January in Pictures
1/31/2013

January in Pictures

Well January, to put it quite simply you were amazing, spectacular, fun filled & memorable. So many exciting & incredible things happened this month. There was lots of adventure, chatting, plans & new dreams coming to fruition. This month has certainly been a great start to the year & I can't wait to see what February has in store!

Here's what my lens captured in January;


Behind the scenes on this post.
My new bracelet was worn an awful lot this month! I love it & at $5 it was an absolute steal.


M & I had a bit of a shopping+late Christmas present exchanging day. That Bobbi Brown gem will definitely be in a post coming up soon. 
The view of Hahei from A's holiday house. It is such a beautiful place.
Read More
The Wellington Diaries
1/29/2013

The Wellington Diaries

Over the long weekend I went away with my family to Wellington. It was lovely! The weather was gorgeous, there was plenty of art to see, vintage shops to explore, cute cafes to frequent, you get the idea. Wellington reminds me a lot of Melbourne which is another city I love, but on a smaller scale. If you're not familiar with Wellington it's New Zealand's capital city, or 'The Middle of Middle Earth' as it is now being called, home to the Tolkien films & our Parliament. It's a rather rad place & if you're ever in New Zealand I recommend you pay this city a visit.

Flowers outside Parliament

A macaron at Martha's Pantry, one of the prettiest cafes ever!

Bags inside one of the many vintage shops. I saw the coolest sunglasses here but I totally forgot to go back & get them *sad face*.
Read More
January Favourites
1/28/2013

January Favourites

I'm pretty sure I say this every single month but it feels like I only just sat down to unwrap some of these products at Christmas time! I had a lot of new things to try this month & as there was quite a bit you won't be seeing some of them until next month. These ones have been firm favourites since I got them...and without further ado, here are my January favourites!



1. Maybelline Baby Lips in Mixed Berry, around $4. This lip balm is more or less the same as the original Baby Lips, except it is tinted. I loved the Mango Pie lip balm so I was eager to give this one a go & it is fantastic. My lips are left feeling hydrated & of course subtly tinted, perfect for those lazy summer days when you don't really want to throw on a lot of product.

2. NARS Bronzer in Laguna, a Christmas gift but available online here. Nars say; Nars' Bronzing Powder creates a natural looking glow which enhances or creates the look of naturally tanned skin. It also fills in lines and pores for smoother looking skin while the subtle shimmer adds glow. A year ago I would've told anyone I was quite fine with a pale complexion & that bronzer was unnecessary, that was until I saw all my favourite Beauty Bloggers & Vloggers raving about this. I use this bronzer to contour my cheekbones & lightly dust my face. You can get away with using barely any product & still be left with a sunkissed glow that doesn't leave you looking yellow or orange. The amount of product you get for the money you pay is reasonable too. I've used this every time I've worn makeup this month & it seems like it's going to last for ages.

3. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh, 75mL fragrance, purchased in Duty Free. This is the sister scent to the original Daisy fragrance. I'd say it is definitely a lot more floral than Daisy but it does contain some of the same notes so it still smells quite similar. This fragrance is one of my favourites & it's been getting a lot of usage over Summer.
Read More
What I Love Weekly #38
1/25/2013

What I Love Weekly #38

1. Weekend adventures. I'm off to Wellington this weekend! The last time I was there was over 2 years ago & I'm looking forward to revisiting exploring the sights, visiting galleries, eating at delicious cafes & more.

2. This photo of George Harrison is currently on display in the Who Shot Rock & Roll exhibit in Auckland. I love the composition of this image & its reference to the theme that was Beatlemania. If you like The Beatles & rock+roll musicians from the last 60 years or so then you need to go check this exhibition out.

3. The lovely folk at Focus Features have posted the Moonrise Kingdom script online! The best part about this is that it contains stills from the film, design sketches, artwork & storyboards. If you loved the film then you should head here to download this to read.

4. The Carrie Diaries recently launched on tv in the States & it is all kinds of fabulous. The styling in the show is done by one of the stylists on Gossip Girl & it is really well done, 80's fashion without looking noticeably dated. The books are also well worth a read too.

Annasophia Robb, star of the Carrie Diaries in Teen Vogue's February issue. I am crazy obsessed with this eye makeup!
Read More
A Midsummer Nights Dream in the Garden of Chanel
1/24/2013

A Midsummer Nights Dream in the Garden of Chanel

Once the setting for the Chanel show was revealed as an enchanted forest, "Neo-Classical" as Karl put it, it became evident that this collection was going to be ethereal, dazzling & fantastical. There was plenty of sparkle, floral emblems & "frame shoulders" a feature Lagerfeld chose to focus on in this collection's silhouette.



This look is my favourite from the collection. The makeup combined with the silhouette & the gorgeous print on this dress make this stellar. I hope this features in some editorials throughout the year!



Click through for more of my Chanel favourites!
Read More
Quotacious Quotes
1/23/2013

Quotacious Quotes




♥ Click through for more wisdom!
Read More
Monday Marvel: The little purple book of inspiration.
1/21/2013

Monday Marvel: The little purple book of inspiration.

