Top 5 Holiday Beauty Essentials

Hi there :)  

As I’m writing this post now, I am sat on the train heading back to University in Edinburgh so I can fly out to Malaga with 3 of my uni friends! Excited is an absolute understatement - I'm buzzing for this holiday; the chance to relax, tan and spend quality time with some of my favourite people. 

As I’m sure you are all aware, packing toiletries for most people is hard, but is double the work when you’re a beauty lover. Trying to limit the makeup, skincare and haircare that I take on holiday with me is an absolute nightmare! 

So here are my top 5 items that I am taking with:

Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eyeshadow in ‘And On Bronze’ 

This is a staple in my holiday makeup. I feel like regardless of the destination, a bronze-gold look can never go wrong and is always super flattering with a tan. This cream product is perfect for holiday as it is gentle on your eyes after the chlorine and salt that they have been exposed to during the day, and stays put so you don't need to worry about it sliding off. The colour pay-off is also perfect!!

Boots Smooth Care Facial Wax Strips For Sensitive Skin

I used these for the first time yesterday and they worked like a dream on my upper lip. For only £2.39 you receive 20 wax strips and 4 after-care wipes. Not only did they do the job, but also left me with no rash or stinging sensation after. I’ve taken them away with me incase I need to sharpen up my eyebrows or go over my upper lip.

Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Wash, Scrub, Mask 50ml

I always take an exfoliator away with me to unclog my pores from the suncream and natural oils that come about in hot countries. I’ve found that this Garner one is amazing because not only is the packaging a convenient size, but the product is also 3-in-1 so your skin is never lacking. 

NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte lip cream in ‘London’

These matte liquid lipsticks are perfect for holiday due to their creamy formula. This means that they wont dry out your lips in the heat but still give a lovely matte finish. I particularly like the shade ‘London’ because for me it is the perfect nude and goes with any makeup look or outfit on holiday. 

SOAP & GLORY™ One Heck Of A Blot™ INSTANT-PERFECTING POWER PRIMER

The soap and glory primer is an absolute winner for me both in my everyday routine and on holiday. The tacky formula means your foundation or BB cream will not budge no matter how oily you are in the heat - such a fantastic product at an extremely affordable price. 

What are you holiday essentials? Let me know in the comments below, I’m always eager to try new products!

Sophie x

Instagram: @sophhelmanmakeup

Twitter: @sophie_helman 

Welcome back!

Hello and welcome back!

I guess the main questions is: where have I been?! It has been more or less two years since I have posted on this blog and a lot has changed. 

To start with, I am no longer a teenager - which has completely scared me as I am no way near ready to accept that I am an adult. I have also made the transition from sixth form to university, having just finished my first year and could not have moved further away from home, from London to Edinburgh.

I am currently studying British Sign Language at Heriot Watt University - a very unique course, I know! - and although it is very hard, I absolutely adore it. It is an extremely rewarding degree, and the people I have met through it are incredible. 

Since going to university I have also started cheerleading competitively - who would have thought it?! I cannot recommend the sport enough. It has such a family atmosphere to it, meaning the friendships you build are like none other. I have even been nominated social secretary for next year. 

On our way to National Championships

A straddle stunt

Performance Day

Though life is pretty great right now, the two years before university were not so great and I had to overcome many things to get to where I am now. I won’t go into to much detail, but dealing with severe anxiety and depression was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and is something I continue to struggle with. I am so proud of where I have got to in the past two years. If anyone is interested in hearing more about how I overcame my issues, please leave a comment down below and I may write a post on it - especially as May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

So what can expect from this blog in the future? Of course a lot of beauty and makeup - this is still one a huge passion of mine and it will be the main focus of my blog, some mental health and wellbeing tips/advice/experience and much more!

So please stick around - I have so much planned for this blog and I’d love for you to follow my journey! Also, please check out my makeup instagram account @sophhelmanmakeup to see the looks I have been creating!

Sophie x

Instagram: @sophhelmanmakeup
Twitter: @sophie_helman

Covent Garden Haul!

