Favourite Purchase of the Week!

As many of you probably know, internet sensation Zoe Sugg (Zoella) has brought out her own beauty range! So, I thought I'd share with you my favourite purchase of this week; Zoella's "Bath Fizz Bar".

The packaging is enough to excite me in itself, so dainty and pretty looking! The variation of pastel colours and the fact the fizz bar is in CUBES (like chocolate?!) makes the overall looking of the product so lovable to any eye. Not only that, but it doesn't crumble  and you get the perfect amount for that silky smooth bath water.

 I used one cube in my bath, and immediately the smell arose and captured a soapy/sherbet smell with an edge in the air. It made my skin soft, and left my bath smelling DELICIOUS. So delicious I could have eaten that bar... (Don't do it though, it does say it on the packaging!) 

You can get this scrumptious product along with the other products from Zoella's beauty range here.

Soph x

Meeting my Inspirations! Amity Fest...

I'm late with uploading this... SORRY!

This is just going to be a short, and hopefully sweet post of my adventure to Birmingham to meet people whom I've been wanting to talk to for YEARS. 

Before I even thought about creating my own blog or filming videos (which haven't yet been seen by any except myself) I would sit at my computer screen watching intently a group of people who would just literally talk to their camera about their favourite things be it from makeup or a film they watched, daring their friends to do things etc. Not only that, but I mostly used to read blogs by Zoella, and Sprinkle of Glitter who would display random thoughts in writing and the occasional picture thrown in there. It seems weird that someone just babbling on about an item they bought, or why they had a bad day or trying to make their reader feel better about things would be SO addictive to read. Both people transferred to making videos on YouTube along with their blog posts, however it goes without saying that I would never have had the confidence to do what I'm doing now if it weren't for these people. 

So you could only imagine my excitement when I was lucky enough to spend some time with each of the main bloggers/YouTuber's before they put on their show as part of Amity Fest. The event was really well organised, there was no violence in eagerness to get near them, and it was orderly and spacious. 

Zoe was THE SWEETEST, and was especially grateful when I thanked her for everything. She seemed to be so overwhelmed by all the love for her, and the way her career has taken off couldn't have happened to a better person. Louise was so bubbly and cuddly, and even made me a cupcake with her face on. She's my best friend, honest. 

I didn't get to speak to Tanya for too long, as there were a line of people waiting and I didn't want to take up too much of their time with her. I congratulated her on her recent beauty launch, she complimented me on my hair and dress and was just really sweet. Jim chatted for England, and the conversation went from clothing to Tanya to teeth and god knows what else. He's a really down to earth guy and Amity kindly took a nice polaroid picture of us which is now pegged up in my room! 

Caspar Lee. Caspar, Caspar, Caspar. He's the most easy guy to get along with, made me laugh multiple times and then took loads of selfies some of which can not be displayed on the internet. (They're just ugly faces tis all...) 

This couple are SOOO nice. I chatted with Niomi probably the longest out of everyone, the conversation flowed for so long and she seemed so at ease considering it was her first event like this. Marcus too was such a nice guy, and took several selfies with several faces which is always a winner!

 Alfie smelt lovely, looked lovely, and IS lovely. He gives the best hugs and did whatever he could to make sure he could meet as many people as possible. Truly great guy! My only picture blurred which was THE most frustrating thing in the world!

Unfortunately one of my favourite Youtuber's Joe Sugg (also known online as Thatcher Joe) was unwell so wasn't able to make the event. I'm hoping he is fully recovered by now, and can only wish that I'll be able to have a chat with him in the future, as the cardboard cutout was a little unresponsive.....

Each and every single one of these people were genuine, caring and were so friendly!

Huge thank you to Amity Fest for the little gifts I was given, one of which goes well with my nickname/blog name! 

 I had a truly fantastic time, the show was hilarious and I'll never forget the day. 

Hugs,

Soph x

Getting a puppy!

This is no joke. The family gained a new member!!

Meet Dottie...

