Sunday, 15 March 2015

A Lip Plumping Lip Gloss | Soap and Glory Pillow Plump



Now, when I was staring into the abyss of the Soap and Glory lip glosses, I was simply looking for a nude colour that I would soon fall in love with. And so when I bought this and took it home I expected it to just be a gloss that I top my everyday lipsticks- boy was I wrong-

This lip gloss, you see, has some very scientific ideas behind it: something to do with supporting fat cells that cushion the lips, but basically, when you put it on, it gives the weirdest tingly sensation but afterwards, oh wow it leaves the lips so full and with so much more shape. You can really see where your lips end and your skin starts (if that make sense) because before that line was kind of blurred. It makes you're lips look more voluptuous in a kind of show-offy way.

I'd never tried a lip plumping lip gloss and so I sort of went in blind, but you have my word- this is good. Definitely try it out, I think they have different colours but this is just what caught my eye first, even though it's that kind of boring old pink/nude shade.

oh and, it smells like chocolate, which is always a bonus.

Let me know if you'e tried this or anything like it :)

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xx

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Purchases from Boots

After a rather short February Favourites post, I decided to go into Boots and have a wonder through the aisles to see what's new on the high street. I don't know if it's because I only went to a local tiny Boots or if it's because nothing jumped at me too much, but I didn't find too much that took my fancy. I am however, excited to try these out:



Soap and Glory One Heck of  A Blot £12
I've heard such great things about tho powder so I couldn't believed I had never tried it. I love how this comes in a sturdy case with a compact mirror because it makes touching up on the go so much easier.
Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner £6
If you didn't know, I'm a jet-black, winged liner kinda girl, and since the Collection Fast Stroke liquid liner, I haven't found a drugstore one that does better. I've heard a couple of eyeliner enthusiasts like me talk about this product, so I'm excited to try this out and get back to you.

MaxFactor Wild Eyeshadow Pencil £5.99
I've actually already tried this today and i have to say, I am quite impressed. I have the colour 05 Caramel Rage which is a lovely shimmery gold colour. I love how easy eyeshadow pencils are because they save precious seconds in the morning: all you need to do is Swipe and Blend and that's all. I have found however, that this fades during the day so I might need to find an eyeshadow to set it with.

MaxFactor Creme Puff Blush £8.99
There's actually a whole range of colours, just that day I felt like buying this lovely deep berry mauve colour in the shade 30 Gorgeous berries. These are baked blush which have such good colour payoff and I love love love the shimmer in these. They definitely remind me of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders so if you like those, try these as an alternative option.

Bourjois Paris Happy Light Matte Serum Primer £10.99
Recently, I've been wearing a lot of mineral powder foundations, which I love because they make your skin look great but it means that if you have oily skin, powdering over a powder can look a little caked on. That's why I've been hunting for a nice matte primer so I'll definitely have to report back on this one.

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Thursday, 5 March 2015

February Favourites

So, apparently, it's march. I seemed to have missed the memo and apparently the snow did too. But it is the end of February nonetheless and so I suppose a monthly favourites is in order.





Revlon Colour Stay Foundation for combination/oily skin£12.49
For this month, I've really been loving a full coverage foundation, and this is one of my favourites. It covers all redness and blemishes while still leaving a glowing and not at all cakey look.

L’Oreal True Match Minerals Foundation £14.99
The only other foundation I've used this month is this one, which I've actually had for a while. I found it the back of my drawer, as all makeup enthusiasts do,  and I fell in love with it again. It's a lovely mineral foundation which means it's a powder but it has tiny shimmering specs in it, leaving a healthy "perky" glow.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless £16.84
It's almost time to whip out the bright spring shades, so to enter in a somewhat subtle way, a baby pink coral shade is the way to go. It's so girly but chic, it's indescribable, and I think it would suit so many different skin tones, it's just -argh- so pretty.

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner £2.99
Almost everyday this month, I've been wearing a winged liner just because I love this one so much and it's so easier to get a smooth, crisp wing, perfect for freshening up a look.

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in Smile, Dream, Sparkle £6.99

This is a gorgeous light pink gloss which goes so perfectly with the blush. I love the Tanya Burr Lip glosses and this is my favourite because it's just a simple gloss with a hint of sparkle and pink.

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Monthly Thoughts No.7

I'm currently sat on the front lawn-sunglasses on, laptop at hand, ready to do some serious work. It's actually unbelievably sunny today- unbelievable, considering schools were closed from snow less than two weeks ago.


February always goes quickly, being a short month anyway, but also the half term kind of near the end that splits the month just awkwardly enough. After the wild hype of Valentine's day, everything calms down and people are whizzing off to switzerland to enjoy the snowy Alps just before the season ends; leaving the rest of us to just sunbathe in our gardens and bask in the chilled out breezes of late February.

I've been meaning to do a few things around the house since the new year, but as of yet, none of that has happened, so I thought maybe I'll take what's left of this month and early march to really get organised. I mainly wanted to redecorate my room and also to tidy the study *aka the mess room*. Maybe I'll get it done before my birthday on the 23rd-that'd be a nice treat for myself.

I know it's been over a month since we all made those resolutions that we swore to keep the whole year, and I'm genuinely interested in whether you've kept yours? I didn't mae ambitious ones, but i have been blogging more and I've worked harder to revise for school, so so far, not too shabby. 

So have you kept your resolutions?- or have there been a few momentary lapses since the start of this year?

