Beauty Review: NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams from left to right: Istanbul, Milan, Prague, Monte Carlo, Copenhagen; $5.99 at Ulta

Hi everyone!

So I wanted to try out something a bit different this week.  I don't think I have ever actually posted a beauty post on this blog, but if any of you follow me over on YouTube, I do loads of beauty videos on there.  I wanted to try out beauty blogging because when I'm at school it is really hard to do outfit posts, because there isn't anyone here to take pictures of me and most days I am just too busy.  Beauty shots are a bit easier because I can set them up myself right from my dorm room.  So I thought I would start doing some beauty reviews, etc. in written form.  I have had some requests for this type of post over on my YouTube channel, so hopefully it is helpful! 

I am starting out my beauty blogging adventure with the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams.  If you watch my videos, you will now that NYX is by far my favorite drugstore brand; I am absolutely obsessed and they are so affordable.  Recently I have been trying these lippies instead of my go to NYX Butter Glosses because I am loving matte at the moment, and I really have a hard time committing to expensive lip products because I change them up quite frequently. 

These lip creams are creamy when you put them on, but in about 15 minutes they are completely dry and have incredible staying power.  They last me the entire day with little to no reapplication.  The one complaint I have about this product is that the color on the tube is often very misleading.  The first one I ever picked up was the shade Milan, which I thought was going to be a neutral pink, but actually shows up as hot pink on my lips.  I have found that most of the colors are like this, but looking up swatches online has certainly helped.  My current favorite is Copenhagen, which is the perfect winter-y purple shade.  I love playing around with fun colors with these products, but not having to feel bad if they aren't my favorite shades because of the price.  Overall, I think these are amazing quality for a drugstore product, and I highly recommend them.  They also smell fantastic, an added bonus!

I hope you guys are ok with me switching things up a bit and including more of a range of posts on here, see you soon :)

xo, Sophie 

Brick by Boring Brick

Urban Outfitters sweater, Madewell pants, Tory Burch flats, Forever 21 beanie, Michael Kors watch, Tiffany & Co. ring

I have recently re-fallen in love with the song "Brick by Boring Brick" by Paramore.  I have been feeling a lot like the girl in the song lately (i.e. stuck in my own little world) and I have decided that I really need to stop doing that.  The title lyrics basically state that if you build a house "brick by boring brick" (take the safer and more boring route in life), you are less likely to get hurt and be crushed.  Being a senior in high school, it has been hard as of late to stop daydreaming about dream universities, dream jobs, dream apartments, etc.  But I am terrified none of those things are going to work out how I want them to, so I think I am going to stop dreaming up big, impossible fairy tale endings and start making smaller, attainable goals for myself so that I can achieve each little one instead of being crushed when the big one doesn't work out how I thought it would.  Thanks, Hayley Williams.   

My little goal for today has been to get this blog post up before 4 pm.  And it is a surprisingly satisfying feeling to accomplish that, even though it is so small.

On a lighter note, guess who went black friday shopping and bought way to many things?! Yeah, it was me, good guess.  Two of the things I picked up were this sweater, which says je t'aime, meaning I love you in french.  The words are written in black ribbon and it was too soft to resist.  I also got this beanie which is surprisingly well made for Forever 21.  I now have a collection of 8 beanies and I am starting to think I might have a problem…

Anyway, I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving (and a lucky black friday/cyber monday), and have a great week!

xo, Sophie  

All Madewell Everything

Madewell top, pants and ring, B by Brian Atwood espadrilles, Banana Republic headband, 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs watch

Not much time to write at the moment as I am currently drowning in homework (didn't someone, somewhere once say that senior year was supposed to be fun?), but I wanted to do a quick post in this look that I wore to school last week.  I have found that my wardrobe is quickly becoming primarily Madewell clothes (whereas, two years ago, it was 95% Free People).  I recognize that, in this post, my shoes are not Madewell, but believe me I do own three pairs from there that would have suited this look as well.  Not sure if my obsession is justified because their clothes are so beautiful or a problem because they are so overpriced. An ongoing dilemma. 

Also, for reasons unknown, two of the videos on my YouTube channel were randomly deleted and re-uploaded by YouTube last night.  They both lost all of their views, likes, and comments, so I would really appreciate if you guys would click on these two links so I can get the views back to where they were before. Thank you!!

