Sophie Elgar

When One Lip Balm Is Not Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 12:57:00 +0000

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a truly ridiculous number of lip balms/glosses hanging around their general vicinity at all times. Five or six in the handbag, at least three in the bedside drawer/on the bedside table, one or two in the car, another couple on your desk at work and of course multiple on-the-benchers hanging round in handbags that you're not currently using. It really is crazy how many I own. I haven't actually counted because, honestly, I don't know where they all are, but anyway, these here are my current fave that I seem to grab over the millions of others I own.

From top of the picture to forefront, let's start with the Kiko lip gloss. I have had a look on the Kiko website but I don't think they have the exact one I have, Kiko seem to change their product line so often it's hard to keep up. The one I have is actually a slightly plumping, ever-so-slightly creamy finished lip gloss that has a sweet mint flavour and a slight tingle on the lips. The one I've found on their website is the 3D Hydra Lipgloss which does also claim to be plumping so perhaps it is the same, although the one I have definitely isn't called the 3D Hydra lipgloss. It's really non-sticky and leaves a lovely, almost creamy finish to the lips, making them look healthy and happy.

Next up is an absolute classic - the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector. If you haven't heard of this before you must have been living under a rock, but this is an absolute beaut of a lipgloss/lipbalm. I have shade 2, Apricot Shimmer, which is a beautiful nude colour. The texture of these is beautiful, again quite creamy and not sticky, your lips feel cushioned and smooth when wearing this and as it's available in multiple shades, this is a winner for day to day wear.

Third in line is the Bobbi Brown Crystal Lip Gloss. Now this one is more of a 'proper' lip gloss. It's much stickier than the previous two and can feel a bit tacky on the lips, but it is SO shiny and lasts a long time because of this. This is the perfect choice if you want that vinyl look to your lips and want to layer up over lipstick. This isn't one I reach for all the time because of the texture, but definitely has its own pros.

Fourth is the Eve Lom Kiss Mix. I really do love this one because it feels like it's actually properly helping your lips whilst you wear it. This is one I generally try to remember to apply at bedtime and apply quite a thick layer to ink in overnight. It has an almost medicinal scent to it which really makes you feel like it's doing something. On the Eve Lom website it states that it can be used in extreme weather conditions, so it definitely is pretty hardy. It lasts a long time on the lips and definitely makes them feel soft and nourished.

Finally, we have the Herbivore Coco Rose Lip Tint in Coral. As you'll know if you've read some of my more recent posts or follow me on Instagram, Herbivore is my current favourite skincare brand and this lip tint is great. I was looking for a lip balm that had a bit more colour to it because sometimes you don't want to be wearing a full on lipstick and deal with the upkeep that often comes along with that. This one is great as it definitely packs a colour pop, it's a lovely muted coral, whilst also nourishing the lips. It has coconut oil, shea butter and rose absolute oil in which gives it a great smell and consistency.

What are some of your favourite lip balms and glosses?

Spring/Early Summer Outfit

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 13:36:00 +0000

Those early Summer, Spring fresh days are some of my favourite and also, I think, some of the easiest to dress for. Apart from Winter when you can literally throw anything on because you'd have a massive coat covering everything anyway, Spring/early Summer is great when it's around 15-20 degrees, the perfect outfit weather. It's not too hot so that a. you get flustered and sweaty just trying different outfits on, b. you can still wear a nice sleeve or a pair of trousers with a strappy top, meaning you don't have to have legs and arms and stomach out just to stop from melting away.

It's also great because, if it is verging on the slightly cooler end you can pair a nice skirt with a pair of boots carried over from your winter wardrobe which will look cool, keep your feet warm and get the most out of that investment.

The outfit in this post is perfect for a relatively casual dinner date, although the shirt smartens it slightly, or can be worn in the day simply for running errands, shopping, you name it because it's comfy and stylish. The jeans are from H&M, although they're not quite the perfect mom jean. I find them just slightly too baggy around the ankle and I'm not personally a huge fan of the frayed hem, but in lieu of anything else at the moment these more than do the job. Paired with this spotty black and white shirt, which cost me a grand total of £5 from Ebay and a gorgeous pair of heeled espadrilles from Next, it looks chic and put together, without really trying too hard at all.

These espadrilles are really beautiful. I love the fact they are all black as I think this makes them a bit different to the norm, and the tie ankle straps look elegant yet relaxed. They are on the slightly higher side of a heel for me, but because they're a wedge, they're still pretty comfy.

I've also thrown in a fragrance discovery into the post, the Summer Sun scent, also from Next. This is a great dupe for the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. It has that same coconut-ty, suncream smell that just screams hot sunny days. I would highly recommend if you're looking for an easy, bright summer fragrance that is also as cheap as chips.

What are your Summer favourites?

4 Ways To Bring A Little Happiness To Every Day

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Life can be hard and the temptation to lunge half-heartedly from one exciting event to another can be draining. Life is about the big things, but it's also about embracing the every day, the mundane, the not-so-glamorous, to make each day special and to make sure you're not simply wishing your life away.

Here are four small things I like to do to bring a little happiness to my day.

1. Grab a coffee. Whilst not the most groundbreaking idea, my morning coffee genuinely feels like a treat to me and properly sets me up. It's not the caffeine boost that does it, although I'm sure that helps, but the anticipation of going in to pick it up, the small warmth and comfort it brings when I walk into work to face the day. My coffee of choice is an oat milk flat white, the perfect size to not fill me up with a milky sloshy feeling, but just enough to give me that morning pick-me-up.

2. Pick a tarot or angel card. This one is pretty niche I'll give you that, but just before I leave the house I love giving my tarot or angel cards a quick shuffle and picking one out to see what my focus and thoughts could hover around throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, by lunchtime I've usually forgotten which card I had, but I like that small minute of mindfulness before I step out of my cocoon into the real world. It makes me feel peaceful and gives me a sense of something bigger out there, something I'm connecting to even if just for a moment.

3. Send a text to a friend or family member. If I'm feeling down or just want to start my day off on a positive note, I will send a text to my mum or dad just saying morning or something mundane. I always get a lovely message back telling me to have a good day and it instantly makes me feel happy and less alone (if I'm having one of those days where I feel lonely). Even reaching out to someone that you've maybe not spoken to for a while, I always find that if I make the effort to send out messages, the joy of receiving them back and reconnecting gives me a massive uplift.

