Author feature: Alexandra Potter

I love a good, thick book.

My motto used to be the thicker the better (though this seems to be the current motto for every girl on insta too) because well logically, I was getting the most for my money. I'd spend a longer time enjoying the book and reading its content hence, I wouldn't need to buy a new book too soon. I'm a pretty fast reader so unlike my sister, a book with a couple hundred pages excited me, rather than made me wanna bury my head in my palms for the foreseeable future.

However, sometimes it's a different story, especially in the summer. With the sun looking so inviting, I usually fancy reading outside but while the air is fresher and the sun keeps you warm and toasty, distractions are inevitable. I don't mind it to be fair, there's always going to be people about, laughter, conversations, music, even maybe traffic just seeping into your consciousness. It comes with the territory doesn't it and I love it, the bustle outdoors makes it feel like summer all the more. This is usually why I prefer picking light, easy breezy, summer reads to bring along. Something that doesn't require my full concentration and isn't too heavy to absorb. I want a relaxing time not a headache. Usually, I tend to grab Romance/Chick flick reads to be specific (because who doesn't love a good light hearted romcom??). 

Parklife 2019

Right, I'm pretty new to the festival scene I'd say. I went to my first festival last year; Good Vibes Festival in KL and since I couldn't make it to GVF this year, when my pal said "we're going to parklike" I went "ok". I didn't think it would be too different but boyyyyy was I wrong. My outfit was very much in sync with last years trend of stars I'll say. The trousers and earrings were from nasty gal, the "bralette" (which is really just a bikini top) is from H&M and the mesh top from Shein. For my accessories, I wore a chunky gold necklace and white chunky platform sneakers from Asos and my sunnies from Urban. RIP my cute white shoes is all I have to say.

I was really excited for two acts in particular; Lauv & Khalid. I've been listening to Lauv for years and they especially bring back the "good" memories of my first year of uni, me sitting alone on the bus with The Other and I Like Me Better blasting in my ears, adding to my forlorn mood as I leave the library at 2am again during exam season. Basically, Lauv is a staple in my chill playlist and I couldn't wait to see him live. Khalid's in the same playlist and let's be real, he's amazing so I knew he'd be great to watch perform. The weekend tickets were sold out when we randomly decided to go so we got a Sunday ticket which meant, we got to see Migos, Stefflon Don, Pusha-T, George ezra (!!) etc. 

Monthly Roundup: April

Source: Lightbox St Andrews

April was a pretty great month. The sun's been gracing us with her presence more often which means I've spent quite few days out of my house. There were a couple big events this month. The first being the fashion show I'm apart of coming to life. It was such an exhausting week of prep leading up to it considering I was juggling writing an important research proposal for my developmental psychology module. I wanted to hand in a decent proposal but obviously didn't want to steer from my duties in the Front of House team for the fashion show. Somehow, managed it and while I haven't received migrates yet for the proposal, I can safely say the show went off without a hitch. I mean sorta anyways. There was a small breakdown in which my response to a friend asking "How are you?" led to me crying because I managed to lose a tiny remote for our LED feature furniture. Found it in the end and also we found out we could turn on the LED seats without the remote, so the crisis was eventually averted.

Other than that, I had a grand time. I was so impressed by the selection of designers and clothing the fashion team managed to source and find sponsors for. Such creative looks from all over the world, including Indian and Japanese designers as well as brands from London creatives. I was excited that my flatmates made it even though they had a rough night out the previous night so thanks for the effort team, appreciate it more than you know. We spent the evening drinking shots form the ice luge, surprisingly making a bid and winning a prise in the auction, dancing away and wincing in our heels (well their heels, I wore brand new white platforms which were a mistake to a wear to a marquee set up in the middle of a muddy field). It was a brilliant night and it was just so good to see everything come together. You're not always aware about what's happening behind the scenes with other teams and committee members and then suddenly in one day, everything comes together and it's her to believe a bunch of students put on this show and raised a substantial amount of money for charity.

Mostly Roundup: March

March went by quick didn't it!

