2. Table of Contents
Make your morning routine simpler with these easy tips 3
Interview with: The Blo Dry Bar 5
Thinking of having a party? 8
Worried about gambling? 11
Mortgage language explained 14
Blogging about blogging 16
Glasgow lunchtime retreats 18
Tatty Bon 20
Haggling 22
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3. Make your morning routine simpler with these easy tips
Sally Salon Services
Spending an extra 15 minutes curled up in bed when your morning alarm clock goes
off can be an all too appealing option. Sometimes, more often than we should, we hit
that snooze button and fall back to sleep leaving only 15 minutes to get ready. At
which point the panic ensues.
We thought we might be able to help by giving you some tips for getting ready in a
hurry.
Do as much prep as you can the night before. Spray Tigi Bed Head Oh Bee Hive dry
shampoo into your roots and it will have worked its way into your hair by the
morning. Your hair will look fresh and you will have plenty of added volume.
Use curlers while you sleep. Cut your styling time drastically by wearing Sleep In
Rollers. Not only will you look like you’ve just had a salon style blow-dry you can
save you hair from the heat of styling tools.
To keep yourself on track create a lively playlist that lasts exactly as long as you have
to get ready. You won’t have to constantly watch the clock and certain songs might
even make you move faster.
Keep a small make-up bag separate with only your essential items that you need for
the morning. This will also help you slip your essentials in to your handbag for a
quick top up later in the day if you wish.
Make your eyes look wide awake by using an eyelash curler for lift and a sweep
of mascara for an eye popping finish.
If you’re really struggling for time then apply some rosy blush and a bright lipstick
for an instantly made up look. Check out the range from Lord and Berry for some
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5. Sally Salon Services
Ever been for an amazing haircut and left the salon feeling and looking great only to
find your newly styled hair quickly loses its bounce? In between haircuts you have
two options to get the feel and look of just done hair, perfect the at home blow dry or
get a blow dry done by professionals.
We met up with the Blo Dry team in Glasgow to find out more about their blow
drying services, they told us the benefits of getting a professional blow dry and how
you can extend the life of yours once you’ve left the salon.
The Blo Dry bar is run by a team of professional stylists, the Managing Director
Alastair told us a bit about what makes them so great at the blow dry, “We have a
team of people whose passion is styling hair. We do one thing and our whole business
is built around it, so we are really exceptionally good at it, and we have perfected it.
We really pride ourselves on the quality and the finish that we offer.”
The Blo Dry bar in Glasgow city centre, like many specialist blow dry salons, offers a
menu to help customers choose which style they want. For this salon there is eight
advertised styles on their menu, the ‘Braid in Chelsea’, ‘Bayswater Belle’, ‘Super
Sleek’, ‘California Curls’, ‘Super Straight’, ‘Sloany Pony’, ‘So Bardot’, ‘Big Hair’.
However, Alastair made it clear that the menu was only a guide and that styles could
be adapted to suit each client, whether you want a little volume on top or very big and
very glamorous, you can have it any way you choose.
Going to a blow dry bar can cost between £15-£30 and take anywhere between 15-45
minutes. You go in, have your hair washed, dried and styled to perfection. The team
at Blo Dry think that the blow dry bar concept will go from strength to strength across
the UK as it has done across the Atlantic in places like New York and Los Angeles
where many women now never have to wash their own hair and rely solely on getting
it professionally blow dried.
Other benefits of the professional blow dry:
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6. Visit the salon in your outfit and you’re ready for a night out in half an hour
Have your makeup and lashes done while you’re there
Some salons also offer nails or threading while your hair is being done
Achieve styles that look and feel professional
What about making your blow dry last in between salon visits:
Have some dry shampoo on hand to refresh your style and give some lift when your
style loses it
Invest in some bobbles that won’t tangle your hair
Consider your hair type before you decide your style
If you are visiting a salon in the morning you could ask them to put your hair in pin
curls which you can remove yourself in the evening
Use dust-it powder for hold and volume the day after your style
Humidity can make your hair fall flat so run cold water in your bath then add the hot
water, this should help eliminate steam
To further combat the effect of humidity on your hair use a straightening cream
Always use the cold setting on your hairdryer to set your style
Tousling hair can normally help bring back your style
Using a dress-out brush will help you get volume back in to your hair
So will the blow dry become just as popular a beauty treatment as getting your
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7. nails done? Let us know what you think.
