tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72444411079333858152024-03-13T17:49:27.933+00:00Wolf & Mainesophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-57270084288836774882019-01-06T18:54:00.000+00:002019-01-06T18:54:15.251+00:00BOOK REVIEW // The Winters - Lisa Gabriele <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was really excited to read The Winters and was very happy when I was sent a copy to review, it felt like it was going to be the perfect read in the runup to Halloween and it turned out it was, there's no denying the opening line <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">“Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again” is striking and lures you in.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 14px;"> </span>I ended up reading this one in a day or two as I flicked through eager to see what was going to happen, the story follows an orphaned and unnamed narrator as she falls for the older, wealthy New York Senator and recently widowed, Max Winters as he holidays in the Cayman Islands, Max is charming yet somewhat damaged having recently lost his wife Rebekah, mother of his troublesome teenage Daughter, Dani and he soon meets the soon to be second Mrs Winters who works at a boat shack that Max frequents, both of them bonding over their seemingly troubled pasts, they fall for each other very early on in the book and it's not long before she's whisked back to Asherley, his Long Island mansion, which was somewhat of a passion project of his former wife and is definitely an underlying element throughout the whole book, Asherley is dark and compelling and a stark contrast to the opening setting of the Cayman Islands, it adds a sense of unease throughout the whole book. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I haven't read Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca that this book is based on so I can't comment on the similarities but there's definitely an eeriness and sense of foreboding to this story that I have heard the original does have, as each new character is introduced, you can't help but wonder how they will play into the book, it kept me guessing until the very end and was a thoroughly enjoyable if not slightly creepy read, perfect for these darker winter months. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have you read this? What did you think?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph x</span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7B4D0Er6h6a8NrbdsnrNKvpPaGWime98MMvI4w3RifQ_qGaWnnth2pbup0rBtuwc6BqmEYNK2frpNvARlY2OWxFGFiqFxHIIfX8WQlnOKFrfwr6Bpw2bie5FXg5Gus7rc7OgMRmPDwKdR/s1600/DSC00041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7B4D0Er6h6a8NrbdsnrNKvpPaGWime98MMvI4w3RifQ_qGaWnnth2pbup0rBtuwc6BqmEYNK2frpNvARlY2OWxFGFiqFxHIIfX8WQlnOKFrfwr6Bpw2bie5FXg5Gus7rc7OgMRmPDwKdR/s320/DSC00041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-44302768496452731882019-01-04T10:04:00.000+00:002019-01-04T10:04:38.252+00:00BOOK REVIEW // The Christmas Sisters - Sarah Morgan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I realise this is probably a little bit late now but if any of you are wanting to relive that festive vibe, this is a really enjoyable read, the story follows three sisters, Posy, Beth and Hannah as they prepare to meet up at their parent's home in the Scottish highlands, there's snow, there's Christmas, there's family angst, budding romances and marriages being tested, what more is there to want? In all seriousness though, this book does have a lot happening set against a cosy, Christmas background, it had a bit of a feel of Paige Toon's 'The One we Fell in Love With' - possibly because of the three sisters but I enjoyed how the sisters relationships played out and how they were quite realistic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it and although it does definitely have a festive feel and I did read it in the run up to Christmas, I think this would be one that you could definitely still pick up now and enjoy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do you have any other Sarah Morgan recommendations?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph x</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZK03hY5L6IdfHm1sKWDDv6wBd_PZT8GUgbnIA_YreYzJ2sSGry6PQc2IkZRd3WCpYFbfHiDelkqW4_-pWzP5_sa3wWJURkX4SJfrSwkHkmtBTwSlNjDFdI_3ybOhC8R6k8b9G9dV-VqY/s1600/TheChristmasSisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZK03hY5L6IdfHm1sKWDDv6wBd_PZT8GUgbnIA_YreYzJ2sSGry6PQc2IkZRd3WCpYFbfHiDelkqW4_-pWzP5_sa3wWJURkX4SJfrSwkHkmtBTwSlNjDFdI_3ybOhC8R6k8b9G9dV-VqY/s320/TheChristmasSisters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-71954862413914729202019-01-03T13:21:00.002+00:002019-01-03T13:21:23.893+00:00BOOK REVIEW // One Day in December by Josie Silver<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Where to start with this book, I read it pretty much in one sitting as I got completely and wholeheartedly lost in Laurie's world, the book opens as Laurie, fresh out of university and living in London spots a boy from the window of the double decker bus she's riding on, she falls in love instantly and so ensues the story of Laurie, her best friend and Flatmate, Sarah and Jack, the boy she fell in love with. We follow Laurie, Jack and Sarah throughout the years as their lives entangle and intertwine across Friendships, Heartbreak, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">new Jobs, rubbish Jobs </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and Tragedy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Laurie, our leading lady is an aspiring Journalist who can't quite seem to get catch that break so she can leave her Hotel Receptionist job and make it into the heady world of Publishing, Sarah is the glossy but brilliant best friend and Jack is the ultimate boy next door that I think pretty much everyone would fall in love with. The story spans over 10 years, starting in 2008 (perfect for a bit of nostalgia) and takes us right up into 2018 as we follow the lives of these three.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's utterly charming, it's everything cosy and wintertime, it will make you want to write new years resolutions every year and know that sometimes you will make wrong choices and bad decisions and that's OK but ultimately it will make you believe in true love and in a world of Trumps, Brexit and post Christmas January blues, who doesn't want that?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljDygMZ010Wy5Er3bP1IE9v2suNLd4L3Oz7iQyv8s1XKmcKeOKwY1fIRMvSg7GvBUeNbdGF76WFZT2xEtJsGeFj3CWU_W0aWOlrkGtQXpO0TBzuboUJ0yp9EEnWQDzkStxVKWaQzNsbFm/s1600/OneDayinDecember.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljDygMZ010Wy5Er3bP1IE9v2suNLd4L3Oz7iQyv8s1XKmcKeOKwY1fIRMvSg7GvBUeNbdGF76WFZT2xEtJsGeFj3CWU_W0aWOlrkGtQXpO0TBzuboUJ0yp9EEnWQDzkStxVKWaQzNsbFm/s320/OneDayinDecember.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-53134239398794199162018-09-29T16:01:00.000+01:002018-09-29T16:01:29.500+01:00BOOK REVIEW // Lady Mary - Lucy Worsley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lady Mary tells the story of Mary Tudor, Daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon as told by TV Historian Lucy Worsley, the book itself is aimed more towards the younger teen side of young Adult but as a 30 year old, I really enjoyed this book, the Tudor period is a particular point in history that has always fascinated me so I went into this knowing with a bit of background on these characters and as you would expect with the author being a historian, it was very factual and doesn't stray from the history books. I loved reading this from the view point of Lady Mary who is sometimes lost in history for her fairly short reign that preluded the much more notorious Queen Elizabeth but Mary really does have such a fascinating story. Each chapter starts with the year and also which home or palace Mary was staying in that time, because i'm a weirdo, I actually quite liked looking them up as I was reading to help build a picture of what it was like.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I mentioned, this is aimed towards the younger demographic but even if as an adult you just want to delve into British History a little more, this is a really enjoyable read, we're introduced to characters in this that you will likely have heard of such as Thomas Cromwell, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn and you start to get a picture of what they were really like from the viewpoint of Mary. Also, Lady Mary was a child from a broken home so there's themes of this throughout the book as she tries to come to terms with her parents separation along with themes of religion and politics with the books showing the birth of the Church of England with King Henry VIII denouncing the Catholic Church so he could marry Anne Boleyn. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Finally, this book shows a very strong female character as the lead, who fought on even in the face of adversity, obviously sometimes this was a little extreme and historically Mary with her moniker of Bloody Mary is known as being ruthless and savage but my view point is that she was no different to any other leader in this time period, I see her as a great role model for younger girls as someone who truly believed in her self and her beliefs and wasn't swayed by people that tried to tell her she was worth less. A great read and definitely one I'd recommend for anyone interested in Lady Mary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have you read this? What did you think?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph x</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf32kKc-rQ6d8Uz7kSTaE7ePaHtUcfDbB5TE-DjzFRwjixa1B7VwgXXrR87ZUZwDQvrCn-eSAuAyBTMR6QisPcm9hZ7HB5hi670LtUheTwZvRpSRiPCILFQB1uJlcjX-SzKMoz7sSeIVD/s1600/DSC_2139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHf32kKc-rQ6d8Uz7kSTaE7ePaHtUcfDbB5TE-DjzFRwjixa1B7VwgXXrR87ZUZwDQvrCn-eSAuAyBTMR6QisPcm9hZ7HB5hi670LtUheTwZvRpSRiPCILFQB1uJlcjX-SzKMoz7sSeIVD/s320/DSC_2139.