Part 2 | Revision Techniques

Hello lovelies! 

Last week I brought you a post focusing on revision essentials, and you can find that post HERE. 

Following on from that post, I am bringing to you a Revision Techniques post, with different techniques which you can use during your revision to ensure that those important facts stay in your head! Like I stated in my previous post, these techniques work for me, and even though they may not work for you, it is always worth a try!

Say goodbye

Unplug your phone, log out of twitter/facebook delete the app. Applications (unless they're educational) and social networking does not help with revision. You will not be able to concentrate on the subjects and topics that you are supposed to be learning, and they will become a huge distraction when you are struggling with answering questions. Whenever I am on a break, I do check up on social networking and text messages etc. but not during revision. I like to be in the zone  and manage to get some extra learning done for my exams. 

Eat healthily/do some exercise

Eating fast foods and snacks which do not benefit the body in anyway will not only make you feel worse about yourself during the revision period, but it will also take your mind off what you are supposed to be thinking about. It is likely that you will look forward to your next break, and this will distract your learning pattern. Healthy eating will help to preserve your memory, and it will ensure that you feel better about yourself overall. Fish and seafood are good foods to eat during revision as they help to aid with memory, and make your brain work faster. 

Exercise such as meditation and yoga will help to settle the brain and the body, making sure that you feel more relaxed in yourself. This will help with you keeping a clear mind during revising, so that you do not get 'stressed out' as much as you used to!

Question yourself

Either ask someone else, or ask yourself questions on the topic you have been revising. This will help to make your memory stronger with the facts that you have been learning about, and it will also help you to recite knowledge that you will need to know in the exam. This can be done on any topic that you are revising, and it seriously has worked wonders for me in the past. It can be done anywhere, with anyone and at any time!

Make sure to have scheduled breaks

Scheduled breaks fit in with having a revision timetable. Having scheduled breaks will make sure that you get snacks and fluids when you need to, so that you don't forget about eating/drinking throughout the day. This is important because you will need snacks and fluids to help with the revision process, and keeping up the memory. 

Have the resources that you need

Having the resources that you need with you is also important. This is because you can't afford to be running out of resources during revision, because you need most of your time to ask yourself questions or to recite something that you don't know too well. Having the resources near you will also mean you don't have to interrupt revising, to go and find some paper or a working pen when they work out. They can be bought pretty cheaply too!

So there are some revision techniques that I have used in the past, and that I will also be using in this years exam season. I hope that they work for you if you try them!

What exam techniques have you been using?

Part 1 | Revision Essentials

Hello everyone.

Today I bring you a different sort of post. Seeing as though exam seasons is closely approaching, I thought that I would put together a Revision Essentials guide for you all. I will be doing numerous revision style posts for you to read, so that you can share my tips! Also, right about now is the time to start revising, I know I have!

Please not however, these essentials work for me which is why I would like to share them with you all. If they do not work for you, then I deeply apologise. 

Image taken from PINTEREST

Post-it notes

I find that post-it notes are a literal God send. These little beauties can be placed anywhere, seen anywhere and can be taken anywhere. Anything can be written on them which makes life a lot easier! Post-it notes also come in a variety of colours which makes revising different different topics easier, as you can distinguish the different topics from one another without becoming confused. 

Coloured pens

I bet that I am not the only one who likes to make my revision notes look pretty and jazzy am I? With coloured pens, I find that you can use a different colour for each topic, each question and answer, each scholar, quote and the list goes on! I have recently purchased 3 packs of the same coloured pens because I go through them so quickly. 

Notebooks

Notebooks allow you to write a lot of one subject altogether, without lots of different pieces of paper becoming lost and mixed together. I use a different notebooks for each subject, because I know that if I combined them then I would never remember what I was supposed to, or I would get different quotes mixed up. Maybe try getting notebooks which are in different colours, so that you can distinguish them from one another, allowing your revision to become a lot easier. 

Posters with spider-diagrams

I enjoy using the odd spider-diagram every once in a while. I find that you can summarise a topic all in one without going through books after books trying to put something together. Putting them on a poster helps you to see them more clearly, and you can also place these around your bedroom so that you can see them more clearly too. As you will be looking at them everyday, you will eventually take in all of the facts that you need to know, and ace your exams. Spider diagrams are also useful for planning essays. They allow you to put everything together for which you need to include, so that you do not forget anything. 

