July Favourites

Sorry if this is coming a little late but I've been super busy with work over the past few months, having quit my summer job for the past 6 years and got 2 new jobs! But anyway, these are the things I have been really loving this month!

When I went on holiday to Egypt recently I had a little splurge in duty free (mainly in MAC) and one of the things I treated myself to was Daisy Eau so Fresh Delight by Marc Jacobs. I've had loads of other Marc Jacobs fragrances (various Daisy ones, Dot and Honey) and the bottle of this was so pretty I just couldn't resist, especially knowing that I was bound to love what was inside. And boy did I love it! This fragrance is just so pretty, and fresh, and light; all at once! Its floral yet fruity and just simply beautiful! Something I purchased in preparation for my holiday was the Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Lotion which is a lovely natural tanner. Because I am so pale I burn quite easily so have to wear a high factor sun lotion so I use this in the summer months to help prolong a summer glow! However, I did burn on my chest on the last day of my holiday so when I got back I ran to boots and picked up the Vaseline Essential Moisture in Cocoa Radiant to help sooth and hydrate my skin. This is just a really nice body moisturizer and for a really affordable price! And can I just taken a second to mention the smell! This stuff smells divine and leaves your skin feeling soft and nourished! 

During the summer months I tend to put very minimal effort into doing my hair; I just braid it at night to get natural looking waves and then spritz it with a bit of salt spray to (attempt to) get those effortless beachy waves using the got2b Beach Matte Mermaid Look Texturizing Salt Spray! Another reason for my minimal hair styling is that I'm trying to let my hair heal from all the damage I have inflicted on it in the past 2 years; ie. too much hair dye in a small space of time. I even dyed the ends bright pink at the beginning of my first year of uni! Basically I have abused my hair, to the extreme which has resulted in me having to have 5 inches chopped off a couple of weeks ago! To help my hair heal I have been using the Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Intense Rescue Melting Balm. Wow. This stuff is amazing! I noticed quite a difference even after the first use. You apply it to dry hair BEFORE you wash it and it claims to give a deep nourishment and mend split ends and so far so good; my ends feel tonnes better and my hair feels so much softer and just looks generally nicer!

When it comes to makeup this month has been all about the lips, and two that have been particularly loved are Topshop's Macaroon and the YSL Rouge Volupte in no. 29 which I believe is called Opera Rose! These two lipsticks are perfect for summer as they are glossy and bright and beautiful! 

Top: YSL, Bottom: Topshop

Before I apply my lipstick I always like to apply a lip balm and I usually use the Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Balm but I recently saw the Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia when in the supermarket for something like £1 so thought I would chuck it in the basket and I actually rather like it! I think its the smell that does it for me; give me a bit of vanilla any day!

The mascare I have been loving recently is a travel sized version of the Clinique High Impact Mascara that came free with Glamour magazine. I actually went to get the magazine in the hope of getting a free mini chubby stick but they had sold out so picked up this mascara instead and I am certainly glad I did. It separates the lashes really well and just makes them look amazing. I think I will have to get the full size when this one runs out! Another mini product I have been loving in the miniature sized Benefit High Beam. I find this to be a perfect liquid highlighter as it provides a subtle amount of glow without making you look crazy - disco ball shiny!

As for fashion favourites this month, I have recently bought this leather jacket from Zara and I am in love with it! It has filled a leather jacket shaped hole in my life! I have also been loving some leggings I recently bought from Zara. I have never had a nice fitting, decent quality pair of leggings and these are just that! And my last fashion favorite are these boots from New Look. They are just so versatile and go with skirts, dresses, jeans, anything!

When it comes to TV I have been loving Pretty Little Liars, especially now Alison is properly in it! As For  film, a film that has stood out is the Inbetweeners 2! I just found it so funny and I watched the series throughout my school years and so it really reminds me of my younger years! I also watched a film called Philomena on the plane home from Egypt, which I only put on because I had seen most of the others and it was a better choice than The Lego Movie! However, I actually really enjoyed it and found it deeply moving and the story is just so emotive. Although, the film doesn't shine a particularly flattering light of the Catholic church... 

So there you have my July favorites! What have you been loving this month?

Sophie

X

Too thin?

I recently came across an article about how Gap had been criticised for using an extremely slight model and this is an issue which is particularly close to me so I thought I would share my thought here... 

http://img.ksl.com/slc/2531/253184/25318466.jpg

Above is the model and photograph that caused the controversy and yes, she is very slim, perhaps too thin, which in my opinion is something that should never be promoted by big companies, particularly those with a younger target group, as I know first hand what effect constantly seeing images like this can have on rather impressionable young girls (and boys!). When I was around 15/16 I was obsessed with TV shows like Americas next Top model and some of the girls on that show were obviously rather slim. I had always been quite thin naturally but this show, along with magazines etc. made me become obsessed with having and unhealthy and unobtainable body image (not that I realised it at the time). 

