Sundown Festival 2014: Day One

Hello,

                                                            

Writing this blog post marks the end of the first day of the Sundown Festival. Despite the queue to get in being very long and not moving until 20 minutes after the opening time, both me and my sister both had a lovely day.

When we arrived, we shared some Spanish Doughnuts with cinnamon sugar and melted chocolate to dip. Throughout the day we also had a freshly made pizza and I discovered the vegetarian and vegan food stall.

 The organisation and safety at the event was also very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and little clothing stalls as much as the acts themselves (we both brought a flower ring and a bandana). The rain did dampen our spirits but we had to laugh about our rain coats that looked like giant rubbish bags.

 

Foxes, Katy B, Tinie Tempah and Chase and Status were some of the acts that performed today and my favourites by far were Foxes and Tinie Tempah. After becoming very cold and tired, I’m glad to be back at my hotel to get ready for more fun today and of course the headlining acts John Newman and Ellie Goulding.

Throughout this post I have included some of my favourite pictures taken yesterday.

Enjoy,

Mcsophwar xox 

Norwich, Shopping & Percy Pigs

Hello,

As I’m typing this, I’m sat with a warm cup of tea with the view of Norwich Riverside right infront of me. My family and I packed up and arrived at 1pm today ready for the excitement of tomorrow’s Sundown festival. Me and my sister went last year too, and preferred the smaller site with a large variety of food stalls, funfair rides, shopping tents and two main stages. The acts performing during the weekend include Ellie Goulding, John Newman and Katy B.

Today we had lunch at Nandos (I opted for the Beanie Burger) and picked up a few bargains whilst shopping. Norwich is a fantastic shopping area as it has individual shops but also shopping centres. I managed to buy new tops, a backpack from Primark and a few more essentials.

I have also recently taken the choice to stop eating Meat, Fish or any products that involve animals losing their lives for. I used to have a massive fetish for Percy Pigs from Marks and Spencer’s and I was happy to find that they have veggie ones (they contain pea protein instead of gelatine)

I’m looking forward to the festival atmosphere after a year since I last went to a festival. I will try my best to post blogs throughout the festival weekend and some vlogs of some of the acts performing at some point next week.

Thanks again for reading and I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Mcsophwar xox

Shop My Stash

Hi,

Below is my blog post shop my stash. If you are unfamiliar with what this is, it is where you look through your make-up/ beauty collection and pick out things that you would like to try more.

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in the shades Pinched (100) and Charmed Enchantment (150)

I rarely use cream blush but I’ve tried these ones and I loved the formula and colours. Pinched is a very natural colour and charmed enchantment is more of a deeper pink. I hope to bring these out more during the autumn and winter.

Maybelline colour tattoo 24hr eyeshadows in the shades 75-24K Gold and 65-Pink Gold

I always use these eye-shadows but in the shades Permanent Taupe and On and On Bronze. However, I’d like to be more ambitious instead of always going for neutral eyes. I think the Gold will be hard to wear but I hope that I can use these shades somehow in the near future.

Bright Lipsticks-Topshop lipstick in Brighton Rock and Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

I’m going to try very hard to wear these in the next few weeks as I think they should be worn during the summer. The Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti is a very bright orange lip butter that is very moisturising but I find that it sometimes spreads on to the face. Brighton Rock is a bright pink which is more matte compared to the lip butter.

Borjouis Délíce de Poudre Bronzing Power in 51

Many bloggers have raved about this bronzer but quite rightly too. It is a very nice bronzer with a light bronzer. It smells of chocolate also. The only reason why I haven’t been using this recently is because I purchased The Body Shop Honey Bronzer and have used it ever since.

Thanks for reading. I will be back very soon!

Mcsophwar xox

Busy Bee

Hello,

Sorry I've been so busy trying to get everything organised, that my posts have been late. I will be posting today's blog post tomorrow instead.
August favourites, festival vlogs and the sister tag will be coming up along with many more exciting things!
I'd love to hear your comments or suggestions too.

Thanks so much,

Mcsophwar xox

Would You Rather (Beauty Edition)

Hi,

Sorry I’m a day late posting but I’ve decided to do the would you ever tag (beauty edition). If you do this tag please comment or tweet me the link because I’d love to see your answers to these questions.

