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Thursday 30 April 2015

Glossybox | Iconic Hollywood Edition | April 2015

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and you have had a fabulous April...how is it May tomorrow?! I have been a little naughty and I haven't been keeping up to date with sharing my Glossybox's with you so I thought I would sit down and share the latest release - Aprils Iconic Hollywood Edition which is an absolutely beauty. I did not get round to sharing the March box with you (it was a fabulous box) so I was thinking of filming and throwback March and April Glossybox video - let me know what you think? My OCD is kicking in as I hate that I have missed a month haha. 


For this months box Glossybox drew inspiration from the golden era, by paying homage to Hollywood;s beauty greats. They released four collectors edition boxes inspired by the silver screen stars whose timeless beauty is as relevant now as it was then. So, because no woman should be without a classic red lip colour in her beauty collection, Glossybox have featured one in every single box this month! From the lovely boutique fashion and beauty houses, Lord & Berry, this is the perfect crimson hue in pencil form. 

Firstly, let's talk about the fabulous quote featured in the gorgeous golden yellow packaging. I have to admit that I am obsessed with quotes and you will find them popping up around my Twitter and Instagram accounts regularly (@SophiaMeola). I really love how each iconic box featured a classic quote and how inspiring they all were. If I had to give feedback about one thing I would say that it would have been nice to see the inside quote resemble the icon on the front of the box. I know all of the boxes this month featured Marilyn Monroe, however, as I had an Audrey Hepburn quote in my box maybe she should have been on the cover? Just a though. 

Darphin Exquisage Beauty Revealing Cream (Deluxe Sample) | RRP £65 Full Size*

Darphin is a completely new brand for me and I was excited to see what they had to offer. This cream features a breakthrough 'CelluVie™ Complex' and skin strengthening Probiotics, and a sensuous cocooning effect that rapidly replenished skin whilst encouraging moisture and protection. Darphin express that the elasticity in your skin is visibly enhanced for a firmer look and feel to the skin. The constancy is quite thick, however, I quite like that because I can really feel it working - especially if I layer it on before I go to sleep. I am going to continue using the remaining cream I have left and I will check back with a full review - the sample was a great size and I think it will last quite some time. I would consider purchasing a full size, however, I am not 100% sold on the £65 price tag! 

Pop Beauty Kajal Pen in Sooty Black (Full Size) | RRP £6.50*

Eyeliner is a staple in my makeup routine so I am always glad to see a new one featured in a beauty box for me to try. Firstly, do not be fooled by the name as this product is definitely not a pen but in fact a pencil. This Kajal pencil was extremely pigmented and creamy which makes it a dream to apply. I really liked how the pencil was double ended and included a smudged which is a simple yet effective tool to smoke out the creamy formula and create a classic smokey eye or dramatic flick similar to what was worn in the golden years. This is an absolute bargain for £6.50!

Color Club Nail Lacquer in Barely There (Full Size) | RRP £4*

I have been going mad with my nails recently and I have loved experimenting with colour now the summer months are approaching. I have to admit nude polishes are not my most used, however, I am excited to give this a try. This polish is one of those classic brown tone nude shades and it reminds me of MAC Strip Down Lip Liner which is a cult classic. Nude shades are so popular right now and I can't wait to try this on my nails perhaps even with a glittery accent nail for a little twist. 

Nougat London Soothing Bath Pearls (Full Size) | RRP £6*

The first thing I noticed when I open the box was this glorious smell of fresh Cherry Blossom and when I realised they were in fact bath pearls I was over the moon. If you follow me on various social media platforms then you will know that we have been undergoing home renovations and developments of over a year now. During that time we had no bath in our family bathroom which meant I could never unwind with a bubble bath (bad time). Good news is we have a new bath and I am so excited to give these bath pearls a try! This is my first Nougat London product to try so I will make sure to follow up with a full review - the 35g bag should last me a few baths!

Lord & Berry Lipstick Pencil in Kiss (Full Size) | RRP £10*

Like most of the products in this box this is the first Lord & Berry product I have tried - slap on the wrist I know as this is a well loved brand amongst the beauty community. After seeing a sneak peek about this beauty in last months box I was extremely excited to try it out this month and I was super impressed. Everything from the perfect Marilyn red and creamy formula was just perfection. This intense classic pillar box hue is ideal for spring and summer. Unlike your classic bullet lipstick this is in a pencil form which makes application a lot easier in some instances. 


