Favourite Autumn Look

Everybody loves autumn. I'm fairly sure that it's a fact.

Autumn has all the good stuff. Its got birthdays, halloween, fireworks night and is just cosy and nice in general. Perfect weather for jumpers and boots, and surprise surprise... Thats exactly what I've got for you today!

The Body Shop - Vanilla Eau de toilette

Ted Baker - lip chubby stick

Benefit - Girl meets Pearl highlighter

To me, spring and summer means fruity scents, and autumn and winter mean heavier, more spicy scents. This is why I love to wear my Body Shop Vanilla Eau de toilette as the weather gets more chilly - it may be madness, but I feel like a vanillary smell can even make you feel warmer? Anyway, I love this smell.

Benefit's girl meets pearl highlighter is perfect for brightening up your skin in the wintery months, when the weather can really dull it, and make you feel less radiant and beautiful! I simply pat a little bit of this onto the tops of my cheekbones, and we're ready to go. 

Now for the lips. Oh the lips... I do love a nice lipstick, but unfortunately, I never go for a very bold look as its easy to get nervous, especially if you're already not particularly confident. For this reason, I usually stick to nudes or paler tones, however, I have ever so slightly fallen in love with this Ted Baker lip pencil. I'm a bit disappointed that I have no idea what the shade is, so I'll never be able to repurchase it when I run out, but this lipstick is one of the best things that I've ever put on my lips. Its a gorgeous deep berry shade, sort of verging on brown? (I know, that doesn't sound fab, but it looks a lot nicer than you'd imagine!) The only problem that I have found with this lipstick is that I don't have any lip liners anywhere near as dark, and so it kind of always looks a little bit messy. 

Oh well, I'll master it eventually.

Urban Outfitters - ring multipacks (sorry, I don't have a clue what they were called)

Woohoo! Rings! I love rings because they seem to complete any outfit. Don't know how to finish off a look? Stick on a ring! Outfit looks too plain? Add a few rings! They truly do fix everything. These are my favourite and most worn rings, all from Urban Outfitters, bar the gold one, which happens to be a family hand-me-down. I find that Urban Outfitters is great for rings, and I often find myself lost online in a frenzy of ring multipacks and beautiful jewelled statement pieces.

Ok, so you could say that I don't really follow fashion, and I have a feeling that this picture will confirm any doubts you may have had about that. I don't know whether it is a complete fashion NO to roll jeans and have socks on full show, but these guys were truly too cute to not show off. I bought these socks as part of a five pack from next, and each pair is a different neutral tone, with an individual embroidered flower on one side. I don't normally opt for particularly girly clothes, but my heart set on these socks so I just had to get them. No regrets there, folks.

Topshop - Roll neck Jumper

Hippy Market - Gem necklace

These roll neck jumpers make up approximately 50% of my everyday autumn wardrobe. I bought this one last year and loved it so much that I ended up going back and buying two more in different colours. My favourite bit about them is that they are baggy, and baggy all over. I'm not a big fan of having things tight around my neck (sounds strange, I am aware), so I find that I especially love these jumpers because EVERYWHERE is baggy - even the rollneck. Ultimate comfort.

I thought that to perfectly finish off this autumn look, a neklace was needed. I love this clear gem, and I think that it goes really well with the jumper. Its super simple and kind of looks more tidy, with just a cord, and no clasp. It's one of those ones that you just pull the cord to adjust the length, which is fab because it means that you can wear it at any length to suit the outfit that you want. Another fab thing about the necklace was that it was EXTREMELY cheap, only 3 euros from the Ibizan Hippy Market. (sorry if you're not planning on travelling to Ibiza, I guess) 

So, there you have it... my favourite autumn look!

Let me know if you enjoyed it, and I'll see you next time!

M

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Banana Pancakes (Gluten Free)

Woohoo! Another recipe! And even better, this one's also really quick and easy!

Ok, so today I have for you a lovely recipe for banana pancakes. Yay. They only require two ingredients, banana and eggs. You can whip them up in a matter of minutes with very little effort, so here goes...

To make approximately 6 reasonably sized pancakes, we are going to need...

4 eggs,

2 bananas,

a fork,

a large bowl,

a frying pan, and a little bit of oil.

