Back to school - how has it been so far?
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The Sun
16 minutes ago
- The Sun
I'm a beauty expert and save £320 a year laminating my own brows – the six steps you must follow to get the perfect look
IF you've ever wanted fluffy, laminated brows but have steered clear because of the price, you can actually do them yourself for just £20 per year. An in-salon brow lamination appointment costs an average of £40 in Scotland, and you need them re-done every six weeks. 4 4 This amounts to a whopping £347 per year. There's much better things to be spending that much money on, so do them yourself at home – it will set you back just £20 per year. When you're going to save that much money by doing it DIY, it's a no brainer, right?! The Covid pandemic, as bad as it was, still came with some benefits. One of those was that I learnt how to do much of my beauty maintenance at home myself. There is no need to go to a salon for brow lamination, as it's the exact same science as a lash lift – you are perming your hair to sit in a certain position. For brow lamination, this is pointing vertically upwards, instead of naturally horizontal. What you need is a £20 lash lift kit from Amazon and half an hour of your time. That one kit will last you a whole year if you re-do them every six weeks. I've been doing this since lockdown, and I get daily compliments on my brows. I'm a makeup artist and swear by £2.50 product in my six-minute glam routine It's an easy process to do it yourself and all you need is your lash lift kit, some cling film, micellar water, cotton pads and a brow brush. You can then either tint them, use a tinted brow gel, or leave them their natural colour. Here's my simple six-step guide to achieving salon-worthy brows at home... Step 1 Use the glue in the lash lift kit to coat your lashes, then brush them upwards with your brow brush so that they are stuck firmly in place pointing vertically upwards. Step 2 Using the No.1 Perm bottle in your lash lift kit, apply a layer of the cream over your brows, then cover your brows with cling film for 10 minutes. 4 4 Step 3 Remove the cling film and use a dry cotton pad to remove any excess cream. Wipe in an upwards direction so as not to disturb the direction of the hairs. Step 4 Using the No.2 Fixation bottle in your lash lift kit, apply a layer of the cream over your brows, then cover your brows with cling film for 10 minutes. Step 5 Remove the cling film and use a damp cotton pad soaked in micellar water to remove any excess cream. You should give them a good rub in all directions to make sure they are completely clean. Step 6 Use a clean brow brush to brush your brow hairs up. You'll be amazed at how they now naturally sit upright without the need for any brow gel. Apply some of the oil in your lash lift kit to your brows to re-nourish them as the kit is very drying on the hairs. Beauty maintenance costs a lot of money, especially if you do the whole lot – hair, nails, brows, lashes. And don't get me started on how much time every month I can spend in salons! With the current cost of living, any savings are very welcome. Try laminating your own brows at home and pop the £327 you've saved away for Christmas. Win-win!
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
GCSE results 2025: Students face nervous wait for grades
Pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive GCSE, BTec Tech Awards and other Level 2 results on GCSE pass rate is expected to be broadly similar to 2024, after years of flux during the Covid year, it fell for a third year bosses have warned there could be more competition for students getting their GCSE results to find places at sixth forms this year, because of their growing popularity and an increase in the population size at that age group. Bill Watkin, head of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said some had managed to increase capacity and would have spare places, but added that others are "almost certainly going to have to turn some young people away because they are oversubscribed". Your full guide to GCSE results day, including how to appeal gradesThe 9-1 GCSE grade boundaries explainedWhat is a BTec and how are they marked?What is a T-level and what are the grades worth? Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said competition to get into top sixth forms "will be fiercer than ever", adding that fears over VAT being added to private school fees may drive more families to seek out places in the state Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders' union, said there was a "wide range" of other options for teenagers, such as school sixth forms and further education 170,000 students are due to get results for BTec Tech Awards, BTec Firsts and BTec Level 2 Technical courses, while about 110,000 will receive results for Cambridge pass rate for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams in Scotland rose across the board this A-level results rose again last week – with 28.3% of all grades across England, Wales and Northern Ireland marked at A* or A. One pupil waiting for her results, Jaya, says she wants to become a dentist and hopes she'll get the grades she needs to start A-levels at Scarborough College next pupils getting results this week were in Year 6 when the first Covid lockdown was announced in March 2020, and started secondary school learning in "bubbles".Jaya, a pupil at St Augustine's Catholic School in Scarborough, said it was bittersweet to be leaving the friends that she met during the Covid pandemic."I think when I first