Thank You January

Thank you January for all that you gave us and thank you February for all that will come! Gratitude is the open door to abundance and it's a force far more powerful than any action you could take. I've been keeping a gratitude journal for 3 years now, so I'd thought I'd reflect on a few of the things I thanked the Universe for this past month.

Images from my Instagram

Free cinema tickets from Citroen
These arrived a couple days into the new year and I'd totally forgotten I'd applied to win them before Christmas! It was a lovely surprise and now I just need to hurry up and decide what film to go see.

Began writing for Maximum Pop
Just before Christmas I applied to be a Style Intern for maximumpop.co.uk and now I'm happy to say I'm part of the team! Everyone's so great and passionate about the site and I'm really enjoying writing for them, especially since it combines my love of celebrities with my interest in fashion. You can see some of the articles I've written here.

UK Senior Mathematics Challenge
I've done the maths challenge every year since 2009 and I've always done well but not as great as I did this year! As you can see from my Instagram, I came away with not only a silver certificate but also 'best in year' and 'best in school' - seriously geeky, I know.

Finding new songs which you love
I've never really listened to One Direction much before but I am completely obsessed with Zayn's new song and music video 'PILLOWTALK'. I've listened to it way too many times for it to be healthy.

What are you thankful for in January?

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Why I Don't Make New Year's Resolutions

2016 is on the horizon and everyone has something that they want to accomplish. Whether it be to lose weight, to get a better job or maybe even to become a happier person in general - this is the time of the year people start talking about their goals. I, however, will not be making a resolution for the New Year. Here’s why.

The perfect moment to start is now
Don’t get me wrong, I have plans and aspirations too. My problem with New Year's resolutions isn’t the fact that people are trying to improve themselves, it’s the notion that somehow the beginning of a new year is required to spur action. “New year, new me!”, so the saying goes. But the way I look at it is why not, “New day, new me!” or even “New second, new me!”? As human beings we are all constantly expanding, changing and evolving in ways you can’t even imagine. It is never too late to be brand new. If I want something, I don’t need to wait until the New Year to have it. I’m gonna go out and get it now.

Procrastination
Successful people understand that life isn’t just happening to them, it’s responding to them. They don’t sit around waiting for opportunities to arise, they knock and the door is opened. Most people think they are ‘knocking’ by making New Year’s resolutions, but really I think they are just the perfect excuse for procrastination to breed. When it’s halfway through January and you haven’t completed your goal yet - “oh well, there’s always next year.” There is a reason why the majority of New Year's resolutions are given up on within the first three months. If you really want to achieve something, you need to erase the mindset that it needs to be start of a year for you to be inspired. Set your mind on something and stick with it. Know that it’s yours no matter how many obstacles you face along the way because you are a runner and you always finish the race.

The action isn’t actually that important
Most new years resolutions focus purely on action. “I want to lose three stone” “I want to read 50 books” “I want to earn £50k” or in other words, “I will complete a series of tasks and only then will I be happy.” The problem with this is that what most people don’t know is the 'doing’ part of achieving a desire is actually significantly smaller than the 'thinking’ part. The most important thing when it comes to accomplishing goals is your mindset and the way that you feel. Only then will you experience what we call 'inspired action’. Make feeling joy your priority instead of an end result and watch the magic that happens.

Forced isn't fun
Most people set New Year's resolutions just because they feel they have to. They’re under pressure and often set goals they aren’t committed to achieving and therefore don’t have the drive and emotional energy behind it. You simply cannot attract something to you if you are feeling bad about it. Desires should feel good. Amazing, even. It’s supposed to be fun! This is why it’s rare to see someone who constantly complains about being on a diet actually lose weight. They’re too busy being negative and feeling bad to bring about any positive result. Whatever you choose as your goal, the number one rule is to feel good.

Thank you 2015 for all that you gave us and thank you 2016 for all that will come!