1. First, peel your bananas, break them up into chunks and pop them in the bowl.

2. Use the fork to mash the bananas up until they are smooth and fairly sloppy. Here's how mine looked and they turned out pretty well...

3. Crack in your eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth and resembles that of a regular pancake mix.

(Something like this I think, but bare in mind, theres likely to be a few lumps of banana hanging out in there)

4. Spray a little bit of your oil into the frying pan, and pour in your mixture until you have a large circle, about half a centimetre thick. Of course, you can make them any size you want, but this is the shape that I normally opt for.

5. I don't really know how long you should cook your pancakes for, because when I make them it varies with each one, but allow the mixture to solidify and brown slightly before flipping over the pancake and browning the other side.

Now this is the best bit...

Topping the pancake is always fun. You could literally put anything on them, and they'd probably still taste delicious. I've put together four fab toppings that you could experiment with.

This first one is a classic. I simply just melted a blob of butter onto the pancake, and sprinkled a little bit of cinnamon sugar around it. I've always liked to roll my pancakes, so I have to make sure that the butter and sugar is evenly spread over the circle of goodness, otherwise you end up with mouthfuls of just pancake, and all of the toppings in the centre of the roll. (It sounds like a crazy thing, but its a surefire way to run a perfect pancake experience)

This next one is a little bit more adventurous, and one of my brother's favourites. Again, its incredibly simple, all he did was sprinkle a few blueberries onto the pancake and then drizzled a little bit of maple syrup over them. Mmmm looks good.

More fruit on this one... Crazy huh. Anyway, for this little guy, all I did was chop up a few strawberries into four and sprinkle them over the pancake. Next (and this is the slightly unhealthy bit, but I know, its irresistible) I spread a teensy bit of nutella around the edges. 

And finally, this is the really naughty one! Basically, I just spread peanut butter down the middle of the pancake, sprinkled a few chocolate chips over it, and rolled it up for ultimate tastiness and joy.

This one could be really good as a dessert, or as a cheat breakfast if you fancy! I love the peanut butter and banana taste combinations, and this one is definitely my favourite!

So, let me know if you liked this recipe, or if you want more posts like this, and I'll see you next time!

M

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August Favourites 2015

It's been quite a while since we last did a favourites post, but theres a reason for that... I haven't really found anything new that I've been loving. Until now! I've collected up eight of my favourite products that I have been loving throughout the month and I've got them here for you all to see!

BEAUTY:

Maybelline Colorsensational lip liner - 132 Sweet Pink

Maybelline Colour Drama lip pencil - 630 Nude Perfection

I love these products. You know Kylie Jenner's signature lip look? These are perfect for recreating that, without the fillers. I use these together, with the liner to slightly overdraw on the lips, and the lip pencil to fill the rest in. I know, I know, overdrawing lips can be a risky business, but I find that this pencil is great for it, because it doesn't look too unnatural, and its great for making the lips look that little bit fuller. The lip pencil is VERY matte, so if you're a little wary of matte lipsticks, this probably isn't the one for you. However, I was a little apprehensive about using this because I'd heard reviews that it can dry your lips out after wearing, but I've been using it non stop for weeks and I haven't noticed it, so I guess its down to the nature of your lips?

FASHION:

Gold Disk Bracelet

Unfortunately, I don't know exactly where I got this from, because I bought it from a little jewellery stand in Camden Market. I have sort of fallen in love with this bracelet... I never thought that I'd like a piece of jewellery like this, as most of my bits are homemade friendship bracelets and I don't really own any metallic jewellery. Thats probably why I love it so much, and it goes with everything. Its an all round fab thing to have on your wrist.

Urban Outfitters - Tiny Black Studs

I'm going to be honest and admit that I only bought these so that my order reached a total that would earn me free delivery. However, I do not regret this decision in the slightest. They literally go with everything, black always does! But don't get me wrong, they are SO TINY! The spike is literally only a few millimetres smaller than the stud. I feel like these earrings would be perfect for a second ear piercing, as they are definitely smaller than most of the other ones you may own. I think they also came in a silver and a diamond variation if you're interested. (Seriously tiny!)

