NYE 2016: All That Glitters! Nars Dragon Girl Lip Pencil And Very.co.uk Sequinned Jumpsuit

Hi loves,

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! 

My NYE was quite a chilled one spent with friends at home. I was also feeling slightly groggy (boo) but I still made the effort to add some sparkle to my New Year's Eve 2016 party look.

I wanted a classic matte red lip for NYE 2016 and in the end I opted for Taylor Swift's fave red lippie, NARS' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl...

This is one of my favourite lip formulas - the chubby pencil is a dream to apply (you don't even need liner) and the colour payoff is amazing. It's matte, so you'd think it'd be drying, but it's not too bad actually. Nevertheless, it lasted all night! 

 I kept the rest of my beauty look pretty simple, consisting of a slightly dewy base (NARS Sheer Glow Foundation) and a feline flick of eyeliner (Urban Decay Ink For Eyes), topped off with a few coats of Benefit's They're Real mascara.

I wanted something relatively comfortable to wear as I was on hosting duties, but also something glam enough to wear for NYE, so I chose this jumpsuit from Very.co.uk. 

I received it a couple of years ago during a press event and it's been sitting in my wardrobe ever since - clearly waiting for the right event! The top half is a fitted, sequinned bustier and the lower half is a pair of almost harem-style trousers.

I added a statement waist belt from H&M to jazz it up a bit and to match the gold embellished hooped earrings I was wearing.

Clearly, shoes were the last thing on my mind before the party...!

Love,

Sophia x

PS. For more #bts shenanigans like the snaps above, add me on Snapchat - my username is smoir90 :)

Christmas 2015 Festive Memories...

Hi loves,

Just a couple of bits and bobs that have made me feel all lovely and Christmassy this year, taken from my Instagram (@smoir90)...

Christmas Starbs... 

Ice skating at the Natural History Museum...

Festive teas... 

Festive Yankee Candles... 

Putting the Christmas tree up in the flat... 

Belgian waffle at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland... 

Festive Food Fayre at Hampton Court Palace...  

Christmas Radio Times (every year!)...  

A Muppets Christmas Carol singalong at the PCC...  

Christmassy decorations in Balham... 

Kew Gardens Illumination Trail...

Trafalgar Square Christmas tree...

Christmas choccies...

Bring on Christmas 2016! 

Love,

Sophia x

L'Oreal Paris True Match foundation in N1 Ivory - Review, swatches and FOTD

Hey guys!

I hope you're all well and have had a lovely weekend. It's actually sunny today - yay!

So I don't know about you but one of the main things I look forward to most about spring is changing up my make-up routine! Of course, that means wearing a new foundation...

Say hello to my new foundation du jour, L'Oreal Paris True Match Foundation in the shade N1 Ivory.

Of course, one of the reasons I picked this up is because the lovely Cheryl Cole is the face of it. If that's not a reason to get it, I don't know what is - she always looks amazing!

The main selling point of the L'Oreal True Match foundation is that it matches any skin colour. In fact, it goes as far as saying that it's 'L'Oréal's first foundation to perfectly match the colour and texture of your skin.'

I have to say, I completely agree with that! I'm VERY pale (NC15 in MAC) and foundations are very often too dark for me. I find it very difficult to find drugstore foundations for my skin colour. Here's how True Match foundation compares to others in my collection.

L'Oreal Paris True Match Foundation comparison swatches:

Top - MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC15

Middle - L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N1 Ivory

Bottom - Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation in 52 Rose Clair

In the swatches, I would say that MAC Pro Longwear is the shade most true to my own skin because I've been properly colour matched in that.

L'Oreal True Match therefore is a little too light for my complexion, but I think it works really well as a base shade to add warmth to. And besides, I was colour matched in MAC in the summer when I've got a bit of a tan.

FOTD with L'Oreal True Match foundation:

FACE: MAC Fix+, Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer in Light, MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW15, L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N1 Ivory (applied with ELF Stippling Brush), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light, Benefit Hoola Bronzer (applied with ELF Studio Complexion Brush), MAC Fix+.