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-83456555969843700292018-04-04T14:22:00.003+01:002018-04-04T14:30:51.394+01:00BOOK REVIEW // The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let me start by saying that Juliet is one of my favourite characters that I've read, witty, smart and fiercely strong and independent, she's very much a girl icon. I've picked up and put down The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society so many times, I heard how wonderful it was via a friend when it first came out but just never got round to reading it until now, when I saw the movie was coming out, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. It's written in a series of letters between Juliet, our lead character and a number of people in her life such as her publisher, Sidney, Close friend, Sophie and several members of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - there are some other characters in there too. It's set in 1946 in a post War setting with Juliet being an on the rise author who is struggling to find the topic for her next big hit, she receives a letter from Dawsey, a member of the Guernsey Literary Society who has found a book that once belonged to Juliet and through their love of reading so ensues the beginning of the relationship between Juliet and the members of the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Something about the way this book is written makes it so interesting, you get to see Juliet's character develop in the way that she interacts with the different people in her life, the openness with her friend Sophie and the endearing way she talks with Sidney, her publisher and also Sophie's brother along with some of the wittiness that comes through in some of her earlier letters with the American Publisher, Markham Reynolds and her passion of reading and writing with Dawsey and the society members, the sense of family that comes through in the way she interacts and talks with Kit - it's an interesting concept and initially I wondered if I'd enjoy reading in this style because I thought it could make the story a bit 'bitty' if that makes sense and not really pieced together but without that first person point of view but it really is, if anything, I felt a stronger connection with Juliet than some other books I've read recently as we see her own letters but also how Juliet is perceived through the letters written to her - not gonna lie though, this definitely did give me <a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Jolly-Postman-Hardcover/16275536474/bd?cm_mmc=gmc-_-new-_-PLA-_-v01&product=COUK9780670886241NEW" target="_blank">Jolly Postman</a> vibes, a book from my childhood that was a series of letters between a postman and various fairytale characters which I loved!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think Juliet and many of the members of the society are the kind of characters that just stay with you, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have a similar view with Eleanor Oliphant where they sometimes just pop back into your head as if they're an old friend and I definitely think that they will be like those characters for me. At the heart of this story is the underlying power of friendship and family and how powerful it can really be, I was so sad to finish reading this but I will be one of the first in the Cinema on April 20th when the film adaptation comes out to see if they've managed to bring the book to life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have you read this book? What did you think?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sophie x</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBaOKEtUzmsiMOQ-il-Ns-rpXIhyxY7XZsPb-w3Ea8Zy9GYi_eW8PDZuBlIJFC13NrlJp9vh3DENFnmRp5HLZ_CF0FLvzsUNzDWm1jK5fXXlFWc4_qCR9e51WCX8fOpVnF9QlMg4StXSt/s1600/DSC_2131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBaOKEtUzmsiMOQ-il-Ns-rpXIhyxY7XZsPb-w3Ea8Zy9GYi_eW8PDZuBlIJFC13NrlJp9vh3DENFnmRp5HLZ_CF0FLvzsUNzDWm1jK5fXXlFWc4_qCR9e51WCX8fOpVnF9QlMg4StXSt/s640/DSC_2131.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-76547870459564429902018-02-21T15:51:00.001+00:002018-02-21T15:51:14.427+00:00BOOK REVIEW // Johnny Be Good - Paige Toon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm going to confess to being a fully fledged Paige Toon addict as you may see from a number of reviews that I have coming up, I've completely fallen in love with her the way she writes and also all of the characters, I never used to be a chick-lit kind of gal, tending to prefer fantasy or dystopian type books but I read this as I just wanted something easy and nice to read and I've found that it's a good way of upping my reading and also keeping myself in a reading routine. So, anyway, back to Johnny Be Good, I put off reading this one for a little while based on the blurb as I sort of thought it would be a cliche, girl falls for rock star manages to tame him but this one throws out lots of twists and turns and as with most of Paige's books that I'm now finding out, they don't always finish the way you think they will which I love - however, with this one, there's a follow up book and also a short story spin off so I'm interested to get stuck into those to see how this does end up playing out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I loved the lead character in this, Meg, PA to Rock Star Johnny Jefferson, she's very honest and likeable as a character, Johnny Jefferson, our rock star is a bit flawed and troubled, in my head, he reminded me of an early 00's Robbie Williams, and I like seeing how that plays out throughout the book, learning more about what makes Johnny tick and the reasons for his flaws. Meg gets the role to be Johnny's PA early on in the book and leaves her London life behind her to fly out to LA and take on the Glamorous role of PA to a Rock Star. It doesn't all go smoothly and Meg soon finds herself falling for her new boss...The background setting of sunny LA definitely helps make this book the ultimate summer read, although, I read this in the deepest darkest depths of Winter and still loved it as it makes for a great escape from the constant ice and rain we seem to be getting in the UK at the minute. As you would imagine, everything doesn't run smoothly for our lead character Meg and her new boss as she navigates the crazy lifestyle of being the worlds biggest rock star. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm definitely going to be reading the follow up next which is rare for me as I normally like to move into a different genre of book once i've finished one but I don't know, the characters in this just stuck with me. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As with all of Paige's books, there's little links to other characters in other books so this one links to Chasing Daisy as well as Lucy in the Sky, I love the way this works and I quite often wonder if some of the stronger side characters will end up in a book of their own at some point! You don't have to read Paige's books in order (and I haven't) but those I haven't read yet, I will start reading in order from now on. If you're in the market for a good Chick-Lit and haven't yet ready any Paige Toon - definitely give this one a go!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do you guys have any recommendations on any other good authors I should be checking out in this genre? It's fairly new to me and I will have worked my way through Paige's books soon so need something else to get stuck into.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph x</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1-t31eeOyWiNVs3N3EvhsSOcB1LgtNJf-rIhuwqAR5WrvlQ8nUjmKT55OYT_zDgJJXglf33E9zsiNXd28TaHDCEH9cmfvKsZVml6OGAr3i79Q45WTXDFoRun4KhlJKtAuDBBcbjA6c5D/s1600/DSC_2065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1-t31eeOyWiNVs3N3EvhsSOcB1LgtNJf-rIhuwqAR5WrvlQ8nUjmKT55OYT_zDgJJXglf33E9zsiNXd28TaHDCEH9cmfvKsZVml6OGAr3i79Q45WTXDFoRun4KhlJKtAuDBBcbjA6c5D/s640/DSC_2065.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-22599287505911284242018-02-14T19:54:00.001+00:002018-02-14T19:54:19.368+00:00BOOK REVIEW // Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman is one of those books that I have been meaning to read forever, literally, the book was first published in 1995 when I was just a teeny tiny 7 year old but I bought the paperback a few years later when I must have been about 12 or 13 and just never got round to reading it, when I saw last year that Alice Hoffman was revisiting this and releasing a prequel to the book, I knew I had to read this one quickly. I'm so annoyed I hadn't read this book sooner, it's literally the most perfect book to curl up with on a cold winters day, once, I started reading this, I really struggled to put it down, the story itself is fairly slow paced if I'm honest, although there's plenty to keep you reading along, the real crux of this book is the two main characters and their stories and how they develop throughout the book, the story follows two sisters Gillian and Sally who tragically lose both their parents and are sent to live with their two aunts who just so happen to practice magic and we soon learn that the girls themselves have magical tendencies too, the book takes the girls from their childhood and being bullied and essentially outcasts at school right through to their adult years navigating relationships and life as they go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is definitely a key incident that happens <span style="background-color: white;">that forms part of the central plot line for the book but the main thing for me that I loved about this book was the relationships, be it romantic relationships, the girls bond as sisters and also the various family relationships that are included as well. The book is so beautifully written, it's almost poetic at times and one particular reference to the lilacs in the garden almost made me feel like I was actually standing in Sally's Garden, which honestly, on the cold January day that I was reading this, I really did want to be transported to the balmy, summer garden. Another key point for this book is that, despite the fact it's now over 20 years old, it doesn't feel dated at all which was something I was a little concerned about before reading this.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you're after a high action, fast paced read, this may not the be the one for you but if you want to get lost in another magical world for a little bit, grab a cup of tea and a blanket and give this one a go. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can't wait to read the prequel now which focuses on the lives of the two Aunts before they became guardians to Gillian and Sally and I'm hoping it will be as much of a dream as this one.