Began with my flatmate's 21st birthday dinner in our flat which was a lovely time. I am going to miss the flat dinners we have, pushing together our massive dinning table and kitchen table and squeezing 17 of our close pals around it for a night of food and laughter. Prepping the food usually is the most stressful part but Robyn's lovely parents sorted that for her so it went by smoothly. My boy's birthday was the day after which we had a chilled day of dinner and movies because his friend from home was up to and also I think everyone was trying to save themselves for Oktoberfest the next day.

Our uni has our own version of it in March which I appreciate the choice of a warmer month. Everyone get's dolls dup in lederhosen and dirndls and start "brunch pres" at about 10am before we're all shuttled to the venue. Funnily enough, I had a science fair that morning to participate in so it was not fun being stuck in the stuffy physics building when you're well aware form snapchat everyones already begun the festivities. After my shift, I did rush home for a quick outfit change and set off to join everyone else. The entire day basically consisted of chugging pints of beer, laughing and chatting in an improvised beer hall and dancing away to german music. It was brilliant, a nice step up from the usual balls and the best part was I could wear sneakers all day. We stayed drinking till about 7pm before we called it a day and decided to treat ourselves to a massive indian dinner which hit the spot perfectly. One of those days, you technically had a "night out" yet I was in my pyjamas, fluffy socks and tucked up in bed by 10pm. This should honestly be more of a thing, party early so we all still get sought after 8 hours of sleep.

Digital Declutter

With the sunshine comes the first wave of spring cleaning. Finally, it feels about time to hit the reset button and do a bit of tidying up in your life. While it's obvious that the important thing that needs sprucing and cleaning out is probably your home, your bedroom, your wardrobe etc., I do think in such a digital age, it's super important to declutter your online life too.

Most spring cleaning would involve donating old clothes and throwing out furniture and homeware that no longer "sparks joy" (I praise the Marie Kondo method so much, definitely watch at least one episode of her Netflix series to get the gist). However, I feel that decluttering our phones, computers and overall electronics is a good way to get organise and gain a little piece of mind too. So, I'm going to share my top 5 pointers to start tidying up your digital life. 

1) Social Media Cleanse 

I think the first thing to deal with is the social media apps and platforms you spend most of your time on, i.e. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Blogger (& whatever else your heart desires). Start by unfollowing the accounts and people that you no longer relate to or whose content does not bring you joy (this phrase may seem cringey but its helpful to think about). Honestly, social media can be a exhausting environment on ones self esteem and you shouldn't leave instagram or twitter feeling rubbish about how you look or what you say. Remove all the negative influences in your online stuff, whether its people promoting those awful diet pills or teas or just hateful accounts in general. These may even be your "friends", there's no need to be constantly aware of the lives of people you no longer click with or frankly no longer care about. Additionally, go through your saved folders on Instagram and organise the pictures. I have categories for makeup looks, fashion and travel inspo, recipes I want to try and at the moment a folder dedicated to bangs because I am toying with the idea of a good snip to the fringe (I will reiterate the word toying so my flatmate doesn't throw me an intervention). You could do the same for snapchat memories and actually save pictures and videos that are important to you or make you laugh. God forbid the day the app crashes and you lose 2 years of magical memories, this is a genuine fear of mine.

Albufeira, Portugal!

 

Spring break diaries consisted of last-minute orders and arrangements for the charity fashion show, stress-writing my social psychology essay (which thinking back now I wish I did a better job) and bidding my time until I was lazing on a beach in Portugal.

Iain and I booked this trip well in advanced we almost forgot we did it. Well he did, I could not wait to get out of our lovely little town for a while and head straight for warmer temperatures. Read a tweet the other day of something along the lines of "the only way to get through life is to always have a holiday booked to look forward to", could not agree more hun. We decided to head to the Algarve, Albufeira in particular for some sunshine and beaches and cheap drinks. Apparently, Albufeira gets about 30 days of rain a year (don't quote me on that) which makes it the perfect holiday destination and brilliant for tourism but not so great for the agriculture sector. We stayed at a lovely 5-star hotel called the Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort & Hotel Spa (a bloody mouthful and honestly not the easiest to convey to taxi drivers), because we booked early we got an amazing all-inclusive deal for our flights, hotel room and a massive buffet breakfast every morning. It was such a steal!

