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

Summer Style 2015: My Holiday Wardrobe On A Budget (Ngl, Mainly Primark And New Look)

Hey ladies!

I hope you're all well and have enjoyed your summer months, wherever you might have been :)

Earlier this summer, I went on a very relaxing holiday to Albufeira in Portugal with my other half. Here's some of the outfits I wore...

Outfit one:

Crop top - Primark

Pleated maxi skirt - Primark

Necklace - Primark

Watch - Kate Spade

I loved this skirt when I spotted it in my local Primark as it makes such a great statement piece. Usually, maxi skirts are far too long for my petite frame, but luckily this one was fine so I took it straight to the till. I added the black crop top as the skirt had an elasticated black waist band that I wanted to conceal, and the floral necklace added a touch of glam.

Outfit two:

Dress - New Look

Leather flip-flops - New Look

Watch - as before

This dress has had plenty of wear this summer, but the fact it's a bit booby makes me feel slightly cautious about wearing it! The wrap design is flattering on my curvy figure, and I love the floral print. I teamed it with a bold red lip - MAC's Lady Danger, if you're wondering :)

Outfit three:

Playsuit - Primark

Gladiator sandals - New Look

Bucket bag - Primark

Another Primark gem :) I wasn't sure about this at first when I saw it on the hanger , but I fell for it when I tried it on in the store. The neckline and the hem design were really pretty elements to it and it also felt very Portuguese for some reason. I added the tan waist belt to cinch in my stomach - I hate it when they come with those elasticated waistbands as they never fall at the right part of my body!

Outfit four:

Image: Sophia Moir 

Playsuit - Primark

Accessories - as before

I've been eyeing up a lot of tropical-print pieces in the shops lately, so this leaf-print playsuit was in my basket as soon as I laid eyes on it. The wrap detail is, again, flattering to my figure but I added the belt to cinch in my waist as playsuit actually featured more of a drop waist.

What have you been wearing on holiday this year? Send me your links in the comments!

Love,

Sophia

xo

TV BAFTAs 2015: What I Wore On The Red Carpet At The BAFTA Television Awards, With MAC Cosmetics

Hi ladies,

I hope you're all well!

Here's what I wore on the red carpet at the Television BAFTAs 2015 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, as a guest of MAC Cosmetics...

Playsuit - New Look

Belt - New Look

Heels - New Look

I had my make-up done by the lovely team at the MAC Pro Store in Soho, and it stayed in place all day! WOOP! 

The focal point of my beauty look was the winged eyeliner (MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack) and the matte lips (MAC Lipstick in Bricola), which I thought matched the floral pattern on the playsuit nicely.

Love,

Sophia

xo

Summer Fashion: Night Out #OOTN Featuring ASOS Lantern Dress And New Look Ankle-Strap Heels

Hi lovelies,

I hope you're all really well.

Recently, I went on a girls' night out to Clapham, London and got suitably dressed up for the occasion (well, as dressed up as you can for southwest London...)

Here's what I wore... 

Image: Sophia Moir / Instagram

Dress - ASOS (link here but now O/S... similar styles here and here)

Heels - New Look (link here but now O/S... similar style here)
Belt - Primark

I chose this dress from ASOS because I really liked the flattering, lantern-style shape, which cinched in my waist and skimmed my stomach (my least favourite body part!). 

Image: ASOS

I also really liked the colour as it's something I wouldn't typically wear. In real life, it was a bold magenta pink shade that really stood out. It was an odd, scuba material that I'm not used to wearing but was actually pretty comfortable! I kept the styling relatively simple - wearing a black skinny waist belt and black, ankle-strap heels. 

Here's the beauty look I went for...

Image: Sophia Moir / Instagram

I opted to keep my make-up pretty pared-back, except for a bold, orange lip. Here, I'm wearing Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera, £23.00 from Space NK which I absolutely LOVE. The formula is just outstanding - it's thick (but not gloopy) and has the staying power of a lipstick. Riviera is more of a bright orange shade in real life (I'd compare it to MAC Morange), and I teamed it with bold orange nails.

Image: Space NK

For my skin, I wore my go-to drugstore foundation, Rimmel Wake Me Up, teamed with Liz Earle Radiant Glow Bronzer for a touch of colour. I'm wearing Urban Decay Ink For Eyes on my upper lash line and Benefit They're Real mascara (we shall never be parted).

Love,

Sophia x

Summer Wedding Outfit: 60s Inspired Look With AX Paris And Boohoo.com

Hi ladies,

I hope you're well and enjoying the start of summer (if you're here in the UK!)

A couple of weeks ago I went to my colleague Kim's wedding (she looked beautiful, of course) and I had lots of fun planning my summer wedding outfit.

It's actually the first time I've been to a friend's wedding as a guest and not a bridesmaid so I wasn't sure what to wear at first but once a couple of us had a chat about it, we all had it in our heads what we wanted to wear.

I had a couple of possible options added to my never-ending ASOS saved list, but once I saw the below beauty (from AX Paris) I knew I had to try it on at least...

Image: ASOS

As soon as I tried it on at home, I was pretty much like 'yep - that's the one.' I fell in love with the intricate brocade print, the muted lime green shade and the flattering fit-and-flare shape.

I also knew I wanted to take beauty inspiration from Emma Stone's Oscars 2015 Elie Saab dress, below.

I wasn't sure I'd get much use out of a pair of lime green, satin, ankle-strap heels so I went in search of white accessories instead, to complement the white floral detail in the AX Paris dress, as well as a fairly natural beauty look. 

Here's how I styled it on the day...

Dress - AX Paris at ASOS

Heels - Boohoo.com 

Belt - ASOS (old - similar style from Missguided)

I continued the white accessories theme with a mini clutch-bag from New Look (it's from a couple of years old but here's a very similar style from Oasis).

I'd recently had a hair cut so I kept my locks very simple, straightening them with my GHDs and adding L'Oreal Elnett Very Volume Supreme Hold Hairspray.

It looks like I've flicked out the ends of my hair but I haven't. I quite like the effect though, it's very 60s-style and fits nicely with the shape of the dress.

I got in touch with the Revlon PR and found out that the lipstick Emma Stone wore to the Oscars was the new Ultra HD Lipstick in Hibiscus, so I went in search of that, of course!

The colour was really bold and bright - but it didn't have as much staying power as I would have liked (although drinking numerous glasses of Prosecco probably didn't help).

I kept my base very dewy - I'm wearing my trusty Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation here, powdered with Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder. You don't have to spend a fortune for foundation these days - I've used this Rimmel one for YEARS and still love it.

I also got a spray tan a couple of days before, thanks to the lovely ladies at St Tropez. I went for the sensitive mist as the lady doing my tan said it was the lightest shade, which sounded right for me as I just wanted a natural glow.

Here are some more pictures from the night...

Happy wedding day, Kim!