Find us on Google+ sophielouisew_: 2013

Tuesday 31 December 2013

The Round-Up Post | 2013

i wasn't going to do this kind of post this year, just because the last few months have been pretty naff for me, but my best girl Ellie convinced me after saying it's a good way to remember the good things that happened rather than the bad.
i'm not going to go too far into why i'm glad to see the back of 2013, but it's safe to say that a break-up, being extremely unhappy at university and learning who true friends are, have all played a huge part in it. but that's enough of being sad, and back to looking over everything good that has happened!

Resolutions | Valentines Day | Meeting Olly Murs | A mass of concert tickets | Biggest uni project yet

January - March
i kicked off this year with a resolutions post, and it's safe to say i didn't stick to many of them! january seems to have been fairly quiet, up until we hit valentines day in february. this was the first time i've ever been sent flowers and they were absolutely gorgeous. the end of february was a low point for me because i was hit full on with food poisoning and had to take a few weeks off of uni and get all my deadlines extended (and yes, this is as stressful as it sounds!). turns out though that food poisoning won't stop a 1D fangirl from seeing those boys, as on the first day of getting it, i found myself travelling to London to see them for just one of many times this year. i met Olly Murs with my Mum in March, and then we also went to see him in the same month, aswell as me winning tickets to go and see Justin Bieber with Courtney! this night was actually the first time i met Ellie, and it safely set our friendship in stone (please note, i don't like justin bieber, but it was free, and a good laugh! especially all the hate i got from 'beliebers' on twitter for winning tickets to a show i didn't want to go to!). March saw the start of one of my biggest uni projects so far, and something i'm now very proud of, and i also headed off to see one direction again, this time in Nottingham with my friend Rosie.

One Direction with Pia | Manchester 1D Road Trip with Rosie | Interning | Robbie Williams | 100 followers!
April - June
April kicked off with another London day trip to see one direction, this time with one of my best friends Pia, and this was probably my favourite concert of the year - we were surrounded by what i can only describe as the epitome of the one direction italian fangirl who sobbed the whole way through and we have never laughed so much in our lives. i also saw one direction for the fourth and final time in Manchester, and took another roadtrip up to Manchester to stay with Rosie for the weekend, and we had a fab time, with amazing seats. to finish off the one direction-ness of this month (it's okay, i've noticed maybe i do too many 1D related things, too!), i booked tickets to go and see them next year on their stadium tour with Ellie, which i cannot wait for! 
i finished my second year of uni in May, which again flew by, and left me with the start of my summer break! i started a beauty PR internship at the beginning of June for 6 weeks, and i loved every single minute of it, so much so that i didn't want to leave! i also got to meet two lovely bloggers whilst i was there - Lucy & Hayley - who only made the experience more enjoyable!
june also saw my final concert of the year, which was to see Robbie Williams and Olly Murs at Wembley Stadium, which was a present for my Mums birthday which was back in february. we had an amazing time, even if i was struck down with the worst hayfever in the world that night, and just looked like an over-emotional fan! 
the biggest thing for me was hitting 100 blog followers in June! it had taken me so long to get there, and i was absolutely chuffed to bits! 

Still interning | First blogging event | Being introduced to Five Guys | 1D Movie!!! | First Sephora visit
Barcelona | Turkey x3 | Beginning final year
July - September
these were very busy months for me! i was still interning for the first half of july, and was lucky enough to be asked back again at the end of august. i also really got into my blog around this time and re-did all of my layout and really found a blogging style which suited me.
in July, i was again lucky enough to see Ellie a few times and she came along to my first blogging event with me! we also had a disastrous evening at another event which could only be made better by my introduction to Five Guys, and i think i've been constantly craving another one ever since. i was also lucky enough to bag two tickets to an advanced screening of the One Direction movie in August (i promise, i'll stop with one direction now), so me and Ellie jumped at the chance and spent the evening drooling over the boys!
just as i finished interning, i got my second year uni results, and found out i was heading into final year with a 2:1 which i was so pleased about! i then headed off on my first holiday of september to barcelona with my Mum which was a joint little celebration for my 21st and her 50th. we had the best few days, and i think i may have dragged her into sephora one too many times! a week after barcelona, i headed off to turkey with my boyfriend at the time, and it was the most gorgeous hotel i have ever, ever stayed in - i will never get over how beautiful it was, and would love to go back there one day. 
and of course, the end of september bought the day of heading back to uni and starting my final year - eek!

