Bridesmaid beauty: Long-lasting, waterproof, natural and mattifying #FOTD

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all well today and having a great evening :)

Last weekend, I was a bridesmaid at my friend Claire's wedding and my fellow bridesmaids and I did our own makeup for her special day.

It is the first time I've been asked to be a bridesmaid as an adult so it's the first time I've done my makeup for the occasion!

I should have done a run-through really but I just went into it and made it up as I went along to be quite honest. I just knew it had to fulfil the following criteria -

• Natural-looking (you don't want to look more glam than the bride but you don't want to look like you've just rolled out of bed either)
• Waterproof (no doubt tears would be shed as it was the wedding day of one of my dearest friends)
• Mattifying (I have a real problem with shine - especially around the T-Zone - and don't really want to be blotting throughout the service)
• Long-lasting (I started doing my make-up at around 9-10am and it needed to last until about midnight. This was the biggest test!)

Apologises for the quick pic taken in the car but it's the only one I got of my make-up!

Bridesmaid #FOTD:

FACE: Urban Decay Vitamin B5 Spray, Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat, Benefit Boi-ing Concealer, Dior Diorskin Nude Foundation* (applied with an Eyes Lip Face Studio Stippling Brush), MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, MAC Harmony Blush (applied with a MAC 180 Brush), NARS Orgasm Blush (applied with a Cosmopolitan Blush Brush), Benefit High Beam.

I started by prepping my skin my fave spray from Urban Decay, which acted as a base for my make-up. I concealed my dark circles with the Touché Eclat before covering up my spots/blemishes with Boi-ing (this took a while!)

The wedding was actually my first outing for the Dior foundation but it really came up trumps and gave a good, full coverage while still looking lovely and natural. I set my foundation and concealer with my favourite MAC powder before spritzing another layer of the Urban Decay spray (I'm obsessed).

I wanted a bronzer that added a touch of natural colour without looking too dark and chalky, and MAC Harmony fitted the bill perfectly. A touch of NARS Orgasm on the cheeks, followed by High Beam on the cheekbones, browbones and bridge of the nose completed the look - all set with the Urban Decay B5 Spray again.

EYES: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Urban Decay Naked Palette (Naked, Buck and Sin), L'Oreal Carbon Black Super Liner Slim, Charlotte Tilbury Fat Lash Mascara*, Ardell Demi Wispies Lashes. MAC Omega e/s on lids.

The Maid of Honour and I went for almost identical eye make-up for the wedding, to the point where we literally looked like twins! She did her eye make-up first so I just copied it the best I could. We both opted for a natural smokey eye with a flick of liquid liner and lashings of black mascara.

I always find eye make-up lasts longer on the lids and generally looks better with primer than without so I started with the classic UD one. I couldn't live without my Naked palette and take it with me wherever I go - it's perfect for a daytime look but also for a sexy smokey eye. Then, I blended the lightest shade all over my eyelid and up to the browbone, Buck all over the lid and Sin on the sides to create a smokey eye effect.

The L'Oreal Super Liner is a holy grail product for me now as it's perfect for creating cat-eye flicks and it lasts all day with primer. I skipped kohl liner under the eye as I was going for a more natural look but coated my lashes in a few layers of the Charlotte Tilbury mascara (amazing!) before adding gradient lashes.

LIPS: Revlon Super Lustruous Lipgloss in Nude Lustre.

A slick of this gorgeous glossy nude lipgloss with a hint of shimmer completed my beauty look for the wedding.

The test: Did it last?

Yep! I applied my make-up by about 10/11am and it lasted all the way until 1am the morning after. The only qualm I had was that it wasn't sweat proof and I definitely could have done with a blotting paper or powder during the evening. But other than that I'd definitely recommend the products I used for being long-lasting and natural-looking.

Have you been a bridesmaid at a wedding before? How did you do your make-up?

Love,

Sophia

xo

MAC haul: Fix+, Select Cover Up Concealer, Eye Brows in Lingering

Hey loves,

I hope you're having a great day :-)

So like the rest of the female population, I am indeed a MAC fiend! My obsession only started within the past year, but I've since moved near to a branch and I'm clearly obsessed.

I work right next to the MAC in Neal Street, Covent Garden and I am forever popping in to look at the new collections or generally to have a little nosey around.

I feel sorry for whoever I take my lunch break with because they're usually dragged into MAC with me against their will!

I usually try and behave and not buy what I don't need but often my spontaneous head takes over and... well, here we are!

I re-purchased a full-size MAC Fix+ and Lingering eye pencil and bought the Select Cover Up concealer for the first time. Here's what I thought...