Spa Day!

For Iain's birthday, I wanted to treat him to something a little special. Odd fact, for some reason he did a course on massages, no idea why but it has benefited me immensely. Unfortunately, my hands are not as well-trained as his so the massages he gets in return probably does anything but relax him. So, I figured a nice birthday present idea would be to treat him to his first proper spa day, including a facial and massage Had a wee look through itison.com and found some vouchers for exactly that at The Coach House in Kinross. It was a bit of a drive for St. Andrews, and I figured he'd rather have some company instead of having a spa day by himself. Just unselfish me wanting to keep him company at the spa, totally not after a massage myself of course just me being a usual saint. 

It was this huge estate that turned its guest house into a spa and hotel. The main estate (first pic) is still owned by the family who visits time to time but it's mainly now being rented out for big events, weddings and that sort of thing. When we first arrived, we were given robes, towels and flip flops  and immediately treated to an hour in the hydrotherapy pool and sauna. That pool was amazingggg, the jets were never switched off for longer than a second to ensure a constant stream of bubbles. We didn't spend too long in the sauna because the heat and humidity was actually insane, I much rather relax in the pool anyways. 

Monthly Roundup: February

2019 is the year of 21st birthdays, which I LOVE.

I love having a birthday every month to look forward to which is how February began for me. We got dressed up, had some prosecco, cut some shapes on the dance floor and then proceeded to pass out in bed with my makeup on. Am still trying to train drunk me to care about my skin, it's a work in progress. 

Also celebrated my first ever Valentine's day which was really special for me. Odd to think I'm suddenly in this exclusive group of people that actually has a valentine. I made an offhand comment to Iain that it would be the first time I ever celebrated it and I can't believe how amazing he made the day. He tried to keep his plans a secret but bless him he was too excited so I managed to sneak bits and pieces out from him throughout the week. He picked me up in the morning and drove us to The Peat's Inn, a michelin starred restaurant (another first for me). We had a stunning 3-course lunch that I do think was wasted on me. It all tasted amazing but man I couldn't even finish my main after the starter, weak I know. Luckily I have Iain who will happily scarf down my leftovers. We then drove to a deer park which I always wanted to visit. We happily spent a couple hours wandering around feeding and petting the deers and watching the bears get fed. I mean it was a deer park but we got more than we paid for because there were bears, lynx, wolves too. Also a little go-kart area which I had to drag him away from when we realised the kids using it weren't leaving anytime soon. 

Winter in Germany

 

I'll be frank. I was slightly underwhelmed by Germany, Berlin in particular.

I had such high hopes and have been wanting to visit Berlin for years. I think I set myself up to fail with my expectations to be honest. Always figured it was such a historical city with a modern arty vibe and edgy fashion scene. It probably is but I don't think I experienced it that way. I think the fact we didn't enjoy Germany as much as could've was probably because of the timing. I think quite a few people do visit the land of bratwurst during winter but most probably during the Christmas period. We arrived at the in-between time where its after Christmas (so all the christmas markets and cute festive vibe was over) but before it was warm enough for people to actually venture outside and enjoy the outdoors (severe lack of beer gardens). Millie visited in the summer and she said it was a completely different scene, a lot more bustling city-esque and not empty and full of construction as it was during our stay. 

Munich wasn't too bad! We did a few walking tours that definitely tried your willpower to stand outside in the frosty wind and listen to the same ol' chat about this one artist having this bright idea for a building. Actually, our Munich city tour guide was a fun time. It was informative and enjoyable and he let us in on loads of little facts and hidden historical/"fun fact" spots around the city. We visited this church especially that was breathtaking. It didn't look like much on the outside but the moment you stepped in, you were surrounded by incredibly high ceilings, massive marble columns, impressing paintings lining the walls and the most insanely detailed carvings and sculptures. It was gorgeous. Didn't manage to snag a proper picture because am not actually sure what the rules are with flash photography in consecrated churches but hey ho. Definitely one for the mems. I wanted to visit the famous Disney-inspired castle outside of Munich but couldn't rally the troops nor did I want to venture 2 hours away on my own when I couldn't speak a single word of German. We did the third-reich tour as well which I totally recommend, I forget what a massive part Munich played in Hitler's regime. It was where it all began and we visited little landmarks where Hitler's name and propaganda started taking stand. We went to a few beer halls on a pub crawl type thing as well which was loads of fun. 

