Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Strut review, swatches & FOTD!

Hey guys!

I hope you're all good in the hood! :-)

I popped into Boots recently, and I had a quick rummage through their 'Clearance' section and guess what I picked up... one of these babys! Yup, one of Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadows in the on-trend shade, Strut...

You know the best bit? It was reduced HALF PRICE, from £14 to £7... bargain! Someone had obviously wanted to try it before they bought it, because it had a few finger marks in it but it still had 98% of the product left, as you can see :)

It's a really wearable, glistening gunmetal shade that's perfect for a spin-off on the classic smokey eye ;-) Not only that, but the product is SO pigmented - Although it retails at £14, you just know it's going to last years as you only need to use the TINIEST amount!

So here's what Strut looks like on my eyes (closed):

and open:

I think it's a really striking colour that suits darker features like my own. I personally would think it's a bit harsh on fairer skintones (blue eyes, blonde hair!)

Here's a couple of full-face shots to see how it looks overall...

Also wearing...

MAC Fix+

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation

NARS Laguna bronzer

NARS Orgasm blusher

H&M clear lipgloss (old)

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Strut

Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid eye liner (Black)

Avon Color Trend kajal stick (Black)

2 coats of CoverGirl Last Blast Volume mascara (Black)

Ruby + Millie Brow Kit

I am really impressed with this eye shadow, and it's well worth the bargain £7 I paid for it! The only other Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow I own is the shade RSVP, which I picked up for £1 at a car boot sale!

I NEED some more of these shadows in my life! There's 12 shades available to buy at the moment & I'd love to try...

• Birthday Suit (brushed chrome)
• Bunny Hop (sparkling champagne) and
• Busy Signal (venetian brown)

You can buy them on the newly re-vamped Benefit website for £14 here.

Have you tried Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadows before? If so, what's your favourite shade? If not, what do you use instead?

Let me know!

Love,

Sophia

xo

Health foods haul!

Good afternoon guys!

How are you all today? I don't know about you lot but I am on a bit of a health-kick at the moment! I don't know why, but something just clicked and I really WANT to be healthy from now on :-)

So I dragged myself into town this morning and spent a small fortune in Holland & Barratt lol. I made myself a little list, consisting mainly of items that I've seen on Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish and Sweet Potato Sarah - 2 of my favourite healthy living blogs!

Here's what I picked up...

• Dried mango slices
• VitaCoco coconut water (original, passionfruit, pineapple and peach & mango)
• Aspire Cranberry calorie burning soft drink
• Ecomil almond milk
• Yogi chocolate + spices tea bags
• Yoghurt coated raisins
• Sula sugar free sweets (strawberries & cream, caramel cream & clear mint)
• Salad sprinkle mix (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeks)
• Flaxseed
• TREK bars (cocoa brownie & mixed berry)
• Nakd bars (cashew cookie & gingerbread)

I've separated all my foods into cupboard foods and fridge foods and stored them accordingly.

I've put all my cupboard foods into a little container and placed it by my bed (which used to have a tray full of chocolate, nono!) in case I get hungry.

I've also placed all the fridge foods into a lunch box and popped that in the fridge so that it's all nice and organised... I'm a bit OCD with things like that LOL...

Of course, I will review these all fully when I've had a chance to indulge in them lol, but I have to say I am really looking forward to trying these foods & drinks!!! So far, the only thing I've tried is a cup of coffee with almond milk, which leaves a lovely sweet taste to the coffee, and the TREK cocoa brownie bar which I enjoyed much more than I would! I'm going to bring the cranberry drink and the sugar free sweets on the train with me in case I get peckish :-)

What do you think? Have you tried any of these health foods before? What are your favourite health/superfoods?

Let me know!

Sophia

xo

Next Christmas party OOTN, FOTN & NOTN ft. H&M sequin skirt!

Good afternoon people!

How are you all today? Enjoying your Sunday I hope!!! I have to admit I'm feeling slightly delicate after my work's belated Christmas party at the Hilton Metropole in Brighton last night. I had the most amazing time (albeit one too many glasses of red!) I also had the chance to properly say goodbye to my work friends as it was my last day - For those of you who are interested, I left to focus my time & energy on finding a proper journo job!

I decided to go uber glam and whack out the sequin skirt that my Sister bought me for Christmas. I figured it would be the last opportunity to wear it this year really, as we're coming into Spring/Summer now! I also think it's always better to have one 'stand out' piece in an outfit, which I hope the black balanced out.