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original), Sleek Storm Palette (taupe and matte brown shades), Soap & Glory Supercat felt tip eyeliner, Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick on lower waterline, CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara.

EYEBROWS: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Dirty Blonde.

LIPS: The Body Shop Cocoa Butter lip balm.

Final thoughts:

I've been using L'Oreal True Match foundation for a couple of weeks now and I'm truly really impressed with it. The consistency is quite thin and runny but it's perfect for using as a base layer to even out your skin tone and mask imperfections.

Because the consistency is nice and creamy, it's really easy to add layers and make the coverage heavier if you require it - I certainly have been!

It doesn't go cakey or oxidise and you don't get the dreaded neck lines. The coverage is really natural looking and blends into the skin perfectly. I'm so glad I found it!

What's your foundation of choice at the moment? Have you tried L'Oreal Paris True Match? Let me know over on Twitter now or in the comments below!

Love,

Sophia

xo

Autumn Beauty FOTN: Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Night Crimson

Hi ladies,

I hope you're all having a fab day :)

Here's a autumnal beauty look I sported on a night out recently, which incorporated my new Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Night Crimson (full breakdown below)...

FOTN:

FACE: Benefit That Gal primer, NARS Sheer Glow foundation, YSL Touche Eclat under eyes, Benefit Boi-ing on blemishes, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powder, NARS Laguna bronzer, Benefit High Beam to highlight.

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original), Urban Decay NAKED Palette (Naked and Buck), Urban Decay Ink For Eyes on top lid, Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick on lower waterline, Benefit They're Real mascara.

BROWS: MAC Omega and Charcoal Brown e/s, using MAC 208 brush.

LIPS: Lush Bubblegum lip scrub to prime, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour lip protectant to prime, MAC Vino lip pencil, Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Night Crimson.

I was really impressed with the longevity of the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick - it lasted all night on my lips (I did drink through a straw!) but nonetheless it remained in tact until the end of the evening, or should I say early hours of the morning. It also had great pigmentation and the colour payoff was really impressive.

Hair-wise, I just straightened my hair using classic GHDs and flicked the ends slightly so they framed my face.

Love,

Sophia

xo

GOSH Long Lasting Brow Pen in 004 Wheat: review, swatches and FOTD

Hey ladies,

Hope you're well :-)

So let's talk eyebrows! I fill mine in pretty much every day, whether it's with a brow pencil, pen or powder eyeshadow. I think it makes a big difference when they're filled in as they frame your face. Of course, I've made some eyebrow faux-pas in the past - mainly filling them in too dark!

I'm still on the hunt for my Holy Grail eyebrow product and recently I've been using GOSH's Long Lasting Brow Pen in Wheat, as recommended by Holly (Yummy Mummy's Beauty Blog).

Comparion swatches:

MAC Eyebrows in Lingering

GOSH Long Lasting Brow Pen in 004 Wheat

MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Dirty Blonde

As you can see, it has more of grey undertone to it than MAC Lingering - which is pretty much my go-to brow shade! It also makes MAC Dirty Blonde pencil look really orange, which it isn't.

Eyebrows before and after applying Gosh Brow Pen in Wheat:

I liked the effect of the pen, I think it looked really natural and the colour was a pretty good match. Applying it was a little odd as it's not what I'm used to but it did fill in every last stroke.

The colour did last on my brows all day but randomly, and I've not read this before, the shade turned a little green as the day went on! A couple of people spotted it to me which was slightly embarrassing...

Here's how it looked with the rest of my make-up...

FOTD featuring GOSH Long Lasting Brow Pen in Wheat:

FACE: MAC Fix+ to prime, YSL Touche Eclat #1, MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW15, MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC15 (applied with ELF Studio Stippling Brush), Benefit Hoola Bronzer (applied with ELF Studio Complexion Brush), MAC Fix+ to set.