Michael Kors for my 21st! | Harry Styles dropped by | Cake | 21st Night Out | Pressie from Ellie!
Christmas is coming! | Pretty window display | Present overload with the girls | Christmas Eve | Christmas Cat
October - December
october kicked off with my 21st on the 3rd and a few days of celebrations! i came home from uni for the occasion and was super surprised by the gift of a Michael Kors watch from my parents - i hadn't asked for it and was not expecting it at all, but i am still in awe and super grateful! we also went out for a big family meal, before i headed back to leicester at the weekend with my then boyfriend and a bunch of friends for a night out, as it was my boyfriends 21st three days later. and that was probably the last time i was truly happy this year. after this, everything went downhill at the uni house and it's not been the same since and it is my least favourite place to be filled with lies, bitchiness and unwelcomeness. it was also a couple of weeks after the birthday celebrations that i went through a break up with my boyfriend. it went on over a couple of weeks, so i was sort of expecting it when it came around, but it was still a huge shock to me. luckily, i think i've coped pretty well, and a couple of really good friends (Ellie, Mollie & Pia) have all really been there for me when i've needed them. the only good thing from this is that i do maybe think i'm better off by myself for now, and it also proved to me who my real friends were.
november was pretty uneventful for me. i was obviously pretty down and my uni work took a hit for a few weeks as leicester really wasn't a place i wanted to be, so i was travelling home pretty much every weekend and didn't spend more than 4 days in a row at uni. i think around this time though, mcbusted tickets were booked with Pia and Ellie!
i did make some lovely new blogging friends in december when i headed off to the LDNXmasMeet and went for dinner with a bunch of lovely girls, who i'm now so happy so be able to call friends - ChloePerdiGeorgina & Becka.
then, before i knew it, christmas was coming round and i tried to make the most of it! i had the annual christmas dinner with three of my oldest friends, Mollie, Sarah & Abi, and then spent the rest of the holidays at home with my parents, brother and grandparents!
and that brings us round to today - new years eve. i'm heading out with some friends tonight, and hoping that it will mark the start of a brand new year for me.

i am determined that 2014 will be a fresh start and a time for me to make a name for myself. in just three months i will have pretty much finished uni and be ready to graduate, something which i don't feel ready for at all. i can't wait to find myself a job and start my life properly. i plan just to get any job i can upon graduation and work my bum off to save money up so i can intern by september and gain some really valuable experience. i'm obviously still applying for graduate roles, so that if something comes up i can grab it with both hands and make it work for me. i also hope that my blog keeps on growing as it's always bringing me new, exciting opportunities.

i just want to say a huge thankyou to people who have really played a huge part in my 2013 and been a part of the good memories i can hold on to. i'm heading into the new year with the motto 'treat others as they treat you'!



Monday 30 December 2013

The OOTD | Totally Out Of My Comfort Zone

Hat - Florence & Fred | Jacket - New Look | Top - ASOS | Necklace - Primark | Jeans - ASOS | Boots - Ebay
let's just start off by saying todays OOTD is totally out of my comfort zone, purely because i am wearing a hat. my head was not made for hats, nor have i ever been a hat person in any way, shape or form. but when i spotted this gorgeous Wool Fedora Hat in the Florence & Fred sale for just £6, i instantly fell in love and ordered it knowing it will never go on my head in public.

in a slight act of determination, i thought that by trying an OOTD would make the purchase worthwhile, and if i'm still not feeling it, it's currently looking very pretty perched on my tripod as an extra room decoration!

so what do we all think? is the tripod where this hat should stay, or should i be brave and try to make it work for me?




