Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 June 2015

Bournemouth and Friendship!

Hello my sweet ones! I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and getting excited for summer. This post is about my recent first visit to Bournemouth, and the importance of friendship.

My friend Isabelle lives there, and I have been meaning to visit her for such a long time now. I'm sure people can relate; your lives get busy, things are pushed aside. Nevertheless, you should always make time for those special people who make time for you. So, after what feels like one hundred Skype and FaceTime sessions I finally managed to see her in person! The train journey was surprisingly calm, I made friends with a man who was an interior designer and we chatted about the weather and all those other awkward conversations train buddies have! (Remember kids; stranger danger!) When I arrived at Bournemouth station I got lost and couldn't get out, I felt like Alice in Wonderland but instead of talking/singing flowers overcrowding me it was just people bustling about trying to make their trains on time! The sun was shining, and when we were reunited it was the most exciting moment! Hearts pounding, tears forming, big hugs, just pure joy. We got in our Disney pj's, had a mahooooosive catch up and a good nights sleep before the jam packed fun events we had lined up for the few days ahead.


(Isabelle is wearing Little Mermaid and I am wearing Frozen pyjamas!) 


The sea is a huge love of ours, so myself and Isabelle took a trip into town where they had beautiful vintage boutiques, crystal shops and of course the famous sea front. The weather wasn't brilliant, but despite this the beach was gorgeous.

                                                  

We realised after about twenty minutes of snapping random pictures that the Harry Ramsden's restaurant was facing right out to us, and the people inside probably had a bit of entertainment whilst enjoying their meals because we were flicking our hair and numerous amounts of nonsensical things in their view line. You're welcome people!


    

They had the most beautiful little mini garden with flowers, trees and an old wooden bridge. It looked like something out of a fairytale so I just had to take pictures. If anyone out there can paint and draw.. PRIME opportunity right there!











On the evening we made some super tasty lemon shortbread treats. 
I have written about the making of them on a previous post, click here to read it! 

We also tried out a LUSH face mask for the first time. It was called 'Catastrophe Cosmetic' and smelt like blueberries and violets. It was kept in the fridge so was freezing cold on the face, was really fresh smelling and soothing on the skin. The only downside is when it dries it flakes off EVERYWHERE. Hilarious to watch but pretty annoying to get out of carpet. It left our faces feeling smooth and revitalised and was pretty funny to look at. 



 On another day, we went to see Isabelle's book displayed in an art gallery. For those of you who don't know, she is the most talented artist you will ever lay eyes on. Her work is absolutely breathtaking and you can now view her portfolio online by clicking this link- Isabelle's Wesbite and even buy some of her work if you wanted. Her work primarily draws upon the mystical story worlds of fairytale, folklore and mythology, but also has a very strong meaning behind them. An example being her most recent book which made me ball my eyes out when reading. Being the incredible friend that she is, Isabelle based her book on myself and named it 'Flight to Wonderland'.  Everything was illustrated and written by Isabelle...awe inspiring if you ask me! The time, effort, thought, attention to detail, just absolutely everything put into this book is clear from the finishing piece. It's hard to put into words how much this means to me, and I will treasure it for the rest of my life. 
The book will be available to purchase in the near future, and I will be sure to inform you all when and how nearer the time because it'll be darn worth it!!  The art gallery had some amazing pieces in, and it made me realise how powerful it is that thoughts and opinions can be expressed in art form.


Isabelle if you are reading this, I want to thank you again for letting me stay with you in Bournemouth, I had a wonderful time! I'd also like to thank you publicly for everything you have ever done for me. You have stuck by my side through every bump in the road. You have been there when I have hit rock bottom, and you showed me the way back to the top. You saw the pain in my eyes when everyone else was seeing my pretend smile. Your bright light has shone and guided me through the dark times, and I can't ever thank you enough for helping me become the person I am today. I love you dearly, and I am blessed to have a friend like you in my life. Never let anyone dull your sparkle.

And to everyone else reading this, if you are lucky enough to have a friend like Isabelle in your life don't forget to show them appreciation and time. Because ultimately, friends are so precious to have in your life. They are just like stars, they come and they go. But the ones that stay are the ones that glow.

Soph x

Thursday, 30 April 2015

"You Shall Go To The Ball!"

Greetings friendlings! 

I thought I would share with you my thoughts on a recent film that I went to see; a modern interpretation of Disney's classic tale Cinderella. For those of you who don't know the story behind Cinderella (Where have you been?!), it tells the magical story of a young girl who loses her parents and consequently is brought up by her evil step mother and two ugly step sisters. They treat her as a servant, forcing her to cook and clean up after them. She is even banished to the attic room after the step sisters complain their room isn't big enough. Harsh right?


