Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

It's been a while since I bought new nail polish. I kind of put myself on a ban as my collection is rather large, but I just couldn't help myself. 

Makeup Wishlist (November)

Here are some makeup items that I am lusting after:
1. Morphe 350 Palette

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks

3. NYX Butter Lipsticks

4. MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation

5. Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipsticks

6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

7. NYX Butter Lip Gloss

8. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

9. Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

NYX Butter Lipstick/Gloss (IMATS)

NYX Butter Lipstick/Gloss

Today I will be talking about some lip products I got from NYX. I picked these goodies up at IMATS, so the prices listed below are the discounted prices.

YOURS - Plus Size Fashion Haul

I love Yours, they are one of my favourite places to buy plus size fashion items from. They are trendy clothes and not overly priced.

If you follow me on twitter (@sonyalovesmkeup) you would’ve seen me tweeting a lot about how much money I’d been spending at Yours Clothing. I basically was hitting up my local store every Saturday for like a month or so. Which is a little bizarre for me as I am not much of a big spender...well not for clothes anyway.

This post should have been up ages ago. As a blogger sometimes you need to rely on others to help you take shots of your hauls or OOTD's. Well I finally got someone(s) (my sister and best friend) to take my photos for me, so now I can share with you the items I got.

So let's get on with the haul...

MAC Chestnut Lip Liner

MAC Chestnut Lip Liner - £12.50

 Trying to create the nude effect for darker skinned women to me has been quite the struggle. Nobody wants concealer looking lips...well I definitely do not. Finding that right balance can be tricky. 

Japonesque Velvet Touch Eyeshadow Duo

Japonesque Velvet Touch Eyeshadow Duo*

When you're a blogger, youtuber, lover of makeup or whatever you wanna call yourself, you come across a lot of makeup brands. Japonesque is a name I've heard a lot but never had the opportunity to try.

Afternoon Tea - Grosvenor House, Park Lane

Afternoon Tea @ Grosvenor House

I have always wanted to go to Afternoon Tea, it just seemed like such a fun girly day out. I  have slowly been compiling a list of things I would like to do, such as places to visit and activities to try etc. Afternoon Tea was one of the items on my list.

My sister found a deal on Book Table. The deal was for Afternoon Tea and unlimited champagne...yes you read that right unlimited.

Grosvenor House, A JW Marriot Hotel - Mayfair
Park Lane
London
W1K 7TN

Big Moe's Diner

Big Moe's Diner

I love America, it's one of my favourite places to visit, and they do some of the best food. I'd seen a sign for Big Moe's Diner and was eager to try it out. So when I realised that my cinema of choice (Showcase) is located in the same Leisure Park as the 50s style American Diner, I was very excited.

My Body Is Not Your Business! FAT and NOT Ashamed!

Source: Austen Marie

FAT! UNDESIREABLE! UNATTRACTIVE! MORBIDLY OBESE! ASHAMED! UNWANTED! UNLOVED! SUB HUMAN! JUDGED! UNWORTHY! IRRELEVANT! UGLY! OBESE! HIDEOUS! DON’T DESERVE TO BE ALIVE! WASTE OF SPACE!

These are sadly words I’ve used to describe myself or how I have been made to feel. Some of the words are facts, I am obese but that isn’t all that I am. But the derogatory terms are how people and the media have made me feel. And it’s not right. I am much more than my size.

I have never felt prouder of the plus sized community than I have in the last few months. And I wanted to properly introduce myself and share my story with everyone. I have been working on this post for several months, tweaking and adding bits to it but never felt it was the right time to post. But with everything that has been going on in the blogging world, on social media, youtube and the actual media regarding the plus sized community there has never been a better time to share this.

Essence Cosmetics

Essence Makeup

I love that most times I write about something there is a story behind it. But to me writing these posts is like talking to my girl friends (and guy friends) and telling them about my interests and the things I like. So here's today's story time. I was looking though a magazine with my best friend, and one of the ads was for Essence makeup, the tag line read "Europe's No.1 makeup brand." I had never heard of this brand before, but with that kind of tagline I had to check it out.

Body Positivity and Weight Loss

It has been going off on twitter the past couple days.

I feel like as a member of the plus size community I don't speak up enough on issues that we face, but I am trying to change that. And this topic really hit home for me, so I wanted to take to the blog and put my two cents in.

Today's topic is, "Can you be body positive and lose weight at the same time?"

I see all the time in the plus size community people saying that you can't be body positive and lose weight. I am now gonna weigh in on this heavily discussed and debated topic that has caused some good and not so good opinions. This post isn't me calling anybody out or judging anyone for how they think and feel. This is just my personal opinion on the subject.

Band of the week: *NSYNC

I'm finally back to doing my music series. I've missed sharing my taste in music and fave songs with you guys. I love when other people share their musical interest, that way you can find a band or solo artist that you've never heard of. Or find an new genre that you didn't think you'd like.And today we're having a major throwback, I'm talking circa 1995-2002. That's right I'm talking about one of the most loved boy bands of the 90s and early 00s...NSYNC!