Winter Holy Grail

Winter is almost over and I am sO excited to say goodbye to the long nights and constantly wearing a minimum of 3 layers. Can't wait for spring, definitely plan to spend way more time outdoors in the sun, instead of huddled in our house hiding from the cold.  Living near the coast of Scotland these past few years has given me some handy tips to prep for the cooler temperatures. Seasonal depression that comes hand in hand with the colder months is tough but these few bits make it a little bit easier to pull through.

Starting with the sort of skincare bits, I feel like it's a bit of a given, but you cannot leave home without lip balm. My favourite is Palmer's cocoa butter lip balm, since I've found this gem a few years ago, I haven't tried anything else. I know, I'm suuuuch an adventurous gal. It's the only lip balm i've found that actually moisturises and actively repairs my chapped lips. The past balms usually form a nice layer of protection on my lips which helps against the wind and cold but it doesn't actually get absorbed in the skin and hydrate it. On the topic of moisturising, Cetaphil moisturiser was a godsend for me last winter. Recommended by my flatmate it helped my skin so much in such a quick time. I was previously using a simple moisturises which worked well before but suddenly did nothing for me last winter, I truly believe there's some sorta science behind that like your body getting used to a certain formula and then it not having an effect after a while?? Anyways, I have dry skin and was complaining about dry patches and my flatmate lent me some of her moisturiser to use and I noticed such a big difference in the morning. My skin didn't feel so tight anymore and the patches had definitely ameliorated so I immediately purchased a large bottle (which has lasted me a year now might I add - though I do switch back to Simple in the summer for a lighter moisturiser).

Monthly Round-Up : January

I started of 2019 with my flatmate Millie in Leeds.

[Sidenote: I've just noticed I always refer to my flatmates as just that instead of pals/friends etc. which makes it seem a bit distant maybe but I feel like it's understood. I wouldn't still be living with this bunch in my third year at uni if they weren't my best pals.]

Anyways, we were in Leeds for NYE (or "the bells" as the scots would say) and brought in the new year at a house party which was great fun. To be frank, the main bits of the night that I remember was  Millie eating pate on Pringles and raving about it as if she'd discovered a revolutionary delicacy and the mini WWE fight that took place on the air beds in the living room because the boys decided that would be a lovely way to end the night. It was most definitely entertaining but also heart breaking when an All Saints t-shirt got ripped in half, there was a moment of silence for the poor t-shirt RIP.

Explored London with Robyn (Flatmate #2) and the boyfriend (+ his pal) a little more. Got yummy mini pancakes at the christmas markets, spent waaaay too much at winter wonderland and had a brilliant time at Swingers. A mini golf/bar that was such a good way to end the night. Round of applause for me for coming in at second place and ensuring the money my dad spent on 2 years of golf lessons did not completely go down the drain. Then, I took the gruelling 6 hour train back to Scotland without earphones. Honestly wouldn't wish that on anyone, i had packed my book in my suitcase as well which took too much effort to close and it didn't seem worth opening again. You'll be glad to know that I did indeed survive a 6 hour train with no music or entertainment of any kind, it was a tough journey but someone had to do it I guess. I took one for the team.

Why am I only discovering gel nails now?

I always loved having painted nails on. I feel a little more put together and sophisticated when my nails are all neat and glossy. It's like every other aspect of my life may be in shambles but at least my nails look good. Not to mention, how satisfying it is to type out notes in lectures with a manicure or how good your hands look while driving when your nails are a little more glam-ed up. Except, trying to do them myself is an impossible task on its own. I'm not that great at painting my right hand especially so it always ends up with one hand looking fine while the other will never see the light of day. I'm also always so impatient when I do them myself, either I am attempting to multitask or I haven't waited long enough for them to dry. So they end up smudged on furniture or chipped within a few hours which bugs me so much when they aren't perfectly smooth to the touch. Not to mention, since I usually do them at night too, 9 out of 10 times I end up waking up with imprints on my nails from a night rolling around under the covers.

