Welcome to Paradise!


Sunday 23 November 2014

How to start studying in England / Opiskelu Englannissa !

Hello everyone!

In this post I will be talking about how I became a student in England. Because I'm Finnish, this is mainly for Finnish people, because I only know the experience and process on that aspect. That's why the title is also in Finnish :)

So I started thinking about studying in England in the beginning of this summer 2014, because my friend had already applied here earlier this year. She applied through Kilroy, which is a travel agency in the Nordic countries that also organizes studying abroad. In England they have 5 Universities that they co-operate with.
I went to their website to just look at some options they had. I found out that there is still a late apply-process going on, and I really started to think about it. I sent them an e-mail asking what options do I have. I love the staff there! They are really helpful and they answered really quickly on any questions I had. I told them about what I am interested in, and they told me some good options to choose from.

APPLYING

The application happens through this website called UCAS. There you have to give your details, tell your choices on where you want to apply (you can choose 5 options) and then you have to write a motivation letter. You also need a recommendation letter from someone who knows you and can tell that you are ready to study in a university. I got this from my teacher. They also need your grades from your previous studies. (Ylioppilastutkinto tai ammattikoulu)

The motivation letter you are writing only once, so the same letter goes to all of your chosen universities. So this is why you can't say the university's name (unless of course if you are only applying to one university). In the motivation letter you simply tell a little bit about yourself, what you want from your future, your work experience and why you want to study this subject in England. They have tips on this on their website :)

The applying costs some money, but only like 20 pounds.

The applying process is quite simple, but you really have to put some thought on it, especially on the motivation letter, because this is what makes you different from everyone else.

Depending on what you are studying you may have something else in addition to these. I study marketing so that is all I had. But, if you are applying to study arts or design, you may have to do a portfolio and also interviews. The interview can be arranged via Skype for example.

STUDENT FINANCE

Studying in England is expensive, let's just face it :D The tuition fee for one year is 9000 pounds! This scared me at first, but if you just think that everyone else has to do the same thing, you just kinda ignore it.
AND if you are a citizen of the EU, which you probably are if you are from Finland, you can get the tuition fee loan to cover your tuition fee. This you have to pay back, but only after you've finished your studies and only when your salary is above (about) 21000 pounds a year. So if you are broke after your studies and don't find a job, don't worry, it's fine :)
You can apply to this separately, but Kilroy will provide you with information regarding this :)

You also get money from KELA, and you can also take a loan from them. These should cover your living costs in here, and trust me, they do.

Just don't think that only rich people can study abroad, because that is not how it is!

ACCOMMODATION

So where to live?
This was the next question I had after sorting everything else out. Every university has their own campuses, where you usually have your own room and a bathroom, and shared kitchen and living room. These are not that expensive and most of the first year students live here. There is also most probably different student accommodation companies all around the city you live. They are listed in the university's website. Some of these you have the same idea than living on campus, or then you can have an apartment that is only for you, which I have. The rents for these varies depending on location and how big your apartment is. You can also rent from the private market, but they don't recommend it.

GRADES

Commonly people think "ooh you have to be so good at school to go studying abroad". The fact is you don't :D I was in upper secondary school (lukio), which can be compared to college in England. The only thing I was good at was languages. I failed on maths and chemistry, and did really poorly on physics, religion and almost everything else too.. This doesn't mean you can't apply, you just have to do average on the finals (yo-kirjoitukset). Of course it depends on what you want to study and where, for example to study medicine and doctor things you have to be almost perfect. But everything else I think you just have to be average. The average of my grades were between M and C (L, E, M, C, B, A, I) and that is what they expected.


I was really scared to come here. I would have never believed that I would do this, but looking back, it is the best decision ever. The school is going fine, I have AMAZING friends here, and I'm not homesick at all! This experience gives you so much more opportunities in future and it also forces you to become independent.

So, I think thats all that I can think :D I will add something if I forgot. If you have any questions, feel free to comment!!

Thank you for reading!!