MAC Fix+

I've re-purchased Fix+ two or three times now - I'm definitely a convert! I know this is hit and miss kind of product with a lot of people, with some people saying they don't see the benefits, but I certainly do.

It is essentially a glorified water spray but my God is it worth it! You just need to read the ingredients list to see how good it is for your skin - green tea, chamomile, cucumber to name a few.

It's just such an essential part of my make-up regime now - I use it a couple of times a day without fail.

The first thing I use this for is to prime my skin and help my make-up 'stick' to my face. Then, once I've applied my foundation, I buff it in with a stippling brush spritzed with a little of this. I then spray it on my face after I've applied all my make-up to give it a fresh, dewy finish.

I also spray it onto a spoolie brush (old mascara wand) and brush it through my brows to set them in place. I continue to spray my face with this throughout the day when it's in need of a 'pick me up'!

I would definitely recommend this! You could always buy the travel version first and see how you get on, and if you decide you don't like it you've still got a mini spray bottle to keep! Ha.

MAC Eye Brows in Lingering

This was another re-purchase and something I use pretty much every day without fail.

I went through a phase of having really dark, defined brows but I realised they were probably scaring people off so I ditched them in favour of a more natural look.

This is almost exactly the same colour as my brows! It's a self-sharpening style meaning you just twist it up to get the pencil and you don't have to carry a sharpener around.

It takes me about 30 seconds to fill in my brows using this. I literally just colour them in, it's so easy - and it looks so natural.

The only issue I have with this is - because the nib of the pencil is so thin - it ALWAYS snaps off! It's so frustrating, because it's quite expensive and I normally wouldn't mind but when it snaps off it wastes so much product.

I'm on the hunt for a decent dupe for this but I haven't found anything so far. The closest I've found is a brow product only available in the States - Maybelline Define a Brow! Grr. Let me know if you have the same problem :-(

MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer

This was the first time I bought this after a friend recommended it. I have to admit, I'm not overly impressed with this product!

I was colour matched as NW20 in this - which I'm sure is right - but it just doesn't conceal enough. Under my eyes, I still have dark circles and my blemishes aren't covered that well either.

I have quite high expectations of concealers because I have problem skin - don't get me started! - so it has to conceal REALLY well or I'm not interested.

So far, the best concealers I've found for hiding blemishes are Benefit Boi-ing and MAC Studio Finish. The reason I say both is because Benefit is slightly too dark for me naturally so I use it on nights out when I've got a bit of fake tan! I need to try it in the lighter shade too though really.

For concealing dark circles under your eyes, I've found the Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat to be the best so far.

That's it for today's MAC haul but I'm sure there will be more coming your way soon!

What are your favourite MAC products? Let me know over on Twitter now.

Love,

Sophia

xo

Back to MAC: My first experience of recycling my old MAC products for new ones

Hi loves!

I hope you're having a good day and looking forward to the evening ahead.

So I don't know about you, but I am absolutely OBSESSED with MAC make-up. My obsession with the Canadian beauty brand only started a couple of years ago but my collection has expanded hugely.

I find it near enough impossible to go to a MAC counter and not buy anything/come out with swatches all over my hands.

I only heard about the Back to MAC scheme about a year ago and started collecting MAC empties since then. I thought you needed five MAC empties but actually it was six. Here's how it works...

1) Use your MAC products like normal and keep the empty packaging. I stored my empty MAC containers in a small box and ticked off how many products I used up. The rules state you need to have six 'primary plastic containers' in order to qualify for Back to MAC but all my empties so far have been eligible.

My six products were - 2 x Eye Brows (Lingering), 2 x Fix+ (travel size), 1 x Fix+, 1 x Pro eye make-up remover (travel size). Yes - mini sizes do count! Or at least they did in the stores I visited (Covent Garden/Pro in Soho).

2) Swatch until your hearts content! As far as I'm aware, you're only allowed a lipstick in the UK but I think in the States you can get a single eyeshadow instead.

I didn't really go in with a certain lipstick in mind to get. I knew I wanted to swatch Ruby Woo, Impassioned and a couple of others but I wasn't set on them.

3) Choose your lipstick! In the end I went for the Cremesheen Lipstick in Hang-up, which is a deep berry shade - perfect for AW13. The first store I visited (Covent Garden) didn't have Hang-up in stock annoyingly as I swatched it and fell in love with it. I went into the Pro store in Soho the next day and they had it in stock, thank God! I simply took my lipstick to the till and they sorted out the recycling.

