L'OREAL LIQUID AND POWDER FOUNDATIONS

If I had to stay completely loyal to only one high street brand, as hard as it would be, I'd definitely pick L'Oreal. It was the first brand of makeup I tried when I was 16 years old and I've never looked back since. The majority of my makeup is L'Oreal - whether it's foundation, bronzer or eye liner.

Recently I've gotten into the (bad) habit of using both liquid and powder foundation in my daily makeup routine. The liquid foundation goes on after moisturising and the powder foundation goes on after concealer. I'm very aware that wearing too much foundation isn't the best thing in the world for your skin, however both foundations offer completely different things, yet they both have stunning results.

LIQUID FOUNDATION
When they say it's 'True Match', they're not lying! As some of you will know, I am quite pale so finding a foundation that doesn't either wash me out even more or make me look like a tangerine is quite a task. Since Christmas I have been experimenting with different foundations - from Bare Minerals to Rimmel London - but I eventually found myself coming back to my old time favourite and I can most definitely say that I won't be changing again any time soon. This foundation is around a light - medium coverage and I do sometimes find myself putting extra on if I'm having a particularly bad skin day. It matches my skin perfectly, feels light enough for me to forget I'm wearing foundation and blends in well with other makeup products. I usually find myself using a buffed foundation brush to apply it, and then go over it with a Beauty Blender to smooth it out.

POWDER FOUNDATION
This is in the same shade of my liquid foundation but looks ever-so-slightly darker when applying it on top. I'm not a huge fan of using just powder foundation - I feel that it's very dry on my skin and doesn't spread easily across my face - however this works a DREAM on freshly applied liquid foundation or concealer. The coverage is medium, but it still feels light on my skin. It takes away any shine and replaces it with gorgeous, smooth, blemish-free skin.

Putting the two foundations together has really helped my confidence when it comes to my skin and makeup, It takes away any blemishes I have that day and keeps my skin shine-free. Please let me know any other recommendations for powder as I want to give some others ago.

CLINQUE SUPERBALM MOISTURISING GLOSS REVIEW

Having months of not posting seems to be a running theme on my blog at the moment, but I am pleased to say that I now have tonnes of spare time which I will dedicate to blogging. With finishing my degree and getting a full time job as a Social Media Coordinator, it means that my evening and weekends haven't got much in store for me - which means blogging, so expect a lot more content uploaded from me! Now that's said and done, let's get on with the rest of my post...

INSTAGRAM JUNE, JULY & AUGUST

1. New Look Necklace 2. Fishtail plait 3. Outfit of the day 4. Noodles from Aruba in Bournemouth 5. Rose tinted gold watch from Next 6. Lime green River Island bag 7. My first Wagamamas 8. Lush Bubble Bar 9. Cosmo subscription 10. Another fishtail 11. Gorgeous colourful flowers 12. Me and my best friend Aimee 13. Congratulation cards and flowers for my degree 14. Pandora bracelet 15. Makeup of the day 16. My windowsill set up 17. The relief 18. St Tropez In-Shower Gradual Tan 19. Me and Aimee at the spa 20. Clean makeup brushes 

I feel like I have been saying this a lot recently but the last couple of months have been INSANE. Not only did I finish my degree, but I celebrated my 21st birthday, celebrated getting a 2:1 in my degree and I am also about to start my first full time job on Monday! As you can imagine, I haven't really had much time to post on any of my social media sites or my blog (hence why I have had to put three months worth of Insta pics and not two!), and I've had such a blast over the last 3 months. Now that I will have a full time job, I will have more times in the evenings to focus on my blog and will hopefully have more money to buy amazing things I can share with you all! Anyway, for now I have to get used to the real world!

INTERVIEW ATTIRE WEAR FOR EVERY JOB SEARCHER

You may or may not know that recently, as I have finished my degree, I have been going to a lot of interviews. And if preparing for the interview and the pressure of it isn't stressful enough, deciding what to wear makes it ten times worse. For the past couple of interviews, I have wore my trusty grey midi dress and a colourful blazer, but I realised that I couldn't wear this for every interview, especially if I was going back for second interviews. I had a quick nose around the F&F section of Tesco's and found some really nice interview attire (and could also be office wear) that don't break the bank.

This is what I found.

