My Soap & Glory Wish List

Pay day is just around the corner and I can't wait to splash out on some beauty goodies for my make up bag. Not just any beauty goodies though, Soap & Glory goodies - I'm pretty much obsessed with the brand. I love the quality of the products, the packaging and most of all my purse loves the prices. 

1) Arch De Triumph, Two-Step Shaping & Highlighting Crayon, RRP £9.00

I wouldn't say my eyebrows are very sparse but I do have a scar in my right eyebrow (due to someone throwing a plate at me when I was 12 and having to have 10 stitches - a story for another day perhaps), so I would like to fill in that gap and define my eyebrows a little more. The highlighting crayon also looks great to lift and accentuate my brow shape. I can't wait to get this when pay day comes around. Not only do Soap & Glory have awesome products but they also have amazing tutorial videos aswell, watch How To Get Perfect Brows here.  

2) It's About Prime, Anti-Crease Eyeshadow Underbase, RRP £8.00

I have been desperate for an eyeshadow underbase for ages but it wasn't until I was on the Soap & Glory website that I found this one and realised I could get it from Boots for £8.00 - what a bargain. I am fed up with having to rub my eyeshadow out of the creases of my eyes and then re-apply it, so as soon as pay day comes I am most definitely clicking buy on the Boots website. 

3) Supercat, Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen, RRP £6.00

I already own this but sadly it's running out, so I desperately need to purchase a new one because I absolutely LOVE it. It has a marker pen like tip so you can start off in the corner of your eye with a thin line and increase to a fabulous cat eyed flick. This is my favourite eyeliner, not only because it's AMAZING but because the price is so reasonable. I wear this every day (yes even on weekends) and it has lasted me around 4 months, probably even longer. 

4) Kick Ass Concealer, A Three - Piece Flaw Camouflage Kit, RRP £10.00

I have a pretty good concealer from MAC but I really do love the look of this Soap & Glory one, plus there are soo many goods reviews about it. My only worry is, how long would it last for? I have had my current MAC concealer since December and there is still loads left, the only thing though is that it's not really meant for under the eye. Cue Kiss Ass Concealer, it has two shades, one to tackle under eye dark circles and the other to cover spots and blemishes. It even has a transparent setting powder in the pot too. Well that's enough to win me over - I'm definitely buying it. 

5) Thick & Fast, Flash Extensions Effect Mascara, RRP £10.50

Like with Supercat eyeliner, I already own this and absolutely LOVE it also. It really does give my boring blonde lashes the lift and volume they very much need on a daily basis. After using this mascara and of course waiting for it to dry (which doesn't take very long) my lashes feel beautifully soft and not clumpy or waxy like they do after using some other mascaras.

                                                

Go on, save someone's life!

Have you ever done something so incredible that you actually saved someone's life? Well after reading 'I've got 60 days to save my fiance's life' I was compelled to do just that.

The article describes Kate Robertson's race to find her fiance Mike Brandon, a stem cell donor after he was diagnosed with leukaemia in March this year. He is currently having chemotherapy at Bristol Royal Infirmary but desperately needs a stem cell transplant in July, when his chemotherapy finishes.

Can you imagine the horrific wait for the news that someone has donated and is a match? What if that wait goes on for months, or years even? I just can't bear the thought of one of my loved ones being diagnosed with something like that and waiting, and waiting for that good news to come through, that's why I am now registered to Anthony Nolan.

It was quick and easy to sign up, I just filled out the registration form online and then a few weeks later I received my sample tube so I could send off my saliva. A few weeks after that I received my card and now I'm officially signed up to save someone's life - I just have to wait for the call.

P.S. Amazing news... Mike Brandon now has a stem cell donor and will go ahead with his transplant in July. That just shows how powerful social media is, as Kate Robertson's #shake4mike campaign went world wide and the amount of people registering to Anthony Nolan has even increased by 650 per cent - WOW.

So if you're 18-30 years old, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR - GO SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE!

Weekend round up: Arundel Castle

How quick has the week gone! It's great having a bank holiday weekend and then a lovely short week afterwards. Even though I didn't have to wait long for the weekend to arrive again, I couldn't wait to meet up with my lovely friends from university and take a trip to Arundel Castle. 

If you ever get the chance to go I would definitely recommend it, as it is so beautiful and well worth the money. Our Gold Plus ticket (with gift aid) cost £19.80, which included access to the castle bedrooms, the main castle rooms, the castle keep, the Fitzalan Chapel, the gardens and the grounds. When you pay gift aid you get double your donation back in the form of a voucher, which you can spend in the coffee shop, restaurant or gift shop. 