Thinking of having a party?
Young Scot
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8. We have put on our agony aunt hat to help you deal with any party related worries or
fears you may have.
In the words of Kevin Bridges:
"They never knew they were having a party. Perhaps ‘having’ was the wrong choice
of words; they were getting a party"
Having a group of friends round to your house, or having your first ‘empty’ or house
party can feel really exciting and at times a bit scary, if only for the amount of
cleaning you will have to do the next day!
As funny as Kevin Bridges ‘empty’ joke is, it can sometimes feel like your gathering
or party is getting out of control before it even begins. Maybe more people have found
out about it than you intended or you’re worried about your house or its contents
getting damaged!
"I am having some friends round next weekend when my parents are away for the
night. What happens if it gets too noisy?"
This is a good question, and one that is much easier to prevent than to fix. The easiest
way to keep the noise down would be to only invite a few people. If however your
guest list does get a bit bigger than expected don’t worry - you are still in control.
Keep control of the music; if you control the music then you control the volume.
Make sure all your doors and windows are shut so that the noise doesn’t travel
outside. Also try and keep the party inside; you’re much less likely to get noise
complaints from your neighbours if your friends aren’t outside screeching out Katy
Perry’s ‘Firework’ wearing comedy moustaches at 11.30pm.
"What happens if my neighbours complain about my party or call the police?"
Sometimes worrying about your neighbours making a complaint can stop you
enjoying your party. You could visit your neighbours before having people round and
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9. tell them you are having friends over and will try to keep noise to a minimum. Your
neighbours will more than likely appreciate the thought and be more tolerant towards
any noise. Remember anyone over the age of 10 can get an ASBO if they are caught
behaving anti-socially, which includes, playing loud music at night and displaying
drunk or threatening behaviour. You could also get in trouble if you supply alcohol to
people under the legal drinking age of 18. So keep your wits about you and spare a
thought for your neighbours.
"What if people gate-crash my party?"
This is a common worry and rightfully so. The news has reported on many parties that
got seriously out of control. The host has often posted Facebook invites which have
been shared over and over again, and before they knew it half the town was on the
doorstep. This doesn’t have to be the case for your party. If you are going to put your
party on Facebook, Twitter or social media, be aware of who can see your invite.
Make your event private and only invite close friends to see the event. Invite only the
people you want there and choose friends you trust that way it hopefully won’t spread
around the school and end up with you ‘getting a party’ instead of having one.
“What if something gets stolen or damaged from my house?”
Again think of who you are inviting to your party. Having half of 5th year in your
house doesn’t mean you will be the most popular person in school it just means they
are at your party. Invite trustworthy people and close friends only. It’s always safer to
lock any valuables away in a safe place.
Remember it’s your party make it very clear when people arrive where they are
allowed to go in your house. Keep a few rooms that are out of bounds and keep
priceless heirlooms and childhood photos safely locked away in there.
“What can I do if I really want everyone to leave?”
This can also be prevented if you only invite friends you know and trust. If you get to
the point you just want everyone out then it can get tricky. Start by letting everyone
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10. know you are getting tired and are going to bed soon. Hopefully people will start
leaving, the next stage would be to turn the music off and get rid of any drinks /
snacks (act as if you are tidying and you will come across less of a “spoilsport”).
Help people out by calling taxis and arranging who can share a lift together. If you are
really struggling to get the last few stragglers to leave then you may need to get an
adult involved. Remember it’s better to be in a wee bit of trouble by needing help to
get someone out of your house rather than a lot of trouble if the last few hangers-on
steal from or damage your house.