4. Do something creative. The feeling of being excited to get back to a project of some sort can be a great way to make each day feel more enjoyable and give you something to really look forward to. I believe that everyone has something that makes them excited, whether it's writing, videography, organising your photos into an album, painting, colouring - you name it I bet there's something out there that sparks a little twinge of excitement within. Nurture that and focus on it whenever you're feeling down. Make the space and the time to do the things that you enjoy, rather than just sitting in front of the TV each evening.Even if it's just one night a week you put aside to do something creative, I'll bet this will be the evening you start looking forward to most.

What small things make you happy?

Sanctuary Spa White Lily & Damask Rose Range

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Thu, 30 May 2019 15:04:00 +0000

The White Lily and Damask Rose range from Sanctuary Spa is so gorgeous! The smell really reminds me of another fragrance but I can't for the life of me think what it is, but it is beautiful. Floral and slightly musky, but not too musky to make it overpowering or headache-inducing.

The two products I have tried from the range are the Body Scrub and the Wet Skin Moisture Miracle. First up, the White Lily & Damask Rose Body Scrub. I had reservations about this as it seemed in the tube to be quite a liquidy, gel-like consistency and I was worried it wasn't going to be scrubby enough, but I'm pleased to say that this actually works wonder. It definitely gives a good exfoliation there are enough particles in there to feel like you're really working off the dead skin cells, but it's not so thick that half of it falls off into the bottom of the shower. Highly recommend this if you're in the market for a new scrub.

The Wet Skin Moisture Miracle is, I'm pleased to say, also a winner. Now this is different to that in shower moisturiser that came out a few years back (was it Nivea that bought that out, the one in the blue and white tubes?) in that you don't wash this one off. After finishing in the shower and turning the water off, you apply this whilst dripping wet all over and then towel dry. Now for me the first time I did this I felt like I was just rubbing it all off again when I went to dry myself, but lo and behold, my skin felt incredibly soft. I don't really understand how it works, I know the skin is at its most absorbent when it's wet so it makes sense logically, and personally I would recommend just standing around for a few seconds after applying before towel drying just to give it a moment to sink in a bit, but honestly I am very impressed by how well this worked.

I also find it super convenient because it feels less time-consuming than getting out the shower, drying yourself, then applying moisturised, having to wait for it to dry etc etc, with this, you just bosh it on and dry and go! The fact you're applying whilst wet and then drying as well, means there's no time to wait before you can get dressed and you're not left with any sort of sticky feeling at all.

Have you tried anything from this range? Did you like it?

Herbivore Botanicals

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Sun, 26 May 2019 15:08:00 +0000

Created with natural, plant-based, food-grade ingredients, including essential and cold-pressed oils, GMO free soy wax and many of those being certified organic, as well as using recyclable and reusable packaging, Hervbivore is the reasonably new hot brand on the beauty scene.

Besides the beautiful, aethetically pleasing packaging that would take pride of place on anyone's bathroom shelf, the products themselves are fantastic and a pleasure to use.

I had a short consultation with the Herbivore brand representative in Liberty London and was pretty much sold straight away. So far I've used a small selection of thier products, although their range isn't massively extensive anyway, and I've enjoyed them all so far.

I think my favourite product from the range so far is, quite boringly, the Blue Clay soap bar. Never, ever have I been a soap woman when it comes to washing my face, but having felt that my skin was going through a particularly oily stage I wanted something that was going to help it feel really clean and fresh, without stripping it too much. Consistently for about two years I had been using the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and whilst I will always love this and always come back to it, I really wanted a change and use something that would make my skin feel almost squeaky clean after washing.

The Blue Clay soap bar is recommended for those with oily or acne prone skin as the Cambrian blue clay penetrates deeply into the pores to draw out impurities whilst helping the skin to maintain moisture, containing coconut oil and olive oil. This soap produces a lovely fine lather and smells great and I really feel like it is doing good things when I'm using it by giving it a good clean.

I've also tried two of the facial oils, the Lapis and Phoenix oils. The Lapis Oil is again intended for those with slightly oilier skin to help rebalance and whilst leaving it moisturised and healthy. This oil sinks in really quickly and doesn't leave an oily sheen on the skin. I use this when my skin is feeling oily in the evening as I feel it helps to balance it out again and leave my skin looking and feeling fresher in the morning.

The other oil I have, the Phoenix Oil, is devised more for those with very dry skin or skin that needs a drastic infusion of moisture, and thereofre I use it when my skin is feeling tight or dry or if maybe I've had one too many drinks the day before and need an extra moisture hit. This one also contains Rosehip Oil which I absolutely love. I've used pure Rosehip oil before and my skin loves it, so anyting that contains this is a winner.

Another favourite of mine is the Brighten Pineapple and Gemstone face mask which is amazing! It looks beautiful in the pot which is a good start - it has a pearlescent look to it thanks to the Brazilian Tourmakine Gemstone which helps give a glowing complexion. The pineapple enzymes in this facemask give a gentle exfoliation, meaning after use your skin feels softer and looks brighter. I've used this one to two times a week since I've had it and I love the way it leave my skin feeling.

I also have the Coco Rose Lip Tint in Coral which is the perfect lip balm to impart a pretty good amount of colour, as well as nourishing the lips with the coconut oil and Moroccan Rose Absolute (which also gives it a lovely smell). This is one of those lip balms that actually gives a really good hit of peachy, coral colour to the lips and doesn't just disappear after a few minutes. Definitely one to try if you like that no-makeup makeup look.

I also have the Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mask and the Pink Cloud moisturiser which are both lovely, but I wouldn't say they're huge favourites.

The next thing I want to try from this brand is definitely the MoonFruit Superfruit Night Treatment as it sounds amazing and anything that claims to make me wake up brightened, refreshed and glowing is definitely worth a try.

Have you tried anything from Herbivore before? What are your favourites?

Sensationail 'Rose Gold Glitter'

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Wed, 22 May 2019 17:00:00 +0000

I bought the Sensationail at home gel kit a while ago because I was a bit over paying £30 a pop to have my nails done by someone else when I could easily do them myself.I was fed up of traditional nail polish never lasting more than a day though, so this was the perfect answer, and at around £50 for the kit, after just two uses you've already made a saving on what you would have if you'd gone to a nail salon.

I'm currently adding to my collection of colours and the latest addition was the glitter polish in Rose Gold. I wanted to be able to do a few more interesting things with my nails other than just plain polish, so with the glitter this time I added some glitter tips (albeit not great ones, they were a bit clunky!). These picture obviously have flash on but they do show the colour pretty accurately. The colour is a muted pinky glitter, not overly gold, more rose, but it's nice and fine and has a few holographic/duo-chrome reflects in.

