FOTD | Everyday Makeup

Hey Lovelies! 

This morning I decided to jazz up my morning makeup routine by taking a couple of pictures. My usual everyday makeup is a pretty simple, chic look skin coverage with a pink cheek and a golden brown smokey eye. 

The past couple of days I have given my skin some makeup free time allowing it to breath. I have intensely moisturised my face in order to really rejuvenate it. I loved the feel of my bare skin this morning and I'm definitely going to incorporate some of these makeup free days in to my weekly routine. 

Before - 

After -

Products Used- 

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in ivory 

Bourjois bronzed pallette

MAC prep and prime finish powder

Rimmel stay matte powder

Estée Lauder basics eyeshadow pallette

MUA blush in shade 2

Apocalypse lip laquer

Natural Collection liquid liner 

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara in Black

No.7 lash and brow perfecter

Real Techniques expert face brush

Real techniques blush brush 

Real Techniques powder brush 

MAC 217 brush 

Xx

Returning with the 3 C's

Chance

Choice

Change

The 3 C's, trivial to some, but everything to me.

The halt in my blogging journey was mirrored by a halt in my life, my outlook and my motivation. It has been 6 months, but those 6 months have completely been the most vital and significant in my life so far. I took a chance in controlling my choices which provided CHANGE. A change for a better, confident and more healthy me.

I have finally worked out who I am, what I want and where I want to be. I feel and look the healthiest I have ever felt - this is a huge breakthrough. My relationship with Jack still as strong as ever, but I have found a new love for myself. Fitness and health now takes huge precedence in my life, I take in to account my calories, my workouts, my nutrition and put my health first every single time.

I feel I have a new lease of life, and a new outlook where I am extremely optimistic.

Motivation, self love and worth is all I needed to find, and well, I found it. I have been thinking about making this blog post for a while, I have written it numerous times only to find myself deleting it over again. Trying to make you understand why I abandoned you all for months is so hard but I hope I have explained myself well. Below I am going to include a picture of myself, a picture that is my trophy, or the cover photo for this new, healthy chapter of my life.

So, as with life, I want to bring these 3 C's back in to my blogging world. One that had to be paused in order for its development. After all, my blog is my outlet and a way of expressing myself. To be outing myself as a pessimistic and unhealthily comfortable woman is something that doesn't lend well to commitment or satisfaction for both parties.

Those of you who have followed and read my blog from the start, I will be adapting it to not merely beauty and lifestyle but also food, health and fitness. It is something I am passionate about and something I would love to pass on to you guys. A healthy body is a healthy mind.

So here I am Sophisiticates I return with a vengeance, stronger and more powerful than ever!


I still love you all so much

Friday Favourite - Imperial Leather, Foamburst Show Gel

Its FRIDAY! which not only means the end of the weekend, but also a Friday favourites post! Today I have gone for something a little different. Imperial Leather products are ones that have been present in my family for a very very long time, with my Grandparents devote users of the bar soap. Therefore, I have always trusted them to provide great scented soap that will also cater to my sensitive skin.

 

Before I came back to uni in September, I was looking for a shower gel to take back with me. I was with my Mum at the time who said she uses the "Imperial Leather foam stuff". I was intriguided by this, and found it straight away amongst the other soapy goodies!

 

I kept it packed away with all my other belongings to move down to Brighton again so I didnt touch it for a couple more weeks, and actually forgot about it!

 

Then... to my first shower....

 

Anyone who has used this before will understand what I am about to say. When you use this soap it as if out of nowhere you are covered in a large foamy sweet smelling mass. It is amazing, and trust me, a little goes a very very long way!

 

A great thing about this is that it doesn't dry your skin out. It retains moisture and leaves your skin feeling very soft. Another is the scent, most shower gels I know have a very strong over powering scent that doesn't manage to stay on the skin. This however, has a lovely almost orientally floral scent that on first sniff isn't overpowering but remains on the skin for a long time after.

 

 

I would definately reccomend this body wash gel. Even if only for the shower foamy delisheshness experience!

 

 

 

Review of Rimmel's Moisture Renewal Lipstick

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you'd know that I have previously said I never wear bright colours on my lips! This claim however, has recently transformed in the winter months. I have become obsessed with dark plums and red lippies! I was in search of a pure red in boots a few weeks ago. I came across Rimmel's moisture renewal lippie! As i'm sure I have said before, my lips are sometimes troublesome when it comes to moisture and I have often found that lipsticks only makes this worse. So of course I was immediately attracted to this product.

