LILLI || Hello lovelies! It has been a while since the last blog post, which was also written by me. After returning back to Nottingham from my quick week in A'dam, I was hit with the huge exam hulabaloo and the stress it brought along. My exams lasted over a period of about two weeks. I'm always surprised how exhausting and draining that time is. I was delighted when it was all over on the 1st of June, which now feels like ages ago. After my last exam we had a few dinners with friends and then went out clubbing for the last few times before the long summer. Of course my last chore before flying to Finland was to pack up my room and store all my belongings. 

I have now spent about four weeks in my hometown Turku enjoying the lovely sunny whether (okay it hasn't been all that sunny constantly :D). Above is a collage of my favourite instagram snapshots of the past few days, if you want to stay up to speed do follow me at @lillilottas ;)!

Perhaps it's my nordic mentality that sparked my keen interest towards anything and everything to do with minimalism. As far as I can remember, I've always strongly disliked clutter, having packed closets and drawers or having an untidy room. In addition, I love organising and re-arranging my room over and over again. I think my record in re-arranging the furniture in my small 3m by 3m room back in Finland is five times within three months. 

My attention towards minimalism heightened when moving out to university. I was only able to bring a maximum of two suitcases when moving out, so that forced me to think what do I actually need. When my flatmates and friends rooms are jam-packed with everything and what not, I enjoy clutter-free shelves, and an organised closet that actually do make my life at Uni a lot more enjoyable. Thus for my post today I want to share with you guys my top tips for a more minimalist lifestyle, enjoy!

1) Keep your routines simple

I try to use as few products as possible when it comes to beauty routines or styling my hair. I know this may not be possible for everyone, but I am lucky to have very trouble-free skin, so all I need is a good cleanser, make up remover and a moisturiser. As for hair I don't like the feeling of products in it, so I just opt for the basic shampoo and conditioner and leave it at that. 

I read about the capsule wardrobe a few years back and ever since it has given me more structure to my wardrobe and style. Not so surprisingly my style is also very minimalist. I like my timeless and classy pieces in various shades of black, grey, white and with the occasional pop of colour. A capsule wardrobe has saved me several valuable minutes in the mornings, because I can now pull any clothing pieces out of my closet and they will go together.

I'm well into the second semester of my first year at the University of Nottingham. I thought moving out of my home in Finland and settling into a new life in a new country for university would be a challenge, but right from the start I felt welcomed as everyone I met were very friendly. Coming to uni and entering a course in management has so far been a good choice. The field leaves so much room for variety and opportunities and that is exactly what I need right now, because I like to keep as many doors and possibilities open for myself. Uni has turned out to be a very nice experience as I have already made some very lovely friends along the way. Also what makes the experience more worthwhile are the beautiful campuses I get to spend all my lectures and seminars in. Being inspired daily by the environment around me has definitely made studying a tad more interesting even during those difficult days. Below you can find some photos of a few of my favourite spots around my Uni's Jubilee and University Park campuses, some of which never fail to leave me breathless.