Would you rather only ever wear eye makeup or skin makeup?

This is really hard but I would say skin make up. I suffer quite badly with spots which I’d hate if I couldn’t cover up! Also there are so many products you can use on your face such as foundation, blush and bronzer that would make me look natural without the need for anything on my eyes.

Would you rather cut off all your hair, or never cut your hair again?

I would prefer to never cut my hair again, A few years ago I had a straight fringe and bob cut that made me look like a boy. Ever since I have grown my hair and only had the split ends trimmed. Though I’d have to find a way to wear my fringe so I can still see once it has got very long!

Would you rather always wear your clothes too big, or too small?

TOO BIG! I’d rather wear clothes that are loose fitting and comfortable rather than being uncomfortable in tight clothing which wouldn’t look too nice on me. Oversized all the way.

If you were given £1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or make-up?

Despite the fact that I am obsessed with make-up products, I have far too much and have so many gaps in my wardrobe and I think £1000 would really help for me to buy myself some wardrobe staples.

Would you rather wear lipstick as eyeliner or eyeliner as lipstick?

It depends on the colour because you can get bright pink eyeliners and things like that. If I had to choose, I would buy something such as the Revlon lip crayons in a dark plum/ purple colour and I would use it with an angled eye shadow brush and smudge it slightly. I’d find a way to work with that.

Would you rather wear MC Hammer pants or Biker Shorts in public?

Frankly, biker shorts are very tight and I don’t really like my legs, so I would wear the MC Hammer pants with a neutral top and they would look so much cooler.

Would you rather never be able to fill in your eyebrows or only fill them in using a sharpie?

I don’t always fill in my eyebrows but I couldn’t go without filling them in all the time. I would use a small brush to get a small amount of the sharpie onto my eyebrows and I’d use the brown colour.

Would you rather never pluck your eyebrows or never shave your legs?

I would pluck my eyebrows otherwise I’d end up with my brows joining in the middle and that wouldn’t look pretty! I would wax my legs or use another method of hair removal.

I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks so much for reading

I will be back very soon

Mcsophwar xox

Making Tanya Burr's Cookies & Tips

Hi,

I’m back already because today I attempted to make the milk chocolate and white chocolate cookies that Tanya Burr uploaded in her most recent baking video. I didn't expect them to expand as much as they did so I ended up making VERY large cookies which made it hard to see when they needed to come out of the oven. The cookies are easy to make except the ingredients kept getting stuck in the whisk (I gave up and mixed them with a wooden spoon instead).  It allows you to put as little or much chocolate in as you want and it is simple enough to change the size of your cookies or even add more chocolate!

After around 15 minutes my cookies were ready to be taken out the oven to cool. They are delicious if you be careful on how long to cook them for. They taste lovely if you make sure the chocolate has just melted nicely and even better when they are slightly warm! (I couldn't wait for them to cool!)

If you have any spare time I’d recommend baking some of her white chocolate and milk chocolate cookies or any of the other cakes and cookies she has made recently. She has also made some chocolate brownies that are both gluten and dairy free. Depending on your budget, you can buy pretty much any brand of chocolate and it would work. (I used Tesco’s own white chocolate and Galaxy milk chocolate as shown above).

Thanks for reading,

If I don’t post before, I’ll be back on Sunday.

Mcsophwar xox

Disclaimer: This is not my recipe. The picture of Tanya and her cookies is not mine and used for entertainment purposes only. Please check out Tanya Burr’s blog or youtube channel for details on how to make her cookies.

What's in my weekend away make-up bag & review

Hello Lovelies,

For the blog post today, I thought it would be good to show you what I would typically take with me make-up wise for a weekend away and I’ve included my opinions on some of the products too.

I hope you like it and I would love to know what your favourites are.

Make-up

Face:  

>Makeup Academy Pro-Base Primer-(flawlessly evens out complexion)

I’ve used this product many times but I don’t think it is that great. I normally use the Nivea primer which I featured on my mini haul post, but as it comes in a round glass pot, I use this primer whilst away because it has travel friendly packaging. Not the worst I’ve tried but there are so many more on the market that would be better.

>Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation-(radiance reveal 16hr. I have the shade No51 light vanilla)

This is one of my favourite high street/ drugstore foundations of all time. This foundation isn’t cakey, is natural looking and gives a dewy look to the face. This foundation wouldn’t suit people with very oily skin but it lasts all day and isn’t heavy on the face. A little powder on the T zone is required.

>Collection Pressed Powder-(I have the shade 01 Candelight)

This powder has already hit pan and I’m sure I will be buying another when it runs out. It isn’t my favourite but as I use powder so much, this one is great if you’re on a budget.

>Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (I have the lightest shade)

This is my favourite concealer at the moment. It doesn’t crease and is perfect underneath the eyes but also on blemishes and spots too.

 

Sleek Blush Palette

>Sleek blush by 3 Palette-(Intensely pigmented matte and shimmer blushers)

I love, love, love this palette but I’ve only used it a handful of times because the shades in this palette are so bright. It contains the shades Lantern, Squash and P Pie. There is a deep red shimmer blush, a bright pink matte blush and an electric coral orange matte shade too. These blushes are surprisingly super pigmented (the smallest bit goes a very long way). For around £10 it will last a very long time and the colours really transfer onto the face properly. The packing is very slim and has a mirror making it perfect to take on the go.

>Topshop Powder Blush in the shade Good Girl

I picked this up when I was in London and it is my very first and only blush from Topshop. I’ve heard many good things about this brand but I’ve been quite sceptical as they are normally known for lovely clothes and not for their make-up. However, I was proven wrong! This shade is a light pink shimmer that is perfect for every day make up. The packaging is so cute and also has a little mirror. I will be extending my collection as soon as I can.

>The Body Shop Honey Bronzer (I have shade 01)

This bronzer is beautiful and I will continue purchasing this until The Body Shop discontinues it. It comes in three shades and doesn’t have shimmer either. It gives the perfect natural bronze to the skin.

 Eyes and Eyebrows:

>Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadow (shade 35- on and on bronze)

I own four of these but this is by far my favourite. In a rush I apply this with my finger and it lasts all day on its own but I’ve also used it as a base. At £5 each, they are more than worth it. I’ve already got my eye on more of them to buy.

>Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

This palette is so cute and has a full length mirror. It contains the shades Venus, Foxy, Walk of shame, Faint and Crave. The colours range from light/ champagne to dark brown and black making it so versatile for natural day looks and can be used at night or when creating a smokey eye. It isn’t the cheapest palette but Urban Decay eyeshadows are by far one of the best and are very highly pigmented.

>Revlon eyelash curlers

>Rimmel Wonder’full Mascara

I’ve only tried this once and I’m not sure if I like it yet. I wish it gave more volume but it was perfect at separating the lashes. I will have to try this for longer to give a better opinion on this product.

>Beauty UK Simply Define Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown

>Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner

It is a 0.4mm thick tip. I don’t have much to say but it is so easy to create a winged eyeliner look and I use this all the time.

Lips:

>Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in the shade 03

I love this nude lipstick! It lasts a long time but doesn’t dry out the lips.

>Revlon Colourburst Lip Stain in the shade 001 (Honey Douce)

>Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Smile, Dream, Sparkle

These are my favourite lip-glosses. You can buy them in Superdrug for under £10. They smell like Sweets and the applicator allows for easy application.

>Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Balm (SPF 15 with Vitamin E)

>Topshop Lipstick In Brighton Rock (A gorgeous bright pink)

Brushes:

I try to take the minimum whenever I go away so I have included my 5 most used make-up brushes.

 >La Cross Permier Blush Brush

>Royal Enhance Eyeshadow Brush

>Royal Enhance Angled Eyeshadow Brush

>Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

A staple and a must have for blending foundation. The real techniques brushes clean easily, don’t shed and stand up on their own too!

>Real Techniques Powder Brush

I use this for both Powder and Bronzer. It is incredibly soft and large for even application.

Thanks so much for reading. Please comment below if you have any recommendations or favourites you would like to share

Mcsophwar xox

Get to know me on twitter: @mcsophwar

Mini London Vlog 2014

Hi everyone,

A couple of weeks ago, me and my family went to London for a few days. I’ve decided to do a mini vlog / video of the trip including pictures of when we visited the science museum and other major sights. If this is positively received, I will think about posting more of these little videos. Also, my sister has agreed to take part in the sibling tag/ most likely to on my blog next week.