CUTE OVERLOAD, RIGHT?

She is hands down the most beautiful creature going, and we couldn't have been blessed with a more friendlier, fun and exciting character. She is being a great companion on the days when there is no one around, and gives THE best cuddles. If you have a dog, or equally another type of pet, you will understand the bond you can have between an animal. Ive only ever once had a hamster, Daisy, (god rest her soul) who quite literally used to be my best friend. As sad as that sounds that a rodent was my best friend, it really was true. You can rant to them, hug them, kiss them, cry to them, laugh to them and they can never ever judge you. Before this gets too deep and I sound like a crazy cat woman (or in this case a hamster woman) I shall wrap it up.

So keep an eye out for lil Dottie in future posts, as I'm sure she'll pop up somewhere!

Loads of Love.


Soph x

How Graham Norton Are You?

Hello Smilers!!

If you are wondering why on earth Graham Norton is staring at you with his arms crossed at the top of my blog post...Well it refers to this very exciting opportunity which gives you guys the chance to get involved with something which you can forever brag about to your friends and family.. ESPECIALLY if you are a huge fan of the comedic and lively character. I, and I'm sure the majority of the nation spend a numerous amount of time chuckling and balling with laughter watching his hit television talk show 'The Graham Norton Show'. Not only that, but his effortless ability to bring a smile to our faces every year with his hilarious commentaries to the Eurovision Song Contest, making him one of the most likeable characters to watch and listen to. And now, we all have the chance to read about him too......

First.. WATCH THIS << And if you've watched and are now asking "But how do I let Graham know what I love?" HERE IS YOUR ANSWER:

 Graham Norton is giving you the chance to meet him for his upcoming launch of his new book 'Graham Norton: The Life and Loves of a He-Devil'.

 Graham believes its really the things you love that define who you are (which I completely agree with!); and so tells the story of his childhood to present day, describing just what and who he loved and sometimes lost. Not only that, but he shares his loves and obsessions big and small as he's grown older. It is written with incredible enthusiasm, characteristic humour and outrageous candour and will be a fantastic and honest memoir on the theme of love. Sounds like a great read, right? (If you fancy this and want to pre-order, you can on Amazon by clicking HERE.) 

All you have to do to be in with the chance of meeting him, is by taking (literally) a minute or two of your time to have a go at this quiz: CLICK HERE Its really quick, and fun to do and asks questions which really make you question who you are as a person and whether you really are a 'He-Devil'.

It took me less than a minute to do, and I have now discovered that Graham and I would in fact be the best of friends.....

The information in regards to meeting Graham will be at the bottom of your quiz results. Have fun, and good luck!!


Soph x

Something To Make You Think.

Have you ever felt like things can get just too much sometimes? You get one of those days where you walk into things, forget things, a bird decides to poo all over you, you step in something you didn't think existed in this world or someone says something that gets you down? Almost like you are forever doing the wrong things....

Or are you having one of those MONTHS? A huge mammoth of bad luck has made its way into your life and you just want to curl up in a ball and stay there for all eternity?

We have all been there. All got to the point where life throws you things and you just aren't ready and its hard to cope with isn't it? Well here are a few motivations points that I found online a while ago with my own commentary ( I especially thought them relevant considering exam results are coming up) which will make you think and re-evaluate your glum thoughts.

1. At least five people in this world love you so much they would die for you. 

Think about it.... Even if its a few members of your family, those people respect you and your presence so much they would put their own self at risk if it meant you were okay. Their life for yours... because you make that much of an impact on someone. And that's a whole handful of people my dear!


2.  At least 15 people in the world love you in some way. 

That's right! AT LEAST FIFTEEN. There isn't even a limit on that! It could be a love for your eyes, the way you laugh, they could love the way you dress or the way you do your hair. No matter how, there is an element of love for you because of the way you are. Something you chose to do be it from the way you put your outfit together to the way you write your name, those people love you for the things you do. And love is a powerful thing.


