How to be prepared for a semester abroad/exchange programme

As I write this post, I am a 20 year old girl who has spent a semester abroad in Maastricht and is preparing to spend the next academic year in Paris. Therefore I have felt your pain twice. 

I have felt the homesickness, the first flutters of regret, and then excitement. 

Let me tell you darlings then, how to prepare for this exciting adventure. 

Firstly, you must learn how to pack light. If you are travelling from one country to another by yourself, you cannot afford to bring more than a suitcase. 

It'll bite you in the ass on your way back too, when you have more belongings.

My method is: bring 3xTrousers, 5xTops, 2xJumpers, 2xSummer/Going out tops, 3xDresses (or for guys, smart shirts), 2xPJs, lots of clean underwear, 1xshorts, 1xJacket.

Some may call that excessive, and others may find it lacking. There will be clothes shops there, so chill. 

Secondly, do not spend too much time missing home. 

Yes it's hard, and yes it's natural but you'll miss out on all the fun things if you mope around and keeping talking about your cat Baxter. 

Thirdly, go to every single social event you can find. It's kind of like freshers again, where the people you meet at first may not be your best friends after all. 

On that note, don't go out of your way to only hang out with people from your country, or people who also speak your language as a mother tongue. It'll be no different that studying at home.

Lastly, try and get some non-exchange student friends, or some befriend some local students. They will know all the best bars, cafes, and places to see. They'll also know how everything works around there and can help you out. 

I hope these helped, have lots of fun and make some memories you sexy bastards.

 

Lush's Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask Review

It's Friday! The day us 9-5ers let out a sigh of relief and bask in the glory of the weekend.

It's also Face Mask Friday (FMF)! The day where I put on face masks and tell you all about them. Sound good?

This week the product I tried out was Lush. You can hear about my crush on Lush right here. The lovely lovely assistant in the Lush near Bond Street was so generous with the samples that I got three different face masks.

Earlier this week I tried the Catastrophe Cosmetic mask:

Looks edible right?

The minute I put on this mask, I knew it was going to be a hit. For those of you that have read my previous reviews you know how much smell means to me in a face mask. 

So Catastrophe Cosmetic smelt amazing! Sweet, slightly fruity, and natural. It was just the right amount of all three, and it was not too overpowering or artificial-like. 

There was an interesting texture in the Lush mask that reminded me of The Body Shop's Seaweed Ionic Clay mask. As implied, it was clay like but you could tell that this was a very natural product with the pieces of blueberry in it. 

While I was putting on the mask I thought this might be a classic case of smell over substance, but I was wrong! I knew that it was time to take Catastrophe Cosmetic off when I saw the mask had hardened up. 

After I washed it off, there was a gentle after smell, with notes of some-kind of oil. But the best bit was how smooth and soft my skin felt to touch afterwards. I noticed that the few bumps that I had on my face had also faded away. The smell lasted for a good few hours and my face was lovely and soft for the next couple of days.

All in all, this was my ideal face mask! Great smelling, worked well and almost all natural, which is why for the first time on FMF I shall be awarding Catastrophe Cosmetic a 5/5.

Until next time my fellow face mask enthusiasts.