I hope you all enjoyed this evenings post and taking a peek inside this months Glossybox. Overall, I am really impressed with this months box and it has made me rather excited for next months box (as usual). In total this months box works out around £40 and for a £12.95* box (inc p&p) you really are getting your moneys worth, especially with four full sized products! Previous boxes have contained a bit of a mixture when it comes to products, however, I quite like that this month is focused more around beauty and achieving that classic Hollywood look with the added bonus of some pampering products! Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and I make sure to read every single comment…they really make my day!

Lots of Love
*PR Sample
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Sunday 26 April 2015

KIKO Modern Tribes Collection

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and have had a glorious Sunday. I have been a busy bee all day organising bits and bobs as I will be finally moving into my new room and blogging room (dubbed the beauty closet) in a few days time and there are no words to describe how excited I am. Its been a longer process than initially planned, however, I cannot wait to see my rooms finally come to life. Once I am back on the YouTube waggon (really soon) I will make sure to film some room tours for you if you are interest. I have really loved shopping around for some gorgeous home decor pieces and I cannot wait to share them with you all. 

Now, back into the post at hand. Yesterday I shared with you a brand new Collection by Models Own and today I thought I would share another new collection with you, one from KIKO. The collection itself consists of alluring colours, accent rituals and tribal symbols which combined give you the Modern Tribe Collection that KIKO Milano wanted to portray from the collection. 


The collection is limited edition (sobs) and features an array of bronzy tones, soft pinks and some bright shades also. I have to say I have really been loving all of these new collection releases and I couldn't resist sharing them with you all. KIKO is a brand I know quite well and they always offer such affordable yet high quality items that I always seem to love. Firstly, I think we need to take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous packaging. I only have one main detailed pieces, however, the collection consists of beautiful wooden pieces with tribal golden and cream accent hues throughout. 


The first product in the collection is the Sunproof Power Foundation which is housed in the gorgeous tribal packaging. In terms of face products the collection consisted of a BB Cream, a Sunproof Cream  Foundation and the Sunproof Powder Foundation so I think they did offered something for everyone. This product is a KIKO summer classic and has returned to feature once again the the Modern Tribal Collection after much request from KIKO fans. The Sunproof Powder Foundation is ideal for normal to combination skin, it is water resistant and provides exceptional hold. The light and powdery texture smoothes the complexion and leaves a matte effect to the skin. I am usually a dewy skin kind of girl, however, I have really been liking a more matte look recently so I really liked how this sat on my skin. The only negative about this product is the fact that it is only available in three shades (200 Light, 201 Natural & 202 Medium) however, KIKO do offer a permanent line of powers which offer a larger shade range. 


When I saw this product within the package I have to admit I did get quite excited. Not only do I love dual purpose products but this shade just screams Sophia! The Free Spirit Lips & Cheek pencil have an extremely radiant matte finish with a super creamy formulation and I was amazed at how effortlessly the pencil glided onto my lips and cheeks. The formula is enriched with vitamin E, which is known for its antioxidant powers, is paraben free and also hypoallergenic. There are a total of six shades in the collection; Hearty Peach, Supreme Guava, Safari Rose, Typical Dahlia, Unique Camellia and Illusion Red - there is a shade for everyone! Finally, an added feature I really loved with this product was the fact that it came with a sharpener. As you can see the pencils are quite a unique size and to be honest I am not even sure I own a sharper that would work with this pencil so it was a fabulous bonus seeing the sharpener in the box and all for £8.90 which is a bargain! 


Eyeliner is a staple in my makeup collection and makeup routine so I was excited to see some gorgeous bright shades in the collection. Typically I am your usually black and white eyeliner kind of girl, however, I am always going on about how I should be experimenting more with colour. This Graphic Ritual Kajal Eyeliner in Brave Green Nile is a gorgeous emerald shade that glides on smoothly onto the skin. I think this would look lovely adding a pop of colour to the waterline but also has a base on the lid under a smokey eye. This eyeliner is also available in 6 shades; Talisman Gold, Brave Green Nile, Touch Turquoise, Masai Blue, Savanna Violet and Percussion Steel. If you are looking for a fun and super bold eyeliner then Brave Green Nile or Touch Turquoise are beautiful!

