Lifestyle

5 Perfect Scents for Men and Women this Autumn

CYANN FIELDING | LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Over the past week, the start of Autumn has become very apparent. As September has turned to October, sun has turned to cold breezy days with the gradual emerging of brown and orange leaves, rainy nights, and low-sun evenings. As the season changes, so do a lot of our daily habits, wardrobes, tastes, and so on. So, as you throw your shorts and dresses to the back of the wardrobe, and pull jackets, scarfs, and coats forwards, it is also time to change up the scent you wear day-in-day-out.

1. Dolma – Andromeda

Dolma Perfumes is a brand on the rise. Known for their vegan and cruelty-free perfumes and aftershaves, all made in Britain and free from parabens and palm oil, they are a brand that must be included on this list. Described by Dolma as ‘celestial’, ‘dreamy’ and ‘deep’, the scent Andromeda encapsulates everything Autumnal. With fragrance notes of green leaf, Cyclamen and amber, Andromeda smells like dusky mid-October evenings as the clouds sit low. Perfect for lovers of a more subtle smell, but still packed with some great essential oils. Also sitting at a great price at £45.00 for 50ml.

2. Dolma – Sirius

Another great scent from Dolma, but aftershave this time, is Dolma’s original cologne, Sirius. This scent features Artemisia, lilac, and pine needles as the most dominant smells, eluding a musky but refined scent. Described by Dolma themselves as ‘classic’, ‘masculine’, ‘aromatic’, and feeling like ‘your fav button-up shirt’, what more could you ask for? Even better, a 50ml bottle is only £21.00 3. Laboratory Perfumes – Amber

Laboratory Perfumes is again a great brand for the environment. Laboratory ensures that all their scents are made in the UK with socially conscious, environmentally friendly, and crueltyfree ingredients. In addition, most of their scents are created from essential and fragrant oils, and free of parabens. Amber was created to be ‘full of energy in the morning’ and features the scents of spice and layers of wood. A smokier smell for those who like less vibrant and floral smells. Even better – the fragrance aims to reflect your mood as the day progresses, meaning it gets stronger and subtler depending on your body’s reaction to it. For 100ml, the fragrance costs £80.00.

4. Laboratory Perfumes – Atlas

Another Laboratory scent great for Autumn is Atlas. Unlike your typical florally and sweet feminine fragrance or strong and deep masculine scent, Atlas is inspired by the aroma emitted from a pipe of tobacco. Featuring layers of rum, vanilla, and hay with subtle spices too, Atlas gives off the same warming smell and comfort you get from have a spiced latte over this season. Again, £80.00 per 100ml.

5. Floral Street -Black Lotus

Like the previous brands mentioned, Floral Street prides themselves upon being sustainable. From the packaging of the bottle to the processes they use to make their fragrances, Floral Street ensures everything is as sustainable as possible. They are also vegan and cruelty-free. Bonus: if you are in London, you can take your empty bottle to a store, refill your scent, and get a 20% discount for refilling. Floral Street’s scent Black Lotus aims to have an ‘English-rose attitude’. Top fragrance notes feature centifolia rose, papyrus, and saffron to achieve a powerful yet spiced wood scent. Another perfect Autumn scent that will comfort you and be admired and envied by those around you. £60.00 for 50ml.

Source: Pixabay

Veganism: To Be or Not To Be?

MAHEEN SHARIFF | CONTENT WRITER

Veganism: The increasingly popular lifestyle in which individuals practice not eating food that comes from animals and avoiding any other products that derive from animals as well.

Veganism is a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly popular. Why is this the case? What is the motivation for this lifestyle? Every year in January the world sees people make New Year’s resolutions; one of them often being attempting to be vegan, which turned into a booming social media campaign known as “Veganuary”. Approximately 3% of the British public identify as fully vegan, and this statistic is ever growing. Yet, the question remains: why go vegan?