I believe that every girl needs a white shirt in their wardrobe, whether it's to pair up with some smart trousers for work, or to go casual and wear it with a pair of jeans. It's definitely a must have. This particular white shirt is nice because it has the small detail near the neck line. For trousers, I really loved the black ones with the white floral detail. They're fashionable, but yet still very formal. And they look GORGEOUS with the white shirt tucked into them. Next I bought the black and white small detail trousers, which also look lovely with the white trousers. Both of these trousers are cut nicely at the bottom which means they look nice with both flats and heels, so you don't have to wear those really-uncomfortable-but-smart-heels for every interview.

The next two items I haven't bought myself but I saw around the shop and on their website. These blue ankle cut trousers will also go with a nice white shirt, heels and flats, but what drew me into them so much was the small detail near the waist line. To me, they look slightly 'navy' style, but still very suitable for an interview.

As well as a white shirt, every girl should also have a smart dress in their wardrobe. It should be the law. This navy and black knee length dress, is the perfect length for a formal interview and the belt gives it that something extra.

So that was my short guide to what to wear for an interview and let me know in the comments below what you usually wear for interviews. I wish all of my fellow graduates the best of luck in the job hunt.

MAY BEAUTY FAVOURITES

Firstly, I want to say sorry for how long this post is, but it is worth it (I hope). Secondly, I want to apologise again as it seems I have been away from my blog for exactly a month! As you can imagine, in this past month or so my studies completely took over my life as it was the last month of my degree! Can you believe it?! It's done! Where has the time gone?! Anyway, this is just a little paragraph just saying sorry for neglecting my blog in May and that I will show it more love and care this month!

May has been a wonderful month! I handed in my dissertation (hoooorah!), finished my degree, celebrated 2 and a half years with my boyfriend and his 21st birthday, as well as my own 21st! But amongst all of that, this month I have found myself really appreciating certain beauty products. I think it's because I have been so busy so when it actually comes to pampering myself, I really feel the benefits. Some of these products are brand new and others are years old but I thought it was nice to have a nice mix and some have been reviewed before on this blog so if you see a product underlined, give it a click and you can read more about it on another post. So here it is, my first ever MONTHLY FAVOURITES!

I'll start with Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water. This is something that I have fallen in and out of love with recently. When I wrote about it back in March, I was completely head over heels. But shortly after I started to see it as more of a 'doing-anything-to-get-money' product, as I felt that after a couple of uses, I didn't feel like it was taking my makeup off as well as face wipes did. For a while, I put it to the back of my draw but now I am so happy that I gave it one last chance and tried it again. During the whole of May I have been using this to remove my makeup. I have actually found that it was actually the cotton pads I was using it with that I didn't like, not the actual product. (Tesco cotton pads are the best!). I've also found that it takes eye makeup, like mascara, off so much easier than I first thought - you've just got to press the cotton pad (with the micellar water on, obvs) onto your eye, wait a few moments to let it soak in and ta dah! It just glides off like a dream.

The next item of the agenda is: Soap & Glory's Wonderbronze Shimmer Brick. I knew I would love this product from the moment I first saw it because, firstly, it's from S&G and I'm in love with all of their products, and secondly, it's so damn pretty to look at! This kind of acts as a bronzer mixed in with a small bit of blusher. When I wear this I feel like I don't have to wear blusher with it as it kind of does the job itself. And it's just as pretty on as it is in the pot (is it a pot?!).

I need to remember not to write too much about these products otherwise this post is going to be super-long!

Keeping that in mind, I'm going to move on to the Dirty Works 8 in 1 Miracle Serum. This is the first serum I've ever used so I won't be able to compare this to others, but I can say that I have seen a massive difference in my skin since using it. It just seems so much more oil-free and less patchy. It also dries so quickly which is great when you're in a rush to put your makeup on! A product that will always be one of my favourites is V05's Smoothly Does It Heat Defence Spray. I have been using this for years and have had no real reason to change to anything different. For a couple of weeks though, I did run out and couldn't be bothered to buy any more so I didn't use any for a while - naughty, I know. But only after a week of using it again, I can see my hair dramatically improving and I love the feel of it! Next, it's L'Occitane Vanilla Hand Cream. I don't know what it is with my hands in the summer but they always get so dry, so much dryer than they do in the winter so this hand cream has been a life-saver. It also smells so good!

Lastly is my newest beauty product and my favourite out of the bunch. It's Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara. If you know me, you'll know I love my mascaras and most recently, Benefit mascaras. I got a mini version of Roller Lash free in ELLE Magazine months ago and I loved it, but I was hoping that the mini version wasn't better than the bigger size. But I had nothing to worry about. I've only had it for 4 or 5 days and I can honestly say it's the best mascara I have ever owned, and that's a bold statement! A post dedicated to this product will be up on the blog soonish!