Overall, I was really impressed with this collection and I am looking forward to seeing what else KIKO have in store for us this year. If you are just starting out with makeup or are looking for something new to add to your makeup collection then I would definitely recommend you give KIKO Milano a try! If you would like to check out the collection or any another KIKO products you can do so my checking out there website at kikocosmetics.co.uk. Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and I make sure to read every single comment...they really make my day! 

What new collection releases have you got your eyes on? What are your thoughts on the KIKO Modern Tribe Collection?

Lots of Love
*PR Samples
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Saturday 25 April 2015

Models Own Festival Collection

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and are having a lovely weekend so far. Considering we have had such a wonderful sunny week the sunshine has decided to be a little shy today, however, that did not stop me going out and running a few errands today. I thought I would share with you a really bright and fun collection from Models Own. Models Own have launched their Festival Collection in time for festival season and have created the ultimate kit to create the full colour explosion festival look! Now, typically I am not your super outrageous bright colours type of girl, however, I have really been loving diving into some neon shades now the summer is vastly approaching - I even purchased a fluorescent yellow Victorias Secret Pink bra the other day and I am not even sorry haha (haul coming soon). The Festival Collection consists of their classic nail polish, lipsticks, body paint and coloured hair spray - so there will be something for everyone to try from this collection!


When I think of Models Own I am instantly drawn to their nail polish line. I have tried countless shades from their collection and I always walk away so incredibly impressed - Blizzard from their Winter Wonderland Collection has become my holy grail glittery top coat and I will rarely reach for anything else. When I saw that my little parcel included this gorgeous neon purple shade and a glittery top coat I could not contain my excitement and curiosity - could this live up to my beloved Blizzard?! Purple Bandana is a gorgeous neon purple shade and I think paired with a glittery top coat would look so pretty (you know I pretty much add a glittery top coat to any nail polish I get my hands on). In the bottle the shades doesn't look intensely neon, however, it really is a gorgeous bright orchid purple. Confetti Explosion had to be one of my favourite products from the collection. The glittery top coat consists of a variety of different sized hex glitters in pastel shades which I absolutely love. 


These were the first ever lipsticks I have tried from Models Own and I have to say I was really impressed and for £4.99 I think you really can't go wrong. My little package consisted of two beautiful lipsticks (fluorescent pink and red) and there are a total of five lipsticks in the collection. When I first saw Gone Glamping I literally got so excited as it is such a great dupe for MAC Candy Yum Yum - the shade and formulation are pretty spot on. The formula is so creamy and the pigmentation is simply amazing - I mean look how bright it is! Headliner is a classic red shade, however, when swatched it comes up more sheer than what you would think so if you are a newbie to red shades this might be the perfect formulation for you.


One thing I saw lots of when I was at Reading Festival last year was the amount of body paint. When I went last year I didn't really give it much though, however, now I know Models Own have their own line I know where to go for all things body paint. The collection consists of fluorescent pink, yellow orange, metallic silver and gold. I had the opportunity to try the gold shade and I have to say the formula is fabulous! I can't give you much feedback in terms of longevity as I haven't been dancing around at a festival this weekend unfortunately, however, I can add that it was extremely easy to remove which is always a plus! Finally we have the colourful hair sprays. I must admit I haven't tried colourful hair spray since my childhood days but I remember back then how much fun they were. These are a completely brand new product for Models Own and are available in four eye-catching shades; neon orange, neon pink, neon blue and neon violet. 


Overall, I am really impressed with this bright and fun festival collection and I am really excited to see what else Models Own have in store for us this year! I haven't got any plans to attend any festivals this year but seeing and trying out this new collection has made me want to make plans and go! The Festival Collection is available from modelsownit.com, Models Own Bottleshops and Superdrug stores nationwide. Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and I make sure to read every single comment...they really make my day!


What do you think of the new Festival Collection? Do you have any Festival plans this year?