Festival season!

How depressing is it that festival season is looming to an end now, basically one of the indicators that summer is almost over. Okay fine, summer's half way through but still. Good Vibes Festival was basically the only thing I had to look forward to this summer, because of my internship, I just haven’t had time nor the energy to plan anything else fun so you could say I was pretty excited for a fun weekend away from my current life that seems to only revolve around my job. Anyway I thought I’d share one of my outfits for the 2-day festival.

We drove up to Genting Highlands and stayed at a hotel at the most odd location. It was basically perched on this cliff at the furthest end of the highland. It wasn’t too bad actually. There was a shuttle provided to get to the main mall and cable cars area and the air was crisp and cool because we were closer to the forest. It was sorta gorgeous in the morning, if you were awake early enough you could see the fog slowly rolling in over the massive stretch of green dense forest. All the artists were so impressed that they get to perform basically “in the middle of the jungle”, it wasn’t really because the area was pretty developed but still I guess driving up the serene highlands to perform at a big festival in the midst of it was a new experience for most. It was kind of amusing to see how in awe they were, I sort of appreciate the highlands a lot more now. It is gorgeous. Not to mention the fact that the air was cooler helped sooooo much when you’re dancing around and pressed close to a couple thousand people.

Failed thrifting attempt

A couple weekends back, I rounded up my friends for a little trip to this big thrift store 30 minutes away from us. We had pancakes for brunch, finally satisfying my cravings and solidifying my stance in the pancakes over waffles category before heading over there. Not gonna lie, it was a massive fail. The store just had soooo many items, there was a crazy amount to go through and the rails were packed closely and it was a hot day and it just didn't really work out to be honest. There was of course some decent items in there but when I did finally find something good, I couldn't really justify the price for it or it was just too big of a fit for me. I think one of my pals did end up successful so I guess maybe it wasn't a total thrift failure. I was just a little disappointed, I have no clue why I thought it was going to be like discovering buried treasure and getting to leave with an armful of reasonably priced gems. I haven't lost all hope though, am planning to hit another pretty popular thrift store at some point too so hopefully I end up with a little more luck there. We ended up just leaving and driving to a mall and wandering through the usual highstreet stores (I didn't buy anything, self control: 1 me: 0) which brings me to this little OOTD I have for you ft. Dans the bestie. 

Shopping with money I don't have

hello, is anyone else as pleased as I am with how summery my lil buys are??

I didn't even realise myself until looking at these pictures and I'm quite chuffed. I mean it's not exactly like unicorns have spat rainbows on my bed but am slowly but surely adding some life to my goth wardrobe. I fell ill last week and had 3 days off work to recover so obviously I decided to use one of those days to "recover" in the mall. I was planning on trying to find something for the festival I'm going to in a couple weeks and I came out semi-victorious. Not gonna lie but I'm not that impressed with the stores at the moment. Not sure if it's some awkward mid-season choices but I didn't fancy very many things they had in stock. These white jeans from Mango are the exception though, I tried them on and fell in love. Literally, had 5 outfit combinations rush to my head in the fitting room and even though I don't need anymore pairs of jeans, I manage to justify this purchase because my wardrobe isn't home to any white straight-legged jeans. I'm already excited to style them for uni in Autumn. I picked up a bikini top (& bottom that I've forgotten to photograph) from H&M. Nothing special, just a cute lil bikini in case there's an impromptu holiday happening (HINT) ((please please I beg someone goes with me on holiday, I'm suffocating from this 9-6 working life)). 

What's the fentea?

Killawatt Highlighter - Trophy Wife, Match Stix (Concealer) - Walnut

Sorry I couldn't resist the title, I've been using twitter too much I know. Also, yep I'm severely late on the Fenty bandwagon with this post but if it helps I tried Riri's products around late last year and scrolling through my photos I cam across these photos and figured it's never too late to share my 2 cents about the whole Fenty craze. Actually, I'm just gonna speak about these 2 products here but if you'd like to know my opinion about Fenty in general, I wrote a little article here for my student newspaper last year (omg only now am I realising I wasn't credited for my article...yet again!! ughhhhh). On the bright side this may come a little handy considering, I've been using the products for over half a year now so maybe it's a little more helpful than a first impressions type post. The fact that I'm running out of the concealer and have barely left a mark on my highlighter may give you an idea about where this post is heading. 