Well that's it. Thanks for reading and sorry for this post being soooo long, but what can I say..? I love all of these products a lot! Comment below your favourites products this month and if you love these products as much as I do!

SIMPLE ARE MY SKINCARE FAVOURITES

I have always loved Simple Skincare. When I was a teenager I always preferred Simple face wipes over any other brand and as I have grown older - and had my own money - I have felt myself gravitating towards this brand when buying anything skincare-wise.

For the face wipes - things that I have been using for many years - I have started to try different ones. The exfoliating ones are ah-mazing but probably not suitable for those with REALLY sensitive skin like myself. But you can't go wrong with the 'cleansing facial wipes' pictured above. They take makeup off like a dream and don't make your skin feel tight or sore afterwards. The material used in them is as soft as a baby's bum! And as for the moisturisers and creams, I honestly haven't tried any better!

I haven't found one Simple Skincare product yet that I have found underwhelming, or that doesn't do what they advertise. They all basically do what it says on the tin. And best of all, they are all for sensitive skin (some less sensitive than others though). This whole post is basically to ask you lot if there are any other Simple Skincare products that you feel that I NEED to buy. Please do let me know in the comments. But for now though, I just wanted to make clear of just how much I love the brand and everything it does for my skin. Keep up the good work, Simple!

INSTAGRAM MARCH/APRIL

1. Makin' brownies 2. The comfiest boots I've ever worn 3. Hearst Magazine Building 4. Blooming daffodils 5. Personalised Chocolate Bear from Adam for Easter 6. Gorgeous cakes 7. The bloomed daffodils 8. Afternoon tea 9. Miniature daffodils 10. Starbucks 11. The best bath ever 12. Beauty haul 13. A message for Mother's Day 14. The Tangle Teezer 15. The Beauty Blender 16. A very true quote 17. Yummy doughnuts 18. Beauty 19. The brownie mixture . My first LUSH bath bomb

So these past two months have been exciting! I finished my dissertation draft - 10,000 words complete! - and I had a months work experience at Cosmopolitan Magazine. I also got my marks back for my final year Major Multimedia Project which I was really happy with. As I'm in my final year of uni, everything is all getting a bit too real now but in under two months time I will no longer be a student. *Scary* But in the next two months I have so much to look forward to - completely finishing my dissertation, turning 21, celebrating 2 and a half years with my boyfriend (soppy, I know) and maybe even going somewhere really exciting on holiday!! I'm so excited to see what unexpected things these months hold for me, hopefully it will be a new job! But for now though, I am going to concentrate on getting my dissertation done and also carry on blogging (obviously). Let me know what you lot are up to in the next few months!

THE ORIGINAL TANGLE TEEZER BEAUTY REVIEW

If you have long and thick hair, you will know the struggle of wearing it down - it gets knotty and messy in only a few minutes of going outside, and don't even talk about what it's like when we've just got out of the shower! Brushing sometimes just doesn't do it so that's why I have wanted a Tangle Teezer for quite some time. I was actually going to put it in my May Wishlist, but my parents bought me this as a little Easter present, as I had mentioned that I wanted it.

For those of you that don't know what a Tangle Teezer is, it's a small brush/comb that claims to detangle hair without struggling and pulling on the hair. We all know how painful it can be when trying to brush out knots and this was what made me want it so much. I've heard so many people rave about this product but I didn't know whether it was just a gimmick.

THE GOOD BITS

It actually does the job! Using this on dry hair definitely makes it softer and tangle free within only a couple of seconds of using it. It's also small enough to keep in any size bag so you can constantly give your hair a quick de-tangling treatment on the go. It sticks to it's word when it says it's painless and I can definitely see the difference of using my brush you get my tangles out, to using this. It's a lot quicker and easier and does all of that painlessly. With wet hair, it has a little bit more of a struggle but it still comes through in the end!

The Teezer is shaped in a way that it is easy to grip the product without it slipping out of your hands. They have a variety of different colours and patterns (the gold one is so cool) and they even have some for kids.

THE BAD BITS

The worst bit is probably it's price. At about £12, it is quite expensive so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't need it, such as people with shorter hair or someone with hair less likely to get tangled.

However, I do love this product and I am so glad that I have finally got it and it didn't turn out to be just a gimmick! I love taking it around with me and I've definitely have started wearing my hair down a lot more since getting this Tangle Teezer! Let me know you thoughts in the comments below and also let me know of any products you think I'll like!

