Author: Courtney McHugh

Viridian is a new café that has recently opened on the High Street (307-309 High St, Bangor, Wales) where Follow Your Bliss and Two Guys from Brussels have both set up camp before. It is a vegan café that opened in November 2019 and offers dishes such as soup, sandwiches, wraps, mac and cheese (vegan, obviously) and desserts. According to the website Happy Cow, the café has outdoor seating, accepts credit cards and has free Wi-Fi. Having only been open for less than two weeks, the café has a five star rating on the Happy Cow website. One reviewer states…

After the conglomerates have hoarded the end of November with Black Friday and its counterparts (Cyber Monday, Cyber Week etc.), a more organic campaign follows which has been coined as Small Business Saturday which happens, in the UK, on the first Saturday of December each year. Small Business Saturday is a major event in the United States which happens on the 30th November. The tradition has been passed over to the United Kingdom on a much smaller scale and occurs on the 7th December this year. It is described as a ‘grassroots, non-commercial campaign which highlights small business success and…

For me, it really is the most wonderful time of the year. Seeing the Christmas adverts start to pour in mid-November time confirms the start of the festivities. All major brands and companies have seemed to jump on the bandwagon of Christmas adverts – some use comedy, others pull at the heart strings. Over the past few years, there have been a couple of front runners such as John Lewis and Sainsbury’s. I love the Christmas adverts that are made by companies as they are so enjoyable. It’s undeniable that the adverts have online success; John Lewis & Partners and…

Holiday marketing has become more popular in recent years. Black Friday is namely one of the biggest, internationally renowned shopping days of the year. Originating in America and finding its feet overseas, the phenomenon has also taken over the online world. Many companies have, and will, send e-mails and create advertisements that inform the consumer of ‘Cyber Monday’ and ‘Cyber Week’ sales. Heavy discounts off of a range of different products lead to a huge increase in sales around the end of November. The Office for National Statistics said “online sales accounted for more than a fifth of spending.”  The…

In recent reports, it has been claimed that two people have been diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) after receiving the Kardashian tried-and-tested ‘Vampire Facial’. It is known as a Vampire Facial (also known more professionally as PRP- Platelet-rich plasma) which involves re-injecting the patient’s blood from their body to their face. It is designed to ‘aid the reabsorption process’ and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Popularised by Kim Kardashian, who was recorded on the spin-off show of Keeping Up with the Kardashians : Kim and Kourtney Take Miami having the bloody procedure, had Americans lining up to have their…

The cult brand, The Ordinary, has taken the beauty world by storm. Owned by the cosmetic skincare company: Deciem, The Ordinary’s products are described as “Clinical formulations with integrity” by the company itself. The brand is completely vegan and 100% cruelty free and has branched from skincare to makeup recently. I have chosen my four favourite products from the brand. The Ordinary Coverage Foundation SPF 15 30ml – £5.90 This lightweight, full coverage foundation is available in 21 shades. The intricacy of the shading system that The Ordinary have decided to use enables customers to find their perfect shade. The…

Aber Falls is a waterfall located in the village of Abergwyngregyn and also in the Snowdonia National Park. Aber Falls was the first place I visited outside of Bangor when I arrived. The majestic view of the waterfall makes the walk worth it. If you don’t fancy hiking up Snowdon, Aber Falls is a good alternative. The distance of the walk to Aber Falls is 4km (8km for an all-round trip) so it works out as a 40 minute walk to the fall, and 40 minutes back. Time passes you by in the beautiful, green Welsh valley’s – I promise,…

The students and staff of Bangor’s BSc Product Design course have been working with the contemporary art gallery MOSTYN, located in Llandudno, to create a range of jewellery items suitable for the gallery’s shop. The high-quality jewellery is currently on sale at the shop. The students took inspiration for the location and countryside as their inspiration for the jewellery pieces. Katie Roberts, a Product Design Lecturer at Bangor University, said that “Experience is vital in any field, and opportunities to work with companies and organisations who are passionate about developing the next generation of designers and creative thinkers are priceless,…

Being a student is a difficult financial time for many, hence why it is so important that we quickly learn how to scrimp and save. For that reason, it’s unlikely that we will always be able to buy the high-end products BUT fear not. As the beauty community evolves ‘dupes’ (duplicates) have been created for a fraction of the price. An affordable brand that has took the UK by storm is Makeup Revolution. Makeup Revolution’s products, according to their website, are 100% cruelty free and are not tested on animals. In addition to this, the majority of their products are…