My USA Haul...

This is the post you've all been waiting for ladies... the USA Haul!

Now, I must warn all of you that were expecting a haul similar to that which I carried home with me last summer... This year was not as flashy. Last year, I carried an entirely separate suitcase full of new things back with me, and I must have spent no less that $2000 on shopping alone. I did this because I was working last summer so was constantly earning, plus food was so cheap last summer and I never needed to pay for fun things to do because working in Disney World they let you go into the theme parks for free. This year, I wasn't earning. Also, I found the food to be somewhat pricier in the places on my route from Los Angeles over to New York than it had been in Orlando. AND I wasn't getting many freebies in terms of activities.

*Last year's haul...*

That being said, I couldn't come home without 'investing' in a few key items for the coming season, now could I? Of course not, it would be a scandal! So here is (the majority of...) what I bought in the States...

*WOWZAS. From the left to right you will see... A red lacy dress with a deep back from Forever 21, two pairs of cheeky panties from Victoria's Secret, a yellow bodycon skirt from Forever 21, a galaxy print blouse from Forever 21, a very short peach lacy dress from Forever 21, two MORE pairs of cheeky panties from Victoria's Secret, ANOTHER bodycon skirt from Forever 21 but red this time, a sheer hot pink blouse from Forever 21 and a pleated pleather skirt from Forever 21. Three guesses what my favorite store is? Oh and in the middle of the peach dress you'll see two MAC lipsticks in Sequin and New York Apple in the Frost finish.*

So as I say, this is the majority of the stuff I picked up in the States. For once I didn't spend much in American Eagle at all really, except for on the red sweater in this photo:

And the New York T-shirt in this photo:

Here are the goodies I bought closer up...

*My uncle actually bought me the red dress which was such a lovely treat! I figured these panties were cute because they let my butt peek out at the bottom which I kind of like... The yellow skirt is a bit bright, but with the right coloured sweater it is pretty cute.*

*This peach dress caught my eye immediately because I was looking for something to wear on a hot date and I just thought it was really cute! Although it is really quite short, it is floaty enough so it doesn't look cheap or slutty or brassy. I think the colour suited my tan quite well although I'm note sure how fab it looks now I'm pale again!*

*MAC lipstick swatches... Frost finish, Sequin on the bottom, New York Apple on the top. This photo was taken with flash. Look out for my review on both these products and I'll probably using them in tutorials very soon too!*

*Now for without flash... I also bought a MAC Lipstick for my sister in Russian Red too so I will probably be robbing that from her soon for a video or two :)*

*I actually bought the galaxy print blouse because the back of my neck was SO sunburned in Los Angeles that I needed something light to cover it. I bought this blouse which kept me covered but actually caused me even more bother because the fabric was so scratchy and rough on my sore skin... Having said that, it is a really cute blouse. Very sheer and sexy. I couldn't resist buying another couple of cheeky panties, and as soon as I saw the flattering fit of the yellow bodycon I just had to have it in red too!*

*This pinky blouse (I know it looks purple in this picture, but trust me, it is pink) is totally not my style AT ALL. I just picked it up so I would have something to try this black skirt on with (which I fell in love with at first sight because it is so effing na-na-na-come-on-feels-so-good-being-bad S&M I just couldn't resist) and I immediately loved it. I haven't tried it on since though and looking at these pictures is making me a bit apprehensive as it is so not me... watch this space*

*There are a couple more items which I picked up while I was away including this Essie nail-polish in the shade Masterplan. I also bought another shade named BBF Boy Best Friend which is a very pale pink polish. I'm hooked on the Essie formulas, they just look so shiny and smooth, I can't stop looking at them and stroking them. Full review soon to come!*

Apart from everything in these pictures, I also picked up a couple of bits of jewelry and a pair of black booties from (you've guessed it) Forever 21! I'm sure you'll see them tons this season as I swear I'm going to wear them every day through Autumn/Winter. 

So what do you think? Are you gutted I didn't buy as much as last summer? What is your favourite part of my haul? Have you tried Essie polishes yet? Don't you JUST LOVE the MAC Frost Finishes?