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph x</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV42y18OG5pZwJZzKKQqDg66OmrouLgA5IFUZug7s9w_Mnfa5Bcz-PFtd3WdSB6Dc42IzTn46pawoOdiTDI62wyFB8dWiZU441TQNSTopcpLobroEFEWaSFMzxnY_c2tfI_pZzTbb8eynS/s1600/DSC_2075+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1479" data-original-width="1600" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV42y18OG5pZwJZzKKQqDg66OmrouLgA5IFUZug7s9w_Mnfa5Bcz-PFtd3WdSB6Dc42IzTn46pawoOdiTDI62wyFB8dWiZU441TQNSTopcpLobroEFEWaSFMzxnY_c2tfI_pZzTbb8eynS/s640/DSC_2075+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-8696876221161275972018-02-13T19:58:00.001+00:002018-02-13T21:32:13.852+00:00BOOK REVIEW // Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ah, where to start with this book, I didn't want it to end, although I'm pretty sure I think that with any good book but this one just sort of captures your heart, the characters, the storyline, the under currents throughout the book that all build up to the final few chapters of the book, it's so well written, sucks you in and you start to really care about the characters and what happens. Essentially the book follows the story of Eleanor Oliphant, the main character who has worked at the same company for the past 10 years, each weekend consists of the same routine and her main contact is a weekly call that takes place with her mother, very little changes in Eleanor's routine which is how she likes it until one day something does change and thus we follow Eleanor's story. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This book has been talked about all over the place and for good reason, I first heard of it before it was released as did many as this book was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize before it was even completed, I remember reading the blurb and immediately wanting to read it. I bought it as soon as it came out but I was already part way through a book and for some reason kept putting off reading it until later on in the year. I think because it had been so hyped both in the press and in my head, I didn't want it to disappoint. Eventually, when I did pick it up, I managed to read it in three days, it really is one of those that sucks you in. There's something about Eleanor Oliphant that you really warm to, to a certain extent I think we all know an Eleanor or certainly come across people like Eleanor in daily life, someone who comes across as being difficult or weird when in reality they're actually just struggling with something, be it trauma or mental health<strike>,</strike> there's a moral element in this book about judgement, no matter how someone acts or looks, until you truly know them, you have no idea of who they really are and I loved that, it was subtle but it was one of the themes that I really took away from this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although the storyline is somewhat darker than you originally think, there's a real element of humour in the book, albeit somewhat subtly, Eleanor's views and opinions of people are so cutting at times, they really make you laugh out loud.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm going to really miss Eleanor even though she's only been part of my life for a few short days but I'm already so excited to read more from Gail Honeyman who I think is going to be a bit of a treasure of an author.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have you read this, what did you think?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph x</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfkb5YgoyvGEI7R9HOZMd8WmhQAWNOJgP1E9n8dNpGlEkoJyuLbP2kultoew72FXdR4L0nyHddurZK845KTXT9YiQcxGNDc0MpZYiAggXRj4zeOYyknDeEx_5nzYoeUltqZe1XTLHeOSv/s1600/DSC_2064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfkb5YgoyvGEI7R9HOZMd8WmhQAWNOJgP1E9n8dNpGlEkoJyuLbP2kultoew72FXdR4L0nyHddurZK845KTXT9YiQcxGNDc0MpZYiAggXRj4zeOYyknDeEx_5nzYoeUltqZe1XTLHeOSv/s640/DSC_2064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-46481183846621962082018-02-13T18:22:00.002+00:002018-02-13T18:22:26.110+00:00UPDATE // Wolf & Maine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hello there - It's been a little while since I last posted on this, I first started this blog back in 2012 when blogging was still a fairly unknown thing, it originally started as a nail art blog then as my love of all things beauty kicked in, it eventually became more of a skincare and makeup blog, essentially I just wanted a little corner of the internet where I could feed my passion of writing and share my love of beauty. Work and life took ended up taking over a few years back and this little blog got forgotten about. My passion for writing and blogging is still there and whilst you will definitely still see makeup and skincare posts occasionally, I want to introduce other elements such as book reviews, reading is my other big passion, baking and recipes, life updates etc - to be honest, anything I fancy writing about, so I've relaunched the blog under the new name Wolf and Maine because OCBeauty felt like it was just too focused on the beauty element, there's not much meaning behind the name other than I like it!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm looking forward to welcoming old and new readers back - I hope you like the new layout and if you have any things you'd like to see on here, please let me know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph xx</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddmQInP8e57IOic94TBnSX8tzbk2EoY0a7JrCcnH1S4jCEFZIwMZS3N7FBWIUt4reLS6uu8SrgEEdfcl_Evx0FzIX-kJNEXGZfQsG9UEf2-iApNWLHspIyz9l5CzcRu_voBtVOow5qhl3/s1600/IMG_2511.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddmQInP8e57IOic94TBnSX8tzbk2EoY0a7JrCcnH1S4jCEFZIwMZS3N7FBWIUt4reLS6uu8SrgEEdfcl_Evx0FzIX-kJNEXGZfQsG9UEf2-iApNWLHspIyz9l5CzcRu_voBtVOow5qhl3/s640/IMG_2511.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-36616474254835129242016-06-18T11:26:00.001+01:002016-06-18T11:26:05.655+01:00REVIEW // Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This little bottle of duo-phase loveliness has been popping up all over my blog feed recently and when I ran out of my trusty Clinique Take The Day Off I knew I had to try it if only to see if matches up, I actually have the Charlotte Tilbury version of this and they are incredibly similar but the Nivea ended up being over a tenth of the price...I'm all for splashing the cash on my skincare but if something works as well for £1.85 versus spending £24.99, I'm going to go for the cheaper option.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As it's a duo-phase product, you need to shake the bottle up to mix the two layers into one and very simply apply to a cotton pad and sweep across the eye to remove any eye make-up, I tend to hold it down on my eye for about 10-15 seconds to allow the make-up remover to do it's job then sweep across the eye a few times to make sure everything is off, I use one cotton pad per eye and then an extra one to tidy up and make sure everything is off. I do find the layers settle down quite quickly when you shake it up so you need to shake each time you want to add some to a cotton pad. I've used this with both waterproof and non-waterproof mascaras and it's taken them off with ease, I also used it today with my Tarte Lights, Camera Flashes Mascara which is notoriously a b*tch to take off and it didn't seem to have any problems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The packaging on the Nivea product isn't as fancy as the Charlotte Tilbury which comes in a pump dispenser bottle but to be honest, that drives me insane because it squirts out bright blue liquid everywhere when you press down, meaning I have to stand out the way of it to make sure it doesn't end up all over my top and mop up my side after using it which is really not ideal. It's also not quite as quick at removing make-up, but there is literally a matter of seconds in it, so I think I'm OK with that. One thing I was worried about was whether this would irritate the skin around my eyes, which has a tendency to be sensitive to some products but it was absolutely fine, it's also safe for Contact Lens wearers which is a bonus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can find this in most supermarkets and drugstores and it's normally half price or on some kind of buy one get one free offer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Have you tried this, what do you think?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soph xx</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX9gXY_WlqZTBFn8Jar0LCDRsyb_YHHHsVOisdREHLuwbM-NWwzUXHBw1jXULveXzfaNAeE3gfhtrSZVnyc2wJBWI-Csi1oGfzafk8GL35beu4sW45u-FIEhyi7QHNbjfU4UcDPuvMtc1/s1600/DSC_1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX9gXY_WlqZTBFn8Jar0LCDRsyb_YHHHsVOisdREHLuwbM-NWwzUXHBw1jXULveXzfaNAeE3gfhtrSZVnyc2wJBWI-Csi1oGfzafk8GL35beu4sW45u-FIEhyi7QHNbjfU4UcDPuvMtc1/s320/DSC_1986.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8viVbsQDED4tGHu4KSSZDEVug2Qx21vGaSDVRhu0gdSLTNHDAkPW3Pr2fU1GZa8xwyCkBkoYCqbof0jDCkj_WPb9L5eGNtczyqBZuAQ-k0NFIrVVaSrGLN1JZ80m7UD90NVzApVuFAQN/s1600/DSC_1987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8viVbsQDED4tGHu4KSSZDEVug2Qx21vGaSDVRhu0gdSLTNHDAkPW3Pr2fU1GZa8xwyCkBkoYCqbof0jDCkj_WPb9L5eGNtczyqBZuAQ-k0NFIrVVaSrGLN1JZ80m7UD90NVzApVuFAQN/s320/DSC_1987.