Monday 27 March 2017

The Secrets To Natural Plump Lips with SMIINK


Soap & Glory Manchester have teamed up with the fabulous SMIINK to bring you this post on how to achieve naturally full looking lips. 

Meet Tilly: student at the University of Leeds & kick-ass blogger at SMIINK.com. She's worked at Fabulous Magazine, The Sun & BeautyMART, and knows everything there is to know about cosmetics! 

Today Tilly is sharing her top tips on how to get the most out of your lips, using her fave products...



"The Kardashians, love them or hate them, you can’t escape them. In particular, the youngest sister’s supersized pout. Lisa Eldridge, makeup legend and connoisseur, recently posted a tutorial featuring her favourite makeup tips to ‘supersize your pout instantly (without injections)’. I’ve added a few of my favourite tips to maximize those lips without the injections and achieve a slightly more natural ‘Jenner’ pout.


1. Exfoliate and moisturise – Exfoliating your lips is really important to smooth and remove dead skin cells but also to stimulate blood flow to the area. Use a clean toothbrush or lip scrub and massage your lips in circular motions. Massage, for any area of the face, is a well-known trick to stimulate blood flow and plump facial contours. Follow up with a trusty lip balm to soothe and moisturise.


2. Plumping round one – One of my favourite tricks is to use a lip plumper during my makeup routine to add a little bit extra volume. I apply Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL onto clean lips and leave it to work its magic whilst I get on with the rest of my makeup. This bad boy tingles, something I don’t mind, but the results are miraculous. The formula contains ‘Lipswell™’ technology, causing a minor reaction to the active ingredients so your lips become more swollen and juicy. The ‘3XL-Peptide Plump™’ boasts power to increase the skin’s natural level of hyaluronic acid (the hydration molecule), defining and plumping your natural lip line. Once you’ve finished the rest of your makeup, remove the Pillow Plump, leaving a blank canvas to start building up pigment.


3. Lining – I never used to ‘get’ lip liner, but that was before I learnt how to use it. For me, a makeup bag staple is my ‘go to’ lip liner. My daily liner of choice is by Pure Colour (for New Look) in their nude shade (£2.49), I’ve used about five of these pencils. As in the Lisa Eldridge video, start with lining your natural lip line, then build volume using light and quick strokes, ensuring you connect the inner corner of each lip. If you’re after a more pronounced cupid’s bow, increase volume either side of your cupid’s bow compared to building your lip in height. If you’re after a fuller bottom lip, build in volume starting from the corner of your mouth. The key to achieving a ‘naturally’ full lip is to build your lip line slowly and softly. Nail the shape of your lip during this step as it’s easier to fix any mistakes and not overload on product.


4. Lipstick – I would go for a classic peachy nude for this look. Using Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lipstick in ‘Super Nude’, fill in the lip line you’ve created. Use your ring finger to gently pat in the product to diffuse the pigment and create your perfect shape.


5. Finishing touches – If you want to leave your lips matte, apply a flesh-toned eyeshadow or translucent powder to the centre of your lips to highlight and create the illusion of a plumper pout. If you prefer a metallic finish, use a similar technique but with your highlighter of choice. As we are coming into spring, I think a glossy lip can really compliment as fresher and more sun-speckled look. Using Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL in 'Coy Toy', I add a dab or two to the centre, the high shine gloss complex highlights the centre of the lips in a similar manner how a matte powder would and the plumping technologies add that extra touch of natural fullness.



So there we have it, this technique appears a bit lengthy but when combined into your makeup routine, it doesn’t add too much time onto your primping routine. The secret to overlining your lips is to find a shape and fullness that suits you and the beauty of this technique is that it can be applied to almost any colour way you fancy. See Lisa Eldridge’s video above for her tips, and check out my social media below to stay up to date with Smiink’s goings on."


Facebook – SMIINK
Instagram – @smiinkblog
Twitter - @smiinkblog




Thanks so much to Tilly for sharing her fab secrets with all us S&G Soaper Fans! We will deffo be trying out a few of these tips to get gorgeous, full lips this Spring!


*This blog post is supported by Soap & Glory but as always all views and opinions are my own.*


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Thursday 23 March 2017



So.. IT'S RED NOSE DAY TOMORROW!
And as you can see our GLAMbassadors are getting into the fundraising spirit and sporting the gorgeous Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lipstick in 'Poppy Power'!


Comic Relief are an amazing charity that we all grew up with and love! They support thousands of projects across the UK and Africa.
This Red Nose Day, 5 main issues are being focused on...

1. IMMUNISATION
2. MENTAL HEALTH
3. VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE
4. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
5. FIGHTING MALARIA 

The money raised by Comic Relief will be used to treat and prevent diseases, raise mental health & domestic violence awareness, provide quality education, and so so much more. 