3. If you haven't done anything to someone who dislikes you, its because they want to be like you. 

There is always a motivation behind someones actions. Sure, we've all been jealous of people right? But sadly, there are people out there who hold that against you. They don't hate you purely because of your presence. That wouldn't make sense, because they know NOTHING about your fabulous self. Its most probably because of your beauty, your outshining personality or it could be something as stupid as a nice clip you have in your hair. Don't take it personally...They like something about you and are afraid to admit that to themselves. Their problem, not yours. Keep your head held high and you prove to those people why you are so great.


4. Your smile can bring happiness to even a stranger. 

If you went out today, and smiled at someone unintentionally you most probably just made them think of you all day. They could have been having the worst day possible and YOU my friend just gave them a reason to turn their frown upside down. That's how powerful you and your happiness is. Just a smile can give someone the reason to keep on going, to motivate someone who doesn't even know you something to live for. Or on the down scale, it could quite simply just put a smile on their face for what could have been a long time or a short time. But what does that matter? You still had that positive effect on someone and still can.


5. You mean the world to someone. 

There is someone close to you, you may or may not know it, that would move heaven and earth for you. You have such a positive impact on their life, you are their everything and give them a reason to keep on going every single day and night. You are the light in their dark, the clearness in their fog and it is just because you are being you. A dear friend once explained to me I meant the world to them, because I was their "Safety". They explained that I looked past their imperfections, (in my eyes, they are purely unusual perfections), and they knew that no matter what I would always make them feel safe because they could one hundred percent be themselves to the core. We all have a friend who laughs at the wrong things, who cancels plans last minute, who forgets important events or who can't help but talk about themselves (These are just examples!!). But they wouldn't be them if they didn't have these qualities about them, and if you look past that without even realising you do, and you are still friends with people who have similar qualities... you are assuring them that no matter what you will be there without having to tell them directly. You are the centre of their world because you understand. And there is SUCH a beauty in that.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” 

[Smiling Snow White Sophie & A Dear Friend]

6. If it wasn't for you, someone may not be living. 

This may seem a little drastic, but if thought well it is most probably very true. Has someone ever asked you to randomly cheer them up? Or has a friend randomly hugged you and said "I needed that"? A smile can hide even the darkest of minds. Just because someone has a hard exterior, constantly laughing and smiling and looking as happy as can be does not mean that on the interior, they are not breaking. If you take a time to step back and think of all the times you gave someone a hug back randomly, invited someone over when they were feeling low or bought someone a little gift just because you thought of them when you saw it. Well, truth be known you saved their life. Something as small as a hug, or just a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen is enough to keep someone going through a difficult time. If they didn't have you, they may not have got through the dark days without extreme difficulty. Right at this second, someone is thinking of you and smiling at memories you have together, or wondering how you are. You are distracting them from something troubling them, and that is so commendable because ultimately, you are saving them. You are keeping them alive. (Or literally you could have saved someones life in your job if you're a doctor or a nurse etc. And if you are one of those people and you have saved someones life literally? Good on you my friend, good on you.)


7. When you tell someone how you feel, you'll feel much better about things. 

Don't keep things to yourself. I can't emphasise enough how untidy your mind can get if you capture all your thoughts and bottle them up tightly, suffocating yourself from any freedom. Talk to someone. Even if its to your pet or your teddy just let it out. Ranting about your thoughts especially to your friends are the BEST way to offload any negative emotions. Or even by writing it down, or expressing your thoughts in song writing or poetry it all really helps to let off some steam and gives you some empty space in that mind of yours for positivity!


8. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a good look: you most likely turned your back on the world. 

Just because things aren't going how they should, don't give up on the world. At the end of the day, everything happens for a reason and there isn't much that can be done about that. Dwelling on it, and hiding yourself away isn't a way to resolve things. The world is your oyster, and reoccurring bad events shouldn't give you a reason to turn your back on it because it won't determine your future or who you are as a person. There is a whole world out there waiting for someone like you to shine bright, don't hold yourself back from that.