Love and snuggles

GabriellaSofia

x

Pre-Party Preparation Routine... Hair, Make-Up, Nails...

I was about to get ready for my aunt's birthday party last weekend and I started to wonder what steps everyone else takes when they are getting ready for a big evening event, a date, a party, a premier (I wish!)... I figured I'd record my steps in between getting ready for the party so you guys can all see the transformation which I make when I'm getting ready and how I get there!

Please take the time to check out my other sites... I have a Twitter, a Facebook AND a blog too and there will be a giveaway soon where you'll need to be following at least one of these to be able to be entered so don't forget to his follow, like and subscribe!

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Thanks for watching, guys and I'll see you soon!

Love

gabriellasofia x

Review - Sally Hansen Nail Growth Miracle in Bold Buff

Hi there!

So today I'm blogging about my new favourite nail product around and let me tell you, it will save your nails! Haha, big promise, but I have every belief that this product is (as it's name would suggest) a miracle for nails. Sally Hansen's Nailgrowth Miracle in Bold Buff is a creamy nude-coloured, french pink shade which is really pretty and shines like the light of the sun. Seriously, it's such a nice formula, I've had people comment on how healthy my nails look and questions like, 'Wow, how do you keep your nails in such good shape?'

What is the product claim? Well, that's the sad thing... Sally Hansen is a brand which is constantly developing and evolving, so despite only buying this from www.boots.com about three months ago, the colour seems to have been discontinued in order to make space for the next best thing! That 'thing' being a gold-bottled clear polish by the same name. I even can't get Bold Buff on the Sally Hansen website, which is a shame really as I'm pretty addicted to it. Anyways, I assume the claim for the gold bottle is the same of that for the pink colour, so here goes...

'Salon Strength Treatment 30% longer-looking nails in 5 days!

You'll get stronger, harder, yet flexible nails which grow longer.'

And it's as simple as that. I totally 100% agree with the product claim. I tend to directly apply two coats to a newly buffed nail then apply a new coat every day. There is no need for a base coat whatsoever, it's great! After just four days, I saw that the part of nail at the base (near my cuticle) had about a millimeter of unpainted nail and I couldn't understand it. That's until I realized that my nail was about a millimeter further past the tip of my finger than four days earlier. No joke, my nails had grown a millimeter or so in four days.

Now, don't get me wrong, I know that our nails grown every day. However, I've never noticed it like that before. Even when I'm wearing darker polishes, I've never seen the growth from nail bed before. This colour doesn't really chip, and I swear to God if it wasn't for the fact that once I have a thick enough coating of polish I have this apparent obligation to peel it off (so satisfying) then I'm sure I would have a nice thick covering still intact even now, a week and a half later!

As well as the fantastic treatment the formula provides, the colour is oh-so-feminine and makes my hands look like those of a classy Hollywood movie star.

Ten out of ten for Nailgrowth Miracle and I think every girl looking for healthy nails with a shiny polish should invest considering you are effectively getting a salon treatment at home! It costs £9.65 on www.boots.com and is totally worth the money.

Love

gabriellasofia

x

Nail Tutorial: Halloween Bloody Nails!

I know it's late and I apologize... but it's the thought that counts! Hope you like this Bloody Nails Tutorial inspired by one of my favourite online beauty gurus andreaschoice. Each and every product I used was paid for with my own hard-earned cash and I wasn't paid to use these products... they are as follows;

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Natural - £4.75 at www.boots.com

Topshop NAILS in Cloak and Dagger - £5.00 at www.topshop.com

Rimmel London's Pro Matte Finish - £4.59 at www.boots.com

Nails Inc in Victoria and Albert - £11 at www.nailsinc.com

Sewing needle - free out of my mom's sewing cupboard!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it despite it being a tad too late for Halloween... I still have one more beauty look to come so that's DEFINITELY going to be late haha. I will still upload it though. Might come in handy for someone, who knows :)

If you are interested, please follow me on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/hautefuture

Keep track of my YouTube Channel where I post tons of hauls, reviews, tutorials and more! Here's the link:http://www.youtube.com/HauteFutureAlso check out my facebook page at:http://www.facebook.com/pages/HauteFuture/149057205180776

Please rate, comment and subscribe and I promise there will be loads of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, culture and gossip material going up on here each week :)

Thanks for watching, beauties.

