2017 Reflection & 2018 Goals

Hello My Lovelies,

Long time no speak! I hope you are all doing we and you have had a wonderful Christmas and you are set to have a fabulous New Year. I still can't believe how fast Christmas and the festive season just flew by and how it's almost New Years Eve! Can someone pinch me please?! I have been a little quiet over on my blog recently purely because I haven't been feeling quite like myself and sometimes I think some time away to reflect is the best thing. I guess we all lack motivation and inspiration at some point or another, I mean we are all human after all. With that being said I wanted to end 2017 with my annual reflection and goals post with the full intention to jump back blogging in full swing for 2018. I just wanted to write a little post reflecting on some of my high and low milestones this past year and of course, set myself and few personal and blogging related goals moving forward into 2018. If you would like to read my previous reflection and goals posts you can do so here - 2016 and 2015. This may be quite a lengthly post so I suggest you grab yourself a cup of tea, sit back, relax and enjoy!

A Spooktacular Lush Halloween Haul

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful start to the week. First things first, Happy Halloween! I thought what better day to share a Halloween Lush haul than on Halloween itself! The clocks went back over the weekend which means autumn and winter is officially here - more cosy nights and bubble baths are on the cards! A few weeks ago I stopped by my local Lush store and I went a little crazy, I have a YouTube video coming soon which will explain everything but I'm honestly still shooketh to the core!  If you have been reading my blog for quite some time then you will know that it's no secret that I absolutely adore them as a brand. Everything from their ethos, product range, limited edition collections and so much more - they really are my guilty pleasure. Whilst I was there I picked up a handful of products from the Halloween collection and I thought I would share them with you today.

Hello Autumn, It's Sweater Weather

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful start to the weekend. This week it felt as if we had finally started transitioning into the Autumn season and it honestly started to make me feel so excited for the final few months of 2017. I'm not really season bias because there are things I absolutely adore about them all, however, there is just something so satisfying about crisp Autumn mornings, the change in the colour palette, layering up with cosy clothes, drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate and much more. So, in honour of Autumn and also in honour of taking my blog into the fashion realm I thought I would share with you an Autumn outfit of the day in collaboration with Bodyform.

Mini Lush Haul

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful start to the week. Now, who doesn't love a good ol' Lush haul? Especially now the weather is getting colder I find myself drawn to Lush so much more. I am a huge fan of Bubble Baths and Lush always come out on top when it comes to pampering treats. If you have been reading my blog for quite some time then you will know that it's no secret that I absolutely adore them as a brand. Everything from their ethos, product range, limited edition collections and so much more - they really are my guilty pleasure. Whilst on my lunch break a few weeks ago I thought I would pop by my local store to stock up on some of my favourite products... and fingers crossed take a peek at some of the new autumn and winter limited edition collections.

L'Oreal Paradise Extatic Mascara Review

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a great start to the weekend. I thought today we would talk about the brand new L'Oreal Paradise Extatic Mascara, along with the full Paradise Extatic range, this mascara has been the talk of the beauty community at the moment and with good reason. I purchased this little gem at Heathrow airport a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to share my thoughts with you all.

The Bronze & Sculpt Edit | Rimmel London

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous weekend so far. I thought today I would share with you a few of my favourite bronze and sculpting products by Rimmel London that will help you achieve that summer glow everyone is loving at the moment. Now, I will openly hold my hands up and say that I love a glowy complexion - seriously, I pack on the highlighter like it's no bodies business. Even so, I love rocking a glowy look all year round regardless of different seasonal makeup trends. That is the great thing about makeup, there are no rules and you can wear and look however you want to. Rimmel London have always been one of my all time favourite drugstore makeup brands. I have staple products in my everyday makeup routine and they never seem to disappoint with their product line-up or new releases. They have always been consistent.

The Perfect Girls Night In With I Heart Wines

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful weekend so far. I have partnered up with I Heart Wines to share with you a few of my top tips for making sure you have the perfect girls night in. These days, our lives are becoming super hectic and we sometimes forget that we need some time out to destress and have some fun with our besties. Living in a hyper connected world means it can be difficult to make real time for your favourite people and coming from someone like me who is pretty much a workaholic, I can definitely hold my hands up and say that I could make more effort. Technology is amazing for keeping in contact, but nothing compares to special moments in real life where you can come together, eat good food and enjoy good wine!