Thursday 26 December 2013

The Haul Post | Christmas 2013

i hope you all had a lovely christmas! i decided just to photograph my haul this year rather than film, just because i really don't have the time to sit & edit and i'm back to work tomorrow, plus you can probably see bits better in photos. just a little disclaimer, i am not trying to show off in any way whatsoever, i just love reading this kind of post and i know other people do, too. i haven't included smellies and sweets and all those bits that aren't very interesting, so i'll jump right in with the good stuff! 


i feel like this little lot is going to be sat in my purse for a little while as i've seen absolutely nothing in the sales yet this year that's caught my eye (trust me, i've scoured everywhere!), although i think i might treat myself to this gorgeous Marc B Lucia purse.


i am forever buying little homey, shabby chic bits, so all of these goodies will find a home in my room. i actually picked out everything here (except the bunting) as gifts from my parents. the bin really finishes my room as the one i had before really didn't match, and you can never have enough wicker hearts dotted around the place! i love the little glass ring dish as i am forever losing rings because i don't have anywhere to keep them, and the bunting will be coming to uni with me, and was a gift from the lovely Rosie (whose blog is here).


make-up wise, i've already blogged about the gorgeous Hourglass Ambient Light Palette which my best girl Ellie (from Ellie's Ramblings) got me, and i am still a little bit gobsmacked. then my grandparents got me a couple of OPI crackle polishes, and my parents picked me up the Soap & Glory Brow Archery.


i am never going to run out of drinking devices again! the floral water bottle is from my parents, the gorgeous Eco Cup is from my best friend Mollie (and will be very loved for taking tea to uni!) and the floral mug is from my friend Sarah! i also got another travel mug from Abi, but it's already been used and is waiting to be washed!


me and Mum have laughed at this cheap little One Direction DVD for months now, so she got me this as a little bit of a joke. obviously, i had to end up with 1D This Is Us and it will probably be on repeat once I'm back at uni to get me through final year! i've also watched the last Micky Flanagan tour on TV far too many times now, so Mum also got me the new Micky Flanagan Back in the Game DVD.


these Monsters Inc pyjamas are my new favourite thing, and my brother got me these uber festive slippers because i'm forever moaning about how cold my feet are! all the knickers are from Mollie, too (she religiously buys us christmas knickers every year, and the Kermit ones may be my favourite yet!) and the fluffy socks are from Sarah.


christmas is always time for a new diary, and this beauty is from Paperchase. anyone else love filling in a new diary?!


Mollie also got me this gorgeous little bracelet which goes perfectly with a jumpsuit that i'd been looking for jewellery to go with. i also got a necklace, earrings and bracelet from Sarah, but some is being borrowed by Mum today, and i'm wearing some of the earrings!


my parents also got me this gorgeous gift box from a store near us - Naturally Unique. imagine Lush, but better! all the little bath bombs and melts are done to look like little cupcakes, and there are so many smells that you're spoilt for choice! i might do a blogpost on these bits as i bought some for myself too, and they are too cute to not share with you.


and finally, my new babies are these boots from my parents. there are no words, lets just look and drool a little!

and that is everything i got this year! i was super spoilt and am grateful for everything i received! if anyone else has a christmas haul post then please pop the links in a comment - these are my all-time favourite sorts of post to read!