I really do find that the Sensationail polishes last really well. I had this look on my nails for just over two weeks and, bar two of my nails actually breaking (CRY) which was nothing to do with the polish's fault, there was absolutely no chipping At. All. I would highly recommend the Senationail kit in general and this polish in particular is a nice addition to my collection.

Have you tried the Sensationail gel kit? Have you got any favourite colours that you think I should try?

Sophie

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Davines Alchemic Conditioner: Tobacco

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Mon, 20 May 2019 14:38:00 +0000

I recently decided I was bored of having blonde hair, wanting to fulfil my dream of being a fiery red head (not to mention getting peer-pressured by my work colleagues to do it) so I picked up a box of hair dye and went red-strawberry blonde-orange.

Strawberry blondeish hair (it looked a bit darker and more red in person!

Of course I'd heard the rumours that red hair doesn't last and will fade quickly, and boy were they right. Admittedly I have become one of those people who wash their hair every day, which I know is really bad, so inevitably it was going to fade pretty quick, but honestly after about 5-6 days the blonde was peeping back through and I was very much a strawberry blonde, not really the more rich, deep red I was aiming for.

This is where the Davines Alchemic Conditioner comes in. I was looking for something to just refresh the colour in between dyeing it and keep the vibrancy that I was after. So after a bit of research this came up as a recommendation and I have to say I was extremely impressed.

First of all, it works really well as a conditioner on its own. It has a very thick consistency, think just ofter than firm coconut oil, which feels super luxurious and nourishing upon application. The colour of the conditioner is a medium earthy orange which imparts just enough of a colour vibrancy back to your hair without changing the colour too much (bear in mind this is just my experience on my colour hair, it may work differently on other colours!). My hair was super shiny after using this just once, and after using it consecutively for two days it definitely left a tint of warm reddish colour which just looked brighter snd fresher than without (the guy who served me while buying this said the colour can last about two washes anyway, so this was kind of building it up as I wanted to see what happened).

I would highly recommend this if you have medium red/orange or even strawberry blonde hair. I am interested to see what would happen if this was used on light blonde hair, as I feel like it would probably impart a really nice warm glow, but I wonder whether it would be patchy doing it this way.

I have actually now gone back to blonde by using a colour remover but the red was fun while it lasted and I'd probably go back again.

3 Hydrating Facemasks

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Sat, 18 May 2019 13:11:00 +0000

I bloody love a good face mask and have really got back into using them recently. I find that they're one of those things that are easily forgotten in a skincare routine, but when you do start using them again you wonder why you ever stopped (laziness, let's be honest). I've loved using lots of hydrating face masks recently as my skin has really been feeling quite dehydrated (not enough water intake) so I thought I'd share the three that I'm absolutely loving right now.

BEST FOR COMPLETE INTENSE HYDRATION - Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Mask

This sheet mask is, in my opinion , the best for intensely re-hydrating your skin. I've been quite tired recently and have had a cold and/or hay fever, so my skin hasn't been looking or feeling its best and so I wanted to use a mask that was going to plump, hydrate and nourish my skin again. This pack of four usually costs £19.99 but I managed to pick this one up in TK Maxx at a bargainous £5.99, but I wouldn't hesitate to pay the full price when I repurchase because it works so well.

The mask is soaked in serum and after having this on my skin for around 15 minutes almost all of the serum has gone and absorbed into my skin, it feels incredible. After using the mask I like to simply rub in any remnants of serum and leave it on overnight (if I'm using it in the evening) and honestly, your skin will be glowing, hydrated, radiant and plumped up. If you're going to try just one of these masks, I would go for this one.

BEST FOR SOOTHING HYDRATION - Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask

The Liz Earle hydrating mask is a beautiful one. It has a gorgeously thick, creamy consistency, something akin to a thick body butter, and is absolutely the best for providing comforting hydration to your skin. This is one to use if your skin is feeling particularly sensitive, maybe you've had a bit too much sun, you've over-exfoliated or for some reason it just doesn't feel quite right. This will leave your skin feeling soothed as well as hydrated and I find this one amazing for using before applying makeup as it leaves it feeling really soft and smooth as well.

BEST FOR REFRESHING HYDRATION - Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask

If your skin is feeling tired, lacklustre and dehydrated then give the Cucumber mask a go. All of these masks are great to use in the morning to prepare your skin with a shot of hydration, but this one in particular if it's one of those mornings where you just can't seem to wake up properly, will instantly give your skin a boost and leave you glowing and ready for the day. This one feels refreshingly cool on application, it's a gorgeous light texture and I find most of it sinks into my skin after about 10 minutes.

A Story About Skin: Perioral Dermatitis

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Thu, 16 May 2019 17:00:00 +0000

Uncomfortable as it is for me, I will be baring my naked face in this post, in the hopes that it might help anyone out there going through the same thing that I did!

I had some skin issues throughout 2016 and I wanted to share my story with you, just in case anyone out there is suffering with similar symptoms. I'm lucky to have always had good skin, it's always been pretty clear, smooth and 'stable'. I obviously got the odd breakouts when I was in my teens and still get the odd spot here and there now (I'm 26) but I can also go months without any problems at all. So in May last year when I started noticing some differences in my skin, namely a dry red patch just at the corner of my mouth and slightly below my nose on the right side, as well as some bumpy skin above my right eyebrow that just seemed like some blocked pores, I wasn't too concerned and just thought it was a form of eczema or dermatitis (such a vague term).

I tried a lot of things including Sudocrem, La Roche Posay's Cicaplast Avene's Tolerance Extreme Cream, various facial oils to hydrate, I tried not putting anything specific on, but nothing was working to reduce the dryness and I noticed it seemed to be spreading a little bit more over the right side of my chin. As it wasn't going away, I decided to go to my GP to see if I could get some sort of intense moisturiser, at this point I didn't think the eyebrow thing and mouth thing were linked, as I was sure it was some form of eczema because it was so dry. I was prescribed a cream with a small amount of steroids in and told to apply a tiny amount every day for 2 weeks and see how it went from there. It worked really well and started clearing it up, however, on days when I may have forgotten to apply it or when I finished using it after the two weeks, it would always come back, and eventually it came back a lot worse than it had been. My whole right cheek was covered in small red bumps, they didn't really look like spots, it was just very red, sensitive and really uneven in texture. At this point I was freaking out a bit because it was October and I was getting married in two months and honestly having never really experienced any skin issues before I was so unprepared for it! After a weekend spent with my sister and her family, when they obviously saw me without makeup and were honestly a bit shocked with how it looked, I went back to the Dr's that very Monday morning on the verge of tears. I'm going to put in a picture here of it when it was probably at its worst in late November, don't scream haha! The red bumpiness was also above my right eyebrow (this same side) but unfortunately I didn't get it in the picture. Below this is a picture of my skin now in January - a pretty good difference (ignore the one spot on my cheek)! I haven't got any make up on in either picture.