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_354223145"></span><span id="goog_354223146"></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-22237384505925945462016-01-31T16:25:00.000+00:002016-01-31T16:25:35.796+00:00REVIEW // BEA Skincare <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, today, I have quite an exciting new skincare range to show to you today, towards the end of last year, I was sent the 5 step daily regime from BEA skin care, it’s a new range created by Bianca Estelle who is a skincare specialist based out of London, I’ve given the range a good test run and have really enjoyed using it, It feels like a really complete range and my skin has really been behaving whilst I’ve been testing this, just for background, my skin tends to be dehydrated and I tend to get hormonal breakouts around my chin at that time of the month, but generally it just runs quite dry. There’s 5 steps to the regime which I’ve outlined below:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Step 1 – Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser (£29), this is a clear, gel consistency cleanser, it very lightly foams when you massage it in and water and it’s got a really unique scent I think as well, very fresh and clean which is really nice. The exfoliating element comes from Glycolic Acid along with a natural AHA, which comes from sugar cane, it also includes green tea extract to calm the skin and reduce redness and irritation. It’s a very gentle exfoliator and leaves my skin feeling properly cleansed without feeling dry and super soft, it really is a lovely cleanser and probably one of my favourite</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Step 2 – Peptide Mobiliser Eye Serum (£39), the Peptide Eye Serum is again a clear gel consistency which is a little different to what I was expecting, there’s no scent to this and it actually reminds me of the Alpha H Eye Complex, in that it’s that gel formula but I find this is a lot more moisturising. BEA Skincare say that it has “A combination of Vitamin C & Apple Stem cells stimulate blood circulation, improving the skins health and diminishing the negative effects of environmentally induced skin ageing” This eye serum also helps to target dark circles, puffiness and lines around the eyes. As someone who struggles to remember to put eye cream on, I really did enjoy using this as it’s quite a noticeable effect when you use it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Step 3 Vitamin C 20% and Hyaluronic Acid Serum (£49), I love Hyaluronic Acid, my skin really reacts well to it and it was no different with this, this is my favourite product of the range, again, there’s very little scent to this and it’s in a gel formula again, I normally associate gels with being quite drying but I found this whole range to actually disprove that theory and they all left my skin feeling very moisturised. BEA say on this one “This serum lightens hyperpigmentation, minimises sun damage and decreases subcutaneous inflammation. The addition of antibacterial ingredients and antioxidants sooth and hydrate the skin without leaving it congested” If I had to pick one item to re-purchase from the range, it would be this one, I do love a good serum and this one covers it all for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Step 4 Firming Serum (£54) “is a lightweight and silky formula that has been dubbed the instant Wrinkle De-activator”, again this is a gel consistency and is a blend of retinol and vitamins, it blends into skin nicely. I think this is probably less suited to my skin concerns and more to older skins that’s perhaps more wrinkled or damaged but a nice addition to the range none the less.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Step 5 Collagen Complex Cream (£44) – BEA Skin Cares Collagen Complex Cream is an anti-ageing and nutrient rich formula containing peptides, amino acids, botanical stem cells from apples as well as Shea Butter, Synergistically, these ingredients stimulate collagen production and provide intense moisturisation to dehydrated and environmentally damaged skins. The Collage Cream Complex’s active ingredients penetrate deep beneath the skins Surface, permanently reducing pre-existing fine lines and preventing the future development of wrinkles”, Now, while I did enjoy using this, it was more suited to me in the morning, just because I prefer using an oil in the evening time, it’s a very fluid formula but again as with the other products, my initial thoughts were that the it wouldn’t provide enough moisture but it really does. Also with this one, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the scent, I think it’s un-fragranced so it just smells of the ingredients if that makes sense?! But it fades down very quickly and it is only a minor issue for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Using the whole range in conjunction with each other really works well, I think each step plays off each other and benefits the next step, there’s something to be said for having a complete skincare routine in one kit as well, you can buy these products individually but they also come as part of a set for £186, so while it’s not the cheapest range but to be honest, I would liken the prices to most of the ranges that you can pick up in the likes of SpaceNK or Cult Beauty for example, it’s a new british brand. I love the actual branding of the range, as a consumer, I’m definitely drawn to nice bottles and I really like the look of the branding, it’s clean and modern and they look nice lined up in the bathroom. Overall, I really enjoyed using these and I’ll definitiely be keeping elements of them as part of my routine, in particular the Step 1 Cleanser and the Step 3 Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid Serum could be re-purchases for me when I run out. I think it’s a lovely little collection and a skincare brand to be on the lookout for! </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana", sans-serif;">Soph xx</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisM73tTZV-1em7C8aD6Dj3zvMfm7SAdwldB0b73hTb6_cK3gUKeX4dKL_3KboxhJLVEkU4uYoTmRD24myKFHhPLybVGQS1Ixxrt4yncv6UmTiCspz7Jqgp77xXiLFGMMcu-uNsJiiFmv5J/s1600/DSC_1985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisM73tTZV-1em7C8aD6Dj3zvMfm7SAdwldB0b73hTb6_cK3gUKeX4dKL_3KboxhJLVEkU4uYoTmRD24myKFHhPLybVGQS1Ixxrt4yncv6UmTiCspz7Jqgp77xXiLFGMMcu-uNsJiiFmv5J/s320/DSC_1985.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-5807319074312895162015-10-23T09:47:00.000+01:002015-10-23T09:48:44.988+01:00REVIEW // BeetsBlu Bluetooth Scale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've worked with BeetsBlu before, they sent me their heart rate monitor to review at the start of the year which I really loved using, if you want to know more about that, you can check out my review <a href="http://www.ocbeauty.co.uk/2015/03/fitness-beetsblu-heart-rate-monitor.html" target="_blank">here</a>, they recently contacted me again to offer me a Bluetooth Digital Weighing Scale that they've created, I jumped at the chance, I'm on a big fitness kick at the minute (minus a recurring leg injury that's driving me mad!) but once I saw this, I thought it would be really good for helping track my weight loss. The BeetsBlu digital scales sync up to an app via bluetooth, which means that each time you use them, the app is updated and you can track BMI, Weight Loss, Body Fat %, Water % and muscle mass, it keeps each sync on record so you can track using the app.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Set up was incredibly easy, I downloaded the app from the App store for free, then I turned on the scales by putting pressure on them and then going to the bluetooth settings of my iPhone, after a few seconds of searching, the BeetsBlu scales popped up which will sync the two together, then when you go into the app and use the scales, it sends up the information and stores it so you can start to build up a picture of your weight loss (or gain). It really is incredibly easy to use and the rest of my house are all using it now too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looks wise, it looks very sleek, shiny black glass with silver detailing so it's good enough to keep on show and it's small enough to slip into corner if you want to keep it out ofthe way. Overall, I've really enojoyed using this and if you're in the market for a new set of scales, I'd check these out, they're a little more pricey than your average set of scales but considering the additional benefits you get with these, I think they're definitely worth the extra pennies. You can find the BeetsBlu scales <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beets-BLU-Bluetooth-smartphone-composition/dp/B00JE9JKG8/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445590107&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=beetsblu" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What do you think? Would you be interested in getting the BeetsBlu Scale?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph xx</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdMi-uDGh1i7FYGTVWsy8ArN9IkPyqtaj19xWg7WRXry0c4GssDJrtV33dUlOAtu7wmH8IZzQ1CuFVCZCPgM8JB7LT4AMmT1ND65l0rkXUHyvYtMwRrrWRIAB1aHtauBtiS0MBZuK4fxb/s1600/DSC_1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdMi-uDGh1i7FYGTVWsy8ArN9IkPyqtaj19xWg7WRXry0c4GssDJrtV33dUlOAtu7wmH8IZzQ1CuFVCZCPgM8JB7LT4AMmT1ND65l0rkXUHyvYtMwRrrWRIAB1aHtauBtiS0MBZuK4fxb/s320/DSC_1909.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-40360293669175526142015-09-23T17:39:00.000+01:002015-09-23T17:39:12.930+01:00REVIEW // Irresistable Me Hair Extensions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was recently contacted by the team at Irresistable Me Hair Extensions to ask if I would like to try out some of their hair extensions, no, since cutting my hair at the end of last year into a shoulder length bob, I've been intrigued by hair extensions but kind of dismissed them on the effort factor, I'm a get ready and out the door in 20 minutes kind of gal, I have no time for faffing over my makeup or moulding my hair into something presentable but when the team contacted me, I figured why not, Adriana was incredibly helpful in helping me to work out which would be the best option for me, I was umming and aahing over which length to go for, but she sent me lots of links to help me pick which would be best, in the end I opted for the 16 inch and the platinum blonde colour, the shipping wasreally fast and the extensions were with me in just a couple of days, great if you need them fast for an event.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, what did I think? When they arrived, they were packaged really well with a separate pouch for you to test the length / colour before opening up the whole pack, so that if the colour doesn't work, you can return and exchange. The hair itself is very soft but had a faint smell of something that I can't quite put my finger on, ever so slightly not pleasant but not enough to put you off wearing them. They clipped in really easily, you literally just pop open the clips, section off your hair, place them and then pop the clips back in and they stay safely in without feeling like they'll come loose or fall out. The problem I did have is that the colour didn't match my hair, I have quite an ashy / white tone to my hair that I've created through lots of toning while the extensions were a lot more yellow based, I tried toning the extensions but it didn't help so my nxt step is to give dying them a lighter colour a whirl, I'll let you know how I get on! The other problem I have is that my hair is shaped into a fairly blunt bob, there's no layers and as such, it very much looked like it's stuck some long, curly, different coloured extensions in, also my hair is very fine and while there's a lot of it, you could see the extensions at the root in places.