Author: Samio

Keeping It Casual

My style is often described as quite ‘dressy’, or at least not as casual anyway but some days I want nothing more than to throw on a pair of jeans and a jumper. So I’ve slowly been introducing more casual attire into my wardrobe.

I’m loving some of the plimsolls the stores have in right now. Practical footwear never used to be an option for me but as more and more flats are slowly creeping their way into my wardrobe, I’m starting to appreciate the comfort and convenience of practical footwear. These slip ons are just that and as well as having the practicality factor they are stylish too and I love the print. I’ve not even had these shoes long and you can already see how convenient they have become, due to the scuff marks from me wearing them so much.

In a previous post, I already talked about my new found love for jeans that started around this time last year. I soon found myself with shelves full of jeans, however the majority of them I do not wear. I have found finding a pair of jeans that are just right and easy to throw on with anything is hard. I started shopping in Gap earlier this year and I’ve really started to become a fan of some of their simple everyday garments. Okay so I know it’s not the most fashionable shop ever but I like it for its good quality staple pieces that can be easily styled.

I’m automatically drawn to jeans with rips. I love how they can been worn casual or also add an edge to a more dressy look with heels. These are the first jeans I bought from Gap and I’ve worn them loads. The style name of these jeans is ‘Always Skinny’ and although I’ll admit they have gone a little baggy since I first bought them (not that you can tell on the photos), I do not feel it has majorly effected the look.

I’d originally bought the backpack as a gym bag/travel bag (as it’s quite large) but recently I’ve found myself using it more and more as it fits in everything. I spotted it in River Island last time I was in London and had to buy it. I think it looks way more expensive than it is and at £35 I thought it was a steal.

As for the jumper (also from Gap), what can I say, it’s simple, comfortable and easy to throw on which I think is the perfect completion to a super causal look.

Plimsolls – H&M
Jeans – Gap (similar)
Jumper – Gap
Necklace – H&M
Backpack – River Island

Samio x

August 19, 2014
My Three Step Brow Routine – For Defined Brows

A question I often get asked is ‘How do you do your brows?’, so I thought it was about time I finally wrote a blog post for those who are interested in my brow routine or are looking for a new one.

For me my brow routine starts at the salon. I try to get my eyebrows threaded every couple of weeks or so. Creating a good shape for your eyebrows really helps to frame your face.

If you currently pluck your eyebrows and haven’t yet tried threading then I would definitely recommend it. However threading isn’t for everyone and of course if you prefer a bushy statement brow then maybe only a filler is what you’re after.

I previously always used Brow Zings eyebrow pallet from Benefit, to fill in my eyebrows. However more recently I converted to Sleek Brow Kit, as it is exactly the same as the Benefit brow palette and less than half the price! I thought it too good to be true at first but bar the branding on the case the two products are barely indistinguishable, right down to the tweezers (which are excellent at pulling out those odd stray hairs might I add). Both pallets come with a wax, a powder and a brush for each, along with mini tweezers as well as a mirror inside the pallet case.

Shade Used – Extra Dark

Below I’ve created a photo collage to show each step of my brow routine.
1. My brows, newly threaded.
2. My brows outlined with the wax part of the pallet using the angle brush.
3. My brows at the final step, lightly filled in with the powder side of the pallet using the rounded brush. – I usually then go over my brows with an eyebrow bush, just to make sure the powder is fully blended and to gently ease out any harsh lines.

And there you have it, my easy to follow eyebrow routine for defined brows.

Samio x

August 19, 2014
Feeling Free – My Week Away From Social Media

It was Sunday 10th August at 23:29, we’d finally turned out the lights ready to sleep but I just had to have one last check on Facebook (incase one of my friends had messaged me of course). I was then ready to finally put my device down for the night but not before sending one last Tweet and then having a quick final swoop through Instagram. Okay I was done… Oh wait, it dawned on me that I hadn’t checked my Tumblr in ages (yes I even have a Tumblr account). So after one last brows through my Tumblr feed, I was ready, ready to switch off and start my week long social media free detox.

I’ll admit it, I am a social media addict. This will come as no surprise to most people, especially my boyfriend who bares the biggest brunt to this self confessed addiction. Other than the times when I go on holiday, there’s rarely a day that goes by that I don’t interact, browse or post something out on social media of some form. So I decided to do a little self experiment and give myself a seven day ban from all forms of social media and remove all the apps from my iPad and phone.