Urban Outfitters - Medium Urban Renewal Vintage Re-Made Leather Tote Bag

(Thats a bit of a mouthful)

This bag is beautiful. I have never seen anything like it or felt such an emotional attachment to a bag. Its pretty perfect. Its got two reasonably sized pockets on the inside to keep little bits, but the rest of the bag is huge, which is fab because I bought it with school in mind. Its plenty big enough to fit several large folders and a laptop and anything else you may need! The only thing I'm slightly worried about is that it doesn't have a lining, and I know that school stuff can get pretty heavy, so I'm not sure if it can take the weight, but I'll test it out for a while and get back to you on that...

MISCELLANEOUS:

 Caramel Pecan Candle

I bought this lovely candle from a little shop in St Ives, Cornwall (and I've completely forgotten the name, sorry!) but I knew from the first sniff that I needed this in my life. It literally smells like my birthday. I'm not sure why, because there's NO connection between the two. I think it might be cake? Its sort of a warm cake smell? Either way, I love it.

Skinny Dip - Black Glitter Case

I had very high hopes when I ordered this case, because I'd heard great things about Skinny Dip, and i was not disappointed. Although the case is fairly bulky, and somewhat ruins the sleekness of the phone, I am fairly amused by the funky moving glitter and stars and its always great to add something fun to something that you use everyday.

Poppy Treffry - Big Useful Purse

Another purchase from Cornwall, and I feel like this perfectly captures Cornwall's essence. It is what it says on the tin really. Its just a big useful purse, and its probably going to become home to a few of my pens.

Polagram postcards

Finally, and possibly my favourite favourite are these fab postcards from Polagram. (Which I think has now been renamed Lalalab?) A few months ago, I downloaded the app and ordered some polaroid style prints from here, which were all great quality and awesome because you can professionally print out any photo from your mobile and get it sent to you within a few days. I sort of forgot about the app for a while, but when I was sorting through my apps I rekindled my love for it and ordered two postcards, with two of my most favourite pictures recently, as a lovely reminder of how amazing those moments were.

M

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Iced Mocha and Iced Coffee Recipe

Well, if you know me, you will probably know that I'm a bit of a Starbucks addict, and I have no shame. I'm fairly sure the local Baristas can guess what I'm going to order every time - it's pretty much always the same. I love a good iced caramel macchiato. However, I used to be a bit of a Starbucks snob, and it would be the only place that I would order coffee. BUT, I have changed (I promise!) I've started to vary my coffee drinking venues, and noticed that iced coffees are on menus EVERYWHERE. 

I have had iced coffee at every possible turn, and every possible variation. 

I think I have perfected a recipe to make at home. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to make an iced caramel macchiato,  but I've got a right nice vanilla iced coffee for me, and a lovely mocha recipe for my brother...

Right, we're going to need:

Some kind of (pretty) mug or cup - I've chosen to use these beautiful Kilner jars

A little spoon

A kettle or coffee machine

Coffee (any kind you like really)

Ice cubes

Milk - semi skimmed is what I use to create a creamier taste

FOR ICED COFFEE - Flavoured vanilla syrup - I used Monin vanilla syrup

FOR ICED MOCHA - Hot chocolate powder - I used Options belgian chocolate powder

• Pour 1tsp of coffee granules into your chosen glass. You could add more if you like a really strong coffee. 
• If you want to make the mocha, add one heaped teaspoon of the chocolate powder to the coffee granules and stir the dry ingredients until combined.

• Boil the kettle and fill the glass until half full, and stir to dissolve the coffee granules /and chocolate powder, if you are making the mocha.
• If you are using a coffee machine, all you need to do is fill up your glass halfway.
• Leave the coffee for a few minutes, just to cool down slightly.

• Next, fill the cup almost to the brim with your chosen milk and stir to your liking.
• If you are making the vanilla coffee, add in the syrup now. I just used a dash because this stuff is quite strong, so not much is needed, but this could vary for different syrups.

• Add a few ice cubes in to keep the coffee cold, and VOILA! Your coffee's are ready!

If you wanted, you could add whipped cream to finish your coffees off, or maybe even some chocolate dusting?

I have no idea why these are the colour they are... They don't look particularly appetising, but they taste pretty good. Maybe more coffee was needed?

I also added in these cute little stripey straws to make drinking them more fun!

You may be able to tell from the jumper, but the weather here today is pretty pants, so maybe iced coffee wasn't the best decision, but this recipe is perfect for summer, and maybe into autumn? I can happily drink cold drinks all year round...

