APRIL'S BLUE FAVOURITES

We've had an unusually dry April this month and I've actually really missed the cosy rainy days. I've spent my April days snacking on blueberries (which are rich in antioxidants and vitamin c), taking my Lomography camera out to capture spring blooms and pairing my accessorize necklace (similar here) with thin grey knits.

Beauty:

Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo: This is a recent repurchase for me, it's such a lovely clarifying shampoo that removes product build up, hard water minerals and pollutants. You only need to lather such a small amount through your hair to leave it feeling so clean and cleansed, it's such a lovely pampering product to use on Sunday evenings.

Essie Midnight Cami: I'm yet to completely embrace spring brights, still favouring darker shades on my nails. Essie nail polish in midnight cami has been on my nails constantly throughout April, It's a beautiful navy blue nail polish with a hint of twilight shimmer running through it. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream: With notes of blackberry, pear, jasmine and blue wisteria, I've been spritzing this dreamy fragrance almost every day in April. The bottle is so beautiful and has been taking pride of place on my dressing table, see a full review here.

Origins Make a Difference Overnight Hydrating Repair Cream: This contains rose of Jericho, watermelon and rhodocrosie which helps to lock in moisture and repair the skin. I've been using this every night and it's really helped to diminish fine lines, keep my skin hydrated, plump and supple.

Gillette Venus Snap with Embrace Razor: I picked this cute razor up at half price from superdrug to take with me when I went away earlier this month. The plastic case and travel sized razor proved so useful and is something that I can keep to take away with me for our wedding and for any future holidays.

What were your favourite products in April?

MY FAVOURITE BRANDS FOR...

Eyeshadows: It was a toss up between Nars and MAC eyeshadows for me and although Nars wins on it's formulation and buttery smooth texture, MAC's shade range really stands apart. The colours available are stunning, pigmented and almost ethereal. MAC Naked Lunch and All That Glitters are two of my favourite shades and the only high end eyeshadows that I've hit pan on. Naked Lunch is a beautiful champagne pink with slightly peachy shimmer running through it and my all time favourite eyeshadow shade. See me wearing it here & here.

Shower Gel: There's something so appealing and whimsical about Lush shower gel's. Both Snow Fairy and It's Raining Men shower gel are two of my favourite Lush products, they keep the skin feeling silky soft and leave a lovely sweet lingering scent to the skin. Stocking up on Snow Fairy at Christmas is a must for me, the candy sweet pink glittery shower gel is such a treat to use.

Blusher: For me, Sleek blushers tick all of the right boxes. They're highly pigmented, long lasting, blend seamlessly onto the skin and the shades available are beautiful. Similar to Nars in pigmentation, longevity and even the shades, Sleek just tip the edge for me as they're so affordable for such great quality. Sleek Pixie Pink and Sleek Rose gold (swatched here) are such great everyday shades and Sleek blush by 3 in Sugar* is great to take away travelling with you and a perfect palette for autumn/winter. 

Nail polish: Essie has been my favourite brand of nail polish for a while now, the formula is so lovely, opaque in 2 coats and long lasting. The brush makes application so easy and the bottles are beautiful and look really pretty on my dressing table. Essie's glitter shades are just dreamy, especially Essie Summit of Style which is a rose gold/copper glitter and Essie A Cut Above, a pink glitter. See my full Essie collection here.

What are your favourite brands for these products?

WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A BAD DAY

Even with the most positive mindset I think that it's only human to have a few bad days every now and then. I've had my fair share of bad days recently, here's a few things I like to do to lift my mood:

~ Have a Lush bath - Avobath (which contains uplifting lemongrass and bergamot oils) is great for morning baths, Twilight (infused with calming lavender oils) for evening baths.

~ Paint your nails with Essie glitter.

~ Read Harry Potter/your favourite book.

~ Indulge on your favourite treat - strawberries, doughnuts, chocolate, macaroni cheese & pizza.

