Survival of the #Fittest

  As fitness booms throughout social media, Emma Giles questions the development of a new competitive lifestyle, its benefits and possible repercussions in ‘Survival of the #Fittest’ The season of New YearÔÇÖs resolutions and the surge of self-motivational Facebook statuses has (thankfully) well and truly gone. Whilst this is a welcome change to those who realise that they have already broken their resolutions, one thing … Continue reading Survival of the #Fittest

Student-Friendly Beauty – Foundations

Kirsty Fardell gives us a run down of the best foundations on a student budget.┬á M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid -┬ú21.50 at M.A.C ┬á This is a great, flawless foundation for a natural matte finish complete with buildable medium coverage. It helps to absorb and disperse oil for combination or oily skin, as well as containing moisturising ingredients. The colour matches M.A.C provide are also suited … Continue reading Student-Friendly Beauty – Foundations

Student-Friendly Beauty – Powders

Kirsty Fardell talks us through the best powders on the market for a student budget.┬á Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder – ┬ú3.99 at Boots This is a great product to keep a shiny face at bay. There is little worse than seeing club photos with a bright flash highlighting your oily face from the night before, so this saviour is a must-carry product. It doesnÔÇÖt … Continue reading Student-Friendly Beauty – Powders

LFW 2014: Best Collection

Julien MacdonaldÔÇÖs Autumn/ Winter and Spring/Summer 2014 collections both featured many standout pieces. Unlike many other collections, which stuck to simple black and white, Julien injected nudes, gold, silver, green, blue and red tones to make distinctive pieces. He also incorporated longer hem lines with most dresses knee length or full length, with the sleeve length also following suit. The clothes are clearly not designed … Continue reading LFW 2014: Best Collection

Feature: Going It Alone

In the light of Independent Venue Week, Hannah Embleton-Smith finds out from industry insiders how Cardiff fares with small-time success in ‘Going It Alone’. The past few years have seen drastic changes for the dynamic of CardiffÔÇÖs independent music scene. With small venues becoming increasingly concentrated around ClwbÔÇÖs stomping ground, is the city seeing the revival of its independent culture or increasing marginalisation? As the … Continue reading Feature: Going It Alone

Communication Problems

With the image of heads buried in their hand-held screens surrounding us, Andy Love examines the way smart phones have changed our social interactions in ‘Communication Problems’.┬á ÔÇ£This one has a better battery life, better definition screen, better camera…it’s also flatter,ÔÇØ says a girl wearing glasses to two of her peers who listen closely as if sheÔÇÖs a wizard telling a story. Smart-phones progress so … Continue reading Communication Problems

Fear and Self Loathing

If the grass is perpetually greener on the other side, maybe itÔÇÖs time to build a fence and shield gloating neighbours from view, argues Aimee-Lee Abraham┬áin ‘Fear and Self Loathing’.┬á We used to lurk nervously in the self-help section, wary of the stigma housed in its pages, fearful of contagion. We would lie through our teeth to cashiers, improvising tales of the poor uncle who … Continue reading Fear and Self Loathing

The Internet Confessional

Can blogging improve your mental health? Sophie Lodge┬áinvestigates in ‘The Internet Confessional’.┬á In October 2012 15 year old Tallulah Wilson was hit by a train after years of suffering from clinical depression. In January this year her mother condemned the poor censorship of harmful blogging websites like Tumblr that she believed had fuelled her daughterÔÇÖs death. However, the inquest revealed TallulahÔÇÖs Tumblr account was deleted … Continue reading The Internet Confessional

#OCDPROBLEMS

Toby Mott┬ádiscusses Channel 4’s ‘Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners’ and the perception of OCD as a cute quirk.┬á ÔÇ£Obsessive Compulsive DisorderÔÇØ isnÔÇÖt any easier to write than it is to say. As so often seems to be the case with the clinical titles assigned to mental illness, just the terms themselves are enough to evoke an uncomfortable and involuntary wince. Despite the tireless efforts of charities such … Continue reading #OCDPROBLEMS

Spring Trend: Pastels

ItÔÇÖs a new year and that means some great new fashion trends!┬áAdmittedly, itÔÇÖs been a cold and wet start to the year, but contrary to the weather outside, the fashion forecast for 2014 looks brighter than ever.┬áFrom classic checked patterns to loud and proud slogan-bearing t-shirts, this yearÔÇÖs styles are diverse and there is something for everyone. Nothing says spring like soft pastel colours. True, … Continue reading Spring Trend: Pastels