Second Year - done!

Andddd that's a wrap on my second year of university! Honestly the years are literally flying by at this point. Second year was a bit of a messy one but I enjoyed every little bit of it. I think I would count this year as my "honeymoon year", a large part of it compromised of friends, partying, travels and a sneaky Fall Out Boy concert thrown into the mix. I definitely made the most of it, cruising through my last year of fun before things get serious in third and fourth year. And I do mean very serious. Considering I'll be doing 10 modules next year, I'm sure any free time I have will be happily spent catching up on sleep. I didn't get any particular revelations in second year, it was more about cementing the foundation of friends and studies that I built in my first year of uni and painting it all with more brilliant memories. Among the usual balls and fashion shows we St Andreans dutifully attend each year, I picked up golf again, spent winter break in Australia and spring break in Italy, had the most enlightening experience work shadowing a psychiatrist in Glasgow and spent significantly more time reading for fun again. I've gotten closer to loads of special people around me and befriended a couple new faces as well. I had my usual regrets about leaving revision to the last minute and went through the typical breakdown and ice cream binging nights of panic but yknow' what else is new?

19 Things at 19

1. Oats isn't "old people food" and it actually tastes amazing in the morning (honey, cinnamon & mixed seeds all the way)

2. Friendships aren't defined by how often you text or see each other.

3. Nor does the number of years define the quality and strength of a friendship. 

4. Bandanas are cool and you should wear them as often as you want without worrying if others think you're being too "extra".

5. You may love your alone time but don't waste the limited time you have being a hermit in your room when you could be spending time with your loved ones. Making new memories is important.

6. Speaking of memories.....print out pictures and fill photo albums with them! Don't let them waste away in your phone. It's more fun to reminisce this way, trust me.

7. Green tea is a great substitute for coffee (also healthier hello).

8. Sleeveless tops are pretty and don't let your physical insecurities ruin them for you.

9. Suddenly losing a family member is difficult (which is why no. 5 is important) but it also serves as a reminder to constantly appreciate those around you.

10. "Comparison is the thief of joy"....so for god sake stop doing it. 

11. The best place to read is by the beach. On a lounge chair, in the shade with the slight salty breeze enveloping you.

For Future Reference

creds

God, I hate that word. Future.
How can such a simple word that used to be filled with endless excitement and unimaginable opportunities be so daunting now. I guess that's the beauty of growing up, everything starts to lose a little magic as each year goes by. (gag) I'm speaking as if I'm a tired 50-year-old who has persevered through everything life has thrown at me and lived to tell the tale. When in reality, it is quite the opposite. I'm 19-years-young and has just sauntered home after a really good dim sum lunch and flipped open her laptop to find multiple tabs and windows left open from when I was intently researching career prospects and crazily trying to plan and organise the next 5-7 years of my life one late night.

It's crazy. I'm crazy. If there's one thing I've learnt on my short time on this planet, it's that things rarely carry out as we planned. I can sit here all day trying to decide which degree would give me a better chance at being admitted into a doctorate programme and reviewing all the volunteering and work experience I'll need to undergo after in order to make the cut...but, what good does it do if in a couple months or years from now, I'm sitting in a lecture hall and it hits me that maybe I don't want this path anymore. What happen's then?

Colourpop haul!

This package came at such an unfortunate time, literally the day after my dad gave me a lecture about saving money and then this parcel arrived in time to remind me I spent over $50 just to get free shipping from Colourpop. I was still excited though because I've been wanting to try their makeup for sooo long. I picked up mainly lippies but also a super shock blush in Flush'd and a highlighter in Glo Up. Both products were super creamy and pigmented and worked best when I used my fingers to apply them. They had a very interesting, almost bouncy texture which I guess is the main feature of the super shock line. Both the  matte coral blush and golden highlighter looked amazing on my tan skin and stayed on pretty well, such pretty colours for summer!