4) Use your free lipstick! It's as simple as that. They took away the packaging for Hang-up lipstick (not sure why, must be one of the rules of Back to MAC) but I still got the lipstick brand-new and most importantly, FREE! Here's how it looked on a night out IRL:

My verdict on Back to MAC

I think it's pretty amazing actually! You get a free lipstick for using up products you would do anyway. I was also really happy to find that travel-sized products count as I buy a lot of those. It's a shame you don't get to keep the packaging for the new lipstick but it's still full-sized and un-used. It's definitely made me want to use up my MAC quicker!

Have you used Back to MAC before? What was your experience like? What did you get?

Love,

Sophia

xo

Weekend OOTN, FOTN and HOTN: Leather and lace plus the plum lips trend

Hi loves,

I hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend if you have it off!

This weekend I went out into town and here's what I wore. Usually I plan my outfits in advance but this was a pretty last minute thing so I literally just grabbed a few things from my wardrobe and got changed before I left the house.

OOTN:

Lace top - New Look (new season)

Black belt - H&M (old)

Leather shorts - Next (past season)

I absolutely love lace at this time of year so I tend to buy a lot of it. This lace tee could be worn with a tank top underneath for work wear or with just a bra for a night out. These leather shorts have lasted me well and work to add a touch of glamour to any look.

FOTN:

Face - Benefit That Gal to prime, YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch, Benefit Boi-ing Concealer, Estée Lauder Doublewear Light Foundation, Benefit Dallas Bronzer, Benefit Coralista Blush, Benefit High Beam.

Eyes - Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Urban Decay Naked Palette (Naked, Buck, Cork in the crease), L'Oreal Perfect Slim Superliner on top lid, Avon Color Trend Kajal Stick on lower waterline, Benefit They're Real mascara.

Brows - MAC Charcoal Brown eyeshadow applied with MAC 189 Brush

Lips - LUSH Bubblegum lip scrub, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant to prime, Revlon Kissable Lip Stain in Crush.

HOTN:

Prep - none (hair was freshly washed that morning)

Curls - GHD Original Styler

Hold - L'Oreal Paris Very Volume Supreme Hold Hairspray

What did you wear out this weekend?

Let me know in the comments or tell me on Twitter now!

Love,

Sophia

xo

 

Birthday 2013: Beauty presents!

Hey peoples!

How is it Monday again?! I hope you've had an amazing weekend :-)

Now I love reading these kinds of posts so I hope you'll enjoy mine. Here's what I got for my birthday... YAY!

The Sanctuary Spa Me Time Spa Treats

I've never actually visited the Sanctuary Spa *hint* but I am in love with their beauty products! This is such a cute little gift set and contains minis, perfect for travelling - which I do, A LOT of.

Lauren Conrad - Beauty book

I've always had a girl crush on LC- I love pretty much everything about her! That also includes our mutual disdain for Stephanie Pratt. I can't wait to find out her beauty secrets and I'm going to buy her Style book next.

Real Techniques Starter Kit (Eyes)

I've already got the Core Collection and I bloody love it so I'm trying to build up my Real Techniques collection at the moment! They're so cheap and easily available but amazing quality.

Yankee Candle Waikiki Melon

There's nothing I love more than cosying up at the end of a long day with the Made in Chelsea box set and a scented candle. Yankee Candle Pink Sands and Clean Cotton are my fave scents but I thought it was time to try something new and this smells LOVELY.

Barry M Gelly Shine Nail Paint

I have a couple of these Barry M Nail Paints already and they're really awesome. These pretty pastel shades are right up my street, they're super glossy and last ages as well so it's a win win situation.

MUA Nail Constellation

I like to give my nails a bit of TLC (usually on a Friday night!) so I can't wait to settle in and give this a go! Has anyone tried it? Is it easy to use?

They're the main presents I got for my bday, what are you lot asking for this year?!

Love,

Sophia

xo

Summer fashion: Birthday outfits from Topshop, Primark, River Island, New Look and Warehouse

Hey ladies!

I hope you're all well and looking forward to autumn. Just a little flashback this morning to some of the summer outfits I wore for my birthday :-)

These are three main outfits I wore for my 23rd birthday. The first I wore out for lunch with friends, the second I wore for a girly meal out and the third I wore for my family party.

Outfit one:

Crop top - Topshop

Maxi skirt - Primark

On the day before my birthday, I went to a lovely pub called The Hornbrook with three of my friends. I wore this loose, casual outfit as I didn't want anything too tight when we were going out to eat! You can probably tell I had to roll up the skirt as I'm a short ass and it was too long... *sigh*

Outfit two:

Red cami top - Topshop

Skirt - River Island

Heels - New Look

Nude bag - River Island

On the night of my birthday, I went out for a dinner at a restaurant called The Comodor with some of my best friends. I went absolutely mental for Aztec / tribal print during the summer, as seen here! I also wore these little Topshop cami tops religiously as they were super flattering. I love those New Look strappy heels too, they're so versatile.