Revision Cards

Buying a set of revision cards for each topic is honestly not a bad idea. You are able to put a summary of each topic that you need on the cards, so that you can use them for quizzes etc. These can also be decorated so that they stand out from all of your other revision techniques. 

A revision timetable

I think that this is very important. You need to know when your allocated revision sessions need to take place, and it also allows you to share the amount of revision time with all of your different subjects. This means you also get some time for yourself, so that you can do the things that you enjoy. This will also boost your memory.

A clock

Linking in with the revision timetable, using a clock means that you are able to allocate the times you should be revising, and when you should take a break. 

So guys, there are my revision essentials. I hope that you find them useful because I do!

What are your revision essentials?

Get That Spring Look

Even though it doesn't seem like it, spring is just around the corner. I struggle with outfits throughout spring because somedays it can be cold and rainy, but other days it can be sunny and windy. I have chosen a few bits and bobs and put them together, to show you an outfit that I personally would wear in the spring season. This being either to a meal, or a sophisticated party. 

1.

I adore this colour and the dress so, so, so much. I think it is perfect for spring. I found this dress on the Topshop website, and I would definitely wear it as it is a shift dress. It is names a a 'Crepe Tee Shift Dress' and is labelled at a price of £45.00. It can be found HERE. 

2.

I have been eyeing up these shoes for a while now, and I have known the website they are shown on for quite a while called 'She Likes'. Being a tall one, I struggle with finding heels which won't make me look like the BFG. I think that these shoes are perfect because they don't have a platform on the front either. These are named 'Frida Leather Ankle Strap Sandals' and are priced at £25.00. They can be found HERE. 

3.

I am loving statement necklaces at the minute, and think that they complete an outfit. This necklace is a light gold colour, decorated with pastel gems. This necklace is also off Topshop, and named 'Flat Sectors Beaded Necklace'. It is priced at £15.00, which I do think is pricey for a necklace but isn't it so pretty?! You can find this necklace HERE.

4.

Even though it is soon to be spring, this doesn't mean that the hot weather will be approaching immediately (especially not in England!). As a result, this means that a lightweight jacket should be paired up with every outfit to add that extra bit of warmth, but to also make it look shnazzaaay. This jacket is again, from Topshop (bit of theme?) and is priced at £89.00, quite extortionate. It is named a 'Fluffy Swing Coat', and if I owned this jacket I would definitely try to wear it as often as I could. It is gorgeous. You can find this jacket HERE. 

So there is my 'spring look'. I am loving these colours at the moment, either individually or together so I glad that I could find items which suited one another. 

What clothing/colours are you loving for spring?

March Wishlist

I know that it is quite far into the month of March already, but I couldn't resist sharing with you guys what I am lusting after this month. All of these products are wanted for a reason, so it isn't just a random wish list which I have placed together.

1.

In May is my leavers ball before I go to university. I'm not giving anything away because I want to do a post on my dress etc. at the time, so I am just going to keep it minimum with my shoes that I am hopefully going to purchase for this event. These shoes are from Missguided, sat at a price of £24.99 and you can find them HERE. I love the simplicity of these shoes, and they are something which I can wear again and again with different outfits at different occasions. As my ball is in May, it is guaranteed that the nights are going to be lighter and everything is going to be more 'alive'. These shoes are perfect for those 'pre-summer nights', and enough to finish off an elegant outfit (oops another giveaway!).

2.

After my Sleek post, I am seeking for a full-coverage concealer which I can use on a daily basis instead of a foundation, and also on a night out when I want to achieve that 'flawless' look. A lot of YouTuber's that I have watched have always used Make Up Forever products, and their skin looks amazing once they have finished applying their makeup. I know that Tanya Burr has used the Make Up Forever concealer before, and the coverage has been absolutely amazing on her. I am also suffering from a few blemishes at the moment, which may be down to the change in weather. I also like my base's to stay, and I believe this concealer won't budge.

I found this concealer on the Sephora website which is American based, but I know has just recently started shipping to the UK! The concealer is originally $32.00 which retails at £19.19 and it can be found HERE. 

3.

