Yellow Belly – Page 3 – A guide to life at the University of Lincoln

Review: Coconut Oil

April 24, 2013 Jessica Watt Leave a comment

Who doesn’t want long, soft, healthy hair?

A few weeks ago, I was browsing through one of my favourite websites, Pinterest, when I came across coconut oil, after reading through the number of benefits, I decided to give it a try.

Essentially, coconut oil is used as a hair care oil and helps it to grow and reduces the protein loss for dry and damaged hair. Regular massage on your head ensures a dandruff free scalp and stimulates hair growth.

Coconut oil is white and solid at room temperature, can be used in foods, enhancing your immune system (perfect after too many late nights) and research has found that it can aid weight loss if your trying to shed a few pounds.

It can also be used on your skin, acting as an effective moisturizer, particularly for dry skin.

I purchased ‘Fushi Virgin Organic Coconut Oil’ on Amazon, £8 for 250g which may seem a lot considering but it really is worth it in my opinion, particularly if your using it for different purposes. It arrived only a few days after I ordered it and after doing my research was happy that I went for a product that was free from artificial chemicals and did not test on animals.

Before using the oil I did my research, many girls on the Internet said on this particular product a little bit really did go a long way and they were right.

1. I scooped a teaspoon amount into a microwaveable dish, put into the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not too use too much, remember a little bit goes a long way and too much will leave your hair greasy.When I took it out the microwave it dissolved into my hands.

2. Before applying to my dry hair I combed through ensuring that the product was distributed evenly.

3. After massaging it into my scalp and paying particular attention to the ends of my hair, I clipped it up and left for an hour. Leaving it for as long as possible meant that the oil would penetrate into the hair shaft.

4. I then washed it out, shampooing my hair twice to ensure all the oil had been washed out and condition as normal.

5. When blow drying my hair my hair did feel very smooth and manageable. It’s advised this deep condition is used twice a week to see the effects of healthy, long hair.

Give it a try at home!

SOURCE: Pinterest and Organic Facts website

Health and Beauty

Something unique – Rock Paper Scissors

April 16, 2013 Alice Rose Leave a comment

Are you looking for somewhere different to shop? Somewhere other than the ordinary high street shops?

As you probably already know Lincoln is full of beautiful boutiques and independent shops.

Most of these are situated at the top of the famous Steep Hill.

But recently more independent places have been opening up on and around the high street area.

One of these is cafe, shop and ‘crafterie’ Rock Paper Scissors.

The ‘crafterie’ opened on the 11th of February in Guildhall Street in the city centre, and is proving to be quite popular.

When walking past, the brightly painted outside immediately catches your eye and draws you into Rock Paper Scissors.

One inside, you are greeted by an array of beautiful prints on the walls.

When scanning around you can immediately see that it differs to other shops on the high street.

As for what to buy, customers can choose from illustrations, jewellery, home ware and greetings cards. All of which cannot be bought from anywhere else in Lincoln.

The layout of the shop features a vintage sofa, chairs and tables with shelves that are stocked with a hand selection of books for people to browse through and read.

But what actually inspired the creation of Rock Paper Scissors? I spoke to the owner Elizabeth Dimmock, 26, who decided to open the shop with friend Michelle after she moved back to Lincoln.

“Rock Paper Scissors is about representing artists”, says Elizabeth. “I wanted to represent people making and designing things based in the UK. These tiny little industries and these amazing things they create like interesting new designs that don’t get recognised often. It’s good to represent them.”

But the shop doesn’t just sell gifts. There are also freshly baked cakes which customers can choose from, along with a wide variety of teas and coffees.

These are ideal to sample when settling down for one of Rock Paper Scissors’ craft sessions, as the shop holds regular day time and evening classes of different events.

“At the moment we’re holding classes in crafts that the three of us who work here can teach,” says Elizabeth. “We’re looking to get more crafters in to share their skills though”.

“We’ve got a craft session coming up where you can make a steam punk mobile. The lady who works here, – Michelle, – is making them out of light bulbs and little metal thimbles. So that’ll be really good”.

The craft events in Rock Paper Scissors are something that Elizabeth is particularly proud of, and she says those are what define the shop.

“I think having the events on is something people think is really different. It’s quite a niche thing to provide something other than going out or drinking in the evening.”

So if you are interested in trying something a little unique and finding interesting gifts. Rock Paper Scissors just might the place you want to visit. Their website also tells you of upcoming events the shop has on, including a Mad Hatters tea party and a bath bomb making session (can’t wait for those)!

What are your favourite shops in Lincoln? Do you prefer the independent boutiques to the high street shops? Let us know.