Some people can be skeptical about self help books. They choose to adopt a belief that any valuable life lessons that are to be learnt cannot be done so from a book. In some cases that is true. However, I stumbled upon this purple gem of inspiration & my mind was changed...

How gorgeous is that cover?
Read More
What I Love Weekly #37
1/18/2013

What I Love Weekly #37

1. "You were like a flower child obsessed with butterflies-you had this really funny handwriting & drew insects on everything. You had a very beautiful spirit." That quote is from a book I read in the past two days & fell in love with. The book itself is this one, look out for it in a post early next month!

2. Sun tans obtained by spending time in the sun & not getting burnt..wearing sun block of course! It's nice not having as porcelain a complexion for once. Basically spending time in the sun is brilliant.

3. Summer School is over!! Today I will be done with classes & in 11 days I'll be done with revision & exams. I can't wait to have holiday time back.

4. Exciting editorials. Which fashionista doesn't like a fantastic, inspiring, impeccably styled photoshoot? The February issue of British Vogue contains some of the most stunning editorials I have seen in a while, like this one styled using looks from various designers shot in an English manor. The image below is one of my favourites from the spread.

Cara & Edie wearing Dolce & Gabbana.
Read More
What's in my Bag
1/16/2013

What's in my Bag


I am one of those people that could spend a long time pinning room ideas on Pinterest & I love to look at room tour & what's in my bag posts so I decided to jump on the bandwagon & do my own. This handbag is usually saved for special occasions or outings that require a considerably fancy handbag to match. This was purchased at San Lorenzo Markets in Florence after I'd seen them in this video on Lady Melbourne's blog. As far as I remember a few of the stalls had these so if you're traveling through Florence & like the look of this bag then you can get yourselves one there.

My dearly loved handbag.


Anyway enough about my bag, it's time to look at what exactly is in my bag!

The bounty.
Read More
Q+A on a grey Summer's day
1/15/2013

Q+A on a grey Summer's day

That title is a little bit depressing actually, apologies for that! I did consider taking some photos outside for a blog post today but it has been grey & rainy so that hasn't happened. Instead I thought it might be fun to do a little Q&A type post for you! This post could end up rather long so if you don't enjoy reading a lot then perhaps skip this one..

I found all these questions over on Zoe's blog & basically chose the ones I wanted to answer. There's questions about shopping, me & other random things. So let's get started!



 What is your name & do you have any nicknames? My name is Sophie. Nicknames..I often get called Soph & one of my friends calls me 'Hipster'. Apart from that I have none.

Do you have any siblings? I have one brother who's 18.

How old are you? I am 20 years young old.

What's your height? I am 5 ft 7, is that very tall? I have no idea..

Do you have any pets? I sure do. My family have a dog & two cats. Our cats are sisters & my brother & I have one each.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Reading, I permanently have a stack of books & magazines by my bed. I also enjoy taking photos & baking sweet treats for friends & family.

Who inspires you? There are loads of people, I find Anna Wintour & all the work she's done for Vogue as both a magazine & a brand incredibly inspiring, Tim Walker & his creative talent + childlike wonder he explores in his work. Also some of my family & friends who have done/are doing extraordinary things inspire me.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Probably getting into my degree actually. The last year of high school was rather testing on a personal level & I didn't perform as well as I could've, so I was surprised my final exam marks were good enough for me to be accepted. Thankfully they were.

What do you value most in life? Trustworthiness, honesty & compassion.

What do you do? I blog (what a revelation..) & sometimes I review & write things for other people. I also am studying towards a degree in Communication Studies so I learn a lot about writing & media basically.

Read More
What I Love Weekly #36
1/11/2013

What I Love Weekly #36

1. Roald Dahl once said 'Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.' I didn't exactly find magic this week but I did find inspiration somewhere I'd usually have been pretty skeptical about. More on that later...

2. Blogging milestones!! I now have over 100 likes on Facebook thanks to fans & pages that have liked my page. If you're one of those people thank you so much for liking my page. I also hit one of my traffic goals for my blog this week which made me really excited as well.

3. The short film Pixar made recently. It's called Paper Man & plays before 'Wreck It Ralph'. I can't find it online but if you get the chance to see it's really well done & is such a sweet story too.

4. One of my closest friends has taught me the power of a good conversation & the ability to appreciate a darn good natter. On Monday night there was plenty of that happening & I took so much from those conversations. It's simple things like chatter that make life amazing.

What I pack for a beach getaway.
Read More
Brilliant Blogs, Edition 9
1/09/2013

Brilliant Blogs, Edition 9

Two of the things I love most about any of my favourite blogs are that they usually contain gorgeous imagery, fabulous fashion & brilliant writing. Today's brilliant blog ticks all of these boxes & more. I am always inspired by many of the posts on this blog & hopefully you will be too!

Today I bring you Here Comes The Sun penned by Amanda Thomas.

Amanda wearing a Twenty Seven Names dress in a recent post.

Amanda is a blogger based in Auckland who documents her adventures, personal style, photography & inspiration. Her blog has a mixture of outfit posts, places she visits & documents, other artist's work & more. If you love stunning photography then you need to visit this blog because Amanda's images always look amazing. 