 

The shade I chose was 500 Diva red, it is an almost pinky red but still gives that pure festive sense of red. I don't feel that it communicated well on camera, but here you go anyway! :D

 

 

The lipstick has great staying power, and I cannot fault its level of brightness. I remain very impressed by the colour of these Rimmel lipsticks.

 

However, like I have previously said, the winter plays havoc on my lips making them dry and sometimes chapped. I don't feel that Rimmel have lived up to their claims in terms of its moisture renewal. When you first place the product on your lips it does indeed provide you with a dewy, just applied look. Therefore, gives the notion of moisture renewal. However, in my experience, this feeling is short lived and does begin to revert back to traditional, sticky, dry lipstick texture.

 

Having said that, the lipstick itself outlives any expectations in terms of colour and I would definately reccomend to all you guys. The colour is exactly what I was looking for.And for around £7 it is a perfect drug store product to add to your collection.

 

 

My Top 5 Winter Warmers

It's that time of year again, people call it Autumn, but it really feels like its on the verge of a bitter winter! The clocks have gone back, its getting dark in the day - and you're just feeling let down that the summer promised was not as expected.

However, I am here to pick you up out of this ditch and give you my TOP 5 winter warmers - what I love during the winter - food, clothes and general!

General

1.
Its closer to CHRISTMAS! Christmas is my favourite time of year and my Mum and I always run down to the garden centre to see the new stock! We first went a couple of weeks ago, this seems strange as it is october!!! But we left feeling all jittery and christmassy!

2.
Hot water bottles - Yes i know hot water bottles can be used all throughout the year. But in winter
it really lives up to its purpose! I like to warm it up and put it in my bed about 15 minutes before I go up to sleep! It's like your cosying up on a radiator!

3.
Shops - When winter hits, the shops go crazy with their christmas festivities - talking santa's and
polar bears everywhere you look!

4.
Candles - Lighting a christmas/winter yankee candle feels so much more exciting then lighting a  yankee candle on any other type of day. Christmas cookie is my ultimate favourite! Its so nice to  be cosey by the flickering candles while outside is dark and merky - move moment!

5.
Duvet - Who am I kidding? My duvet is my best friend throughout the whole year. But in winter it
just seems to satisfy me that little bit more! There is nothing better than turning yourself into a
cacoon/crepe/wrap and surround yourself with cosey lovliness.

Food

1.
Winter food means one thing - CHRISTMAS DINNER! The most exciting meal of the year.
Christmas day is the one day of year where you can eat until you feel sick and not feel guilty.
Pigs in blankets, stuffing, roasties, parsnips.... mouth it dribbling while I write this!

2.
White Chocolate hot chocolate - "options" do a sachet of white chocolate hot chocolate. You can  add it straight to hot water or hot milk. I warm milk up in the microwave and stir in one sachet.
Heaven in a glass! Perfect for those chilly winter evenings! As a plus, the sachets are also catered to those of you who are watching your weight and contain less calories.

3.
Turkey Soup - every year after christmas, my Mum makes a turkey soup out of the turkey left over. We only have this once a year, and my anticipation for it grows significantly as we get closer to  December/January. It is SOOO yummy! Soup as a whole is just perfect for winter, warming your insides!

4.
Chocolate - I find that the winter season offers a perfect excuse to eat chocolate. Like I have said previously, christmas day offers the perfect day for chocolate galore! We only ever get that much chocolate at christmas - selection boxes!

5.
Casserole - You can't go wrong with a good ol' casserole or stew. If you're anything like my Mum you leave them to stew for hours and hours. It fills the house with the most beautiful scent leaving you almost gagging for the dinner. A casserole really warms you up and we call it in our family "winter food" or "rainy food". If you don't quite fancy cooking a casserole yourself, how about try Heinz's range - "the BIG soup" - they have versions of casseroles and stews in a pot you can stick
in the microwave.

Clothes

 1.
The Fleecy PJ's from Primark - I bought my first pair of these a couple of weeks ago. Safe to
say, I LIVE in them. You have probably seen them in my blog - but are leapord print trousers with a black fleecy long sleeved top with a leapord print bow. They are SO comfy and cosey. I would wear them every day if I could.