So, I hope you like these quick and incredibly easy recipes! If you try them, let me know in the comments how they turned out!

M

x

Let me take you to... Southwold

A family trip to Southwold in the summer holidays inadvertently became a 'Let me take you to' the other day when I noticed how pretty everything was. The minute we got out of the car, the beautiful beach huts got me... They were practically begging to be photographed. So... here are some of the prettiest bits that I came across...

M

x

Holiday Makeup Look

Hello!

So you may know that I've recently got back from a holiday, so I thought that I'd show you my go-to makeup look for these past few days, and I've found that it works especially well with a bit of a tan. Also, I've found that this is great to wear whilst you are actually on holiday, when its still quite warm in the evenings and you don't really want to wear much on your face, as this doesn't really use much and is quite light.

Simple - Kind to skin and sun kissed Moisture Cream

I bought this moisturiser just before we left to go on holiday because lord knows my skin dries out when I tan. I usually end up with my nose peeling, and let me tell ya, it ain't pretty. So, when abroad, I find myself literally coating my face with moisturiser in a feeble attempt to lock in my tan and stop the nasty peeling. This moisturiser even helps to build up a natural and even looking tan, which definitely helps when my tan begins to fade and become patchy, and it provides a lovely base for this makeup look.

Rimmel - Wake Me Up Concealer

Urban Decay - Naked 

Rimmel - Wonder'full Mascara

Max Factor brow pencil - Hazel

Right, so next, I usually skip to the eyes. (I'm not sure whether this is a weird order or not?) Now that school is well and truly finished for the summer, I've been getting back into using my Naked Palette, and experimenting with the different colour options. I've definitely discovered that some of the grey and brown tones do not go well with my eye colour, but for this look, we've stuck to the pinks.

Firstly, I prime my eyes with concealer, and I use Rimmel Wake Me Up to create a matte base to keep the shadow in place and stop it from gathering in the crease.

Next, for the eyeshadow, I used the shade 'Naked' all over the lid, and brought 'Sin' into the crease and blended the two colours together using the fluffy end of the brush provided in the palette. Next, I used the colour 'Virgin' in the inner corner of the lid, to brighten and widen my eyes. Finally, I dragged a little bit of 'Sin' under my lower lash line for a bit of a smoky look.

Then, to finish off the eyes I added a few coats of Rimmel Wonder'full mascara, until I was happy with the appearance of my lashes. 

Usually, after finishing my eyes, I brush out my brows and very lightly fill them in with my Max Factor brow pencil in the shade Hazel. And guess what? Thats exactly what I did today!

 Ok, so moving on to my face...

I started to subtly contour my cheekbones using the bronze section of the Bourjois Bronzer and Highlighter set. I find that this worked quite well for this because it doesn't really have any shimmer and its not as dark as most contour sticks, so it does the job nicely. 

Next, I used the Body Shop bronzer in the shade 1 - Golden Bronze and brushed it in a 3 shape to add a bit of extra colour to my forehead, cheekbones and jawline, and also, down the tip of my nose.

Then, very lightly, I used Rimmel's Clear Complexion Transparent powder to even out my skin tone in all of my patchy bits, and I find that this is great for giving a foundation perfect skin look, without the weight of foundation - perfect for summer!

Maybelline Colour Sensational - 630 Velvet Beige
My favourite bit! The lips are always my favourite part of doing my makeup, and today I chose a matte nude to polish the look. This lipstick looks great on its own, but as the lips are kind of the focus of this look, I added a bit of liner, to plump my lips and neaten the edges.

Maybelline Colour Drama lip pencil - 210 Keep it Classy
I know the more traditional lip liner method is to apply it first, before lipstick, however, I find that when I apply it after lipstick, it REALLY makes my lips look bigger and nice and full. I think this product is meant to be used as an actual lipstick (I don't know???) but I tend to just use it to outline my lips. Its great for giving a Kylie Jenner style matte lip, and there's also a nude shade of this pencil that I'm desperate to get but its always sold out whenever I try, so they must be pretty popular products, and I can totally see why.

And... here's the finished look! I hope you enjoyed this and that it may have been helpful, because I know that I loved the products, and I'm very pleased with how they look on my face.

So, until next time...

Bye!

M

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