Remember: Ask the home-owners permission, don’t provide alcohol for under-agers
and lock away your valuables.
Enjoy your party!
Worried about gambling?
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11. Young Scot
Find out more about gambling and how to get help if it becomes a problem.
Gambling is everywhere; it’s on our streets and on our mobiles, tablets and tellies.
Gambling comes in many forms including betting on sports, buying scratch cards,
roulette, poker or slots all of which are now accessible online 24 hours a day. In
addition to the easy access to online gambling, in 2007 the government relaxed rules
on gambling advertisement meaning betting and gaming companies can advertise
across all media, however they must follow rules to ensure they advertise in a socially
responsible way.
Problem gambling
For the majority of people gambling is harmless fun, whether it’s buying a scratch
card with your spare change or putting a pound in a fruit machine. However for an
increasing amount of young people around the country gambling is becoming a much
bigger problem.
When gambling becomes an addiction it can have catastrophic effects. Compulsive
gambling is classified as an urge to continuously gamble despite harmful negative
consequences or a desire to stop. Simply put gambling is a problem if it causes
problems.
Gambling can have serious consequences on your bank balance with people running
up eye-watering debt on a daily basis. It can also affect the gamblers’ mental health,
relationships and career.
Seeking help
According to GamCare’s annual statistics for 2012-13, 8,813 people contacted
GamCare for help in the last year and 63% of those people were aged 18-35 years old.
GamCare provides support, information and advice to anyone suffering through a
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12. gambling problem. They are funded by the gambling industry and offer a helpline and
netline where advisors can give emotional support, information and advice.
If you notice your gambling has become a problem you can request to be excluded
from most betting sites, request to speak to a member of the sites team and explain
you need to be excluded from gambling on this site as it is becoming a problem. If
you gamble in a betting shop you can also request to be excluded from being allowed
to gamble in that store.
We spoke to John, 22 from Glasgow* about his experience with gambling;
“Compulsive gambling took control of my life it went from a £5 bet a night to £500
bets within a couple of years. Gambling took over my thoughts every day and I found
myself completely unable to control myself. I would spend my wages before I got
them and would stack up debt by trying to gamble my way out of it. I now don't
gamble and have accepted that my gambling was a problem. With the support of my
family, friends and fellow sufferers at GA meetings I was able to recover. The debt is
still there and I now need to earn my way out of it and take no short cuts to make sure
I never go back to my old ways.”
*details have been changed to maintain anonymity.
Where to go if you think you need help
Gambling addiction can be a serious issue for any individual and can also contribute
to wider social problems, but with the right support and guidance you can tackle the
problem.
Gambling is illegal for under 18's in the UK, the only exception being the national
lottery, lotteries and football pools for which you have to be 16 or over to participate.
Find out more about gambling regulation at Gamble Aware.
If you’re worried about your gambling habits or are worried about a friend or relative
you can seek help through GamCare or GA Scotland. Check out The Lowdown for
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13. more information on addictions and how to get help.
For information on managing your debt have a look at Young Scots debt-help article
with signposting to organisations dedicated to helping people get the advice and
support they need when in debt.
Mortgage language explained
The Property Gazette
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14. If, like me, you don’t know the difference between fixed rate and variable or capped
rate and flexible then you must read on. I have never bought a house but the “first
time buyer task” is looming in my very near future. So I undertook the arduous task of
deciphering the plethora of jargon used in the world of mortgages and the myriad of
factors on securing a mortgage that is best for you.
When you take out a mortgage you must decide whether you want it to be fixed rate,
flexible, discounted rate, interest-only, capped, cash back or variable.
As with all loans you have to pay interest. A fixed-rate mortgage refers to a mortgage
that has a constant interest rate for a set period of time from the start of the deal. This
is normally between 2 to 5 years. This gives you the security that if interest rates rise
you will still be able to pay the lower rate. The risk however is if interest rates drop
you will end up paying a higher rate.