Rimmel Apocalips Matte Lip Velvet

Rimmel Apocalips Matte Lip Velvet - £6.49

All Star Lanes - Bowling + Noms

ALL STAR LANES - STRATFORD WESTFIELD

My best friend loves bowling, so for her birthday she wanted to hit up All Star Lanes for some bowling action and food.

Now I tend not to bowl as I really can't stand the thought of wearing rented shoes , it makes me completely skeev. And don't get me started on handling the bowling balls, those little holes are like an incubus of viral plague. As you can tell I am not one for germs.

Although I wasn't partaking in the germy bowling fun I still was present for the meal.

Crown Brush Haul (IMATS)

CROWN BRUSH

My first stop at IMATS was the Crown Brush booth. Crown brush has been on my wishlist for a while, as they have a wide variety of brushes, makeup and great dupes of other brands at a fraction of the cost.

The prices stated below are that of the ones on the website. The brushes at IMATS were at a reduced cost, but the receipt I have doesn't have the breakdown cost of each item. But the prices on the website are still really affordable.

This haul should've cost £27.94, but I got it for £22,. Not too shabby.

IMATS LONDON 2015

After many years of wanting to attend, I FINALLY made it to IMATS! I don't think I can fully express how excited I was to go. 

Saturday 11th July me and my best friend Leanne made our way to South Kensington, with our purses in tow ready for the day ahead. Neither of us had been before and had no idea what to expect, but I was thoroughly surprised with what the day brought.

Disclaimer: This post is picture heavy with some writing sprinkled throughout.

All White Errrthang

1. White Leather Gladiator Block Heels

2. White Basic Lace Up Plimolls 

3. White Lace Up Striped Sole Plimsolls

4. White Ankle Strap Block Heel Sandals

5. Wide Fit White Jewelled Strap Sandals

 6. White Leather Chunky Ankle Strap Heels

7. Wide Fit White Ankle Strap Sandals 

CAUDALIE THÉ DES VIGNES FRESH FRAGRANCE

Caudalie - The Des Vignes Fresh Fragrance - £26

"Thé des Vignes is a particularly sweet and sensual water. A secretive water to wear in the evening, it combines sensual notes of white musk and neroli with a hint of ginger liquor, with an infusion of orange blossom and jasmine."

Am I the only one that doesn't feel right if they leave the house without spritzing themselves with their fave or current fragrance of the moment? Ohhhh I hear a new blog series looming, haha.

This fragrance was a gift from my lovely mummy, she always does nice things like this for me when she is out shopping. She purchased this fragrance from Space NK. 

When it comes to longevity and strong scents my mum is my perfume guru. For years and years I'd raid her perfume stash, to be honest I still do it now. 

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Expert Face Brush

£7.35

I purchased my first REAL TECHNIQUES brushes last year for my birthday as a little treat to myself. I'd wanted them for the longest time and haven't really used anything else since I cracked open the packaging.

ANXIETY! + tips on how to deal with it

Source: Google images

I was diagnosed with anxiety/social anxiety at around the age of 19/20. I’d had mini panic attacks before my diagnosis but hadn't realised what they were or why I was having them. They consisted of these intense rushes of panic and fear and I felt like I was spiralling down. My first full blown attack was awful, I couldn’t breathe and thought I was dying. My sister called me an ambulance and I was taken to hospital, I know so dramatic right. They did some tests but didn’t find anything wrong with me, so I went to the GP and after talking to me realised what the problem was. After my visit they referred me for counselling.

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation and Fix+

When I went to get my Back 2 Mac lipsticks I was also on a mission to get a new foundation. 

For the longest time I used MAC Studio Fix Fluid, but that was not the right foundation for my skin type and I always found it to be too heavy. I knew I needed to change it but it was sheer laziness, me not doing my makeup as much, wanting to use up what I'd paid for and the fact that I don't live close to a MAC store that stopped me from updating this any sooner. Yeah excuses excuses, but I finally did it. After doing some research I knew what I wanted to try next, Studio Sculpt. I've only ever heard good things about this foundation and the concealer everyone was obsessed with before it was discontinued.

BTW: Never keep using a product just because you've paid for it. If it doesn't work get rid f it, sell it on or give it to family or friends who can benefit from it. Doing this is also a good way to have a clear out of your makeup.

Gothic Makeup (Rimmel Mini Haul)

I've shared with you guys previously the beauty bargains you can get in Poundland. I know not the most glamorous or high-end of places, but they do sell known beauty/makeup brands for £1. And those are the kinds of bargains I am here for. This time round I got some makeup bits form Rimmel and some false eyelashes (which were the kind of quality you'd expect for £1).

BACK 2 MAC Lipstick Haul

MAC Cosmetics Lipstick

For those of you who do not know this, if you return 6 empties to a MAC counter or online you get a free lipstick. I think that is pretty frickin sweet considering that their lipsticks retail at £15.50.