15 THINGS WORKING IN LONDON HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT THE CITY

For the past month I've been interning at Cosmopolitan Magazine in London. I had such an amazing time, everyone was so nice and I am so glad to have had this opportunity. It was my first time working in London so there were many things I found out about the capital city that I had no clue of before.

1. Oxford Street is not a place you can rush through
People are just EVERYWHERE.

2. On that note, neither are the tube stations
You think you have enough pace and speed to get your train on time and then some confused and lost person will slowly walk in your way.

3. People are either really rude or really friendly, there's no in between

4. Oxford Street is a magical place
The Disney store is especially wonderful.

5. The floor is un-even. I've learnt from personal experience
I've also got the bruises and scabs to prove it.

6. London prices aren't really that much different to prices everywhere else
When people say "oh it's London so it's going to be more expensive." They're lying. I didn't see any difference.

7. People stand in front of the yellow line in the tube station and it makes me nervous
I've heard enough horror stories to stay far away from the lines.

8. The street sweepers in London don't have the easiest of jobs
See number 1.

9. Deciding on where to eat is a chore in itself
There are just SO MANY places.

10 . London is just not for me
Falling flat on my face, dropping my iPod down the side of a train door and getting lost (multiple times) but kind of proves that, really. But that doesn't mean to say I won't be working there again. I just hope I'll come back in one piece.

FIRST IMPRESSION BEAUTY REVIEWS TO COME TO SOPHIE LAURA'S BLOG

Just a quick post today...
I have got a lot of new beauty products and accessories recently and like most other bloggers, I want to blog about products as soon as I get them. But sometimes that's not the best way to do it as you haven't properly used the item over a long period of time. So I am going to start doing first impression posts so you can what I think about a product on my first use of it, and then after a couple of months or so - when I have used it a lot more - I'll upload another post about the same product and see how my opinions have changed since the first use! You'll be able to find the first impressions post quickly by clicking on it in the top bar ^^.

If you like what you see, then please give me a quick follow over on Twitter, Bloglovin & Instagram! 

BEAUTY: SIMPLE VITAL VITAMIN DAY CREAM MOISTURISER

For those of you who know me (and are familiar with my skincare collection), you'll know that I am obsessed with Simple Skincare. I've got facial wipes, exfoliating wipes, face wash, brightening cream and facial wash gel, but my favourite of the bunch at the moment is the Simple Vital Vitamin Day Cream. This one is my third pot and I am completely in love.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have really sensitive skin (I have rosacea) and there was a time that I was told by doctors to use aqueous cream only and nothing else - no makeup or anything - for two weeks. The aqueous cream helped a bunch but after 6 months or so of using it I wanted to move back on to 'normal' moisturiser. I knew I couldn't go back to the one I was using before as I'm pretty sure it wasn't helping my skin at all, if not making it worse. I chose Simple because I knew the brand was known for sensitive skin and knew that the moisturiser would contain very little ingredients that may harm my skin. So I gave it a go and 3 pots later, here we are.

THE GOOD BITS.
One of the main things I love about this cream is the texture. I know it sounds cliché - and doesn't really give any information about it at all - but it's not too thick nor too thin. Basically, it's not thick enough to make my face feel heavy and clogged up, but it's not that thin that it feels like I have nothing on there. It dries pretty quickly but does leave moisture to the skin for quite some time. I don't have particularly greasy skin - I mean, it has it's days but usually it's not too bad - and this moisturiser doesn't make me look greasy, but that's probably to do with it drying quite quickly.

You can tell how innocent and simple the cream is just by the smell alone. There's no fake, perfume-y smell or flowery scent, but at times it can smell quite 'clinical', however I think that is mostly when it's in the tub. When I'm applying it to my face, it usually smells quite fresh and natural.

THE BAD BITS.
The only thing that I'm not over the mood with is how small the pot is. When you get the pot out of the box, it seems quite big but when you take the lid off you can see that it's not as big as it seems - but I guess most moisturisers are the same. I've noticed that it takes me just under 3 months to use each tub - I admit, it's not that bad, but I had to think of something negative and if I could change anything, it would be the size of the pot!

Make sure you let me know what your opinions are of this cream. Also let me know what moisturisers you use!

