How to Save On Makeup

I think I'm a make up addict, I'll admit. I have no where near the collections of other bloggers but oh my lord I am a hoarder. I was browsing for make up the other day, like I always do, and came across Save On Makeup. I originally had thoughts of "ok, how much can you get makeup down to, surely you pay for what you're getting?" Boy oh boy was I wrong. I was sent £20 worth of items and honestly, I don't understand how I got so much for the money! I would definitely recommend going on their website, but beware you may go wild for the bargains...

EEK, so much make up!

This nail varnish is stunning. It's in the colour 571, and on the nail is hot pink, as you may be able to see on my thumb (unfortunately they don't have this colour in stock anymore, but they have another equally gorgeous!) . So far it's stayed on and barely chipped in a week and a half. The RRP is £18 and I got it for £8 - BARGAIN. 

 

Playboy VIP for Her has fast become my go to perfume. It has a floral scent (hence the rose...) but isn't overbearing. I wear it on a day to day basis and it works perfectly; I've been told I smell gorgeous on multiple occasions! It's a 30ml bottle which usually sells for £8.95, but is available for £3.99 on Save On Makeup. Oh my gawd, I recommend! Plus - how cute is the bottle? 

I have had my eye on The Maybelline Fit Me bronzer for a while. Sadly, it's a little too light so doesn't really show up on my skin. But I have used it on top of my usual bronzer and it helps to make it a little more natural which is great. It's not as pigmented as I had hoped for but for the price - I'm impressed. 

This is the thing I was most excited for. Lancome La Base in Nude. Holy Smokessss. This is a creamy eyeshadow base and it works wonders! It's quite difficult to get on the brush but the pigmentation is insane and my eyeshadow lasts so much longer. The RRP is £21 but I got it for only £5.99. 

Something that I think is really cool is that Save on Makeup offer a 'Lucky Dip Selection.' It's £2.99 and comes wrapped up which is a nice touch! I was super excited for this because I had no idea what I was going to get. I got; Saffron Neon Nail Polish in 109 pink, a back and silver Babyliss hair claw clip and a Manhattan lipgloss & lipliner. The lipgloss is a little sticky for me, but the lipliner is gorgeous & I LOVE the colour - brown is my favourite lip colour. It's originally £3.95 but is sold for 99p on this website, The clip is £2.99 but available for 99p also and the nail varnish retails for £2.99 but is 69p!

All in all, I'm really impressed with the quality and the amount that you get for your money. I would definitely advise you to check to see if the make up you want to spend a fortune on is available here before you splurge! They have many brands such as; Dior, Chanel, Elizabeth Arden and Urban Decay. 

Thanks to The Blogger Programme for giving Save on Makeup and I the chance to work together!

- Sophie x

Watercolour Temporary Tattoos!

Temporary tattoos are fast approaching my favourite thing. I am underage, so not able to get any real tattoos (and also have parents not so keen on the idea!) which means that temporary tattoos are the perfect way to satisfy my inking urges!

A temporary tattoo company were kind enough to send me a watercolour set named Free Spirit that you can find here. It comes with two pages full of tattoos in all different colours and sizes - I love it!

There are instructions on the packet but I thought I would talk you through my little experience. I first got everything I would need to apply the tattoos, so: some water (I'd recommend a tap), a wash cloth/flannel, some wipes and scissors, as well as the tattoos!

First, cut out the tattoos that you want. I say tattoos because lets be honest, who can stop at one? This live, laugh, love one was my favourite but despite how easy these tattoos are to put on I managed to mess it up, ooops...

It's recommended that the area that you put the tattoos on is clean so I cleaned it with a make up wipe! Make sure it's dry before you put the actual tattoo on though. 

TAKE THE CLEAR FILM OFF THE TATTOO NOW. DON'T FORGET. I forgot. I ended up putting the tattoo onto the clear film rather than my wrist... Press a damp flannel on to the tattoo for at least 30 seconds, there's no point in rushing this step as it will mess with the process.

Take the flannel off and remove the paper bit - you're left with a pretty tattoo! The quality of these tattoos are fantastic, they apply really easily and stay on for ages. (UPDATE) 

Tell me this is not absolutely adorable, I dare you.

