The F-Word

So here it is, I have finally plucked up the courage to write a blog post on the F-word, yeah you guessed it, feminism. Over the past few months I have become increasingly agitated by this topic and conversations surrounding it, so here it goes, here's to my feminist rant...

I'm not one for labelling, I highly dislike confining an individual to a specific genre, style, group or lifestyle. Contrary to this I would in fact consider myself a Feminist. There I said it, that dreaded word that many of my friends curl their nose up at, I am a feminist, and to be quite honest I am proud of this. As a current third year English student, when it came to deciding a dissertation topic I knew that I wanted to explore Feminist Theory, Literature and it's influence on modern-day popular culture. In the past year or so the word feminist has frequently popped up in the media, and although many people may believe that feminism is now an outdated and obsolete movement- yes we women do now have the vote, but our struggle does not end here- feminism is still very much alive. You only have to look at J Law's, Meryl Streep's and various other celebs recent speeches to see that females are still subjected to inferiority between genders, the pay gap, lifestyle opportunities and gender performance issues. So why is it that when I say to some of my closest friends 'What do you think about feminism?' or 'are you a feminist?' do they tend to roll their eyes and say that they in fact are not? Saying that I myself am a feminist does not make me man-hating, or mean that I believe females are the superior sex. No. This word, and what I have come to learn that the word means, is that I believe females and males are equal.

One of my closest friends seems to sum up the general consensus on the word quite nicely, 'I am not a feminist but...' she then went on to say that she believe's in equal pay, the equality of men and women and that females should be able to use contraception. This is where I got very confused and slightly angry, I then turned to her and asked 'So why do you not consider yourself a feminist?' To this she replied 'Well i'm not one of those extreme women who'd go out burn my bra and believe that men shouldn't hold a door open for you.' Unfortunately, I hadn't the energy to argue, you see so may women and men hear the word feminist and think of Radical feminism. Radical feminism was a form of feminism that originated within the second-wave in the 1960's, a perspective that holds the belief that MEN OPPRESS WOMEN. Well i'm sorry to offend anyone but I believe this is a highly outdated way of thinking, and that this issue shouldn't be a US vs THEM argument, men can be feminists too, I like to think my father one, my boyfriend one and many of my male friends to be feminists, although many boys seem to squint at the topic and are scared to share their opinion, in fear of being beaten down by a man-hating psycho bitch. 

And so, I could rant about this topic for hours, days or even years, but I would like to leave you with this; if you find yourself answering the question 'Are you a feminist?' in the same way my close friend did, 'I am not a feminist but..' Are the reasons that you are about to state not those that in fact make you a feminist? Do you not believe that men and females are both equal, and should be treated that way? I'm fed up with this negative stigma that looms over the word, you are a feminist, believe me you are.

K.

Life as a Fashion Intern

After having an interview for a paid internship the other day (which sadly I did not get) and speaking to 6 other girls at the assessment day, I've realised that all fashion interns have experienced the same soul-crushing treatment over and over. We chatted about this whilst eyeing up our competition and secretly thinking 'oh god please let it be me getting my first proper paid job.'

So here are just a few of the situations fashion interns are faced with every day ...

1. Trying to look like the latest Vuitton, Acne and Chloe cookbooks when you are skint trying to style out last years Primark.

2. Having to eat last nights dinner left-overs for your packed lunch whilst surrounded by Pret, Itsu and Benugo.

3.Having to look your employed friends in the eye when they ask 'do you enjoy interning?'and silently nod and smile because they just won't understand. 

4.Going to multiple interviews and being told that you are overqualified by some and under qualified by others! Will the vicious cycle ever end...

5. Finding yourself drooling over the samples that get thrown around the office like thrift-store garments.

6. Having to style out the comfiest flats you own as your bound to be sent out on a 40 minute wild goose chase around London.

7. Knowing you could go and apply for any regular office job but don't because you're so desperate for your dream job that you'll live with mum and dad until your 30.

8. Having to pretend that you haven't just seen Kate Moss enter the building, it's no big deal, and you haven't just texted your entire contact list to record the incident. 

9.Remembering when you thought that interning would be glamorous but have now come to terms with the reality that sometimes you even have to take the boss's dog out to do a number two (this one might have just been me)

10. Thinking it's the end of the day, oh no you silly intern you've just been given 4 more tasks to do before tomorrow morning, hurry along you little unpaid being...