I didn’t really give myself the ban for any particular reason other than to show myself that I could and that my life wasn’t so consumed by social networking that I wouldn’t be able to cope. In the end it wasn’t so bad after all. In fact strangely enough, it actually felt like a relief. In the spaces I’d usually spend killing time on social media, I read, I wrote, I talked, all without the distraction of the electronic devices that usually rule my life. It was strange, after a week away I actually felt nervous when I was re-downloading my apps from the cloud. ‘Should I do it?’ I thought to myself and to be honest I probably would have stayed away longer if it wasn’t for my blogging and networking that I do for work.

Now it’s all back, I’m reconnected, everything is the same and nothing changed in my online world during my week offline. I’m not saying that a week is an extraordinarily long time, however, a lot can happen in such a short period. If we can put down our devices and spend more minutes, hours, days, looking around and experience life a little less distracted we might be able to live it to a greater potential.

Remember you control your social media, don’t let it control you.

Enjoy your week,
Samio x

August 18, 2014
A Day Trip To York

Just when I was starting to get pangs of the Barcelona blues, my faith in England was restored with a day trip to York with the loved one and friends… Don’t get me wrong, I love my hometown and I love living in it but after returning home to two weeks of predominantly wet and windy days, the city never looked so grey. So on Friday, the boyfriend and I took a train and went to York for the day. My boyfriend’s best friend and his girlfriend were over from Malaysia, so we met with them at the train station before heading for breakfast at Bill’s restaurant. It was full English breakfasts all round, opting for a Bill`s breakfast each to set us all up for the day.

I’d been to York as a child but it had been years since I had last visited there, so it was nice to go back and enjoy the wonders of the city once again. York is such a charming and quirky city, known for its rich heritage, medieval buildings and of course, York Minster, so it’s so easy to fall for its charm and lose yourself imagining the bygone times whilst learning the story’s the city has to tell. We spent hours wandering around and of course taking our time on the famous Shambles; weaving in and out of shops, taking pictures and generally being tourists as well as popping in the odd, old fashioned boozer, where at times I even went as far as to swap my red wine for an ale (York really did affect me).

Later in the afternoon we went to York Dungeon, again I’d been there as a child but a lot had changed since I was younger and it really was a lot of fun even to go back as a big kid! After we did a spot of shopping, I treated myself to some new and much needed eye makeup brushes and picked up a couple of new pieces from Mango. Our last stop was York’s most haunted pub, The Golden Fleece, unfortunately/fortunately (whichever way you want to look at it), we had no ghostly encounters this time, however we found out they have rooms in which you can stay, so it could be good fun for a potential mini break next time.

We said our goodbyes and got our separate trains home, my boyfriend and I heading back to Manchester. On the train we decided to have a few vinos which spurred an importune night out once we got off the train in Manchester. It’s not the first time my spontaneity has led to me going on a night out carrying a backpack and wearing day clothes but I hadn’t imagined that our day trip to York would end in dancing the night away, which overall resulted in Friday being pretty much awesome.

Samio x

August 18, 2014
My Month in Barcelona

I don’t even know where to start with this blog post. So much happened in a month, it’s hard to detail it all down. So without the elegance of a detailed account I’ll be concise to cut a long story short… I went to Barcelona to model at the end of June; intentionally I went for two weeks but ended up staying a month. This was my fourth time in Barcelona but my first time I’d gone there to work. I booked a couple of really fun commercials whilst I was out there, one which took me to Madrid to film for 4 days, where I worked with some really cool people and had so much fun.

Whilst staying in Barcelona I shared a flat in my agency with four other models; Maria from Spain (who was also my roomie), Natalia from Slovakia and Tara from L.A. The four of us all became really close and formed the type of friendship you don’t find everyday. Collectively we named ourselves the Cheeky Chicas (as you do) and stayed up most nights chatting into the early hours about anything and everything and giggling like school girls… We also had some pretty amazing nights out too not to mention our many adventures between castings and work during the day.

I also got to see lots of one of my oldest best friends, Lydia, who lives in Barcelona, with whom I did lots of catching up, eating and wine drinking. All in all my month in Barcelona was amazing, I met some really cool people, went to some really fun parties, worked some awesome jobs and made some amazing new friends.

