Wtf are you talking about Willis?!

Not going to lie, when I first got my dissertation title I didn’t know what it meant. Straight up I had no idea what a nitrite thin film was. So the first task of this monster of a project was the simple task of googling what the bloody thing meant! As I did more reading into what thin films were I discovered that they are all around us and are one of the leading areas of research in modern day technology.

By definition a thin film is “(of a process or device) using or involving a very thin solid or liquid film” or in electronic terms “denoting a miniature circuit or device consisting of a thin layer of metal or semiconductor on a ceramic or glass substrate”

In other words thin films of various materials are made by settling a thin layer of material over a reacting surface. Think of it as a coating over a block. A nice little coat. Depending on the material used for the thin film it changes the properties of the layer and what it can be used for.

The process by which the layer is made is a type of surface engineering and it called deposition. I will go into more what this means later on (I bet you’re very excited)

The applications of thin films is massive! They can be used in so many different ways and they are used all around us, for example a familiar application of thin films is in mirrors. These are typically made by a thin metal coating on the back of a sheet of glass to form a reflective surface, this process is called silvering. A very-thin-film coating (less than about 50 nanometers thick) is used to produce two-way mirrors.

The main reason that the demand of thin films has increased is down to their uses in optics and their use in semiconductors. Due to the fact that (obvious by the name) they are such thin coatings they are perfect to be used to coat wires which helps in nanotechnology as the goal in future electronics is to make everything smaller and more efficient. Other examples of thin film application include being used in space science, defence, aviation and several other industries!

So there you go, the first insight into what delights are coming your way! The exciting, exhilarating world of thin films. Such a small part of the big bad world of material science and yet something that is applied all around you in everyday life from looking in your bathroom mirror to coating the wires in your laptop and even being used in space. What useful little things thin films are ay?

But my mom says I'm cool...

Your last year of university. It’s a very testing time with a selection of your lasts and first, a gaggle of essays and tests constantly being throw at you and the mastering of working off 4 hours sleep a night. Oh and of course that one piece of work that is famous for bringing men to their knees in tears, your dissertation. The taboo word of the year, no one wants to speak about it but it’s the only thing people have to talk about. Lucky for me I am in this place right now, constantly in the library reading journal after journal looking for ideas of how to write this 9000 words of misery. Great.

Oh Mark you have no idea

I am currently studying my undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical chemistry and for my dissertation in the form of a literature review which is just me reading and reading and reading scientific journals, articles, books and using this information to answer my title and then in the end bring forward my own ideas for the future of my topic (I bet you’re all jealous now). Alongside the 9000 words I need to write I am going to perform a presentation on my title, make a poster and make a public dissemination piece and this is where blogger comes in. A public dissemination piece is where I need to discuss my review with members of the public (you guys! Oh hey you!) and portray it in a way that anyone can understand. So hopefully it means that anyone will be able to know what I am wittering on about even without a background in chemistry, HOW EXCITING.

Oh and just wait, you haven’t heard what my title is yet *drum roll*

Coordination compounds in low oxidation states as precursors for the deposition of stoichiometric group IV and V metal nitride thin films

*fireworks and music and cheering of pure excitement*

To wrap this lengthy babble up what I am trying to do is to make everyone interested in science by making it as easy and as interesting (hopefully) as possible. So if you want to learn about how thin films are made, wow, please keep reading!

I will post what I do in small posts, I don’t want people falling asleep on their laptops now, and try to convey it in a way everyone will understand. I will include pictures as well just to keep it fresh and who doesn’t love a good science diagram *swoon*

If anyone has already gone through the tortures of a dissertation and have any advice how not to have a breakdown and buy the entire of ASOS then please share!

Stay cool and wish me luck! 

Tom Rosenthal

Happy summer chickens! Recently I have had a lack of new music and for the days where all I want to do is chill in the sun there is nothing worse than having nothing to listen to. First world problems. Luckily I have stumbled upon the talent that is Tom Rosenthal, insert wiki information “Thomas Alan Smith "Tom" Rosenthal is an English comedian, film and television actor. He is best known for playing Marcus in Plebs and Jonny Goodman in Friday Night Dinner”.

So if you are looking for a new fresh sound give him a listen! I’ll link some of his songs below, hope you are all well my huns!

Drinks in Shoreditch

Face: Rimmel London Matte Perfect in 103 True Ivory, Rimmel London Stay Matte Transparent Powder, Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer, Bourjois Paris Maxi Delight Bronzer, Natural Collection Blush in Rosey Glow.

Eyes: Mac in Jest (lid), Elizabeth Arden in Lagoon (crease), Rimmel London Scandaleyes in Black, Bourjois Paris Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Waterproof.

Brows: Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown.

Lips: Revlon Colour Burst in Peach Parfait.

I have lived in east London for just under a year now and one thing is certain, I absolutely love Shoreditch! I am lucky enough to live just round the corner from Brick lane so I make sure I take it for granted by going as much as I can for either a meal, the markets, rough trade or even just for a few drinks with friends.

