SP BEAUTY

I have been trialling this overnight balm recently, aiming to inject some much needed moisture into my skin whilst I sleep. I have found the texture to take a little getting used to, it almost feels like a cleansing balm to be washed off, but once you get used to the slightly oily film on your skin it is easy to begin to not think twice about its texture.  I would recommend not using this every day as I think that it could end up clogging pores but on the occasion that your skin feels in need of some extra TLC I would say this is a great option! I wake up with my skin feeling really plump and hydrated and by morning all of the product has sunk nicely in without leaving an oily cast. I would definitely make sure to cleanse in the morning, but I think that is pretty much a given with whatever products are in your regime. The price tag is a little steep at £40, but REN and stockists usually have some good deals, I think I ended up buying mine for about £28 with 5 15ml sam

I have just decided to use the extra free time I've got in lockdown to set up an Instagram for all of my beauty related thoughts, feelings, product recommendations and hopefully as a place to have more conversations and engage with like-minded people. I would really really appreciate it if any of my followers would give it a follow! Insta: sonitap_beauty

This oldie but goldie has come back into my possession recently and I can't see myself letting it go again anytime soon. It's a super brightening formula and the sponge is really good at an even application, albeit potentially a bit of a breeding ground for germs. I bought the shade 1 Light Christmas, which I had never seen before but it is great for really highlighting under the eyes. It's a slightly dry formula so I would say it needs to be buffed into the skin relatively quickly but once it has been applied it leaves a really smooth and well concealed finish. The only criticism I have is how quickly this one has run out for me, I bought it in March and have almost finished it which I think it really quick for a concealer to run out and I'm not sure if the applicator plays a part in that with potentially wasting some of the product.  However, I am really enjoying using this and I would definitely repurchase again when it runs out.  What are your fave conc

I am very much in the midst of writing my dissertation for my final year at uni, so my posts have been scarce, but I am really determined to get back into blogging properly again when I am finished imminently!  I thought I would write a super quick post to update on my foundation of choice recently. I used to use this foundation years ago and have come back to it occasionally ever since but recently especially I have rediscovered my love for the Rimmel Lasting Radiance foundation.  The weather has been glorious recently and even though we are on lockdown in the UK and can't leave the house I have still been trying to make myself look at least a little presentable to get me in a more productive mindset to smash uni work. Therefore, I have been opting for a little of this, with its added SPF 25 being a major plus to sit in the beaut sun over the last week or so. I love the coverage, it isn't super heavy on the skin but covers all of my blemishes really nicely while sti

After falling so in love with my first dabble into the world of Zara's perfumes I couldn't resist already adding to my collection. I was so pleasantly surprised finding that this fragrance set consisting of 100ml bottles of both Wonder Rose and Oriental. I knew I liked Wonder Rose anyway as a friend wears it on a daily basis and I always catch myself inhaling a little bit deeper when I know she is around, does that sound really odd?? And the addition of Oriental which I think I even prefer just confirmed the necessity of me purchasing. It helped even more that the set was £12.99 for both which I just think is so mad!! how could I not, right!  The fragrance notes for these are: Oriental -  The scent reveals notes of bergamot, vanilla and caramel. It’s an intense, warm and feminine fragrance. (sums it up - quite a sweet scent but not too heavy or overpowering) Wonder Rose -  The scent reveals notes of pear, red berries and vanilla. It’s a feminine, delicate and

As a university student I feel as though I'm constantly travelling back home for weekends or to visit friends at other unis. This has lead me to curate a reasonably light make up bag, allowing extra room for just one more "out out" top, on top of the 64 I have already packed. This means that if there is ever a mini product I am drawn to not only its cuteness but also its practicality. The 3 minis that have not left my make up bag are: Mac Strobe Cream 30ml - This is the most gorgeous illuminating cream, I use it under make up if my skin is feeling particularly dull and I find that it makes my make up apply considerably better. It is a cool toned, slightly shimmery cream which just about glistens through make up.  Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in the shade Golden Light 2.25g - This mini bronzing compact is one of my most fave products at the moment. The teeny packaging is super cute and so easy to pack when travelling. The shade is the perfect not too ashy n