Samio x

August 10, 2014
Garnier Cleansing Water

It’s great to find a cleanser that easily removes makeup whilst being gentle on the skin. I love this new Cleansing Water from Garnier. I’ve been using it for some time now and am still happy with the results. It gently remove heavy makeup with ease and as it literally feels like water, it is great for removing makeup around the eyes.

The closet thing I can compare this product to is Bioderma Micelle Solution and if you’ve used that then you’ll know how good and gentle it is when removing makeup. The good thing about Garnier Cleansing Water though, is that it is a fraction of the price, so what can I say, I’m a convert.

After – The skin is left feeling clean and un-irritated.

Samio x

July 8, 2014
Secret Garden

One of my favourite parts of Barcelona has to be Montjuïc. Beautiful gardens, amazing views and the tranquility of being hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona’s busy centre… Okay so it’s a mean feat to climb this mountain like hill but once at the top, you’re generously rewarded with the most fabulous settings. This of course makes Montjuïc the perfect place to take pictures and for me to do a long over due blog update.

This was my third time up Montjuïc, (the first being in January last year) and although I knew the park was big I had no idea of the full scale of it until trekking up and around it in the blazing heat. My friend and I were some what inappropriately dressed for such an adventure (for which we received a few odd looks) but as a result I was more than satisfied with the shots from this post, as the settings were perfect!

What I wore: Top – Bershka, Necklace – H&M, Pants/Trousers – Zara, Sandals – River Island, Bag – Zara.

Samio x

July 5, 2014
Almost Vintage

On Thursday I had the day off so I was able to finally catch up with my friend, LBD, go for lunch and enjoy some of the rare sunshine that Manchester had to offer.

It was the perfect weather to pull out one of my summery vintage pieces. I say vintage, although this playsuit is more likely almost vintage. I bought this off eBay a while back and it’s actually C&A kids from the 90’s (according to the seller). I found it by accident in whilst searching through the women’s section and instantly feel in love with it’s gorgeous blue shade and cute, girly love heart print.

It was my Birthday on Monday and although I’ve turned another year older, it’s obviously not deterred me from wearing kids clothes. The funny thing is I often have troubled finding playsuits that fit, due to my height and then I buy one in a kids size and it fits perfectly. I guess I’ll never win.

What I wore: Playsuit – vintage/eBay, Sunglasses – Vintage Christian Dior, Hair bow and bag – Pearls & Lipstick (email contact@pearlsandlipstick.co.uk for purchase enquiries), Sandals – River Island.

Samio x

June 14, 2014
My Secret to a Photoready Glow

If there’s one product I can recommend any girl for their makeup bag it’s this! For a girl like me who doesn’t have prominent cheekbones, this product is heaven and if you are blessed to have perfectly chissled cheeks then even better, as this product is sure to help show off your fabulous features!

I was recommended this product by a model friend who is naturally very fair skinned. I say recommended when the reality of the situation was that I saw my friend using it on herself and after seeing it’s fabulous shiny glow, I then immediately requested to try it out on myself, which then led to me buying one of my own. Being a makeup lover and magpie to all things shiny, it was inevitable that I and this product would finally be united and now I have been using it (whenever I fancy some strategically placed glow) for over a year.

The product in question is Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator.

Revlon Skinlights comes in four different shades and although I am darker skinned I actually use the pink shade, as I already have a great golden press powder that I use when I want a more bronzed glow plus I like the effect that this lighter shade has on my skin.

I apply this product by applying three small dots of it along the apple of my cheekbone and I then use my finger to dab and carefully blend. I do this in a slight ‘S’ shape along the underneath of my eye socket and around the cheek. I also apply a small amount to below the brow, again dabbing with the tip of my finger.

Not only is this product easy to apply but it’s also good value for money and it lasts ages too, making it definitely worth the purchase.

Samio x

June 10, 2014
Dream Curls – John Frieda Frizz Ease

I’ve recently been using the John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Shampoo and John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Conditioner. I really like these products. For me they work really well on my curls. I don’t like to shampoo too often but for me I need to do a full wash at least a couple of times a week to prevent product build up. Also because I go to the gym quite often it’s something I find necessary for my hair as apposed to ‘no poo‘ techniques. The Dream Curls Shampoo does well to clean the hair and scalp without leaving my hair feeling too dry afterwards and the Dream Curls Conditioner works well to detangle my curls and make my hair softer and more manageable.

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May 20, 2014