-S from Paradise x

Feminism, Equality. My thoughts.

Feminist, a person who believes in political, social and economical equality between men and women.

I am a feminist.

Nowadays, men and women are treated differently everywhere. Women don't get paid the same amount of money than men from the same job done. Men can't show their feelings, because that is considered as being weak. Why? I don't know, but in this post, I will be sharing my thoughts to the internet. I am not a professional, or a professor of any kind, these are just my personal thoughts.

Everybody has been talking about Kim Kardashians ass, and Nicki Minaj's Anaconda. These acts are considered as very sexual, risky, even inappropriate by some people. I think that these women are very brave, and that they have every right to do whatever they want with their bodies. When I may not like some of the things they do, it is not my place to say what is wrong and what is right, it is not my life, body or mind.
So why is it, that these women can do what they want to do, and not being attacked by women, when at the same time a man can't wear a t-shirt that has half-naked women on them? For me that is confusing. Again, I may not like the t-shirt, but it is not my place to say that he shouldn't wear it.

I believe that men and women all over the world should have equal rights. I also believe, that all men and women should be treated individually, as people, persons, personalities. Every person should have equal rights, but individual opportunities. Nowadays, none of these are happening. All women are expected to aspire to marriage and having babies. Men should work as leaders and bring home the bacon or bread. In some countries going to army is optional, when it's obligatory for men. In some countries girls are not allowed to go to school. These are some social norms, that most people have accepted and scared to break. Some people are "breaking the rules" which I think it is just amazing (for example Malala Yousafzai), and we all should do that.

This is not just about men and women. There are inequalities between rich and poor, gays and straights, black and whites. At the end of the day, we are all people and all people are different, so I don't get it why we can't give all people the same rights. Don't get me wrong, we are going to the right direction and a lot of changes have happened in the past decades.

In Finland all men have to attend army or work for a year without payment. I think this is awful and stupid! I think when we are discussing about equal rights for men and women, we should also discuss about equal opportunities. We should make army either obligatory for everyone, or optional for everyone. I know in most countries this happens, but not in Finland, which I think is just absolutely wrong. This probably happens in some other countries too.

This post can be a little confusing, I know :D But the main point from me is that ALL people should have equal rights and ALL people should have individual opportunities. No one should be obligated to do something just because they are born to a certain body, country, religion, whatever. And no one should be restricted from doing something because they are born to a certain body, country, religion, the list goes on.

Share your thoughts, experiences, whatever is on your mind!! I think this subject is very interesting and sometimes confusing too!

Thank you for reading this!

-S from Paradise x



Sunday 16 November 2014

My first Louis Vuitton experience+tips!

Hey everyone!

Today I will be talking about my first ever shopping experience in a Louis Vuitton store. I visited the New Bonds Street LV store in London, which was huge! At the end of this post I have some tips that I've used.

As some of you know, I bought a Louis Vuitton mini pochette accessoires last weekend and made an unboxing post in this blog. I had already been looking at it online at their website, so I knew what I was going to get and how much does it cost.

I must say that I was expecting the staff to be a little rude and that they would give me the "look", as I'm not dressed in designer clothes from head to toe. However I didn't got that which was very nice.

So I walked into the store and to the cashier, and there was the sales person and she was really nice and asked how can they help me. I said that I would like to see the mini pochette accessoires, and then she looked at the computer looking for it. She also asked in what print I would like to see it, and I said in the monogram print. She then went to look for it at the back somewhere. Meanwhile me and my friends were just admiring the store and the products they had on display. It was GORGEOUS!! Some people were just chilling on the couches and looking at stuff and chatting with friends. It was really busy that evening, and I really liked the atmosphere of the store.

Then the sales person came back with the pochette and gave it to me to look at. I already knew that I would buy it, but still I wanted to make sure that this is what I really want, so I tried the zipper and the chain and how it can be attached etc. I told her that I was really excited as this is my first ever Louis Vuitton purchase and she told me that this is a really good product to start the collection. I then said "Okey, I think I'm gonna take this", and then she asked would I like to see something else. I had been eyeing a scarf, but decided that I'm just gonna buy this now. She gave me a registration paper that I signed and put my details on. Then was time to pay! I got really nervous that if for some reason my card wouldn't work, that would be really embarrassing. Thankgod it worked with no problems :D!

