The Pale Skin Edit No. 1|Foundation

I personally like a foundation that is the correct colour for my skin. I have struggled for years to find the perfect foundation and i will admit even to this day i struggle. Within the Pale Skin Edit i will be updating you on my favourite items for pale skin...they may not work for you personally but for my skin they work, first lets talk about the base product, the foundation.

Well lets just say 9 times out of 10 you will have to avoid the drugstore and head to the high end shops to purchase a foundation which is no doubt more than £20. Frustrating i know, but it is better than not being colour matched and wearing a foundation that makes you look orange...unless that is what you like, then go for it. 

The Modern Renaissance Palette Review

I have been trying to get my hands on the latest Anastasia Beverly Hills palette for some time now, and it finally came back into stock on the Cult Beauty website. The price of the Modern Renaissance Palette is £41.00, a little pricey but you are getting 14 eyeshadows for that price, that is about £3 an eyeshadow. Although i will mention that the weight of each eyeshadow is less than usual. 

The colour combination is the perfect, the palette consists of warm eyeshadows, 11 matte shades and 3 metallic shadows, all of which go together beautifully. It is a versatile palette perfect for creating day to evening makeup looks.

The Struggles of the Drugstore Concealer

Does anyone else walk into Boots or Superdrug wanting that one concealer all the beauty bloggers are talking about? You go and swatch it on the back on your hand, and oh wait as per usual it is too dark for your skin and yet you swatched the lightest shade!

Now this happens to me on an occasional basis and it frustrates me so much. I mean, how hard is it for drugstore brands to bring out a concealer that is light enough for us pale people out there? 

Do not get me wrong, i have found a few which just about match my skin tone, but what if i want to do what everyone else does and buy a concealer a shade lighter so I can make my under eyes pop?

Now i would say i have tried probably nearly all drugstore concealers and had no luck for my skin, so I tend to steer clear of them and use high end concealers which cost double the price...but a girls got to cover those under eye circles.

I think the lightest drugstore concealer i have found has got to be the Collection lasting perfecting concealer (Fair 1). Of course the issue with this concealer is if you have dry under eyes or do not like full coverage under your eyes like i do then steer clear, as it will cake on you. It is an amazing concealer for spot covering but under my eyes it is just a disaster. 

The second drugstore concealer that is maybe a little too dark for my skin tone but i can sometimes just about get away with it is the Rimmel London Wake me up concealer (010 Ivory). I love this concealer it does what it says on the bottle, but again their lightest shade is a little too dark on my skin tone and my under eyes look orange compared to the rest of my face.

The third drugstore concealer which you would have all heard about and no doubt all went out and brought is the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age the eraser eye (Light). Great concealer again, but i wouldn't dare use it unless i had a tan, because yet again if i use this i get those lovely orange under eyes which does not look good. 

I Disappeared...

So I have not posted on this blog for an extremely long time...

Lets just say university life got tougher...that is what happens when you get into your third year of university. You become a hermit crab living under a rock within the IT suite with your best friend. I think I spent the majority of my life eating, writing and nearly crying in our university IT suite in the final weeks before my dissertation was due. But I can say my hard work paid off and I finished university in June! 

It is now January 2017...I still had 6 months where I was MIA. Long story short I forgot, my life has been like a rollercoaster. I spent a few weeks during summer in America forgetting about the worries of finding an actual job which related to my degree and having well earned fun. Then it was the panic of 'shit did I actually pass my degree or have a failed'. It was the longest wait of the summer....but I bloody did it and graduated back in November with a 2:1 (does a little dance to celebrate). Oh and not forgetting I had an amazing holiday in Holland with my boyfriend back in October. 

So long story cut short basically I was stressed at university...so forgot, then I had an amazing summer...so forgot and then I graduated...

Oh crap wait rewind...I graduated! That means surely I should have a proper job in the adult world, I mean that is what I got myself into £35,000 worth of dept right? Well no...I gradated, I am in masses of dept which no doubt will never get paid off and yet I am still working the same job I had before I went to university. Why? Because graduating from university does not guarantee you a job. I must say I haven't applied to thousands but i've applied to a fair few and not many actually have anything to do with my degree. Right now I am just trying to find my footings in the vast adult world. 

However, in retrospect I gained a few life experiences, people will steal your food and there really isn't much you can do about it. I have made some amazing lifelong friends and for the most part it was fun...but university is a bit like a rollercoaster, it is never smooth sailing! You make friends, you may lose friends, but most of all you realise who you are. 

So disappearing act explained...I am back. 

The Trench Coat

I know we are getting out of the season for coats and the jackets are coming out. But I have had my eyes on this beautiful pale pink, lightweight belted truster (trench coat/duster coat) from Topshop for quite some time now. 