Hello!

I hope you had a great weekend before the Easter holidays ended and everyone returned back to work and school (I luckily have an extra couple of days off so started back today!)

Last weekend I went into Covent Garden with my parents for a family day of shopping - and I made a rather large dent in my bank account! So, I thought I’d do a haul of the few things I bought and let you know what I thought of them.

I firstly headed into MAC for a new lipstick. Now, I have a slight obsession with my matte Velvet Teddy, which is described on their website as a “deep-tone beige” (and is very gorgeous!) However, it has one slight drawback in that its matte formula can be very drying when wearing it all day. Instead, I wanted to find more-or-less the exact same colour but with a slightly creamier finish - and stumbled upon Half ‘n’ Half, said to be a “creamy pink” although it really does have the same brown undertone as Velvet Teddy. It is an amplified creme so is very pigmented and has a little glossy finish. I’m very happy with it and now want to buy a lip pencil in the shade ‘Spice’ to match it!

Next, I went into Urban Outfitters. Although I didn’t find any clothes which took my fancy, I did see the Dr PawPaw Original Balm which I have been eyeing up for a while. I took the plunge and spent the £7, what I thought was fairly pricey for just 25ml. In saying that though, I think the product really lives up to its reputation and has done wonders for my lips already! You only need a very small amount and it really hydrates your lips. It also claims to be great for irritated and dry skin, so I’m looking forward to using this as hand cream too.

I then went into BareMinerals and picked up the SPF25 Mineral Veil Finishing Powder in Original.  For years I have been using Rimmel’s Stay Matte Pressed Powder but have found that it can end up looking very cakey as well as being quite drying on my skin - so I wanted to use something that gave me a much more natural finish and really stayed put all day. I opted for the Mineral Veil as I already use the Original SPF15 Foundation and have heard that the products work very well together - and I can confirm this! It keeps the skin-like look that the mineral foundation gives and has a very good staying power which means I’ve stopped worrying about my makeup coming off throughout the day.

Lastly, I saw a ‘sale’ sign in Jones shoeshop and… well, what girl could just walk on?! I was straight away attracted to the Converse section of the sale as I have wanted a pair for years but never really wanted to spend that much money on canvas shoes. But, for a discounted price of £40? - I couldn’t say no! I went for the classic white Chuck Taylor All Star’s and can’t wait to wear them throughout spring and summer.

What were you up to last weekend? Let me know in the comments below, I’d love to know!

Sophie x

Instagram: sophhelman

Twitter: @sophie_helman

Spotlight (acting CV): http://www.spotlight.com/8614-3422-7852

Liebster Award!!

Hello!!

I am so excited to have been nominated to take part in the Liebster Award by the very sweet Lauren from Lauren Marshall. The award recognises new bloggers with under 200 followers in order to help them publicise their blog. I would definitely recommend checking Lauren’s blog out, she’s very down to earth and blogs about day-to-day life.

The rules to the Liebster Award are:

1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the nominator's 11 questions.
3. Nominate 11 small blogs who have less than 200 followers. You should believe that they deserve this award and include their links in your post.
4. Create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer. Notify these nominees via social media/blogs.

So, here are the questions Lauren gave me and my answers!

1. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in life?

I think something that is extremely important is to breathe. I know this may sound silly, but it really helps things make a lot more sense.

2. What is your pet peeve?

I absolutely detest tutting - weird I know! The sound really grates on me and I cannot stand the awful clicking it makes against your teeth!

3. What is your favourite fashion store?

This is really hard for me because I really go through stages of what I think suits me or what I like at that point in time. At the moment though, I’m really liking Topshop - which is not great for my student budget!! I’m also liking ASOS too as I think their new spring range has lots of great items that I am definitely going to be buying (check out my Fashion Wishlist!)

4. What inspires you?

Something that really inspires me is other people’s struggles. I know it sounds really soppy but it makes me reevaluate my life and realise how fortunate I am.