[Drawing smiles on everything since '96.]

9. From every mistake you make, something good comes of it. 

Most of the time, its that you will learn from it in the future. Just because you've done something you shouldn't have, or made the wrong decision on something doesn't mean that you're going to continue to do so. Even if you make the same mistake hundreds of times something good coming from that is you are gaining experience. Everything in life is a learning curve, mostly rooting from mistakes. So don't give up just because of one wrong turn. Your path is still ahead of you, you just hit a bump in the road, that's all.


10. Someone you don't know exists, is going to love you.  

That is certainly right. Someone out there, walking this earth right now doesn't know you are here. But one day your paths will cross and they will love you unconditionally. Even if you are in a long term relationship or married right now..There is still someone who you are going to meet that will love you (referring back to number 2). They will love you in some way, and you can't give up now when that person is oblivious to your existence. I mean come on petal, you can't give them a life without your wonderful self can you?!


I hope I've given you a reason to think, and smile. I know times are hard, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel..walk through the darkness with your internal torch. It's in there somewhere, you just have to find it. And you aren't alone.


Soph x

Never let anyone take your sparkle away. 

July Favourites!

A few things that I have loved this month. All of these things I have read about on others blogs, heard people talk about them and in general liked the look of them so I saved up and bought them. I've tried them all out, and will only give truthful personal views to you. Honesty is the best policy after all! I hope they help and if you try them, let me know in the comments below your views on them. Enjoy x

Number One: Tangle Teezer by Shaun P

Especially good if you have thick hair. The bristles are strong and really tackle the knots. Light weight, easy storage if you go away and the colour is BEAUTIFUL and BRIGHT. If you know me, or you took notice in my previous blog posts.. I have a lot of hair. Its thick, long and gets very matted if Ive been outside in the day. Usually, I only get on with soft bristles brushes because these are the things that cause me the least amount of pain when eliminating knots. However, I have changed. This "Tangle Teezer" has harder bristles and works magic! Although it slightly reminds me of a horse brush, I can see why these things are so popular. They don't hurt when ridding knots, and the outcome after brushing left my hair feeling fluffy and of a 'stroking' consistency. I'll be taking this everywhere I go!

Number Two: Hair Crayons by Bleach London.

If you're not allowed to dye your hair, or simply don't want to take that bold move in fear of your normal hair colour never returning; this is where these bad boys come in. They're easy to do,  and come out as soon as you wash it so can be handy for fancy dress events or just to keep for a couple of days. I chose the colour Rose because it is subtle; I feel it may look better on people who have blonder hair and the other colours they do are much more bright so are more suitable for every hair type. Tip: Make sure your hair is well conditioned before you do this, as it can make the hair a bit dry if your hair is a bit greasy or damaged. You can have so much fun with these, especially if you had several colours!

 Number Three: Deep Clean Facial Scrub by Good Things

Skin care is the most important thing to most people. Its the first thing you see in the person; the face. So, having nice skin is a want by most girls and boys now a days. Im not sure if this is unisex or not, but even so this product I couldn't recommend enough. Ive used it for three days, morning and night and I can already see the difference. My skin is much smoother as it is an exfoliant, so scrubs off all the dead skin and rubbishy skin layers to leave your skin looking healthier. Not only that, but it smells DIVINE.

Number Four: Expert Face Foundation Brush by Real Techniques.

Makeup brushes are a pain aren't they? You either find a good one and you spend months wages on them, or you find a cheap one and you may as well be putting your foundation on with a piece of grass. This however is affordable and amazing. Its soft bristles are smooth against the skin, as well as it being fabulous at blending foundation into your skin without it looking blotchy or uneven. Not only that, but it stands up by itself so is perfect for dressing table storage. They have a whole range of brushes, but I find this one my favourite so far/of this month. The bristles don't clump together and is good for all skin types. They are good quality and well thought made for people all ages whom want a clear and studio ready face.