I first purchased this coat in a size 6 from the normal range. I am not a size 6 (I wish) but this coat is meant to be oversized and after reading some reviews on the website I decided that opting for a size down would be the best option. When it arrived it was like love at first sight, but there was one flaw, the length. Why do I have to have short legs, sometimes it is such an issue. It looked beautiful but it just swamped me, and I knew it didn't look as perfect as it could. 

All I could think was 'Topshop why do you not do it in the petite range'. However Topshop must've heard me, as about 3 weeks later, there it was in the petite range. I could not contain my excited, I knew I needed the coat in my life so I went for it. This time, I opted for a size 4 from the petite range hoping that it wouldn't swamp my body.
My gosh it was wonderful, it fit in all the right places, the colour is beautiful and I felt so girly and ready for spring to arrive. I have to mention that if I'm wearing an outfit with tights and I button up the coat, I always worry that people are thinking I have my lingerie on underneath, very cliche, I know, but honest I am wearing clothes. If i'm not worrying about that, i'm thinking do I look like 'inspector gadget'. Honestly though this truster is a stable in my wardrobe and people can believe what they want. 

Most trench coats are usually the standard beige colour, and go with nearly every outfit. The challenge with a powder pink trench coat is of course, it does not go with every single outfit, but for those colourless outfits that are a stable in my style it adds that bit colour one needs. 

1.  The price. At £85 it is expensive, but coats are expensive. Personally I think it is £85 well and truly spent, and if they did this coat in other colours I would most certainly purchase them.

2.  Thickness. The truster, as Topshop call it, is the perfect thickness in my opinion. I'm someone who always feels the cold, but this coat manages to keep me at a good temperature. It isn't too thick for the English weather this time of year, and it isn't too thin. So personally it is the perfect coat for the English weather, and I will probably still be wearing it throughout the summer on those colder days. 

The Midi Skirt

Now over the last few years i've been a sucker for anything that hides my little pot belly. I tend to opt for pleated skirts, baggy dresses and all things that are comfy. 
However, back in December I discovered the wonders of the midi skirt. The first midi skirt I purchased was a misguided side split midi skirt for NYE, I was skeptical at first but it hugged in all the right places and I felt like a strong powerful women, I didn't feel frumpy at all.

Don't get my wrong it took me several attempts to find the midi skirt to suit my body. I'm only 5'4 so midi skirts always come up longer on me anyway, so I ordered a bunch from misguided and began to try them on. I found the best fitted ones for myself were the skirts that come to the models knees but on me fell just below the knee. I also found that the side split skirts did wonders for me, the seams were in all the right places and hugged my figure perfectly, and they gave that little bit of sexiness to any outfit. 

I have never been very confident with my body, I am a typical women. Even if people say i've got a great figure I never felt it, until I purchased my first midi skirt and it made me feel good. I would never in a million years of thought I would be wearing a body-con midi skirt, but I did and it made me feel good about myself again. I know, sad that a midi skirt can make me change my perceptions of my body, but it did. 

Here are some foolproof tips to help you master the midi skirt:

1.    Consider your height. If you are not all that tall like myself then stick to a midi skirt that hits just above or below your knee, any longer and you'll make yourself look shorter. If you are lucky enough to be tall, any length will do as long as it doesn't hit your ankles, that is a maxi skirt not a midi skirt. 

2.    Find your style. If you are not that confident try out different styles like I did. The fit and flare midi skirts are perfect especially if you're that little taller than myself. I personally find the fit and flare midi a bit too out of my comfort zone regarding my everyday style, so although I am in love with the style I know I would never have the opportunity to wear one. The body con midi skirts are perfect for those girl’s nights out they add a bit of class to an outfit (in my opinion anyway), but they can also be perfect for everyday if you find that perfect midi.

3.  Pairings. If you opt for a bold coloured midi, then temper it with a neutral top; beige, white, black those sorts of tones. If you opt for the pleated or fuller options of midi skirts, keep the top simple. You want the focus of the outfit to be on the midi skirt, so bear that in mind. Shirts look great with the A-line midi skirts; they add an extra bit of texture to the outfit. Tight fitting tops are definitely the best option when it comes to the pleated or fuller options of midi skirts, but it all depends on your style and your comfort zone. 

The Daytime Look

Marks and Spencer's Beauty Advent Calendar

Why hey there,

So yesterday I received a very exciting parcel, which my mum had ordered for the both of us to share. That's right the Marks and Spencer beauty advent calendar is here and my gosh I love it. 

It is on offer at the moment at £25 when you spend £25 on anything from their beauty section, which is not as hard as you would think as Mark's and Spencer has a wide variety of beauty brands both online and in store. So if you manage to spend £25, you get the calendar for only £25, now personally £25 is a absolute bargain, as it is worth a grand total of £200!

It includes brands such as Rodial, REN, Stila, Philip Kingsley, Cowshed and lots more.

