Weightloss Wednesday #2

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hello lovelies... I'm back with an update on my first week with Weight Watchers, and what a week it’s been. let’s jump straight into the results for the week. I've lost 5lbs...Whoop!! I'm really happy with the result, especially considering how confused I found myself, getting to grips with what to eat was a bit of a struggle.

So following on from last week, I told you that I’ve joined Weight Watchers online and had downloaded the app on my phone. Over the week I tracked everything I ate using the tracker. I found this so easy to use; it really is a great tool. You can search foods or input the info from a packet to calculate points. The app also enables you to track your weight, after every weigh in it shows you your progress on a graph. There are some success stories to inspire you, as well as various recipes. I found this really helpful and have loved tracking my meals and finding out how many points are in all the things I’ve ate. Some have been a bit of a shock to say the least!

Following my result I decided to put together a little graph of the points I had used at each sitting just to get some clarity of where my problem areas are. I found that I never ate more than 4 points for breakfast and 8 for lunch but would be snacking a lot or having a lot for dinner. I also found that over the weekend I went over quite a lot. With that being said, this week I’m going to concentrate on ensuring I eat breakfast every day and snack on more fruit. I am also going to plan my meals over the weekend as much as possible so that I stick to the plan and don’t let temptation get in my way! 

Have you been trying to drop a few pounds? What has/hasn't worked for you?

If you have any questions or advise, please leave them in the comments below :)

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Pleather Pastels

I'm trying desperately to teach my boyfriend how to take pictures for my outfit posts, I've had quite a few that were just unusable. however with this 20 minute, 500 photo shoot, I managed to salvage a few to use. so, I bring to you, pleather pastels.

I'm loving the Autumn/Winter trends this year, its all very biker, tartan & grungy. I do love a little bit of a girly touch though so that was my inspiration for this look. I think its important to not go too gloomy in the colder weather so decided to mix things up a little and incorporate this bright scarf into this edgy look.
 I work in an office, so Monday - Thursday is pretty much dresses and blazers, but every Friday is 'dress down day' where we can wear smart/casual attire. This was what I wore this last Friday.

Coated Disco Pants  |  Newlook  |  £22.99
I was kind of on a spending ban, when Newlook text to let me in on 25% off for cardholders, honestly, it would be rude not to at least have a look, right?
whilst browsing the tall section (something I love about Newlook) I came across these beauties. To be honest at first I thought pffftt £22.99 for basically a pair of leggings, but when I considered the 25% off I slipped them in my basket, and I'm so happy I did. These are so comfortable and stretchy and they are really high waisted, so if like me your a little insecure of those lumps and bumps, these are a great buy.

Grey Faded Jumper  |  Primark  |  £10
I found this in my local Primark, and could not believe the quality, this honestly feels so soft and cosy, it's well structured and was an absolute bargain in my opinion. Its a great length for both leggings (covers the bum) and jeans and goes with pretty much anything. I love it.

Pastel Scarf  |  Gift from Egypt
This scarf was a gift from Egypt from a friend a few years back. Its a bit of an awkward length and is neither here nor their so I've struggled in the past to find things to wear it with, despite my love of the colour. I think the contrast between grungy pleather and this girly pastel scarf works great.

Pastel Pink Statement Necklace  |  Primark  |  £3.99
I saw this necklace in Primark and had to snap it up, its so pretty and perfect for jazzing up a plane T or jumper. You would usually expect to pay between 10 and 15 pounds for a necklace of this size. Yes, its quality isn't as good as those expensive ones, but for the price you cant go wrong. I think its gorgeous.

Checked Pleather Sleeve Blazer  |  F&F  |  £15
This was one of the many things I picked up at the F&F 50% sale recently, this was before I banned myself from spending! Lets just say I went a little crazy haha.
This was love at first sight its gorgeous and so comfortable, and with the checked body and leather look sleeves, its right on trend. What more could you ask for?

Leather & Suede Boots  |  Aldo  |  £100
Finally these boots. ahhhh they are just THE BEST! When I recently attended the Next Blogger Network event in October, I got the chance to meet the lovely Lily Pebbles and Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup. During the whole seminar I couldn't help but stare and Lily's boots, so much so, that I had to ask her where they were from. Would you believe, that very day my boyfriend won a bet on the football and gave me £100. a sign? surely haha. I couldn't resist, I whipped these straight up and couldn't be happier with them.

What do you think of this look? whats your staple item this Autumn/Winter?

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Weightloss Wednesday #1

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Ever since I can remember, I've struggled with my weight.  I eat a burger... and you can literally see it on my hips the next day. As a young child I was slim, before ballooning during my early teens. As I grew taller through high school it seemed to level out, but after leaving college, getting a full time office job and settling into a comfortable relationship, I soon started to pile on the pounds.

Last January my weight had really crept up (by nearly 3 stone), enough was enough and It was time take control. I decided to join slimming world and instantly the weight started dropping off. By April I had lost nearly 2.5 Stones, I was doing so well but unfortunately my anxiety started to get in the way and I gradually started to go less and less before stopping altogether. Over the past year I have continued to lose half a stone, then put it back on, its kind of a vicious cycle.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may know that I stopped smoking on 5th September. Although It's the best thing I've ever done, unfortunately It's helped me put on an extra stone. So with that and the fact that I have an under active thyroid, I just have to do something to get the weight off, and keep it off, before it becomes a big issue.

