“You should never feel confined to fashion rules because last time I checked, there are none.”
This is the latest of quotable phrases in Emilie Etc., a fashion and lifestyle blog created by current Queen’s student Emilie Nolan. A mixture of fashion photographs, street style profiles, personal anecdotes, product reviews and even her own shop of personalized tees, Emilie Etc. aims to capture all things she believes to be aesthetically pleasing to her and her readers.

When I wake up in the morning, the first part of my routine is usually the same: I get out of bed and groggily stumble downstairs in search of the holy grail — a cup of coffee.
Like most who have become dependent on a daily boost of caffeine, when I forgo my morning coffee, I typically experience headache along with a notable decrease in my concentration levels. But is caffeine really the best way to wake up your brain?

With the enchanting set of all white drapery and girls twirling around 18th-century ball gowns, it was easy to for the audience to get lost in the magical world of Alice in 5th Company Lane’s production of Phantomwise.

From the rich gold leaf décor of the byzantine era to the bright colour and detail of the gothic era, analyzing text is an effective way for us to learn about the society that was prominent during any given time in history.

Optimism and hard work takes you far in life, and fast — just ask Dear Rouge.

In an intimate upstairs space lit up by tinkering and twinkling white Christmas lights, impassioned discussions and artistic reflections on the pain of gender abuse were held.

At 16, I left home to pursue my love for dance. At 18, I flew overseas, from England, by myself and at 19, I spent a summer in Mongolia — all alone.
While these experiences have physically displaced me from the people I used to spend time with, by and large, I do enjoy doing things alone.

I like to picture the publishing industry as a middle-school girl just on the periphery of the cool kids.
She’s very ambitious, lovely and intelligent, but infinitely dependent on her cooler counterparts.
Her most recent bid to win the hearts of her often disinterested classmates comes in the form of a liaison with the new kid at school: YouTube.

If you have a burning question about sex, sexuality, sexual health, or anything else the SHRC covers, drop us an anonymous line and have your question answered by The Expert Sexpert in the QJ Sex column. Click here to submit a question.

Dear expert sexpert,

Overwhelmed lecture halls, communal living spaces and high amounts of social activity make university campuses a perfect breeding ground for the seasonal flu virus.
Despite the increased exposure associated with student life, the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) estimated only about 13 per cent of post-secondary students are electing to get their vaccine every year.

The Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre offers emotional and cultural support for Indigenous students through hand drumming circles.

Combining a passion for fine art, psychology and mental health awareness, Queen’s fine art student Cindy Kwong knows exactly what she wants to do with her degree.

Decomposing Pianos performed their ethereal experimental musical set “Regression” in an ambient venue at Modern Fuel.

As part of Mental Illness Awareness Week, Lifestyle featured personal stories from Queen’s student each day from Oct. 6-10. We’ll be continuing the initiative throughout the year with more stories. If you’re interested in submitting a story, please email journal_lifestyle@ams.queensu.ca.

When I was 12, I started hating my body.

Starting my blog in high school at the tender age of sixteen, I never would have thought that “RachSpeed” would have such an impact on my life.
Fast-forward to my fourth-year of my undergrad, I found myself sitting at World MasterCard Fashion Week (WMCFW), with a press pass around my neck. The days I spent at WMCFW were such a whirlwind, between attending several shows (all Canadian designers) and just immersing myself in the Canadian fashion culture.

I’ve always been fascinated by vanity.
As a girl growing up with two brothers, I was perpetually ridiculed for any superficiality and overt fashion or makeup choices I made throughout my adolescent life.
There was the Goth phase, the preppy phase, the au naturel phase, the “I-don’t-care-what-people-think-even-though-I-do” rebellious phase and other experimental phases in which make-up would be applied to suit the vibe of the occasion.

 
Standing in the Starbucks line, I’m mentally preparing myself to order my pumpkin spice latte.
I can’t help but feel self-conscious because it’s so overdone, so mainstream — it’s so basic. And being dubbed those five little letters makes me almost feel ashamed of myself. But why should I be embarrassed?

Styna Tao is in Edinburgh on exchange this fall. She’ll be sharing her experiences every three weeks as a regular contributor to Lifestyle.

Week six of my term at the University of Edinburgh was a week for Honours Business students to take seminars and work on their graduation dissertation.
But as an exchange student, I didn’t have the obligation to do a dissertation and because lectures were cancelled, I essentially had a mid-semester reading week.