BEAUTY: MASSIVE MAKEUP, SKINCARE AND ACCESSORIES HAUL

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream | Rimmel London Match Perfection Light Perfection Radiance Foundation | Garnier BB Cream SPF 50 | GOSH Primer Plus + | Quick Fix Mega Moisture Mask | Soap & Glory Wonder Bronze | Rimmel London Lasting Finish Primer | Mac Highlighter Powder | Collection Eyes Uncovered Nude Grey Palette | Sleek i-Quad Eyeshadow and Eyeliner Palette | No 7 Concealer Brush | Beauty Blender | No 7 Stay Perfect Instant Tan Lotion | Invisibobbles | Blistex Happy Lips Mango | Real Techniques Bold Metal Pointed Foundation Brush | Sleek Lipstick | Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Water | Got2B Mind Blowing Styling Spray | L'Oreal Full Restore Extreme Shampoo & Conditioner.

This week I've gone a bit crazy with getting new beauty stuff but most of it is either re-buying products that I've loved before or getting new things that I have been eyeing up for a while! As you can tell, I like my primers and thought that I should stock up on some - same for BB creams! I'm going to write seperate posts on some, if not most, of these products in the next couple of months or so, so keep an eye out for that. And also keep watch on my Instagram page as I will be snapping some pics and telling you what I think about them on there too! Also, there are a couple of things that I haven't included in these photos so expect some more to creep up on the blog from time to time! Let me know if you've tried any of these products and what you think about them! Tarrah, for now!

FASHION: SHOPPING, BOOTS AND FACTORIES

I have been wanting a smart pair of black boots for quite a while as the boots I own at the moment are quite casual and, as I have worn them a lot over the years, look a bit tatty. I went shopping in Milton Keynes (UK) yesterday and looked in all of the major high street stores; New Look, Topshop, H&M, River Island etc, and I couldn't find any that are what I wanted. Either they were not in my size or the heel was way too big for my liking. I wanted a pair that I could wear for work experience, work or job interviews and not have to worry about my feet hurting.

After a pretty unsuccessful day yesterday, today I popped into a small shoe factory in the town next to my home town to see what they had on offer. At first I was thinking the same as you probably are now: "It's just going to filled with shoes and slippers for old ladies", and it mostly was, however I found these really cute pair of boots which were exactly what I was looking for. And what's even better was that they were only £19.99!

It's made me realise that the high street isn't the only place that does nice fashion pieces and accessories, and it has really made me want to look in more smaller shops and factories. I've also heard a lot of people shop in charity shops these days and actually find decent pieces of clothing for the fraction of the price they would've paid for it in a high street shop. I really want to know if any of you have found smaller shops that do gorgeous clothes/shoes or if you regularly shop in charity stores. Let me know in the comments below.

BEAUTY REVIEW: THE BODY SHOP COCONUT SHOWER CREAM

As you may know, The Body Shop is one of my favourite high street brands for a number of reasons. 1) All of their products are animal and environmentally friendly, and 2) Their products not only smell great, but are of the highest quality. Last Christmas, I was given a lot of The Body Shop gift sets from my family and my boyfriend and one of my favourites was the coconut set. As well as containing coconut scented soap bar and body scrub (as well as a pouf I believe), my favourite of the bunch was the coconut shower cream. Before this, I had never used a shower cream before - from The Body Shop or anywhere else - so I wasn't too sure on what to expect. I had an idea that it would be a little bit thicker than shower gels, and given the scent, I decided to use this in the winter rather than save it for the summery months.

THE GOOD BITS.
For starters, I was right in thinking this would be a thicker liquid, but this doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. As it's a cream, it slides gorgeously onto my skin and I could immediately feel the difference in texture between this and a normal shower gel; it was thicker, creamier and smoother. Even though it's thick, it lathers nicely when using a shower pouf and doesn't lose any of it's texture mid-wash. I feel that this product also acts as a in-shower moisturiser and my skin was moisturised and smoother than when I usually get out of the shower.

Also, to think that this is 'soap-free', it does a pretty good job in cleaning my body and I don't really understand how it does that without the soap element (if you know, feel free to let me know in the comments).

I must admit that one of the lasting impressions I get from this shower cream is it's scent. From first popping open the lid, to hours after coming out of the shower, I can smell it. The coconut is not overpowering and, I'm not sure how it's possible, but it smells more creamier and thicker. I'm not sure how something can smell thick, but that's just the way it is! And when I say I can smell it on my skin hours later, I'm not exaggerating.

THE BAD BITS.
The one thing that I didn't get on with was the bottle. It was really hard to squeeze out the cream, especially with wet hands. And it got harder as less cream was in there. A lot of the time I resorted to pushing it against my leg, or the shower wall in order to squeeze it all out, or I would unscrew the lid and take it off. Without this problem however, it would be a 10 out of 10!