Teen Vogue Fashion University video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeBNG040tfk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUKXXI-_z1mznqZqmBZVnJ3A

Hair Tutorial Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5vdCcy3ltU&feature=c4-overview&list=UUKXXI-_z1mznqZqmBZVnJ3A

Love, Sophie 

Rosy Cheeks

Ah, the joys of illness.  I shot these photos yesterday and I have a pretty bad cold.  I didn't realize just how flushed my cheeks were until I was editing these, but I now see that it sort of looks like I just really don't know how to use blush properly.  I have actually never worn blush, because my skin is quite pink already, and being sick has just enhanced that so much! I think the pink cheeks look sort of cute with this dress though, which I got last week at the Teen Vogue Topshop event and have been looooovvviiinnggg.  This is the outfit that I wore to the "graduation" of TVFU. I am actually planning on my next blog post being all about Teen Vogue Fashion University event (including a video featuring the seminar speakers I saw, like Alexa Chung and Coco Rocha), and I am very excited to share the experience with all of you!  

Also, thank you so much to everyone who has watched my Youtube video so far, it has a lot of views and it really means a lot! Have a great week. 

xo, Sophie

Hey Mickey You're So Fine

Urban Outfitters tee and beanie, Madewell jeans, Ash sneakers, 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs watch

Before you say anything, I know I haven't posted anything in seventeen days and I know that that is terrible blogger etiquette and I apologize.  I could give you the same spiel about having school work and college applications and swim meets and clubs and blah blah blah but you have already heard that enough times so instead I'll just lie and say my laptop was epically but tragically stolen by a technologically savvy monkey whilst I was traveling on a safari in North Africa and I have since gotten a new one and so the blog posts will continue from now on.  

Back to the photos. Am I the only one who prefers men's tee shirts?  I got this one in the guy's section of Urban Outfitters and it is the softest tee I have ever worn.  Plus it was like a third of the price of a similar women's version and twice the cool.  It's unfair really.  Usually I stick to my men's purchases online to avoid stares, but this time I walked right over to the men's tees and picked up this shirt with the utmost of confidence (I may be leaving out the part where I checked to make sure no one was staring at me and how I scurried away awkwardly whilst hiding the tee).  Baby steps, people. 

Also, you can't tell, but these jeans are actually black-coated denim, and I am pretty sure they are the coolest pants I have ever bought.  Madewell, you have once again roped me in and my bank account has yet to forgive you.  I also never got to explain the madness I experienced trying to get some of the 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection but, among other things, I managed to get not just this faux Pashli bag, but also a boom! sweater, so I basically won the lottery of Target collections.  Not to brag or anything, but I am pretty proud of what I acquired considering the wrath of hungry Ebay sellers desperately fighting with me for the entirety of the collection. 

I must get back to my dreaded essays now but I will hopefully post again later this week.  I have not forgotten about the fishtail braid tutorial request, so that may be coming soon (fingers crossed I can figure out how to properly edit and upload a video).  Thanks for sticking with me through this hectic time in my life! 

xo, Sophie 

p.s. Sorry these shots are a bit dark and blurry but I desperately wanted to post something today! 

Back to School

I am not one to get excited about a new school year, but I feel the need to at least address the topic as this is my final year of high school.  My 12 exhausting years of education are finally coming to an end, and I can start to take classes I am actually interested in at college.  Don't get me wrong-I love learning, but I have never thought of high school as "the best years of my life" and I certainly won't miss it.  I am someone who gets themselves very stressed even over small assignments, and with college applications as well, this year will definitely be tough.  

I am, however, extremely excited for fall fashion.  I have always preferred winter clothes over summer ones, not just becuase I prefer to be cold, but because it is so much more comfortable and more chic to wear jeans, booties, and an oversized sweater than boring shorts and a tee.  I have always found it difficult to remain fashionable over the summer, when even a bathing suit feels like too much clothing in this heat and I can barely be bothered to get out of pajamas.  Autumn is a time for beautiful colors and rich fabrics, and I have been loving some of the looks on the runway for fall.  Even if I am dreading the start of school, I am certainly looking forward to ditching my sandals for some leather boots. 

I wasn't quite sure if I should post my "back to school outfit" because at my school all of the graduating seniors wear our senior shirts on the first day, so there is not much room for a fashionable interpretation.  Most people adorn their looks with whistles, beads, high socks, and face paint, but I have never been one for school spirit, so I just piled on the jewelry and added a touch of school spirit with my red shoes.  What is your go-to back to school look?

Madewell shorts, Ash sneakers, MR Dannijo necklace, Michael Kors watch 

I actually had a great first day of school on tuesday, but I am currently enjoying my long weekend for the Jewish holidays.  L'shana Tova to everyone celebrating! 

xo, Sophie