Of course I'd been for a visit to Dr Google to try and find out what was going on and this is when I came across perioral dermatitis. I know, I know, it's terrible to self-diagnose but I was convinced this was what I had because everything I'd read fit to the letter. Perioral dermatitis is a skin disease localised around the mouth and nose area, and can occasionally appear around the eye/eyebrow area too, it commonly affects women between 20-45, and it can very often be caused, or made worse, by topical steroids. I read that patients will often get prescribed a topical steroid from their GP's because they'll think it's dry skin, the cream will work but then due to the steroid it will come back much worse. This was exactly what had happened to me and on my trip back to the GP this is what he mentioned before I'd even said anything - hoorah!

I was prescribed antibiotics for 12 weeks and told that the improvement could be quite slow but to keep persevering and come back if nothing happened. Well, I'm glad to say that it has completely cleared up and my skin is pretty much back to normal again. I have some slight redness still on my red cheek where it was the worst but this will diminish as time goes on, but the texture of my skin is back to normal and there is no sign of bumpiness or dry skin. Throughout November and December I tried as much as possible not to apply anything to my skin, so on days I wasn't at work I would only wash my face with water day and night and I wouldn't apply any form of moisturiser. I tried to wear as little makeup as I felt comfortable with (of course if I wore makeup I did make sure to cleanse it off properly with Liz Earle's C&P, but I wouldn't follow this with anything) and I think this helped towards the improvements a lot.

I know there are much bigger problems in the world and my face is certainly not up there on the priority list, but as I'm sure you'll know if you've ever suffered from bad skin on your face, it can be really quite hard to deal with. I don't want to sound patronising, but it's really made me think more about those who suffer from acne, eczema and other skin conditions because it was hard for those 6 months that I had these issues and I'm very lucky to have had the problem diagnosed and sorted. I wanted to share this with you just in case you were noticing any similar issues, not that it will necessarily be this, but if it can help at all it would be silly not to.

I hope this helps some people, but if you do have any other questions please just send me a message and |I'd be happy to answer what I can. I'm happy to say that since this flare up a couple of years ago I've not had it happen again, but at least if it does I'll know what to and what not to do next time!

Sophie

29 Things Before 29

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Thu, 16 May 2019 09:58:00 +0000

A list of 29 things before I turn 29 next month, that I would tell me younger self....

1. 29 is really not that old
2. Although compared to being 19, you will notice considerable differences in your ability to party and drink and generally socialise
3. The amount that life can change in a short space of time is truly mind-blowing
4. Family and friends are all that matter
5. Work is only great when you like the people you work with
6. Life is really, really hard
7. Make memories. All the time.
8. Take more pictures and store them correctly, save them and back them up!
9. Don't take people for granted
10. Be less impulsive.
11. Be more impulsive.
12. You'll move up and down, up and down and up and down to London and back.
13. Buying better quality clothes really is an investment worth making.
14. You'll learn to love cats
15. Your friends from university will be your best friends for a long, long time (hopefully forever)
16. You'll even end up staying with them on and off throughout the years, and properly living with one of them again in your later twenties
17. Think about your life path, take your opinions and desires into consideration
18. Stay strong
19. TALK TO PEOPLE
20. Don't bottle everything up. You'll do it more and more, and it's hard to change, but you must let people in
21. You'll feel lost and confused a lot, we're hoping this changes when you reach your 30s
22. You're feeling twenty-twooooooo (still)
23. There are so many people in the world and there's so much to do - don't settle
24. Listen to your gut
25. Be kind. Be kinder.
26. Get into jogging sooner
27. Don't cut that fringe in at around 26, you'll only regret it
28. Write, write, write
29. Try not to overthink things!

OPI 'You Can Count On It'

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Wed, 15 May 2019 08:38:00 +0000

As you'll know if you've read my blog for a while, I love a nude nail polish and I've found another love! This one is OPI's 'You Can Count On It' from their Infinite Shine 2 range and was a beautiful birthday gift from one of my best friends (thanks Kat!). This one is more of a pinky-peachy nude, compared to the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in 'Bare Dare' (see comparison below) and has a lovely warmth to it. When I was wearing this in the pictures below I'd put some fresh fake tan on (Dove Gradual Tan) and it looked lovely against my slightly warmer skin tone. I'm never sure about a nude on my toenails, but I actually think this one would look really pretty so I'll be giving that a go in the next couple of days.

In terms of application this was relatively easy to apply, there was some slight un-evenness where you could see if it was slightly thicker in places, but with two coats this wasn't too noticeable and once applied it looks really beautiful. The formula is pretty thick but this helps to achieve the very glossy finish, as you'd expect from a 'gel-lacquer' called Infinite Shine. It also dried pretty quickly which is always something I look for because I can never be arsed to sit around waiting for my nail varnish to dry. In the pictures below I haven't applied a top coat, this is just the nail colour on its own and you can see how shiny it is. In terms of longevity, I would normally apply a nice layer of Seche Vite on top of any nail colour, whether it says you need to or not, but I didn't on this occasion but still found that it lasted a good 3 days without noticeable chipping. As I've mentioned before my nails chip really easily so anything that lasts longer than a couple of days is a winner in my books!

p.s. please don't judge my nail/cuticle area! I haven't given myself a proper manicure in too long but will get on it ASAP!

Sophie

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Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Mon, 13 May 2019 14:55:00 +0000

Update 24.01.19 I've been vegetarian for over a year and a half now and have been giving Veganuary a go as well, so I thought I'd re-share this favourite vegan dish for some inspiration.

I haven't discussed it here on the blog yet, but I've been giving vegetarianism a go ever since watching a truly shocking documentary called 'Earthlings' a while ago. The documentary was really difficult to watch and there are some images that have stuck with me ever since, so having given the idea of vegetarianism some thought on and off for a couple of years, I thought I'd make the change and eliminate meat and fish from my diet and see what happened. I haven't gone full vegan, yet, although it's not off the cards, but where I can I will see if I can stick to a vegan meal without it causing too much of an issue.