Let me know your opinions in the comments section below. Alternatively, you can tweet me.

BEAUTY REVIEW: PALMER'S COCOA BUTTER FORMULA LIP BALM

Hi everybody! You may know that I'm not the biggest fan of colour on my lips, but when it comes to lip care, I'm a big fan! My boyfriend bought Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm when I told him that I lost my Carmex (which I found the day after he bought it) and I had never used it before.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. I'm not normally a fan of cocoa butter scented beauty products but this smells gorgeous. The scent is not like any other lip products that I have used before but it totally works. It also has a SPF factor of 15 which is great as my lips get damaged quite easily by the sun. The only thing I would say about this product is that it's perfect for the winter and autumn months where SPF is still important, but as much as I love this product, I'm not sure that I would want to take it abroad with me on a summer holiday just because cocoa butter isn't the summery and floral scent that I would want. Regardless of that, it smooths out cracked lips like a dream and works extremely quickly. I normally put this on in the mornings when I am doing my makeup and I rarely have to apply it again through the day. Saying that, I always make sure I have it somewhere in my bag.  

I posted a picture of this on Instagram and someone commented saying that she didn't like the shape it, which is something that I never thought of before. Thinking about it, the shape is different from all other lip balms I have used however it has the smaller part of the balm to apply to the smaller part of your lips and vice versa. 

INSTAGRAM JANUARY/FEBRUARY

1. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water 2. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Balm 3. Starbucks Hot Chocolate whilst in the library 4. New necklace for Next 5. Makeup of the day 6. Beautiful quote 7. Barry M Gelly Nail Varnish in 'Almond' 8. American style pancakes 9. Dissertation & blog perparation 10. Valentines day roses 11. A trip to Bournemouth beach 12. A celebratory cider after handing in my Major Multimedia Project 13. Grands Designs and a Pizza Hut on a lazy sunday 14. My first subscription issue of Cosmoploitan 15. Pandora ring and Barry M nail varnish (with a bit chipped off 16. Phone case for my 5S 17. Shameless blog promotion picture 18. Where do they all go?! 19. Flamingo candle and melt 20. Such inspiration.

It's been a busy start to the year for me as I handed in my Major Multimedia Project at the end of January and now I am in the middle of writing my dissertation! Amongst all of this, I have also been applying for jobs for when I finish my degree (in 10 weeks time!!). It's crazy to think how quick time has gone and its true when people say that your last year of uni goes in a flash! I remember freaking thinking how there's only 10 months left before I finish and now there's 10 weeks!! Also in January/February, I have celebrated my third Valentines day with my boyfriend and gone Peppa Pig World for my nephews 2nd birthday. At the moment, my day pretty much consist of waking up, going to the library, coming home, have dinner and go to sleep. But I am so looking forward to the Easter Holidays and I'll let you know why when it comes to it, but I am so nervous and excited! Make sure you follow me on Instagram - @sophielaurablog. 

BEAUTY REVIEW: NEW GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER

It has been a while since I last wrote a post but it has been a busy couple of weeks (you can read more about it in my next post). I thought that my first post in over a month should be a goodie so I've choose to write about my favourite new skincare product and a product that everyone else is screaming from the rooftops about.

For some strange reason, Garnier isn't a brand that I have used a lot in the past but after seeing people taking about this product on their blogs and twitter accounts I couldn't help but take notice - and as soon as my house mate started raving about it, I knew that I was missing out on something.

On the front of the bottle it claims to "removes make-up, cleanses and soothes" and boasts that it's for sensitive skin. As you may know, I do have a small-ish case of rosacea so my skin is pretty sensitive and it can get irritated very easily so I am always very careful of what I put on my face. But as this is hypoallergenic and uses no perfume, I thought this would be safe.

All I can say is how utterly in love with this product I am. I use cotton pads to apply the cleansing water and I can honestly say that it doesn't feel like I am putting anything on my face. It just feels like water, so much so that I started doubting it when I first used it. But nope. It's brilliant. It takes off my make-up like a dream - even They're Real Mascara, and you know how hard that is to take off! Like it says on the bottle, there is no rinsing needed. Just apply it to a cotton pad, wipe off your make-up and voila! And at only £3 or £4, you really can't ask for anything more than that!

Lifestyle | How to keep warm in a university student house

We all know that student houses suck. Actually becoming an adult and paying for bills isn't the best thing in the world and if you're in second, third or final year of uni (and perhaps even first year if you weren't lucky enough to go in halls) then you will agree with me when I say it's cold. Freezing. It's not great. And with bills being so expensive, it's not an option to keep the heating on as much as we do at home. It's hard to do work when your hands, head, feet, nose and everything in between are frozen. So here are my tips to keeping as warm as possible when living in a student house.