The most exciting thing for me has got to be the Pixi Glow Tonic hidden behind one of the numbers....that is right I did say Pixi Glow Tonic! Now I must admit it isn't the full size but it is close enough. 

Obviously I am not going to show you guys everything that comes in the calendar as that would just ruin the surprise would it not. 

It comes with an impressive 24 doors, or should I say boxes, to open so you get a lot for your money. The design is far better than those calendars which have the tricky doors I can never open, because I have no nails, instead each item comes in a cute little box. If you are anything like me you'd be thinking, wow I could totally reuse this calendar next year to create my own advent calendar  Nifty idea I know, I totally may have to do so.

One bad thing I need to admit to you all is that they are sold out online...but do not fear, as stores still have them in stock. And my local store has loads, so I'm sure you can find one from somewhere.

Overall thoughts

Last year my mother and I shared the body shop advent calendar, so this year we decided to opt for a different beauty calendar. The minute we heard about the Marks and Spencer's beauty advent calendar we were both sold on which one we wanted, and my mum even got up early on the release date to ensure we got one (thank you mum). 

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick: My thoughts

Hey again, hope you're all well. So recently I purchased Bobbi Brown's Skin Foundation Stick. I heard and read some amazing reviews about it, and thought I would give it a try because my skin was going through a bad patch.

Now, I love love love the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Liquid, it is my most worn foundation and possibly the only foundation I have ever repurchased I love it that much. So when I heard about the Skin Foundation Stick I just could not resist.

While the Skin Foundation Liquid is very natural, glowy and gives you the look of your skin but better (hence the name). The Skin Foundation Stick provides a medium-full coverage. I personally have combination to dry skin and I must say I never really wear a heavy coverage foundation, but the ingredients in the Foundation Stick just mesmorised me, like olive extracts and shea butter, it just sounds like a dream.  

I must say it does not feel at all heavy on the skin, and once it has settled, give it about 10-15 minutes to do so, it just looks beautiful and radiant. 

If you are one who wants to apply concealer with the Foundation Stick, I recommend doing so before you apply the foundation. It just makes life a lot easier and give's a better result afterward. 

The texture of the Stick Foundation is a mousse to cream like consistency. It is the opposite to the Skin Foundation liquid. I have to admit the first time I swatched it I was not to impressed as it felt very dry to the touch and it was not the easiest to blend in with your fingers. However, I pressed on and I am very very glad I did. It is definitley foundation that needs to have time spent on it to work it into the skin, so it is not the best for a quick makeup rush in the morning. I found the best way to apply the Stick Foundation is with the Zoeva 104 buffer brush and then I tend to go in with my beauty blender after, just to ensure a seamless finish. 

Products I Cannot Live Without

And so it begins....

For the first proper blog post, I decided to share with you all the products I cannot live without. These are the products that I have no regrets purchasing and ones which you will probably see in many other posts. So lets begin.

1. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar bronze and glow - I love this product to the moon and back, although I must say I despise the hefty price tag it holds of £49...I literally almost fell over when the lady told me, but with all the hype around this product and how beautiful it was I just could not resist. The bronzer is just gorgeous and especially amazing when I have a tan in the summer, but even when I pale it is just incredible. The highlighter I must say isn't my favourite highlighter but it is still very good.

2. Jest Eyeshadow by Mac - I absolutely adore this eyeshadow! And it is by far my most used eyeshadow ever, if I am wearing eye shadow no doubt this will feature on my eyes in some way. It just goes with every look.

3. Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick in 08 - This lipstick is a close dupe to my all time favourite lipstick Tom Ford casablanca, which I haven't featured in this post because although I love it, it is just far too expensive to wear everyday like this lipstick by Kate Moss. It is just my perfect nude lipstick, and the formula is just incredible, so creamy and moisturising. I highly recommend Kate Moss' lipsticks with Rimmel, they're my favourite drugstore lipstick brand by far.

4. Tweezerman Tweezers - These are a must have item. I most certainly could not live without them. I am eyebrow obsessed, and these tweezers have been a stable for a good 4 years now. 

5. Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner - HOLY GRAIL lip balm!!!! Best lip balm I have ever brought. I think I first purchased this when I was 19, and since then I just cannot find anything that lives up to this product.

These products are most certainly my holy grail products. I cannot live without any of them. 

What are your 5 holy grail products?

Welcome

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Why Hey There!

I'm Sophie. The girl behind this blog. I am obsessed with beauty, fashion and anything music related.

I am setting up this blog Beauty By Fi as a way of helping all those 'English Rose's' out there like me. And not forgetting the rest of you who enjoy all the things I do.

So you want to know a bit about myself?

Well basically, I am in my final year of university and have been wanting to set up a beauty blog for some time now. Stupidly I decided the best time to do so was in my final year of university, probably the most stressful but i'll cope.

I will be blogging mainly about beauty, but you will also see me posting about fashion, lifestyle and everything else.