Love

gabriellasofia x

Letter From the Editor: Finding the Balance!

What a lovely start to October here in the UK! The weather has been glorious for the past couple of days, I've been able to wear my 'Florida-clothes' for a couple of days longer which is just lush... The only real downside to all this beautiful sunshine is the heat in the evenings. It has been really too warm for the past four or five nights which means that I've been sleeping really quite poorly. Considering my boyfriend came to meet my parents for the first time for the weekend, I've been caravaning with my grandparents AND I've just begun my last year at university, I could really have done with a regular sleeping pattern, but alas, no such luck! I know it's no excuse, but this business and tiredness has resulted in me skipping a couple of blog posts, but never fear, I promise I will deliver each of the posts I promised on September the 1st. I just need a little time to get myself back into a routine and I'll be on it :)

This is something that's been really playing on my mind recently. I'm not sure about you guys, but I need to get organized. I love my day planner, and highlighters, and Post-It Notes and more importantly, I feel less stressed when I put them all to good use. October is all about getting settled for me. Getting used to the differences in my life since summer-time (like not being able to sit for hours at a time sipping ice-cold strawberry cider, or whiling away the time slicking on suntan lotion, or trying out bronzer after bronzer for that 'natural' tan look... ahhh to reminisce!) and falling back into the likes of work, university, blogging, socializing and keeping on top of my extra-curriculars! Sound like a lot to think about? Well it is!

I'm sure you've all got responsibilities of your own so we all need to make sure we've got the balance right. Let me know how it goes, and in the meantime keep checking back here at HauteFuture for your latest dose of beauty, fashion and lifestyle chitchat :) Here's what's coming up this month:

2nd October - Blog - Beauty - Review - Garnier BB Cream

3rd October - Blog - Fashion - My October Wish-List

4th October - Video - Beauty - Groomed Eyebrow Tutorial

5th October - Blog - Feature - Tips For Bikini-Wax Virgins...

6th October - Blog - Feature - Knowing Your Worth!

10th October - Video - Nails - Rocking The Gothic Trend

11th October - Blog - Health - Keeping Our Immune System's in Check

12th October - Blog - Beauty - Review - Estee Lauder Free Gift Review

13th October - Video - Hair - 'Nice Buns' Tutorial

14th October - Blog - Guest Feature

17th October - Blog - Beauty - Review: Beauty Counter V Drugstore Foundation

18th October - Video - Beauty - Estee Lauder's Alan Pan's Beauty Tricks

19th October - Blog - Health - How To Get a Good Night's Sleep

20th October - Blog - Feature - Finding a New Boyfriend When 'The One' Becomes 'The Ex'

21st October - Blog - Fashion - Blog Sale!

24th October - Video - The 'What's In My Bag' Tag :)

25th October - Blog - Feature - Who's That Girl?

26th October - Blog - Guest Feature

27th October - Blog - Beauty - Review - Dermalogica Range

28th October - Blog - Feature - How Many Free Beauty Products Can I Get in Selfridges? UNDERCOVER REPORT

31st October - Video - October Faves

Hope these are all to you liking :) As September has proven, I may not ALWAYS begin to stick to this schedule as strictly as I'd like, but this serves as a general guideline as to the posts that I want to get out there! Also, like I said, I will work hard to get any missing posts/videos from September out to you as soon as possible... The posts I owe you include; A New Spin on the Smoky Eye, How the Mouse Stole My Magic, Disco Ain't Dead Nail Tutorial, a Guest Feature, How I'm Wearing the New Season's Trends, a-Who's-That-Girl?-post and of course my September Faves which are due to be posted tomorrow!

Ciao for now, Lovers

gabriellasofia