Summer Songs

Hey,
I've had a few comments about my blog on instagram (follow me: d3l3vingne) and I figured that my next post would be about summer tunes that I love right now!
I would say I have quite a mixed music taste, I like all sorts really, old and new.
This post is going to focus on new music that's more well known as there are too many old songs to mention!



1 - John Newman - Love Me Again
I love this song at the moment - it's really feel good, great for dancing to and it has an awesome music video!









2 - Lana Del Ray vs Cedric Gervais - Summertime Sadness (remix)
I must admit, Lana is beautiful but I'm not really too into her music as I find it a little depressing but I've fallen in love with the remix of it!










3 - Do I Wanna Know and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor by the Arctic Monkeys
Not much to say really apart from I'm a huge arctic monkeys fan and these are my two favourite of their singles!






4 - Way In The World by Nina Nesbitt
Nina is gorgeous and I love her music too, this is my favourite of hers

5 - Walcott, Diane Young and Unbelievers by Vampire Weekend
I am so obsessed with V-W it's unbelievable and it took me a good few minutes to try and settle on my favourites of their songs! I also love a punk of course as well as Hannah Hunt, I think ur a contra, Holiday and cousins.



6 - True Love by P!nk and Lily Allen
I'm not really into this sort of music but I actually love this song and it's amazing to turn up loud, dance and sing along to when you're home alone! :)










7 - Think of You and Hurricane by Ms Mr
Like one of my favourite artists at the moment, love all their music but these are two of their singles you may have heard of, there's also a really creepy music video that someone's made to hurricane that isn't official but I love watching late at night even though it scares me to death! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brJozYDT0Ts





8 - Hold Me, Another Love and I Know by Tom Odell
Urghh it's so hard trying to pick my favourite Tom Odell song! Since I saw him at one of his free promotional gigs and met him and his band afterwards I haven't been able to stop listening to his new album Long Way Down! It's defo my fave summer album and I have to say it, he is actually better live than recorded!







9 - Best Song Ever by One Direction
Yes I know this is another poppy song but it is so great for singing along to at the top of your voice, and doesn't everyone love One Direction!? I've heard a snippet of the leaked song "Just Can't Let Her Go" and I love it! It's really quite different fro
m all of their other stuff. 
I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it is actually them, I'm not sure if it's real or a fake but I could definitely pick out at least Harry and Louis' voices very distinctively...




10 - I Will Survive by Leah McFall
This isn't technically her song or a released single or anything but it was my fave of her performances on The Voice and it's amazing. I love her even more now she follows me on twitter! Check out her youtube account for some of her covers and I'm so excited about her debut album and some collaborations with will.i.am! http://www.youtube.com/user/LeahMcFall






11 - No Angels by Bastille
Final one, yes I know 11 is a weird number to finish on but I just couldn't do a music list without not including Bastille! This isn't an original song by them but I sort of cover/remix of two songs - No Scrubs by TLC (childhood favourite) and Angels by the XX. It's beautiful and you should definitely have a listen, I actually think I prefer this to their songs that they've written themselves (they've done loads of covers and I love them all!)

Hope you liked that list! That's just off the top of my head and there are obviously loads more and I am aware I haven't got any obscure track in there or any old classics but this is just fairly current music. Please comment on what my next post could be, thanks for reading! x

Decoupage

Hellooo, 
I just wanted to write a short post about this craft activity thing called decoupage. I'd seen it done on a few things before but only really discovered it recently! Basically, it's where you get an item, eg. a cardboard letter and cover it with special papers that you rip up and glue on, then you varnish it to make it shiny. Anyway i'm doing a terrible job of explaining it so just google it or something!
I got some cardboard letters for my birthday, spelling out my name Sophie, and I also got some really pretty papers.

I thought all of the papers looked really good to start with but it turns out that some are better than others. I would recommend getting papers with a consistent pattern and I would also say that spots aren't the best choice as it looks a little odd when you put them on! Flowers look really good though and they're also mega cute. 

I also got a tiny giraffe to decoupage as well, it's so cuuuute!! 

The brand of papers I got was 'Deco Mache'. I love all of their patterns so I would highly recommend them although there is plenty of other choice.

As well as the stuff to decoupage and the papers, you will need some varnish. Some people use the varnish to stick on the papers, but I just use PVA then varnish the finished product.

You can get all of the stuff from Hobbycraft, they have a massive range of decoupage products. It actually ends up quite cheap too, and they are great fun to make and look amazing when finished! 