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What I Got For Christmas 2015

*insert unapologetic comment about negative reception to these kind of posts here* yeah, yeah, yeah... it's pretentious, selfish, materialistic... whatever. You know where the door is. Now for those who enjoy seeing what lovely things others received for Christmas, here are a few of my gifts which I thought you might like to see:

BEAUTY

Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick in Rose Wood - I really love brown/nude lipstick at the moment and I've always been a fan of Collection's inexpensive but long-wearing shades. This particular shade is really subtle and perfect for creating that faux 'no make-up' look.

L'oreal Paris Brow Artist Plumper - I have never done anything to my eyebrows in my life before but I really love the Cara-D-esque bold brow look. This mascara is so quick to use but I did find it easy to over-apply so it's best to start with light strokes and build colour up if necessary. I can't decide if the look suited me or not but nobody came up and said "OMG WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR FACE" so that's a good sign.

Christmas Tree, Lights & Decorations

Today my family put up all the Christmas decorations around the house (for the first time ever we even have lights hanging outside!) so I thought I'd make a quick blog post just to share it with you guys. We decided to go with a gold theme for the tree decorations this year and definitely went overboard on the chocolates. I love how festive it feels to have sparkly lights everywhere and I just hope the tree stays up long enough before our kitten destroys it... 

How do you decorate your house for Christmas?
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October Camera Roll

Happy Halloween! As it's the last day of the month I thought it'd be fun to share some of the Instagram snaps I've been taking throughout October - as expected there are the usual selfies, kittens and sunsets but I also took some pretty pictures of some exciting and new favourite 'things' of mine. Here's what I've been up to...

All photos can be found on my Instagram

MUSIC

Last week I got to see Ella Henderson in concert on her first UK tour  (Thanks to O2 Music!) and she was so great live. I own her debut album, Chapter One, and I was definitely not disappointed with how flawlessly the sound of it was replicated on stage. Her vocals are amazing and I'm in love with her gorgeous hair - I am honestly convinced she is secretly a mermaid. 

Demi Lovato has been one of my favourite music artists for so long (I own ALL her albums!) and her newest one 'Confident', which came out earlier this month, is the best by far. I recommend everyone to listen to it for themselves but my favourite songs on the album are 'Cool for the Summer', 'Kingdom Come ft. Iggy Azalea' and 'Waitin for You ft. Sirah'.

FASHION

I've been on a giveaway winning streak recently and have found myself the new owner of this gorgeous Cleopatra style Accessorize necklace and a £50 H&M gift card which I can't wait to spend on a new AW15 wardrobe! Keep your eyes peeled for a haul post too. I also managed to get an OOTD post up where I pretty much break the rules of fashion, so you can have a read of that here if you'd like to.

BEAUTY

I rarely ever paint my nails (bad blogger alert) but I am actually obsessed with my new Nails Inc polish which came free with the November issue of Glamour! I will definitely be making it my go-to colour this autumn/winter. I suck at winged eyeliner but I had a go at creating a vampy look for Halloween (3rd row, 2nd image) and I honestly don't think it went too bad! I used Soap & Glory's Supercat paired with Collection's Lasting Colour Lipstick in 'Plum Sensation'.

PHOTOGRAPHY

I have FINALLY got my hands on a vintage-style instant camera! I haven't bought any film yet for my new Lomo'Instant Sanremo but am excited to use it and a big thank you to Emily Luxton for picking me as the competition winner X

What snaps have you been taking in October?
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No One Has Ever Become Poor By Giving

If you are reading this, you are part of the privileged 40% of the world population with access to the internet. Perhaps many of you are part of the even smaller group who are reading this blog on the latest smartphone or technology product. When we read statistics like this it is evident that many of us living in Western societies are privileged beyond compare... and yet, so few of us truly feel like we have much to be thankful for.

I've observed a lot of people and have done a lot of thinking and I seriously wonder "How much material 'stuff' do people have to acquire before they begin to see that they have more than enough?" I've come to the conclusion that many people's answer to this question is that the limit does not exist. The ideology of our society is seeing happiness as an end result. We will work hard and achieve our goals and then only after that will we be happy. The reality is that we end up getting stuck in the vicious cycle of wanting more and more and more without ever appreciating what we have when we acquire it. This works for both physical and mental 'things'. Be happy now... because the fact is that money can never buy happiness, but happiness will always attract abundance and wealth.