So having a quick google to look for a nice pasta recipe I came across this one for Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes from the Minimalist Baker blog (great blog, check it out if you want quick, easy and delicious recipes). It makes sense really that you can still make a delicious creamy pasta sauce, similar to a traditional béchamel, just substituting cows milk for a non-dairy alternative so I thought I'd give it a go!

Ingredients:

Pasta - I used brown rice pasta and just eyeballed the normal amount I do for three people so we had leftovers

1 onion (the recipe on the Minimalist Baker blog used 2 shallots but I already had an onion in)

6-8 garlic cloves (I used 6, the recipe calls for 8, I found that 6 was PLENTY and I love garlic, but feel free to use the whole amount if you wish!)

450g plum tomatoes (I had about 300 so just used what I had in, doesn't make too much difference)

600ml almond milk

3-4 tablespoons flour (I used three and found this was enough but it can depend on the flour)

Olive oil

Optional:

Spinach (not in the original recipe but I tend to throw spinach into a lot of things to give an extra bit of nutrition and colour, plus you can't really taste it

Method:

I stuck to the original method pretty closely so do go over to the website to find the details of how to make it (it's really easy). One thing I would say is the recipe gives the option to leave the sauce with the onion and garlic chunks in, or to blend them until smooth, I chose to blend them and would recommend this method as it gave a gorgeous creamy texture and made the appearance of the dish much nicer as well. Doing this means you could also use any leftover sauce (I found there was a very generous amount and I didn't want my pasta completely drowned) poured over a jacket potato or maybe even used as a dip the next day (or poured over chicken/fish if you're non-veggie).

The dish was absolutely delicious so make sure to give it a go, even if you're not vegan!

Have you got any favourite vegetarian dishes that you'd recommend?

L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Baby Roll Mascara

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Sun, 12 May 2019 12:59:00 +0000

I bloody love mascara. Weird thing to say but it's one of my favourite steps of my makeup routine, probably partly because I know I'm coming to the end of it (I do love doing my makeup but sometimes it's nice to just have it done and be ready for the day, ya feel me?) but also I do love spending a little extra time plumping and separating those lashes to finish off my eyes. Its been a while since I've found a mascara that I really love, I've tried a few recently that I used to use and like but found that they weren't really doing it for me anymore, so when my last one was drying up and on the verge of dying I perused my local Boots in search of a replacement.

I'm not sure what in particular drew me to this one, although that mint green is beaut, but I am so glad I picked it up! It's actually one of the slightly cheaper ones you can get from the 'drugstore' nowadays at £7.99 which makes it even better, but honestly this mascara is incredible! My lashes are naturally relatively long and have a reasonable curl to them, but this gives them an amazing boost of length, volume and curl, leaving them looking full yet separated, as well as holding a curl all day.

If you suffer (bit dramatic) with straight lashes that either will not curl, or won't hold that curl, I would urge you to give this one a go and see what you think. In terms of transferring on to the brow bone which I do occasionally have issues with, this one does sometimes leave a few black dots but nowhere near as bad as some others that I've tried, and I haven't noticed any flaking either. Let me know if you've tried this mascara and if you loved it as much as I do!

NYX Wonder Stick

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 13:05:00 +0000

NYX recently came to the big Boots in my local town so of course I had to pick a few bits up to try. I've had some bits and pieces from NYX before, but I've never tried any of their contouring products and so thought I'd give their cream contour and highlight 'Wonder Stick' a go.

The main things I look for in a contour stick are colour and texture (not sure what else there could be really!) and am happy to say that I like this stick for both of these things. As you can see from the picture above, the colour of the contour stick is really nice, I picked it up in the 'Universal' shade and I find that the colour sits somewhere perfectly between warm and cool. Sometimes a contour stick can be too grey and make you look like you're trying to pull off a halloween look, or can go the opposite way and be way too orange to ever pass as anything resembling a natural shadow, but NYX seem to have nailed it with this one. The contour shade really does blend very easily as well, I either use a beauty blender to gently push the product into the skin or a stiff brush (usually the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush) to blend it along the cheek bones, jawline and hairline.

The highlight shade is a matte, light yellow-y cream colour that I use around the eye area (I don't use it directly under the eye area, as in where you would put concealer all around because I find it a taddddd too drying) but sort of down the sides of the nose and a little bit along the high points of the cheekbones, in the centre of the forehead and down the centre of the nose. Again, this blends out beautifully and I can definitely notice a difference in the depth my skin seems to have when using it.

In terms of longevity, my skin tends towards the oilier side of the spectrum and I have noticed that when I've been wearing this product for a good few hours the contour can start to look a little bit patchy where the colour has broken down a bit, it's nothing a quick rub over with your fingers to blend out can't fix, but it's something to be aware of, especially if your skin can be oily (obviously I'm not sure how it would act on a dry skin). At £10.50, I'm not sure I would rush out to buy again once I use it up, as there are so many contouring products already on the market and always being released that I would love to try more, but if you have thought about giving it a go, I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Have you ever given this product a go? Or do you have any other contouring recommendations that are holy grail for you - let me know!

Beside the lake, beneath the trees...

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 19:34:00 +0000

There's really nothing better than switching on your 'Out of Office', leaving work behind you and taking a long visit to a beautiful place. That's exactly what I did last week and, by gosh, was it needed. Sometimes you can be so entwined in the day to day goings-on of life that you don't realise how anxious and wound up you're feeling (well, actually, I did know. I feel permanently stressed at the moment, but that's another story). So there really wasn't a better time to take a few days off and enjoy what England has to offer.

I love the Lake District. For one reason or another, there are always those places that make their way into your heart and never really leave. The places that make you wonder 'What is it like to actually live here, is it as wonderful and magical as I think?' (the answer, unfortunately is probably no). I'm like that with Paris as well. I've never been (I WILL one day) but it has a special place in my heart, full of whimsical notions of baguettes in my bike basket, strong coffee sipped whilst catching up on today's news in a quaint little cafe by the roadside and delicious, juicy Steak Frites with a glass of good French red.

I digress - The Lakes. What beauty they behold. The sight of vast lakes against the wondrous backdrop of steep mountains, formed millions of years ago, seemingly for us to enjoy and revel in. It's all I can think when I'm surrounded by hills and mountains: 'Just think how these were formed. I find it astonishing! The world crashing together and forcing up great mounds of earth; a small knock compared to the bigger mountain ranges, but magnificent all the same.'