5. Why did you decide to start a blog?

I decided to blog because I am at a stage in my life now where things are pretty hectic - I have my A Levels coming up rapidly, and think I will be taking a gap year which means I need to find a job (STRESSFUL!!) so blogging is a nice way for me to relax and actually talk about things I enjoy.

6. Who is your favourite blogger?

This is so hard!!! I think at the moment it would be Alix from I COVET THEE as I love all the products she recommends! I also love Vivianna from Vivianna Does Makeup - but who doesn’t?!   

7. What is your favourite quote and why?

“To all the girls that think you’re ugly because you’re not a size 0, you’re the beautiful one. It’s society who’s ugly” - Marilyn Monroe. I think this quote is perfect because everybody is beautiful in some way and our individuality makes us who we are and we should embrace that even though society forces us to be something we’re not.

8. What are your biggest dreams/aspirations?

My biggest aspiration is definitely to make people happy. I love making people smile, which is part of the reason I want to be an actress (so that people can escape whatever is going on in their lives).

9. What are you afraid of?

Bananas! I have a huge - and very weird - phobia!

10. What makes you happy?

Similar to my answer to question 8, seeing other people being happy and smiling makes my heart burst!

11. What three things do you want to do before you die?

I have been thinking about writing a bucket list, so this is definitely a good place to start! Firstly - I would love to volunteer in struggling country, secondly - I want to share a flat or house with some of my best friends after we all finish university and while we have jobs - I think it would be so fun, and lastly - I want to go snorkelling by the Great Barrier Reef.

To next take part in the Liebster Award, I would like to nominate:

1. http://fridaysarefab.blogspot.co.uk/
2. http://preciselymoi.weebly.com/
3. http://shutupophelia.blogspot.co.uk/
4. http://www.truelythevs.blogspot.co.uk/
5. http://holabelleza.blogspot.co.uk/
6. http://kirstyleighx.blogspot.co.uk/
7. http://www.uptownpeach.blogspot.co.uk/
8. http://www.champagne-lifestyle.com/
9. http://shewhoisshort.blogspot.co.uk/
10. http://fashionfixeshearts.blogspot.co.uk/
11. http://emmatheakerx.blogspot.co.uk/

...and your questions are:

1. What job would you like to have long term in the future?
2. What do you enjoy doing on a lazy day?
3. What is your favourite holiday you’ve been on?
4. Who is your celebrity crush?
5. What is something you would tell your younger self?
6. What is your favourite season of the year and why?
7. What song is your guilty pleasure?
8. Do you have a goal that you would like to achieve by the end of the year?
9. If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
10. What is something that motivates you?
11. If you could change one thing you’ve done in your past, what would it be?

Thanks again to Lauren for the nomination, I really appreciate it! Please comment and let me know once you have answered my questions so I can see what you have written - I hope you enjoyed this post and remember to follow the rules! 

Sophie x 

Instagram: sophhelman 

Twitter: @sophie_helman 

Spotlight (acting CV): http://www.spotlight.com/8614-3422-7852

Prep and Prime Before Makeup

Hiya!

I wanted to share my daily ritual of what products I use to prepare my skin for my makeup - I hope you find this useful!

I begin by washing my face with the Clearasil Ultra Blemish + Marks Wash and Mask. This product is great because it is 2-in-1, as the name suggests! By using it in the morning it removes all the excess oils I have on my face from the previous night, leaving it feeling fresh and clean.

£5.79

Next, I move on to my The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner, which I was really excited to first try in November as the Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator has served me well over the past 5 years. By using a cotton pad to sweep it across my face, it really helps to get rid of any impurities the cleanser didn’t quite get off and refreshes my face well - which is perfect for the mornings!

£8.50

Moisturising is a very important step for me as my combination skin can often get very dry in parts of my face, especially in my T-zone. The Simple Kind To Skin Replenishing Rich Moisturiser does the perfect job for me as it replaces all the moisture lost during cleansing and toning, as well as keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day so my makeup doesn’t get cakey. To apply this I put about two pea sized amounts on my fingertips and gently wipe it over my face and massage it in.

