My Interning Experience

I've realised that my blog is quickly becoming very beauty orientated - you can see where my passion lies - however I thought it was time to do a post on something that's a little different. Today's post is going to be all about internships and my experiences and advice regarding internships. 

What is an internship

According to Urban Dictionary:

An internship is when (usually a college undergraduate) goes and works for a company who can get away with paying him a very small salary or often nothing because he hasn't graduated yet. 

It's basically just working to make someone rich and getting nothing in return - the modern equivalent of slavery, except nowadays, people are actually willing.

According to me:

An internship is when students (well its mostly students) go to work for a company purely for experience. In Australia, internships are unpaid. The time that you intern for varies on the company. It can be a few days a week for only a few weeks, or one day a week for a year. I think internships can be very beneficial for both parties involved, when carried out right. Although I have also heard many stories about internships gone very wrong. 

How I landed my internship

As I have mentioned I am a fashion and PR major, University student. I am very eager to learn and often send emails inquiring about work experience opportunities. In the city where I live, there are only a few PR companies specialising in fashion, beauty and lifestyle. This makes these internships hard to come by, so I started looking at other industries, from which I can still learn skills relevant to PR. 

In my first year of Uni I went for an interview at the Creative Industry faculty at my Uni. Unfortunately I did not get the internship that year. However, in the beginning of this year, I received an email from that faculty - a spot for an intern has become available. So I went for an interview and got the internship as assistant intern curator of Public Programs Fashion, where I am still currently interning. 

My experience

What I am doing at my internship is called curating. In the office where I intern there are many other interns working on art projects, however I requested to be solely fashion focused.

I co-ordinate and plan public programs related to Fashion as well as research potential programs we can host. For instance we recently had the buyer for David Jones present a talk on his experience. Although this is not PR, I am still gaining a lot of valuable skills from this internship which I will eventually be able to utilise in a PR position. My advice - try different companies and different industries. If you are offered an internship that is not exactly what you want to do, why not give it a try, it is still experience.

I wasn't completely happy at this internship but didn't know what to do. I felt that I was just the intern, who cares what I'm feeling. I started getting really stressed and miserable and decided it was time to speak up. My supervisor was very kind and understanding and we agreed on changes to be made. We will see how everything goes now, but what I am trying to get at is that you should not be scared to speak up.  You are giving up your time to work for free, and although you might think 'oh but I'm just the intern', I promise you are a valuable asset.

Advice

1. Apply everywhere, send people emails, phone them - the worst they can do is say no. 
2. Speak up - You are giving up your time to work for free, if something is not right, don't be afraid to discuss it with your supervisor.
3. Try and try again - if you find you are not happy at your current internship, leave and find a new opportunity. You have not signed any contracts and are not getting paid - you have to do what is best for you. If you are scared about what the company will say, don't worry about it. Even if they decide not to give you a reference, they can't take the experience you have gained away from you.
4. Fake it 'till you make it - sometimes you might feel like you have no idea what you are doing, by just faking the confidence & presenting yourself in a confident manner you will soon start feeling much better about yourself.
5. Presentation & manners - it is very important to ensure you are always presenting yourself in a professional way. This is practice for the real thing one day, plus you never know who you might meet (you want to create a lasting impression for the right reasons!).
6. Network - I can't stress how important this is. Especially if you are interested in the PR or fashion industry. Create a LinkedIn account to stay acquainted with people you meet, they might be very helpful in your career in the future.
7. ENJOY - Lastly, just enjoy what you are doing. 

Hopefully this post is helpful, feel free to comment if you have any questions or suggestions. Or if you just want to share your experience.

Sunday Night 5-Step Skincare Routine

On Sunday evenings post bath, I enjoy a little pampering in the skincare department. My Sunday Night Skincare routine in 5 easy steps.

1. Remove all make up
Each night before a bath or shower I remove my eye make-up. I am currently using Neutrogena Oil-Free Make Up Remover. You have to ensure you shake the product before use, however my skin does feel really oily after using this so I don't know where the 'oil free' comes in. I probably wouldn't repurchase this one. At times I also like using make up removing wipes to take off my make up, especially if I'm removing foundation as well (for day-to-day I only wear mineral powder).

2. Exfoliate

I like to exfoliate my skin prior to applying my face mask. My all time favourite scrub is the Yes to Carrots scrub. I ran out of that a few weeks ago and haven't gotten around to repurchasing. Currently I am using Pelactive Facial Refiner Deep Cleansing Scrub - which I received in a beauty box once upon a time. I would describe this scrub as very chemically. However, it does make my skin very smooth and works well in my routine. A plus because this brand is an Australian skincare company.

3. Face Mask Time

I usually put my face mask on and leave it while I'm in the bath. I absolutely LOVE the Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin Facial Mask. It doesn't make my skin burn or itch at all. Neither does it leave your face feeling tight. The texture is different to other masks I've tried. As you can see below, it almost looks like clay or cement. It contains 98% natural products, lycopene (found in tomatoes, 'to balance blotchiness') and dead sea mud to 'draw out impurities'. This skin mask is also paraben-free.