I've been to the Lake District a few times, my mum even lived and worked there in her younger years (I think that adds to why I love it so much), and each time I enjoy it more and more. There's not much shopping (unless you love a good mountain-wear shop), but there are some lovely restaurants around (Villa Positano in Bowness-on-Windermere and The Lighthouse in Windermere to name a couple) as well as, of course, some magnificent walks. The main one we did this time was up Wansfell Pike. It's not the biggest summit in the Lakes (that's Scafell Pike) but if you take the road from Ambleside, up Wansfell and carry on around to Troutbeck and circle back to where you started, you're in for a visual treat as well as a good workout.

I'd recommend the Lake District to anyone, especially if you've never been before. I live in a relatively flat part of the UK and sometimes forget that these sorts of places exist in the UK. We're always looking for somewhere more exotic with the biggest hills, the brightest skies and the warmest sunshine to get away to, but sometimes it's those places close to home that can mean the most.

Meet The Kittens

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 19:26:00 +0000

Everybody loves a bit of fluff, right? So I thought I'd share the newest addition to our household; meet Victoria Sponge and Battenburg. We adopted these two beauties from Cats Protection at the beginning of February and I am in love! I haven't had cats before but the boyfriend has and I've always wanted a feline friend, so when we saw these two sisters on the website we just had to go and see them. We weren't decided whether to get one kitten or two, I would have been happy either way, but now that we have both of them I couldn't imagine it another way. They love to play together and it's good because they keep each other company whilst we're at work.

They were both abandoned in a cardboard box when they were very little, and so they had been in the care of cats protection for about three months by the time they went up for adoption. They were riddled with worms and fleas and had generally not had a very good start to life, so as soon as we went to see them and they were both being a bit timid, we knew they had to be ours.

They've been with us for about five weeks now and are totally settled in, in fact Sponge is currently sat right next to me on the sofa as I write this, looking very content indeed. There have been a couple of trips to the vets since with Sponge as she has had a few issues with her teeth, but we're glad to say that it's nothing serious and will her teeth will just need a good clean every year or so.

If you're thinking about getting a kitten but are unsure, I would say go for it! They are so easy easy to look after, just a bit of food, a bit of cleaning up after them and that's it (apart from the cream carpets needing hoovering a lot due to their being black)!

These two pictures above are of Victoria Sponge, Sponge for short. She is the bigger of the two and was the most outgoing from the outset. The first to go out adventuring and definitely keen for a nibble on your fingers, she's the more independent of the two and is happy for a cuddle and stroke, but only on her terms!

Favourite things: Dreamies, nibbling your toes in bed, running away from you in the morning because she wants you to chase her!
Dislikes: the hoover

The next three pictures are of little Battenburg, or Berg for short. A little petite kitten who is full of love! She stayed in the carrier that we bought her home in for about four hours, at which point we had to evict her because we didn't want her getting used to it. The following two weeks involved her running to the nearest hiding place, which was under a chair in our lounge, and rarely being seen. She has come on leaps and bounds though, and is now keen for an adventure and a play with her sister. She is really affectionate and loves a good stroke of the head.

Favourite things: licking your face in the morning to get you up, investigating things, eating!
Dislikes: being picked up

Do you have kittens or cats? Tell me about them - I am a converted cat woman!

P.s. Apologies for the overload of animal photos. Normal service will resume.

How are the New Year's Resolutions Going?

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 21:45:00 +0000

Back in January I, like everybody else, wrote about the new year's resolutions that I am hoping to keep this year. In order to try and stick to these I've written them on my fridge, written about them here, got them on the notes in my phone and promised myself I would do a monthly update on how they're doing.

Well, as you can probably tell, I already failed at one of those by not posting this in February. Whoops. But alas, February is a short month so that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it. Let's recap what the resolutions are:

Number One: Be More Productive

Now, I actually don't think I'm doing too bad at this one. This wasn't just about blogging more, it was about doing more with my time off instead of just watching YouTube videos (anyone else guilty of that?). Don't get me wrong, many an evening has been spent working our way through 24 (SO GOOD) but I have also been using my time to do other things. Tonight, for example, not only am I writing blog posts, but I also have home made granola baking in the oven. How much more productive can you get?

I also baked Mother's Day Biscuiteers inspired biscuits (if you haven't seen their website then you should go. Now.) which took pretty much an entire Saturday (you can see the result of that here). Oh, I also forgot to mention we got kittens at the beginning of February so they've been taking up a lot of my time being generally adorable as well.

So, I mean, I haven't been finding the cure to cancer or anything, but that's ok.

Number Two: Cook more from cookbooks

Technically not me doing this, but mainly because I get home later than the boyfriend from work, but we have been pretty adventurous with our food which is great. Cooking is something I love to do and if I had more time in the week I definitely would. It is still a goal I need to work at.

Number Three: Do one new thing every month

January I went to Prague with my four best friends which was amazing. Please take me back. In February - does getting kittens count? It's a difficult one to judge because everyone does new things pretty much every day, so whether I count the big things or the small things it depends. I can't think of a big thing off the top of my head for February, or indeed March, but I think that's just because my head is filled with other things at the moment. And I can smell burning granola.

Number Four: Read 50 books

Now, I really have failed at this one so far. As in, I haven't actually read a single one. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. I think I mentioned 24? Watching it until we really have to go to bed and then falling into a coma as soon as head hits the pillow - not very inductive to reading. Need to work on this ASAP and nourish my mind.

Number Five: Get at least two rooms in the house completely finished

This is a work in progress, we have actually chosen paint colours so that's a step forward. Now we just need to buy it and then, you know, paint the walls or something. I'm confident this one will be achieved but it's not something that's going to happen overnight.

Number Six: Learn to play five songs on the Ukulele

Errrr. Yeah.

So there we go, a bit of a recap and a chance to assess my progress. I actually thought I was doing better than I actually am before I wrote it down. It's ok, it's only March (23rd - oh god) so there's still a pretty good chunk of time to get all of these done before Auld Lang Syne is sung across the land once again.

Tell me - how are you doing with your new year resolution?

How your garden grows...

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:04:00 +0000

Since moving into the new house, I've really wanted to start growing our own herbs and, eventually, vegetables in the garden. I went down the whole cactus route (they've been very popular recently, haven't they?) and I love these, but obviously there's not much you can do with a cactus apart from look at it. So I wanted to start growing some herbs indoors that we can use in cooking.