Lots of Love

*PR Sample
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Monday 20 April 2015

Cloud Nine Original Iron | #LetItRain

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and had a fabulous weekend. Here is to the start of a a great week with lots of sunshine! I have found over the last few weeks I have turned into more of an Instagram blogger (@SophiaMeola) I don't know what it is but I have just been obsessed with Instagram at the moment. To be honest I haven't been feeling 100% the last week so I haven't been able to post as much as I would have liked on my blog but I have managed to upload some snaps over on my Instagram if you fancy taking a peek. To beat the Monday blues I have a pretty exciting post for you all today, I have been working with Cloud Nine for a little while now and they recently contacted me about bringing you guys a special treat. As soon as I knew I would be able to give something back to my readers I was sold - I always love being able to treat you all! So, we are going to start off with a review of the Cloud Nine Original Iron and then we are going to work our way in to how you can win a pair for yourself! 


As you may know I have quite thick curly / wavy hair so finding the right hair straighter for me is vital in order for me to achieve a real sleek straightened hair look. Not only is the quality of the iron vital but also time - I very rarely straighten my hair because it can take me a considerable amount of time to do so and this was the first time I had straightened my hair in a good 18 months +. I met the Cloud Nine team at a blogger event back in September 2014 and I had a lovely conversation about their product range and their innovative styling tools - I was instantly sold to find out more and to see if they would be able to work their magic on my hair. 

The Cloud Nine Original Iron is the ultimate hair straighter and it is a multi award winning hair tool. I was sent the Original Iron Luxury Gift set (which is still available) and the set includes the award winning Original Iron which has mineral infused plates that leave your hair beautifully conditioned and sleek. The first thing I noticed was how light the straightens were and this is something you don't realise makes a difference until you have given a lighter pair of straightens a try - I didn't get any aches in my arms which I am usually prone to when styling my long and unruly hair (it is both a blessing and a curse). Secondly, the innovative temperature control means you can style from a hair friendly 100 degrees to 200 degrees - when I styled my hair I whacked them on the highest heat setting to ensure my hair was completely straight. I know using the highest setting is not always the best, however, as I do it so rarely I can treat my hair in-between. The third thing I noticed was how smooth the plates glided through my hair and how they didn't catch on any fly aways which can be quite painful. The floating, super smooth plates and curved body allowed me to straighten my hair with complete ease with the future possibility to curl, flick and wave without dragging or catching my hair. An added feature I really liked (which I forgot to photograph) is the blue plastic heat guard. This guard allows them to cool down safely and it also protects them whilst stored away. Finally, I really like how they have a swivel cord (goodbye tangles) and how you have more movement when styling your hair - this is something I have noticed quite a few hair styling tools introducing and I have to say it makes all the difference. 


Cloud Nine are running a campaign throughout the entire month of April called #LetItRain. Cloud Nine are encouraging everyone to have great hair no matter what the weather - or rather, what April showers throw at you. Throughout the entire month of April Cloud Nine are giving away a complementary chic umbrella (with the purchase of any electrical tool excluding the micro products) in order for everyone to fend off the elements and brave the British weather and still keep their gorgeous hair looking gorgeous and intact. If you purchase any Cloud Nine products and receive a free umbrella you can then take a selfie or a chic picture with the umbrella, upload it to Twitter or Instagram using the #LetItRain hashtag and you could win a Cloud Nine styling tool of your choice! You can see my picture above - I wanted it to be all about the hair and the umbrella! 

Now, if you don't have a Cloud Nine umbrella you can still win yourself a styling tool...Cloud Nine have sent me a second Original Iron to giveaway to one of my readers! The competition is very similar to the one Cloud Nine have originally running, however, you can use ANY umbrella you would like. This giveaway is so simple, fun and easy to enter. To enter you have to tag myself (@SophiaMeola) and Cloud Nine (@CloudNineC9) on Twitter or Instagram using the #LetItRain hashtag with your umbrella selfie and a winner will then be chosen by the selection of selfies. This competition will run until midnight 30th April - Good luck everyone! 

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the straightens and I would highly recommend them to anyone who is on the look out for a new styling took. I am also extremely excited about the #LetItRain competition and I cannot wait to see all of you entries. Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and I make sure to read every single comment...they really make my day! 

Lots of Love
*PR Sample
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Tuesday 14 April 2015

That Yves Rocher Smokey Eye

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous start to the week. Long time no speak...it has been a shocking two weeks since I last posted something on my blog and I have missed you guys so much! Over the course of the two weeks I kind of felt like I lost my blogging mojo but I guess this is something everyone faces at some point - so I decided to just have a little break and come back with a fresh mind full of lots of ideas! If you follow me on my various social media platforms then you will know that I finally filmed a YouTube video! Like I have mentioned in multiple posts YouTube is something I have always wanted to do but felt like I had so many obstacles stopping me. I decided to just go for it and see how things went...it's not perfect but I am only human and I am really excited! If you would like to see my first video you can do so by clicking here or by clicking the YouTube button  on the right hand side under my profile. 