~ Look up at the sky/stars.

~ Breathe.

~ Watch this video.

~ ...or your favourite feel good film, for me it's The Holiday, every time.

~ Drink hot chocolate topped with cinnamon and marshmallows (I love these vegetarian ones)

~ Have a pamper evening.

~ Write a gratitude list - 10 small everyday things that you're grateful for.

~ Exercise - even if its dancing along to the radio with the curtains closed!

~ Go outside.

~ Or stay in and get lost on Pinterest for hours.

~ Build a fort and fill it with fairy lights.

~ Watch Friends, laugh a lot.

~ Call someone.

~ Remember this - nothing is/has to be permanent. 

What are your tips for a bad day?

A NEW SPRING SCENT - MARC JACOBS DAISY DREAM

I've been lusting after Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream for the longest time now, it has the most beautiful bottle scattered with little daisies and I've read countless positive reviews about the scent. I couldn't contain my excitement when I found Daisy Dream nestled on my pillow as a surprise and such a thoughtful gift from Alex, I spritzed it on straight away.

With notes of blackberry, jasmine, blue wisteria, pear and coconut water, it's such lovely scent that's perfect for spring. I normally gravitate towards sweet or spicy scents but this floral, fruity fragrance is  just beautiful. It has a slight hint of musk and smells delicate, warm, airy and light.

I wore Daisy Dream to a spring wedding and I can imagine that it will also be such a perfect scent for dining al fresco on light spring/summer evenings. It's breezy and girly yet slightly sophisticated making it also a great all round fragrance for everyday wear. 

Aside from the incredibly dreamy bottle which has taken pride of place on my dressing table, this has to be one of the nicest perfumes that I own. It's not overpowering on the skin and lingers for hours. It's my new favourite fragrance for the warmer months and will be a definite repurchase when I finish this bottle!


Have you tried Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream?

WHAT'S ON MY DESK THIS SPRING

Here are a few things that have been on my desk this spring. I've added some decorative touches to brighten up the space and I've switched out the darker winter shades for something a little more bright and colourful.

Rifle Paper Co Cards: I picked up a few of these beautiful cards in Waterstones, I've been looking for some pretty postcards to pin up and they're such lovely designs. I love the way that they look on my wall, I just need to get some nice frames or pretty washi tape for them now!

Jo Malone Perfume Sample Cards: After visiting a Jo Malone counter for the first time last weekend I came away with three scent sticks that I misted with Nectarine blossom & Honey, Blackberry & Bay and Wood Sage & Sea Salt. I've fallen in love with the Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne, its such a fresh scent and different to any other perfume that I own!

Berries: My current favourite snack, I always try and have some berries in the fridge as they're packed full of antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre. As the weather gets warmer I like something sweet, light and fresh to snack on throughout the day and I just can't get enough of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries at the moment.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: This refreshing spray contains organic balm mint, rosemary, grape, rose and orange blossom to smooth the skin and give the complexion a burst of radiance. I've been spritzing this on my skin daily to help give my skin back a healthy glow after the dull winter months.

Essie Cute As a Button Nail polish: This pretty coral pink nail polish is one of my favourite shades, it's been brightening my nails and desk this spring.

Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu: A slick of this dreamy blue toned pink lipstick brightens up any make up look and has been close to hand on my desk this month. It works so well for the warmer months and can be worn as a bold pink lip or dabbed on and rubbed in as a pretty pink stain to the lips. See it swatched here.

What's on your desk this Spring?

FIVE THINGS I'VE BEEN READING THIS WEEK

1. Cameron Diaz The Body Book: I've flicked through this book countless times in Waterstones and after spotting it for only £4 in The Works I snapped up a copy straight away. It's full of interesting and detailed information about nutrition, fitness and the body. I love Cameron and I've learnt so much from this book already, I can hear her voice in the way that it's written, it portrays such a positive message and I find myself nodding along as I'm reading!

