My Portfolio on WIX

It's been a long day with my portfolio, but it's up & running.

Sneak peek of my header & a few of my favourites.

The header is a direct link to my portfolio.

http://socapet.wix.com/photography

Work In Progress

I'm in bed working on my portfolio while listening to music & the rain. Very cozy. I've sorted out the pictures that will stay on it & now it's time to add the new ones. Hopefully I'll get done today, at least I'm on my way now. Back to work.

Pretty Pastels

Old is Gold

Brought this one with me home from our cabin, SONY CFD-S01.

Long time no see, didn't even know we still had this one.

I've ordered Frank Hamilton's Songs To Make Life Slightly Less Awkward on cassette so I saw the opportunity to be able to play it. I really hope more artist/bands start to release their work on cassette, it's so precious.

I love to find stuff that's seen as rare today, so in love with the so called retro style. Makes my heart happy to be able to hold & play music like this. It's a nice contrast to our digital world. My little sister is judging me for it though, hard.

"Vinyls, cassette players, what's next?"

She didn't look too pleased when I told her I'm looking for a typewriter. 

Walk around the Lake

Sunday in the Autumn Sun

Decided to sit outside while I ate my breakfast, it's a sunny day so it's not too cold. I've rediscovered my love for mandarin & orange green tea, it's so good. I'm done with breakfast but I don't want to get in just yet. It's so peaceful to just sit here & listen to music & at the same time hear the sounds of nature. It's very calming.

We're going home in a few hours. It's been a nice relaxing weekend. Got to see one of my friends yesterday, I've missed her. We talked a lot & then took a walk around the lake with my little sister.

List of Happiness

1. A genuine conversation
2. The excitement of discovering new music
3. Getting blown away by a concert
4. Traveling somewhere I haven't been before
5. Physical copies of music, being able to hold someone's work of art
6. Hugging someone I've missed
7. Knowing I've made someone feel better
8. Getting stuff done & feeling productive
9. Staying up late with someone I love
10. Finding something I didn't even know I was looking for
11. Smiling at a stranger & see them smile back
12. Music release days
13. Anything pastel related 
14. Getting lost in a good book
15. Handwritten notes & letters
16. Buying something I've wanted for a long time
17. Watching someone talk about something they love
18. Having something turn out the way I want it to
19. A sudden wave of creativity
20. Watching the stars
21. Feeling good about myself
22. Editing pictures after a good shoot
23. Taking a long bubble bath 
24. Singing from the top of my lungs
25. Learning something new 

Yellow September in October

Time to Welcome Autumn

I've definitely missed being out here. To be able to wake up in peace & know that I don't need to stress about anything at all. Always so well needed as well. As soon as I feel too stressed, just to know that I'm able to go out here helps a lot.

Gonna get out after breakfast, it's a beautiful day. It's definitely colder here than at home, I really like it though. It's also time for October to shine. This year is passing by way too fast. Nina Nesbitt's last CD in the Life In Colour project will be released soon, but it won't be available for me to buy since it's only gonna be on tour. It's a bummer since I live in Stockholm & that's the name of the CD. She's releasing a EP with all of them on the 10th, I'm really gonna try to get that one. The artwork is SO beautiful, it reminds me of candy.

Tea & Another Album Release

Currently in my living room, having myself a mini friday snack & blasting Frank Hamilton's new album, Songs To Make Life Slightly Less Awkward. Today's a good day. What an amazing album. Can't just pick one favourite yet. Really want to make a review of it, but I'm waiting until my order arrives so I can add some photos of the physical copies.

When I'm done I'm gonna go out & pick up an order. I'm leaving to go to our cabin tonight, it'll be cozy. I'm bringing my camera so I'm gonna try to photograph a bit. Pretty sure there will be even more autumn signs out there. I'm excited, can't believe it's already October tomorrow.

Nina Nesbitt for W7 Cosmetics

A few months ago W7 cosmetics announced that Nina Nesbitt would be their new brand ambassador & I already knew that I'd be buying whatever Nina would be promoting. I know she wouldn't promote something she wouldn't like, I trust her.

When I found out one of the first products was Smokin', an eyeshadow palette, I got so excited. I love discovering new eyeshadows. There's a tutorial on their YouTube channel, which was even linked on the Swedish webstore I ordered from.

The pigment is not the absolute best, but definitely buildable which is the reason to why I still adore this palette already. I'm sure this will be a new of my favourites. SO priceworthy as well. A lot of neutral shadows but still a few darker ones which means you can play around with a whole lot of different looks. Excited to try it out.

I also bought an eyeshadow brush, thought it looked like a dupe to Real Techniques, which is my go to brand for makeup brushes. It's really soft so I'm definitely gonna try out a face brush as well next time I'm ordering.

MOVIS from LUSH

I just run out of MOVIS from LUSH so I think it's time for another review.

When I say run out I mean literally run out, the product is gone & it just came in a paper packaging, that's why I photographed it instead.