She then said that she is going to pack it for me and went to the back again. We waited for another while and she came back with my product in their paper bag, which was covered with a raincoat for the bag too. I thought that was really nice! Then we said goodbye and left the store very happy!!

Overall experience was really positive! From start to finish I felt like I was a really important customer. This was a surprise, as I "only bought something small". Remember that you are the customer and the one with the money, and the staff is the one who need your money and they are there to serve you. I hope that in the future I will give many more visits to Louis Vuitton, and receive as positive service that I got this time :)

Now for the tips!

- If you live in a country that doesn't have a shop online option (for example Finland), you can see the prices of the products from the shop online UK. Just click the United Kingdom at the beginning, where they ask for your country and simply use a currency converter to get the price of your country. The international page doesn't have the prices.

- If you are nervous, like I was, know the prints and the name of the product you are looking for! The staff at the store will however help you with these!

Do you have any tips? Have you been to Louis Vuitton and how was the experience? I would like to know!!

Thank you for reading!!

-S from Paradise x

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette Accessoires UNBOXING!

Holaaa!

I went to London this past weekend, and did a little shopping in Louis Vuitton :) That was my first ever visit to Louis Vuitton store and I will write a separate post about my experience. I was SO excited!! Now I will write about my purchase, Mini Pochette Accessoires in the Monogram canvas.



So I went to the Louis Vuitton store at New Bond Street, which I think is the biggest LV store in the UK (?). And this is what I bought:



The sales person packaged it really nice, and even gave me a raincoat for the shopping bag!



The bag itself is coated canvas (so not leather), and the only leather in this bag is at the end of the zipper, and it is called vachetta leather. The vachetta leather at first is really pale, but as the time goes on and you use the product it will get this beautiful brown shade. The inside of this bag is fabric. 




All the hardware are golden brass metallic. In the inside it also has a little leather thingy, which has the serial number.




The official dimensions are:
Length: 5.5 inches (14cm)
Height: 3.5 inches (8.9cm)
Width: 0.8 inches (about 2cm)

However, the bag is a little bit bigger that it says on the official website.


The chain is quite heavy, which adds a more luxurious feel to the bag. It is detachable from the other end, and can be attached for example to a bag, or then it can be used as a wristlet.


Even though this bag is quite small, it can fit a lot of stuff!! I managed to put my phone (iPhone 5), cardholder, passport, lipbalm and some gum, and there still room for more, and I was thinking about using this combination when I travel in the airplane.
Other combination: I put my phone, keyholder, cardholder, lipbalm, travalo perfume, gum and some tissues. This I will be using normally, when I just go out shopping or doing stuff in the city :D

They also gave me a receipt from the store, which has all the details, and I recommend to keep everything you get when you buy something in safe, in case you decide to resell any items in the future. These things can add value to the product, as it states that it is an authentic item. This goes for all designer products.


Most items also come with a dustbag, which they recommend you store your products in when you are not using them.


So this is a really good piece from Louis Vuitton, and I think a good product to start your LV collection! It is very versatile and compact!

I hope you liked this post, I will do more of these in the future, if someone wants it!!

Thank you for reading!!

-S from Paradise x

Thursday 6 November 2014

OCTOBER FAVORITES 2014! (The Body Shop, Freeman, EOS, Yankee Candle...)

Hellloo!

In this post I will be talking about my favorite products this October. I know this is kinda late, as it is already November, but thats alright. I didn't do that much shopping this month, but I have products that I've bought in the past and using more this month.
Most of these products are skincare, but some random ones too :)


Nivea Q10 Eye care, eyecream. I have own this for a while, but as the weather gets colder and my skin dryer, I have started to use this. It definitely moisturises the skin around my eyes, but I haven't seen any dramatical differences in fine lines and puffiness. Don't put this too close to your eyes, because when you sleep, the product will get into your eye and make them more puffier and appear tired. Good basic product overall.