I find this is a good look for it as it’s simple but also has a little shimmer to it so you don’t get lost in the lights of the cocktail bars. In words it looks like a lot of products were involved but when actually applying it time is definitely not an issue.  The key to this look is the brassy colour of the eyes paired with the light pink shade on the lips that can be created straight from work/university by adding a little shimmer eye shadow and a colour to the lips.

The last thing to say is if you ever find yourself in London make sure you get yourself down to Shoreditch to either Vibe Bar or 1001 for a cool atmosphere and a true feeling of east London!

Sunny Day Necessities

It’s rare to get a sunny day in the UK so when we do I feel obligated to make the most of it, i.e. spending every moment in the park. I was however blessed with having very pale, easily burned skin which means I have to take extra precautions when enjoying the suns raise as should everyone. Sun burn is not fun or pretty. Here I am going to share my sunny day necessities which I use whenever the clouds break and Mr Sun shows his face.

Clinique Super City Block in SPF 40, £17.00

This is a new product for me which I invested in because I was sick of getting a Rudolph nose every time I step outside. It’s not a cheap product but I am very happy with it as it is easily applied and soaks in really quick fast. Also the women at the Clinique stand told me it can be used as a primer which is always a bonus! I went for SPF 40 as I need it but it also comes in SPF 25 if you do not burn as easily as you do but you can never be too prepared when it comes to skin care.

Nivea Sun Moisturising Sun Lotion in SPF 30, £5.00 (half price in Tesco’s)

Nothing special here, just your regular all over the body sun cream; this can be used on your face as well but I find they cause my skin to breakout so I just stick to the City Block. It does everything it says on the bottle, protects you from the sun and as its Nivea you know you are going to get a quality product.

Nivea Sun Protect Lip Care in SPF 30, £3.50

Again this is a must for me as I have sadly suffered from burned lips in the past and trust me, it ain’t fun.  You can probably get better SPF lip balms then this but for the price it’s great just to throw into your bag before going out and it’s very easily applied. Only thing is that it does leave a white colour to your lips and it does not last that long so constant application is needed but I still wouldn’t leave the house on a sunny day without it.

My last few necessities which I take with me for a fun day in the sun is some reading material (this month’s ELLE is a treat, amazing interview with Pharrell), sunnies and of course some of that delish H20! To make mine more exciting I just added a few frozen berries I had on hand which gives it a lovely fruity hint and just helps liven up some normal tap water.

 I hope you are all enjoying the sun where you are and remember to be safe in the sun by using  SPF and keeping hydrated.

What are your sunny day musts?

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!

Ah my god where the hell has this year gone?! I am about to finish my first year at university and I haven’t blogged since January…*insert small panic attack*. I am truly sorry for the lack of posts but I just literally have not had the time recently between starting a new job and my exams I barely have time to sleep. But there is a light on the horizon and that is that my last exam is on Monday then I am free as a bird yeeeeey and I plan to get back into a swing of blogging things. I also plan to do more varied subjects because as you know variety is the spice of life and that. I don’t want to give away too many plans just yet so just sit tight and everything should unfold soon!

If anyone out there is in the same boat as me and are dying exams then I feel ya sista (and brothers) but hold on tight as it’s all nearly done! So yeah, this is just a quickie to tell you guys that I am still alive and kicking and I will be back to proper blogging as soon as my exams are finished.

Love you all mwah mwah!

Uni Days

Merry Tuesday kittens! Whoever designed my timetable for university this term is a definite hater in that I have 9am starts every day, booooooooooo. Any reader who is at university or has been will be feeling my pain right now and how much of a struggle in is to get in every day AND to make yourself look presentable to the world. Ah maaa gaaaahd it’s hard! To survive this I have made a morning routine which can be done in 30-40 minutes (depends on how fast you can move in the mornings) so you can have those extra few minutes in bed.

1)      GET OUT OF BED! Hardest step of all

2)      Drag your ass to the kitchen to get yourself a coffee/tea which ever you prefer

3)      Wash your face using a simple cleanser, preferable an energising one as you are probably still asleep

4)      Moisturise, I use Nivea Soft as its light to use and acts as a lovely base to your make up

5)      This leads me on to make up, keep it simple! I normally just use a slick of foundation (depending on how my skin is), wee bit of concealer, powder, mascara (normally use quite a lot to make me look more awake), eyebrows and blush then you’re done!

6)      Hair, my favourite thing to do is just to tie a section of it up and leave the rest down. It’s so quick to do and yet looks so cute and pretty

7)      Dress, think about what you’re going to wear as you’re getting out of bed and making your coffee/tea to speed this process up

8)      Brush teeth, spray on perfume, grab bag making sure everything you need is there then boom you’re out the door!

Don’t worry if you’re mornings are a mad rush everyone’s is, just follow these steps as loosely as you want and it’ll help you not to lose your head. For a little more help on a quick make up look the beautiful Tanya Burr has done a simple school make up look which I think is so good to use so I will leave a link for that down below for you to have a look.

Last thing I want to say is good luck! I am not a morning person and I know it’s hard to get up early but just think, when you get home you can nap! Naps always help.