Invest
Hot water bottles, slippers, bed socks and blankets - buy whatever you can to keep yourself warm! Hot water bottles are great when your sitting down doing work or watching TV, and the microwavable ones are even quicker to heat up, bonus!

Hot drinks
It's surprising how much a hot drink can actually make you warm inside. Whether its tea, coffee or a hot chocolate, get drinking.

Layer up
From personal experience, it's not nice having to wear 6,000 layers whilst just sitting in your room but it is necessary. Long sleeve tops, jumpers and thick fleeces are the way to go and don't forget those slippers.

Keep your door closed
If you housemates are nice enough to let you put the heating on for a couple of hours a day then make sure you keep the door to your bedroom closed, even when you're not in it. It will keep the warmth in and will be nice to come up to if your sitting down stairs.

Wipe the condensation off your windows
Not only does this keep your room and house a little bit warmer, it also reduces the risk of mould. Get a spare or old towel and whenever your window has condensation wipe it off straight away.

Keep your hair down
This ones a weird one but it does work. Keeping your hair down keeps your head a lot warmer then when its shoved up! One more reason to procrastinate and do your hair in the morning!

Let me know in the comments if you have any tips on keeping warm, because I definitely need them! If you liked this post then don't forget to follow on Bloglovin' and Twitter.

Maybelline New York Dream Sun Triple Bronzing Powder Review

I'm going to go straight into this post expressing my undying love for this bronzer. Maybelline New York is one of my favourite high street brands and was actually the first makeup brand I ever tried and I will always be a returning customer.

For ages I found it really hard to find a bronzer that was light enough for my pale skin, many of the ones I found made me look ridiculously fake and dark or were very orange. I was automatically attracted to this product as I saw the three different shades so I bought it and gave it a go. The colour I got was 01 Blonde. No I'm not Blonde but as it's the lightest colour I bought it anyway.

This product is perfect for my light coloured skin and gives it the glow it needs. What I love about this bronzer is when it's on my face, it doesn't look brown or orange, it just looks like glow - if that makes any sense at all. I think that is because of the three colours mixed in together. You may be able to see in the first picture that the powder actually has a very slight shimmer to it. Now I have never been one for shimmery makeup but I reckon that it is the 'shimmer' that makes my face glow so much.

When applying this bronzer, I use my Real Technique Buffing Brush and circle it around the palette to get all of the colours equally. When I first used this I only tried to use the two lightest colours so I didn't look too dark, but as I have used it more and more I have become more comfortable with the product and have realised that when all the colours are mixed in together, the end result is perfect for my skin.

I first bought first over two years ago and I only just bought my second palette in December. That is ridiculous! Although it may have something to do with the fact I was only using two of the colours beforehand. Maybe now that I am using it more regular it might run out a little bit quickly but with the price so low, I won't be complaining about having to buying it more often.

I have seen liquid bronzers but I'm not too sure whether I want to give them a go or not. If you tried them before, comment below and let me know what you think of them! If you like this post then why not follow me on BlogLovin' and Twitter?!

(A bit late) 2015 hair resolutions!

For me 2014 was the year of awful hair. Splits ends, frizzy, dry and breakage - it wasn't brilliant for me. After thinking about what's causing my hair to become so damaged, I have realise that I'm probably not looking after it as well as I should be. I just became really lazy with it in 2014 and it's really starting to show now. So it looks like 2015 is the year of the healthy hair! Below is a list of my hair 'resolutions' this year to bring back beautiful locks!

Brush it at least twice a day -  OK, so this is going to sound really bad but there have been quite a few days that I have gone without brushing my hair at all. Sometimes I have been guilty of waking up, neatening my up-do then going to bed with the same style. Awful, I know! But this year I have already started to brush my hair a lot more and I think I'm already seeing a difference! I have notice that my hair has been coming out quite a bit more and I've read that the lack of brushing can make it do that, so fingers crossed!

Let it hang free more - As you can probably tell if you follow me on Instagram, my hair is usually styled in some sort of up-do whether it's a simple pony tail or a messy bun. I've realised that by putting my hair up and taking it down every day is most probably causing the breakage - it's most probably the hair bands pulling my hair out. I feel that by having my hair down a bit more will at least stop any further breakage.