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even though, these aren't necessarily for me, I would recommend these if your hair is more of a match for any of the shades that they offer or if you have a hairstyle that's going to blend in a little bit better. I'll be keeping these to see if dying them helps to tie in with my hair colour a little better and if they look better when my hair has grown out a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me know what you think of these? Would you try them? If you are interested, you can get them from Irresistable Me <a href="http://www.irresistibleme.com/lpc" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsLdohqGif8FBafjt-NaGPeqjZdpoyfcKpwh8fmkI3-NvAE6XU6STfmqVnMjYCH0y9A2dj640R8P2uHAUO8gqWBL-vHjubX6mLoXmMGl6ZaQCpFfq9wekVbs7RO7NiLMb8GEcSJ9PFRZE/s1600/DSC_1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsLdohqGif8FBafjt-NaGPeqjZdpoyfcKpwh8fmkI3-NvAE6XU6STfmqVnMjYCH0y9A2dj640R8P2uHAUO8gqWBL-vHjubX6mLoXmMGl6ZaQCpFfq9wekVbs7RO7NiLMb8GEcSJ9PFRZE/s320/DSC_1901.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkzq9uThFpXbvNX0HQheRGUSpAGtHBihkAJytHiGGH2tS6J_BmyQK-6frq2QsSuYV3ELPsVPx9YYee1x_cHbAhrILlUdzmLIZBxIwfaGYFmAqfD7OTeDvES-e5tzZk8zNxvpQQ3IDhtoR/s1600/DSC_1905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkzq9uThFpXbvNX0HQheRGUSpAGtHBihkAJytHiGGH2tS6J_BmyQK-6frq2QsSuYV3ELPsVPx9YYee1x_cHbAhrILlUdzmLIZBxIwfaGYFmAqfD7OTeDvES-e5tzZk8zNxvpQQ3IDhtoR/s320/DSC_1905.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi-7-dQz_j0duZFBL8lZRwVl-qiAVjDupiP1F890AE1l5_r6FYRtWi0sTg0-6j4WNKEq7KDhBSVh0-_TNZsyZI0PIXtaEYmcXyxOi4ciVdLCsopkMGMSE-qOv_OE4n9b_EnPQNeGi72os/s1600/DSC_1921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi-7-dQz_j0duZFBL8lZRwVl-qiAVjDupiP1F890AE1l5_r6FYRtWi0sTg0-6j4WNKEq7KDhBSVh0-_TNZsyZI0PIXtaEYmcXyxOi4ciVdLCsopkMGMSE-qOv_OE4n9b_EnPQNeGi72os/s320/DSC_1921.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8K9eSLTpuQZyk-nKRSkSO7jd3A89um0N7QP3D_b-0NxZYNWwNnHdttK8aG9Ik9f0cw9PJFIDMpRJu1kEX5ZUxn222EYctzLCLezOWHaAs6GaljyYwHUXC2C14qhCtZMdbxuFMYq2CRll/s1600/DSC_1924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8K9eSLTpuQZyk-nKRSkSO7jd3A89um0N7QP3D_b-0NxZYNWwNnHdttK8aG9Ik9f0cw9PJFIDMpRJu1kEX5ZUxn222EYctzLCLezOWHaAs6GaljyYwHUXC2C14qhCtZMdbxuFMYq2CRll/s320/DSC_1924.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-42223581232454118292015-08-24T18:33:00.000+01:002015-08-24T18:33:08.497+01:00REVIEW // Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex came as part of this set that I posted about a while back, I was only really going for the set for the Instant Facial so the other two items were just a bonus really, the Micro Cleanse I absolutely love and will repurchase when I run out, after saying recently that I hate grainy exfoliators, the micro cleanse is that but is also a chemical exfoliant using Glycolic acid, I love it, my skin feels amazing after using it - review <a href="http://www.ocbeauty.co.uk/2014/08/review-alpha-h-micro-cleanse.html" target="_blank">here </a>- Anyway, I'm rambling, the Eye Complex I really want to love but I just struggle with the packaging, even on my very first use, it was literally like getting blood from a stone, I'm all for using pumps and gadgets to make life easier but it just doesn't seem to work on this and from looking on google to see how others found this, it seems to be a recurring issue so hopefully it's something Alpha-H will sort out. Essentially, I found I had to </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pump and pump before any product would come out and then all of a sudden, loads of product would fly out and now it actually won't pump anything out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Product wise, it's a clear gel consistency that looks like it's done nothing as you apply it but you really will notice a difference when you wake up the next morning, everything seems a bit tighter and firmer around the eye area, I didn't find it worked amazingly on dark circles but too be honest, it's not really something I have a problem with so perhaps if you have darker circles, you may see a more dramatic result. As a preference, I'm definitely one for more of a creamy consistency for eye creams as opposed to gel products so this would be more something I'd reach for if I had a special event the next day but it's probably not one I'd be reaching for on a daily basis.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At a price of £34.50, I'm glad this came as part of a set and it's unlikely that it would be something I would re-purchase, maybe when I'm older and need to use something like this on a daily basis! If you do want to give this a go, I'd recommend trying this as part of one of the Alpha-H sets on QVC as they really do offer great value versus buying the products separately and as a brand, I'm really loving their products. Check them out <a href="http://www.qvcuk.com/CatalogSearch?langId=-2&storeId=10252&catalogId=10152&sc=SRCH&keyword=alpha+h" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you guys tried this, what did you think?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhxUC3cChtysW9n7i1x1LG44q0Lvth24_-Nf2gqPWSVlBnk8PtyTSOTbQKEfmii0lX_XceD6thAeUHx3K_HRgLsvZFnaSMNrr9dNvexk-vxpkeLu9R1tKO5iZjAvizTZ4S0sQ-UxkYyh4/s1600/DSC_1484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhxUC3cChtysW9n7i1x1LG44q0Lvth24_-Nf2gqPWSVlBnk8PtyTSOTbQKEfmii0lX_XceD6thAeUHx3K_HRgLsvZFnaSMNrr9dNvexk-vxpkeLu9R1tKO5iZjAvizTZ4S0sQ-UxkYyh4/s1600/DSC_1484.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-55413710554633338402015-08-22T22:11:00.001+01:002015-08-22T22:11:42.006+01:00REVIEW // Superfacialist Tea Flower Purifying Cleansing Wash<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today's post is about the Superfacialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Purifying Cleansing wash, I thought I'd already done a review of this because I've been using this for well over a year now, I know I've mentioned this in my <a href="http://ocbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/top-5-cleansers.html">Top 5 Favourite Cleansers</a> aaaages ago but, it's one of those cleansers that I just know I can depend on and one of the ones that stays in my shower for my morning face wash, so it's one of the ones I reach for most mornings, and I know that after using this, my face will feel completely clean and ready to start the day, I also know that if there's a bit of a breakout brewing, with the addition of Salicylic Acid, it will help to combat and keep it from rearing up. This product itself is a clear gel product that foams up when massaged into the skin, I know that foaming products aren't supposed to be great for your skin but I kind of like the super clean feeling that I get from them so while I won't use them all the time, I do like using them if I feel like my skin needs a really good deep clean.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Superfacialist range is created using natural ingredients (thumbs up from me) and while it's not in the same league of using natural ingredients like Antipodes or Origins, it's good to see a drugstore brand bringing natural ingredients into the mix. This particular product contains Sweet Orange Oil, Bitter Orange Oil, Ylang Ylang and Elderflower which combine to create quite a strong scent, I'm going to hold my hands up here, I'm not a huge fan of the scent, It's the same scent as the rest of the products in the Tea Flower range, but it's just a bit too floral for me, I don't hate it but I wouldn't use the product solely for how it smells, I know a lot of people love the scent though so it may just be me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm also a huge fan of the Tea Flower Clay mask which is one of the sister products in the Tea Flower range, which is getting a lot of buzz in the blogging world, which is another great product. I do have to say that while I think the Mask can hold it's own against some of the higher end products, the face wash is just a good drugstore product. It's also quite often on offer in Boots so keep an eye out for a deal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I picked up mine <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Superfacialist-Tea-Flower-Purifying-Cleansing-Wash-150ml_1277160/">here </a>for £7.99</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you tried this, what did you think? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNvL1rodWZJsapxXo-YJ-u5e2zWlqkZh06keG1eyHvZ-XuKxbuHADKUtcA3pISXFOzo3vaK-vHn6Re8ZKjDizvq4n3-Jj0XBs1EJCxi4jEAqMBtLJjoXsfswDpY05I-VXcHeD-VNCugid/s1600/SuperfacialistDeepPore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNvL1rodWZJsapxXo-YJ-u5e2zWlqkZh06keG1eyHvZ-XuKxbuHADKUtcA3pISXFOzo3vaK-vHn6Re8ZKjDizvq4n3-Jj0XBs1EJCxi4jEAqMBtLJjoXsfswDpY05I-VXcHeD-VNCugid/s320/SuperfacialistDeepPore.png" width="306" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span id="goog_98569094"></span><span id="goog_98569095"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-34692684585545035192015-08-21T08:30:00.001+01:002015-08-21T08:30:08.430+01:00REVIEW // Lavanila Healthy Deodorant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think this is a first for my blog, I don't think I've ever reviewed a deodorant before...duh duh duh....so, I had been hankering after this ever since I saw it in one of Essie Button's vlogs a year or so ago so I added it to a shopping list for my sister the last time she went to America. It's the Lavanila Healthy Deodorant, the healthy element is because it doesn't contain Aliminium which is found in most deodorants these days and overusing it can cause it to build up in the body, I don't know too much about this so I won't talk about it here but there's plenty on google if you want to know more. This is a creamy stick, it smells AMAZING, I have the Pure Vanilla scent but they also have Vanilla Grapefruit, Vanilla Lavendar and Vanilla Lemon, it's quite a creamy vanilla scent, and smells very natural, I'm not a fan of synthetic vanilla scents but this doesn't fall into that category at all, it's very vanilla pod-esque if you get me?! It's incredibly hydrating and actually leaves the under arm feeling really moisturised which I really loved and wasn't expecting so if you do suffer from irritated or dry patches in that area, then I'd recommend this, if you are in America or have a Sephora order planned because as far as I'm aware, this isn't available in the UK yet.