I've been calorie counting whilst following the principles of Slimming world for a while now, but felt that I was falling off at the weekends. So I decided to join Weight Watchers Online after recommendation from a friend. I thought it would be a good opportunity to really concentrate on what I'm eating as I'm not really sure of what you can eat on the plan, its new and fresh and will require my full attention. I joined on Monday and so far have struggled to get to grips with what is good and bad on the plan, but over the next week I plan to get to grips with it and update you with my thought's then. I've downloaded the app so ill see how I get on :)

Have you ever done Weight Watchers? How did you get on?
Any tips/recipes welcome, leave me links :D

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Im a beauty blogger: get me out of here

When I refreshed my Bloglovin feed and saw that Rochelle and Natasha from Next Route Style had a new post I clicked straight away. If you've not heard of them, then please go check them out, there posts are so well written and informative, it really brightens my day when I see they have a new post :)

They have created a tag called I'm A Beauty Blogger: Get Me Out OF Here you can check theirs out here. I think this is just genius, I'm a huge fan of I'm a celeb and am really excited to be part of this little series. All you need to do to join in is include in your post the above photo, the questions, your answers and of course link back to the lovely Rochelle and Natasha.

The Questions:

1) You can only take ONE product into the jungle (aka your luxury item). What would you choose and why?

2) What would be your main pre jungle worry?

3) You only have five minutes to get ready before going into the jungle, what would be your quick beauty routine?

4) Last year we saw Helen Flanagan wearing her hair in a top bun. What would be your signature hairstyle?

5) For moral support, which female celebrity would you like to be in the jungle with you?

6) Everyone’s given a role in the camp. What lifestyle skill would you bring to the jungle?

7) What one thing about being a beauty blogger sometimes makes you want to scream ‘Get Me Out Of Here’?

8) Challenge – This is a once in a life time opportunity. You’re up for a trial to face your fears or try something new, what would you choose to do and why?

My Answers:

1) My Luxury Item would have to be a moisturiser with as high SPF as I could find.

2) The bugs, definitely the bugs. Even the thought of going to sleep in that jungle makes me cringe

3) concealer, blush, mascara and some lippy :)

4) French plaits all the way!

5) Oooo that's really hard! (15 minutes later) ...

6) Organisation :) I love giving everything a home and making sure it gets put back there!

7) Most of the time myself lol ... I set high standards for myself and if I don't reach them then its really frustrating so I should probably relax a little haha

8) Id love to do a sky dive. I'd probably try to back out. but I know id love it once I'd done it!

 

I Tag:
Beth - Beauty In Beta
Chloe - Clo's Beauty Spot
Beth - Bethany Worrall
Marylou - English Rain
Rebecca - Rebecca Coco
and YOU!!

If you've done it then please leave a comment below with your link so I can have a read

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john frieda full repair and luxorious volume range

My hair has seen it's ups and downs over the years, and with the stresses of blow drying and straightening/curling on a regular basis topped with the now colder weather, lets just say its seen better days. I find when winter starts to set in my skin and hair can become really dry and dull. So when John Frieda contacted me to try some of the products from their new full repair range I jumped at the shot and was really excited to try out some products that would potentially care for my dry hair.

I've dabbled in John Frieda briefly in the past but to be honest I've always fallen back into a routine of buying the brand that's on offer or just using whats already in the house (the joys of living with your parents). So when these arrived at my door I was so excited, the packaging looked so 'expensive' in comparison to the shampoos and conditioners i'm used to using, I felt like I was really treating myself.

The Hydrate & Rescue Shampoo* smells luxurious and lathers like a dream. It made my hair feel super light and airy and when I rinsed my hair felt squeaky clean and was really smooth. For me, I find after I've shampooed my hair usually feels matted and rough until I put conditioner on, but with this it felt great.

The Hydrate & Rescue conditioner* smelt just as great, I found it didn't go as far as the shampoo but that's pretty typical with conditioners I find. As always I left the conditioner to sit while I do the rest of my shower routine, before rinsing it out. honestly, mu hair felt so smooth and silky I couldn't keep my hands of it! The biggest difference came when I dried my hair, usually it dries quite tamed, but I was amazed at how smooth it looked, it was like it had been professionally blow dried, not blasted.

I chose a separate occasion to try out the samples from the luxurious volume range, something I was really excited about. My hair is pretty straight naturally and being long its weighed down, add that to the fact my hair is dip dyed means my hair looks flat when its straight. I sprayed the Blow Dry Lotion Root Booster* into my root area and the Fine To Full Blow-Out Spray* mainly to the roots as well as through the mid lengths. I blasted my hair as normal, before using a round brush to lift the hair at the crown of the head. As you can see from the below picture, it did make quite a difference.

I trialed the products for a week or so and found that the Blow Dry Lotion Root Booster* worked best for me on its own. Fine To Full Blow-Out Spray* I think would work best for people with fine hair, because mine is quite thick and heavy it needs a thicker product to make a difference.