If anyone has any feedback, recommendations or would you ever questions for the sibling tag, please leave them in the comments below or contact me on twitter which will be below.

Enjoy the video!

Twitter: @mcsophwar

Thanks so much and see you on Wednesday!

Mcsophwar xox

The British Tag!

Hello everyone.

I've seen so many videos of the British Tag from some of my favourite blogs, so I thought I would do it too. 

Enjoy!

1-How many cups of tea do you have a day and how many sugars?

I’m not a massive tea drinker so I don’t have to drink it each day. On a usual day, I will drink two cups of day and I have one sugar in my tea.

2-What is your favourite part of a roast?

If anyone reading isn’t British and doesn’t know what a roast is, it is a cooked dinner with meat, vegetables, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. It is traditionally eaten on a Sunday.

My favourite part of a roast dinner would be either the Yorkshire puddings (when they are homemade) or roast potatoes when they are slightly crispy on the outside. I can’t pick between the two.

3-What is your favourite dunking biscuit?

I don’t really dunk my biscuits into tea but when I do I have custard creams. I just think they are the perfect biscuit as they aren’t too strong in taste. The only thing I don’t like is that I normally end up with a biscuit floating around in my tea when I dunk them because I usually don’t realise that I’ve dunked them for too long.

4-What is your favourite quintessentially British pastime?

I found it SO difficult for me to find an answer for this question. I only occasionally go to car boot sales and I’m not a massively big fan of sports either. I do like Picnics and having afternoon tea in a cosy café every so often.

5-What is your favourite word?

My favourites are bits and bobs meaning a collection of random items and Gormless meaning stupid or having an expression on your face which makes you look uneducated. I get told by my sister on a regular basis to stop looking so gormless!

6- Cockney rhyme slang?

The most common cockney rhyme slang I’ve heard of is apples and pears meaning stairs.

7-What is your favourite sweet?

My favourite sweets are Dolly Mixtures that are little multi-coloured sweets in various shapes. I also enjoy Jelly tots which are little sweet circles covered in sugar. I also love Magic Stars which are star shaped chocolates (I don’t think you could class them as sweets though)

8-What would your pub be called?

I would call my pub The Frog Prince because my favourite animal is a Frog and it also said that when a princess kisses a Frog, they turn into a prince.

9- No.1 British person?

My favourite British person by far is David Walliams and I’m sure my friends or family won’t be surprised when I say this. He is so funny and has done so many things for charity whilst overcoming his own problems too. I would recommend reading his autobiography Camp David if you want to find out more about him.

10-What Is your favourite shop/restaurant?

My favourite British shop would be Topshop or Boots. Topshop is a high street clothing shop that also has their own makeup too (I love their lipsticks). Boots is a drugstore/pharmacy store which also has such a wide range of high street and higher end beauty counters.

11- What British song pops into your head?

Embarrassingly the first British song that pops into my head is Wannabe by The Spice Girls. They are a girl band who formed in the 1990’s.I also think of the legendary bands from Manchester such as The Stone Roses. I’ll link some of their songs at the bottom if you want to have a listen.

12-Marmite?

No. I really hate it.

I tag all of you to do the British Tag as a video or on your blogs. If you do, I’d love to see it!

Thanks for reading,

Mcsophwar

xox

Info on The Spice Girls: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Girls

The Spice Girls- Wannabe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ

The Stone Roses info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stone_Roses

The Stone Roses- I am the Resurrection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbU7oVz0Uq0

Note: Where possible I take and edit my own pictures. However the David Walliams picture and the British Flag on this post are not mine and are used for entertainment reasons only. 

Mini Haul August 2014

Yesterday me and my sister went shopping in Nottingham town centre. I had to pick up some new products along the way. I haven’t tried any of these properly yet and I hope to enjoy them all! (The products described will start from the top left and going clockwise)

Sex Bomb- Bath Bomb from Lush:  https://www.lush.co.uk/products/sex-bomb

When I went into Lush, I couldn’t resist picking this one up. It looks visually appealing with the rose on top but also the pink and purple colour of it. To me it smelt very sweet too and claims to be perfect when you are tired, stressed or anxious. The main ingredients of Sex Bomb are Jasmine and Ylang Ylang.