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One con for me with this one, is I don't think that it would withstand lots of activity or a long, stressful day, it's not an anti-perspirant so there is room for wetness (I'm cringing even writing that) so it will either need to be re-applied or you may need to apply alongside another deodorant if you know you'll need some extra protection, I found it was great with my normal daily duties but there was a day where I had to head off at 5am for work, spend 4 hours on a hot, squashed train and also spend 6 hours in a stuffy meeting room and by the end of it, I was wishing I'd worn my Mitchum but I don't want that to deter people because it really is a lovely product.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, there you go a whole post without using the word pit which is the most horrific word after moist. I did however use wetness so I apologise for that!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you tried this? What do you think of it? Is there anything similar in the UK?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9s9dHZnGIFZRNdp-HYnXM50EWhY25KjymTCvGL3ZToYFs_06K6LqzOHS-zBttFf5ul8Yos9E2z3Fv-XzZrYajoOrIjdKfuhuXxXK9UMJhr4KaVvKBRM3u4OI97o3yel1q6zr-kyHVERx/s1600/DSC_1491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9s9dHZnGIFZRNdp-HYnXM50EWhY25KjymTCvGL3ZToYFs_06K6LqzOHS-zBttFf5ul8Yos9E2z3Fv-XzZrYajoOrIjdKfuhuXxXK9UMJhr4KaVvKBRM3u4OI97o3yel1q6zr-kyHVERx/s1600/DSC_1491.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-58910612748056276632015-07-28T20:13:00.002+01:002015-07-28T20:13:39.302+01:00REVIEW // Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, where to begin with the Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster, I picked this up as part of a QVC Special Value Set back in June last year (yes ,last year!!) Mini review of that <a href="http://www.obsessivecompulsivebeautyblog.co.uk/2014/05/buy-sarah-chapman-skinesis-set.html" target="_blank">here </a> and I have to say this was probably one of the products that I was least excited about, I hadn't really heard much about it which is why it took me a while to get around to using it, my main reason for getting the set was the Overnight Facial Oil (obvs) which is one of my favourite, favourite products to use. The Intense Hydrating Booster is a serum that I'd liken to the likes of Indeed Labs Hydraluron in the sense that it helps to deliver an intense hit of moisture and really get whatever product you put on top of this, be it a cream or an oil really working to benefit your skin, this is the only real likeness that I've found though, the Intense Hydrating Booster is a lot more fluid in form and comes in a little pippette dropper bottle, it also smells quite literally divine, it contains rosewater and it's definitely that scent that comes through the strongest, it's like a spa treatment in that sense, it's not an in your face rose scent, delicious but subtle enough to not be offensive in any way.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's very silky in formula, almost like a light oil but it's actually oil free, I use around 2-3 drops of this and I find that's plenty to work across my face and down onto my neck, one thing is it does run very easily so I'd recommend appling a few drops into your palm, rubbing between your palms and then applying onto your face, I normally apply products onto the tips of my fingers then press onto my face but this runs before I can even start, not an issue just something to be aware of. The packaging for this states that it is for Stressed, Parched, Dehydrated skin which I definitely tend to lean towards having dehydrated skin and this really is lovely and I notice a real difference when this is included in my routine. The website also mentions that it's great for skin recovering from too much sun exposure which I would actually be inclined to agree with, I don't tend to over do it in the sun but this is really colling and refreshing and very gentle so I think it would be perfect. Hyaluronic Acid is the base product in this which is the key product delivering that hit of moisture but this is combined with Bioecolaia and Beta Glucans which help to prevent against airborne bacteria affecting skin. There's also claims that this helps with plumping fine lines and wrinkles which isn't something I can comment on as I'm fairly lucky I don't have any yet but this delivers on all it's other claims so I can't see it failing on this, my skin definitely feels a little plumper after using.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was hoping to not do a war and peace blog post but it's definitely going that way so i'll try and tie it up now, it's a really lovely product that really feels like you're treating your skin, it's not cheap at £57 but skincare is the one area I don't hold back on spending really plus keep an eye out for sets, the QVC TSV that I got was really amazing value and they're great for trying out other products, I wouldn't have thought about trying this had it not been included in this set.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you tried this? What did you think?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph xx</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P.S This and the Overnight Facial Oil = Skin Heaven</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6irv0rGqotnfC0qWZyf0OfmZS2lAk1QpkiHnTzokZfR3EuYe6hEkx8kGWxnxesKbshOIW_cW440SV89uruHj8LPCa33RRCLGAX9vjGvbNbGk3Hbz0xIq4M2ZCF0JbPjqAjekBGi-uZz4E/s1600/DSC_1482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6irv0rGqotnfC0qWZyf0OfmZS2lAk1QpkiHnTzokZfR3EuYe6hEkx8kGWxnxesKbshOIW_cW440SV89uruHj8LPCa33RRCLGAX9vjGvbNbGk3Hbz0xIq4M2ZCF0JbPjqAjekBGi-uZz4E/s1600/DSC_1482.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-52990179919272397662015-06-07T20:37:00.001+01:002015-06-08T19:59:14.730+01:00WISHLIST // Weekly Wishlist #10<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;">
<div style="position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/weekly_wishlist_10/set?.embedder=10960310&.svc=blogger&id=163824987" target="_blank"><img alt="Weekly Wishlist #10" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/bNAuAdeZ6RGionyq4naHw/cid/163824987/id/juabn0wN5RGjyQZttfvecw/size/c600x402.jpg" height="402" title="Weekly Wishlist #10" width="600" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">I'm not really sure what this wishlist is saying about me to be honest, I think that Iwant to look glamorous while lying in bed, which I'm kind of OK with...I actually have a bit of a confession as well, I put this wishlist together on Saturday and have already ended up buying the duvert cover and the Sunday Riley Luna oil....I'm currently off work sick so lying bed all day feeling sorry for myself didn't do anything for my bank balance! I cannot wait to try the Luna oil though, I've been pawing through reviews for the past week and I'm reallyhoping it's as good as everyone says!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">I'm on a real Gym kick at the minute as well so I wouldn't be surprised if that Mint Green bottle isn't winging it's way to my by the end of the week either!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Hope you all have a great week! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Soph</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">x</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;">
<div style="padding-top: 16px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 8px; text-align: left;">
<small><br style="display: none;" /></small></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-80348812145761229222015-06-03T22:05:00.000+01:002015-06-03T22:05:38.640+01:00REVIEW // Alpha H Instant Facial<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I picked this up as part of <a href="http://www.qvcuk.com/Alpha-H-3-Piece-Instant-Results-Collection.product.206227.html?refType=UPSELL-X-SELL&refNumber=219585&sc=206227-DTLR&cm_sp=UPSELL-_-IO_ProdDetail-_-1&relType=IO&refLocation=1" target="_blank">this special value set on QVC </a>so I got this Alpha H Instant Facial, which at the time was newly released, along with the Micro Cleanse (LOVE!) and the Absolute Eye Complex, the whole set is a bit of a bargain at just over £36, the Instant Facial on it's own has an RRP of £37 so you are essentially getting the eye cream and Micro Cleanse for free so it's definitely worth checking out. The Instant Facial is essentially an exfoliating toner, so it's used after cleansing and before Serum to exfoliate and refine the skins texture, removing dead skin build up, softening skin, shrinking pores, evening out skin tone, blurring imperfections etc etc - I'm going to stop there, you get my drift. The initial thing that drew me to this was the spray pump, which writing that down, seems ridiculous but it's truth, as it happens, it's probably one of my least favourite things about this because I find it's got quite a wide spray that spreads further than the cotton pad and I'm never quite sure how many sprays to do but that's me being very picky as well, there are very few flaws with this product on the whole.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, it's a glycolic based exfoliator but also has Cyprus, Thyme, Barley, Malt and Arnica which each bring different elements to the toner to help with the evening of skin tone and redness reduction. I don't use this on a daily basis but maybe more like twice a week, depending on how my skin is behaving that week, use around 3-5 sprays on a cotton pad then sweep all over my face and neck, I leave it to dry a little bit before applying a serum and moisturiser, you can also just leave it on it's own for a more intense treatment, so if your skin needs a good exfoliation, skip the serum and moisturiser. It's oil free and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and just looking alot more refreshed and alive.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd liken this to the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening Toner as I find it to be quite gentle like the clarins, there's no stinging or harshness with this, it's a little bit tackier when first applied than the clarins but this settles down once it dries or moisturiser is applied. Alpha H as a brand is definitely one that I'm getting more and more into, I literally love the Micro Cleanse, which again is exfoliating but in cleanser form and it's just dreamy to use, my face feels so incredibly soft after using, I reviewed it <a href="http://www.obsessivecompulsivebeautyblog.co.uk/2014/08/review-alpha-h-micro-cleanse.html" target="_blank">here </a>a while back if you want to know more about that one, but yeah, I'll definitely be checking more out from Alpha H, I currently have my eyeballs all over this <a href="http://www.qvcuk.com/Alpha-H-Clear-Skin-Daily-Face-Wash-200ml.product.204164.html?sc=SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-35-_-204164" target="_blank">Clear Skin Daily Face Wash</a>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you tried this before? Any other Alpha-H products I should be trying?