As you may have read from my PREVIOUS post, I have been suffering from pimples lately, because I was using the wrong moisturiser. This Body Shop Tea Tree Oil has literally saved me! I apply a small amount of that on my blemishes at night, and in the morning they are pretty much gone! I have also mixed this with my moisturiser and applying to my whole face, so it prevents and fights blemishes all over the face. RECOMMEND! I was gonna say that this is just pure tea tree oil and all natural ingredients, but after looking at the ingredients it does have a lot of other stuff and only 15% of tea tree oil. This is a vegan product tho, so no animals were harmed!


The Miley Cyrus lipbalm... This Eos (Evolution of Smoothness) lipbalm in the scent lemon has been really good! It has SPF 15, which is really good all year round!


As mentioned, I had a pretty difficult skin-month, and this Freeman Facial clay mask, Lemon and mint helped me too with my struggles. It provides deep pore cleansing, and leaves your skin feeling dry and smooth. What I did, was that first I washed my face normally and then exfoliated with THIS Michael Todd exfoliator (http://www.michaeltoddtrueorganics.com/mtto-jojoba-charcoal-facial-scrub.html#_) (I am gonna do a separate post about this product line!). After exfoliating I applied this mask for 15 minutes, or when it dries completely. After using this you should apply some moisturiser, as it is quite drying. 


When it gets colder, my hair gets really static and frizzy, so this Wella Wellaflex Hydrostyle blowdrying lotion has tamed the frizz! I apply this on to my wet hair in the morning and then just dry normally with a blowdryer. Leaves hair smooth, and a little bit textured, so it adds a little bit hold too. 


Batiste Dry shampoo in the scent tropical is perfect when you want to add volume and texture in your hair. Do you sometimes get just flat boring hair? Spray some of this on, and all your problems are away! (I know I should be a poetry person). The scent is good, not too powerful, but leaves your hair smelling fresh. Don't breathe this product, doesn't feel pleasant. 
Also, if you have really dark or black hair, you might want to be careful with this, as the product is basically white powder which doesn't disappear completely. I have light brown hair, and this doesn't give me any problems. 

This is random, but I'm in LOVE with this candle from Yankee Candle! This is in the scent Black Coconut, so it is a little more deeper than a regular coconut. Little vanilla-y and little bit of spicyness. Doesn't smell like regular coconut. I know, my scent description is on-point. 


And last but not least The Body Shop Bodybutter in the scent apricot. I don't really understand how this can be used as a moisturiser for the whole body, because it is REALLY thick, just like pure butter. I use this at night on my hands, elbows and knees and the rest that is in my hands I spread on my arms. The smell starts as fresh apricot, but when you rub it in it smells like plant, which is not a bad scent aswell. Overall really good moisturiser for the dry parts in the body!

There you go, I hope you like it! Also if you like my blog and texts, you can join this blog as a member or follow my blog via Bloglovin, its FREE! Also you can leave any kinds of comments and share this with your friends :) 

Thank you for reading this!!

-S from Paradise x

Wednesday 5 November 2014

I'm on Bloglovin!

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Tuesday 4 November 2014

The day that changed my life!

Hi everybody!



Today I will tell you about the day that changed my life, dramatically. 



It was a cloudy April day, when I noticed it... It was gone, she was gone. No more daily happiness in my life, no more inspiration or positive energy around me. It was all gone. I wasn't asking for the world, maybe, or was I? It only took me a moment to notice it, but forever to realize it. Is this really happening? Is this even possible? What am I gonna do without that? These questions were spinning in my head round and around and around. I never really got over it...



But OH happy day when I saw her again on the 2nd of November 2014. It was like diamonds in the sky again. The wait was over, and my life completed, finally... It was like she never left. The pieces of a puzzle got right back in their places. Everything made sense now.... The reason to this is, because....










