WEEKEND PLANNING

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Okay okay, true to form I made around 100 New Year's Resolutions for 2014.

Be more healthy, be more fit, be more organised, be more selfless, blog more, travel more....blah blah blah. New Year's Resolutions are great things because you aim to better yourself but often we set ourselves up for disappointment (NY resolution #58 - learn to spell disappointment).

So, instead of striving to obtain impossible goals, I am going to just make little manageable changes to my life and of course...my blog.

Vis à vis my 'be more organised' resolution, I am going to post every Friday with a few ideas on how to organise ones weekend a little more whilst simultaneously hitting a few of the classic 'resolutions'. 

1. Read a chapter of a book.

- Let's face it, as we mature we don't often read as much. It's sad because growing up often gives us a self-awareness that goes hand in hand with a good book. But be it not having enough time or not having enough energy we slack and eventually give into the temptation of watching a movie. Well, instead of saying "I will read a book a night and then some" and inevitably failing, why not aim to read just a chapter? Usually, (if the book is a good'un) you will want to read on. But you have to try it first, can't judge it by its cover.

2. Clean our your laptop/phone

- Snooze eh? At the moment I am going through the incredibly frustrating "not enough storage" process on my iPhone. Every time I go to take a picture of a friend I have to make them awkwardly stand there for a minute or two whilst I go through my album to delete a few cat photos. So, this Saturday I will spend a minimum of 20 minutes clearing out all the needless photos of lattes and be done with it!

3. Clean your makeup brushes

- This mundane task bores the life out of me and I often forget to do it. But come Monday morning I am caking 3 weeks of old makeup onto my face and cursing myself for not doing it when I had the chance. Why not make it as fun as humanly possible? Go get your laptop, a glass of wine and put on your favourite show and get to work! 

What are your 'resolutions' and do you like this kind of post? 

INTRODUCING....

Jumper - Topshop

Snood - All Saints

Coat - Zara

Jeans - Topshop

Boots - Garage

Meet my sister Amy. Isn't she gorgeous?

For the past few months I have been hankering on to Amy about starting up her own fashion blog as her style is amazing. After a few discussions we decided it best to collaborate on my blog as I already have a few followers and shucks, it's nice to see it as a family business, right?

A little info on my little sister. Amy is 20, studying Creative Advertising at University, is a shopaholic and has a keen interest in high street fashion. 

Sadly, the glorious days of when we lived together are over as she spends most of her time in Leeds. So, every so often she is going to send me a few snaps of outfits she has worn and I will describe, divulge and digress through my blog posts. 

Raise of hands here...who would like Amy's wardrobe?

HYPED PRODUCT

Now, I am sure you have heard of this hyped product which incredibly tricky to get hold of! the La Roche Posay Serozinc is not sold in the UK (...yet) but it can be bought on eBay with just a few clicks, so don't fret!

Some of my favourite beauty bloggers had ranted about the toner so I had to try it. The first thing I noticed  about this concocation (made up of 99.15% water, 0.75% Sodium Chloride and 0.10% Zinc Sulfate) is it doesn't tingle but leaves your face feeling fresh and healthy. Although tingling is not always a good sign I often worry if something just feels like water on my face (unless it's my trusty Bioderma!) 

The good new is my skin has cleared up  and seemed to have calmed down, (I can brave the outside world without foundation.) However, the bad news is that I have had a complete skincare revamp and this means I cannot quite work out which product has saved my skin...I guess you will just have to wait for a few more posts from my new skincare regime to find out what was the saving grace. 

Have you tried Serozinc?

ALLURE

Hello, my name is Sophie and I am a perfume-a-holic.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately...) I cannot afford to splash out on a new perfume every week which results in my lunch hour being spent in Boots, spritzing and spraying to find my scent of the month. Of course, I return to work smelling 'like a tarts handbag' (a classic Dad saying there...) but hey...that's the life of a beauty blogger.

So imagine my surprise when a certain someone bought me a little random gift on his lunch hour. Chanel perfume? Well, you can never go wrong with a bit of Chanel. After all, many of their scents have become classics. (I am sure you have all seen the Marilyn Monroe advert pledging her love for Chanel No. 5? Pretty much sums it up) As perfumes go they are craved and adored by many.

Allure certainly oozes the elegance of Chanel through its strong notes of vanilla but retains a feminine flirtatious appeal with floral topnotes. It's a warm scent and modern scent, backed by a fine mist of soft florals and is a perfect scent for the transition from winter to spring. The overall scent is certainly unforgettable; partly due to the staying power and somewhat to do with the distinct 'je ne sais quoi' that comes free with every Chanel product.

Are you a confessed perfume-a-holic?

WIWT

WIWT....

This is just a quick snap as as the moment the weather does not permit for 'professional' blog photos. Ignore my messy room in the background, I was in such a rush that I didn't have time to perfect the background aesthetic (bad blogger...I know)

However, I quite liked my casual outfit I threw together before rushing out the door and this jacket is also perfect for hiding that extra layer of warmth everyone puts on over the winter. 

A lowdown of my winter getup 

- Borg lined denim jacket (an amazing Christmas present) £58

- Tartan scarf Topman £12

- Longchamp bag £48

Topshop leigh jeans £38

Topshop mighty boots £45 (pretty sure they are in the Topshop sale now...)

(Hairbrush and single slipper optional...)

A GLIMPSE OF MY 2013

Some of my favourite moments/photos of 2013

1) London with my sister to see The Book of Mormon (best theatre production out there...)

2) Well needed reunion of my Erasmus buddies who live all over the UK.

3) 24th Birthday (work like to pretend I am ancient...)

4) Being whisked off to the Hilton in Leeds for a romantic weekend.

5) Traditional Christmas Eve 'front door photo' (kindly taken by the taxi driver.)

6) Graduating in French and English (BA Hons - 2:1) from University of Liverpool.

7) Holiday and jumping from a boat.

8) Selfie with this sis' 'on top of a mountain' (10 points for quote recognition)

9) Date night with a duck shirt.