The main reason for me writing this post came to me after viewing the way many British people have been treating homeless people and refugees. It's disgusting that so many adopt the view that being from a different country or making some unfortunate choices in life somehow makes you less of a human being. I can't imagine what it must feel like having no home to go to but I also can't imagine what it feels like to be so venomous in side that you have zero compassion for those who are worse off than you. 

The truth is that people hate giving money to homeless people. You hear it all the time - people complaining about how all it does is fuel their addiction and you can really sense it in these people's voices how offended they feel at giving away their hard-earned money. While I can understand how easy it is to feel uptight about not wanting to share your wealth, it honestly is such a toxic mentality to have. When you cling onto the wealth you have you are sending out messages to the universe that you don't believe there is another to go around. You are voluntarily placing yourself in a 'lack' mentality and anyone who does that will forever be in poverty. It's difficult to learn how to do but you will benefit so much more if you could just see how privileged you are... to see how there is more than enough to go around... to understand how no one has ever become poor by giving. 

In the context of this post I have been talking about money. However, it is true for so much more than that. Today I challenge you all to let go of all mentalities that no longer benefit you, free yourself from the lie that there isn't enough for everyone to live in abundance and have faith in the knowledge that you receive whatever you give unto others... below is a powerful affirmation that I'd encourage everyone to practise each day:

"No man can become rich, without enriching others. Anyone who adds to prosperity - must prosper in turn."
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My Reading Habits | Tag

Usually I see bloggers do tags and none of the topics interest me but I'm a huge fan of books and enjoyed reading Katy's post on this tag earlier today. The questions seem fun so I thought I'd have a go at answering them myself!

Do you have a certain place at home for reading? 
I usually read when I'm in bed as it's quiet and I can focus on the book without any distractions.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?
I used to just dog-ear the pages but recently I've found myself just memorising which page I'm on. (Is that weird?)

Do you eat or drink while reading?
Sometimes, but it's not a necessity of mine.

Music or TV while reading?
No. Silence please!

Reading at home or everywhere?
At home or sixth form. I can't read on public transport or outside - it's just annoying!

Reading out loud or in your head?
In my head. I can't stand sitting next to people who read aloud and mutter under their breath.

Do you read ahead or even {*shudders*} skip pages?
If it's a boring part I might scan over the page. I always skip ahead when watching films but I think with books I always read them chronologically or just put it down all together.

Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?
I wouldn't intentionally break the spine but most of my much-loved books are falling apart.

Do you write in your books?

Not unless I'm studying it. I usually just take a picture of the page if there's a quote I want to remember.

I tag all the bookworms reading this! Let me know below if you've done this tag

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Life Through A New Lens

That title may be a little over-dramatic, but it is true that you don't realise how utterly blind you are until you get new glasses. I'm supposed to have been wearing glasses for the past 15 years but I pretty much stopped wearing them about 6 years ago - whoops. Although I claim that I can see without them (because I can!) it has gotten to the point where I can't read text from far away and I definitely can't drive without them, so it makes sense for me to start wearing them again. Who knows - maybe I can turn it into the next big fashion trend, right?

When I put them on for the first time on Friday it was honestly like switching over to a HD channel. It feels strange because I'm so used to the life of squinting and blurred edges but I reckon I could get used to seeing through this new lens. It is super annoying taking selfies with all that glare though! Sigh... bane of every glasses wearer's life.

What do you think of the glasses I picked out?

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16 Things I Love About Autumn

My favourite season is finally here... I'm so bored of relatively warm weather and am totally wishing for a cool autumn breeze now. Although, I'll probably have something different to say when it actualy gets colder! It may only be the start of September but I'm already mentally anticipating all the amazing features of autumn that are coming up in the months ahead. Who's with me?