Real Techniques Vs Pinterest

For around a year I would have sworn by my homemade makeup brush remedy (courtesy of Pinterest) to clean my brushes, whilst also keeping their texture and shape. This Christmas I was gifted the Real Techniques Brush Cleanser, and instantly had myself thinking 'Well this is nice but I've got my home remedy that is cheap and effective.' I spoke too soon. My usual remedy of water, shampoo, olive oil, and hand soap (don't knock it till you try it!) takes a good 5-10 minutes to soak and clean your brushes, and having tries other cleansers decided this was the best and cheapest solution to wash my brushes monthly.

 When I eventually tried my new product I found the whole process 5x faster and easier than ever before! Although I am ashamed to say I didn't follow the instructions word-for-word, instead I half-filled an old glass with water and then put 4 drops of the solution in. Upon putting my brushes in the solution I could see the product work instantly, only taking 1-2 minutes to work its magic! I will never be going back to my old remedy(unless i'm too broke to afford the Real Techniques product)and can honestly say that this is the best brush cleanser I have ever used. I can't wait to buy their Cleansing Brush Palette and use both products together! 

K.

Super Smoothies

Now i'm not one for smoothie diets and food replacement meals, but I can't deny that I love a good cup of blended goodness to start off my day! It's one of the easiest ways to make sure you're getting at least five fruit and veg in your diet. As I love smoothies so much I thought i'd share my simple format for juicing along with my current favourite combo. You simply chose one or two ingredients from each section to create your own healthy snack...

Base: Milk, soy milk, almond milk,coconut milk, coconut water, water, ice

Second Base: Orange juice, tropical juice, apple juice, pineapple juice

Thickeners: Banana, greek yoghurt, natural yoghurt(flavoured if you wish)

Main fruit: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes etc.

energy-kick: Spinach, Kale, raisins, goji berries, chia seeds, mara powder

Sweetner: Honey, cocoa powder, nut butter(peanut,cashew,almond), coconut flakes, cinnamon, chai latte powder

My Current favourite: Banana, raspberries, natural yoghurt, honey and pineapple juice

K. 

Kick-start 2016!

Every year we stuff ourselves with festive pies and puddings and then swear that in the new year we’ll either keep to our new strict diet, quit an unhealthy habit, take up a new hobby or improve (or for some people start!) our exercise routine. Well it’s fair to say i’ve dabbled in my fair share of gym classes, so here a few of my top picks, in case you’re wondering what to have a taste of…

Legs Bums and Tums

A great class to try out if you are looking to introduce an hour of high intensity exercise into your weekly routine. These classes aim to one up, firm up and burn fat from your tummy, hips, thighs and bottom, often held in-time to energising pop/dance music, which personally gets me through the session.

Yoga

My personal favourite! If anyone is stressed out from revision, work, coursework, or just life in general, get yourself to a yoga class! a calm and soothing class, but not one for people looking for a hardcore workout. a fuse of the body and the mind to build your core and maintain a healthy state of mind.

Pilates

These I am not so very fond of, although I have various friends who swear by Pilates, it’s definitely not for me. Often compared to Yoga yet vastly different in terms of character, for those who are looking at developing strength balance core and coordination and aren’t scared of a tough workout.

Body Combat

a high-energy martial arts-inspired workout that is often held to up tempo pop/dance music. Another one of my favourite classes, high intensity, energising and great for releasing stress, anger or any other emotions. a definite must for a hard core full body workout!

In the upcoming weeks i'm going to have a go at a few sessions of kick-boxing to sessions to see if it tickles my fancy as a new hobby! i'll keep you all updated!

K.

Christmas Party Inspo

We are now well into December and if like me you are stressing about presents, money and Christmas festivities, there may be one thing you have overlooked... Christmas party gear! Too much worrying about getting your budget to stretch to Aunt Liv's Yankee Candle, but you haven't even thought of what to wear to the Christmas Work do, or the Boxing Day family get-together? 

Here's a few of my top picks from my go-to brands... 

Scrappy Chainmail Bodycon Dress from Topshop (£45)

ASOS Metallic Leather Skirt With Oversized Pockets (£70)

Karmen Burgundy Suede Heeled Shoes from Urban Outfitters (£75)

Oasis Faux Fur Clutch Bag (£16)

Velvet Bralet and Skirt from Topshop (£102)

ASOS Midi Skirt with Asymmetric Wrap(£45)

Dune Sadie Double Pouch Set in Nude (£20)

ASOS SAY YOU WILL Pointed Heels (£40)

Thanks for reading!

K.