If you're not in the know of the Zara perfumes then you really must get to know. The EDTs are genuinely so comparable in quality of scent to high end fragrances and the price of £9.99 for 100ml makes them even more of a catch. Although the Red Vanilla scent is the only one in my collection as of right now, so many of my friends have tried and own an abundance of perfumes from the Zara range and they all sing their praises to the max! The notes as offered by Zara for this perfume are " The scent reveals notes of blackcurrant, iris and vanilla. It’s a warm, elegant and long-lasting fragrance." It's a really sweet scent which I love and I would say it is comparable to Giorgio Armarni's Si which also has notes of blackcurrant and vanilla. So if you are a fan of Si, like me, but not a fan of it's price tag, then definitely try this one! Or have a whiff of the other perfumes Zara has to offer and you will not be disappointed.   I wear this every day as

After my virgin hair had its first experience with bleach through balayage last year I have been trying extra hard to keep the ends in good condition. There have been particular steps that I have subsequently included in my daily/ weekly routines and I would like to think that I have kept my hair in reasonably good condition. I have massively cut down on how much heat I am using on my hair in an attempt to save it from being fried, and unnecessarily damaged.  I have introduced purple shampoo and conditioner to remove brassy tones from my bleached hair which keeps it looking really lovely and cool-toned (I can do a post on these in the future). I have begun doing weekly deep treatment masks to really force moisture back into my ends. I have added to my post-hair washing routine. I now make sure to use some kind of oil or serum, I've been reaching for L'Oreal's Extraordinary Oil recently on my damp hair which I finds makes my ends super nourished and silky without ge

If you know me personally, you'll know that you will never see me without my nails being painted, not always well but that is besides the point. Recently I have been really loving a more muted grey toned nail, maybe to match the weather we have been getting? These three are my current faves: (From left to right) Essie "On Mute" - a dark grey toned polish with slight blue undertones.  Essie "Press Pause" - a pale grey polish with slight purple undertones. Barry M Gelly Hi Shine "Blue Jade" - A deep blue with grey undertones. 

After a friend recently sent me a video of her taking her make up off using only the Face Halo and water I logged straight onto Amazon Prime and ordered myself a pack of 3, I cringed slightly at the price, £18 for a pack of 3 when I can go to Ikea and get 4 flannels for £1?? I went along with it though, as the assurance from my friend that these would be life changing was too persuasive to ignore and I needed all of the small wins in life that I could get my hands on.  The following day, after my super speedy delivery (let's take a second to appreciate Amazon Prime) I counted down the minutes until it was time to remove the day from my face. I wet the cloth/ pad with warm water and began swiping it over my make up covered skin and to my amazement I could automatically see the pigment transferring straight onto the pad with absolutely no scrubbing. Bearing in mind this is without using any kind of cleanser, which I just could not wrap my head around. I was highly sceptical wh

I have tried writing and re-writing this post countless times and I just can't seem to conjure up the right words or emotions to express the thoughts whirling around my head. I'm not entirely sure what my intentions are, still while writing this with the possibility of even 1 person reading this but my urge to share outweighed my urge to stay quiet in this instance. I know I speak for so many people around the UK when I say how shocked and devastated I was to hear about the news of Caroline Flack recently. It has really thrown me and I just can't seem to shake the heaviness at the pit of my stomach. The idea that someone could have reached such a low that they see no other option but to stop living is a concept that really truly scares me. Not because I can't understand why someone could feel like that, but because I genuinely can see how fragile life is and that the difference between life and death seems so unconcerning when you allow yourself to reach the edge

