The Next Summer Sale haul!

Hey loves!

Hope you're all having a great weekend and enjoying the sunny weather! :-)

Now if you're like me and love a bargain, you can't have missed the Next sale recently. They even had TV adverts which I spotted in the gym! My Nan gave me some birthday money to spend so I set myself a budget and stuck to it, believe me I cut down A LOT - I had £500+ worth of stuff I wanted to buy in the sale (working there doesn't help!) but I managed to cut it down to this lot... phew!

Black patent bag - WAS £20 NOW £10

I knew this bag would be a staple in my wardrobe so I couldn't say no. You could literally wear with with ANYTHING! I will wear it to smarten up my A/W outfits. I was more tempted by the A/W sale stuff than any of the summery stuff to be honest as there's not much left of the summer months! Instead I opted for pieces that could take me into autumn :)

Camel patent bag - WAS £20 NOW £10

The same as above but in a lovely, chic camel colour! Well camel never goes out of style, does it? This will instantly update an all-black outfit. I love the little gold studs on the bottom as well :)

Tan satchel - WAS £30 NOW £15

I had my eye on this before it went in the sale and I'm SO glad it did! I've been looking for a quality tan satchel for ages! I'm not sure if it's real leather or not (probably not) but it looks like its real so that's fine with me! It's so spacious inside, it can fit all my belongings, and I love the little pocket for my phone and iPod, etc :) It has a grab handle, as well as a long strap, which is really handy! Bargain :)

Leopard pashmina - WAS £14 NOW £6

I've been on the hunt for a leopard print scarf for ages now as all the celebs seem to be wearing them! I'll be wearing mine with a black blazer, skinny jeans and pumps for that Mary-Kate look :)

Camel button skirt - WAS £32 NOW £15

This was something a customer returned and I put it on hold right away! I wasn't sure about it at first as it's very clingy but it's so timeless I thought I'd get a lot of wear out of it :)

Tribal disc necklace - WAS £10 NOW £5

This was one of the few summer items I bought - I just love these statement necklaces! I'll be wearing it with a simple black jumpsuit and tan wedges. Also, it's amazing because it can be worn as a long pendant (above) or...

as a short, choker-style necklace. How versatile!

Dark denim bootcut jeans - WAS £20 NOW £10

I've never worn, or even bought, a pair of bootcut jeans before but I tried these on with a pair of tan wedges and they really elongated and slimmed down my legs! Well you can't go wrong there! I plan to wear them with a chic white blazer and a vest top or blouse. I have picked up a number of pairs of jeans in the Next sale - they really are amazing quality and last for AGES! I have to order the Petite length, though :-(

My budget was £60 but I used £5 of my own money to buy the necklace, so it came to £65 overall.

What do you think of the Next sale? Did you pick up any bargains?

Let me know! :)

Love,

Sophia

xo

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation + 190 Foundation Brush review!

Hey peoples!

I was lucky enough to be treated to a new MAC foundation and brush recently! Naming no names but let's just say I was truly grateful :) I have never owned a MAC foundation before, I literally have one lipstick and an eyebrow pencil and that's it lol so this was a real treat! You can read my first ever MAC haul post here.

I got...

• Pro Longwear SPF 10 Foundation (NC15) and the
• 190 Foundation Brush

THE PURCHASE

I went into the MAC store (well, the MAC stand in Fenwicks department store!) not expecting to buy a foundation. I simply wanted to take home a sample so that I could see how I got on with it and whether I wanted to put it on my birthday list (which is next week by the way, woo hoo!) I approached the MUA and basically explained that I was looking for a new foundation that could take me into A/W and that I had my eye on Face and Body and the Pro Longwear (which is what Dulce Candy uses and I lurve her). They didn't stock the Face and Body (boo hoo) but they did stock the Pro Longwear so she colour matched that to my skin. I thought the MUA was quite rude when I said that I was colour matched in Estee Lauder before and found to be the lightest possible shade, I was only trying to be helpful but she was like "oh we're nothing alike, they use colours and we use numbers" in a really snobbish kind of way that kind of put me off even looking! Anyway she colour matched me perfectly (apparently I'm cool toned although Estee Lauder said I was warm toned, wtf?) and before I even had time to ask for a sample my mystery shopper had a full bottle in hand ready to purchase. That was until the MUA insisted that there would be "no point getting the Pro Longwear without a brush as the oil would go onto your face" or something so I got that too, although I've never used a foundation brush before really! (Well, I have, but my No7 one left lines across my face so that was the end of that relationship!)

I was a very lucky girl.