Every tiny bit makes so much difference, so if you can donate PLEASE DO! And if you can take some time to fundraise, EVEN BETTER! 


Here are some awesome ideas that #RND suggest, that will truly make a massive difference:
- Wearing RED: like we have with our gorgeous lippy!
- Holding a Bake Sale (or even a savoury snack sale)
- Dying or shaving your hair
- Holding a quiz night
- Giving up something
- Hosting a RED party


Head over to the Red Nose Day website to check out all their other brilliant and easy ideas! 


But if you're a bit bored of the usual fundraising ideas, we've come up with a few FUN, DIFFERENT and EASY ways to really help out the charity of your choice:

Why don't you and your housemates cook a meal for all of your friends? It's so easy, fun, and not too expensive! If you're really strapped for cash you could just use what you already have in your cupboards and freezer, or ask everyone to bring a dish! Our personal favourite would obviously be a MEXICAN NIGHT! Cook up lots of chicken and vegetables, get loads of tortilla wraps, then go crazy on toppings! Buy in the cheese, salsa, sour cream, and guac or ask everyone to bring a topping. Charge entry, or at the end of the night ask everyone to pay what they think the meal is worth!


Pick out your favourite movies and invite your friends round - It's as simple as that! Head down to B&M and get some super cheap snacks that you love, and sell them to your pals. If they know it's all for a good cause they won't mind paying a few quid for a big bowl of popcorn!


What's your game of choice? Our glambassadors LOVE Mario Kart (and they're pretty good at it too!) If you don't, someone you know will have a console and some kick-ass games! Charge people to enter a big competition, and use part of the money to buy a prize for the worthy winner. If you don't want to take any money out of your charity $$$ then the trophy can just be PRIDE!


We all LOVE bake sales, cake, and all that good stuff. We had SO much fun making delicious brownies for a fab cause. But it may be time to get a bit more creative with your stall! Why don't you get up early and sell bacon rolls, sausage rolls, coffee and cereal bars for the 9 am lecture crowds? OR set up in the library and sell some well-needed revision snacks and drinks that the cafe doesn't serve! Figure out what students at your uni would love and roll with it.


This one is probably the easiest and can get really really hilarious. Have a forfeit jar in your house: If you break the rules you have to pay. Get anyone who enters your house to pay up for swearing, or make-up whatever rules you want! All the money in the jar can go to your charity of choice.


Let's be honest, we've all got a shed load of clothes, shoes and makeup that we hardly use. Set up an account on Depop or eBay and sell all your unwanted stuff! Let your friends know it's all for CHARITY, and people will definitely buy something. You won't even miss it, and the money you earn could make an amazing difference.


Are you an artist? Create some prints and sell them online. Are you a musician? Hold a gig at your local. All your profits can go to a great cause, and you are showing off your amazing talents at the same time!


We really hope we've inspired you to have some fun and get fundraising! It can be so easy, and it every little bit really does change to the world. 

Let us know how YOU are raising money for #REDNOSEDAY! And if you want to donate to Comic Relief and the amazing work they do, click HERE and give any tiny bit that you can! 




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Monday 20 March 2017

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Range: REVIEW!


I have been absolutely OBSESSED with the Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter for the longest time, and I reviewed the Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub years ago (You can read it HERE!) So obviously I was so SO excited to receive some more goodies from the Smoothie Star range! The scent is so gorgeous: Its sweet almond and vanilla, and smells like delicious marzipan and cakes! It is without a doubt my favourite S&G smell! I’ve been lathering myself in the body spray, body lotion and the buttercream over the last few weeks, and I’m going to share my thoughts…



So first of all, the spray. It is basically the wonderful scent packed all into a bottle! It’s also got a base of sandalwood and musk, with ‘Active Refresher technology and hunger-pang-inducing aromas’ - I have been hitting the Easter chocolate hard, so at least I have something to blame it on! I think this scent is actually quite a unisex scent, which I was so surprised about because normally you think of sweet fragrances when you think of S&G! It’s so musky and rich, so if you’re not into girly scents then this may be the one for you.



I’ve been using this every single morning, and I love it! At the start, I was a bit confused about what is actually was, because I always thought you used a body milk in the shower. But it is a body LOTION!
It’s full of cocoa butter, shea butter, and coconut oil, so it is really hydrating. It is such a light moisturiser compared to the buttercream, so it’s perfect to start your day. It sinks in fairly quickly and doesn’t leave you feeling slimy and greasy! You barely know you have it on once it's sank in, so it's perfect to quickly slap on in the mornings. AND it smells so so delicious, like almond, brown sugar and honey, mmm… 



This is hands down my favourite product of the range! I’ve been using this buttercream every night before bed because it’s so thick and luxurious. It is really similar to the Whipped Clean Shower Butter, which is probably why I love it so much. It has the same amazing sweet smell with pistachio, almond and delicious vanilla. I use it in the evening and wash it off in the morning because it does sit on top of the skin, which is perfect for deep moisturising overnight!
If you have dry skin this would be amazing as a daily moisturiser, but it is a bit too thick for me to wear out in the day time. However, I do use it if I’m fake tanned because that is when my skin does get's the most dry. It has five different oils in it which makes it really really nourishing - if you use it after you exfoliate then your skin feels absolutely incredible!