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx

Saturday, 21 February 2015

A Timeless Pink

I seem to have suddenly fallen in love with a pink lipstick completely out of my comfort zone. I'm not one to usually go for brights or pinks or mauves and the like- and so when I became absolutely infatuated with this lipstick, I thought it apt to dedicate a blog post to it:


Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in SUSPENSE 80 £25
Let's start with the lipstick, since that's why most of you are here. I received this as a gift for Christmas but hadn't really worn it until recently, but I knew from the minute it reached my lips, I was going to be completely besotted by it. First of all, the colour is absolutely stunning; now, I've said I don't usually go for pinks of this sort- (they always look a bit cheap or distasteful) but this, this is quite something. I think it would suit so many skin tones and shades, cool or warm toned, fair or tanned, this colour will look elegant and sophisticated. I think the colour would be enough, but just as an added bonus, the formula of these is quite unique I think: it's creamy and glossy but the colour is still there, kind of like the Clarins Instant Light Perfecters, but with better colour payoff. I hadn't tried these before but I know a lot of people love them. And yes, I know it's expensive, especially for a lipstick, but you're really investing ing a quality product, so at least go and have a swatch in store.


 L'Oreal True Match Foundation £9.99
After much babbling on the lips, a lipstick like this deserves a great face to match. As it's so bold, a flawless base will really help you pull it off. This foundation is good, full coverage and there is such a variety of shades. This blends quickly into the skin and then stays all day, the texture is quite dewy so if you have oily skin like me, a powder will help to set it, but sometimes I can get away without one.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer £22
Since the foundation is pretty good coverage, I just take this concealer in the shade VANILLA to highlight on the eyes and on the nose. This acts like a highlighter so you don't need to add anything extra because for such classic look like this: the simpler, the better.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer £23.50
This has just been my go to bronzer recently; it's the perfect colour for my skin tone and so it's great for some serious cheekbone-faking. I think it just looks so model-esque, which matches perfectly with this lip.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in ON AND ON BRONZE £4.99
For the eyes, nothing too fancy, just take the maybelline colour tattoo in this lovely shimmery bronze shade and sweep all over the lids, blending well for a subtle wash of colour across the lids. Now it looks like you've made an effort but still doesn't take attention away from the lips.

Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Macara £19.50
And finally, to top it all off, this Bobbi Brown mascara is one of my favourites for real definition in the lashes. The wand is so small so it lengthens the lashes without any clumps and it's great for the bottom lashes as well. I don't think this is declared as "waterproof" but it's pretty budge-proof; I can wear it all day without worrying about smudging.

I can't believe I've never tried this formula of lipstick before, any other colour recommendations?

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx







Monday, 16 February 2015

A Fresh and Simple Look

Apologies everyone, for I haven't left the confines of my bedroom for a week, which is why no post has come this past week. I had, unfortunately, been very ill- but now that I'm better, I thought I'd share with you a makeup look that is fresh and simple for when you are recovering from being ill, and want to look like you've had a spa weekend away.


Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum £10.99
An old favourite of mine but it's one I can always count on. It's a very light coverage gel textured foundation but it's so radiant and dewey it makes your skin look fresh and glowy in an instant.
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer £22
Because the foundation was light coverage, I sometimes need a bit of concealer on any redness or blemishes. I have the colour Vanilla which is yellow enough for redness but also pink enough to counteract any blueness under the eyes. It immediately wakes up the face, which, trust me, is desperately needed while being ill.
Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder £8.99
The foundation is very dewy, which is nice for a fresh look, but on my oily skin, I look like a baby seal- not a good look. I like this powder because it balances the oiliness but still leaves a "lit from within" glow and you can touch up as many times in the day and it never looks caked on or overdone.
MaxFactor Clump Defy False Lash Effect £10.99 (waterproof)
For mascara, one that really defines the lashes will make the eyes look bigger and more awake. This has one of those plastic brushes so it really separates the lashes and adds extra length. The waterproof  formula is really good because it dries quickly and then doesn't budge all day.
Soap and Glory Peach Party £11
This is one of my favourite favourite products in the look. It's a shimmer brick with some pink and peach tones and also some copper/brown tones. This is a blush/highlight hybrid that will instantly perk up the cheeks leaving a fresh and natural shine. I think this would suit so many types of skin tones: the light pink shades will be great on porcelain pale skin, the peach and pink will suit warm and cool skin tones and the darker brown will add a lovely bronze that warms the face with a touch of shimmer.
Benefit Hoola Bronzer £23.50
If you're into a more contoured look, like me, the Hoola bronzer by benefit is the perfect balance between an ashy/shadowy colour and a warm orangey colour. It's the perfect shade for a light touch of shadow below the cheekbones which gives just a bit more definition to the face.
Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus £5.99
Finally, pour le bouche, this tinted lip balm is a perfect rosy colour that will add colour while hydrating those chapped dried out lips that are the product of dehydration and staying in bed all day. Hibiscus is such a deep berry toned colour that's still easy to throw on and wear throughout the day.

And that's the final touch. Sorry again for the lack of posts, more will be coming this week.

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx








Sunday, 8 February 2015

A Pink Perfume

Half way through a bottle of perfume and not mentioned on my blog? Well- we can't have that, so i've decided to dedicate this post- that's right, one entire post- to this scent that I've somewhat fallen in love with.

This is one of the PINK eau de toilettes, from the warm and cozy range. Unfortunately I can't find this online but I'll link here to their other perfumes as well as here for other products with the same scent. oh the scent, it's just so freshly uplifting and sweet and comforting. argh- i'm a bit rubbish when it comes to describing scents, so I'll enlighten you by telling you how the perfume itself describes it, it says:

"Cozy up in toasted vanilla and peony"

And yes, the scent is so cosy and comforting, kind of a candy floss sweetness but a fresh Spring flower-like scent i guess?

Anyway, point is, go smell it, yes, just walk straight into PINK and give it a good whiff. then you can know for yourself what it smells like. 

And when you  do, let me know how you'd describe it in the comments :)
 oh and also, i can't find the price but usually the other ones are just under £10

Lots of Love,
Sophie
xxx