There are some people in life that make you laugh a little louder, smile a little bigger and live just a little bit better

Glossybox | July 2017

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful week. I thought today we would take a peek inside this months Glossybox. Despite the rain and humidity we have been experiencing lately, Glossybox are still celebrating summer with their July 'Hello Summer' box! This months box features an edit of five travel essentials that will see you going from plane to poolside in no time whatsoever. This is the first of the Glossybox summer collectors edition boxes, so make sure you keep an eye out because you will be able to twin it with next month's special creation...'Girls Just Wanna Have Sun'! Also, to keep your travels as chic as possible, Glossybox have also designed an exclusive limited edition 'Hello Summer' beach tote bags for Glossies to get their hands on which will be available to purchase from www.glossybox.co.uk.

Revlon Pro Collection Salon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler Review & Giveaway

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and have had an amazing bank holiday weekend. I've been a little quite over on the blog recently but don't forget, if that that ever happens chances are I am still active on my social media channels and I'd love you to pop over and say hello. I love tweeting, instagramming and snapping haha. What better way to get back into blogging mode that to bring you a double review and giveaway all in one! The Revlon team reached out to me around 2 weeks ago and I jumped at the chance to try their new Pro Collection Salon One-Step Hair Dryer & Styler*. I have quite long and thick naturally wavy / curly hair and I'm not going to lie...it's a physical and mental challenge when it comes to washing, drying and styling my hair. Of course I love doing it but sometimes I really struggle with finding the energy and determination to do it - anyone else get like this? Also, they were incredibly lovely and offered me one to giveaway on my blog too - so stick around until the end of the review to see how you can win one for yourself.

Glossybox | May 2017

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous weekend so far. I love subscription boxes and I thought today would be the perfect day to take a peek inside May's Glossybox. We're all guilty of buying that wear-once statement piece over the more sensible staples. This May, Glossybox wanted to remind use that sometimes it's all about the basics that underpin any good wardrobe, or in this case the same applies to our cosmetics and skincare. The May 'Back to Basics' box includes five simple but super must-haves for your beauty bag.

Behind The Scene with Britain's Next Top Model & Patisserie de Bain

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful weekend so far.

I have quite an exciting post to share with you today, one that has been in the making for around 6 months now! I was lucky enough to be invited backstage to view the recording of season 11 of Britains Next Top Model with Patisserie de Bain. It has killed me having to keep this under wraps but now the episode has aired I am allowed to finally talk to you all about my experience. At the time of the shoot we didn't really know any information other than the location, the theme and that we could go backstage and take lots of snaps! During the handful of years I have been blogging this has definitely been one of the best experiences I have had and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to see one of my favourite televisions shows being films from behind the scenes.

10 Top Tips For Starting Your Morning Right

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful weekend so far. I have been struggling with a little motivation lately and I've come to the conclusion that it is simply because I might not be starting my morning off like I should. I hate not having a productive day and I have no one but myself to blame for that but we are all human and sometimes these things happen. So, I though today I would share with you some of my top tips for starting your morning off right so you have a productive day. I know for a fact that if I wake up and do these steps then my day is going to be a lot more productive and positive. I really hope you enjoy these tips and please feel free to leave any additional suggestions in the comments below.

10 Quotes To Live By

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and have had a wonderful weekend. I thought today I would take a step back and share some inspiring words of wisdom with you all. It is no secret that I love a good quote and sometimes they are exactly what we need to perk us up when we are in need of some inspiration, motivation or something to deal with the haters. I was inspired to put my own twist on this after reading India's post a few weeks ago and I thought today would be a great day to share it with you...especially as I have been absent from my blog for a few weeks now and feel like these words are something I definitely need to hear to get me back on track. There are so many different quotes that inspire me on a daily basis but I thought I would share 10 that really stand out to me.

Glossybox Valentines Day Edition | February 2017

Help My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well! So, it's February which means Valentines Day is just around the corner so expect to see lots of themed posts propping up on the blog and on my various social channels. I am a single pringle but that doesn't mean you can't celebrate Valentines Day with all the other people you love. I'm actually off to watch the new 50 Shades of Grey movie this evening with the girl band and I'm looking forward to our little Galentines Day outing. Rambling aside I thought today I would share with you this months Glossybox which is themed all around Valentines Day...very appropriate considering it is only a few days away. This Limited Edition box contains 4 full size products with the addition of one deluxe sample and I was pleasantly surprised with the contents. I feel like the content this month is the perfect combination to help you get ready for that special Valentines Day date!

Collective Charlotte Tilbury Haul

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful weekend so far. I took to Twitter to see what you would like to see on the blog next and the majority wanted to see my Charlotte Tilbury haul. I picked up a few goodies before and after Christmas and decided to combine them into a collective haul. It's a little crazy to even be mentioning Christmas still as we are now in February but I absolutely love haul posts and could't resist sharing some new additions with you all. Charlotte Tilbury has grown to become one of my all time favourite beauty brands and I am always left so impressed after using anything from the line. The Charlotte Tilbury range launched in September 2013 to unprecedented rave reviews and broke all records. I have featured a few Charlotte Tilbury products on my blog already but I am very excited to slowly but surely be expanding my collection.