Cinderella or 'Ella' was told by her mother one piece of advice which would evolve her into the kind and gentle being we see her as in the film; " I want to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer. Have courage and be kind". So despite her evil in-laws, she keeps this in mind and powers through these 'trials' in her household. She encounters the Prince of the land, (who conveniently is looking for a wife) and when he invites the whole kingdom to the ball poor Ella is trapped in her home and forbidden to go by her evil step mother. EVEN harsher!! 





Helena Bonham Carter plays the Fairy God Mother, who appears to come to Ella's rescue in the back garden. She brings an excitable wit and charm to the role, and is beautifully encompassed in a sparkly gown designed by the film's costume designer Sandy Powell. The costumes look absolutely incredible, my favourite being Ella's blue ball gown and glass slippers. Downtown Abbey's actress Lily James conveys the pure innocence and kind nature to Ella's character, bringing forward the classic damsel elements from Walt Disney's 1950's version. I would recommend to any Disney fan, although there are some scenes I feel children could find slightly distressing. (Passing of her parents/ The animals morphing into coachmen but still looking part lizard...quite creepy!) 






Lastly a quote which proves so true, I wish everyone would abide by this day to day. 


"Where there is kindness, there is goodness. And where there is goodness, there is magic."


So please remember to be kind, be good, and most importantly stay magical. 


Soph x

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Smiling Soph is BACK!

Hello lovely people!

It's taken me a while to get myself organised, but as promised I am officially back in action. Instead of putting up several posts of all the things I've been getting up to since the end of last year, I'm just going to do a quick summary of adventures. I still have a post regarding my reasons for abandoning my blog, but for now I want to keep things light and chirpy. Thank you to those people who have been messaging me to keep going with this, you are the reasons for doing so.

1. COMIC RELIEF!

On Friday 13th March my cousin and myself were lucky enough to attend the live recording of Comic Relief at the London Palladium.

             

 I didn't know what to expect what so ever.. We knew of a line up of general people but it was all an element of surprise for both of us. When we arrived at the Palladium the audience were greeted with Lenny Henry, a joyous and bubbly guy who got everyone's spirits high. If you've never been in a live audience before, I would recommend it to anyone. The buzz you get from people around you and the bizarre thought that you are aired to over seven million people is mind boggling and so exciting to be a part of!



HIGHLIGHTS


SAM SMITH AND JOHN LEGEND...
 I know Sam Smith is quite 'marmite', you either love him or hate him. But I for one LOVE him, and even more so after he proved he can sing absolute note perfect live. The goosebumps were REAL.

ORLANDO BLOOM...
 I actually saw THE Orlando Bloom in the flesh. I didn't even recognise him at first, I just stared for a while and suddenly the penny dropped that the guy off Pirates of The Caribbean was stood right in front of me. He is absolutely gorgeous in person guys, no sweat. Wasn't majorly impressed when Davina jumped on him though. Not cool.

Huge thank you to the the person who made this trip possible. You know who you are. 


2. WEDDING!

I promised a dear family member that I would write a post about this wedding day! It was magical, and there is nothing more warming than witnessing two people in love, and sealing it with vows in front of those closest to you. Weddings have always been a huge love of mine, the dresses, the themes, the colours, the flowers, the joy and general celebration; I could go on forever. So here are some snaps...Congrats Michelle & Dave! It was a beautiful day and I feel honoured to have been a part of it.



  Thank you Lipsy, this dress is BEAUTIFUL. 



                           










3. WICKED!

It was the first time in what feels like ages that I have seen a show at the Hippodrome. This production is one that I've heard great things about, I knew all the songs but didn't know of the storyline. In all honesty it was one of the best shows I have seen.

It is inspirational, gives you real thoughts about inner beauty and the strength love has and also that the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz isn't that evil. Intriguing right?
Favourite quote; "Whatever way our stories end, I know you'll have rewritten mine by being my friend."


4. X FACTOR TOUR!

I went with my Mum and friends to Cardiff for the X Factor Tour. I had a really great time and especially enjoyed Fleur East and Ben Haenow. The covers they did were AMAZING and they seemed to get the crowd really going, as the majority sat down for the duration.. *snores*. I didn't let you fangirls down though, of course I stood up and danced like no one was watching!!


Pre-show railway snap...



5. THE GLASS SLIPPER!

On a spontaneous trip to London, I came across this absolute gem in the Disney Store. IT IS REAL GUYS, IT IS REAL.





And I pretended that it was in fact me on my way to the ball in a magical pumpkin! (The Fairy God mother didn't give me a beautiful gown this time...)




Anyway, thus so far I have had some wonderful times since we last spoke, and now you have me fully for the duration. It is my birthday coming up, so expect to see a blog post next week.

Toodaloo me dears!

Soph x











Tuesday, 2 December 2014

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

Saturday, 29 November 2014

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

Monday, 11 August 2014

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. 



Monday, 28 July 2014

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