Rimmel London Wonder’full- Mascara from Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-London-Wonderfull-Mascara_1505292/

Boots in Nottingham has both high street and higher end make up brands and counters which made it really hard for me to find a new mascara to try out. I’ve loved many other Rimmel products in the past but it was also on offer at Boots with £2.00 off. A complete bargain for £5.99 and I have high hopes for this product!

Makeup Revolution London- Eyeshadow in Hot Smoked from Superdrug: http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com/index.php/palettes/redemption-12-shades/redemption-palette-hot-smoked.html

I brought this palette on a whim. I had never heard of this brand before but I assumed the quality would be similar to MUA who have similar palettes for very affordable prices. This attracted me as the 12 shadows are presented in rectangles unlike the sleek palettes I own but similar to my much loved Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette for a fraction of the price. Unfortunately, the packaging does scratch easily and there is no mirror. Fingers crossed for a high quality product that lasts but won’t break the bank.

You’ve Been Mangoed- Bath Melt from Lush: https://www.lush.co.uk/products/youve-been-mangoed

I've wanted this bath melt for a couple of weeks and I finally decided to buy this because I've never tried a bath melt before. What is brilliant about the lush website is that there are clips of the products being put in water so you can look before you buy! It is different to the sweeter scents I usually go for but I hope I love it just as much. The main ingredients include Coco Butter to soften the skin and oils such as lime and lemon too.

So…? London- Body Spray from Superdrug:

I couldn’t find this product on the website but in store I was attracted to the bright packaging but also the fact I love London (silly of me to buy a product due to the name). I have already tried this and despite the fact that I am unsure of what the scent is, I really like it.

Makeup Revolution London- Vivid Baked Highlighter in Golden Lights from Superdrug: http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com/index.php/face/highlighter/highlighter-golden-lights.html

I’ve heard many good things about face highlighters but I’ve never really used them before. I thought this drugstore one would be perfect to try and it was a bargain at £3 too! It is fairly light but also contains a slight gold shimmer too but not to the point that it wouldn’t look natural. Hopefully it will live up to my expectations.

The Godmother- Soap from Lush:  https://www.lush.co.uk/search/site/soap

Another sweet smelling product (surprise surprise) and also my first soap from Lush. It is described as a sweet and lingering fragrance. I brought 100g but I’ve heard that I should cut it into smaller parts with a kitchen knife to make it last longer. I hope it is moisturising to the skin but I already love the ethos that Lush has.

Collection Colour Lash- Clear Mascara from Superdrug:

This mascara claims to last all day but also condition and separate lashes. I’m not expecting this much for £1.99 but I suppose it will do a good enough job.

Nivea Express Hydration Primer- For dry and sensitive skin from Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/NIVEA-Daily-Essentials-Express-Hydration-Primer-Dry-Sensitive-Skin-50ml_1360802/

I thought I would try this as I'm more concerned about the damage that using primer and other products has on my skin. This is cheaper than my usual primer and as I’ve tried Nivea skin care in the past, I thought to give this a try instead. It is also on half price at the moment.

Vaseline Spray & Go- Body Moisturiser in Cocoa Radiant from Boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Vaseline/Vaseline-Spray-Go-Moisturisers/

Especially during the summer, I get quite lazy with moisturising my body and using body butters as they take time to sink in and generally are a nuisance to apply with your fingers out of a container. When I found this I was hoping for a pleasant smell (you can also get other scents if you wouldn't like this one). It claims to moisturise in seconds so you can spray it on, put your clothes straight on and then go. I also like the fact that it doesn’t seem messy to apply.

Juno DVD- From CEX:

I’ve nothing about this movie before but CEX is a brilliant store offering second hand DVDS, consoles, CDs and more for cheaper prices. I brought this for only £1.50 so it is perfect for a rainy day or when you want a movie day without spending too much.  From reading the back cover, it is about a teenage girl called Juno who discovers she is pregnant and has to grow up so she can find adoptive parents for her unborn child. Hopefully it is “hilarious and cool” which the quote on the front says.

Has anyone tried any of these products? What have you picked up recently?

Mcsophwar
xox