'Built at the end of the 11th century, it has been the family home of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for nearly 1000 years', Arundel Castle brochure.

Here are a few pictures of our time yesterday at the Castle. For dinner we made our own pizzas and then headed off out to the pub. A perfect weekend, all in all. 

Fiona, Anna and Jo on top of the Castle's Keep. 

The view from the top of the Castle's Keep.

Yummy homemade pizza, then off to the pub. 

Positive words (4)

Recently I took my nephew swimming with my sister and I immediately noticed how uncomfortable I felt being in a swimming costume. I know I'm not big, so some people may think I am being stupid but I just didn't/don't feel comfortable with my body and I think that's the main thing.

So since then I have really been trying to eat healthy, have the occasional treat and up my exercise regime. My current exercise regime consists of: Monday - Bunny Hop, Tuesday - two mile run, Wednesday - Zumba, Thursday - two mile run & Zumba, then nothing Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Due to being in a long distance relationship, I'm often travelling on a Friday night and then with Simon Saturday/Sunday, so don't do any exercise then.

This time my 'positive words' post is a health/fitness motivation one, as you can see. I find these types of images really helpful to keep me motivated. My favourite is the 4th image and the one I need to keep in mind the most. I hope these motivate you as much as they motivate me.

ABC dating

ABC dating, let me set your minds from racing. Yes I'm still happily in a relationship with Simon and no we are not embarking on some sort of open relationship.

I heard about ABC dating from a friend at work and they way it works is, you go on a series of dates with your partner or friends working your way through the alphabet. So your first date could be afternoon tea and so on, but make sure you go through the alphabet - no skipping from A to G and then back to B. 

I mentioned this to Simon and I must admit he didn't really seem that keen to begin with but the deal is, if I think of a good enough date for each letter then we can do it, well that's a good enough yes for me. I can't wait to do this as I think it is such a great idea to get out and actually do something with your partner. 

I have also heard that you're meant to go on a date once every two weeks, so it takes you a year to go through the alphabet. But I think due to my circumstances of being in a long distance relationship, I won't being doing a alphabet date every two weeks that is for sure. 

I hope to blog about all of our dates but first I need to get thinking on what to do for A, as I don't think Simon will be up for afternoon tea. 

Has anyone heard of this / doing ABC dating themselves? I would love to hear from you and maybe get some inspiration for some dates.

A note to my younger self

Hi Soph, 

You've just turn 14 and I know you're thinking you're so grown up but let me cut to the chase, you've got a long way to go girl. 

Let me start with something that I know is consuming your life at the moment, boys or one particular boy in fact. Yeah so that guy at school, you think he's amazing and although he is probably good for someone, that someone is not you. Do you think it's OK for him to say he likes you, to ask you out and then dump you a week or two later? Let me tell you, it's not OK and one day soon you're going to realise that. It's OK though because you will meet someone who really is amazing. You will meet him at university, yes you go to university - fancy that. You'll see him around class for the first couple of years but it's not until your last year that you get close to him. Sorry you have to wait so long to meet a nice guy like him, but don't worry he's worth it. 

So university, you never ever thought you would go but you do go, to Portsmouth in fact and it will be three of the best years of your life. You'll meet some amazing friends and as I said above, you'll meet an amazing guy. But if there is something I've learnt being my 23 year old self, is that you really do need to try harder. Try hard in everything you do because you may even surprise yourself. 

Lastly, I want you to cherish your family because they will always be there for you. You never know what's around the corner, so please take to time to call and visit your loved ones.

My silence explained

Sorry for my lack of blogging recently but a couple of weeks ago one of my cats went missing...

One Saturday a few weeks back I let Wooly, his brother Alfie and his mum Daisy out in the morning to roam around our garden. Wooly came back a few hours later for some food and chilled around the house for a bit. I then made myself some lunch before I had to leave for my hair appointment, as soon as I opened the tin of tuna I was immediately surrounded by my three cats, they LOVE tuna or FISSSSHHHH as they recognise it. I gave them a couple of teaspoons each and they all gobbled it up so fast. Wooly finished first (this was pretty standard), he then headed towards our back door licking his whiskers as he went, this was the last time I saw him alive.

I went to have my hair done and came back to pick my boyfriend up as we were travelling down to Winchester to have dinner with my uni friends and stay at their flat. I got back Sunday evening to find Alfie curled up on the sofa, with Daisy on the chair. "Where's Wooly Bear?" I said to my mum. "He hasn't come home since yesterday afternoon," she replied.

Now I always worry about my cats, even if I haven't seen them in a few hours, I worry where they are and if they're OK. I must have called for him about a hundred times over the next few days. My mum even walked up and down our road to see if she could find him. But nothing had prepared me for what we found out next.