4. Cleanse

After rinsing off my mask, I sometimes feel that it has left an oily residue on my skin. I like to just give my face a quick cleanse with my everyday cleanser - Cetaphil. I have had bad skin reactions from cosmetic products, after which I converted to Cetaphil. It contains no soap and is very calming on the skin while still thoroughly cleansing. A staple in my skincare routine everyday. 

5. Moisturise!! 

Finally, we get to what I would say is the most important part - moisturise. It doesn't matter whether you have dry,  oily or combination skin, moisturising is essential. If your skin lacks moisture, it will produce more oil to compensate for that. During summer I was using Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturise SPF 15, which provides enough moisture during the humid Summer months. However, now that winter is fast approaching I have made a switch. For about a week now I have been using Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream. I am really happy with the moisturiser so far. 

And that's my Sunday night skin-care routine. Feel free to share your suggestions or opinions on any of the products mentioned, would love to hear what you guys think!

Met Ball Fashion Favourites

These are my favourite looks from this years Met Ball. One of my absolute favourites was Sarah Jessica Parker's head piece, she never fails to make a statement with her fashion choices. I also loved Minka Kelly's hair accessory, and (surprisingly) Taylor Swift's dress! Nina Dobrev, Nicole Richie and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's make up looks were my favourite.

Home Made Almond Butter Recipe

I've been stalking 'healthy lifestyle' Instagram accounts and I have been seeing almond butter everywhere! Therefore I decided to try and make some at home. I've also received my April Lust Have It! last Monday but I am unsure whether I am going to do a post, because I am so disappointed about it, seriously thinking of cancelling. But back to almond butter:

Almond butter is like peanut butter except made with almonds. I decided to make it myself because it is quite expensive if you buy it in store and it's so easy to make! PLUS you know its 100% pure almonds, no added preservatives.

I just used a small packet of almonds, but they didn't make much butter, so I would advise buying a bulk pack. You can use as much almonds as you want, there aren't specific measurements. You can use either raw or toasted almonds it doesn't really matter, during the processing the almonds get really hot and I read in another post that if you use raw almonds, they'd be cooked by the time you're done. Put the almonds in the food processor and start processing.

After about a minute or two the almonds will be finely chopped and look like the picture above. Now all you have to do is keep processing. Be sure to scrape the nuts that stick on the sides down so it all gets processed.

I didn't get a photo of the next step, but basically as the natural oil starts to come out of the almonds, the processed pieces start sticking together and become lumpy. This happened for me after about 10 minutes, so don't give up if you think it's failing. It then required another 5 minutes + until the lumps started becoming a smooth paste. At this point you still want to keep processing to reach a really creamy consistency. You can add some salt to bring out the flavour of the nuts.

Above is a picture of the finished almond butter. You can add honey or vanilla or whatever else your creative mind can think of. Almond butter can be used in recipes, or as a snacks. Ideas for snacks include on rice crackers, or with apple slices.

P.S if you think you aren't coming right - just keep processing it takes a lot of patience!

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner

They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone, well that was most definitely the case with the John Frieda Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner. 

The Frizz-Ease range is a range from which I have discovered many great hair products. The products claims to be a vitamin infused leave-in conditioner which nourishes and detangles dry hair. It also contains heat protectant, which is great because it means you don't have to use a separate product for that.

I use this product after I have washed and conditioned my hair, and before I comb it out. Initially, I never noticed a big difference to my hair while using the leave-in conditioner. Once my first bottle ran out I was so shocked - my hair was really hard to manage without the leave-in conditioner.

Clearly this leave-in conditioner is a vital part in my hair routine - it not only detangles and smoothes my hair, it also greatly reduces frizz. Which is very important for me in the high humidity area where I live.

The product comes packaged in a 236ml spray bottle, which makes it really easy to use. I purchased the leave-in conditioner at Priceline and it was around AU$16. I used the leave-in conditioner daily and my first bottle lasted over 2 years.

I would recommend this to anyone who has unruly or frizz-prone hair. Makes the whole hair routine a ton easier. It's also a definite beach essential, after a swim in the ocean or chlorine filled pool, your hair will love you for some nourishment. It is also worth checking out other products from John Frieda - I can honestly say I have never been disappointed by a product from them.

The PR Couture Guide to Breaking Into Fashion PR

http://www.prcouture.com/

Today's review: The PR Couture Guide to Breaking Into Fashion PR arrived in the mail yesterday. I had the day off from Uni and dived straight into the book and guess what.. I FINISHED it! This book is not only one that I couldn't put down, it actually has some great practical advice.

Author Crosby Noricks does not only share her knowledge of the fashion PR industry, she also interviewed many industry professionals.  The book contains 12 chapters; introduction, basics, fashion PR, education, internships, interviews, reputation, location, journey, final thoughts, glossary and a reading list.

Everything you need to know about PR is jam packed into this 121 page book and is presented in a appealing easy to understand manner. I would recommend The PR Couture Guide to Breaking Into Fashion PR to anyone wanting to pursue this career.