So here are a few snapshots of me sporting the Pro Longwear, applied using my new 190 foundation brush.

Posey posey

FYI I'm wearing Bourjois Delice de Poudre bronzer 51, don't you just love it?

MY THOUGHTS

Well MAC definitely live up to its reputation. I was worried the Pro Longwear would be gloopy but it's lovely and silky and the colour match is pretty spot-on. I first applied it without the brush and I mean it was OK, but with the brush oh my the effect was amazing! As you can see it leaves with me a flawless, radiant complexion. Believe me, my skin was not like that before lol. I'm satisfied this foundation will take me into Autumn as it's medium coverage, whereas I was worried the Face and Body might be a little too lightweight for A/W. It lasted all day as well, result. Also, the foundation brush doesn't leave lines across my face like the No7 one did! Smiles all round!

At the moment, I'm still using Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect when I'm in a rush as it's thinner and just quicker to apply, or Rimmel 25 Hour when I've got really bad skin and I need something that will cover everything and last for ages, but MAC Pro Longwear is definitely up there now as one of my go-to foundations :)

What's your favourite foundation? Have you ventured into the world of MAC foundation and brushes yet?

Love,

Sophia

xo

Free Nails Inc with Dove & Fabulous magazine!

Hey loves!

Now you may have noticed my NOTD posts have been a little on the thin side recently - I've been waiting for this beast of a post! I've recently acquired FOUR free Nails Inc nail varnishes! Yep, you read that right - FOUR... for FREE! They currently retail for £10 on ASOS and Boots.

Here's what I got...

• 2 free when I bought 4 Dove deodorants in Boots and
• 2 free with 3 coupons from Fabulous magazine (now part of the Sun)

First up, here's the ones I got free with Dove in Boots:

I purchased 2 of Dove's roll-on deodorants in Green Tea & Cucumber and 2 of their spray versions. I love this scent, it's so fresh and summery! I've popped one of their roll-ons in my bag for 'on-the-go' and one in my gym holdall. As the offer was one free nail varnish with 2 Dove purchases, I got 2 nail varnishes :)

(left - copacabana, right - havana)

Havana:

A timeless nude pink. One coat needed.

Copacabana:

A vibrant pinky-coral. Only one coat!

The next two that I received were free with Fabulous magazine (when it was given out with the NotW - sob!)

(left - ATOMIC, right - OMP!)

ATOMIC by Fabulous:
Bright matte orange, even brighter than my fave Candy Orange! 1 coat.

OMP! by Fabulous:

A raspberry pink - I'm wearing it on my toes, too :)

Unfortunately none of these offers are still available but I'm sure Nails Inc will release some more fab offers soon!

All of these were topped with my Sally Hansen Diamond Shine top coat and lasted 4-5 without chipping, which I think is pretty impressive!

Have you picked up any Nails Inc freebies recently?

Love,

Sophia

xo

A few new Fragrance Direct / No7 products!

Hey loves!

Now I know you know how much I love Fragrance Direct. In fact, I just blogged about my recent Rimmel nail varnish purchase from them - I just can't stay away! Their prices are just SO cheap! I bought a couple of items from there recently along with something from No7 with a spare £5 off voucher I had.

(l-r: Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Ambre Rose, Bourjois Illuminating Blush Creme & No7 Perfect Lips Liner in Nude)

First up, here's what I bought from No7...

It's the Perfect Lips Liner in the shade Nude. It retails for £7.50 but it was only £2.50 with the voucher, bargain! I had my eye on this product after seeing it featured on celebrity make-up artist Lisa Eldridge's blog. It definitely lives up to the hype; it's soft and creamy, and the perfect nude shade. I use it whenever I'm wearing a nude/pale pinky lipstick (I've got a red/bright pink one already for those colours). This is fab!

Here's what's currently on my No7 wishlist...

• Another Exceptional Definition Mascara in Brown/Black RRP £12.50. I bought this quite a while ago and using it everyday has taken its toll on it! This is my holy grail brown mascara without a day. It's like my eyelashes but better. Read my review here.
• Cheek Tint Blusher in Peach/Rose Silk RRP £9 each. I've swatched both these colours instore and they feel/look amazing!
• Silky Leg Oil RRP £11. I love the sound of this, I'll use it just before I go out for a sexy sheen! I've just seen it's currently sold out online, noo!
• Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser RRP £12. Just because.

Hurry up No7 vouchers, I'm not paying full price!!!

Check out my other No7 hauls here and here.

Meanwhile, here's what I picked up from Fragrance Direct...