It was on the Tuesday after the weekend when my Mum suggested that we call the vets, well I hadn't even thought about checking there, it just didn't even enter my mind. Stupid I know. Maybe it's because I really believed he would come back. So I called the vets to check if someone had brought in a lost cat, when the girl at the other end of the phone confirmed that a cat matching Wooly's description had been taken in but was sadly dead on arrival. My heart immediately sank but I still had a glimmer of hope that it wasn't him, so I asked her if she could check his lip for a scar he recently got in a fight. She said she would check and call me back. After 15 minutes I couldn't wait any longer so my mum and I decided to go up to the vets to check ourselves. We took some blankets and a bag just in case it was him.

We arrived at the vets and the girl who I had spoken to on the phone said she would go and get him out of the freezer so we could check ourselves. My mum was convinced it wasn't going to be him and thought it would be his father who we saw in our garden occasionally. We went into one of the rooms where she laid the cat on the table, she pulled back to towel to reveal his face and my world came crashing down. It was him. I could tell because I could see the scar on his lip that I asked the girl at reception to check for. He wasn't crushed in any way but his eyes were open and glazed over, which I have now learnt that his eyes being open suggests he died quickly. I hope this is true because this makes it seem more bearable.

We took him home and buried him in the garden and planted a rose bush on top. He was such a great cat and such a character, he made me smile every time I saw him and made me soo much happier. I really don't care if anyone slates this post and says he 'was just a cat' but I guess if you think that you won't have read this to the end anyway. It was truley heart breaking and I will never forget him. I am just so glad that we know what happened to him even though it was the worse possible scenario. So thank you to the mother with her baby (whoever you are) who stopped and picked my Wooly Bear up, at least now he's resting in peace.

1. Wooly a couple of hours old. 2. Wooly a couple of months old. 

3. Wooly chilling on my stairs. 4. Wooly a couple of months before he died.

10 things to make you happy

In an effort to try and chill out this year I want to concentrate on some of the things that make me happy.
If you've been feeling a bit down recently, I hope some, if not all of these will help you perk up a bit too. 

Some of the people/things that make me happy.

10 things that make me happy.

1. Exercise

This past week I have felt really down and have lacked motivation. But what I noticed that really picked me up was, exercise. I have started a new exercise class called Bunny Hop, which I go to once a week and I also go to two different Zumba classes each week. So no, not huge amounts of exercise but I still noticed the difference in my mood after each class had finished. We all know that exercise releases endorphins (happy hormones), so go out and exercise if you're feeling a bit down in the dumps. 

2. Cuddles with  my cats

It is no secret to my family and friends that I LOVE my cats. Just seeing them as I walk through the door after a tiring day at work brings a huge smile to my face. I am pretty much obsessed with them. My friend recently admitted that since she had her two cats, her and her boyfriend hadn't argued nearly as much as they did before. See, that is proof. Cats make people happy. Well I'm it is the same for any pet. So go cuddle your pet if you're feeling a bit low.

3. I love you texts

You might have been with this person for years but you still smile every time you see those three little words. Ok cringe, I'm going to stop now.

4. Spending time with my family

Seeing my family always make me happy. Visiting my nan, dad and siblings that live a hundred miles away from me and seeing my gorgeous nephew growing into a cheeky little man, always puts a smile on my face.

5. Spending time with my friends

Having a good old gossip, going shopping or going on a night out with my friends is truly the perfect recipe to get rid of a bad mood.

6. Making plans for my weekend (or days off)

Yes I know they seem like forever away and then when they do eventually arrive they go so fast. But if I make plans (even if it is to just chill and catch up with Breaking Bad) then I get excited at the just the thought of this. 

7. Pamper myself

I like to have a Sunday night pamper session and also try and fit one in mid week, usually hump day. It's such a great way to relax and have a bit of me time. Bubble bath, check. Magazines, check. Face mask, check. Ahhhh perfection.

8. Food

I love my food and I am always thinking about my next meal. I absolutely believe that food can make you happy but saying that it can make you sad as well. When you're feeling down and head for the ice cream, then just be careful not to have to whole pot, as then you will just end up feeling sick and even more depressed. It sounds so obvious but everything in moderation, that is the key. 

9. Flowers

I love flowers and I especially love receiving them from my loved ones. But if you're feeling a bit down, don't wait for someone else to buy you flowers. Just pick up a bunch when you're next out and they will definitely bring happiness to your day. Unless you have hay fever I suppose. 

10. Quotes

I love a good quote, whether it's from a movie, book or just something I have found on Pinterest. Uplifting and positive quotes really do give me inspiration and keep me feeling happy.

