behind it works but I have to say, it truly is a blessing to be living in 2015 when there are handy inventions like this.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo Grid
Instagram is taking the world by storm - so how annoying is it when you have the perfect photo but, god forbid, you can’t fit it in the app’s pesky frame without someone’s head being sacrificed? This collage app saved my life back in 2012 when I first got Instagram as I can now place a white border around images, allowing me to still fit full size pics in Instagram’s square sized frame. Whoop.

WORDS: Evernote
In the past I utilised this app daily in order to read books I’d digitally downloaded as PDF files on my phone, however I’ve now come to realise that the app seems to have changed its settings so that only premium users can view their notes while offline. That’s kind of annoying but I did find the app to be really useful so if you don’t mind using mobile data or upgrading your account, I’d still definitely recommend this app for reading/writing on the go. What’s best is that your notes can be instantly synced across all your devices as you’re logged in with your own user account.

FOOD: KFC Colonel’s Club
I absolutely love KFC. I don’t care how many times people give lectures on how ‘unhealthy’ it is - it will always be my favourite fast food by far (or at least until they invent some new places). So as you can imagine, when this reward system came out this summer I was pretty damn ecstatic over it. Getting 'chicken stamps’ just for eating there and trading them in for free food? Yes please. I’m pretty sure I claimed my first reward within the first 3 weeks it was live. They also have a physical card which you can collect stamps on but I think the app is so much easier as most people carry their phone around with them anyway. The only downside I’ve found to this app is that you have to spend a minimum of £3 in order to collect a stamp. I usually only spend £1.99, and even if I bought a drink with that it’s still only going to be just under £3 mark. So be sure to order with your friends (or just treat yourself!)

What must-have apps have you got on your phone?

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A-Level Results Day 2015

The event every sixth form student around the country has been anxiously waiting for - A level results day. This year wasn't *so* important for me compared with other students preparing for uni as I still have another year left, but I was still pretty excited to see my AS grades and find out whether all that hard work paid off.

Super happy with all my A's in the maths modules!! ☺️ Not entirely feeling those few marks away in Media and English Lit though #ALevelResultsDay 🎉

A photo posted by Nina JC (@ninajc) on Aug 13, 2015 at 4:47am PDT

Firstly, apologies for the poor quality image! It was taken on my phone and doesn't quite transfer well onto desktop.

Mathematics: A 
Further Maths: B
Media Studies: B
English Literature: B

Overall, I'm pretty pleased - especially with my maths grades! I expected to achieve A's in the core modules but getting an A in FP1 and Decision was a bit of a surprise. As you can tell by my results, I really don't get along with Mechanics. I'm happy that I passed both exams but I'm definitely glad that we aren't continuing any of those modules this September.

It's a shame that I was only 3 points away from an A in Media Studies but I can't really complain as I got the grade I wanted in my exam - it was just my coursework that dragged in down. However, I am rather surprised with my English Literature result. This happened before last year in my GCSEs but I managed to get it remarked - I always seem to get the top grade in my coursework and then do painstakingly average in the exam despite getting A's in all my mock essays. I'm definitely going to be querying this one and seeing if it's worth taking any action. Especially considering it's my favourite subject out of them all!

I don't want to seem like I'm complaining as I'm sure I have done relatively well compared to many others. It's just that I have very high expectations of myself and if an A is the highest grade you can achieve - I'm going to be aiming for it. Congrats to everyone else who received their results today!

PS. It's also my birthday today so at least I didn't fail anything / get kicked out of sixth form, right?

Did you get any results today? Celebrate with me in the comments below!

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OOTD | Laid-back Luxe

Select Cami Top | Select Soft Trousers | Primark Heels

Today's outfit is effortlessly simple yet still feels a lot more luxurious than my usual style. I'm actually pleasantly surprised with how those side-trim soft trousers turned out on camera as I think they look way too casual in person - the elasticated ankle doesn't help as it often bunches up and makes it seem like you're wearing joggers! However they are super comfortable and I love how they can be dressed both up or down for all occasions. The floral print is bold enough as it is so I've opted for a simple heel, no accessories and a classic red lip for that little pop of colour.