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGlhX5gLUHMLWythTG7IVdsk7A84Db2oo-5SAGFXJynm7oFHS5Y87jVIXg9Cs27LWaZmL3wmgJf4V1ej72_b1VRHJ63UowktKcyMgfyAKv6XXJsK87IpLMd7oqX48OOS2Ky4tU-84TA9z/s1600/DSC_1486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGlhX5gLUHMLWythTG7IVdsk7A84Db2oo-5SAGFXJynm7oFHS5Y87jVIXg9Cs27LWaZmL3wmgJf4V1ej72_b1VRHJ63UowktKcyMgfyAKv6XXJsK87IpLMd7oqX48OOS2Ky4tU-84TA9z/s1600/DSC_1486.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-71624901098853656472015-06-02T19:45:00.001+01:002015-06-02T19:45:15.470+01:00REVIEW // OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mentioned that I'd picked up the OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel in my Space NK haul a while back and a few people were keen to see the review of this one, It's definitely starting to get a name for itself and rightly so, when I was looking to revamp my skincare routine, this is the main thing I knew I wanted, I first saw it on one of Vivianna Does Makeup's vlogs I think and ever since then I've spotted it popping up on several blogs and I've been lusting after it ever since. This leaves my skin feeling amazing, it says cleansing gel, which it is, it's a soft pink gel but it definitely leans towards an oil texture as well as you massage it in, it melts onto your skin much and starts working on breaking down the makeup much like a balm or oil would and as you massage it in, you start to get the scent coming through which is so beautiful, it's like a rose dream, I find strongly scented products can sometimes irritate my skin but there were no issues with this, I actually think because of the ingredients in this, it's incredibly calming and soothing for my skin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I pump this out, about a pump and a half works for me, I start massaging it in, it works really well on waterproof mascara, I normally take my eye makeup off with a micellar water before cleansing but there were several times over christmas where I just used this and I just tended to massage it in and it takes away all my mascara. Anyway, I get it all over the face and actually leave it on for a minute or so while I get a hot flannel ready and then take it off, all my makeup comes off and I've tested with a toner afterwards, there's nothing left but the main thing that separates this from an oil or balm I found is that there's no residue left on my skin afterwards but it still feels amazingly moisturised but really clean, I love oils and balms for taking off makeup but I hate that layer it leaves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The packaging on this is brilliant and I wish all cleansers would come like this, it's a sturdy plastic, nothing special on that front, looks nice though, but it's the pump that works with this, so many cleansers come in pots or tubes and you have to mess around with trying to get lids off, squeezing product out, all while your face is soaking wet and you can't open your eyes so you end up squeezing too much out or my favourite, dropping the lid down the sink hole which has happened to me way too many times, this is just a simple pump but it makes such a difference to getting the product out and makes the whole process a breeze. Possibly a little bit of a dramatic rant there but I'm sure some of you feel my pain there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not the cheapest cleanser in the world but skincare is where I'm kind of OK with splurging, it's £28, I picked mine up from <a href="http://uk.spacenk.com/renaissance-cleansing-gel/MUK200013165.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you tried this? What did you think?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P9Yw0n5Vsdo8VJwVYHyrZFcTLQ0JQ0eoeRgKn2QLXz_CZZH4DBJiF2Y_5QlZQHC_FZgYHFwS5eoUFcnKuuLrJe5BuhWxxv4w25SNXpdr6jnW8SqLUFtELphOiQeeq6xFLcrNhnAb6GjR/s1600/OskiaRenCleanse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8P9Yw0n5Vsdo8VJwVYHyrZFcTLQ0JQ0eoeRgKn2QLXz_CZZH4DBJiF2Y_5QlZQHC_FZgYHFwS5eoUFcnKuuLrJe5BuhWxxv4w25SNXpdr6jnW8SqLUFtELphOiQeeq6xFLcrNhnAb6GjR/s1600/OskiaRenCleanse.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-87776021270929793272015-03-23T14:52:00.001+00:002015-03-23T14:52:29.783+00:00FITNESS // BeetsBlu Heart Rate Monitor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was recently asked if I wanted to try out the Beets Blu Heart rate monitor, the timing of being asked this was almost perfect, I was just starting to get a fitness routine in place and had actually just purchased a Jawbone, which is one of those bracelets that basically tracks your steps and sleep and you link it to an app and you can track your food but I found it to be absolutely rubbish, I work from home and spend a lot of time, sitting at my desk, making the odd trip downstairs to get a cup of tea however, the Jawbone kept tracking me at doing severalthousand steps when I hadn't moved from the desk...that's a whole other post but I ended up retuning that and just as I was looking for something else, I got asked to review the Beets Blu, which is essentially a heart rate monitor, so you put it on, it sits around your chest, just underneath your bra and has two little sensors that monitor your heart rate and it links to your iphone via bluetooth so you can track the readings. It's very stretchyand apart from feeling a little bit cold when you first put it on, it's incredibly discreet, you can't see it under clothes and it doesn't really feel like you're wearing anything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think for me, I really enjoyed wearing it and as I up my (currently very low) fitness levels, I think t will be interesting to see how my heart rates responds, it also links to several fitness apps such as RunKeeper and Map My Run so you can see how your performing while out running as well. One of the best things I found it for is working out when my heart rate is in the right zone for actually losing weight, however, my chosen gym workout is the Cross Trainer and it can be a little bit tricky to look at the app whilst my arms are flailing about in the air but good for when you're on the treadmill or if I take a morning run, I would also imagine it would be pretty easy to use on an exercise bike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's £34.95 which isn't the cheapest but I have enjoyed using it - I'm not sure if I would necessarily pay the £34.95, I've only been using this for a few weeks now so I want to see if it's something I actually keep as part of my routine, but if you are in the market for a heart rate monitor this is actually one of the cheapest I've seen, I got mine from Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beets-Wireless-Bluetooth-Compatible-Smartphones-black/dp/B008LT0MBY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426422848&sr=8-1&keywords=beets+blu" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What do you think? Is this something you'd be interested in?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IZMKlGGcOrpuk1GLDrGB9xHOBiRsjpCzf1jBTVtt1j0BFywtZ_0YW25rtC8qah0xoI280kmySqIqysMCDkaHINR9biYd5DutxR1oTU-NPPIF2ieilhM9iqtd0NrzhLlZjChGm_VZlNg9/s1600/DSC_1815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IZMKlGGcOrpuk1GLDrGB9xHOBiRsjpCzf1jBTVtt1j0BFywtZ_0YW25rtC8qah0xoI280kmySqIqysMCDkaHINR9biYd5DutxR1oTU-NPPIF2ieilhM9iqtd0NrzhLlZjChGm_VZlNg9/s1600/DSC_1815.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-50093081545323153502015-02-22T21:25:00.000+00:002015-02-22T21:25:00.707+00:00WISHLIST // Weekly Wishlist #9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 600px;">
<div style="position: relative;">
<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/wishlist_weekly_wishlist/set?.embedder=10960310&.svc=blogger&id=146273501" target="_blank"><img alt="WISHLIST // Weekly Wishlist #9" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/4sCYpvlpwUF1PIfs2160pA/cid/146273501/id/rnHN5OGc5BGkto9rZFZllw/size/c600x442.jpg" height="442" title="WISHLIST // Weekly Wishlist #9" width="600" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm going to stop saying I'm going to start posting more reguarly on here because everytime I do, I disappear off the face of the earth for a few weeks - work was to blame for this more recent lack of activity on the blog. I'm back though with a weekly wishlist, I've been lusting over this Ken top for a little while, not so much to wear out but I think it looks like the perfect lazing around the house top and it's cotton candy scented - I didn't even realise that was a thing! </span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Another big part of my life over the past few weeks is Scandal, I've literally been binge watching it, my new life motto is <i>"What would Olivia Pope do?!"</i> - It's definitely one of my new favourites. Also, i</span><span style="text-align: left;">'ve been trying out a lot of new products recently so there's going to be a lot of skincare and hair review posts coming up in the next few weeks so keep an eye out for those.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope you're all having a good weekend!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span></div>