2.
Tights and boots - with shorts, skirts or dresses, tights and boots are just an awesome fashion piece.
Warm and cosey, but remaining stylish and on trend - tights and boots allow you to flaunt you
summer clothing without getting a sniffly nose!

3.
Winter Coat - It's always so exciting when you go shopping for your new winter coat. There are so
many options this year! I am loving the fur lined hoods and cuffs! We all end up wearing this coat everyday so it is really important you get the one you LOVE.

4.
Cosey socks - whether it's knee high socks or fuzzy slipper socks, socks in the winter really do not
let you down. I wear knee high socks with my boots and fold the top over - I love the look this gives. Anytime I am in the house, I will wear either slipper socks or slippers - I have some shaped like a cat from primark (£4) - so cosey!

5.
Dressing Gown - In the winter I find myself putting my dressing gown over my clothes! Nothing drowning yourself in all its fluffiness!



I have noticed that there are a lot of references to sleeping here! - duvet, dressing gown, pj's, slippers! Winter is definately a lazy season for me, I love cosying up in front of the fire with a nice book!

What are your favourite winter warmers?

Skin Care Routine

It has taken me years, but I have finally found a skin care routine catered to my combinations and my needs. My skin combination is particularly regular however, I have my days where my complexion is oily resulting in break outs. Obviously Ladies, there is a specific time of the month which uncovers those unearthly spots and I do have to adjust this skin routine to help out with that slightly.
I have been extremely lucky in my teenage years when it comes to spots and blemishes. I haven't suffered from acne or constant spots though occasionally I would have a few pop up - but what teenager doesn't?

I have tried many skin care routines during my lifetime. I used to swear by face wipes, however,  would find that the cleansing abilities would not be deep enough to clear my pores completely. I then moved on to baby lotion, this would remove my foundation but not my eye makeup. Again, I felt this wasn't a deep enough cleansing for my face in order to remain a static combination.

A friend of mine works closely with the Elemis products and told me she has never looked back after using them. This made me decide, pretty much straight away, to try out the Elemis "Soothing chamomile cleanser". As a cleansing product it does exactly what it says on the tin, it removes my foundation very quickly and gently which is something I look for a cleanser. The smell is very natural, much like many of the Elemis products. Surprisingly, it does take eye makeup off, however you do need to use a lot of the product. Therefore, I use a seperate cleanser specifically for eye makeup removal.

To remove my eye makeup I use Estee Lauder's "Gentle Eye makeup remover". I have been using it for about 6 months now and it is definitely a product i'd repurchase and repurchase. Like all eye makeup removers it is an oil based product but when rubbed on the eyes it forms a foamy/bubbly consistensy. This is what I love about the product! Eye makeup, even waterproof eye makeup comes off so easily with this product. It is also very gentle on the skin making it very suitable for contact lense wearers.

Boots, traditional skin care range has to be one of the best drug store own brand products on the market. My Mum was the first person to introduce this toner to me.The glycerin and rosewater act perfectly on the skin and produces a "tingly" effect as it acts deep down in the pores. A little bit goes a long way with this toner as the glycerin can actually make the skin quite sticky. A great tip with this product is to wait until it has fully absorbed before applying your primer/foundation. At £2.32, it is an absolute BARGAIN and in my opinion, is up there with the higher end products.

Although the glycerin and rosewater acts as a moisteriser as well as a toner, sometimes, on very windy days or hot days my skin feels quite tight and dry. This lead me to looking at boot's "cold cream". I had previously been very impressed with the toner so I was quickly persuaded by this product. Again, it is gentle on the skin and provides a lovely moisterised feeling on a budget. I would reccomend this brand to any one as its products cater to many skin combinations. This is definately a statement product in my cleansing routine and one that will remain there for a long time.

Bloggers Go Skinny - My Weight Story

On my blogger travels, I came across Sophia and Sandra's blog, "Bloggers Go Skinny". Here, they provide us with their weight stories and new, fresh ways to looks at food and excercise. This was exactly what I needed to get me started on my journey to a healthier life. Go and check them out!!
They talk about using the app - "My fitness app", I have downloaded this and made my own profile with the username - "sophiee123456789" (Sorry for the long winded approach). Do feel free to add me on this app, and we can help each other.

Before starting, I think its appropriate to let my readers into my private life to some extent and share my weight story with you. However, I know weight remains to be a sensitive topic to many people, including me, so I am going to approach it in the most sensitive way as I can.