 

 

These are the ones I chose for this first application session, I didn't want to go too mental! You can be sure that as soon as these fade I'll be topping up my collection (follow me on Twitter @textbookloser for updates when I do...) update a week later : the one on my ankle has barely faded, I am so impressed with the quality of these!

If you buy these tattoos please let me know, I'd love to see which ones are your favourites!

- Sophie x

So.. I suck

As we have all now established I cannot stick to a schedule. Every time I write a post saying yay I will get back into blogging! I slack off again. I've written that I upload weekly onto here on my personal statement, so I guess I probably should... I'm going to ease back into blogging with a #original post. 5 facts about me. I have done a 7 facts about me video BUT I'm going to include different facts about me here so basically you have a grand total of 12 facts about me and that's my lucky number so we're all #winners.

1. I love knitting! My nan taught me how to earlier this year and I have a ball of wool by my bed. Every time I get a wee bit stressed, I pick up my needles and clack away (if you've heard the sound of knitting you'll know what I mean.)

2. I desperately want to live in America for a year (Kent Uni with a year abroad holla at me)

3. One of my life goals is to publish a book, whether it be aimed at young children or adults!

4. My favourite song atm is Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon, what an absolute banger.

5. I am absolutely terrified of being stabbed / drowned / burnt alive. Woo.

Thanks for reading, see you next week - maybe!

- Sophie x

Top Tips For Going Back to School!

So, the dreaded day has come. Tomorrow I go back to school. It's year 13 for me, so my final year of life as I know it! If I'm being honest I'm absolutely dreading it but who isn't? Here are my top tips for going back to school! 

1) Get enough sleep the night before

We all know that no one goes to bed before midnight over the summer, or if you're like me - ever. But getting a lot of sleep the night before school is key into having an alright first day back! You need the sleep to be able to function and cope with the early morning start. 

2) Prepare everything the night before

I'm a dope, so completely forgot to order a new school bag until yesterday. Yeah I know. So I won't be able to get everything completely ready, but will pack  into last years bag instead! I went out today and got three books, a post it note set and some chewing gum. 3 necessitates for going back to school! The books cost £3 each from Tesco, which at first seemed like a lot of money but is a lot cheaper than somewhere like Paperchase. They have separators aswell which is key for subjects that have a combination of coursework and exam. Choose your first day outfit too, there's nothing worse than having to piece together an outfit at 7am. 

3) MOTIVATE. 

I'm really determined to apply myself this year, and hope that writing this is another form of self motivation. I want/need BBB to get into uni so I want to make sure that this is going to happen. Buying the books and post it note set is a form of motivation, writing in nice paper is a good way of making sure that you actually want to write! I've also been looking for quotes and trying to find study buddies to make sure that I keep this up throughout the year. If you see me on social media too much then PLS send me a message and try to get me back on track! 

4) Be friendly! 

Making friends, or acquaintances, on the first day/week will benefit you throughout the year. There's nothing wrong with getting on with your teachers and do not let anyone tell you there is. If you need to rely on a teacher to go above and beyond for you, being nice to a teacher from the get go is a definite. They are people too and they have feelings, they're not just teaching machines! Also, with students. If you end up in a class with no one you know, don't be a bitch and end up singled out - it's common sense.

5) START WORKING HARD FROM THE BEGINNING.

I let myself down a bit last year and a large majority of the reason for that was because I had to catch up on stuff that i decided it would be a good idea not to do at the beginning of the year. This year I'm going to put in 100% all year and hope that I have some different results. 

I hope you enjoyed this post!! Let's all go back to school and cry. 

- Sophie x

Oops!

I think we all knew this post was going to come. I failed at BEDA. Surprise Surprise! However, it has completely motivated me into a weekly schedule. The daily thing was just too much and along with having ridiculously busy days, I just didn't find the time to write or post!

I can't decide whether to attempt for a blogpost & video every week (one different days, obvs) or to alternate with a video one week and a blogpost the next. Your opinions would be much appreciated pls. 

Hopefully see you next week! 