 

"This or That" Beauty Tag

Hi - this is really soon after my last post but I've seen this on a few blogs and it seems like good fun, so here we go! ♡
BLUSH or BRONZER- I'd have to go for bronzer, even though I don't wear it often it really gives me a natural glow when I do
LIPGLOSS or LIPSTICK-  I never wear lipstick, so definitely lipgloss! 
EYELINER or MASCARA-  If I had to choose only one, I would go for mascara as I think eyeliner looks weird alone. I also find eyeliner so hard to put on and especially get both sides even!
FOUNDATION or CONCEALER-  100% concealer. I don't like wearing full foundation as it makes my skin terrible and I feel really greasy! 
NEUTRAL or COLOUR EYESHADOW- Neutral. Colour eyeshadow is so 80s in a bad way.
PRESSED or LOOSE EYESHADOW-  Pressed because loose are so messy and manage to get everywhere!
BRUSHES or SPONGES- I don't use sponges so brushes. I find brushes give a lighter and more even coverage.
LONG or SHORT NAILS-  Long! (But not too long) They look so much nicer than short bitten nails in my opinion.
ACRYLIC or NATURAL NAILS-  I've never had acrylics and even though they look lush, they are really bad for your nails and hard to get off so natural
PERFUME or BODY SPLASH- Body splash - I really love it because it's not as strong as perfume! 
LOTION or BODY BUTTER- Body butter - I especially love the Body Shop stuff
LUSH or OTHER BATH COMPANY- Lush as my auntie is the head of all of the Iceland shops so always get freebies from there! Also, they host great birthday parties!
JEANS or SWEAT PANTS- Jeans
LONG or SHORT SLEEVES- Short, I find long sleeves get too hot whatever the weather and always tight around my wrists
DRESSES or SKIRTS- Oooo this is the hardest one so far! I love both but dresses because they're easier as you don't have to worry about finding a top to match.
STRIPES or PLAID- Stripes, I don't think I own anything plaid
FLIP FLOPS or SANDALS- This is another really tough one because I love and have loads of both! But overall..... Sandals!
NECKLACES or BRACELETS- Bracelets
CURLY or STRAIGHT HAIR- I used to straighten my hair when it was shorter but now it's grown longer it looks really nice curly!
LONG or SHORT HAIR- I used to have really short hair but the older I got the worse it looked!! I wish I looked good like some people with short hair because it's so much easier! So I grew it out and now I love it, so long.
LIGHT or DARK HAIR- Light, I have blonde hair and I loveeee it hehe 
SIDE or FULL FRINGE- Side, I haven't ever had a full fringe but I can imagine it would look terrible on me! Full fringes also tend to make you look quite a lot younger so it only really works on some people
UP or DOWN- Down, I never wear my hair up cause it looks terrible
I really hope you enjoyed reading this! Feel free to use it on your own blog and keep it going! You could always add a few of your own if you wanted to... If you have any ideas for new posts please comment below!

Fashion Picks for August

Hello, I hope you all read my post on my favourite instagrammers and gave them a follow - they really are worth it! I though I'd tell you a bit about the new clothes I've got in the last few weeks, some of them have been great bargains!
Recently, I've really gotten into my fashion and trying to find new and unique clothes to develop my own style. My favourite shops currently are:

• H&M 
• Urban Outfitters
• River Island
• Topshop
• Zara

What I love about urban outfitters is that all of their clothes are really unique and colourful, they have nothing dull in there and whenever I shop there, I literally want to buy everything! 

The down side is that it can be a little expensive but you can get some great finds that are really affordable in there.

Unfortunately there isn't an Urbans in my local area so whenever I see one I always have a look and it's a real treat. Apparently they're building one in my town centre soon so I have that to really look forwards to!

1 - My first thing I've bought is a skater style dress from Superdry. I managed to find it in the outlet shop near where I live. I really wasn't expecting to find anything in there because there are just rows and rows of reduced items and about 99% of it is crap but when you find something worth having, it's great! The picture is a bit dark but it is white and pale grey stripes and it is really flattering on. It was originally £35.99 but reduced down to £10.99 which was a total bargain and I love it! It goes especially well with summery shoes/converse but unfortunately not with tights. 

I think outlet shops are great but you have to have the patience to sort through all of the stuff and also all of the people there! Quite a lot of the time you find something lovely but it's in completely the wrong size so you have to be prepared for all sorts!!

2 - The second item is a skirt from Urban Outfitters in the vintage renewal section, this is where they take old materials and clothes and re-work them to make them more up to date. It's fab because they never have the same two things in different shops from the renewal section! 

This particular skirt was from an old shop that had shut down a long time ago in the 70's. It really caught my eye and I was so relieved that they had it in my size because they have a whole rail of skirts that are all different, sources from different shops and vintage materials and they are all different sizes.

I wouldn't really call it a bargain as it was £30 but it goes with so many clothes and I've had a few compliments on it so it was really worth it!
(I'm not naked, I'm wearing a crop top)

3 - My third item is a black and white jumper from Zara. I actually got this when I was in Copenhagen in Denmark but I looked on their website and it is available in the UK. 
I love the pattern and the whole jumper because although it is quite simple, it is really effective! It is high necked and actually goes really well with shorts as well as trousers.
Usually Zara can be quite expensive, especially all of the stuff I want to get typically turns out really pricey but I spotted it near the till and it was actually only about 120 Kroner, roughly £15!