So here's what I wore...

FASHION:

• Black wrap body - ASOS (old - similar style here)
• Gold sequin skirt - H&M (new - see my Christmas prezzies here)
• Black tights - TOPSHOP (old - available here)
• Black patent heels - Priceless Shoes (old - see blog post here)
• Bag - Vintage (sort of - see my car boot haul here)

BEAUTY:

• FACE: Benefit That Gal primer, Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous Foundation Faker (02 Medium), Benefit Boi-ing concealer (02 Medium), YSL Touche Eclat (Shade 1), Benefit Dallas bronzer, Benefit Coralista blusher.

• EYES: Urban Decay e/s primer potion, Urban Decay baked e/s in Buck all over lid, Urban Decay baked e/s in Hustle in outer corners (all from NAKED palette), 2 coats of CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara (Volume), Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid eye-liner (Black) on top lid, Avon Color Trend kajal stick (Black) in lower waterline - also used on eyebrows.

• LIPS: Carmex lip balm (Original) to prime; Sleek Pout Polish in Scandal.

• HAIR: Straightened using GHD's in the a.m; held, volumised & touched up using Moroccanoil Luminous Hold hairspray.

NAILS

• Models Own - Gold Finger (bought from ASOS)

I love this shade from Model's Own! It's so pigmented and you get SOO much glitter! I'm going to have to restrain myself from buying any more! I can't wait to go out again - I love dressing up!

What did you wear this weekend?

Love,

Sophia

xo

Soap & Glory SUPERCAT Carbon Black extreme eyeliner pen review & pics!

Hey lovelies!!!

I hope you've all had a pleasant week and are looking forward to the WEEKEND! :)

I had to share this product with you guys - I've been wearing it literally EVERY day since I bought it a couple of weeks ago...

It's Soap & Glory's new(ish!) SUPERCAT eyeliner pen... and it's UH-MAZING!!!

I've always (and I mean ALWAYS!) used Rimmel's Exaggerate liquid eye liner, but I found the nib was just too thick and it would often smudge and rub onto my upper lid. I required a thin, pen-like liner - I was tempted to buy L'Oreal's Carbon Gloss liner but I've heard rumours it's too 'glossy'! So I kind of went out and bought this on a whim without really reading any reviews or anything...

& I'm so glad I did!

It's just got the most perfect, pointy nib that is literally like a felt tin pen!

It leaves a super thin line that's precise and accurate and NEVER smudges. It goes EXACTLY where you want it to!

I can't reiterate enough how fast, easy and convenient it is. Seriously, I am ALWAYS in a rush applying my make-up and with it I can do my eye liner in like 30 secs!

...& you know the best bit? It's only £6!!! You can't afford to not try it really, at that price... Oh, and S&G are on 3 for 2 at Boots at the moment as well!

Here's a couple of full face shots so you can see how it looks IRL...

I think it leaves a really natural line that can easily be adjusted to appear thick or thin. With this liner I've found that you can even just draw the outline and then 'colour it in' as well! It's just fab :)

I'm really looking forward to trying some other items in the Soap and Glory make-up line now, including their imitation Benetint "Cheekmate" and their raved about concealer!

Have you tried any Soap & Glory make-up?

Let me know if it's any good!

Love,

Sophia

xo

NOTD: New York Color Quick Dry in Manhattan & new watch!

Hey ladies!

Just a quick one, I'm knackered from LBT! Here's what I've been rocking on my nails today :)

It's from NYC's Quick Dry nail polish range and honestly it's absolutely fab. Dries in a minute, only needs 2 coats and the whole range boasts classic yet on-trend colours. You want to know the best bit? You can pick them up in Superdrug for less than £2!!! I also love their shade Canal Street which I always rock every Christmas (it's a lovely, shimmery wine red colour!)

You can view all my NOTD posts including the NYC Quick Dry range here.

Oh and while you're staring at my hands...

Did I mention I bought myself a new watch?

Nothing fancy but the one I was wearing prior was getting a bit tatty, I'd already had to get a new strap for it once and it was just looking a bit run down. Not only that but it kept stopping... Would normally be OK, if it wasn't a watch and you needed it to be accurate!

My new one is from Next (no surprises there) and it retails for £18. It features a real tan leather croc effect strap and a rectangular face with a gold edge.