Flexible Rate Mortgage
A flexible rate mortgage gives you the power to pay up your mortgage at your own
speed and convenience. It means you can pay more each month or less or even take a
payment break. If you overpay each month you can save money on interest payments.
Discounted-rate Mortgage
With a discounted-rate mortgage the lender sets the interest rate charged to the
borrower at an amount less than the standard variable interest rate from that lender.
Interest-only Mortgage
An interest-only mortgage is the loan that will leave the most money in the borrowers
pocket each month. As the borrower will only pay the interest monthly and at the
same time must invest in savings or other schemes that will be used to pay off the
mortgage at the end of the loan term. The risk associated is that the savings will not be
enough to pay off the final loan.
Capped Rate Mortgage
A capped rate mortgage means the lender sets the interest rate at a limit that will not
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15. be exceeded, even if the banks base-rate changes.
Cash Back Mortgage
A cash back mortgage is when the lender gives the borrower a set amount of cash
back at the end of the loans term. This money is however factored into the loan
payments so careful consideration must be taken before deciding on this mortgage.
Variable Rate Mortgage
Lastly a variable rate mortgage is simply a mortgage where the interest rate fluctuates
with the lenders standard variable rate.
These are just a few of the terms that any mortgage hunter needs to know. The most
important thing to do when thinking about getting a mortgage is researching as much
as possible and seeking advice to make sure that you get the right mortgage for you.
Keep in mind that some mortgages can work out more expensive in the long run so be
careful when making your decision. Good luck and happy house hunting.
Blogging about blogging
Aye Write Festival
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16. Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival got off to a great start as authors, bloggers and
publishers gathered in the Mitchell library to impart their wisdom and guidance to an
eager crowd. I attended Cat Deans event on blogging (which I felt was very apt to
write a blog about). I have dabbled in blogging in the past but always found my
interests waned after a few months, or less at times.
Cat Deans was at the ‘Write Now’ event to inform a full crowd of the keys to
successful blogging. She advised us to pick a subject of interest and to set our
personal voice and limits at an early stage to avoid becoming distracted or
uninterested. She also had a great idea about keeping a notebook or folder full of
cuttings that would provide blog inspiration when you are struggling to find any. For
example if you have a fashion blog keep cuttings of clothes or inspirational designers,
if you have a blog about books keep cuttings of your favourite passages or articles
from magazines.
The crowd asked some great questions during the Q & A session. One of the
questions was around publishing your work online. Cat advised that it is a great
platform to get your work seen but that if you publish, for example, a short story
online you are unlikely to get it published elsewhere as the story is already available
online. When asked how you generate traffic to your blog Cat advised us to start
commenting on other blogs and using social media to promote posts.
Deans provided a simplified breakdown of what is needed to write a good blog post:
- Interesting content
- Being yourself
- Being brief and simple
- Good formatting
- Good headline
- Broken down text
I managed to grab a quick word with the blogging expert at the end of her master
class. When I asked how she felt about the event she said, “I loved actually doing the
event – it was great to see that so many people were interested in blogging and to
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17. have the opportunity hopefully to have inspired a few people to start their own blog. I
love the written word – both reading and writing – and blogging is such a great way to
hone your writing skills.”
Cat Deans talk on Blogging was insightful and I agree with her that blogging is the
easiest way to perfect your writing skills and style. You are able to write freely about
a subject of your choice and have no time constraints. So, give it a go and enjoy your
writing and in time you could have thousands of people reading your words.
Glasgow lunchtime retreats
Clydescope Magazine & Website
17
18. The stress of a weekday can often leave, even the most relaxed city worker,
clambering for a break come lunchtime. So, you only have an hour to spare. Here are
a few of Glasgow’s hidden gems that will fill a lunch hour much better than sitting in
the staff canteen eating over-cooked chips.