Living in Lincoln

The F Word: Body Image and the Media

April 8, 2013 Jessica Watt Leave a comment

The next F Word is for the females.

A week ago I read Radio 1 presenter, Jameela Jamil’s Tumblr blog where she discussed the issue of body image within young girls.

Going to a girls school for 6 years I regularly heard size 10 girls pull at their none existence ‘fat’ then spent the rest of lunch time nursing an apple, something that I didn’t really understand.

So what is to blame for our attitude to body image today?

I went on to discover different articles discussing the link between the media and body image, particularly in females which has proven to be a considerable factor when it comes to body image.

Last year Vogue put Adele on its front cover which was amazing. Chanel supremo, Karl Lagerfeld disagreed saying ‘she was a little too fat’. His comments reached the headlines and was met with much criticism, rightly so.

So why do we still attain to look stick thin when even they don’t? Air bushing is a well known tool used by magazines to make models and celebrities that appear in the magazines, more attractive.

However, for the issue of body image there is some hope. Celebrity figures such as Beyonce and Kim Kardashian are good role models when it comes to image. Two curvy and beautiful women, both successful in their own ways, proudly display their curves, only good can come out of having women with figures like theirs on the front of fashion magazines.

Vogue is indisputably the world’s fashion bible, therefore much can be taken from the fact they have chose to stick Adele on their cover. One can only hope that the fashion industry will be more accepting to whatever size you are your beautiful.

Super skinny Victoria Beckham and curvy Kim Kardashian.

The F Word

Alternatives to a night of boozing

March 22, 2013 Laura Wood Leave a comment

Most of student life revolves around going out and the drinking culture. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from nights out and the hangover the morning after.

Here are a few ideas of how you can have fun with friends or flatmates without consuming alcohol.

Bingo

This sounds incredibly old fashioned, but going to the bingo is definitely a funny night. Gala Bingo in Lincoln offers students to play for a discounted rate on Thursdays.

Bowling

Lincoln Superbowl (not to be confused with superbull) offers student discount meaning that one game is no more than £5.00 and two games is no more than £9.00.

Cinema

If you feel like splashing out a bit of money then take the movie night to the cinema. At the moment there is only one cinema in the town centre, Odeon.

Create a meal

Flatmates do not generally cook together, so for a change go on a outing to the supermarket and make dinner together. Alternatively, spend the money you would take on a night out and treat yourselves to a meal out. It saves on the washing up and gets you in a different environment.

Play card games

You need a deck of cards to play drinking games, why not sit around and play some standard card games. You could also hold a poker night (you can play with 1p and 2p’s if you are skint), yes people may have alcohol but it’s a time to socialise and also do something fun.

Play games

Most people have board games at home that they may no longer play, if you’re group of friends aren’t too competitive, (my friends nearly fell out over a game of monopoly) then sit down and play.

Playzone

An indoor children’s play area that is open to students and over 16’s every Tuesday night. Only £5.00 with your student ID you can relive your childhood and play in the ball pit, go on the slides. If you have a large group then this is a fun couple of hours. However, it will leave you aching in the morning.

Student Life

Why is work experience so important?

March 20, 2013 Alice Rose Leave a comment

Getting a degree is undoubtedly one of the most important steps towards getting a job.

But because of the current economy crisis, employers are looking for more than just a degree; they want experience.

With little jobs available, the job market is extremely competitive, – so having work experience can put you one step above fellow applicants.

Depending on your university hours and the course you do, having time for work placements can seem impossible.

However, even just a few weekend shifts at your local radio station or elsewhere will instantly put some pizzazz on your CV.

Hannah Webster, a media student at the University of Lincoln, says that in many industries work experience can even be more important than the degree itself:

“You can make contacts and get some real life experience that academic projects can just never compete with,” she says.

Many employers love to see that graduates have gone out into the real world & taken responsibility of their future.

It may sound a bit odd to those with degrees that cover a wide range of topics, but even a small placement at somewhere local will boost your CV no end.

Alex Dunn works for the University of Lincoln Careers & Employability and says that work experience will help you stand out from the crowd in the eyes of your employer:

“There are so many things you can gain from doing work experience – it is a more hands on way of developing skills, and helping you decide whether certain types of work are right for you. Work experience complements degree work fantastically, allowing you the chance to put your new found knowledge into practice and allowing you to relate what you’ve learned to the world of work”.

So there you have it, work experience can do you the world of good. Getting a placement will bring your confidence levels up and help with producing your CV, but don’t forget the importance of your degree as well.

If you want more information or advice about work experience, the University of Lincoln Careers and Employability team can help. Contact them on their website or drop in to their office behind the Library on the Brayford Campus.

Student Life

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