</div>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-82299193712652057602015-01-17T10:29:00.002+00:002015-01-17T10:29:58.783+00:00LIFE // Update + New Layout<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi Guys, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A bit of a quick update for you as I listen to the wind howling outside, I've just put my PJs on and settled down with a blanket and a cup of Pukka Wild Apple & Cinnamon tea, which is the actual bomb, check it out if you're a fan of herbal tea's, it's keeping me going this winter but anyway, I wanted to give you a bit of an update, you may have noticed the layout has changed a bit around these parts, I've kept the same logo but made it a bit clearer, but the main body of the blog is a little bit cleaner and fresher, New year, new blog and all that jazz! I'm hoping it will rejuvanate me into blogging a bit more often, my plan is at least 2 posts a week moving up to 4 hopefully in a few months, when I started this blog, I had just started working from home and I wanted something that would break up the working day from the evening, which sounds a bit weird to stay sitting on the computer when you've finished working but I think there was some sensible reasoning behind it at the time but I really love blogging now, it' gives me a little escape, my job can be ridiculously stressful and high pressure at times, which is why this is a little escape for me, where I can do it when I fancy really so I don't want to put too many pressures on myself to upload on certain days although I might do that at some point in the future so I kind of force myself to break away from work and do something I enjoy, working from home, means you can sometimes end up working ridiculous hours which I really want to cut back on. Anyway, I'm digressing a bit and this post is turning into a bit of a brain dump but hey, if you can't brain dump on your own blog, where can you?! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ummm, so I've decided to start doing a few more set posts on here as well, like Monthly Favourites, which will be beauty related but I also want some lifestyle bits in there as well so may include clothes, homeware and most likely Tea, tea makes the world a happy place for me, nothing beats a blanket, a book and a cup of hot tea to keep the happiness alive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Final thing, has anyone watched Haven? It's on Amazon Instant Prime and it's my latest obsession, I want to live in a little fishing village in Canada with my pooch, blankets and tea of course. Talking of pooches, I'm going to stick a picture of Dixie in for this post, she's growing up so quick, I went into the office the other day and started rambling about how she was growing up so fast, yadda, yadda, yadda, started flicking through pictures and showing people before realising I was talking to 5 middle aged men who had zero interest in my despair that my puppy was going to be 7 months old this week, true story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me know what you think of the new layout and if there are any types of post you like reading? How do you find these rambly posts?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope you're all having a dreamy weekend.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph xx</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcy9eEQ9ic6SzxJWbqzfjA_zL6SOIhg_yn2WRyci3Wj-mBYp0TX8e1EYViI8JVZdYgg5bMZQZi4OlK8F0uIa6mC9hZFfz8JZf21Fbu7Mixxy7elWtaDQKcW6N-KKWkU67mDX6LuXSP5Zl/s640/blogger-image-1139707504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcy9eEQ9ic6SzxJWbqzfjA_zL6SOIhg_yn2WRyci3Wj-mBYp0TX8e1EYViI8JVZdYgg5bMZQZi4OlK8F0uIa6mC9hZFfz8JZf21Fbu7Mixxy7elWtaDQKcW6N-KKWkU67mDX6LuXSP5Zl/s640/blogger-image-1139707504.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-16474485260472531232015-01-14T22:26:00.000+00:002015-01-14T22:26:10.541+00:00REVIEW // Beneft Radiant Skincare Set<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been intrigued by the Benefit Skincare range for a while, I went to a Benefit event a year or so ago and they used the cleansing milk on me to remove my makeup and I was pleasantly surprised with it, it was lightly scented but did a good job of taking everything off and leaving my skin feeling soft as well, but for some reason I never really think to go to them when I'm looking for new products, they're definitely a makeup brand in my head but then I saw this little set which includes a selection of miniatures from across the range, great for holidays or trips away but also really great to try everything out, at £14 for this set, it's really great value, there is plenty in each little sample to give you a good chance to test everything out. The whole range smells lovely, quite a fresh, subtle fragrance, I don't normally get along with scented products on my skin but I didn't have any issues with this and I enjoyed using pretty much every product in here, If you're thinking of delving into the Benefit Skincare range or need a complete set for a holiday, I'd definitely look into this.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Foamingly Clean Wash - 8.9g</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the first thing I tested out and it's really nice, it gives a good foam and leaves skin clean but still soft and not at all stripped, reminds me of the Origins Checks and Balances formula wise in that it's a foam that really lathers up when it hits water and is massaged into skin, really nice and one I'd happily repurchase.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Refined Finish Facial Polish - 8.9g</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've only tried this once because I'm not a huge fan of grainy exfoliators but it was OK, buffed away at my skin without being harsh at all and my skin felt baby smooth after using.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Moisture Prep Toning Lotion</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This one was a bit hit and miss for me, nothing majorly wrong with it but it didn't really feel like it was doing much, it might be that this one needs more than a sample size amount to see the benefits, I also tend to prefer an acid toner so it might just be down to preference.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Triple Performing Emulsion Lotion SPF 15 - 8.9g</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I liked this and I liked that it had SPF built into it but it was too light for my skin so I had to pair it with the other cream in the box, I do have very dry skin though so if your skin leans to the normal / oily side, this would probably be just about perfect.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Total Moisture Facial Cream - 3g</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is my favourite item out of the set, smells lovely, is quite rich and creamy but sinks in quickly, I have way too many moisturisers to work through but if i'm in the market for one any time soon, I'll definitely check this out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>It's potent Eye Cream - 3g</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is nice and rich eye cream, definitely one if your skin is a little dry around the eyes and great for the winter months, it left the skin around my eyes feeling soft and moisturised.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And, that's it - what do you think? Will you be trying out Benefit's skincare range?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qx1ensW7lqbQLMOzHF9B49OhJ7ZC1InSEXYmHQAgWU9QEgsEs9n4RHBOyz-cdvITeh6HP7RGcz4ric65g_fEPKYvJ6LqlbBIVwD61Sbnl-MZ_uMR0UoRYxxdR648x4tKzdJcvX0paA9q/s1600/DSC_1488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qx1ensW7lqbQLMOzHF9B49OhJ7ZC1InSEXYmHQAgWU9QEgsEs9n4RHBOyz-cdvITeh6HP7RGcz4ric65g_fEPKYvJ6LqlbBIVwD61Sbnl-MZ_uMR0UoRYxxdR648x4tKzdJcvX0paA9q/s1600/DSC_1488.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucgnvy8bKLx0ZKxxvj0PEz4ZENAq1O1ZenTlZQVQ-s53HTsMBSoSr21H4jX3Rbow-BF9EO3Cp189-3A2pcYfvEYSkXpOJey49xn3CfHjEAznPGakOP1VYHN_4NCnjofhw7esy7YuQTAym/s1600/DSC_1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucgnvy8bKLx0ZKxxvj0PEz4ZENAq1O1ZenTlZQVQ-s53HTsMBSoSr21H4jX3Rbow-BF9EO3Cp189-3A2pcYfvEYSkXpOJey49xn3CfHjEAznPGakOP1VYHN_4NCnjofhw7esy7YuQTAym/s1600/DSC_1489.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7244441107933385815.post-47293260990200622592015-01-11T18:08:00.001+00:002015-01-11T18:08:03.308+00:00REVIEW // Birchbox January 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was quite excited to get this month's Birchbox, I'd seen the sneak preview that it was in collaboration with Women's Health which I think is brilliant and perfect timing! In theory I should love this box, it's got Caudalie, HealGel and Stila which are all pretty big brands but unfortunately none of them excite me that much, I think I'll get use from the HealGel and the Caudalie products but the Stila lip gloss just isn't a colour I'd normally wear it's a good mix of brands but the sample sizes are kind of small and there's nothing that's a WOW product for me. I'm particuarly happy with Pilates band, I used to have one but lost it, but thy really are good! Here's a run down of what I got:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>activbod Cooling Finish Lotion</u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is for use after a workout, contains menthol to help re-invigorate you, I actually quite like the smell of it, it's quite a strong menthol scent but I'm not sure I'd actually want to smell of it myself if you get me? Might be one to throw in my gym bag to try out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>HealGel Face</u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think this is a serum of sorts, it's packed with Hyaluronic Acid which I know works brilliantly with my skin so I'm looking forward to giving this a whirl.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum</u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another serum, this one targets evening out skin tone and brightening complexion which again, I'm happy to try out, I think I have actually used this before but a few years ago!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>GreenPeople Intensive Repair Shampoo</u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love the GreenPeople brandand have used it before, this is 82% organic and is free from a multitude of nasties such as SLS, Parabens, DEA, TEA and many more, it's even free from Urea which is a bonus!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>Stila Lip Glaze</u></b> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got the shade Glamour which is a deep Raspberry Pink, it's nice but it's just not a colour I wear so I'll probably give this to a friend, I have used the Stila Lip Glaze's before and loved them.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, that's everything in the box, nothing I'm not happy with but nothing that I'm overly excited about but you can't win them all! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How was your BirchBox this month?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soph x</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHn6qgH47GgFPsDH52oTu1ST_-lo_4O8wj7IApA2lZxp43_MpoavhNgJVlNT1EaHQ8JynVXeIDVanwADlXjUEN-HiEBc4KJQuO5aCt08DKvnjsVioP6YSdRtAd4GgrhvdnXDyjrWlDYf_Q/s1600/Birchboxjan15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHn6qgH47GgFPsDH52oTu1ST_-lo_4O8wj7IApA2lZxp43_MpoavhNgJVlNT1EaHQ8JynVXeIDVanwADlXjUEN-HiEBc4KJQuO5aCt08DKvnjsVioP6YSdRtAd4GgrhvdnXDyjrWlDYf_Q/s1600/Birchboxjan15.jpg" height="298" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sophiebeautyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163804270480045043noreply@blogger.com2