GROW IT - I always do this. Grow it and then chop it off again. Why do I do that when I regret it immediately after leaving the hair salon?! I am so jealous when I see people with ridiculously long hair (uh Zoella for a start! Her hair is so gorgeous I just want it now!). My hair length is about just higher then my waist at the moment, which is quite long but I'm not completely satisfied yet.

Zoella - Image from Google

Get the ends chopped off - OK so this may contradict the point above but as you all should know, the best way to grow your hair is to cut off any split ends. You should do this every 3 to 6 weeks.

Style it in different ways -  At the moment my hair is either straight and down, pony tail or bun. I really want to try different ways to style my hair like plaits and beach waves. I think it will just make me a little bit less boring.

ALWAYS use heat protective spray - Now with this one, if I have heat protective spray I always use it every time I straighten my hair. However, when I run out I don't exactly sprint to the shops to get some more, meaning that I have been known to go weeks without using it! Whoops!

Stop spraying it with perfume - I read a couple of months ago that hair keeps a scent more than your skin, so when using perfume spray it on your hair as it last longer. Ever since then I have done this without realising it every time I apply perfume, which is most days. This most probably isn't the best thing to be spraying on my hair!

My new fragrances: Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream and Prada Candy L'Eau

Before a couple of years ago I was never one for perfume. I didn't really see the fascination with spending all this money on a bottle of smelly stuff that may wear off within an hour or so. I've been given small bottles of perfume for birthdays and Christmas', things such as So...?, Britney and JLo yet I wasn't that interested. Every Christmas since then my opinion would be changed slightly every time I saw my sister or mum get a bottle of perfume and I was starting to be more and more interested in what it smelt like. I also remember being around my friends at College or University and being able to smell a distinctive (yet gorgeous) smell. The first proper perfume I got was about 2 years ago and it was Ralph Lauren's Big Pony 2, it was a strong scent that lasted for a while. Since then I have gone onto Paco Rabanne Lady Million which I absolutely adore and still wear a lot now - with this one I notice many people complimenting me on the smell when I wear it and it makes me feel that little bit better about myself!

I have been bought these two completely different but gorgeous perfumes this year and I am so head-over-heels in love I just couldn't help but share with all of you! Firstly, Daisy Dream. I have always admired - and been a bit jealous of - my mum's Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume. Every time I smell it I think about her and it's such a dainty fragrance. So when I saw that Marc (on first-name basis now) had released a follow up to the oh-so-popular Daisy, I gave it a sniff as soon as I could. I completely feel in love with its light and dainty (ever more so than the first one) fragrance. To me it smells clean, fresh and floral, like the kind of scent you smell on your clothes after your mum has used the fancy fabric conditioner. Like the bottle, it is very feminine and 'cute'.

Secondly it's Prada Candy L'eau. Again, like Daisy Dream I prefer this one than the first: Candy. I was stood in Boots for a long time sniffing all three Prada fragrances in the collection - Candy, Candy Florale and Candy L'eau - which only had very small differences between the three. I chose the latter as it was the gentlest of the fragrances as well as the most feminine. The other two were quite strong and sweeter, and even though this fragrance is a lot sweeter and stronger than Daisy Dream, it is still a kind-to-your-nose scent.

Both of these are gorgeous and I just don't know which one I prefer out of the two. But what I do know is that these do stay on your body for quite some time, I've notice this a tiny bit more with Daisy Dream. I've put it on in my morning and I can still smell it on my skin when it gets to dinner time. My only little 'problem' is that I haven't notice many other people smelling these two scents as much as they do with Lady Million.

When I put this on Instagram, my followers seemed to like Daisy Dream more than Prada! What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

So here it is, my first blog post of 2015 which means that this blog is just over a year old! If you have been a follower of my blog for a while then you'll notice that there has been quite a few changes on this blog, not just the look but changing the name (twice) and the content of my blog. I will still be writing a lot of beauty post but I just wanted to widen the area of what I actually post about.

Personally though my 2014 has been eventful and although nothing significantly huge has happened this year there has been a lot of great things that have happened. Here's a few of my 2014 highlights...

Finishing my second year of uni with a 2:1

Starting my third and final year of my degree

Work experiences at places such as Heart FM and BBC

Celebrating my second year anniversary with my boyfriend

So here's what to look forward to in 2015:

Having four weeks work experience at Cosmopolitan magazine (!!)

Finishing my degree

(Hopefully) starting my first full-time, media-related job

As you can see I have had a brilliant 2014 and I'm excited for what this year has in store for me! Let me know what amazing things have happened to you last year and what you're looking forward to in 2015.