London In Photos

Today I went to London with 2 of my friends, Emily & Megan, to celebrate Emily's birthday. We had a pree fab day, doing the Topshop personal shopper! It was great fun and I spent too much money. We went to Bill's in Covent Garden for lunch, which is difficult to find but well worth the adventure. It wasn't ridiculously priced and the food was delicious! The decor was also lovely. Here are some photos I took throughout the day (I didn't take many because we were in a rush all day...)

Not London but there was a pretty sunset last night. 

Today...

I travelled home from Spain and I am tired and I wrote this once we landed. I am very excited to go and see my little puppies again (not an innuendo) 

I hope this reaches you before midnight because I don't want to fail at BEDA. 

Here are some piccys from the plane xoxo 

#wow #photographer #ihatethispost

OOTD/Evening

It's one of our last nights in Spain (at the time of posting its actually our last night *sigh*) so we decided to head into the closest village to us, Sucina, where they are hosting a small festival. This is what I wore, again soz for the photo quality. From now onwards it should improve! 

My full outfit is all from New Look, apart from the shoes which I believe are from Tesco. I'm not sure of prices BUT I uploaded a haul on my YouTube channel when I got them in the first place so if you wanted to watch that you can here.

Le top. It's comfy and not too thick, so perfect for hot weather! It's hotter in Spain over night than it is during the day I'm England, lolllllll.

It's a midi skirt, with two small slits at the bottom. It has an elasticated black waistband which I tuck my top under. It's pretty and floaty and I like.

The full outfit including the helpful wind blowing the skirt to demonstrate full floatyness. 

I paired this outfit with the make up that I bought the other day (plus a few other bits that I bought along from home - a very similar look to the one from Wednesday) 

- Sophie x

My Love For Catchphrase

A short and sweet post today about my bizarre love for a TV show. My close family and friends know that my current life plan is to apply for this show the moment I turn 18. Catchphrase is on ITV (or reruns on Challenge) and the newer episodes are presented by Stephen Mulhern whilst the old ones are by Roy Walker. I have to admit, Stephen Mulhern makes the show for me.

I don't like to blow my own trumpet, but I am very good at Catchphrase. I don't get the odd few but I get most in an episode and I think that makes it all the more enjoyable for me.

I would recommend Catchphrase the TV show or the board game thoroughly and I hope you watch me on it in 2 years. 

- Sophie x

Spain Haul

As you probably know I'm in Spain at the moment. Today we went to La Zenia, a shopping mall near our apartment. Most of the shops I went in are English but hey ho. Here's what I bought! I'd like to again apologise about the state of the photos, as the month progresses so will the photo quality!

The first shop I went into was Pull & Bear. As soon as I walked in I spotted these trousers and had to have them! They were €15.99 which translates to £11.26, which I thought was perfectly reasonable. They are super comfy and have a very pretty pattern. 

I then picked up this top, which was €19.98 or £14.09, slightly pricier but still lovely. My mum adored this and wouldn't let me leave without it so it ended up in the basket! It's comfy and floaty so will be good in either winter, with a jacket, or summer. Excuse the PJ shorts.

My ever the fashion aware mother then also spotted this bralet, claiming it to be a wardrobe staple. It was €9.99, £7.04, and made of really soft material. It is twisty which I don't know if the picture fully picks up, so it takes about 20 minutes to get into. Soz about twisty straps and dodgy tan line. 

I then spotted a make up shop, named Super Perfumia, which stocked a lot of English brands. I had my eye set on the L'Oreal Infallible 24h Foundation to purchase as soon as I got home, so when I saw it here I couldn't resist! It was €10.46, which is £7.38, so cheaper than anywhere in England! I got it in the colour 260, Golden Sun, to match with my tan. It is really pigmented and blends super well - I'm sure it'll end up in my monthly favourites! 

I also had a gander at the lipstick selection and settled with another L'Oreal product. It's of the Colour Riche rehydrating set and in the colour 136, Flamingo Elegance. It's the perfect summer colour! It is on the higher end of the price scale, for me anyway, at the same price as the foundation. It's super pigmented and stays on the lips for ages though, which suggests it's worth the money! 

this is all I bought as I didn't want to spend a fortune because I have my eyes set on lots of bits back home! See you tomorrow...