So I'm going to concentrate on doing all of these ten things as often as I can to keep me feeling happy.
What kind of things make you happy? 

New exercise class: Bunny Hop

Photo taken from the Bunny Hop website

Bunny Hop, so what's it all about? Well in short you dance, tone and laugh for an hour, oh and burn up to 700 calories as well. Here's how Bunny Hop is quickly becoming my new favourite fitness activity...

When my mum suggested starting a new exercise class she had seen advertised in our local paper called Bunny Hop, I'll tell the truth I scrunched up my face immediately. All I could visualise was hopping about like a bunny and I wasn't really up for anything like that. Despite my initial thoughts it didn't take her long to convince me. We have been going for 6 weeks now and WE LOVE IT.

The class consists of a warm up, a couple of dances, some toning tracks (with 1 lb toning sticks), the power 6 (or 6 dances to you and I), another 2 toning tracks and then a cool down. Like many another classes, Bunny Hop is an hour long and you dance to a mixture of current music and some pop classics. I love the toning tracks as sometimes in dance classes you can neglect your arms, so together with squats, punches and jumping about, you really do feel like you are working hard. With a tagline of  '700 calories, 1 hour' I have yet to actually prove if this is true or not but one thing is for sure I definitely do work up a sweat.

Our fab instructor, Louise mentions that if we want to go low, go low, if we want to go high, go high, if we want to have water, have water. She is one of the best instructors I have had, she's funny, puts in heaps of effort, explains the dance before doing it and writes a intriguing blog too. 

There are 12 locations with 20 classes throughout the week in the South East of England. If you're interested check out their website 

Also if you want to read Louise our instructor's blog, check out The Blogging Bunny here

Argan Oil, Nourishing Miracle Oil // Beauty Review

I have thick and sometimes dry hair so I was in desperate need for some nourishment to put on my hair after washing it and before blow drying it. My mum thankfully bought me this Argan Oil for Christmas and I love it. My hair looks and feels like it is in such good condition, I am very impressed. 

After washing my hair I wrap it in a towel and then do my makeup whilst it soaks up some of the moisture. As I have heard it is bad for your hair if you towel dry it, so I really try not to do this. After unraveling my hair I rub a couple of pumps of oil into my hands. I then apply it through the lengths of my hair and finally I apply the rest to my roots. I am careful not to apply too much to the top of my hair as I don't want it to look greasy.

I love the way my hair feels so soft and as I have said my hair really does look like it is in good condition. I will definitely buy this when it runs out. By this rate that will be months and months from now as I'm only using two/three pumps every time I wash my hair, which is every other day. So well worth the £11.99 price tag from Boots in my opinion.

Valentine's Day: love it or loathe it?

Personally I don't really mind it. I don't agree with spending huge amounts of money on extravagant gifts but I do think it is nice (if you're in a relationship) to celebrate it in some way. 

A few years ago my good university friend asked me, 

"Soph, how much do you think I should spend on Valentine's Day?" 

"Oh, £20 at the most," I replied.

"Oh, I've spent £200, for a hotel room in London and tickets to see the Lion King," she said.

Cue my shocked face. Now as much as I love my friend, this is WAY OVER THE TOP!

You don't have to spend a fortune on proving your love to someone and you really shouldn't have to either. Doesn't everyone always say, 'it's the little things in life that count'. Personally, I will get my partner a card and suggest that we do something together, be it the cinema or dinner out. Saying that, it is our anniversary on February 1st and then his birthday a week after, so funds might be a bit low. 

I 100% agree with people who say that we should show our love for our boyfriend/girlfriend all throughout the year but Valentine's Day gives us the perfect excuse to make an actual effort. I do think it's important to have regular 'dates' with your partner, so love it or loathe it you might as well use Valentine's day as the perfect excuse for one of these date nights.

Go out for a meal, go to the cinema or just stay in and cook a romantic meal, whatever you do you should definitely use Valentine's Day to your advantage.

So...Valetine's Day, do you love it or loathe it?

Below is a cute/soppy quote that I think is always good to remember when it comes to relationships.

  

My highlights of 2013

Looking back, 2013 was actually a very good year. My gorgeous nephew, Oscar was born in May, I went camping in the Forest of Dean with Simon for my birthday, I hunted Gromits in Bristol, I spent lots of time with my family and one of my best friends from school gave birth to her baby Scarlet in November. 

But the best is yet to come and in 2014 I want to spend more time with my family and friends and make sure I see my lovely uni girls lots more. I also want to make sure I chill out more and exercise more than once a week. 

Here's a look at my highlights of 2013...