Tuesday 10 April 2012

Revision Guide For People Who Don't Like Revision

Well Hello Again, I hope you all had a fabulous Easter! Since it's exam season once again in Blighty, I thought I'd do a quick guide for revising that is actually written by someone who is going through it themselves and who really dislikes revision in any way, shape or form...ME!
Here we go...


1) Get Dressed.
Seems obvious, but I LOVE PJs, and so when I began study leave when I was younger, I thought 'Brilliant, I don't have to get dressed'. BUT, honestly, if you get ready, put on some clothes and put your hair up or whatever, it makes a MASSIVE difference as it puts your mind in a state for work as you associate PJs with relaxation and end up not doing a lot.

2) Tidy Your Room/Study Area.
Trying to study in a cluttered and messy room is awful, as it clutters up your mind too. Plus, you won't be able to find anything and if you're like me and get distracted by anything shiny, you'll find plenty of other things to do instead of revision. A clean space helps you concentrate more and means you don't have to worry about anything else.

3) Choose Your Space.
I've been to a lot of 'revision workshops' and been given a lot of advice from teachers, who all say, choose a quiet place with a desk and without distractions. However, if you are more comfortable reading books on a sofa, or led on your bed, then go with it. Revision is not generic, it's extremely personal. I can only sit at my desk for a bit without getting fidgety and trying to find something else to do, so I sometimes read my textbooks and make notes led on my bed or even in the sunshine. That can be brilliant as the outdoors can be inspirational!! As long as you haven't too many distractions and you have good lighting, then you can revise.

4) Have A Plan
Some of my friends stick rigourously to timetables, some make lists. I am firmly in the list camp. Whatever you want to do, whether it's alarms on your phone, or relatives or friends helping you, make sure you have some sort of plan for your day or session. Drifting through revision is never a good idea as you just won't get through everything. Sticking to a plan also makes you feel like you've really accomplished something too. Result.

5) Schedule Breaks
Breaks are so important to stop you getting tired, to give you something to look forward to and for the information you've just looked at to settle in. I usually do 15-30 min breaks every hour or hour and a half. Also promise yourself something, like if you reach the end of the textbook chapter, when you have your break you can have a biscuit or you can go on Facebook. It motivates you to keep going and get through it.

6) You Need Fuel!
I love to eat when I revise as it gives me something to do other than writing. My food choice is usually apple slices or grapes (Keep It Healthy People!) but sometimes it's crisps. Mainly because they are nice. Make sure you keep drinking throughout your revision, as liquids help your brain. Water is ideal but squash or juice is fine. Being British, I also drink tea during revision because it's luurrvverrrllyy.

7) Try And Make It As Fun As Possible. 
Notes are good for about 15 minutes. Try diagrams, drawings, YouTube videos, songs (my and my friends made up a song about WW2 to 'Waterloo' by ABBA), my personal favourite thing to do is to find documentaries on the topics I'm doing on YouTube or demand services from channels. Use coloured post-it notes and stick 'em around the house and create posters to stick in your room in places that you look at often. By just glancing at something everyday it will stick even if you aren't concentrating that much. Easy!

I know revision is boring and time consuming but if you Fail To Prepare You Prepare To Fail! It really does pay off in the end but don't make it punishing, one day off to watch rubbish day time telly is allowed once in a while.

Happy Revising and Good Luck For This Summer!
GG xx

PS: If all else fails, do something funny with your exam paper.



Wednesday 4 April 2012

Festival Hair! <3

Festival time is nearly upon us, and as my friend is throwing a festival themed party next week (Please pray for good weather) I thought I'd sort my hair out now and share it with my lovely new readers! 

Okay, so the hair I did was actually for people with Mid-to-long hair, but I actually only have just about shoulder length hair, so I did this with some clip in extensions. If you have shorter hair, then follow up to step 2 and then scroll down for my solution! 

1. Okay, so if like me your hair resembles baby hair, Eg, it's incredibly thin and limp, you need DAY OLD hair to do this. If you have thick hair (you incredibly gorgeous and lucky people) I imagine it will hold with a bit of product. 

2. Take the top third of your hair (as if you were going to do a half pony tail), brush it back and back comb underneath to give it body. Push it up so it creates height off of your head and pin in place. 

