June 29, 2014

This Week: A Birthday Trip to London

June 29, 2014    







I've had quite the busy time this week (makes a change from my usual pyjama's on at 4pm schedule) and got whisked away to London for a long weekend which involved a good trawl of the shops - a haul could possibly be making it's way to you very soon, an amazing opportunity to go to Wimbledon to watch Andy Murray play on Centre Court and uh, not to mention probably the highest levels of giddy excitement I've experienced since I was thirteen after Darren surprised me with tickets to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Undoubtedly one of the best experiences my inner child and I have ever had.

By the time it got around to Wednesday and actually celebrating my birthday I was thoroughly exhausted and settled for a quiet dinner at Jamie's Italian with my family. The Baked Chestnut Mushroom starter is possibly the greatest thing I've ever tasted and the Homemade Brownie with Salted Caramel Ice Cream wasn't too shabby either. Suffice to say I was throughly worn out after my lovely week, Birthday's are the best!


Share This Post

 

June 16, 2014

May Favourites

June 16, 2014    


After a unintentional three week stint away from YouTube (not sure how that one happened, sorry!) I'm back with a round up of the best of the best in beauty from May - and let me tell you right now, it's a big one. From a new skincare combo I've been trialling with great results to a lipstick I can't confess enough love for and a retraction that needs to be issued after a not so friendly product diss, here are last month's favourites!

Share This Post

 

June 15, 2014

This Week: Gluten & Dairy Free Pancakes

June 15, 2014    






After making the decision to eliminate gluten and dairy from the majority of my diet two months ago it's been quite the struggle to stay strict with my eating habits, especially when it came to cutting out all the sweet treats I was used to gorging on daily, packed full of things I really didn't need to be putting into my body.

Pancakes were definitely one of my biggest cravings, especially fresh on a Saturday morning but I've found my way around it with the simplest of recipes. All you need is a banana, 1 cup of gluten free oats, 1/4 cup of almond milk, half a mango and some cinnamon to taste, all thrown a blender and whizzed up to make a deliciously sweet pancake mixture that cooks up the same way as a normal batter.

Now these don't taste exactly on par with the standard 'milk, egg and flour' pancakes you may usually come across in the kitchen, but they're just as filling and actually leave me feeling a whole lot lighter after munching on a stack, especially when topped with a handful of strawberries and lashings of maple syrup!

I also want to try a chocolate version by adding some raw cacao powder - the antioxidant packed healthy alternative to coco, but we'll see if my baking skills are up to the job. Let me know if you're thinking about giving these a go!
Share This Post

 

June 14, 2014

New In from MAC: Studio Fix Powder

June 14, 2014    


I went through a phase when I first got into make up that was all about MAC, MAC, MAC. I think any girl would look longingly at a brand that carries a million eyeshadow colours and want to have it all, but over the last year my interest has mostly died down. I think it's the tirade of new limited collections launching left right and centre that usually confuses me to the point of being put off, but every now and then I do get an itching to trawl through their extensive range and pick out something new.

I'm having a bit of a moment with powders recently - yes you heard that right, powder! I'm usually sworn off the stuff but unfortunately in the warmer weather my skin just doesn't always behave and foundation wear time gets cut down dramatically. The thought of powder as a base intrigues me too as cream products on the skin in a climate that's anything above normal room temperature make me want to reach for a pack of face wipes like nothing else.

MAC Studio Fix Powder is definitely an oldie - I vaguely remember seeing this pop up in some of the first beauty videos I ever watched back in the day! As a setting powder I'm not completely sold as it's highly pigmented formula can become cakey when applied over foundation, tinted moisturiser though I'm pretty happy using a light dusting to set and add some additional coverage.

On its own however is how I've been wearing Studio Fix most. A dab or two of concealer here and there on those areas that only a good helping of Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage will cover, then a few layers of the powder pressed and swirled into the skin with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush (is there anything that tool cant do) make for a light to medium coverage that I'm happy to wear on a daily basis and one that really does look like skin, all achieved in probably half the time it would take to work in an actual foundation.

I'm not sure if I'm a hundred percent converted to powder just yet - only time will tell, but I'm certainly willing to get on board with anything that let's my skin breath even a little bit more than usual while combating the ever growing issue of Summer induced oily skin. Let's see how long this can keep it's place in my routine!

Share This Post

 

June 12, 2014

The Summer Red

June 12, 2014    




Although red lipstick will always be my one true love it's not a colour that I tend to gravitate towards during the warmer months as it's not hard for it to overpower the face when there's a lot of bright light around - and who wants to think about avoiding red smudges all over your face whilst chowing down on a giant ice cream cone? That being said however I still pine for it, looking longingly through the entire Muji drawer reserved just for the one shade - I have a problem, I know.

Enter my new lipstick love in the form of Lipstick Queen's Jungle Queen and my first foray into the extensive range of colours designed by Poppy King - lipstick aficionado. Is it a coral, is it an orange.. red? I still can't decided, but I love it. As if the colour wasn't perfect enough the formula is beautifully moisturising and leans on the sheer side which makes application a doddle. This one is going to be a staple throughout the season, I can tell!


Share This Post