Would you wear this monochrome look?
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17 Life Lessons in 17 Years

I will be turning seventeen this week (13th August if you fancy surprising me!) so I thought it’d be the perfect time to make a little post highlighting some of the most important truths I’ve learnt over the years. I’m definitely the kind of person who’s inclined to question everything and I don’t easily accept the dogmas so many have been blindly conditioned to believe - so these ‘lessons’ are pieces of knowledge that I’ve thoroughly thought about, put into practice, and genuinely have unwavering faith in the power they hold.

source

1) A fact is just a widely-accepted opinion.

2) It is none of my business what other people think of me.

3) Gratitude is the open door to abundance.

4) Nothing is right or wrong; it is only thinking that makes it so.

5) You have absolutely zero control over any other human being besides yourself.

6) Take the road less travelled by and you won’t go far wrong.

7) There are only two emotions - one feels good and the other feels bad.

8) Nobody has ever become poor by giving.

9) We are always given a choice.

10) Time is a man-made construction. The only moment that exists is now.

11) Anyone that ever accomplished anything did not know how they were going to do it. They only knew that they were going to do it.

12) Question everything until you understand WHY it is true.

13) There are no standstills in life. You are either moving closer or further away from your goal.

14) Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. You are eternal life.

15) If the Universe didn’t need you, you wouldn’t be here.

16) Well-Being is the basis of All-That-Is. You only have to allow it like the air you breathe.

17) We are all one.

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Nina Reads Glamour Mag | September 2015

It's that time of the month again! New issue - whoop. I was looking forward to September's 'Big Fashion Issue' but as you'll find out below, I was kinda disappointed with it. Perhaps I had too high expectations, but I do feel like last month's August issue was a lot better on the whole. I had even more features noted down in the 'Bad' and 'Ugly' sections than what's posted here but there's only so much criticism one can take, right? I'll give Glamour the benefit of the doubt and will hope for better reading next month.

THE GOOD

Karlie Kloss is just a ray of pure sunshine. This is my favourite outfit of hers (like, ever) and I don't know whether she's worn it multiple times or I just keep seeing the same photo, but I am unashamedly proud that I automatically recognised it as being en route to BFF Taylor Swift's New York apartment. 

15 Things That Happen To Everyone When Going To The Cinema Alone

I recently went to the cinema by myself (see my Paper Towns review post) and for some reason everybody seems to think that's a strange thing to do. I've never really understood why it's so socially unacceptable to go places by yourself - I do it all the time and it's so much better in my opinion. I feel like it's important to spend time in solitude and know how to not be defined by another person all the time. It's not that I refuse to go with somebody else, it was just that I really wanted to see the film so why would I let not having anyone as company stop me? I find it worrying that there are people who would actually refrain from doing something they want to just because they're scared to be alone. Anyway, going to the cinema isn't really the most sociable of experiences in the first place; it's not even like you can talk to each other!!! I definitely think we should remove the social stigma of seeing movies by yourself - I'm already planning my next trip and I can't wait to do it again.

1. You go to book the film with somebody else with you and the cashier automatically puts through two tickets so you have to awkwardly explain that you just want one

2. Your mother standing beside you slowly edges away and starts pointing at you to make it clear that she is NOT the loner in this duo

3. The cashier still looks confused and takes at least thirty seconds to comprehend the fact that you actually want to go alone (shocking, I know)

4. You get given a premier seat and your dad jokingly asks whether it has 'LL' written on the back

5. It's time to queue and you are the ONLY one not excitedly talking about the film to your friend beside you

6. Taking your seat and going on your phone for a bit before suddenly wondering 'crap what it everyone thinks I'm texting my friends cause I've been stood up or something'  

7. Then you stop being a weirdo and remember that you couldn't care less what people think

8. 'I mean, c'mon... I may be alone but that just means I don't have to share my food with anyone'