came in Year 7 I was probably really nervous," she said. "I have found my people, my friends, and they have helped me become more confident." Last year, 67.6% of all GCSE entries were graded 4/C or divides grew in England, with the difference between pass rates in the highest- and lowest-performing regions is the second year that grading has returned to pre-pandemic standards across all three proportion of GCSE passes rose in 2020 and 2021 when exams were cancelled and results were based on teachers' was followed by a phased effort to bring them back down to 2019 return of grading to 2019 standards for a second year running means there will be less emphasis on how grades compare to standards before Covid, and more on how they compare to last year. In England, pupils who don't get at least a grade 4 in GCSE English and maths are required to continue studying for it alongside their next course, whether it's A-levels, a T-level, or something Department for Education (DfE) says pupils should retake the exam when they - and their school or college - think they are English and maths resits take place in November and May or June. How to handle results day stress when you're neurodivergentDo gifts and cash rewards help to boost exam grades?What is an apprenticeship and how well are they paid? Most pupils go into their school or college to collect their results, but this year tens of thousands will be sent their results in an DfE is trialling the Education Record app with 95,000 students in Manchester and the West Midlands, ahead of a national said they hoped it would save money for college admissions teams, while school leaders said students and schools would need "seamless support" to ensure the app works involved in the pilot will still be able to go to school to get their paper reporting by Hayley Clarke and Emily Doughty
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I bought my dream home from the 1800s... then I discovered a horrific twist that will cost thousands
A woman who thought she was buying her dream home from the 1800s had a horrific realization after she moved in. Tayce Omoniyi, 35, from Canada, has always been 'drawn' to the Victorian era, so when she discovered a two bed-room apartment for sale in Scotland in her price range, she jumped on the chance to buy it. She fell in love with the stunning wood floors, high ceilings, and intricate Victorian detailing - all for only £80,000 ($107,000). 'I love antiques and old things,' explained Tayce during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail. 'I was also keen on the low mortgage - hoping I could spend my money on trips, rather than high rental costs.' While she did notice on the home report that the 'damp meter' was a 'level two,' they were told by 'friends in the UK that it was normal in any old building' - something she now wishes she took more seriously. She officially bought the apartment on August 1, but immediately after moving in, she discovered a strong 'moldy smell' throughout the entire abode. 'This set off my anxiety. I wondered if this had been one giant mistake. I felt like I was hit by a wave of grief,' she recalled. She has always been 'drawn' to the Victorian era, so when she discovered a two bed-room apartment for sale in Scotland in her price range, she jumped on the chance to buy it 'I had made this purchase without thinking things through, and it made me question myself. At 35, I figured I shouldn't still be making such hasty decisions.' Tayce soon learned that what initially drew her to the home - it being old and vintage - was its biggest problem. And that while it seemed appealing because of its low price, it was low for a reason. On top of being a breeding ground for mold, the house needs a lot of work, and the renovations will likely cost her thousands of dollars. She has now started by pulling the wallpaper off and next, she plans to redo the floors. She also has to 'fix her daughters room' and completely 'remodel the bathroom.' 'I'm not sure how much it's doing to cost, but I imagine it's a lot. Thousands,' she shared. 'I wish we had just bought something newer, even if it wasn't my taste. I wished we hadn't bought anything at all.' Tayce opened up about her regret on TikTok and the video went viral, raking in more than 114,000 views. In it, she boldly confessed, 'I made a huge mistake. I absolutely hate myself and I wish I could move right now.' 'We're living in chaos right now while we try to renovate it. I have no experience [with this],' she continued as she showed off the renovations. 'You don't need to tell me how dumb I am, because I already know. I feel terrible, I feel worthless, I'm at a major all time low. 'But I will never stop trying to be optimistic so here goes trying to fix this.' The video resonated with thousands of people, many of whom also confessed to feeling overwhelmed after buying a new home in the comment section. While speaking to the Daily Mail Tayce said she hopes people use her story as a lesson to not rush into any big purchases While speaking to the Daily Mail Tayce said she hopes people use her story as a lesson to not rush into any big purchases. But more importantly, she stressed the importance of staying positive. 'I've learned to truly take my time before I make a big, life changing decision, and that sometimes practicality and location matters a lot more than chasing some aesthetic,' she said. 'I hope people learn to really take their time before rushing into a home purchase, but I also hope they see that even though a home may not be perfect, it can always be improved.