2. The Selection by Kiera Cass: I've nearly finished the whole series in less than a week. It's completely captured me and I've found myself reading into the early hours just to find out what happens next! The book is a captivating dystopian fairytale about 35 girls competing to win a Prince's love, it's a really easy and enjoyable read.

3. Blogs – I've been making Nouvelle Daily's delicious and creamy banana ice cream flavours, getting Honeymoon inspiration (and serious Wanderlust) from reading Rosie's Maldives posts and I've been lusting after the Christopher Kane for Nars collection (especially the outer limits eyeshadow!) on temptalia.

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – I'm just re-starting the third (and probably my favourite) book of the series; Sirius, Animagus, Firebolts, Hippogriffs and Time turners ♥

5. The Glam Guide by FleurDeForce – This is a great guide that's full of amazing beauty, fashion and lifestyle tips. It's such a nice coffee table book that's packed with so much information. There's everything from beauty ingredients, make up guides and fashion tips to smoothie recipes and to how to read your dreams. 

What have you been reading this week?

AN ASH JALOUSE DUPE

I've been after a pair of Ash Jalouse boots for a while now, each year in early autumn my finger hovers over the checkout button before I reluctantly click off, not wanting to fork out £155 for a pair of boots.

Last week, I spotted these beautiful New look boots. They look so similar, if not identical in style to the Ash jalouse boots, they're a lot more affordable, come in a darker shade of black (which I love) and are currently in the sale for just £14! 

They also go down to a size 2, I find it so hard to find shoes in my size and so snapped them up straight away! They feel comfortable to walk in so far, the heel isn't too high for everyday wear and I know these will become a firm staple in my autumn/winter wardrobe.

I can't wait to wear these, it's not too hot outside yet and so I'll still be able to get some wear from them until the weather gets warmer and then I'll tuck them safely away for Autumn/Winter. I think they will work perfectly with black tights, a skater skirt and a cosy knit, also with leggings or Topshop leigh jeans. I'm so glad I've finally found the perfect pair of boots! 

SPRING PINK LIPSTICKS

As much as I love berry and red lipsticks, I think that pink has to be my favourite lipstick shade. I love that you can wear a sheer wash of pink on your lips for an every day shade or pair a cool toned bright matte pink lipstick with a cosy grey jumper and leggings on duvet days. These are the four pink lipsticks that have been have constantly on my lips recently:

Revlon Matte Balm in Showy: This is a bright matte pink lipstick that has blue undertones and looks so pretty on the lips. I find that with the Revlon Matte balms you really need to prep your lips well before application otherwise they do tend to show up any dryness or imperfections. I like to use a Lush lip scrub to gently buff my lips, put on a little lip balm and then apply the colour. Once applied, Revlon Showy is such a flattering shade and lasts on me a good 3 hours. See it swatched on my lips here.

Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencil in Fuchsia Desire: This is the darkest pink out of the four and is a lovely warm toned long lasting lip pencil. When blended out on the lips it's quite similar to Nars Yu and is a great alternative to the Nars lip pencils. It feels creamy on the lips and is highly pigmented. See a full review here.

Revlon Sultry Samba Lipstick: One of my all time favourite lipsticks, this cool toned matte fuchsia pink lasts well on the lips and feels so creamy in texture. It's quite similar to Chanel La Diva and so is a great affordable alternative, see comparisons here.

Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart: This lipstick/lip balm hybrid keeps lips feeling lightly moisturised whilst giving a slightly barbie pink hint of colour to the lips. It's a really wearable pink that can be worn as a sheer tint or built up to a glossy bold pink.

What are your favourite pink lipsticks?

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY THIS WEEK #9

Monday: After spending the Easter weekend scoffing chocolate, me and Alex spent the Bank holiday Monday walking outside in the sunshine, collecting this beautiful floral canvas from M&S and dipping freshly baked bread into homemade minestrone soup.