Now, I am no way saying that these kind of shows are generally damaging, just the promotion of that kind of body image as the perfect specimen can be somewhat dangerous. I mean I watch the show occasionally now and enjoy it, and think it has some positive things to say on the topic of body image but I would definitely exercise caution when it comes to teenage girls constantly being faced with theses images, be it on TV, in magazines, or on the internet (don't even get me started on thinspiration/ pro-ana sites!!) 

What is your opinion on this?

Sophie

X 

Ps. Sorry if this post is a bit rambly and convoluted!

Left( aged 16/17) right (aged 20)

May Wish List

This month exams have been looming over me which means one thing... procrastinating on the internet, particularly in terms of lusting over beauty and fashiony related things (so much better than reading Keats!). On the top of my list are the new Baby Doll Kiss and Blush cheek and lip stains from YSL. These look so beautiful, but at £27 a pop they are definitely something to save up for! I've decided that I am in need of a new moisturisor and one that has caught my eye is the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator. It just sounds like it would do wonders for my skin! I mean who doesn't want their skin to experience a moisture surge?! Moving on to hair care and a brand that I have been dying to try out for absolutely ages now; Bumble and Bumble. Being a student, I could never justify spending that amount of money on shampoo or hairspray. I've always told myself that my student loan is for more important things like.. food? rent? vodka? (I kid). But I will be working back home over summer so thought I might spend some of my hard earned pennies on some luxury hair care, and the line that has caught my eye is their surf line. Having long wavy/curly hair (depending how my hair is feeling that day), I love the way salt spray looks in my hair and so would love to give this a go! 
When it comes to fashion this month, I seem to be the only one who isn't looking for bikinis and holiday wear, because i'm not going on holiday (sob). Yes, that's right, no lying on a beach for me this year! Instead, I'm a waitress for the summer.. (who said student life was easy?) I shouldn't play too much of a sob story, I am going to Paris for a few days with my boyfriend (yay). Anyway back to fashion. No, I haven't been interested in the holiday section, but I have been looking for something to wear for a christening, I probably have something already, but any excuse to spend ay? But, I came across this skirt and fell in love! I might even purchase the top pictured with it as I think they look so cute together, and with a pair of nude heels and a chunky necklace, I think I've got my outfit! 
Another thing I've had my eye on for a while is a new denim jacket. Yes, I already have a few denim jackets but none of them are quite right and I don't know about you but I'm really picky with them. One's too dark. One's too light. One's too over sized. One's not over sized enough. I did wear my mums old levi one all of last summer which a size 14. I was a size 10 back then, now I'm a size 8 and it just looks a bit silly really, so i'm on the hunt for a new one.I always think Urban Outiftters do really good quality denim jackets and I really like this one as I think the colour would suit me and its not too over sized. I've tried ones on in UO before and they have just been HUGE, yet still been labelled small... I mean there's over sized, and then there's just wearing a sack. So yeah, if you're going to get an UO jacket I definitely recommend trying them on, particularly the reconstructed ones (the vintage levi ones) as the sizing can be a litttttle dodgy!
So there you go, that's my little ramble-y wish list! If you've tried any of the beauty items let me know if its worth getting them!
Sophie X

A shower time pairing!

If, like me, you haven't treated your hair very well in the past, then you will always be on the hunt for something, anything, that will stop is looking well, like straw! Over the past 6 years I have dyed, bleached, stripped, heat treated, you name it and I've probably inflicted it on my poor hair. Well, I think I've finally found something that actually works in injecting a little, much needed moisture back into my hair. This all comes from the Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Mineral Hair Rescue Masque (what a mouthful!). This stuff is seriously amazing and if you have dry or damaged hair I strongly recommend trying this, even if only to basque in the glorious smell; it really does smell that good! I apply this after my shampoo once a week and it keeps my hair from look dry and well, dead.

I'll willingly admit that I am not the most patient person and although waiting 3 minutes in the shower for the above hair masque to work its magic, doesn't sound like a great feat, I like to have something to do whilst I wait. So I like to scrub it up with a Soap and Glory body scrub. The one I am currently using is their Sugar Crush Body Scrub. If you don't like overly sweet scented products then this may not be great for you but I definitely have a sugar nose as well as a sweet tooth! This stuff smells seriously amazing; citrusy and sugary all at once. Lush!

Sophie X

April Favorites

I can't believe it's May already, which means there is a sense of impending doom... aka.. Exam period is upon us. So the next month will be less about makeup and beauty and more about getting my head stuck into poetry and the joys that Shelley and Wordsworth have to offer (yay?) Anyway, back to the good stuff! As this is my first proper blog post on beauty related things, please bear with me as it may be a little rough around the edges! But here are the products (and a few other random things!) that I have been craaazy about in the month of April.