For Mid-Long Hair:

3. With the rest of your hair, sweep in to a low side pony tail which ever side you prefer and secure in place. If you have wispy bits on the other side hanging out by your ear, you can either curl them to create a wispy effect or plait them for a really festival-ly type look. Little plaits (or braids, whatever you call them is fine!)  look really effective and make your hair style look far more complicated than it really is. Nice tip for you there!

4. Next you need to look dishevelled enough to convince everybody you're a seasoned pro at festivals and at looking pretty and sultry all at the time, so back comb bits of your pony tail, you might want to plait/braid other bits and curl some other strands - however you want - until you consider it perfect! 

5. You can leave this look as it is but I think it needs some quirkiness and colour to be officially called festival hair, so I like to add a flower garland bando (you could add a bow or a chain bando), and leave it to sit just on my hair line. Tuck it under your ponytail to hide as much elastic as you can and to keep it in place. 

6. Spritz with hairspray, glitter, colour spray, whatever until you look like you truly belong at Bestival or Glasto. Lush. 


For Short Hair:

3. Once the half hair is pinned in place and you have enough height, take some hair that's left in front of your ears and plait/braid it. Then add a flower garland/bow/chain/whatever bando just around your head, resting on your hair line. 

4. Take the plaits/braids by your ears and wind them around the bando and secure at the back with pins or by tucking them in. 

5. With the remaining hair, create gentle beach waves either with small heated rollers, a styling wand or curling tongs, wait until the curl has cooled and comb out and separate with your fingers until relaxed waves are formed. Then go back to step six :) 

It Also Looks Fab As Just One Plait :) 



The flower bando in the pictures is from Accessorize and was around £4 or £6. Topshop, River Island and Primark do some great bandos if you are planning of festivalling this year. 

Send Me Your Photos!! 

GG xx

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Okay, so, Beauty I promised and Beauty you'll get! 
I was recently browsing in Superdrug with a friend, and I cannot resist anything to do with skin care.
So I headed straight for that aisle, when Simple's 'Spotless Skin' range grabbed my retinas. I always use Simple face wipes anyway, and I really hate it when I get blemishes and spots, especially as a Theatre Studies student where I'm constantly having photos and videos taken of me. 


I took a look at the full range, and it looked pretty reasonably priced, if a little expensive if you're looking for complete budget beauty, but it was half price at Superdrug. Bonus. 
In the end, I picked up the 'Quick Fix' Wipes (If the normal ones are good, the ones that help banish spots must be fab, right?) and the 'Anti-Blemish' Moisturiser.


I've been using them for four days now and I can honestly say they're BRILLIANT. The wipes get rid of all of my industrial strength mascara and the grime from the day, and using the Moisturiser underneath my foundation has helped my skin to look so much clearer, and I think it even gives the finish of a primer. And, as always, as it's made by Simple it has no chemicals or rubbish in it that will build up and go cakey on your face. Lush. 


Simple Spotless Skin Quick Fix Wipes: £3.79 (£1.89 at Superdrug Now)
Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish Moisturiser: £4.95 (£2.47 at Superdrug Now) 


GG xx





As a HUGE comedy fan, I want to know what makes you laugh. 
Especially if you're from across the pond, I'd love to know what British Comedy makes you chuckle like a complete mental. 


Meanwhile, I'll leave you with one a fabulous screen shot of one of my favourite Sitcoms; Miranda (BBC).




GG xx
Welcome!
This is my first post so I hope you find it entertaining enough to return. 


This blog will be my outlet, for anything I find useful, funny, interesting and most of all annoying, with some beauty products and fashion tips thrown in for the hell of it. 
Anything I find along my way that I think is worthy of you, my lovely readers, I will post and hope it will help you too! Feel free to request posts or how-to's, and I will do my best to respond with interesting and helpful replies. 
And Finally, I have called it Glitter Gnome because I am obsessed with all things sparkly, and I myself am so small, if I went to a garden centre and stood accidentally by a pond with a fetching red hat on, someone who likes gnomes a lot would probably attempt to buy me. 
Have fun, and bare with, I've only just started! 
Lots of Love, 


GG xx