I'm not overly green-fingered, but I am really looking forward to getting the garden sorted out when the weather allows, so for now some cute pots in the windowsill more than suffice. The pots we bought were from a local garden centre, but I'm sure that these are available from other places, or if not, something very similar. The pots came with the necessary seeds and compost so all we had to do was follow the simple instructions and Bob's your uncle! After about 5 days we saw shoots coming through the basil and chives, the parsley took a little longer but we now have some healthy stems popping up. To be honest, this is as much about the growing process as it is actually using the herbs, and I have definitely found that I am genuinely excited to check them every couple of days to see how they're getting on! You know you're getting getting old when herbs excite you!

At the moment our garden is just mud filled with rubble left by the builders so that's great. We decided not to get it turfed as we've decided to go for more of a courtyard style garden with paving and maybe some decking, with lots of pots and maybe some raised beds around the side. If any of you have any tips or tricks when it comes to choosing great potted plants that don't require a great amount of upkeep but add a nice amount of colour/texture, then I'm all ears.

I'm sure I'll be updating the blog with pictures and progress over the coming months so keep a look out!

Clinique 'Hefty Highlight'

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 12:47:00 +0000

There has been a lot of talk about this and its contouring counterpart, Curvy Contour, since it was announced that Clinique were going to be releasing them. Part of the sculpting duo, the highlighter is a creamy, almost pink pearlescent highlighter to use along cheekbones, as an eyebrow highlight, collarbone highlight etc. I've used a few of these before, most notably one from The Body Shop which I have had for (far too many) years but that I just find myself reaching for time and time again because it gives such a beautiful, dewy but not shiny sheen to the skin. The Body Shop one leaves the skin feeling slightly tacky, which generally I don't mind but sometimes I find that this can go slightly patchy on my skin, so I was hoping from the Clinique one that it would be a slightly less tacky finish.

Luckily, it still manages to give a beautiful sheen to the skin, slightly less so than others I have used, but doesn't feel sticky and adds a beautiful glow. I, as well as many others, am always looking for the ideal set of products to create that barely-there, glowing from within skin look, and having combination to oily skin, this can be difficult. Often times when I use products, say a BB (CC, DD, EE blahblah) cream that is meant to look dewy and healthy, I just end up looking like a grease ball (or at least feeling like I do, people do often say I look nicely dewy but I just feel oily) and having to powder away any sheen I did have. At the same time, I'm not the biggest fan of powder highlighters as they are no where near as natural and I just haven't found one that can really achieve that same look as a beautiful creamy highlighter can do.This one is definitely so far so good. I find that it lats all day, even when I'm at work from 8.30-6, and I find the colour very flattering on my pale skin. I'm not sure how it would look on b=more tanned skin as it is definitely quite pink, but I would certainly recommend this if you're on the lookout for a new highlighter.

As for the contour I haven't yet managed to get my hands on this as it was sold out when I purchased the highlighter and I haven't yet had a chance to pop to any others. I definitely want to give it a try though so I'd love to know your thoughts if you've got it. I am quite pale and the swatch I tried in store did seem pretty orange but I'm sure with enough blending it could look beautiful. I bought mine from Debenhams and it costs £19. Let me know your thoughts!

Home Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 15:50:00 +0000

I mentioned in a previous post that towards the end of last year I moved into a new home with my boyfriend and it is my mission this year to get at least two of the rooms in the house completely finished. Now, we were going to start on the lounge pretty soon and already have paint swatches and mood boards going on, but at the moment it seems like we never have a free weekend to even begin thinking about putting plans into action! As far as creative inspiration goes, I think I have a more clear idea of what I want the home aesthetics to be (although maybe he does too but I just don't let him get a word in edgeways!), and here are just a small handful of the images that I've come across through numerous trawls of Pinterest and interior blogs.

1. The colour scheme and shelving here are what drew me to this particular set-up. The all-white palette with a little bit of green coming from the plants looks fresh, clean and still interesting.

2. How much do you LOVE this? I was particularly drawn to the poufs because the geometric pattern really brings interest to an otherwise very simply room. The shelving again is absolutely stunning and beautifully dressed and the dark wood side table is perfect.

3. Can you see a trend running through here? Love the tree, love the pop of blue in the cushions and love the rug. This is just perfection. Also, I love the penguin cushion.

Which is your favourite? Do you like this sort of interior styling? I'll keep you updated on how we end up doing our living room and I hope it will turn out something like any of these! Have a great day!

Review: Nip and Fab Glycolic Fix Pads

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 11:26:00 +0000

Of all the beauty and skincare products that I've tried in the past year, this is the one I would recommend time and time again. I love Nip and Fab as a brand and can definitely say that everything I've tried from them so far I have really liked. These Glycolic Fix Pads, however, are something else. I use them every morning and evening (may be a little excessive but it seems to work for me) and they leave my skin glowing, smooth and with significantly reduced pores. When used everyday they have dramatically improved the overall texture of my skin, eradicating any of those annoying slightly bumpy patches that I sometimes get on my chin a couple of days after exfoliating.

My skin is normal-combination and not particularly sensitive and I don't find that they sting at all or feel too tingly, in fact I do find them quite soothing on the skin which is most likely thanks to the 'blue daisy' ingredient which claims to soothe and calm. Obviously if you are prone to sensitive skin it may be worth looking around for some more reviews of these to see what others have said about them.

They are pretty affordable, you get 60 pads and they normally cost £12.99 at Boots (they are actually on offer at the moment with 1/3 off, but they're sold out online so get down to your local Boots ASAP!). So if you use them once a day they'll last you two months, or if like me, you use them twice a day they will last you a month. It might seem like quite a lot of money for something to only last a month but really that's only 3 or 4 trips to Starbucks that I am sure is easy to skip ;)

I would whole heartedly recommend these pads to anyone looking for a quick and easy way to get refreshed and brightened skin in a swipe. Let me know if you've tried these and what you thought of them!

p.s. Apologies for the shoddy photography here, I haven't quite gotten into the swing of taking pictures again yet. I will find another prop that isn't a cactus for my next one.

Brilliant Books To Read This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 22:07:00 +0000

I read quite a few books last year and read some absolute stunners, but below are a few of my absolute favourite reads of 2014. I'm hoping to do a lot more book reviews this year, so let me know of any books that you would highly recommend.

I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith

My favourite book of 2014. It follows the story of two young girls, sisters Cassandra and Rose, living in beautiful, if slightly dilapidated, Godsend Castle with their father, Mortmain, mother-in-law, Topaz (an eccentric hippie who was a great secondary character), their younger brother Thomas and their house-helper, the handsome young man Stephen. The story is not overly fast-paced, but I like a slow read and this one just managed to really touch me. There were a couple of paragraphs in particular, towards the latter end of the book, that I adored and bookmarked...