Enough rambling and back into the post. I was recently contacted by Yves Rocher about getting involved in a smokey eye challenge. Well, I am always up for a challenge and I love a good smokey eye so I thought I would give it my best shot. Also, if you stick around until the very end then there might just be a little surprise for you all. 


Firstly, a little bit behind the brand themselves. Yves Rocher is the number 1 selling makeup and skincare brand in France. They are a affordable and all-natural beauty brand that use especially grown botanical properties and are passionate about ethical product development. They have their own botanical garden in La Gacilly where they grow more than 1100 species of plant to be used in their products. They also offer their products worldwide in 88 different countries to 30 million customers. Pretty impressive right?! I have had the opportunity to try a few different Yves Rocher products and I have to say that every time I walk away extremely impressed. As you can see from the pictures above I was sent a lovely selection of product to create a smokey eye makeup look. Whilst creating the look I was also using each product for the first time so I will make sure to include some first impressions for you. 

I started off with the Fixing Eyelid Primer and applied this all over my lid going up to the brow bone. The consistency of the primer is very silly smooth and it reminded me slightly of Benefit POREfessional. I must admit at first I applied way to much but so be wary that a little does go a long way with this one. The primer itself is enriched with Camellia oil which aids the formulation to smooth out the eyelid area, fine lines and wrinkles if you have any. Once applied to the lid the primer had no visual colour to it but I have to say that the eyeshadows did apply more smoothly upon application. After I primed my eye area I decided to go in with the Creamy Kohl and I applied this to my waterline and tightline. I decided not to use this to create any winged liner purely because I wanted the focus to be on the eyeshadows. The eyeliner stayed true to its name and was extremely creamy to apply almost resembling that of the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencils. 

After I applied the primer and eyeliner I then went in with the Red-Hot-Brown Eyeshadow Quad. The shades in this particular quad just scream 'me' because I do love a classic neutral smokey eye. All four shades were absolutely gorgeous, extremely pigmented and a dream to apply. I opted to use the top left champagne shade as an inner third and brow bone highlight. I then applied the top right shade all over the remaining part of my eyelid (this was my favourite shade in the palette and reminded me of MAC Club). Finally I took a very small mixture of the bottom two shades and blended them into my crease to define the area a little more, however, I didn't go too intense. You can't see it in the picture but I also applied those two bottom shades to my lower lash line (I was feeling brave as I usually don't do this) to create an even more smokey look. Another great thing about this palette is that fact that you can use the eyeshadows wet or dry so you have the option to really intensify the shades. Once all of the eyeshadows were blended to my liking I went in with the Volume Vertige Mascara which helped bring the whole look together. The unique combination of the Reservoir© Brush which releases the perfect amount of mascara to maximise volume, and the formula enriched with a fixing botanical extract, this mascara left my lashes looking pretty sensational. I did find myself applying a few coats, however, I find this is sometimes the case with a fresh mascara I have never used before. 

The Giveaway

Yves Rocher have been very generous and have kindly offered one of my lovely followers the chance to win their own set of the products mentioned in this post (Primer, Kohl, Quad and Mascara). I do have a few different giveaways running at the moment but I love being able to give something back to my followers! 

1. You MUST be following my blog through GFC & Bloglovin' to qualify
2. You MUST be following Yves Rocher on Facebook & Twitter to qualify
3. This Giveaway will run until 27th April 2015 (2 weeks)
4. I am using Rafflecopter for this giveaway so please follow the instructions on the widget. Obviously, the more you enter the better the chance of winning this giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck everyone!

Overall, I was really impressed with the products I had the opportunity of trying and I am rather pleased with how my smokey eye turned out. After trying out a variety of Yves Rocher product I feel that they are great quality and worth a try if you are looking to give something new a go if you are looking to expand your beauty collection. Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and I make sure to read every single comment...they really make my day! 

Have you tried any Yves Rocher Products before? If yes, which are your favourite products? If no, which products would you love to give a try?

Lots of Love
*PR Sample
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