  Number Five: Sea Salt Spray by Fudge Urban

 Definitely one of my favourites. I've always been one to have a hair full of volume, and this stuff is PERFECT for that. It gives you the beachy waves look, without it looking like you've been in a cat fight. Your hair appears wavy, volumised and this stuff smells pretty spot on. I had many compliments on the smell of my hair this day so it must be doing something right!! Although it only has a 2/6 hold, I feel it doesn't do it justice. My hair stayed the whole day looking beachy and preppy even though it was windy outside. Thats one of my favourite things about it, for all weathers and occasions this will give you a look which will have everyone cooing over your hair, trust me! It can also look really stylish if you did a fishtail plait, spraying the salt spray during plaiting, and pulling bits out here and there to give you a messy looking plait. Good for all hair lengths and types and just all round fabulous!

 Here is a picture of my hair with fudge urban salt spray and the rose hair crayons. A natural wave and a tint of rose. It doesn't show up very well on my camera, but it looks pretty cool and you can see the rose tint if you look closely :) I didn't put much rose crayon on, so if I applied more I'm sure it'll come up much stronger than my more subtle tint.

LINKS.

Tangle Teezer Brush;  http://www.boots.com/en/Tangle-Teezer-Pink_1000439/ or Direct Website

Bleach London Hair Crayons (with other colours too); http://www.boots.com/en/BLEACH-Hair-Crayon-Rose_1500115/ or Direct Website

Good Things Facial Scrub; http://www.boots.com/en/Good-Things-Deep-Clean-Blackhead-Exfoliator-150ml_1213662/ or Direct Website

Real Techniques Face Expert Foundation Brush; http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques/ or Direct Website

 Fudge Urban Sea Salt Spray; http://www.boots.com/en/Fudge-Urban-Sea-Salt-150ml_1484952/?cm_mmc=pla-_-google-_-PLAs-_-PLAs+-+All+Products or Direct Website

 I hope you enjoyed this months favourites,  let me know your thoughts in the comments below and I will see you next month!!

Smiley Vibes sending....

Soph x

You Are Invited To The Ball...

Hello fellow smilers, its me again!

Before I start this post, I want to say a HUGE thank you for the amazing support and feedback on my previous post and the creation of the blog. It has almost a thousand reads and its only been up a month! I have been so overwhelmed with kind words from many people; even if you read it and didn't share the fact you did, you still took the time out of your day to read my nonsense and that makes me smile! Literally like a crazy person staring at my computer screen right now….strange what can make you happy ay?

SO… BLOG POST NUMBER TWO IS AMONG US. Hello.

This is going to be a sort of 'diary entry' of my weekend, because it was so memorable and was the first time in ages that nothing could bring me down. (cheese..sorry!)

On Friday 20th of June, I stayed at the house of a dear friend of mine. I was her somewhat lodger for the weekend along with her boyfriend. Before you make assumptions, I was not left out, just merely joining in and pretending I was definitely part of the relationship…...

 That photo is completely staged, I promise. They made me feel so welcome and part of the family and they are amazing company so if you ever happen to spot these two around, you should just go right up to them and hug them. They both deserve all the happiness and love in the world. (Don't actually go up to them and hug them, you may get in trouble and I was just saying generally they deserve lots of hugs and things).

We went out to town on the Friday and I bumped into a few childhood friends which was so surreal! On the Saturday was Rose Day which is a church service to commemorate the school. Twas lovely!

In the evening is where the balling properly began. It was a Great Gatsby themed ball based on the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and the book written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was the last event for the sixth formers as a final farewell to us, all organised by the year below. The decorations were beautiful about the grounds of the school, and everyone fully dressed to the theme looking sparkly and full of joy.

I had my hair done beautifully by Hayley a lovely family friend and INCREDIBLE hairdresser. Without her I probably would have turned up looking like I had just rolled out of bed, she seriously did an amazing job. I did my own makeup…whether that is good or not, well I will let you be the judge of that! 