"Once I got used to the idea of being alone by

myself for so long, I positively liked it.

I always enjoy

the different feeling there is in a house when

one is alone in it, and the thought of that

feeling stretching

ahead for two whole days somehow

intensified it wonderfully."

The main story follows older sister Rose who becomes romantically involved with the wealthy heir to the castle when he comes from overseas to visit. There is romance, some twists and turns, as well as an abundance of love, compassion and a truly relatable plethora of feelings. I recently read a review of this book on The Guardian that said the below, and I absolutely agree:

'This book was such a wonderful, enchanting and unpredictable read that by the end of it I felt like I almost was Cassandra'. Perfect.

The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood

A recommendation from Jean @ Bookishthoughts on YouTube. She speaks with great passion for her love of Greek and Roman myths and legends, and studies the classics at university (possibly doing her masters now if I am correct?). She's got an easy to listen to Scottish accent and you can tell she just loves reading. Definitely go and check out her channel if you're into books at all.

She recommended this book for some more easy reading from her favourite subject, and it was fantastic. This tells the story of Odysseus' travels after the Trojan War, but from his wife Penelope's perspective as opposed to his. Atwood, with her usual stunning writing, gives Penelope a magnificent, feisty and entertaining voice - it's a brilliant read, especially if you know even a little bit about the original myth.

There is also a chorus of singing maids who were, in the original story, hung for their part in the myth and who tell their side of the tale in an interesting and fun way. This book is humorously written, interesting and easy to read. I would highly recommend.

We Have Always Lived In The Castle, Shirley Jackson

How beautiful is this book cover? This is a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition and is absolutely stunning in real life. Written by Shirley Jackson, an author renowned for her creepy, dark and often sinister fiction, We Have Always Lived In The Castle follows the story of Merricat and Constance, living in Blackwood Castle. Merricat offers a slightly unhinged narrative throughout as the heart of the story is revealed and the reason the neighbours of the nearby village are so hostile towards them comes to light.

Merricat, Constance and their Uncle Julian have, over the years, developed rules and routines that enable them to feel safe and protected, however, with the arrival of a distant cousin, Charles, things at Blackwood Castle turn awry. The end of the book is filled with a dramatic final few scenes and you are left feeling thoroughly disturbed and unnerved. Definitely give it a go if you like a mystery full of suspense and a slowly developing plot.

Let me know if you give any of these a go. Do go and look for some reviews on t'interwebs because Lord knows I'm not great at describing books.

I hope you had a great Monday!

N.B. I would not recommend reading I Capture The Castle and We Have Always Lived In The Castle at the same time, or even near each other. I made this mistake and found myself getting the two mixed up. They are both stories about sisters living in a castle. Just a heads up.

Goal Number One

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:55:00 +0000

My list of new year's resolutions is ever growing at the moment. As soon as Boxing Day is over I always want the new year to be here and to clear away the detritus so we can all start afresh with renewed enthusiasm, and this includes compiling some, probably unachievable, goals for the new year. I have already written six of these in the post below, and already have another to add to that list...

I want to be kinder. I want to be more mindful of people and of people's feelings and I want to stop judging people or jumping to conclusions about people before I know or understand them better. This is a goal I will achieve this year. I will definitely need some sort of book or app to help me do this so any recommendations would go down well. I'm not an inherently horrible person, not at all. I think if you asked people who knew me they would say I was kind, or at least nice, but I know I could be kinder and more giving. Sometimes I say things, even to my friends, that just kind of come out of my mouth before I've really processed them (my girls from uni, my best friends, will know what I mean if they're reading!). Whenever this happens, and someone takes offence or things I'm being short or cold, I can honestly say I never intend it to come out that way.

I want to stop this happening and be more aware of what I'm saying and how I'm saying it. But it's more than this as well, I want to change my thinking. I admire people that appear to get along with everyone, can easily strike up a conversation and are always accepting. I do think that having the natural ability to do these things is a big part of it, but I'm sure that this can be learnt too. I am not sure that this is a quantifiable goal, in fact I'm sure it isn't, but it is one that I think I'll know if I achieve or not.

I'll keep you posted.

GOALS

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 22:15:00 +0000

Number One. Be More Productive.

Number Two. Cook more from cookbooks. Jamie, Nigel, Mary, Tom.

Number Three. Do one new thing every month. January - going to Prague.

Number Four. Read 50 books. Minimum.

Number Five. Get at least two rooms in new house finished completely.

Number Six. Learn to play 5 songs on my ukulele. Part of being more productive.

A BRAND NEW START

noreply@blogger.com (Sophie) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 21:25:00 +0000

Dear World,

What a fantastic thing having a blog is. It has been a year and a half since I last posted on my blog, and yet it has been on my mind almost every day since. What a strange thing this is. A blog is not a living thing, technically, it does not speak to you or comfort you, and yet it feels like something that is there in the back of your mind, waiting with open arms until you're ready to come back, ready to start writing and speaking and sharing.

It is one of my biggest goals this year to BE. MORE. PRODUCTIVE. In the past two years I have developed a habit of being very unproductive. I watch YouTube videos any time I have a few minutes, or hours, to myself. I find it hard to remember what I even used to do without YouTube? I love watching them, and I won't stop altogether, but I need to use my time more wisely. This is where my blog comes in. I used to love blogging and it became something I was very proud of. It will probably never be the biggest, the best, or the most well subscribed, but it is something I have done and it allows me to be creative.

I still love beauty and make up. I've worked for BareMinerals and Liz Earle, as well as working in the fabulous Liberty of London with the best beauty hall out there. Beauty will always be my biggest passion. I also love books. Books have become more and more important to me in the past year. Sometimes I do go through phases, maybe a month or two, when I won't read, mainly due to being too busy (genuinely, I've moved three times in the last year and a half and started three new jobs - I'm indecisive) but I have increased my collection and have discovered, in particular, two incredible books that have stayed with me since reading them. Books are something I am very keen to incorporate more into my blog, books are beautiful and inspiring and I hope some of you will think so too.

A revamp is in progress, but as I am sure you know, this can take some time to get it perfect and I wanted to get a post up today. TODAY. But please know that Duck and Egg will be coming back with a new look very soon.

Everyone says it, not everyone does it. This is the start of good things. I will remember exactly how I feel NOW and use that feeling to make this blog into what I want it to be.

I hope to see you here throughout 2015.