When I first opened up the product I felt pretty shocked because it literally looked like I opened a piece of bread. It smelled absolutely delicious though, the scent is one of the things I liked the most with the product. I can't describe it whatsoever, so I'm just gonna go with that it smells like a LUSH store, if you know you know.

I've ran out of the product, but to be honest I still don't know if I've used it correctly. Personally, every single time I've used it I've taken of a small bit, the texture is soft, it literally feels like a more compact type of bread. I've kept it in my drawer where I have the rest of my skin care products & a little while ago when I had almost finished it my cousin asked me if I was hiding a muffin there. If that doesn't say enough about what MOVIS looks like I don't know what will, it was so funny.

 After I've taken of a bit I massage it into my skin, it gives you a cleanse & a gentle scrub. It makes the skin amazingly soft, but with a squeeky clean feel, which I'm not the biggest fan of. My moisturiser is very hydrating though, so it hasn't been a problem for a me but it's worth mentioning.

I've been using this as often as I can in the morning, to make my skin ready for the day & prepare for my moisturiser. It's been working super well for me. I feel like it has cleared my skin, but I changed a few parts in my skincare routine at the same time so it's hard for me to make a promise if it's specific MOVIS or my new skincare routine generally. 

What I don't like & find annoying with the product is that it crumbles & fall down my bathroom sink, which definitely gives this products over all a lower rating.

Personally, the positives with this products beats the negatives & I will definitely buy it again. It's one of the cheapest products from LUSH skin care wise.

3,5/5

Back with a New Motivation

The last 2 days have been hectic for me which resulted in me putting the blog aside. I've been working at a kindergarten to replace someone who's been sick. It was an amazing experience & I really liked it. I'm not allowed to go into details, which is a bummer but still understandable. Enough about that.

Since I for a while ahead don't have work I'm just gonna do my best to try to be productive from home. Plan my blog & search a few more jobs. I've bought a notebook I'm gonna use specific for blog ideas & inspiration. I always get more creative & inspired once I have something in my hands to write in & not just on my phone/computer. It's more real this way. Also have to pick up an order, but right now it's raining a whole lot so I'm gonna procrastinate that task for a few hours.

I have not taken a picture specific for this post but I thought this was one was fitting, another one from the Museum of Modern Art. Time for me to start putting up a lot of thought & effort into my blog again. I don't blame myself for being inactive though, it happened & will definitely happen again, so I'm just gonna start working from where I left of, with a new kind of motivation. Let's go.

Alicante, Spain 2016

Love at First Sight

Today has been spent at my uncle's house with my mom & my sister. He's bought a new cat recently so it was the first time I saw her, he's got three of them now. I can definitely say it was love at first sight. She's so adorable, her name is Jenkins. She almost fell asleep on my lap which made my heart melt.

I'm allergic to cats which is such a bummer for someone who loves cats. They're always gonna have a special place in my heart. I tried out a new pill today because I've ran out of the ones I usually have & these definitely didn't work as good, which gave me an allergic reaction. My reactions aren't dangerous though, just very annoying. Everything itches & I get the worst cold. Usually my eyes get swollen & my throat itches too, but it never happened today so I guess the pill worked a little bit at least. It was worth it though, my uncle's cats are too precious I couldn't resist from being with them today.

Stickers from Feline

Hurray for Hurraw

It's time for another review, this time on my holy grail lip balm brand: Hurraw.

I've tried so many lip balms, but I keep coming back to these.

(I've never realised how uneven they are until now when I photographed them)

I currently own 6 ones: Earl Grey, Chocolate, Chai Spice, Almond & two of Green Tea. My tea addiciton is not very discrete so I got another one from a lovely friend. Would love to get more ones, Vanilla Bean, Coconut & Mint are a few favourites that I don't have yet. Soon. There's also one called Night Treatment I'd love to get my hands on, it sounds amazing.

Hurraw is natural, organic, vegan, the list goes on. Every single one I own smell delicious. The design is also very cute, the logo & then a symbol that represents the scent. They have a unique shape & are just not circular like a regular lip balm, they're more in an oval shape which was a surprise for me when I first got them.

My lips get dry very easily during the colder ones because of the contrast in temperature from being inside & then going out. But these save even the driest lips.

They go on very smoothly & helps with the dryness immediately. If they're very dry you can keep apply it a few during the day, it's not like magic & fixes them immidately. But they definitely make a huge difference even after the first time. The natural oils soothes if your lips are in pain, you can really feel that they're completely natural. 

Forever gonna recommend these to everyone.

5/5

Illuminate Listening Party in Stockholm

Stockholm was Illuminated

Last night I was at the Swedish fanevent for Shawn Mendes, the listening party in Stockholm. It was a very surreal experience to walk around at Universal Music & hear Shawn Mendes new album blast from every speaker, it felt amazing. I've also been wanting to actually be inside of Universal Music since forever, so just that was an experience itself to me haha. There were tons of snacks & Shawn inspired cupcakes, they were the cutest. Kajsa & I were living for the photo booth, I don't even know how many strips I got home with.