Spring Trend (Editors Pick) – Tea Skirts with Cropped Tops

The length of a tea skirt falls between a maxi and a midi. Whilst the growing spectrum of hemlines may seem pedantic, the images conjured up of Alice in Wonderland style tea parties makes it all seem not so ÔÇÿmad hatterÔÇÖ. Although being pioneered as a spring trend by brand Alice + Olvia┬áthe tea skirt can be seen in many other S/S14 runways and is … Continue reading Spring Trend (Editors Pick) – Tea Skirts with Cropped Tops

Review: East India Youth – Total Strife Forever

ThereÔÇÖs something very special about the construction of East India YouthÔÇÖs debut LP ÔÇô ÔÇÿTotal Strife ForeverÔÇÖ. Somehow, William Doyle has managed to make an album which is sporadic, indecisive and yet beautifully flowing all at the same time. With influences ranging from David Bowie and Sufjan Stevens to Factory Floor, any attempt to pigeon-hole this album into one given genre would be an insult … Continue reading Review: East India Youth – Total Strife Forever

Top Travel Blogs

Like many final year students too scared to face up to real-world demands and find a job just yet, IÔÇÖve recently been planning a post-University gap year to Australia and parts of Asia. Whereas, in years gone by, I remember my parents pouring over endless brochures, atlases and travel guides before deciding on that years summer holiday, my first thought when planning my travels was … Continue reading Top Travel Blogs

Travel Aspirations 2014

This month Quench Travel finds out which destinations are tempting our fellow students to explore different cultures in 2014!┬á Interrailing Following a pretty dismal summer of 2013, the winter-exam-January blues spurred on the adventurist within me and I have now planned to go interrailing around Europe this summer. Such a brilliant form of procrastination, I might add. With my best friend now residing up north, … Continue reading Travel Aspirations 2014

Review: Fiddler on the Roof – The New Theatre

Paul Michael Glaser, star of ÔÇÿ70s cop thriller ÔÇÿStarsky and HutchÔÇÖ, leads the talented cast of Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye which is on at the New Theatre until Saturday 8th February. Set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, Fiddler tells the story of Tevye, the father of five daughters who attempts to preserve his family and Jewish traditions in the face of the Tsar … Continue reading Review: Fiddler on the Roof – The New Theatre

Keep The Faith ÔÇô Behind the Scenes

Behind the scenes at Burbidge Studios fashion shoot for Quench Magazine, shot at Keep the Faith Social Club Keep The Faith Social Club is neatly situated in Royal Arcade, just off the hustle of the Hayes. The bespoke barber-come-tattoo parlour provides a safe haven of vintage charm met with a modern twist.┬á Whether you are looking for a new haircut, a wet shave, tattoo or … Continue reading Keep The Faith ÔÇô Behind the Scenes

Review: Eagulls – Eagulls

The Leeds-based five-piece will drop their self-titled LP on March 3rd, but is it more eagle or seagull? Perhaps someone has already come up with that, but this album feels like both across its 10 tracks, swaying between a sense of wonderful intrigue and ear-piercing doubt. There is a bunch of mysterious openings and dark riffs to get interested in, with opener ÔÇÿNerve EndingsÔÇÖ suggesting … Continue reading Review: Eagulls – Eagulls

Review: Billie Joe and Norah – ‘Foreverly’

It doesnÔÇÖt seem like the most natural fit at first sight. The idea of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong releasing an album with Norah Jones may make listeners imagine a strange jazz/soul/pop-punk fusion album, but on ÔÇÿForeverlyÔÇÖ, the woman behind ÔÇ£my heart is drenched in wineÔÇØ and the man behind ÔÇ£do you have the time to listen to me whine?ÔÇØ are paying tribute to … Continue reading Review: Billie Joe and Norah – ‘Foreverly’

Interview: Sivu

Ed Watson sits down with James Page, the man behind hotly-tipped singer-songwriter Sivu. Your pseudonym ÔÇÿSivuÔÇÖ is a Finnish translation of your actual surname, Page. How did this come about? IÔÇÖve been┬áplaying┬áacoustic stuff under James Page since I was about 15. Then I moved to London and started writing the newer songs that you hear on my EPs. I think the first problem was that … Continue reading Interview: Sivu

Review: Buffalo Bar Roast Dinner

Buffalo Bar is renowned for being one of CardiffÔÇÖs leading bars ÔÇô its cocktails and nights cannot be upstaged by another ÔÇô but when we Food and Drink editors were invited to try out their Sunday roast, we really didnÔÇÖt know what to expect. We were surprised to see the place so empty. IÔÇÖve never actually been there on a Sunday before, and it was … Continue reading Review: Buffalo Bar Roast Dinner