Love these sequinned cuffs! I'm a bit obsessed with sequined detailing at the moment.




What really strikes me about Amanda's blog is how perfectly composed everything is. I love her outfit posts in particular to daydream about what I'd wear if I had the money & then all the cute cafes & eateries she reviews. As I live in Auckland I am often looking for cute little places to explore & adventure to, Here Comes The Sun has introduced me to many of my current favourite places & online stores to explore. It has also inspired me to improve my Photography, both for the images I take blogging & during every day life.


You can also find more of Amanda's pretty pictures on Instagram @herecomesthesun



*Do you have blogs that inspire you? Leave me a comment below with your favourites, I'd love to hear which you frequent!



I hope you're having a fabulous Mid-Week! Today I have: Not been sunburnt, Swam at a beach, Top Shopped at The Department Store & fallen down the Rabbit Hole that is the Rookie Yearbook xo.

-All images were sourced via Here Comes The Sun blog.
Read More
Behind the Lens; How I Edit My Photos
1/07/2013

Behind the Lens; How I Edit My Photos

Hello everyone! I hope you've all had fabulous weekends. It's been sunny & generally quite lovely outdoors where I live, perfect photo taking weather actually which brings me to today's post...

I've had a few people lately telling me that they like my photos (big thank you to you!!) & people requesting how I edit my photos. Yes I do edit them but not excessively. This is usually because I don't have a fancy lighting set up & sometimes my photos benefit from a little retouching.

Before I go on I want you to know I am in no way a professional photographer. Aside from an A Level  qualification in Photography from school I have had no other training. I just take pictures a lot & practice when I can. I also want you to know that I never get the perfect shot straight away. I often take at least 8-10 pictures of a composition so I have plenty of images to choose from when I edit. This means I do take photos of a lot of different set ups, particularly when it comes to my beauty photos as well.


Keep reading for my tips & tricks!
Read More
What I Love Weekly #35
1/04/2013

What I Love Weekly #35

1. Christmas Reminiscing; A few days before Christmas I purchased some Bluebells Cakery Christmas Cupcakes to take to a family afternoon tea. Not only did they look beautiful but by all accounts they tasted amazing too.

2. Driving through Fitzgerald Glade. Anyone who has driven to Rotorua should no what I'm talking about, it's kinda hard to explain so Google it if you don't. Basically it is one of the prettiest pieces of scenery to see on a rather long car trip. I love it.

3. This photo shoot. One of my favourite things about putting together blog posts is getting to compose,  shoot & edit my own photos. That shoot I did this week was one of my favourites to do & I had such a good time putting it all together. Maybe I'll have to do another soon..

4. While we're on the subject of Photography, this post of DSLR Photography tips is really worthwhile reading. There are so many useful tips & tricks here.

Image via Pinterest.
Read More
Editorials & Pretty Trinkets
1/03/2013

Editorials & Pretty Trinkets

Today I wanted to do something a little different in terms of presentation on my blog. So I decided to print out some pictures from my favourite magazines, lay them out on some white paper & gather up some of my favourite things to photograph them alongside. I had a lot of fun doing these & I hope you like them!

Kara Hayward by Martin Sanmiguel for Lula, Issue 15. Floral Print by katie daisy.

Click through for more!
Read More
December Favourites
1/02/2013

December Favourites

Hello everyone! This month I had a few new products to try out from the past few months & these are all ones which stood out to me as firm favourites. Some of these you will have seen in my Beauty Favourites of 2012 post & possibly in a haul already so I won't be talking about them all in great detail. Next month I will have a lot more new products to write about as over Christmas I received a few beauty gifts & products to try out too so keep an eye out for those.

 Here are my favourite beauty products from December!




1. Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine, $8.57 on sale here. During November & December my lips were getting noticeably dry & chapped which didn't make sense given I use lip balm & drink plenty of water. My regular lip products weren't managing to clear the dryness up either so when this lip butter arrived I had high hopes that it might help. It certainly did! This lip butter melts into your lips to condition them & they are left soft & moisturised again. The dryness of my lips cleared up drastically once I began using this & my lipsticks applied a lot better as a result.

2. Jo Malone Cologne Lime, Basil & Mandarin, Christmas gift that was part of the Jo Malone Christmas Crackers. I am in love with this fragrance & I've only had it a week! It is the most long-lasting scent I've ever worn & it smells absolutely divine. The full sized version of this little gem is on my 2013 beauty wishlist for sure.
Read More
Hello 2013!
1/01/2013

Hello 2013!




2013 is finally here!! Happy New Year everybody. I hope that 2013 is another amazing year for us all full of success, lessons & plentiful opportunities+good times. 

This sums up how I hope to approach life in 2013: "I like to be a free spirit. Some don't like that but that's the way I am." -Princess Diana


*I'll be back blogging properly tomorrow with my December Beauty Favourites post. I hope you're all having a fabulous day xo.


Don't forget my Summer Giveaway closes soon! Get your entry in if you haven't already. Don't forget that you have to have liked my Facebook page to have your entry counted. 
Read More