We got introduced & then the album began to be played. I had heard most of the songs already, because of watching videos from his concerts on YouTube. Even though I've heard most of the ones it was a really surreal experience to actually hear the studio versions & know that it would actually be out this midnight. There was also a few songs I hadn't been able to hear yet, so it was nice to finally hear them, even before the album release.

Shawn keeps blowing my mind with his amount of talent. I've never heard an album this personal before & I respect him so much for it. At the moment I can't even pick a favourite, they're all wonderful. Currently not even able to write an actual review for it because the only thing on my mind right now is literal masterpiece. Words are not enough to explain how proud I am.

When we were leaving we got goodie bags & my friend Kajsa won tickets to his Stockholm concert, it was so fun. She screamed & got recorded/photographed, it was adorable. I'm already going with my friend Johanna, or else Kajsa said she would have brought me with her. Such a sweetheart. In my goodie bag there were a card, a salty mist, an Illuminate poster & t-shirt, glitters from Make Up Store & a gift card for Nelly, an online shop.

So grateful for this experience. I woke up today to him tweeting saying that he's #1 in over 60 countries, which is very surreal to me. He deserves it so much, all of his hard work put into Illuminate is paying off & it's only going up from here. He's gonna win Grammy's for this album. So ready for him to get out & tour with these songs & I really can't wait to be a part of it in Stockholm.

Illuminate World Tour, I'm ready for you.
#ShawnIlluminateSE

My Night Skin Care Routine

This is what I use on a regular day when I've been wearing makeup. I usually have a toner too, but I've run out of it at the moment, it's not the most important to my routine though. Coconut oil, cleanser & a moisturiser. Nothing too fancy but it works for me, & that's what matters. When it comes to beauty I only want to buy cruelty free products.

1. Coconut oil, Renée Voltaire - to remove all of my eye makeup. If I take too much I massage it into my face, to get my makeup base of as well. I realised that coconut oil is, other than cheaper than eye makeup, a lot more sensitive for the eyes. I could rant about forever with the benefits of coconut oil, I'll save that for another post. But when it comes to removing make up it really moisturises the eye area & removes the eye makeup gently, even leaving the eyelashes hydrated. If I haven't been using any makeup during the day I'll just skip this step.

2. Cleanser, Dark Angels by LUSH - this cleanser deserves a review on its own so I'm not gonna talk too much about it now. I have pretty mixed feelings about it, but I definitely enjoy it as a cleanser. More about that later.

3. Moisturiser, Mattifying Cream by Naobay - I've always been struggling with finding a go to moisturiser. This one is my favourite at the moment. It's oil free & keeps my skin matte for a lot longer than my past moisturiser have done. When I use makeup I use this one as a primer as well, I've never been a fan of primers really. Might be because I haven't found the one for me yet, but anyways.

Then before bed I always moisturise my lips. My go to lip balm brand is Hurraw, I'm saving a post so I can rant a lot about them. But for now, trust me when I say they're amazing.

I feel like this post only was an introduction to what more posts I'll have up soon, but it's also a great way for myself to be able to look back at this & see how much my skin care routine keeps changing.

Long Bubble Baths

I decided to take a long bubble bath after breakfast, just relaxing & listening to some music. One of the most calming things there are out there, I almost fell asleep. I love the feeling after a bath, I feel so refreshed right now. I used my body scrub from The Body Shop, they have my favourite body scrubs out of all of the ones I've tried so far. Love them all.

The scrub itself is pretty gentle but I massage it into my body for a few minutes for a better effect. It makes the skin so smooth. Also, it doesn't hurt at all which is very important to me, I don't like scrubs that are too rough because it just makes my skin irritated.

I really recommend The Body Shop's scrubs. They last for so long, since you don't need too much for each application, which also makes them very price worthy. The one I used today was peach, it's a sweet scent but I still feel a touch of a fresh tone to it. Peach has to be one of my favourite scents that The Body Shop has to offer.

I'm going to an Illuminate Event

A few days ago a Shawn competition popped up on my Facebook. It was the official Swedish fanevent to introduce Illuminate, Shawn's second album. The whole album is gonna be heard, there's gonna be a photobooth, cupcakes, goodie bags & competitions. I'm so excited, this is the first Shawn related competition I've actually won. Shawn is NOT gonna be there at the event though, I'd love to have him there but I understand he's too busy now because of the album release on Friday.

After reading about the competition I signed up, not thinking that the possibility to win actually existed. I usually don't have the best luck in these kinds of situations.

I got so shocked when I checked my mail a few hours ago & realised that I actually won. I just got of the phone with the friend I'm bringing with me, Kajsa.

Thursday will be amazing & I couldn't be more excited.

I'm SO ready for Illuminate.