- Sophie x

Great British Bake Off - First Thoughts!

If you know me at all, or follow me on Twitter (@textbookloser) you will know how intense my love is for GBBO. That's Great British Bake Off to you whom don't know. This love is so strong that a year later I am still supporting my favourite contenstant from last year, Richard Burr, who's book is due to be released on August 27th named BIY - a read I am very very much looking forward to! Yesterday marked one of my favourite days of the year; the first episode of Great British Bake Off - here are my first thoughts.

Bake Off begins on cake week, one of my favourite weeks! In the first round; in which the challenge was to bake a Madeira cake, Flora, the youngest contestant this year at 19 made the mistake of not turning her oven on - the first error of the Bake Off! Many innuendos were 'cracked' regarding the signature Madeira Crack, including Ugne "looking for a crack!" in her oven. 

My favourite from the signature bake comes from anaesthetist Tamal. He used his syringe skills to inject lemon drizzle to the inside of his cake. But as there's no taste TV, obvs, it was the exterior that got me. IT'S JUST SO PRETTY. It was said to be an "amazing bake!" so probably tasted pretty good too. 

Next was the technical, in which the bakers were tasked with Mary Berry's walnut cake. A recipe with caramel would have caused me disaster, but then again pretty much any recipe gives me disaster... Ugne excelled in this, with a great cake and some extra sugar work on top; subtly showing off some of her extra skills. Stu,again, had a bit of a meltdown which ended in a singular caramel walnut being presented on his cake. However Nadiya did not precisely follow Mary's instruction, an amateur error, so didn't realise you had to put the meringue round the entire cake resulting in her bringing up the rear end. 

The show stopper was an oldie but a goodie, Black Forest Gateau. The show stopper is always my favourite round because it gives the bakers a real chance to shine. Stu tried to be out there, with a beetroot cake, but unfortunately this didn't pay off as it was commented to have "the texture of a raw sponge." 

Dorret exclaimed "This is the perfect bake for me!" I think she spoke too soon. My heart dropped for her as she removed her cake from the fridge, almost replicating last year's Alaska Gate - oh the memories. 

Not a pleasant looking cake, and also according to Paul "tasted of rubber." Luckily, she had been quite consistently good up until this point. 

Ugne had a very clever way of creating some cups and saucers, blowing up balloons then dipping them in perfectly melted chocolate which were then left to set before the balloons were popped and the chocolate was wonderfully shaped! However, her cake was marked "not good" by Paul, oh dear. 

Marie was crowned the first star baker. She managed not to cave in to the pressures of the tent and kept a steady hand throughout. Well done Marie! 

I'd already found out the basics about the contestants before watching, so had a favourite and his name was Stu. This was based on absolutely no baking skills but a summary of them as a person. It turns out I made the wrong choice! Stu didn't have a great episode, obviously the pressures of not being in the comforts of his kitchen got to him and it ended up with him being the first to leave. Bye Stu :(

- Sophie x

OOTD - Beach Day!

I'm in Spain at the moment so, of course, have spent a couple of days at the beach! 

This is my favourite beach nearby named Lo Pagan as it has a restaurant/café that sells lovely fresh food, my favourites are the lasagne or chicken salad if you were wondering (you weren't.) This is what I wore for that day! 

I'd just like to apologise for the poor picture quality, these were all taken subtly on my IPhone 6 so let's just forget about that. Thanks. 

The crop top I am wearing is from Monki, a new favourite of mine. I believe it was £8. The quality of the top isn't fantastic, but it's perfect for a beach day. It's thin and floaty so you don't get hot and sticky! 

The shorts are from Republic. I bought them about 2 years ago so I'm not sure if you'll still be able to get them, soz. They are rather comfy and slightly baggy. However, they do have a thick brown belt (which you can't see in the photo) which was a bit annoying in the heat.

I finished off the outfit with a nice Hawaiian necklace, this was just to cover up the sunburn that my top didn't reach. I also wore sunglasses from River Island and flip flops from Tesco. Stylish.