If you haven’t tried anything from the Smoothie Star range, you definitely need to! It’s the perfect sweet delicious smell for Easter, and it is, in my opinion, the best scent S&G have ever done. I've spoken about every single product from the range (oops!) except the body wash which I’m really excited to try soon!



Have you used anything from this range? What did you think? Let me know!



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Thursday 16 March 2017

Kick-Ass Interview with HANNAH RENÉE!


"I’ve always believed in myself and I think that is something that’s really important… Never to doubt yourself."


Are you procrastinating? Tired and fed up of slogging through those Easter deadlines?! We’ve been chatting away to our incredible new bestie, Hannah RenΓ©e, (we wish!) to get our motivation back, and smash the rest of this term!


Here at Soap & Glory, we are all about rewarding girls for being KICK-ASS and super inspiring, whether that be in their studies, sports or charity work. We absolutely LOVE embracing all the GLAMazing girls we have in this city, and celebrating their success!

So when we got the chance to catch up with our favourite Youtuber, Hannah RenΓ©e, we were so so SO excited! Han is almost definitely THE biggest beauty vlogger in Manchester, and if you love YouTube, you will definitely be subscribed to her!


With over 350,000 subscribers, 100,000 Instagram followers and 45,000 Twitter followers, Han is absolutely KILLING it right now – and we love her! Her channel is jam-packed full of incred beauty and fashion vids (our fave are her testing videos where she tries out loads of products from one brand!)


SO! We asked Han a shed load of questions about how she got into her job as a YouTuber, being from Manchester and the struggles of breaking into the creative industry. Her work ethic and drive really is an inspiration to us all!

So many girls want to go into this industry but are really worried that they won’t be taken seriously, and it’s not a ‘real career’, so we are super grateful for Han’s fab advice…



You did amazing in your studies! Did anyone ever make you feel like you were ‘wasting it’ on something creative?
Thank you so much! There were definitely times when my parents were the tiniest bit concerned because I feel like being successful in a creative industry isn’t something that’s always guaranteed, no matter how hard you work, there’s always a little bit of luck involved too! However, I had my heart set on what I wanted to do and what made me happy, and they didn’t mind once I’d finished my A-Levels because we always saw those as a backup, should I have ever wanted to go to uni and pursue something more academic.

Did anyone ever make fun of you, or doubt you?
The only people I told were my parent and my boyfriend at the time. I wanted to keep it quiet because I had no idea whether it would go anywhere or whether I would stick to it! My parents didn’t really think anything of it at first I guess, my boyfriend teased me a little but I guess that just encouraged me to work harder at it! Once things began to really take off and my friends started to find out, everyone was pretty supportive!

Do you ever worry about the financial side?
Yes, I still get worried about that now! At the start, I was in college so I never even considered the fact that I would one day be making any sort of money from it. When I left college and decided not to go to uni, I still had a job and I also lived at home so there was never too much pressure, but I guess now that I support myself and make content as a full-time job, it is a little daunting! Definitely still adjusting to adult life! But I’ve always believed in myself and I think that is something that’s really important in a creative industry, never to doubt yourself.


What advice would you give to other girls who want to pursue something creative but are worried that it won’t be taken seriously or it’s not a ‘real job’?
It’s really important to believe in yourself and your ability and to not let other people put you down or make you doubt yourself. So many issues stem from doubt. If you know you’re capable of something, work hard and you’ll get there! It definitely helps to have some form of backup, for example, I made sure I worked super hard at my A Levels should I ever need to fall back on them. But honestly, it really is about your attitude. There’s a difference between wanting something and actually putting the work in to get there and being able to visualise yourself once you have.

You’ve said on your channel that hard times in your life lead you to your career, what advice would you give to other girls who are going through a tough time at the moment?
I think it’s important to know that things will always work themselves out. If today is bad, tomorrow will be better! There’s usually always a way to draw something positive out of any situation. When I was in a toxic relationship, even though I spent time feeling upset and lonely, I used that time to work and to plan. Again, it’s all about your attitude, you can either spend time dwelling on something, or you can pick yourself up and think of ways to bring out the best of a bad situation.

On to YouTube! So what brands do you love?
MAC will always have a special place in my heart because it was the first brand I used when I began falling in love with makeup and because I worked there when I was eighteen. I valued my time there and learned soooo much! There’s a lot of brands I love, though, Make Up Forever, L’Oreal, Rimmel, Makeup Geek – and Soap & Glory! I tend to love certain products from certain brands!