£4.50

Around my eyes can also get quite dry, especially with wiping off my mascara every night and wearing my contact lenses far longer than I should, so I like to use the Simple Kind To Eyes Soothing Eye Balm to keep that delicate area of skin as healthy as possible and make my concealer go on smoother. I put half a pea sized amount on one each of my ring fingers and carefully pat it around my eyes.

£3.99

Finally, once this has all dried, I apply my BareMinerals Original Prime Time Foundation Primer. I absolutely adore this product and may do a review on it because it is perfect and definitely my new holy grail! (Have any of you tried it?) To not give too much away, this creates a lovely smooth base for my foundation and really does keep it in place more or less all day. I use one pump to apply it all over my face.

£22

What products do you never leave out of your prep and prime routine?

Sophie x

Instagram: sophhelman
Twitter: @sophie_helman
Spotlight (acting CV): http://www.spotlight.com/8614-3422-7852

Fashion Wishlist: April 2015

Hello :)

Recently, my mum has been nagging me to buy some new clothes - I know, most teenagers have the opposite problem! - because I spend nearly all my money on makeup or going out with friends. So, I started an internet search for a few fashion staples to buy which can be worn in a variety of ways so that I can wear them as much as possible (important when you’re on a student budget!)

River Island - Black Cold Shoulder Top

I love this top so much and even though I think it is slightly pricey for what it is I can see a lot of potential in it. My go to outfit to wear with this would be black skinny jeans and black heeled boots for an edgy/goth look and I think it would be great for an evening out with either a dark smoky eye or some gold toned colours. It also would look nice with some leggings for a casual look, shorts for summer or a skater skirt.

£26

Topshop - MOTO Grey Ripped Jamie Jeans

Topshop are great for jeans, especially if you love high-waisted ones like I do! I love these ones because I think the grey wash makes them stand out compared to the usual black or navy colours I normally go for. The rips are great too and can give a slightly edgy look to the outfit.

£42

ASOS - Turtle Neck Top in Ponti

I ADORE THIS! I got completely drawn into the turtle/roll neck craze this winter and the fact that this top is a thinner material means it will be perfect for spring. The slightly cropped aspect of it means it would look great with high-waisted jeans or a skater skirt. I also really like the zip detailing on the back too as I think it gives a sophisticated look to the top. I’m definitely buying this!

£25

ASOS - Crinkle Oversize Blouse

This is a great spring and summer top - it’s flowy and light-weight which is perfect for the heat. I love the fact you can team it with pretty much anything: be that jeans, leggings, shorts, a bodycon skirt or even tucked into a skater skirt. It is the perfect multi-use item.

£25

What is on your wishlist for this month?

Sophie x

Instagram: sophhelman

Twitter: @sophie_helman

Spotlight (acting CV): http://www.spotlight.com/8614-3422-7852

Face Of The Day: Best Friend Date Night

Hello!

I went out on a dinner date with my best friend and decided to show you what makeup I wore for my casual evening out.

BareMinerals Original SPF15 Mineral Foundation (Warm Beige)

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer (Eclat Medium)

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (Silky Beige)

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder (03 Medium Matte)

Bourjois Little Round Pot Blusher (Cendre de Roses Brune)

Urban Decay Naked Basics

Benefit They’re Real!

Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil (Brownie Points)

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray (Light/Medium)

I always start off by applying my foundation, concealer and powder - before going onto my eyeshadow. To briefly put it so I don't bore you! - I started with Naked 2 as a base colour and added Faint and Crave into the outer corners before putting Venus into my tear duct and under my brow bone. I then applied my mascara, bronzer and blusher before filling in my brows - and voila!

What are your go to products for a casual night with friends?

Love,

Sophie x

Instagram: sophhelman

Twitter: @sophie_helman

Spotlight (acting CV): http://www.spotlight.com/8614-3422-7852