Just off Buchanan Street down Mitchell Lane you will find The Lighthouse, a modern
six-floor museum that features exhibits and events. It prides itself as one of the only
centres of its type in the world, which is dedicated to all varieties of design and
architecture. As you make your way up the building you come across floors filled
with unique exhibits and you can then climb the Mackintosh tower for spectacular
views across the city. You can grab a bite and unwind in the doocot-rooftop café and
stop by the gift shop on the way out to splurge on a stylish “coffee table” book.
If a tipple of light retail therapy is more your thing, then take the subway to Hillhead,
but instead of acquainting yourself with the bars on Ashton Lane head along to
Cresswell Lane. Cresswell Lane is the understated sister street to the bustle of its
neighbour. It has the same style and elegance but it is more quiet and charming. The
lane and nearby has plenty of offerings for coffee and sandwich but Café Andaluz is
the place to go for an indulgent lunchtime feast. The best part about the lane is its
selection of independent stores. Elements is a delight to be in with its aromas and old-
style gifts; it is a treasure trove for the lover of all things sweet. DeCourcys arcade is
one of the most famous of Glasgow establishments in Cresswell Lane, with its
collection of independent retailers selling vintage and secondhand clothing, fashion,
gifts, art and handmade treats.
If you want to be entertained and grab a quick bite then A Play, a Pie and a Pint at
Oran Mor in the West End of the city is the perfect lunch hour retreat for you. This
lunchtime theatre event kicks off at 1pm and runs everyday except Sundays. At the
back of the Oran Mor you will make your way down stairs adorned with pictures of
previous shows. Then you will enter the theatre space, which is made up of rows of
tables and chairs and a small makeshift stage with props already set out. However,
before you sit down make your way to the bar and grab your pie and pint, all of which
is included in the price of the ticket.
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19. Tatty Bon
Clydescope Magazine & Website
For a large part of my life I tried to like vintage clothes and vintage shops and would
find myself in the West End of Glasgow daily, rummaging through rails. That was as
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20. far as it went for me I would purchase the odd handbag or piece of jewellery but never
could find the passion and dedication needed to find that perfect piece in vintage
stores. However, I kept going back day after day and would delight in finding a new
store with an intriguing name, like Watermelon or Starry Starry Night, with a
beautiful big 1950 style prom dress on mannequins displaying delicate silk gloves in
the front display. These types of stores seem to have treasures buried into every nook
and cranny and when you are in one you are engulfed by the decades that have gone
before, you feel part of something (even if you are just in for a look).
I recently stumbled upon Tatty Bon an independent fashion retailer that sells vintage,
retro and customised clothing. Tatty Bon has found itself a niche in the market by
making very quirky unique jewellery often to the specific requests of her customers.
Tatty Bon’s opened in February 2009 and recently made the decision to move the
business exclusively online. Lynne the owner of Tatty Bon said, “I started making
jewellery shortly before I opened, it was always something I messed about with and
enjoyed since I was a kid. It’s blossomed over time and I have a far wider selection of
jewellery than I had even just a few months ago…I like trying new things and have
always been up for taking requests, but I take way more now than ever before, which
is really encouraging.”
When I visited Lynne in her store I couldn’t tear myself away from searching through
her jewellery. She has them hanging from playing cards and many of my favourites
were teacup earrings or teapot necklaces, possibly paying homage to Alice and
Wonderland. Her range is very diverse with picture necklaces featuring Marilyn
Monroe to David Bowie in Labyrinth. The shop was fairly busy with two people in
front of me in the queue both requesting customised jewellery. Her range is endlessly
imaginative and not ridiculously expensive and so offers a very exciting prospect to
her customers. Handmade jewellery at your request. One of a kind.