If you've been keeping up with the world of skincare, you will be aware of the infamous The Ordinary, a skincare brand priding themselves on their no-fuss packaging and back to basic ingredients, aiding in their low and unbeatable prices. At first I thought the price tags were too good to be true and in true beauty addict style I was instantly logged into my LookFantastic account making an order.  Here is my verdict on the top picks from the brand: My fave of all of their products that I've tried so far - The Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. I adore this really thick, creamy moisturiser as a part of my night-time skincare routine, you can really feel this one doing bits for your skin and the added hyaluronic acid works wonders at plumping and targeting deep within the skin. I'm also not mad at the price tag £6.75 for 100ml! The Caffeine Solution Eye Gel - Being half Indian my eye bags come as part of the olive skinned package and it seems that no

Although my student status has enforced an involuntary decrease in my spending budget, my interest in trialling beauty products has prevailed. Therefore, I've taken upon myself to find the best of the best when it comes to drugstore products. Skin is one of the hardest product areas to get right in my opinion - what works for me might completely not work for you and vice versa. But I thought I would inject my two-pennies worth into the foundation mix around this stick foundation and give my thoughts on how it worked for my dehydrated but oily skin. After hearing so many rave reviews about this foundation and its supposed similarities to Hourglass's cult fave stick foundation myself and my friend felt we needed to get our hands on L'Oreal's version. For £8.99 I felt that if this was a flop it wouldn't be a waste of a ridiculous amount of money (I'm looking at you Nars Sheer Glow for £30 a pop - even though I love you!). On first use I really liked

This small but mighty palette has changed my eyeshadow game since purchasing it a couple of months ago within Sam and Nic’s Smashbox beauty edit box*. The Smashbox Cover Shoot Eye Palette in Ablaze is super lightweight but the choice of 8 shades aids in the perfect mix & match combination to create a multitude of looks at different intensities. I personally love a natural everyday look using the top left pale nude shade all over the lid followed by the matte rusty colour in the crease, the pink shimmery shade (far left) over top and then I use the darkest brown (far right) as a liner which I smudge into the lash line and then create a little smudged out flick. The mirror is the perfect size to travel with and you’re able to create so many different looks with this tiny palette that it is the perfect holiday/ travel companion. As I’m back and forth from home to uni so much this is the only eye palette I’ve been reaching for. *( https://m.smashbox.co.uk/product/12046/73159/p

Often we associate spending more money on products as them being of an exceptionally higher quality and although this can definitely be the case for many products it is not always so.  I have been loving reaching for my Revolution Conceal and Define concealer recently on a day-to-day basis as a full-proof way of ensuring my make up looks as good as can be. I mainly use this in a lighter shade than my skin tone (usually C6), applied liberally under the eyes. As previously mentioned, I was not blessed in the eye-bag department and so I need all of the help I can get. This concealer is a really creamy formula and blends into the skin really smoothly whilst still giving a really great amount of coverage.  There are 25 shades available which I think is really amazing, especially for how much of a bargain it is as you are bound to find a shade that matches your skin colour and tone! A little tip that I have loved using as well is buying a darker shade of this, I think I hav

After trialling a fair few alternatives I think I have found myself firmly settled on a favourite mascara courtesy of L'Oreal's Lash Paradise (£11.99). This drugstore mascara has been repurchased too many times to count and I can't imagine going elsewhere for the foreseeable future.  The hair-like bristles create natural separation and a thick enough coating of the lashes to really open up the eyes whilst avoiding the dreaded spidered look. The only downside I can think of is that, like with many mascaras, when you buy a new one the formula can be a bit too wet and sticky at first but this really quickly firms up once it has been opened.  This is one that will definitely be sticking around in my make up bag until anything else comes close!

A really quick post to say I'm back and I intend on staying back! The beginning of 2020 has been a difficult one for me and in order to pull myself out of the hole I found myself slowly descending into I wanted to go back and do the things I have enjoyed the most in my time! AKA blogging. No matter if I am just talking to myself, I intend on delving back into my love of make up and beauty products and sharing that love on a platform I have thought about ever since I left.  I want to be able to look back at the end of 2020 and feel really accomplished in the effort I put into not only my studies (I'm a final year at University) but also into doing the things that bring me genuine joy.  So here goes...