- Sophie x

Holiday Make-Up

When I'm on holiday, especially in a hot country, I can't stand wearing make up. You get all sweaty and it slides down your face making you even more unattractive than you would be with no make up on. We went out for a quiz night and meal in the evening so I decided to touch up my face. I'll now talk you through the make up because I know that is really interesting.

I first used Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer to cover up any blemishes/extreme sunburn. I blended this in with my finger as it warms up the concealer so it looks more natural. Plus I didn't have any luggage room for brushes ...

I then put lip balm on, this is an important step in my make up routine as it keeps my lips moisturised after being out in the sun all day. I used the EOS lip balm in strawberry cheesecake. 

I moved swiftly on to my brows. Using the Anastasia Brow Wiz, I spoolied (is that a word?) and filled them in; careful not to go too over the top as this is quite a bare faced look.

Next I did my eyes! I didn't bring any eyeshadow so I just used a Kohl Pencil Liner in my water line and to tight line. I then curled my eyelashes and used Benefit's They're Real mascara to lengthen the lashes. 

I went over my lip balm with my favourite Lipstick, Primark's Whisper. So high end. 

- Sophie x

Top Travelling Tips!

So at the time of writing, I am on a flight to Spain! I have just finished a salmon and prawn sushi rice salad (from Boots, more on that later) and am currently watching frozen whilst doing some 'adult' colouring. I travel in style, what can I say. I'm quite an avid traveller if I do say so myself so I thought I would share some of my top tips.

1. TRAVEL COMFY. 

This is the most important tip in my opinion. No one cares about what you look like in the airport, if you are wearing a bodycon dress and heels nobody is going to judge you any more than if you were wearing your favourite tracksuit and Uggboots. You may as well wear something that is light and won't dig into you at every available opportunity. I love to travel in leggings, an oversized top and a hoodie. I wear whichever shoes are the biggest to save room in my case - you have to be smart when travelling! 

2. Come prepared

I like to bring a lot to do on the plane, even if it is only a 2 hour journey. I find my attention span to be quite short whilst flying so I like to have some variation. In my hand luggage currently I have a book; Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, an adult colouring book and pens, headphones and an available offline Spotify playlist, my 2 camera's (not to use on the plane, just to make sure they don't get broken in the hold), 5 books downloaded on my phone, my iPad with lots of games & apps and my friend's iPad with Frozen downloaded! 

3. Bring your own food

I, or my mother, make sure that we go to Boots or WH Smith and grab a meal deal before boarding. You're already through security so there's no problem with carrying any extra weight and it makes for a much more enjoyable experience on board. Unless you fly business class, no one likes plane food. Bringing a Boots meal deal which you can choose (I had sushi salad, prawn cocktail spirals and cloudy lemonade) means that you know there will be something that isn't soggy and smells of weird for you to eat - much nicer! I also like to bring along a few sweets such as Eclair's or Haribo especially to suck on whilst taking off. 

I know these may seem pretty obvious but I thought they were important soooo... Hope you enjoyed reading this, see you again tomorrow hopefully! 

- Sophie x

My Favourite Summer Songs

Hi, again. This post contains my favourite summer bangers!

1. Brazil - Declan McKenna.

Declan McKenna is a little cherub and Brazil is a true summer tune. It's very catchy and can be played in the background whilst you spend time with your family or blasted full volume whilst you dance around your bedroom like a professional interpretative dancer. 

2. Someone New - Hozier.

Hozier is a truly fantastic artist and Someone New does not disappoint. Again, it is catchy and just makes me want to dance! 

3. Under The Sea - The Little Mermaid.

The Disney loser in me is coming out, soz not soz. I love the melody (I have no idea if that's the right word) to this song and it makes me happy whenever I listen to it, which is exactly how I want to feel for summer. I literally just lay and danced to this on a sunbed, that's how happy it makes me. 

4. Fairytales & Firesides - Passenger.

This is such a beautiful, relaxing song. I could listen to Passenger all day everyday but this is one of my favourites of his. 

5. Banana Pancackes - Jack Johnson.

I have genuinely loved this song since about 2012. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

6. Cheerleader - OMI.

I know it's shit okay. It just makes me feel happy and summery and I CAN'T HELP BUT LOVE IT. 