Outfit three:

Dress - Warehouse

Belt - H&M

My final outfit was a floral summer dress that I wore for my family birthday party. I picked this up on a whim from ASOS as it was half price - I wouldn't normally fork out for Warehouse otherwise. But I just fell in love with it, it was so flattering! I'm also a sucker for ditsy florals so that definitely helped. I cinched it in at the waist with a skinny white belt and added a tomato red lip to complement the red flowers in the dress.

Do you make an extra special effort with your birthday?

Let me know in the comments!

Love,

Sophia

xo

August 2013 empties: No7, Soap and Glory, Cocoa Brown, L'Oreal, Bourjois, Avene, Aussie

Hey loves!

So as you can see, I'm well behind on my empties posts! I have photos for August and September, I need to take October's then I'll be up to date... Phew. Here are the products I used up in August.

Bodycare:

No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Body Exfoliator

I used this pre-tanning to give my knees, feet, hands and elbows a good scrub before covering myself in moisturiser. I loved the sand-like texture and it also helped to reduce the keratosis on my arms as well.

Jergens Naturals Aloe Soothing Body Moisturiser

I like to use a thick body butter on the tougher areas of my skin, but I used this on my calves, thighs, stomach, arms and boobs. The texture was really soft and silky and a little went a long way. I would definitely recommend it.

Soap & Glory Girligo Body Moisturiser Spray

I used this moisturiser spray when I was feeling lazy! It was really simple and easy to use and only took about a minute to moisturise my whole body with it.

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan

I'm an absolute tan fiend and must have about 30 bottles of wash off tans, gradual tans and overnight tans from brands as cheap as St Moritz to as expensive as Vita Liberata and St Tropez. I have to be completely honest though when I say I have found my new holy grail tan! I love it so much that my friends, family and friend's family have all been persuaded to get some too. I'm so pushed for time that the one hour aspect of it really appealed to me. You apply the tinted mousse all over your body with a mitt, leave it on for an hour (I put a dressing gown on and curl my hair in this time) before showering it off. Hello beautiful, natural, golden tan that lasts for days. Go get it from Primark ASAP!

Skincare:

Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water

I've probably gone on about this enough already but I went on a press trip to Avene in the south of France and absolutely fell in love with the brand while I was there. This thermal spring water is ideal for a mid-morning refresh, for setting your make-up or for using a primer. I use it for everything and I couldn't be without it.

Botanics Microdermabrasion Face Scrub

I try and scrub my face twice a week but I've been a bit slack with it recently. It definitely helps give my skin a fresh-faced glow and the tiny beads work to give my face a good, deep exfoliation.

Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover

This must be the 100th time I've purchased this -I love it! I've tried high-end ones including Clarins, Clinique and Chanel but this one still works a treat. If you're running low on a higher-end one it's definitely worth giving this a go!

Nivea Essentials Refreshing Toner

I didn't really notice much difference in my skin after using this. I'd recommend the Liz Earle Skin Boost Tonic instead!

La Roche Posay Micellar Solution

I wasn't a fan of this Micellar water at all to be honest. It didn't make my skin feel amazing afterwards like I would have thought it would from the price! I'd recommend the Caudalie Micellar water instead as it's better than any I've tried, including the Bioderma.

Hair:

Batiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo

I'm not a massive dry shampoo user but when I do need it, I love to use this! It cleans hair while giving it loads of volume. Amazing.

Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner

This has been a holy grail hair product for me for about ten years now! I use it every time I wash my hair and it leaves it feeling silky smooth and smelling delicious. Would recommend in a heartbeat.

Vo5 Treat Me Right Hair Masque

I picked this up in the bargain aisle of Tesco for about two quid and I blimmin' love it. I spend a bomb on intensive hair masques but this did the job at a quarter of the price. I love the scent of this too!

Make-up:

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim

I have definitely found a holy grail item in this product! I used to swear by the Soap & Glory Supercat liner but this is loads better. It's perfect for creating a cat-eye flick or lining eyes beneath the waterline and lasts all day.

Bourjois Paris 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation

This must be my first EVER foundation empty! I've had this foundation for a couple of years now and it's been my go-to foundation so many times. It only offers medium coverage but it's the finish that sets it apart from the rest. It makes skin look healthy, dewy, AWAKE - very important for my 6am commute!

What did you use up this month?

Love,

Sophia

xo