4 - My final item is again, from Urban Outfitters. It was in the designers section where independent designers have the chance to get their clothes noticed and I really love it! The design on it is so cute, loads of little white elephants. It has two splits at the side which means the front is shorter than the back. I absolutely love this because it means you can wear it with leggings without your knickers showing through and it is almost a crop top at the front.
It was £30 however, which is loads for a top and I might not pay this out of my own money even though it's my favourite top but luckily I was on a shopping trip with my grandma and she very kindly bought it for me!
(I'll quickly just mention how much better this looks on! I really am doing it no justice in this picture!)

Fashion/Beauty Instagram Picks for August

Hello!
I hope you all enjoyed my August beauty picks, I've had quite a few page views but no comments so far so please comment any feedback or what you'd like me to do in the future!
This post is just a quick one about my favourite instagrammers. I've become really addicted to instagram recently; I love the way everyone's feeds look beautiful no matter what they post and I think the range and variety of themes you can find is incredible. I literally can spend hours just discovering new and exciting users! I'm mostly going to focus on fashion and beauty users this time and if you want to follow me on instagram then please feel free as I will follow you back: d3l3vingne. This is one of my fan accounts, not my personal account which I don't want to post on here yet for privacy reasons. 

1 - I'm going to start with my absolute favourite user: studdedpetals 
She is a very successful instagrammer who already has her own business at 15: studded petals clothing (http://www.studdedpetals.co.uk) She sells all sorts of fashionable tees and accessories at an affordable price and I love looking round the website to see what she's currently stocking!
Her instagram is really fashionable and ever post she has is stylish. She gives really good tips on how to  find bargains at sales and her outfits are always gorgeous. 

2 - My second pic is adoreyourcoutureayc. Adore Your Couture (http://www.adoreyourcouture.bigcartel.com) originally started as a Facebook business but they were so successful that they have expanded to instagram and twitter! They create amazing products such as bikinis, phone cases and dresses/skirts/shorts and all of it is really affordable. The girl that runs it is so sweet and they are definetely worth following if you are in to girly stuff.

AYC Phone Case 

AYC Skater Skirt

3 - My third pick is anouskaanastasia. I don't know what it is about her feed that I love but it is just totally perfect! All of her posts are done in beautiful colours and it's really girly and lovely. Her pictures have given me loads of style ideas and she has some great beauty ideas too! 

 


















4 - My final choice is wahnails. ( http://wah-nails.com) They are quite a big account and well known as one of the best London nail art bars and I love all of their designs. They are completely unique and different from what you usually see and you can even get custom designed nails for a good price. 
I have had a manicure from them once before and they were all really friendly and I loved the final product! 

August Beauty Picks

Hi everyone - this is my first ever post and I hope you like it! I thought I'd tell you about my beauty picks for August. All of the things that I recommend are products that I use myself so I can assure you they are all great! 

1 - No7 Colour Calming Primer

So my first beauty pick would have to be the colour calming primer by No7. I use this every single day and it literally is a lifesaver! If, like me, you have quite red and blotchy skin then I would totally recommend this. The green colour helps to calm down the pigment in your skin and gives a smooth complexion. 

When I use it, I usually mix it with my normal moisturiser because I do find that it can get a bit claggy where it's been resting at the top of the bottle. Then I smooth it onto my skin (particularly my cheeks and around my eyes) and it really gives me a smooth, consistent colour.

You can get this from most beauty stores but I get mine from boots because it is always in stock there and it seems to always go out of stock in places like superdrug. It does cost around £10, which sounds really expensive but it is a total bargain. As I mix it with my moisturiser, I only use a tiny bit each time but it still works so each bottle lasts me well over a year. 

No7 Colour Calming Primer 

How the primer turns out on skin 

2 - No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara 

My second pick is the mascara I use. This too is from No7 and it is again around £10-£11 which does seem like a lot of money but for what you get it really is good. (And I often get people asking where I get my mascara from!) There are a few different variations on this mascara range but as I have a pale complexion and blonde hair I get the black/brown one which comes in a purple bottle. It isn't too harsh on my skin colour whilst still giving impact. If you have a darker complexion and/or darker hair I would recommend you get the black one.

It might seem unusual to be giving advice on mascara as lots of different people have very different preferences but I honestly think this suits everyone! It gives great definition and the brush allows you to almost choose your style. 

Also, it's waterproof which is a great bonus that allows me to wear it in any weather however it comes off easily with makeup remover too. 

If there is one downside of this, it would have to be that it doesn't give great volume as it is more aimed at the natural look which is my preference. For college it is great as there is a strict makeup rule but if i'm going out to a party I find myself going over the top with another mascara that gives more volume. 

The mascara on lashes 

The black/brown mascara

So I hope you all enjoyed reading my first blog post! I know that I only picked out two products but I wanted to go into quite a lot of detail which I hope I did successfully. Hopefully for my next post, I'll be doing something on fashion and where to get good bargains. I'm also looking to do something on my favourite fashion and beauty instagrammers. If you have any requests for what you'd like me to do next please leave any comments and if you have anything to say on this post please give me some feedback, it'd be greatly appreciated. 

Thankyou - Sophie x