About Me: FAQ

Okay, so the title is a bit misleading as i'm not frequently asked these questions. Rarely Asked Questions would probably be a bit more appropriate. However, as part of my 'About Me' series, a few bits about me should really be included!

(Excuse the Instagram'd image, it's too early to be taking photos of me right now!)

Name: Sophie Elaine Turner.

Age: 20 - Although I look and act like i'm about 15.

Location: Currently London and then my hometown of Southampton on the weekends, but i'm usually in Bournemouth termtime. I live out of a suitcase.


Occupation: Well. I'm a full-time student studying Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University, but I work on the weekends at a bingo hall in my hometown to help fund my shopping habits! I'm also currently interning at The Times LUXX magazine in London, so I suppose you could say that's my occupation right now.

Why I started Sophie Says: I'm just at the straight of my career in journalism, and being enrolled in an intense course with equally ambitious people, you need to start finding your niche and start trying to figure out what sort of area of journalism you want to go into. We were encouraged on our first day to blog, but I think they assumed that we would all choose to blog on politics or hard-hitting news stories. However, I found that I wanted to just write about the things that I enjoyed, and because I was spending so much on fashion and beauty products anyway, why not write about it? And so Sophie Says was born.

Skintype: I have oily skin, which ironically I only discovered after I started wearing make-up when I was 17. I'm very pale, and prone to redness on my cheeks and nose, so I try to tone it down with matte foundation and powder, and shy away from anything that gives me a dewy finish. Being pale does make it difficult to find products that suit me, but read some of my reviews on general products for oily skin and how I tackle it here.

Hair: I have naturally mousy brown/dark blonde hair, and after years of dying it random colours (I've been blonde, black and purple!) i've lost my natural colour and i'm left with locks that resemble the colour of dirty dish-water. However, right now i'm a redhead. I use Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Colour in 'Fiery Head' to keep my hair bright every 5-6 weeks, and ensure that I use intense conditioners that focus on redheads and sulphate free shampoo.

Body: I have a naturally curvy figure, and vary in size because of my hips and thighs. I'm not going to lie, it is annoying not being a single size, but i'm learning what looks good on me! I try not to get too worked up over the size though - my mum gave me great advice about a year ago: If you don't like the size, rip out the label. (That's if your sure you aren't returning it, of course!)

My favourite stores: There's a big New Look in my town centre, so I would be lying if I didn't say I go there often when I don't have the cash, but usually I visit Topshop, H&M, Miss Selfridge, as well as Boohoo.com and Fabulous.

My favourite products: That is a hard one, because I try out so many, but my go-to products that I wear on a daily basis are my 'They're Real!' mascara, and definitely a good primer in general - my face doesn't feel right without it!


Financing my blog: "How can you afford all these products?!" This is actually my only FAQ, and it tends to be from friends and family more than readers. It definitely helps having a job to help fund the products I review, and although I do occasionally get things sent to me 99% of what I post about was purchased with my own money. I'm still learning how to budget, and me being so busy recently alongside working unpaid means that I haven't been able to try out as many new products. However, I am a student and I also work, and beauty is what I invest my money in as oppose to other peoples passions and interests. It's about finding a balance, and I do understand why there is an interest but it's my money and i'll spend it how I wish.

My advice to new bloggers: Don't expect your blog to be an overnight success. There are some blogs that attract more attention than others at first, but most of the time you just need to be patient and consistent and just continue doing what you're doing. My blog is still less than a year old, and I have a long way to go, but if you've seen some of the more popular blogs around they've been doing this for years. It's not a race, there's plenty of space in the blogesphere for you. You should be blogging because you love it, and if you get a bit of attention in the process that's great, but do it for you and the views will come.


Be sure to vote for Sophie Says for the NEXT Newcomer Blog Award at this years Cosmopolitan Blog Awards HERE!