From Norfolk To New York Part 2

Adelphi was bursting with full bloomed trees and flowers everywhere it was like something out of a movie and when I reached my Dorm room in New Hall B, it was HUGE. Because I would be sharing with 2 other people we had a massive en-suite bathroom and the room was open plan with desks and wardrobes. It felt so empty because I was the first person there. And at that moment I realised where I was and the incredible journey I had made.  I remember that night I didn't have any bedding so I made make shift pillows and bedding from some of my clothes and a blanket I had brought from the plane. After messaging my family to let them know I got there safely, I just laid on my new bed looking at the itinerary for the next few days and speculating on who I would meet and what I was in store for.

The next day was filled of welcoming events and group activities, I somehow ended up in the same group as Polina the girl I had met previous on the shuttle bus, and spent all day with her just talking and enduring the events. I met some great people in my group but one stuck out and one I spent everyday with thereafter that was Sophie. Sophie was an exchange student from Australia who was studying journalism. She was so friendly and easy to talk to and we managed to click instantly we shared so many personality traits I felt like I really connected with someone and I was right ( but ill talk more about that later ). After meeting some more people from other countries we had a little group and really had fun, that night we all skipped the last event to go to the mall to buy bedding and we really got to know each other, that night I went to bed feeling excited for what was to come and to see my new found friends.

Adelphi had organised a beach trip for everyone there was about 20 of us and we all enjoyed games on Jones Beach, hearing each others stories and personal backgrounds. Omar from Egypt introduced us to this game called wink murder which we were all glued to for about 2 hours!! all in all it was fantastic day (even though I suffered severe sunburn), and many of the people I met that day I continued to hang around with though out my time at Adelphi and still talk to frequently today. A few of us went to IHop that night and I ate so many pancakes I felt so so sick! Welcome to America hey!

Later on after the fun of the beach and IHOP a few of us decided to go out on the town and experience Garden Citys night life. Ami this girl we met who was apart of the international student programme kindly took us and me , Sophie, David and Omar went out. We went to a bar called Mchebes which was very close to that of the bar from Coyote ugly and I instantly fell in love! Me and Sophie managed to get most of our drinks for free just because we were international which resulted in very tipsy moments including Sophie burning me with her cigarette and declaring me her best friend! But the funniest moment had to be when Omar lit up a cigarette in the club thinking it was okay to smoke inside and nearly getting thrown out, us internationals hey, you can't take us anywhere! When we returned to Adelphi that night the sprinklers were on and we all ran through them not caring that we were instantly soaked but just enjoying every moment we could! cherishing our first night together.

A week went by and the day came where my first roommate was going to be moving in, her name was Krissy and although I didn't really know her, we had been talking to each other on Facebook prior which was really helpful in making the situation more comfortable.
 I was eating lunch with my friends Polina and Sophie before we were going to head off to the mall, since I knew Krissy would be arriving soon I went back to my room to see if she had arrived. When I opened the door I was greeted by her and we had a small conversation before I ran to catch the shuttle bus to the mall to grab bedding etc.

The next day a group of us decided to head into the city for the first time, we all met for breakfast and discussed the places we wanted to visit. I remember sitting there so excited about visiting the big apple and finally see the place where my year long journey would take place. The train to Penn Stations was so surreal because I knew that at any moment I would be in the city and although I had read about it and seen it in movies nothing could have prepared me for the beauty that is New York City...

“I believe it’s perfectly normal to love both lipstick and literature, to be a woman who paints her nails while shouting at Question Time.” Sali Hughes

When I started reading this book I totally understood the hype behind it and what everybody was talking about. The self proclaimed straight talking companion is exactly what is says on the cover, its 'Pretty Honest'. With five star reviews across the board from fashion magazines and beauty bloggers alike, I knew I had to grab myself a copy and see what Sali Hughes debut book was all about. 

 Sali Hughes is a Welsh journalist, writer and broadcaster and has written features, beauty and lifestyle columns, opinion columns and celebrity interviews for Grazia, ELLE, Red, The Guardian, Glamour, Top Santé, Now and Cosmopolitan. Since January 2011 she has also been the Guardian’s resident beauty columnist, featuring weekly in their Saturday magazine and online video tutorials.  Hughes views on beauty and lifestyle are really refreshing and it is not surprising she has had such popularity and a huge fan following!
  The cover itself is very simple and shows the reader exactly what the book is about without being too in your face, this simplistic approach is very clever and something I really liked when I saw this in the bookstore, and knew it would make a great addition to my bookshelf.

When I was reading 'Pretty Honest' I was really blown away although it is 328 pages I could not bring myself to put this book down. In most beauty books there is a strong need to plug products or tell you rather than advise you about products and methods and this is totally different, Hughes tells the reader what is necessary and what isn't, advising you on things you don't necessarily need in your makeup kit, and what items work well on different skin types. A favourite of mine was the chapter on 'Red Lipstick'. As an avid fan of red lipstick and having an extensive collection, this chapter screamed out to me. Hughes discusses the hardship of trying to find the perfect red lipstick and suggests which reds suit which skin tones, for example "..the paler the face, the orangier the red should be." I also love how Hughes has given us a step by step guide of how to apply red lipstick which I found very useful especially the blotting sections of the guide which I hadn't even thought of doing prior.

   I also loved the chapter on Beauty Icons, Hughes included a few people that I haven't seen other people mention before and showed great admiration for people such as Anne-Marie Duff and Barbra Streisand instead of praising someone like Marilyn Monroe who everyone seems to turn to. As an avid fan of Streisand and the other beauty icons in the chapter to say I liked this section was an understatement I LOVED it, its nice to see Hughes think outside the box and include people that haven't been flogged to death by everyone else, it really shows her creative difference and how she is really giving us her own personal opinion rather than following the crowd. Everyone has their own personal beauty icons and it was great to see her mentioning hers.

All in all with chapters such as Your daily skincare routine, Basic Kit: the products you need now ( and the stuff you don't) which give us a great view on what exactly we should have in our kits and what fads we really don't , Brows, Beauty Icons etc this book is an absolute joy to read, it feels as if Hughes is having a discussion with the reader rather than telling which is a breathe of fresh air and different to most beauty books I have read. 'Pretty Honest' focuses on the reader and what could work best with them as well as discussing items and routines you don't necessarily need in your life, likewise this is different to most beauty books I have read in the past. Ever since reading this beauty companion I find myself reaching for it on a daily basis to refresh my memory or just browse on what different things I could try that day. It is exactly what you need in a beauty book and once you have it you really won't need anything else!

★★★★★'Pretty Honest'  is exactly what it says on the front and once you indulge in this beauty companion you will find yourself glued and constantly re-reading on a daily basis! 


Check out Sali Hughes at http://www.salihughesbeauty.com
 and also at http://www.theguardian.com/profile/sali-hughes ,
for beauty Reviews and videos!! xoxo