BADGALRIRI IS BACK!!!!!

Oh em geee!! Rihanna is BACK on Instagram at @badgalriri

And there is more!! 
I read HERE that she is going to release her new single this month, and the new album on the 25th of November. I don't know how reliable this source is, but it gives us some hope, right? :D
AAH, I'm sooo excited! I have been a Rihanna fan forever, and my love for her even grew when I was in her Diamonds World Tour- concert last year. Perfection. I have 5 of her latest albums, and can't wait to purchase her next album! 

What do you think about Rihanna? Are you excited for her new album too?



It is clear, the Queen is back. 

-S from Paradise xx

Sunday 2 November 2014

UGG AUSTRALIA REVIEW!

Hollaa!

Even though the weather here in the UK has not been so cold yet, I have still started to wear my lovely Uggs. I think Uggs are the perfect cold weather shoes, they are stylish, simple, WARM and durable if you take good care of them. 

http://www.uggaustralia.co.uk/






I currently have one pair, which I bought last year. They are the Classic Mini boots in black colour and their price today online is £130. When I bought them the sales person told me to buy a spray that makes them water proof. They sell that online and in their stores, but I think they are pretty expensive when you can get a bottle for about 10 pounds from a normal department store. So I bought his Woly waterproof spray and followed the instructions on the bottle. 



This spray works amazingly!!
The spray blocks dirt too, so it is easy to wipe clean with a dry paper towel. I maintain the shoes with spraying this every now and then, very irregularly though, because the first time you do it, it is supposed to last forever. I have never washed these, only wiped them with dry paper towels. I think black is a color you can see dirt very easily, whereas when they get wet, you can't see it. The brown coloured Uggs show wetness easily, and you cant really see dirt on them. 

These shoes are not really good for your feet, mainly because the sole is flat and doesn't support your feet. So I don't recommend using these as work shoes, or if you are travelling and walking for long times without resting. For everyday use these are PERFECT! One thing I had to be careful back in Finland, ICE. When it is icy, you have to be very careful, as the bottom of the shoe is plastic-y material, and doesn't have any spikes or support against the ice.

If you are considering buying Uggs, my tip is that when you are trying the shoes on and if it feels a little tight, take them! This is because the bottom and the lining is lamb fur, so when you use it, the shoe gets more loose when the fur goes down.
Overall, I LOVE these shoes and I will probably be always using them when its cold! Especially in Finland these were really convenient in the snow and cold. 

What do you think about Uggs? Do you own any of them? 


-S from Paradise 

Movie Review: Annabelle

Happy late Halloween!

On Friday the 31st I went to the movies with my friends to see the new horror movie, Annabelle.
Dat shit scary. For real tho, for the whole movie I was hiding behind my scarf being scared :D I personally love watching horror movies occasionally, even though they leave me really scared for the next few days..

SPOILER ALERT!

The movie is based on the story about this doll, thats possessed by some creepy bitz. At the beginning of the movie it tells that its based on real life events, which makes the movie even more scary, although I want to believe that thats not true :D The movie had a lot of scary moments that startled me, but at some points it kinda left you without that. For example, there was this part where it was zooming into the dolls face and creepy music and you are expecting something BANG, but nothing happens and the movie just continues normally.. So that was kinda lame.
The only part I found a bit weird and too much was the one where the bookstore woman killed herself just to save the baby. It didn't fit in the movie, it was like from Titanic or something :D
Have you seen The Conjuring? If you have, we can probably agree that the storyline is kinda the same. In The Conjuring there is also the same doll, the same story, except this movie happened before The Conjuring. I liked The Conjuring better, it was more scary and it had a better plot. So if you are considering watching Annabelle, I highly recommend that you see The Conjuring first.

SPOILERS ENDING!

So that is just my thoughts on the movie Annabelle. Have you seen it? If so what do you think?
Also, what are some of your favorite horror movies, or movies in general? Any recommendations :D?

Thank you for reading!

-S from Paradise x