Apart from the obvs, Jacquelin Hill & Carli Bybel, who are your fave Youtubers?
Would have to say Rach Leary, of course, she really is my lil rock! I love Manny MUA, Chloe Morello, Kathleen Lights, people like that! Mostly because they inspired me when I was first starting out and because they seem like lovely people!

What’s the best thing about what you do?
Having such an extended family from all over the world! Nothing beats meeting and chatting with people who share my love for makeup and support me!

And the worst?
Probably negativity and nasty comments. I’m lucky that I don’t get too many but they can definitely get to you sometimes.


"I think it’s important to know that things will always work themselves out. If today is bad, tomorrow will be better!"



What’s one thing you wish people knew about your job?
It’s not as easy as it always looks! I think people think we just play around with makeup all day, which to be fair, we do! But filming and editing three videos a week can sometimes be hard! Wouldn’t change it for the world of course!

What’s made you stay up here in Manchester?
I honestly love it here. The majority of people are so kind hearted! I feel like it’s a city that teaches you good manners, gives you good music and allows you to be ambitious. I love representing everyone from Manchester too, makes me proud! It can be difficult as a lot of events are based in London, but I don’t mind the travel. Plus, it makes it extra special when there’s work and events in Manchester because it makes me feel super proud to be here!

Would you ever leave us?
I might move short term at some point, say 6 months or so. I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to live in America as I always loveee going for short breaks there, or maybe even London! But 100% I’ll always come home to Manchester.


What’s your fave thing to do in Manchester?
Northern Quarter! There’s nothing that beats Northern Quarter on the weekend, so many quirky little bars around, I honestly never have a bad night out!

Where’s your fave place to eat?
Probably Australasia, Or Artisan, they do the yummiest foods! 

And your fave place to shop?
Personally I love the Trafford Centre, because it’s free parking and all indoors, so you can hide away from the (often) shocking weather!


And finally, we have to ask… What’s you fave S&G product?!
Solar Powder!(£11) Best affordable bronzer in my opinion!




"It’s really important to believe in yourself and your ability and to not let other people put you down or make you doubt yourself. So many issues stem from doubt. If you know you’re capable of something, work hard and you’ll get there!"


Aww. We really love this girl! We hope that you are feeling super inspired and ready to kick-ass! And of course, thank you to the gorgeous, Han, for taking the time to speak to us so honestly!


Now get back to work and smash those Easter deadlines(with snacks)!





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Monday 13 March 2017

Easter Treats: The Best Of 'Chocolate' Makeup



Here at Soap & Glory we are all about getting festive around Easter and treating yourself! We ALL love chocolate, but if you have had one too many Easter Egg over the holidays, then why not treat yourself to some chocolate makeup instead...


Too Faced have upped their liquid lipsticks with these gorgeous shades, with names like 'Chocolate Milkshake' and 'Chocolate Diamonds'. These delicious lipsticks are highly pigmented, easy to apply and have a gorgeous shine. You don't need a brush to apply them, and they are comfortable on the lips. And can you believe they actually contain real cocoa, and have a real chocolate scent described as 'mood boosting'...


This palette is full of rich, warm chocolate shades with soft golds. It's a good mix of matte and shimmer shadows, and all the shadows will work beautifully for loads of different looks. The palette also has three different powder eyeliners which are really pigmented! Bobbi Brown shadows are easily buildable so you can make a huge amount of strong or soft looks with this palette - especially with all the different eyeliners. 


This bronzer is a real throw back - I remember so many people used to have this back in the day! I still can't believe it smells like chocolate. This bronzer is really fine and light, and the texture is super soft, so it's easy to give your self a healthy natural bronzey glow. 


These palettes are basically complete dupes of the Two Faced palettes, and they do loads and loads of them! This one's definitely my favourite out of them all, and although it doesn't look very festive, the shades are beautiful. I absolutely love the peachy-orange shades and the rich brown ones! There are 16 shades that are a mix of matte and shimmer.


This palette is inspired by truffle tones, so it is a really rich lovely palette. Again it has a great mix of matte and shimmers, and the shadows are made to look dewy and gorgeous - perfect for Spring!


And here's the real thing! This gorgeous palette actually smells of chocolate and is infused with anti-oxidant rich cocoa powder, just like the lipsticks! The shadows are really pigmented and are a mix of browns, pinks and plums. Just make sure you don't leave it around children, though, or this may happen - hahaha!




And if you don't want to replace your chocolate with makeup, why don't you meet in the middle and get these Chocolate Lipsticks (£3.99) from Chocolate Trading Co?! 
Chocolate Lipsticks Gift Box


What are you doing to celebrate this Easter? Will you be getting an Easter Egg or something else?!




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