It's no Michael Kors (maybe one day...) but it tells the time, non?

I have to say also, without being completely biased, that it is worth popping into Next if you're on the hunt for a new watch as most of them are under £20 :)

What are you sporting on your nails/wrist today?

Love,

Sophia

xo

My eyebrow routine ft. £1.50 eye brush from Fragrance Direct!

Hey lovelies!

How are you all on this "manic Monday"? I've had a rather productive day I must say, but now I feel like it's the evening and I haven't actually stopped! Might drag myself down to an exercise class later to give me some much needed energy!

Now let's talk eyebrows.

Ever since I scarred my eyebrows as a child I've been reluctant to accentuate them and thus accentuate the scar. However I have learnt that a really good eyebrow pencil/shading action covers up the scar as well so I can still fill them in like normal!

When I first started filling in my eyebrows I used Avon's Kajal Stick in Brown which was probably a tad too dark looking back. Then I starting using MAC's Eyebrow pencil in Lingering (Kim K's eyebrow pencil of choice, dontcha know?) but I got fed up with the end that kept snapping off and it eventually ran out anyway.

Now I've found a beloved combo in the form of Ruby & Millie's Brow Enhance (Brown), applied using W7's Angled Eye Shadow Brush.

Here they are in all their glory...

I had to share this routine with you guys just because it's so damn easy.

• STEP ONE

Using the brush, apply a little of the brow color (the brown one in the set) and use it to 'colour in' your brows

• STEP TWO

No need to clean the brush, just add a little of the gel (the clear coloured one in the set) and, applying it where you've just applied the colour, use it to set the colour in place and finish off the look

THAT'S IT!

So here's my brows before...

and after...

brows before...

and after...

& here's a couple of face shots to show you how my new brows shape my face...

FYI I'm also wearing...

No7 Colour Calming Primer

Rimmel 25 Hour Foundation (True Ivory)

Maybelline Pure Cover Mineral Concealer (Sand)

NARS Laguna (bronzer) & Orgasm (blush)

Urban Decay e/s primer potion (Original)

Urban Decay baked e/s (Buck & Smog)

Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eye-Liner (Brown) on top lids

Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick (Brown) on lower waterline

No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara (Brown)

Ruby + Millie Brow Enhance (Brown)

Carmex lip balm (Original)

I have to say I'm pretty impressed with my eyebrow routine! I think they look really natural and 'tamed' and it only takes like a minute - it's no Scouse Brow but there ya go!

I bought the Ruby + Millie Brow Enhance from Boots when the line was in the clearance, but I believe it's pretty similar to other brow kits on the market, including ELF's or Benefit's. I bought the Eye Brush from Fragrance Direct for £1.50 but you can buy it online for less than £1!

What's your fail safe eyebrow routine?

Love,

Sophia

xo

A few of my favourite Christmas prezzies :)

Oh hey guys!

How are y'all doing? I hope you're enjoying this very lazy Sunday! :) I know I am!

Now I know a lot of people don't enjoy reading these kinds of posts, I suppose they could be described as a tad self-indulgent... HOWEVER I've loved reading everyone else's Christmas prezzies posts, it gives me ideas of what to add to my lists next year (and I'm just nosy - haha!)

You may remember I posted before about my Christmas wishlist, which was also featured in Horsham's The Resident newspaper. Well you'll all be relieved to know (!) that I received quite a lot of 'on-list' presents... and lots of lovely surprises as well :)

Here are some of my favourites...

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and the 266 brush

My sis treated me to MAC's infamous Fluidline which I can't wait to try! I've been watching beautycrush's tutorial on youtube about how to apply this, but I know I'm going to find it a right struggle! The truth is, I usually have about 5 mins to apply my make-up in the morning so I reckon I will have to sit down one afternoon and really master how to use this properly!

Benefit Smokin' Eyes sexy eye & brow makeover kit

Ma mere purchased Benefit's Smokin' Eyes kit for me because I have to admit... I still haven't mastered the art of the smokey eye! I know, can you believe it - 21 years old and many an application of make-up later, I still cannot do it. I don't know whether it's the patience or what, but I really cannot do it! I need a guide like this to help me master it! I'm getting desperate here people!!!

The set contains smokey eye coloured eyeshadows, a kohl eyeliner and a mini brow zings set to name only a few items, and I'm hoping that with this kit I will have sexy smokey eyes & brows in no time. A girl can dream!

Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Eau de Parfum

I sampled this perfume a couple of months ago in the Fragrance Shop but couldn't really justify buying it when I have quite a few perfumes already (Miss Dior Cherie, Marc Jacobs Daisy & Clinique Happy are some of my many 'go-to' fragrances) however I have a feeling that this will be my new 'going out' fragrance! I'm rubbish at describing scents, but it's a lovely vanilla scent that's fresh and perfect for a night out. I mean with a name like 212 VIP what do you expect?!

Estee Lauder Doublewear Foundation & Flawless Wear Concealer

EEEKKK!! I got tested for these items a number of months ago when I popped into Boots for some bits and bobs. The MUA applied both products to my face first thing in the morning and I was so surprised to find they were both still perfectly in tact come evening - even after a sweaty gym session! I know! But after reading a few reviews of the Doublewear foundation online I felt it would be too similar to my MAC Pro Longwear foundation that I use very regularly. I am still in love with Pro Longwear but it has a kind of sticky texture that I find rather odd to apply sometimes. So my Mum treated me to Estee Lauder's coveted foundation for Christmas and I went out and bought the concealer to match! FYI I'm the lightest POSSIBLE shade in both products lol - 'Bone' in the foundation and 'Light' in the concealer. Give me some sun! Full reviews to follow :)

Moroccanoil travel sized gift set

The boy did good! I've been lusting after Moroccanoil's Oil Treatment for YEARS but the boy did one better and got me the complete gift set! Containing a mini version of their luxe shampoo and conditioner, as well as a mini oil treatment and conditioning masque, I have a feeling my hair's going to be in pristine condition come February! Bring it on!

Treaclemoon Bath & Shower Gel / Body Scrub

I've never tried any of Treaclemoon's products before but I felt I had to mention these as they smell SO DAMN GOOD! :) The shower gel 'that vanilla moment' smells like Panettone cake (Italians will know!) whilst the body scrub 'my coconut island' smells just like holiday! I can't wait to use these in the shower :D!

LUSH Christmas Star bath gift set

It wouldn't be Christmas without LUSH! The only thing I need to do now is find the time to have a lovely, long relaxing bath. It was actually one of my new year's resolutions LAST year to take more baths to ease my stress levels but I admit I epically failed at that! I always feel like I'm hogging the bathroom and someone's going to bang on the door shouting 'I need the loo!' or something lol. Maybe that's just me...

DVDs

(from L-R: Celebrity Juice Too Juicy for TV, Bridesmaids, Gossip Girl Season 1, The Inbetweeners Movie)

Well I think you guys can guess MY sense of humour lol! I watched Bridesmaids in the cinema and absolutely died laughing, and the Inbetweeners movie was just hilarious. I've always been a fan of Celeb Juice and Gossip Girl is to watch late at night in bed :)

Books

I didn't ask for too many books this year as I not only have a list as long as my arm of books I need to read, but I'm also reading about 3 books on the go at the moment lol. However I would never say no to a good cook book - I really miss living at uni and cooking for myself every evening, and, well... Jamie Oliver is a living legend. I was soo happy I got the Twilight guide! You can never have enough Twilight knowledge... Twihard through and through baby!

Cath Kitson purse & key fob

Aww, so sweet! This purse is the perfect size, with enough room for all my cards, coins, receipts etc and it's such a beautiful, girly print - perfect for the summer :) and I always lose my keys so the floral fob will hopefully come in handy!

H&M gold sequin bodycon skirt

My sis treated me to this skirt after we tried it on together in H&M Crawlaay. I actually thought she had bought it for herself and was begging her to borrow it ALL CHRISTMAS! Turns out she bought it for me lol so now I get to wear it alll the time :) I might wear it to my work's Christmas party, I loove it :)

Classic Tall Ugg Boots - Black
Need I say anymore? These boots are just perfect! In fact, I'm wearing them right now! They're soo comfy! I received a short pair in Sand a couple of years ago and they are just the most versatile, durable boots ever invented. They are still in pretty good condition but obviously the sand colour gets a bit mucky. So hopefully these will last me a little longer :)

and saving the best 'til last...

CHOCOLATE!!!

Lots and lots of it! It's going to take me years to get through all of this lol. Looks like I won't be able to join Weight Watchers until I finish it all! ;-)

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got all the lovely things you asked for!

What was your favourite present this year?

Love,

Sophia

xo