First up is a Lipstick! Mac Speed Dial is the newest addiction to my huge (and I mean huge) lipstick collection. It's a cream sheen formula which I find is best suited for me as I suffer from dry lips quite a lot and they glide so easily over! The colour of this lipstick is just beautiful; the perfect pink in my opinion. I've been loving MAC this month and their eye shadow All That Glitters is perfect for just sweeping over the lid for an easy, go to eye look! This month I delved into the world of MAC blushes and picked up their powder blush in Stay Pretty which applied with my Real Techniques blush brush provides the perfect splash of colour to my somewhat pale complexion! Seeing as though it was Easter this month I decided to pick up the speckled egg nail polishes from Models Own (a beauty alternative to an Easter egg?) and they seem to be a dupe for the Illamasqua ones, which I haven't tried so can't really make a comparison. Another Models Own product I've been loving this month is their version of the infamous beauty blender. I picked these up on a bit of whim whilst in boots, but I'm certainly glad I did as I've found that my makeup applies beautifully when using this! As for skincare this month I've rekindled my love for the Lush Mask of Magnaminty! This is perfect when you're having problems in the skin department as it dries up any spots and makes your skin so soft! I've also been loving the Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser as it is incredibly light yet very hydrating!  As for hair, I've been trying to find a new hairspray recently as I found my Silvikrin one was drying my hair out, so went into Superdrug on a mission and saw that the Got2b Happy Hour 24 Hour Hairspray was on offer so thought I'd give it a whirl. First of all, this stuff smells so good! And it provides decent hold without drying my hair out too much! Last but not least is my Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Fragrance Mist which is a perfect scent for spring; girly and floral! 

Now for the random ones! First of all for fashion. I've had a slight obsession with jelly shoes lately, having bought not one but 3 pairs in the last month, but at £4 a pop you can't go wrong.. Good ol' Primark! I think they look adorable with cute frilly socks or just alone (but beware of blisters!). I've also been loving pastel bags, well pastel anything really, but I think a cute coloured bag can add something extra to an otherwise ordinary outfit!

When it comes to TV this month, I'm not going to lie, I may have overindulged a tad... Why is it that around exam time Netflix becomes even more appealing?! Over Easter I watched Broadchurch in its entirety in one weekend.. A single weekend. If you haven't seen this already you need to watch it, even if only for the beautiful David Tennant. When it comes to music there is one song that I've probably listened to on repeat for the majority of this month and this Cucurucu by Nick Mulvey, definitely worth a listen!

So that's it for my April favourites! What have you been loving this month?

Sophie X

hello!

Seeing as though this is my first ever post, I thought I'd introduce myself with the 'It's All About Me' tag (stolen from a VERY old Zoella post). So, here goes..

Vital Statistics:

Me: Sophie

Nicknames: Soph, Sophs

Birthday: 5th March 1994

Place of Birth: Chesterfield (Derbyshire), UK

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Male or Female: Female

Occupation: Does student count?

Residence: Liverpool

Screen Name: SophieMariaBeauty

Appearance:

Hair Colour: Blonde (Dyed, naturally red)

Hair Length: Long

Eye colour: Blue

Best Feature: ermm.. probably my eyes.

Height: 5ft 3

Braces?: Nope

Glasses?: Contacts :)

Piercing: Usual ear piercings and a few at the top of my ear.

Tattoos: Nope, not yet anyway!

Righty or Lefty: Righty

Your 'Firsts':

First best friend: Ermm.. I had lots of best friends!

First Award: I got an award for being the best in math in year 6 (nerd)

First Sport You Joined: Netball

First Real Vacation: Majorca

First Concert: Busted!

First Love: James from Busted.. It was love at first sight!

Favourites:

Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany's!

TV Show: All time favourite would have to be Desperate Housewives, but at the moment I'm loving Pretty Little Liars!

Colours: Pink

Song: Either 'Iris' by Goo Goo Dolls or 'Mardy Bum' by Arctic Monkey's

Candy: Milky Ways! Yum!

Restaurant: There's a restaurant on The Albert Docks in Liverpool called What's Cooking? which is lush!

Store: Oh god, that's hard.. I love Topshop and Ark!

School: I'm not sure what this is asking? My favourite school?

Book: Well, I'm an English student so this could go on forever, but I love The Great Gatsby and The Perks of Being a Wall Flower.

Magazine: Look and Glamour

Shoes: My heeled boots

Currently:

Feeling: Tired

Single or Taken: Taken

Eating: Nothing

Typing: This

Online: Yes

Listening To: Kodaline - High Hopes

Thinking About: The ridiculous amount of uni work I have to do!

Wanting: a cup of tea!

Watching: Nothing..

Wearing: PJs

Future:

Want Children?: Maybe

Want to be Married: Yes!

Careers in Mind: Either Journalism or Law

Where do you want to live?: America

Have you ever:

Kissed a Stranger: Probably

Had Alcohol: Yes..

Smoked: I've tried one.

Ran Away From Home: Nope.

Broken a bone: Never!

Got an X-ray: No

Broken Someone's Heart: Not really..

Broke Up With Someone: Yes

Cried When Someone Died: Yes

Cried At School: Yes

Do You Believe In:

God: No

Miracles: No

Love At First sight: No

Ghosts: No

Aliens: No

Soul Mates: No

Heaven: No

Hell: No

Kissing on The First Date: Sure.

Yourself: Yes