My Measurements -

BMI - 24.5

Weight - 69kg

Height - 5'6

Waist - 31"

Thigh - 18"

Hips - 41"

My BMI falls just inside the "healthy weight" area, and naturally, I want to get this lower (20 - 22). I know this means I am not overweight, but I know that I have lots of room to lose a bit and live a healthier life. My goals weight is 57kg so that is over 10kg which is about 1 stone to lose. I know I will feel happier within myself after losing this stone.

Throughout my life I have always been the girl who has been a little bit bigger than everyone else. I wouldnt say I was "the fat one", i'd say I was more the "chubby" or "puppy-fat" one. My brother is naturally skinny, it is obvious he will eat a lot more than me (at least 2 mcdonalds a week) and remain very skinny. Of course, this has had its effect on me. I have yo-yo dieted continuously throughout my teenage years and my weight has ranged from 10.1 st - 11.2st. I am now at the higher end of that bracket and I am unhappy with it.

Losing weight is about making that decision and sticking to it. Now, I'm sure I have made that decision, and with you guys checking up on me (please) i'll know that I HAVE to do it, and won't want to let you down. Im sure the "my fitness pal" app will become my best friend.

Lets do this together.

Lastly, a HUGE thankyou to those at Blogger's go Skinny for encouraging not only me, but many other bloggers to begin this journey.

Here we go!!

Clinique's Airbrush Concealer

Every year when I am at the duty free I usually buy YSL's Touche Eclat concealer - I am partial to the cute little brush at the end. So, naturally, when I saw that Clinique were following in YSL's footsteps with their concealer I caved and eventually bought one.

"Illuminates and perfects"

Clinique market this particular "airbrush concealer" as one that illuminates and perfects. After using this product for the past week and a half I completely agree with this statement.
I am VERY lucky to say that I have never suffered from skin troubles such as, acne or blemishes. However, my skin does have the tendancy to look dull sometimes. Therefore, this airbrush concealer was the perfect solution for me. It does cover the occasional spot that arises for me, but most of all it brightens my complexion in dark areas such as the inner corners of my eyes and my bags.

In order for the concealer to come out of the tube you have to twist the bottom - I haven't quite got the hang of this twisting yet. I seem to get a lot of concealer come through the brush at once which means I cannot use the small brush provided. However, I have developed a solution to my slight problem. I will dab the concealer on the problem areas with the brush and then using a small, clean, eyeshadow brush I lightly tap to the concealer into my skin. It creates the perfect airbrush affect.

This neutral shade has quickly become part of my everyday makeup routine. It illuminates and perfects my skin - exactly what it says on the label.

Clinique's Chubby Stick

On a shopping trip with a friend a couple of weeks ago, we took a visit to clinique's counter in House of Fraser. My friend was looking for Clinique's chubby stick - this was the first I had heard of the product. She had said that it has been recommneded by a friend of hers as a lip colour that also provides moisture. After speaking to the Clinique advisor, she was persuaded and bought the chubby stick.

Ever since then, I have been seeing this product everywhere! Whether that be on a TV advert, word of mouth or in a magazine. I took this as a sign that I need to get one. Like I have said in previous posts, my lips are quite small so bright and vibrant colour often make them look smaller. So I went on a mission to find a chubby stick in a natural pink-ish colour. There were 3 colours picked out by the sales woman a light pink, middle pink and a bright pink. The light pink was too light for me, as I wanted a hint of colour. On the other hand, the bright pink was an extreme pop of colour and one that would not suit my lips. However, it was a beautiful shade and would suit others, especially those with a glowing tan.

The colour I went with was No. 13 "Mighty Mimosa" - a subtle shade of pink/coral.

The product markets itself as "a moisturising lip colour balm" which places it slap bang in the middle of a lipstick and a lipbalm. Rather than having a clear, unfulfilling in colour balm or a bright moisturiser-sucking lipstick, Clinique offers you the best of both worlds with the chubby stick. It is extremely moisterising which will have you lipsmacking all day! This moisterising balm is also perfect for the summer season as it easy to apply, and light on your lips.


 The chubby stick is shaped like a thick soft pencil which you are able to twist up and down allowing for a precise application. It is also pocket sized  - perfect for a clutch bag for a night out or a purse on the beach.

As you can see from the pictures below, the product adds a very subtle hint of colour to the lips. Paired with a natural makeup look the chubby stick looks lovely.