One of the main motivations for a vegan diet is the effect on the environment. An investigation into veganism by the UN has shown that farmed livestock are one of the largest causes for greenhouse gas emissions, approximately 14.5%. For context, that is about the same number of emissions as every car, train, aircraft, and ship combined. If it was not already obvious, this has quite a significant impact on the environment. Because of this, theoretically if everybody on the planet went vegan, food related emissions would drop by about 70%, which is pretty incredible.

A transition into a fully vegan world seems largely impossible in current times. However, making sustainable choices is not a black and white issue, and small lifestyle differences can still make positive changes. Even just one meat and/or dairy replacement is going to be a more sustainable choice. Here are some examples:

1. This Isn’t Bacon This brand of vegan meat alternatives is fantastic, and their vegan bacon is absolutely delicious. It also fits in wonderfully in a carbonara!

2. Quorn Mince With the right amount of seasoning for taste, this alternative creates a phenomenal spaghetti Bolognese, with no flavour loss!

3. Linda McCartney Sausages These are an easy and cheap alternative for regular sausages. Try replacing meat sausages for these ones in your next full English breakfast!

To answer the original question, ‘to be or not to be vegan’, it can be concluded that individuals do not have to go 100% vegan to do their part for the environment. Even just the one replacement is a step in the right direction of aiming to reduce our carbon footprints. Whilst it can also be argued that it is the large co corporations and the Jeff Bezos’ of the world that could make the most contribution to aid global warming; unfortunately, that is not happening. How long will everyone keep pointing fingers for? The world needs all the help it can get. Really, what is one dairy free and meatless meal a day?

How to Start a Budget at University and Stick To It

REBECCA DE SÁ | CONTENT WRITER

As Fresher’s week ends, the idea of checking your bank statement might inspire some fear. Suddenly all those takeaways, event tickets, and weekly Spoons’ visits do not seem so great. Do not panic. Starting to budget while at university might seem overwhelming at first but learning that you can spend money on all the things you love and not be out of pocket will put you in good stead for your future. Follow these tips below, and you can be confident that you are on your way to becoming financially savvy.

Firstly, keep track of your regular incoming and outgoing expenses. It might be helpful to keep a small notebook for your budgeting or use some of the budgeting features on mobile banking apps like ‘Monzo’ and ‘Starling’. Your income is any regular payments that you receive such as your maintenance loan, pay from your job, or pocket money. Outgoings will be anything from your weekly grocery shop to society memberships and online subscriptions. These do not have to be regular, but it is a good idea to keep a tab of all your outgoings for a couple of months to see what things you tend to spend the most money on.

When you have a list of all the places your money is coming in from and where you are spending it, you can start thinking of weekly or monthly caps for your expenses. Make sure you make these coincide with your income. A common misconception of budgeting is that you must cut out certain things in your life completely. However, keeping track of your money does not mean that you will have to start living like a monk. Regular visits to Primark and the cinema can still be part of your routine. You just need to set a reasonable limit for how much money to spend on these per week or month. Meal planning is essential. Take time each week to plan out your meals. Make a detailed grocery list and stick to it. It is hard, but avoid putting things into your basket that are not on your list. Also, do not overlook the own-brand items. Most of the time, they taste the same, if not better, than the brands. Remember that when you buy a brand, you are mainly paying for the name. The only exception to this is ketchup. No own brand will ever be able to compete with Heinz!

Once you have your meal plan, you will have a reason to say no to takeaways every day. The occasional kebab after a night out is perfectly acceptable; some might argue it is a rite of passage. However, try not to make a habit of ordering food every time you fancy chips. You can find some cheaper and much healthier alternatives in your local food shop, or even try your hand at making them yourself.

Lastly, remember that learning about money and creating good spending habits is a process. So, do not be too hard on yourself if you indulge in ‘Burger Plus’ one week or splurge on a new pair of Air Forces. Instead, just try to be conscious of your money and keep track of it.