Tuesday 24 December 2013

The Beauty Post | MAC Eyeshadow Quad



L-R | All That Glitters | Sable | Satin Taupe | Woodwinked
for someone who didn't wear eyeshadow a few months back, a MAC palette of some form is something i didn't think i would ever feel the need to own. fast forward to now and the last of my Debenhams beauty giftcard burning a hole in my pocket (especially with 10% off!), and this beauty of a MAC quad is now one of my new favourite things.

now, i can't go a day without wearing eyeshadow, but i still religiously stick to nudes and browns - i'm not very adventurous yet - so i mostly went with the typical 'holy grail' shades. first is All That Glitters which is a standard all over base colour with a bit of shimmer thrown in, and to me it has very subtle rosey gold undertones to it. Sable is the whole reason i bought the quad - this caught my eye on another blog and i went from buying the individual pot to treating myself to the palette. it's just a gorgeous smoky brown shade with almost rusty undertones to it, and i've loved wearing this blended in with a little bit of MAC Cranberry to make it work for me. i couldn't really not end up with Satin Taupe, could i?! you all know what this looks like now - just a standard, every day smokey brown. last up is Woodwinked, another classic. this is a little more bronze toned than brown, but i think this really lifts a usually brown smokey eye.

and now i am finding myself living with the deepest desire to own a 15-pan palette and fill it with all the other pretties i have my eye on - send help! but just incase, what shades does everyone suggest?


Friday 20 December 2013

The Wishlist Post | Christmas Edition


christmas is quickly creeping up on us now, so i thought it was about time i share my christmas wishlist for this year!

1 | Floral Fairy Lights | dotcomgiftshop | £19.95
2 | Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil | Soap & Glory | £10
3 | Lucia Purse | Marc B | £25
4 | Micky Flanagan Back in the Game DVD | Amazon | £13
5 | Boucle Blazer | ASOS | £40
6 | One Direction This Is Us DVD | Amazon | £10
7 | Tan Cut-Out Boot | Ebay | £24.99
8 | Money
9 | Rose Gold Stacking Ring | Monica Vinader | £70
10 | Floral Travel Mug | Gift Zone | £8.95



Monday 16 December 2013

The Beauty Post | Hourglass Ambient Light Palette




L-R | Dim Light, Incandescent Light, Radiant Light

it's not often that i'll blog about something as soon as i get it, but i just couldn't resist this beauty - the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. i was lucky enough to get this as an early christmas present from my best girl Ellie who picked it up for me in America after i mentioned how desperate i was for it and i was instantly in love.
the Dim Light shade has been on my high end beauty wish list for as long as i can remember, and when Hourglass launched the full palette this year i knew i had to get my hands on it somehow as the shades in it are so different. 
Dim Light is a gorgeous everyday highlighting shade, and is a lot more subtle than the highlighters i already own. i also love that all of these shades are nowhere near as shimmery as other products i own which can be a bit overwhelming for an everyday look. this almost verges on an almost rose gold tone, too, which is always a winner with me!
Incandescent Light is the closest to the usual type of shade i would pick out to highlight, but it more peachy than cream based in colour than the rest of my collection. i'll definitely use this more in evening looks when i'm after a bit more of a dramatic look. 
Radiant Light i'm not quite sure how i'm going to use yet, mainly because i'm super pale and i think this might look a little bit OTT as a highlighter on me. i might attempt using it as a blush, possibly, but i am now heading off to look for some more blogger reviews to see how people have used it. 



Thursday 12 December 2013

The DIY Post | Shabby Chic Your Ikea Skurar Pot

something a little bit different today. i recently went to ikea and picked up the now infamous skurar plant pot to pop my makeup brushes in. as lovely as it is all plain and white (i will be buying another to leave as is), i thought i'd upcycle it a little and give it more of a shabby chic look to fit in with my decor. the way i've done it makes it easy to uncycle too, if that's even a word, and easily get it back to its usual look, but i thought i would share a little DIY post with you guys.


You Will Need:
1 x Skurar plant pot
8 x paper flowers of your choice (these were 99p from The Range)
pretty ribbon (also 99p from The Range)
scissors
glue


1. cut the stem of the flowers to around 3cm long
2. choose a pattern for the flowers
3. pop the flower in the desired hole and wrap the wire around a couple of times to hold in place
4. attach the rest of the flowers in the same way in whichever pattern you choose


5. measure and cut the ribbon to length, with about 1cm extra to overlap
6. glue the end of the ribbon and line up with where the pot meets 
7. add a couple of blobs of glue around the pot to hold in place
8. overlap the ribbon at the end and secure with another bit of glue

and tah-dah, you are done! the pictures below show the final look and how i've incorporated it into my decor! enjoy. 