EYES: Urban Decay Original Primer Potion, Sleek Storm Palette (matte taupe and brown shades), Soap and Glory SUPERCAT Carbon Black Felt Tip Eyeliner Pen, Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick, CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara.

EYEBROWS: GOSH Long Lasting Brow Pen in 004 Wheat.

LIPS: Mac Lipstick in Cosmo, Lipcote to seal.

You can probably see the green-ish tint to my eyebrows in the above pic, random huh?!

It's definitely worth trying if you're still on the hunt for your holy grail, natural-looking brow product and want something quick and easy - but let me know if yours goes a little green too!

What's your go-to brow product?

Love,

Sophia

xo

I Found A Jumpsuit For Short People! Lo And Behold The New Look Petite Spaghetti Strap One-Piece

Hi lovelies,

I hope you're all really well.

I don't know about you, but being petite (5ft1), I really struggle to find jumpsuits that are the right length for my short legs! 

The frustrating thing, as well, is that I'm not your typical 'petite' shape - I have boobs, hips and a bum - so that makes it doubly hard to find well-fitting one-pieces.

I finally found one that fitted the bill from New Look recently and I couldn't wait to wear it - it's nothing flashy but I was just pleased to find one that fitted OK!

OOTN:

Jumpsuit - New Look Petite (link)

The good points?

• Well, it's the right length for starters! 
• Plus, the zip actually does up at the back so that's another positive.
• Price! You can't complain really for less than 20 quid.

The bad stuff?

• The straps are like bra straps - I guess you're not supposed to wear a bra, but I can't do that - so they're quite fiddly, and they also dig into my shoulders a bit.
• The material creases quite easily which is a bit annoying.

So overall, not a bad find - but far from perfect!

Petite ladies, where do you get your clothes from?

Love,

Sophia

xo

Summer Fashion 2015: My 25th Birthday Outfit! Boohoo White Skater Dress And New Look Neon Ankle-Strap Heels

Hi lovely ladies!

I hope you're having a great week :)

I recently celebrated my 25th birthday and I went pretty glam for the the occasion (partying in Clapham with pals). Here's what I went for..

Outfit:

Image: Sophia Moir / Instagram

 Dress - Boohoo.com (link)

Heels - New Look (O/S... similar style here)

Belt - Primark (O/S... similar style here)

Image: Boohoo

I'm really rating Boohoo at the moment! I've been shopping on there more so than ASOS recently because everything's just so much cheaper and there's a massive selection. I always find what I want, even if I have to try on a lot of stuff and send some of it back. I tried this dress on in a smaller size and it was way too tight on the bust, so I got the size up, although it was a little loose. I cinched it in with a matching white waist belt. I added a pop of colour to my look via these lime green heels, but they were so uncomfortable that I took them off pretty swiftly!

Make-Up:

FACE: Urban Decay B6 Prime Spray, YSL Touche Eclat under eyes, KIKO Full Coverage concealer on blemishes, NARS Sheer Glow foundation (with Real Techniques Buffing Brush), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, Liz Earle Radiant Glow Bronzer (with Real Techniques Powder Brush), Benefit High Beam as highlight.

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion Original, Urban Decay Ink For Eyes on upper lid, Benefit They're Real mascara.

EYEBROWS: MAC Fling eyebrow pencil, MAC Omega eyeshadow (with MAC 208 brush).

LIPS: LUSH Bubblegum lip scrub, Elizabeth Arden Eight-Hour Lip Protectant to prime, Urban Decay Bang lipliner, MAC Lady Danger lipstick.

Some of these products I've had in my kit for ages but others are more recent purchases, such as the KIKO concealer (blimmin' awesome), NARS Sheer Glow (which is uh-mazing) and Urban Decay Ink For Eyes (lasts all night!). I reached for Lady Danger lipstick as it's one of my faves but it looks more red in the picture than it did in real-life (more reddy-orange).

I curled my hair using my original GHD straighteners and tanned using St Tropez Express Tan.

Love,

Sophia

xo