Tatty Bon also has a vast selection of vintage clothing and when I visited her she had
customers dedicatedly searching for THAT item. Lynne gave me her opinion on
fashion today, “Clothes just aren’t built to last anymore…can you imagine future
generations running about in vintage jeggings?” Referring again to vintage fashion
she said, “Some may get bored of it as it flits in and out of mainstream fashion, but
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21. you’ll always have your hardcore vintage lovers, although fewer now than a few years
ago, they probably just fear a future in jeggings”.
My visit to Tatty Bon and my talk with its owner has inspired me to search harder in
indie stores like hers. There are hidden gems in fashion all over Glasgow. I could
never commit to having a wardrobe full of vintage as nice as that would be but If you
take some time to look then you might find yourself with some real treasures that you
can keep forever, well longer than your jeggings anyway.
Haggling
Clydescope Magazine & Website
I recently heard a friend talking about a customer coming into her store and asking for
a discount. The discount wasn’t requested because the product was faulty or last in
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22. stock but because he simply wanted to pay less. Haggling is completely acceptable if
not encouraged just a hop across the Channel to mainland Europe. So why are we
shocked when someone tries to haggle here? The truth is we shouldn’t be, if you ask
for the price to be reduced the worst that can happen is the retailer says no and while
that may be embarrassing at the time, who really cares?
When I started looking deeper into the mysteries of haggling I came across many
stories of successful hagglers. Some who did it ‘on a whim’ and others who do it
regularly and not just with independent traders as you may expect. The on a whim
haggler may attempt to knock money off of big spends like phone or cable bills. They
may also attempt to save on expenses like holidays or cars, these two are almost ‘a
must’ to haggle over. The ‘on a whim haggler’ that I spoke with to discover his idea
of haggling said, I often travel to three different travel agents to get a quote for a
holiday that is better than the one before. I end up back at the first travel agent with a
quote £100 cheaper than the original”. This is the easiest kind of haggling for two
reasons, travel agents don’t expect you to buy on the day but they want you to, and
they are also very competitive so will, wherever possible lower prices to match or
beat competitors, the end result an extra few pounds spending money.
The next kind of haggler, we’ll call them the ‘semi-pro haggler’, will go beyond these
big expenses and will turn their hand to items of smaller value such as toasters or
irons. They will however more often tackle independent retailers and if they do tackle
high street chains it will often be to haggle over display items or damaged goods. This
type of haggling is suitable for most people as the risk of a “no” is smaller,
independent stores have more choice over whether to reduce prices or not and large
stores will often discount for display or damaged goods the average being around 10-
20%.
The next stage of haggling is not for the faint hearted. It is ‘extreme haggling’; this is
only attempted by a few die-hard scrimpers. These haggling extremists will try their
hand for a discount in most if not all stores. ‘Extreme haggler’ Tom Malins said, “If I
think I'm going to try and haggle I go to the shops when I know it'll be quiet, I always
feel like the shop assistants are bored and keen for a bit of banter (and it removes the
shame factor of haggling when there are loads of people around).
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23. “Top tip is to pretend you can get a discount on the equivalent elsewhere, sometimes
that helps; basically come up with a reason why you deserve a discount (and
remember the shops actively want to sell you stuff; they're not doing you a favour by
giving you a discount, if it wasn't profitable they wouldn't do it!). Also once they've
agreed to a discount then I normally take it that anything else I buy in that shop
should have the same discount, so if they agree to give me a discount on a jacket I
would want it on jeans and a t-shirt too.”
So what’s the key to haggling success? The most notable point is keep your calm,
never raise your voice it won’t make the shop owner like you and want to give you a
discount. The next point, be ready to walk away, don’t haggle over pennies and aim
for getting bigger discounts off bigger items and you will save more in the end.
A great alternative to asking for money off is asking for a freebie. If it’s the last of the
item in the store and you are taking it off their hands then ask if they can include the
case or accessory to go along with the item.
Stick to the big spends and keep your cool, aim high and be willing to negotiate. So
now you know the basics, why not give haggling a try?
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