Friday 6 December 2013

The OOTD | She's Only Gone & Worn Shorts in Winter!


hellooo.
just a quick little OOTD today, nothing special and pants quality photos. this is what happens when you have nowhere in the uni house to take photos, a billion and one assignments due in and crappy lighting - i didn't even have any shoes on! but i threw this outfit together the other day and loved it, so i did the best with what i had! and yes, i wore shorts with in winter, but they weren't denim hotpants so i'm telling myself it's okay. the shorts are Topshop via Ebay, jumper is Pull & Bear and the necklace is Store Twenty One. lipstick is MAC's Vegas Volt and i think that's about it!


Tuesday 3 December 2013

Top 5 Tuesdays | Nude Smokey Eyes


Collection Work The Colour Eyeshadow Pencils

H&M Nudes Palette

Customisable Inglot Palette

MUA Undressed Palette

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

okay, so welcome to december! 
i'm not going to jump on the bandwagon and contemplate over how quickly this year has gone, i'm jumping straight in with the final post in my 'Top 5 Tuesday' series with my favourite products and palettes to create a nude smokey eye. 
first up are the Collection Work The Colour Eyeshadow Pencils in Vanilla Sky & Hot Chocolate - super creamy, great colour pay-off with a slight sheen and great for beginners. they blend really easily and by mixing these two colours together you can create a whole host of neutral shades.
for a super subtle, everyday smokey eye the H&M Nudes Palette is the one for you. really light shades with a little less pigmentation than the other products here, and perfect for chucking in your handbag.
Inglot 3-pan palettes are perfect for creating a customised palette with three key shades - one for highlighting, one for all over colour and one for the crease. the shades here are 46, 31 and 402 and this palette is great for a simple smokey eye and is super convenient for travelling.
next up is a palette that everyone and their mother have heard about, and it's the MUA Undressed Palette. twelve shades varying from super pale nudes through to smouldering greys in both matte and shimmer which is great if you're just starting out with eyeshadow and want to start being a little more adventurous.
and, of course, any nude smokey eye post wouldn't be complete without an Urban Decay palette and my one of choice is the Naked 2. literally endless options of colour combinations to create subtle daytime looks all the way through to more heavy and sultry combos for the evening!




Thursday 28 November 2013

The Discount Post | Black Friday 2013 (UK)

happy black friday, guys!
i don't know about you, but i am super happy that the UK is embracing the US trait of Black Friday now, and i've already had plenty of e-mails drop into my inbox so i thought i'd chuck all the discount codes into one blogpost so everyone can see who is offering what discounts. i will try my best to keep this updated throughout the day, too. just click the store name to go to their website
HAPPY SHOPPING GIRLS AND BOYS!

P.S. IF YOU ARE A STUDENT, SOME PLACES ARE STILL ACCEPTING STUDENT DISCOUNT ON TOP OF THESE OFFERS!

THE OFFER | 20% off everything and £1 delivery
THE CODE | PARTY
WHEN DOES IT END? | 6pm friday 29th november

THE OFFER | up to 30% off and free delivery over £50
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

THE OFFER | 30% off everything
THE CODE | BLACKFB
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight november 29th

THE OFFER | 25% off everything and free delivery over £19.99
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

THE OFFER | 25% off everything 
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight monday 2nd december

THE OFFER | 30% off everything and £1 standard delivery
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight sunday 1st december

THE OFFER | up to 80% off
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | 2nd december

THE OFFER | free shipping for black friday and 20% off on cyber monday
THE CODE | BF2013 for free shipping & CM2013 for 20% off
WHEN DOES IT END? | free shipping ends midnight thursday 29th november, 20% off valid all day monday 2nd december