Tuesday: Photographing some pretty spring pink lipsticks, I've got a full post to come on Sunday but I've been especially loving wearing Maybelline Fuchsia Desire, it's such a pretty spring pink that brightens up my whole make up.

Wednesday: Finding the perfect Autumn/Winter boots (in spring!). I know it's a definitely a little early to be eyeing up winter boots but I find it so difficult to find ones that I like in my size. I found this beautiful pair from New Look, in a size 2 and reduced to £14.00. They go up to a size 9 and are nearly identical to the Ash Jalouse boots! I'm so happy I found them and I'll definitely get a lot of wear out of them this autumn/winter!

Thursday: Baking Estee's Banana bread, it filled the whole home with the most amazing smell and whilst still warm, I spread a thick layer of Nutella on. Amazing.

Friday/The weekend: This weekend we're driving up for the first wedding of the year. I've packed some of my favourite make up, had my hair freshly cut and coloured and we're planning on stopping at Selfridges on the way up!

P.s I'm on snapchat if anyone wants to see lot's of food and me awkardly trying to film snippets of my day! add me - sophiesmakeup

What's made you happy this week?

WEDDING GUEST MAKE UP

I'm off to my first wedding of the year on Saturday and so having rummaged through my make up, I've pulled out some soft shimmery shades to wear that are wedding guest appropriate. I still haven't quite sorted out what to wear, but at least my make up bag is packed and ready to go!

To prep my skin I'm planning on using a good mask like Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask the night before. It's a brightening, renewing mask that contains natural fruit acids and leaves my complexion looking radiant, smooth and clear which will help me to create the perfect base for my make up.

For my base, I have a small sample of Dior Star foundation to wear on the day that I picked up from a Dior Counter. I've been matched with the shade 021 linen but I'm a little worried as I've heard that it oxidises slightly and therefore is better to go for slightly lighter shade. I've tested a small amount out and it although it's quite scented it does feels fresh and dewy on the skin and seems like a nice foundation. It also contains skincare benefits which is something that I love in a foundation.

I've opted for theBalm Mary Lou Manizer for my highlighter as it's such a pretty, pigmented champagne highlighter that lasts on me all day. Swept over the top of the cheekbones, brow bone and on the cupids bow, it brings light to the face and emits a beautiful glow.
For blusher, I thought that a golden peachy pink blusher like Nars Orgasm would give a pretty flush of colour to my cheeks whilst keeping my make up soft and glowing. See me wearing it here.

Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Alhambra is the perfect size for popping in my make up bag and gives me the choice of a beautiful metallic rose or gold champagne shade to wear (swatched here). This duo is so buttery in texture, blends seamlessly and brings light to the eye area. I'll use my Zoeva 228/Luxe Crease brush to sweep the shades over my lids for a pretty, shimmery wash of colour to my eyes.

After curling my lashes with my trusty Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers, I'm planning on applying a few coats of L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara to leave me with long, soft fluttery lashes.

Lastly, I have a few lip choices to take with me depending on which dress I choose. Revlon Sweet Tart is a pretty, sheer barbie pink that keeps lips feeling lightly moisturised, brightens the complexion and would work well with the option of my babydoll style black and nude pink dress. Revlon lip butter in Wild Watermelon (swatched here) is a wearable raspberry toned red, it feels light on the lips and is buildable to a soft red lip and I think that it would go really well with my other dress option, this Navy ASOS dress.

Have you attended a wedding recently?

ZOEVA ROSE GOLDEN COMPLETE EYE SET VOL.2

I waited quite a while to finally invest in a set of Zoeva brushes as I really wanted to take the time to choose the perfect set for me. There are so many great options available and although the Rose Golden Luxury Set had been on my wishlist for the longest time, I fell in love with the Rose Golden Complete Eye Set Vol.2 after seeing them circling twitter. I decided to opt for eye brushes as I'm still so loyal to my real techniques face brushes and I feel like you can never have too many eyeshadow blending brushes!