Overall I really enjoyed using the John Frieda products and would definitely repurchase the shampoo and conditioner and the Blow Dry Lotion Root Booster*. I will definitely be trying out some of the other ranges from John Frieda an would definitely recommend you check them out too :)

Have you ever tried any products from John Frieda? what did you think?

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How to: Sophisticated Twisted ponytail

Hello Beauties,

I hope your all well... I'm so sorry I've neglected my blog a little recently. I've had a lot going on in my personal life, but I'm back and raring to go :)

Today I bring to you this gorgeous twisted ponytail. I thinks It's absolutely beautiful and it is sooo easy to achieve.

So let get into it... here's what you will need:

-   Brush
-   Bobby pins
-   Hair bobble
-   Hair spray

I think this style looks really sophisticated and sleek when done on straight hair but that's just my personal preference. So firstly brush your hair and part where you feel comfortable. I've gone for a slight side part.

Starting on one side, section of the very front ( as pictured below)

Next you want to split this into two and cross the strand closest to the hairline over the other, twice (see below)

Now we are literally going to grab more hair from the bottom of the twist and add it into the front section each time we cross.

Continue this all the way down to just above the nape of the neck (if your struggling, head on over to my Instagram where I filmed a short tutorial on this hair look)

You then just want to use a bobby pin or two to secure this in place for the time being.

Repeat the above on the opposite side

Now that both sides are done, hold all the hair together at the nape, remove the bobby pins you had used to secure the first section

Then use your fingers to smooth down the hair between the two twists before securing the hair with a hair bobble

Finally you need to grab a small section of the pony tale from underneath and wrap this around to hide the hair bobble.

Finally, secure this with a bobby pin. spritz over some hairspray, and your done :)

I hope you found this tutorial easy to follow. Please leave me your feedback in the comments below :)

As I mentioned above I also filmed a few clips and uploaded it to Instagram, so if your struggling please head over to my Instagram sophiekbeauty

Thanks so much for reading.

x

Sunshine

So I’ve been nominated for another award :) get me .. haha. This time It's the Sunshine Award by the lovely Lucy, you can check out her blog and her Sunshine Award post here.

The Sunshine award is given to bloggers who are positive, inspiring, creative or who’s blog you really enjoy reading so I’m really flattered that Lucy has nominated me for this award :)

Here are the rules:

- List 11 facts about yourself
- Answer the 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you
- Nominate 11 bloggers you feel deserve this award
- Write 11 questions for them to answer in their award post
- Let your 11 bloggers know you have nominated them

11 Facts about me (I'm sorry if I've mentioned any of these before)..

1. I love what most would call trashy TV (Jezza Kyle, TOWIE, MIC)
2. I would love to have a Yorkshire accent
3. I am a complete hypochondriac
4. I love necklaces but i always forget t wear them :/
5. I have 2 sisters
6. One 14 Years older the other 18 years older.
7. I have a highly addictive personality
8. I am ridiculously emotional, I cry at the slightest thing.
9. I am dreading turning 22, I still feel 16 its scary.
10. I love sentimental sayings, quotes and things in general
11. I am stupidly scared of wasps along with my sisters thanks to our dad!

Onto the 11 questions Lucy has asked:

How long have you been blogging?
I have been blogging for 3 months
Do you have any tips for new bloggers?
The biggest thing for me is probably, be yourself and don't compare yourself to others. I have watched some other bloggers closely and noticed how some bribe viewers by follow for follow. I personally think its much better to have 100 genuine readers than 500 that aren't interested in your content.
What’s your favourite autumnal lipstick?
L'Oocitaine Pivoine Flora
Do you have any pets??
Yes I have 2 Jack Russel crosses. Fudge and Coco
What is the one item you can’t live without?
I would say my phone because it gives me internet which I use for EVERYTHING
Do you have a favourite TV show? If show, what is it?
I love lots; TOWIE, MIC, Educating Yorkshire, Downton Abbey and Corrie to name a few.
What’s your favourite make up brand?
Drugstore: Rimmel
High end: MAC
Is there a product that you can’t go a day without using?
Hand cream or lip balm
Who’s your celebrity crush?
don't know if this was for your girl crush or guy so ill do both..
Guy: Jamie Dornan
Girl: Beyonce, id just love to be her
What beauty product are you loving at the moment?
Bioderma, i'd never used it before. Its awesome.
Finally, if you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I would live in orange county, California.

I Nominate:

Melissa

Beth

Holly

Gemma

Hanan

Poppy

Megan

Ambi

Fernanda

Hannah

Beth

Time for my 11 questions for the above beauties:

What made you want to start blogging?
Whats your favorite film?
Do you friends know you blog?
What would be your dream job?
Whats your favorite thing to do on your days off?
What is your favorite Lipstick?
What product is always in your handbag?
One product you would re purchase?
If you could be friends with a celebrity who would it be?
What hair care product are you loving at the moment?
Handbags or Shoes?

I'm off to let these lovelies know I've nominated them. I hope you've enjoyed reading this :)

Please let me know if you've done this tag so i can check it out.

Until next time ..x