THE OFFER | up to 50% off
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

THE OFFER | 10% off beauty, 60% off all furniture, up to 30% off all other departments
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | this week only

THE OFFER | 50% off everything
THE CODE | BLACKFRIDAY
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight friday 29th november

THE OFFER | free delivery on orders over £10
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | 9a.m monday 2nd december

OH MY LOVE
THE OFFER | 40% off all LBD's (Little Black Dresses)
THE CODE | LBDFRIDAY
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight friday 29th november

ROCK N ROSE
THE OFFER | 20% off everything
THE CODE | BLACKFRI
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight sunday 1st december

CATH KIDSTON
THE OFFER | 15% off everything
THE CODE | ELF15
WHEN DOES IT END? | 8am monday 2nd december

GLAMOROUS
THE OFFER | 25% off everything
THE CODE | BLACKFRIDAY
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight friday 29th november

BOOHOO.COM
THE OFFER | 15% off everything / 20% student discount
THE CODE | CHILLOUT for 15%, use your student code for 20%
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight friday 29th november

MISSGUIDED
THE OFFER | 15% off everything
THE CODE | FUNDAYFRIDAY
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

NEW LOOK 
THE OFFER | 25% off knitwear
THE CODE | new prices shown applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight friday 29th november

BENEFIT COSMETICS
THE OFFER | 15% off everything
THE CODE | CHEER
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight monday 2nd december

ASOS MARKETPLACE
THE OFFER | up to 40% off partywear
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

OMGFASHION
THE OFFER | 20% off everything
THE CODE | BLACKFRIDAY
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

LOOK FANTASTIC
THE OFFER | 20% off everything, but declines by 1% every hour, on the hour
THE CODE | TREAT20
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight friday 29th november

BARRYM.COM
THE OFFER | 10% off all online orders
THE CODE | COSY10
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight saturday 30th november

HOUSE OF FRASER
THE OFFER | up to 10% off beauty
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

MISS SELFRIDGE
THE OFFER | up to 50% off everything
THE CODE | applied at checkout
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified

REN SKINCARE
THE OFFER | 20% off everything
THE CODE | XMAS20
WHEN DOES IT END? | midnight friday 29th november

MOTEL ROCKS
THE OFFER | 30% off everything
THE CODE | CYBER30
WHEN DOES IT END? | not specified, but guessing monday 2nd december






Tuesday 19 November 2013

Top Five Tuesday | AW Blushers



L-R Accessorize Sensation | Liz Earlie Peony | E.L.F Baked Blush | Bourjois Rose de Jaspe | Sleek Rose Gold
blushers are up this week in the 'Top Five Tuesday' series, and i've picked out the shades that i've been finding myself reaching for recently. i really love warm pink tones for autumn and winter to enhance a natural flush, and all of these blushes do the job perfectly.
first is the Accessorize Merged Baked Blusher in Sensation, a gorgeous pink with a tad of a shimmer to it - it has some real deep pink flecks in it and gives a really natural flushed look. my favourite of the bunch is Liz Earle Blush in Peony and this has been on my cheeks almost every day for the last few weeks. as you can see it's a gorgeous matte deep, dusky rose shade and is extremely pigmented so just the tiniest stroke on the apple of your cheeks gives you a nice rosy cheek look. the E.L.F Baked Blush is more of a taupey, natural pink which is great for just a hint of colour and really compliments highlighted cheekbones. Bourjois Blush in Rose de Jaspe is up next and is just a tad deeper in colour than the Accessorize blush, but has less shimmer and is a little more matte and pigmented, so be careful not to overdo it. finally is the beauty blogger favourite - Sleek's Rose Gold Blush, the now infamous NARS dupe. a gorgeous deep pink with orangey hues and flecks to it for an almost bronzed yet blushed cheek.