7. Black Flies - Ben Howard.

Again, I love Ben Howard and this is my favourite of his. It makes me feel chilled and gives off perfect summer vibes. 

8. Everyone is Gay - A Great Big World.

The title says more than I can. 

9. Hold Back The River - James Bay.

My love for James Bay is at an all time high. This is a song to sing at the top of your voice to. Which I do. Whenever I listen to it. Which is a lot.

10. Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars.

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE THIS SONG. 

I know this is a bit of a hodgepodge of songs but honestly that just describes my music taste! If you have any ideas for music that you think I would like then feel free to let me know in the comments! Also if you listen to any of these songs on my recommendation - and like them - let me know! 

- Sophie x

BEDA!

Hi hello,

So yes I may have been a little bit absent recently; oops. It always happens so you may aswell expect it from me and not get disappointed (not that you would. tbh I think I'm just writing this to myself). But this is all about to change with - BEDA. What is BEDA you may, or may not, be asking? Blog Every Day [in] August. Yup, you heard it here first folks. I will be - trying - to post a blogpost everyday in August.

As you may already be able to tell I sort of have commitment issues but the main problem is I am very fussy with my posts and don't want to post anything that isn't of very good standard; for my little blog anyhow. BEDA is a way for me to just create. My love for writing is blossoming, especially with me wanting to base my entire degree around writing/English. I have more motivation to succeed (at life!) than I ever have before so I figure I may aswell put some effort into this. The posts may not all be fantastic, they may not all make sense but I am going to try and I am going to be creating and that is all that matters to me!

I hope you're excited to follow me along this journey and see if I actually do post everyday, who knows! August is set to be a VERY exciting month for me so I hope these posts reflect that!

- Sophie x

My Nose Piercing Experience

So, on the day of writing this as you can probably tell from the title and the picture above - I have just had my nose pierced!! I have wanted it done for absolutely ages, but never plucked up the courage to ask my mum. My friend recently got hers done so I showed my mum as a hint, she recieved the hint and said because it was my body I can do what I want - Huzzah! Even though I've currently had it for under an hour, I am so in love with it. I may edit this post after a couple of days with a changed opinion, however! I am going to write about my experience along with some top tips, so read ahead if you're thinking of getting it done!

The first thing, I think, is make sure that you definitely want it. I have been thinking about getting mine done for ages so when my mum finally brought it up and said yes, it took under 12 hours for me to get it done. This sounds spontaneous, but it really wasn't. I'd watched over 50 videos on YouTube of people getting theirs done and also their experiences, I went it to it knowing what to expect (sort of!) During this 'research' it became apparent that sometimes when taking the piercing out there is a little scar left behind, if you get your nose pierced on a whim; you will be left with this scar - is it worth it?

You then need to choose a reputable piercer. Usually, tattoo and piercing places are going to be your best bet. I went to Pulse where I know that it is safe, and clean. They sterilised all the equipment before it went in my nose and also wore gloves; which are two key things to look out for. My piercer was lovely, though I don't know his name - sorry! My piercing here was £19, which I thought was reasonable. You should make sure that you are getting your piercing done with good quality jewellry, such as titanium or surgical steel. Mine is titanium. Getting jewellery from somewhere like Claire's isn't a particularly good idea because whilst they do advertise their jewellery to be 'titanium' it is actually silver coated in titanium. This coating can rub off in the fresh piercing and cause infection, which is not what you want with a brand new piercing! You should also make sure that it is done with a needle and not a gun. With a needle, they should use a new or freshly sterilised one for every person whereas the same gun will be used. When a gun is used, due to the force of it, some blood may spatter onto it which is so small it goes by unnoticed. This could then cause infection so, again, not good!

Pain wise, it's not horrific. It definitely hurts, but it's more of a stinging sensation. Honestly, your eyes water so much that you get sort of distracted by that and then the pain is over. It does throb for the rest of the day and I would recommend taking anti - inflammatory tablets (such as ibuprofen) to help the swelling go down. The pain is most definitely worth it. (Editing this a week later and I am in love with it.) If you fiddle with it, which you shouldn't but I do oops, make sure that you have washed your hands before. Also, this can hurt - mine does whenever I touch it!