1. Crisp weather

2. Crunchy leaves 

3. London Fashion Week

4. Oversized jumpers

5. Wearing earthy tones

6. Fluffy socks

7. Great evening TV (X Factor, Gogglebox, I'm A Celeb...)

8. Dark lipstick

9. Bonfire night

10. Halloween sweets

11. Apricity

12. Onesies

13. Carving pumpkins

14. Warm drinks

15. Bright colours

16. The magical atmosphere

What's your favourite thing about autumn?
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Nina Reads Glamour Mag | October 2015

After last month's monstrosity, I'm pleased to say the least that I didn't find that much to complain about in October's issue of Glamour. It wasn't anything overly *great* but I did laugh out loud at some of the articles and I actually enjoyed browsing through all the gorgeous autumn fashion adverts. Who would've guessed? Keep on reading for a more in-depth run down of the good, bad and ugly parts. Note: poor image quality is a result of me reading/photographing/writing this post during my free period at sixth form (instead of doing my maths homework!)

THE GOOD

Editor's Letter I know we've probably all been guilty of it at some point in our lives, but one thing that really bugs me is seeing people express such a negative attitude about their job. The truth is that you can never achieve anything 'better' until you are grateful for what you already have - so stop complaining and count your blessings in order to bring about change! With the pull-quote "Even the worst jobs can give you great lessons", 'I feel like Jo Elvin's letter is a perfect example of expressing thankfulness for how the places you once were helped get you to where you are today. I did have an image but the quality was so abhorrent that this post is just better off without it.

I just love Karlie Kloss. Even if it is merely a Kate Spade advert. She looks gorgeous and I adore the cute caption underneath this photo - "Even when I'm wearing flats my head still almost touches the clouds!" 

This article was very funny in the sense of 'I am SO glad that wasn't me'. One of my colleagues recently told me the story of how she vomited in a shopping bag on her first day of work (seriously) and I thought that was the most shocking thing ever until I read some of these stories! 

An ENTIRE page of Taylor Swift for me to fan girl over? Yes please. I don't even care that she only ranked 5th on Glamour's best dressed list.

Why I Dislike Competition (But Love Winning)

I know what you're thinking. That post title sounds like a mix between a paradox and the life motto of a sore loser, right? It does initially seem like an absurd statement to make and it actually took me a long time to figure out and comprehend fully myself, but when I did it pretty much felt like a eureka moment and as a result I have more faith in my personal beliefs than ever before. 

As I'm sure most of you are aware, I am a prolific giveaway winner. Multiple times each month I have exciting parcels/tickets delivered to my door and I'm extremely thankful for that. Winning 'stuff' comes so naturally to me now that I've rightly earned the title of 'luckiest person ever' in many people's eyes. So as you can expect, often times people are confused when I tell them that I don't actually participate in what I call 'competition'. Yes, I enter giveaways and love winning them. Yes, I strive to achieve the highest grades possible. Yes, I enjoy getting the top score in quizzes. However, what I don't involve myself in is what I see as almost like direct 'war' between two people. I don't make bets on things, I don't race to complete tasks and I don't need to see somebody else fall in order for me to rise. I have absolutely zero interest in beating others or being better than anybody else. All I'm focused on is working on my own life and improving myself instead of positioning myself in a state of comparison.

Am I making sense? I feel like it's complicated to understand, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't like this competitive attitude people have as it always seems to come from a place of lack rather than abundance. I've had this innate viewpoint of mine for ages but I've never really understood why or how it can be possible to hold it and still enjoy 'winning' at the same time. Until now, when I realised from one of my favourite books that, like war, in competition there aren't ANY winners - we all lose.

"Competition is an example of separation. When you have thoughts of competition, it is coming from a lack mentality, as you are saying there is a limited supply. You are saying there is not enough for everybody, so we have to compete and fight to get things. When you compete you can never win, even if you think you won. By the law of attraction, as you compete you will attract many people and circumstances to compete against You in every single aspect of your life, and in the end you will lose. We are all One, and so when you compete, you compete against You. You have to get competition out of your mind, and become a creative mind. Focus only on your dreams, your visions, and take all competition out of the equation."

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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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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 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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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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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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