9. You become super aware of your surroundings *sends mental death stare in the direction of the people behind me with their feet on my chair*

10. You don't know whether to be glad or offended that the entire row of seats next to you are empty

11. The movie finally starts and you are super relieved that you can enjoy it without being distracted by somebody next to you constantly asking what's going on 

12. There are no awkward moments where you feel obliged to laugh at a scene just because your friend is

13. *revels over getting both armrests to yourself*

14. You spot somebody else sitting alone *mini fist pump* oh wait... there's their friend

15. The movie finishes and you can actually go home straight away without having to wait outside the toilets for your friend (do I just have a strong-bladder compared to everyone else?)

What's your view on going to the cinema alone? Sad or smart?
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Farewell Long Hair

This update is a few days late but better that than never, right? Earlier this week I finally had my super long hair all chopped off after at least a year since I last had it cut. My hair grows super fast so the long locks will be back in no time but I’m really loving the way it looks (and feels!) right now.

My long hair was really starting to annoy me, especially when sleeping, as it gets tangled so easily and I end up accidentally getting it wrapped round my neck half the time. Everybody always commented on it, mostly positive compliments, but even then that just made me want to cut it off even more because of all the attention it drew.

Yes, I love being different and don’t care about people’s opinions of me but when people constantly make something as trivial as hair almost a defining part of you, it kinda makes me compelled to shock them by removing that very thing. I can’t explain why. I just don’t really get why people are so concerned over what I do with something on my head. To put it simple: I cut my hair purely because I wanted to at the time that felt right for me, not because anybody asked me to or made me feel like I had to!

Today I encourage all of you to summon up the courage to do that ONE thing you’ve been too afraid to do - whether it be in fear of society’s reaction or simply procrastination… X

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New Look Haul

As those of you who follow me on Instagram know, a couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of having a lovely little £50 New Look gift card in my possession so I could go wild and splurge on a new summer wardrobe. I did go and have a browse in my local store but it was quite disappointing so I only picked up two things there - the selection of clothing online was so much better that in hindsight I kinda wish I'd spent it all via the web instead.

However I still managed to pick up some lovely items, so here's the much-anticipated haul that I promised you all...

Coral Pocket Front T-Shirt  £6.99 £4.00

I don't own many coloured clothing items - my wardrobe colour palette is pretty much just black/grey/white - so I was definitely debating over whether to keep this top in my basket or not before I decided to stop being boring and embrace the fact that it's summer! I do love the colour and the pocket detail makes it a little different than simply a basic shirt.

Paper Towns Movie Review

Yesterday I popped off to the cinema all on my lonesome to watch the advance screening of Paper Towns which also had exclusive Q&A footage shown with it. I'd been sent a pair of guest tickets by Odeon months ago and have been saving it for this very moment! I did enjoy the film so this post will probably be me rambling on in a nonsensical way but if you happen to make sense of my views, then that's a bonus! Despite Cara Delevingne's awkward interview this week, the cinema was quite full and I do predict big things for this movie.

Let's get things straight first - I absolutely detest everything to do with The Fault In Our Stars (both book and movie) for very good reasons and I still do. Nothing will magically change that and I am still not a John Green fan but do feel that Paper Towns has a very different ideology. I had read the book before but I will be honest and say that I didn't really 'get' it at the time (however I understand the true message now) so the only reason I was so excited for the film was purely because Cara was cast as the female protagonist. I will admit that -  and honestly, I really do think she held the film together. As someone who always appears so quirky and fearless, I feel like the role was suited so perfectly to her and I saw no problems with her acting either; considering she has such a distinct British accent, she does well to disguise it. Sure she might just seem like she's playing herself at times and there is no real challenging drama on her behalf but it's important to remember that we're seeing her through the eyes of Q the entire time - someone who has idolised her for years and really knows nothing about her life. She does appear like a 'paper girl', as Margo says herself in the film - but it's because that's how our male protagonist has fictionalised her to be thus how she's been constructed for us to see. As the audience/reader, we are constantly looking through the lens of Q and don't ever get to see the 'real' Margo. Perhaps the reason why the film ends with 'But that's Margo's story to tell' is because there's the chance of an upcoming sequel happening which will finally give us an insight into her true character. However, in this film she is intentionally portrayed as a mystery and Delevingne excels in conveying that. I absolutely love Margo's character and I think that's because I share the same values as her. She thinks it's the saddest thing in the world when Q thinks he'll finally be happy when he's 30 and married with kids - and so do I. Why not just be happy now? Margo is spontaneous and nonconforming to society - a lot of people say that she's an dislikeable character, but I personally thought she was great. Yes, not perfect (but that's the point!).