So I headed to MAC in Stratford Westfield, with my empties in tow. I had such a lovely girl at MAC (and I wish I could remember her name) helping me choose the my lipsticks. If you've been to a MAC store or counter you know how daunting it can be as they have a vast selection of colours/finishes. I kind of had an idea of what I wanted before I went in, it was just finding the perfect shades for me.

Mental Health Awareness Week - My Battle With Depression

I said in a post back in February that I wanted to start including some “real life” non beauty related posts that could be of use to some people, I've sat down and thought long and hard about what I wanted to share with you guys, and from the title you know what I will be talking about.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette + Primer Potion

Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette - £38 

Urban Decay cherry popped. 

I finally joined the long list of Bloggers, Youtubers and Beauty/Makeup lovers out there, who are obsessed with the Naked palettes from Urban Decay, by purchasing the Naked 3 palette. My first purchase from Urban Decay has been a good one indeed. 

The palette is full of Rose-hued neutrals, and they are absolutely gorgeous. It has a range of finishes from mattes, pearls and metallics. Along with the palette I also purchased the longtime beauty fave, Primer Potion.

Zizzi - Restaurant Review

Me and my besties love an excuse to go out to dinner. This time was to celebrate my best friends birthday. The restaurant of choice...Zizzi Ristorante. Italian food is my favourite, I mean pizza and pasta, you can't lose.

Real Techniques Haul

Hey guys and dolls,

You may or may not know this but I am someone who is sometimes very all or nothing. If there is something that I want I'd rather save up and buy them all together instead of here and there. And that is exactly what happened with the Real Techniques brushes.

 If you don't know (which I'm sure you do), Real Techniques is a brand by the Pixiwoo sisters Sam and Nic Chapman. The brand launched in 2011 and had everybody in the beauty/makeup community buzzing. And finally I got my hands on my wishlist make up items.

Tarantino Italian Restaurant - A Family Dinner

Hey guys and dolls 

My family and I don't go out to dinner often, mostly if we are celebrating something. The restaurant of choice was a favourite of my older sister's, Tarantino Italian restaurant. I don't know if they are family run, but it had that vibe about it which made it feel more inviting.

Recent Empties

Hey guys and dolls,

I've never done an empties post before, mainly because I usually just throw things away before I've thought about it. But I made a conscious effort to collect my empties to share with you guys. I don't have a tonne of items to show, but I think I have a fair decent amount. A lot of it is skincare as I seem to go through that a lot quicker than anything else.

MAKEUP | Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner

Hey guys and dolls,

Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner - £18.50

Last year Benefit released the first ever lash hugging gel liner pen. This product was all the rage within the blogger/youtube community, and as soon as I tried it I knew why. 

NAILS | Nails Inc - Alexa Chung

Hey guys and dolls,

Nails Inc is one of those brands that everybody knows and loves, they have an array of colours and effects available. They also do products to treat the nails. 

To mark their 15th birthday last year, Nails Inc announced a collaboration with Fashion icon Alexa Chung and a major re-brand, debuting a new bottle designed by Fabien Baron. Not only was Alexa signed as the new face of Nails Inc, they teamed up to create a collection inspired by fabrics.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I finally got my mitts on these beauties. 

Alexa Chung Fabric Collection*

Just when you think you're back on track...

Hey guys and dolls,

Right so I've only just started blogging again and just as I was getting all happy and organised, fate decided to intervene.

My beloved laptop has decided to stop working properly and tomorrow it's being taken in for repairs. I don't know how long it's going to be gone for.

I have a couple of posts sitting in my drafts and hopefully that will be enough to tide me over until my laptop returns.

Sonya xoxo

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*all products mentioned were purchased by me with my own money except where marked with an asterisk (*) or stated, everything is my own view and I have not been paid to do this post*

FASHION | Forever 21 Jewellery Haul

Hey guys and dolls,

I've never shopped in Forever 21, I have frequented the store often, as my best friend LOVES IT! The reason I've never shopped there is purely because they don't cater tom size, which is unfortunately because I do like some of their clothes and shoes. So on a girls day out at Westfield she dragged me in there because they had a 50% off sale with a further 50% reduction.

HAUL | I love presents

Hello, hello, hello!

It may sound a bit silly but I'm really excited to be back blogging. I have so much I wanna say and do with my blog, it's now just about finding the right words and time to do it.

I want to start including more life stuff on here. Like advice blogs, not specifically beauty related, but more about things I have had personal experience with and would like to share my thoughts and feelings on. But until then let's kick it into high gear and get on with the post.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! HELLO 2015!!!!

Hello blogosphere,

Well it's been a while since I sat down to do this. Is it too late to still say Happy New Year? Probably.

How has everyone been? Good? Great :-D

Can you believe it's 2015?!?!?! 2014 went by too fast for my liking, and now we're in February already. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and wonderful New Years partying away, mine was bittersweet, but I'll get into that in a minute.

Source: Sonyalovesmakeup Instagram

I can't believe it's been 4 months since I have touched my blog. A lot has happened in my life the past several months that have affected the frequency of my blogging and my ability to do it. 2 BIG things occurred and then some other little things.