(If you want to ask any questions about anything I am wearing or general queries about the ball then feel free to comment down below and I will get back to you.)

 The atmosphere was constantly buzzing, with people chatting, laughing, drinking and eating. A perfect combination wouldn't you say? The food was made by Head Chef Lisa (along with many others) and personally, I feel if everyone likes the food then everyone is happy am I right? And that certainly was the case!

 One of my favourite elements to the ball was the photo booth. That's right, I SAID PHOTO BOOTH. Ive never experienced one before, but seeing people post their snaps of them in the past on their social networking sites caused the green eyed monster to visit. But now it was my time to shine, and I certainly took advantage of the free booth. When there was a break in between courses, my friends and I made a run for it, awkwardly stumbling in our heels across the wooden floors into the empty dance room. And there it was. Standing tall in the corner of the room was the black box, an open curtain and a box of props. My heart began to pulsate, and my feet simply pulled me towards the empty booth by themselves! It was time.

We had around seven seconds to complete a snap, you got four snaps altogether and a numerous amount of hats, sunglasses, props and words to liven the pictures up a bit. I'm not too sure why it was so thrilling....I mean, in reality its just a box where you take photos! Like when you get your passport picture done and we all know that is very much dull as dish water! But the fact its so quick and there is no going back if you make an ugly face is quite frankly rather thrilling. In this one we thought we'd pretend it was like the passport booth because we are clear comedians in the making…..

Here are a few more snaps to entertain you! 

After my busy party weekend and before leaving home, I woke up and had a bowl of fresh fruit. If you are ever feeling partied out or very tiresome.. take this advice. FRESH FRUIT IS THE WAY FORWARD.  And a cup of tea. And if you don't drink tea, (you need to learn to, it's so beautiful) then a couple of slices of lemon in ice cold water is another good way to start the day, as it has many medicinal benefits such as speeding up the metabolism, and cleansing your body if its not feeling all that great in general. I am no health expert, but I do my reading so I hope some of what I am saying makes sense in the world of healthiness!

On Tuesday 24th (Mummy Miles' birthday) we both enjoyed a health smoothie from Pret a Manger, which can I point out is SO refreshing inside. A new one has opened up at the mall....I've never been in one before. It has a cool air, its spacious and has healthy food and drinks which is a huge bonus! Look at this little number I had! Now… it may not look all that nice, but it was DELISH (Delicious in Sophie language). 

It was spinach, ginger, celery, apple and cucumber flavour and tasted rather interesting! If you aren't much of a lover of fruit and veg and you are one of those people who scoops any healthy looking thing on the other side of the plate so it is not in touching distance of you; this is the kind of thing you could maybe have as an alternative. Make sure that the majority of the sweet things in the drink you like, and if the first sip isn't nice don't give up. It gets better the more you drink it! Not only that, but once you've finished it you feel like you're the worlds most healthiest person and you'll feel great about yourself.

After my busy weekend, and on Mums birthday, my body decided to catch a numerous amount of germs *cries*. Ive had a chest infection, tonsillitis and have a stinking cold. YUMMY.  I'm still fighting it off as I write this, by simply drinking lots of water and binging in rubbishy rom coms. Yesterday I rekindled my love for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, (which is not classified under 'rubbishy rom coms' before you tell me off). It is one of my most favourite films on this earth.
So that is my film recommendation to you of this week. It's not your usual chick flick, but you ll surprise yourself when you watch it. It made me compare this diary entry to their lives, and how something like a photo booth excites me, and to them a rich man making eye contact is enough to keep them chatting for a whole couple of months!
         
                                  I mean, does this look awkward or does this look awkward?

Anyway, I best be off before I bore you all silly! I hope you enjoyed reading my weekend fun, be sure to comment your thoughts or get in contact with me on my social networking sites! Share, smile and have a lovely weekend! I will be posting next week my 'July Favourites', so I will see you then I guess? Its a date.

Sending smiley vibes :) :) :)

Soph x