Moving on to the actual message of the film, I think it's a great one. Paper Towns is a story of 'what a treacherous thing [it is] to believe that a person is more than a person.' It's almost a cautionary tale of why we should never romanticise or idolise other human beings and create expectations of them in our heads. We will never know what it's like to see the world through anybody else's world's so we need to be aware that everything we see and discern is just our perception. Q is a teenager who has been obsessively in love with a girl called Margo ever since they were young - and I mean like super obsessive - he even calls her his miracle. However, the problem is that he doesn't actually know her. The  'myth of Margo Roth Spiegelman' is the hot topic of the school and there's a different rumour each day about what cool things she gets up to on her adventures. These versions of Margo that everybody sees and the one that Q falls in love with are entirely fictional. [SPOILER ALERT] When she runs away he believes all the clues that she leaves indicates that she wants him to come and find her, when really he couldn't be more wrong. I don't want to give too much away, but at the end I feel like Q did learn the ultimate lesson - that you can't live your entire life chasing a person who doesn't need you and expecting people to be anything but themselves. Not everybody who goes missing is lost and waiting to be found. Nobody is perfect and it's a bad idea to idolise the fictitious versions of other people that we create in our minds.

I'm pretty much rambling here but it's hard to explain unless you've read the book. I definitely feel like I wouldn't have enjoyed the film as much if I hadn't read it beforehand as the movie isn't as ambiguous. It's almost like a simplified version of events. If like me, you had so many questions left unanswered after reading the book (and hated having them) then I'd suggest you watch the film as it leaves out most of the 'deep' parts which make you second-guess yourself trying to find meanings in things. However, if you liked the depth of the book and the mystery of it then you might be a little annoyed at how dumbed-down the film is. Much of the heavy-symbolism and metaphors are left out. One of my favourite things about the film is the title. Margo refers to the town she lives in as a 'paper town full of paper people' - nobody cares about anything that's important. It's all flimsy and fake, not even hard enough to be made of plastic. This is partly the reason why she hates it so much. The second meaning of paper towns refers to entirely fictitious places put on maps by cartographers so that they could tell if someone illegally made a copy. This meaning is also important as I feel like it reflects the image Q had of Margo - the idolised view of her was entirely made up in his head but it seemed so real to him that he convinced himself it was true. I also like this one as these fake towns were essentially 'traps' and that links to when Margo writes 'You will go to the paper towns and you will never come back.' which I took as her meaning that all these people who conform to society and live their 'normal' lives have been tricked into thinking that's the only way to be happy. There are so many different meanings but it all fits together so perfectly when you watch it.

Overall, I feel like the true message of this film will be overlooked or missed by so many. They will probably see it as John Green advocating the idea of a teenage guy objectifying a girl and perpetuating the 'manic pixie dream girl' stereotype but I feel like he's actually criticising and making fun of that very notion. We're told the story from Q's viewpoint but ultimately he is proved wrong. I feel like Margo definitely comes out the winner in this story (in fact, she does that all the way through) and John Green is actually not-so-secretly making fun of how ridiculous teenage boys are. The entire film proves a point about how dangerous it is to objectify and idolise people by doing that very thing and having the characters learn from it.

Of course, this is just my opinion and I welcome everyone to discuss their own interpretations below! This is just the interpretation of the book that I feel the movie represents the most.

Have you seen Paper Towns? Let me know what you thought of it!

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