I am a sucker for a nice dress and usually go for a shift dress, because I find that those types of dresses suit my body shape more. Whilst browsing the Boohoo website, I found a bunch of shift dresses which were gorgeous and something which I would definitely wear. Seeing as though I am going to Blackpool at the end of the month for my friends birthday, I thought that I could do with a new dress and found this one. At £18.00, I thought this was a very good price for a dress which I would get a lot of wear out of, and you can find it HERE. 

4.

Now which girl doesn't like a good foundation? I have heard nothing but good reviews on Laura Mercier products; especially the foundations. This foundation claims to 'glide over skin effortlessly for perfect application and blendability." This to me comes across as a perfect foundation, which would leave a perfect finish. Again, I found this on the Sephora website at $45.00 which retails at £26.98. You can find this foundation HERE. 

5.

I have long, wavy hair which in Miley Cyrus' words, "can't be tamed". I am often leaving it down because I refuse to tackle it, and to be honest I can never be bothered doing anything with it because it comes across as such a chore (perfect festival hair though!). Scrunchies are 'in' at the moment, and i came across this one on the Topshop website, and I like it. A lot. It is only £4.00 which I think can be justified, due to the amount of hairstyles which can be made with it. You can find it HERE. 

So there is my wish list guys! If you have tried any of these products then feel free to leave your views, or if you have any recommendations then please let me know!

Sleek | Face Contour Kit & Concealer

Like I have previously mentioned, I am a sucker for trying out new products. 

Sleek is a brand which I have heard of over the years but I never got round to purchasing anything from them, until around Christmas time. I know you will be thinking that this is a bit late seeing as though Christmas was nearly 3 months ago, but I wanted to try this out for a reasonable amount of time and give you my honest review.

Face Contour Kit

The face contour kit can be purchased in a few different shades, depending on your skin tone and what you think suits you best. I chose to go for the lightest shade as even though I like to apply my bronzer everyday, I don't like it to look too dark. This is because I find that if I apply too much bronzer then it gives my face a 'dirty' look, and I don't think that sits well on my face. The face contour kit comes with a highlighter inside of the packaging and a mirror, which is incredibly useful when doing on-the-go makeup. I like to apply my mascara after the rest of my makeup and I always use a separate mirror to look into so that I can take my time, so I found the mirror included very useful. The highlighter is a pinky tone and very, very shimmery which I like in a highlighter because it definitely does highlight the main features of the face. Even though the bronzer is in the shade 'light', the colour can be built up if it appears to light for your skin tone. Unlike some bronzers, if you build the colour up then it can ruin the foundation that is already applied and ruin the base makeup altogether, which is something Sleek bronzer doesn't do.

Concealer

I have seen mixed views about this concealer, so I thought that before judging it myself I best try it out and see what it is like. First impressions were O.K. The packaging is black, minute and doesn't look cheap if you take a quick glance at it. The Sleek brand name is shown on the front, along with the SPF (mine is 15) and has a 'click-shut' top. When I opened it up, I noticed that it was in a twisty form to make the concealer appear. I liked this idea because it means you can use the concealer a bit at a time so that you can reduce the amount that is used overall.

Seeing as though I had a few blemishes at a time, I thought I would firstly see what the consistency was like and if it was good enough coverage. To be honest, I was extremely disappointed. The concealer didn't add any extra coverage to my base, so I therefore had to add another concealer to give me the coverage that I wanted over my blemishes. I thought that because it didn't add any extra coverage to my base, I thought it may brighten up my under eye area and hide my dark circles. When I first applied it to the under eye, I thought that it would pull off to be quite a good concealer for brightening and highlighting the high points of the face, so I placed on some powder and carried on with the rest of my makeup. It wasn't until I was filling in my eyebrows did I notice that the concealer was beginning to crease under my eyes, even though I had already applied powder to set it. This disappointed me because I thought if my concealer was going to crease after 15 minutes, then how was it going to look at the end of the day?

As a whole, I am willing to try out more of Sleek's products, but I know I definitely wouldn't purchase the concealer in a hurry again. The bronzer however, is something which I am extremely pleased with, and I will be making sure to purchase this again once I have touched pan and cannot scare anything else from it. Oooh! I forgot to mention! The highlighter can also double as a light base eyeshadow for an everyday look, which is something I am using quite a lot at the moment!

What bronzers and concealers are you liking at the moment?