LUSH Valentines Day Haul

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a wonderful week so far. With February just round the corner I thought it was only fitting that I start sharing some of the Valentines Day posts I have planned for you all this year. I thought what better way to kick things off then with a LUSH haul?! If you have been reading my blog for quite some time then you will know that it's no secret that I absolutely adore them as a brand. Everything from their ethos, full product range, limited edition collection and so much more - they really are my guilty pleasure. Whilst on my lunch break last week I quickly popped by my local LUSH store to check out the new Valentines Day collection and it is an absolutely beauty! I was actually given a one-on-one tour and talk through of the entire Valentines Collection and I want to say a huge thank you to Chloe from the Milton Keynes store for being so lovely and helpful. I tried to be good considering I have *kinda* been on a January spending ban but I couldn't resist picking up a few bits to share with you all.

Charlotte Tilbury New & Exclusive | Pillow Talk & Valentine

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having an amazing week so far - yay for the weekend! If you have been reading my blog for a while then you will know that I am such a huge lipstick fan and I honestly think that you can never have too many. I just love how a lipstick can instantly switch you any makeup look and change the way you feel. So, around a week or so ago when Charlotte Tilbury revealed that she was adding not one but two new and exclusive lipsticks to her iconic makeup line I knew that I had to find out more and make them mine.

Quick & Easy Healthy Breakfast Ideas ft. Alpro

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous weekend so far. Not so long ago I was contacted by Alpro to give their Alpro Oat Original Chilled and Alpro On The Go ranges a try. I have collaborated with Alpro on a few occasions and I am a genuine fan of their product range so I thought I would share these fabulous products with you today and share some quick and easy healthy breakfast recipes. I have been on a continuous fitness journey since January 2016 and I am slowly but surely getting to a place where I am more conscious of what I am eating and I have to say that these alternatives from Alpro have helped make life so much easier - especially for a milk lover like me who is trying to cut down my dairy intake. You can see my previous Alpro posts here and here.

The Edible Edit With Deliciously Stella | Glossybox January 2017

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous weekend so far. This is my first official beauty post of the year and I thought it was only fitting that I share with you the first Glossybox on 2017; The Edible Edit with Deliciously Stella. This little beauty landed on my doorstep this week and I couldn't wait to share it with you all. I even posted a little sneak peek over on Instagram (@SophiaMeola)! I have reviewed a few different subscription boxes on my blog and I have to say that I really do like them and their overall concept. In some instances you have no idea what is going to arrive in your box and is it almost like a little surprise to yourself. I mean, who doesn't like treating themselves from time to time haha. Not only that but it also offers you the chance to try out some products or brands that you might not have necessarily been drawn to in the first instance...it is a great way to expand your beauty collection and try out some fabulous new goodies!

7 Top Tips For Staying Organised

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and had a great week. I took this week out from blogging purely because it was my first week back at work and it has also been my first week back on Slimming World and honestly, it hasn't been easy! I said at the beginning of the year that I wasn't going to put pressure on myself when it comes to blogging because ultimately I want it to be a safe and comfortable place where I can escape and ramble with you all. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for the positive feedback on my 104 Blog Post Ideas To Keep You Inspired post I posted last week - it has been so lovely hearing that you are going to bookmark the article and use it throughout the year whenever you need some inspiration. I have absolutely been loving sharing blogging tips and overall positivity on the blog and Instagram (@SophiaMeola) so I thought I would continue the theme with todays post.

104 Blog Post Ideas To Keep You Inspired

Hello My Lovelies,

Happy New Year! I hope you all had an amazing and safe New Years Eve and a fabulous start to 2017. I am so excited for the upcoming year ahead - we all have 12 new chapters and 365 new chances and I've already decided that 2017 is going to be ridiculously amazing!

Now, if you read my 2015 Reflection & 2017 Goals post then you will know that I am all about change this year; saying yes more, throwing myself outside my comfort zone and ultimately starting how I mean to go on. I set myself a handful of goals this year and one of them was to become more organised and I feel so motivated to stick by this and really give my blog even more loving this year. I'm sure we have all struggled with inspiration at some point...at the end of the day we are only human! So, throughout the last few months of 2016 I started to compile a little list of blog post ideas and I thought I would share them all with you today; I have broken them down into Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle and Blogging categories so feel free to jump to your favourite category. The possibilities are endless when it comes to blog post ideas and I really hope the below list gives you some inspiration for 2017.