It's the Bourjois Illuminating Blush Creme, which was only £1.99!

I use it as a highlight on my cheekbones, it's lovely and creamy and has a slight glimmer to it, I was surprised by how small it was but it's perfect for popping in your handbag!

Lastly, I bought the Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Ambre Rose for £1.99 again! I'd read about it on Lollipop26's beauty blog (now Buy Now, Blog Later) and had to have it :)

Here it is without flash...

and with flash...

It's a creamy pastel pink, mmm!

Here's my lips before...

and after...

I am seriously in love with this lipstick. It's so soft and creamy and perfect for daytime wear, it's lovely and subtle. For £1.99 you can't beat the price either! Woop woop!

(from top-bottom: Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Ambre Rose, Bourjois Illuminating Blush Creme & a swipe of No7 Perfect Lips Liner in Nude)

FOTD including all products...

I'm really pleased with these bargain products, you can't beat Fragrance Direct for cosmetics at seriously low prices! (and no, I'm not affiliated with them LOL). Did you guys know they sell MAC now? I've got my eyes on some of their eyeshadows, yum!

Shop Fragrance Direct here and Boots No7 here.

What are your thoughts on Fragrance Direct and/or No7? Would you recommend any of their products? If you haven't tried either of these brands/stockists before, I would seriously advise you do :)!

Love,

Sophia

xo

NOTD: Rimmel Lycra Pro - Pink Amazon

Hey guys!

I hope you liked my MUA lipsticks post yesterday, thanks for your kind comments! Just a quick NOTD post now :)

Lately I've been wearing this on my nails from my Rimmel at Fragrance Direct £1 haul...

It's from Rimmel's Lycra Pro range in the shade Pink Amazon. I didn't know how to describe it until the boy described it as 'raspberry' which I think is pretty apt :) I LOVE these nail polishes, I have SO many - they're on-trend shades, easy to apply (only one coat!) and last a few days, I haven't even been wearing a top coat with these. I literally couldn't recommend them enough!

I bought mine for 99p on Fragrance Direct, you can too here (what a bargain!)

Have you tried Rimmel Lycra Pro before or shopped at Fragrance Direct? What's your favourite budget nail brand?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo

More £1 MUA lipsticks!

Hey guys!

I hope you're having a lovely weekend! I worked yesterday and I went to the gym today but that's about it, there's only so much you can do with limited funds! haha. Speaking of funds, you may remember a recent MUA at Superdrug haul I posted about recently (I say haul - it came to £2 lol so hardly haul-worthy). Well, I loved the lipstick SO much that I've bought 2 more in different colours! I already have Shade 11 which is one of my ultimate favourites, seriously, get it girls! The whole range is only £1 so you can't really say no, can you?

Here are my new MUA lipsticks...

(left - shade 13, right - shade 7)

Shade 7

(they don't have names!)

This is a shimmery peachy pink colour that I bought for the daytime.

Before:

After:

This is a lovely, natural peach shade that's perfect for summer. It does have a light shimmer, which I don't tend to like usually but it's hardly noticeable here. I reckon it would suit anyone, it's such a natural, girly shade!

Shade 13

This is a bright, true tomato red that I bought for evenings.

Before:

After:

I know, bright huh! I made the mistake of applying this lipstick without a lip brush at first, major error! It's SO pigmented it's ridiculous!

Eeek, so bright! I'm gonna be honest, I think the second one (shade 13) completely drains me out, it's definitely not suited for pale girls (sorry!) I just think you need a bit of a tan before you can wear this shade. What do you think?

Overall I'm really impressed with the quality of these lipsticks - they're so soft and moisturising, I love applying them. I definitely prefer shade 7 over shade 13 as it's more natural, but I think my original shade 11 beats them hands down really :) Great value for £1 each though, and you get 10% NUS student discount so they're only 90p each really - they're worth way more than that!

I also picked up this MUA blusher in Shade 3. I don't feel comfortable bringing an expensive blusher like my favourite NARS Orgasm around with me in my handbag as I worry it'll get broken/smashed and I just can't afford that right now. So I bought this one to carry around in my handbag with me and just relax that I can afford to buy another if it smashes!

I'm actually VERY impressed with this! I was expecting it to be really dry and for nothing to come out onto the brush, when in fact it's very pigmented and you have to be careful you don't get TOO MUCH product on the brush! I'd describe it as NARS Orgasm but without the shimmer. I use it as a daytime blush for the apples of my cheeks, usually when I'm on the way to work :)

Have you tried Superdrug's MUA range before? Is it something you'd consider? Anything I should try?

Love,

Sophia

xo