Its official, I have been transformed into a chubby chaser! I cannot wait to get another colour - I have been looking at the orange shades. I love the way it adopts such a natural shade on my lips and it is definately my signiture lip colour this summer.

Are you going to join the chubby chase?

Blonde vs. Brunette

For 18 years of my life I have been brunette, however, a couple of months ago I decided to have a radical change and go blonde.This was a huge decision for me, and an expensive decision. As my hair was SO dark before it took 3 goes of highlighting to get it to the perfect colour. I wanted to do it through highlights, instead of bleaching it all straight away to save my hair, at least a little from damage.

These were the results:

After - 

Before - 

I adore my new blonde hair. 

What do you guys think? Who wins the battle - blonde or brunette?

Nude Pink Lips

I headed into Boots last week on a mission - to find a nude but pinkish lipstick. Sounds simple, but with the large array of nude lippies on the highstreet, it is hard to find the exact one, especially if you are picky like me. I eventually came across the Rimmel London section of the store. And I must say how impressed I was with the expansion of this brand. They are bringing out more and more products which are, in my opinion, on par with some of the "designer" branded products.

Lipstick Packaging

206, Nude Pink

The lipstick I chose was from the Lasting Finish Lipstick selection. Which you can purchase for yourself, here. At £4.99, you can't really go wrong, and I am pleased to say I didn't. There are a large array of colours available in this selection but the one most suited to my needs was in "NUDE PINK" NO.206.

As you can see from the swatch, the colour comes across as quite a peachy pink. This is what persuaded me with this product, because it was the colour that is most suited to my natural lip. I was specifically looking for a colour like this, in order to enhance my natural lip tone. I didn't want to add colour, I only wanted to enhance - I have relatively small lips so I often steer clear of bright colours on my lips, usually the nude colours are the ones which make my lips larger.

Colour Swatch.

I am hugely impressed with this product as it leaves my lips feeling moist - a far cry from the lipstick which dries out the lips and leaving an almost peeling residue that resembles orange peel. I have been wearing it ever since I bought it and it has easily slipped into my everyday makeup routine. What do you think?

Babyliss Curling Wand

I have been looking for a curling tong that curls my hair into ringlets as I often find that most create a large wave in my hair. Until now, I have been using my GHD straightening irons to create a curl, however always found I was much more able to curl on my left side, leaving my right side looking slightly limp.

In general, my hair is quite malleable and usually stays in curls if I curl it the day after I wash it - this means I don't need to use as much hairspray when I use the tong. After reading various blog posts and YouTube video's I found that a popular tong used for curling was Babyliss - Curling Wand.

The website states:

"This sassy styler is simply brilliant - it's no wonder that the Babyliss Curling Wand is such a huge hit with hairdressers. There's no clamp to fiddle with; just wrap your hair around the barrel for a few seconds and voila! Beautiful, modern curls will be yours - without any annoying kinks" 

The fact that the tong has no clamp was quite an experience for me, and I actually found that if it did have the clamp I would have found it alot easier to use. 

The wand comes with a glove which is advised to be worn while wrapping the hair around it to avoid burning. This was a interesting and neat extra added by Babyliss and did aid me in curling my hair without the clamp holding it in place.

The tong is 25mm - 13mm size which produces a relatively tight curl, however with 5 heat settings this can easily be controlled. Due to the thickness of my hair, I decided to use the highest heat setting which is 210degrees. This created a beautiful tight curl which gave my hair volume and was a look I had never had before. I would definitely recommend these curling tongs as they produce such a modern and edgy look - something that will totally work with mixi/midi skirts and blouses in these summer months.

Here are some pictures of the curls I made using my new favourite curling wand :

My cat and I

Just after using the curlers

The second day

Groupon Voucher - MeMeMe Cosmetics

I was looking through the Groupon app on my iPhone this morning and came across this voucher -

£18 FOR £45 WORTH OF ITEMS!?!

My first thought was, there has got to be a catch! So, as you do, I immediately gave this to my boyfriend to look at the fine print (always trust a man's eye). There is no catch, so for purchasing the voucher at £18 plus the extra £3.99 for postage we saving over £23!

I am really considering purchasing this Groupon voucher. Groupon is such as clever concept and I cannot wait to pick my £45 worth of products!

Of course, I will review them all for you guys! I'd love to know if you have purchased the voucher and see all of your awesome mememe products!