These Zoeva rose gold brushes are just dreamy. The complimentary combination of soft pink/powdered nude and rose gold make them the prettiest brushes I own and the perfect addition to my dressing table. I've already got so much use from them and I've added the Rose Gold Luxury Set to the top of my Birthday/Christmas wishlist.

The Rose Golden Complete Eye Set Vol.2 is made up of 12 eye brushes including blending, smudging, liner, brow and under eye concealer brushes. They are held in a pretty metallic pink case which is so useful to store the brushes in when travelling.

Each brush has a rose gold embossed description printed on the handle making it easy to reach for the perfect brush when applying your make up. Initially the ones that really stand our for me are the 142/Concealer buffer brush, 228/Luxe crease and 221/Luxe soft crease brush. They all pick up just the right amount of product and blend make up so seamlessly onto the skin.

The brushes are slightly stiffer than I imagined but I assume that they will soften up a bit over use and washes, the overall feel of them is so luxe, they feel well made and the actual individual bristles are soft. The set arrived neatly and beautifully packaged and apart from a small setback (which included me having to chase after the DHL driver in my slippers after he tried to deliver my brushes to the wrong house!), the brushes arrived just two days after I ordered them.

The total amount that I ended up paying for this set (including postage) was £55.08, this works out at around £4.59 a brush which is pretty good value for money. 

I'm totally smitten with these brushes and I'm so glad I finally took the plunge and ordered a set. I'm sure these will be appearing a lot more on my blog in the future, I just hope I can hold off for a while before purchasing another set!

EASTER MARS RICE CRISPY NESTS

I've made these Mars rice crispy cakes at Easter for the past 4 or 5 years now. It's become a bit of a tradition for me to make them every year as they're so delicious and perfect for Easter!

The addition of the caramel and nougat from the Mars bars make them so heavenly, they're sticky, chocolatey, sweet and so unbelievably moorish!

Here's how I make them;

3 Mars bars

85g Butter

2 tbsp Golden syrup
4-5 cups of Rice Crispies

Makes around 12 rice crispy cakes.

1. Chop the mars bars into small-ish chunks, pop into a pan with the butter and golden syrup and melt at a low heat until well mixed and almost smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in rice crispies, I add enough for them to be evenly coated, around 4-5 cups.

3. Spoon into cupcake moulds pressing them down lightly so that they stick and hold together.

4. Pop on a few cadburys mini eggs and leave to set!

5. Enjoy!

MARCH MINT FAVOURITES

During March, I spent my days browsing wedding rings with Alex, drinking Teapigs sweet peppermint and liquorice tea and picking up my knitting needles again in an attempt to start making some warm winter things that I can give away for the colder months. I'm still loving to document snippets of my day in my Paperchase Mint 2015 Diary and my (quite unhealthy) snack of choice this month has been Mint Sorbet flavoured jelly beans!

Beauty:

I loved painting my nails with Essie Mint Candy Apple during March, it's such a nice brightening pastel mint nail polish that looks so pretty for Spring.

EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint has been keeping my lips feeling so soft this month. It contains vitamin e, jojoba oil, shea butter and is 95% organic, 100% natural and petrolatum free. It's the perfect size to pop in your make up bag and the minty taste is really refreshing.

For skincare, I've been using Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser for removing my make up. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth, helped by the natural ingredients and the gentle exfoliating cloth. I'm nearly at the end of this bottle now and so I'll have to repurchase another one soon!

After running out of my favourite Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream last month I switched it out for Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream. Benefit's it's potent is such a lovely, creamy and brightening eye cream that helps to smooth fine lines, reduce dark circles and contains blend of peptides and hydrating botanical extracts. I've really enjoyed using this as part of my morning skincare routine and I've found that it has really brightened  up my eye area.

What were your favourite products in March?