The watering had gone down by now but you get the gist.

My top tip would be : if you have hayfever, reconsider getting it in hayfever season. This may be gross, but if you have a running nose alllll the time it becomes very painful and starts to make the area go a bit more red. Sniffing is bad too. Aswell as this; sneezing hurts. A lot. In a way, I wish I had waited until after the hayfever months but also I don't regret it at all because I love it so much!


Sorry if this has been a really wordy post and you aren't actually that interested in nose piercings (you probably aren't still reading this if you're not...) but I hope this was informative to anyone thinking about getting theirs done! If you have any questions feel free to leave them in a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

- Sophie x

LouiseLIVE - Coventry

I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the pilot LouiseLIVE show in Northampton and had an amazing experience. I haven't been to many YouTube events in my time - yet - so don't have a lot to compare it to, but this is definitely up in my top 3. It was interactive, not overly rehearsed (I say this in completely a good way; it was spontaneous which made it even more funny) and personal. Personal is the most important thing for me, Louise really made an effort to make sure most of the audience was involved and I had the (un)fortunate experience of getting on stage with her at the beginning to dance to All About That Bass which was totally mortifying but also quite funny. Anyway, enough about Northampton - now on to Coventry!

Thanks to Louise being a lovely soul, she set me up with some VIP Tickets which allowed me to meet her before the show in a little room. As we walked in we were handed a golden tube (content to be revealed later!) and then shuffled through. We crowded into the room and started to chat between ourselves when someone pointed out that Louise was already in there. We all stood around, waiting until she made her way towards us. We had a friendly conversation which included some secrets being revealed, dresses swishes and selfies being taken!

The selfie lighting in this room was most fabulous.

Next was the show. We were told to go into the theatre, which I believe holds around 550 people and was full - a lot more than at the Northampton one! Louise Split the show into segments to allow it to flow smoother and she was supported by props and a Microsoft Powerpoint. This show was brilliant. I think I preferred the Northampton show because it was more rough around the edges and felt more intimate (that may have been because I was more involved in the Northampton one, however.) We had the fortunate experience of being joined by Zoe(lla) and she did a little appearance at the beginning. This is one thing I disliked about the show. I found that the audience screamed louder for Zoe than Louise and even after being told not to, I saw people taking pictures of Zoe throughout the show and at one point Louise was being asked questions about Zoe for a solid 5 minutes. I know this isn't Louise's fault at all - I just found it very disrespectful of the audience. 

My photos of the show are allllll awful because of the lighting and me being no camera whiz but I was actually quite grateful that I figured this out early on and allowed myself to sit and enjoy the show instead of worrying about taking photos. If you watch Louise on her main channel (here) you only really see a smidgen of the true Louise. Her second channel (here!) has a much more accurate representation of what she is like in real life. She is so funny. There was one point that my friend and I thought we were going to cry with laughter - and that doesn't happen often. She talks about things in a way that you would talk to your friend, and shared personal details with us - such as 'the secret' which can't be discussed anywhere online; soz. LouiseLIVE is so different to any other Youtube event because it is personal, both for Louise and us. It's just so wonderful.

By far my favourite part of the show is Glitter Tips. The best Glitter Tips is the one on body confidence. Louise has a way with words and this segment is moving. Honestly, I welled up a little bit. I won't go into detail on what was said; all I will say is that it's especially lovely and will stay with me forever. Honestly, I would recommend going to the show even if the only bit it included was this. You leave the show feeling confident and uplifted and you can tell that she aims to make you feel like this. 

As I mentioned earlier, we were handed golden tubes as we walked in to the VIP area. They were these motivational, signed posters! They were also for sale for £10 outside of the theatre. 

I LOVE this. 

Aswell as this, when we walked into the theatre there were some cards on every single seat. I really hope the effort that Louise puts into these shows does not get overlooked by everyone in there, it is clear that she really wants to provide an experience. 

Excuse the chipped nail varnish....

Louise if you read this; you done good. I hope the rest of the shows go aswell as this one did (even with the few mishaps...)

See you next week with another post! (Hopefully. I go back to school next week so who knows what is going to happen)

- Sophie x