Panic Presents! Last Minute Christmas Solutions

You know the deal, you've rocked into work like it's a regular Tuesday - and Joanne (the girl you speak to...okay quite often, you send the odd text and you know each other's favourite ice cream flavour) - has left something on your desk...festively wrapped, bow intact with a label on top reading;

"Not to be opened until Xmas hehe!" 

First of all, how dare Joanne utter the words "hehe" with no sense of irony, and secondly - SAY WHAT?! You didn't know you were buying each other presents?! There's only a few shopping days left of the holidays, what on earth are you going to buy her??

Sephora Made Me Do It

So, I’m not really a bragging kinda gal – but sometimes there’s nothing that excites me more than a good ol’ fashioned haul.

You know what I’m talking about right? You haven’t bought beauty products in months; you’ve saved up a little bit of dollar for a winter splurge and Oh! Look, you’re broke again. But you've got a drawer filled with delightful goodies your skin is going to be thanking you for, for months to come.

Naughty Nutella Frosted Chocolate Cake

So, you know how there’s very little in life that’s better than chocolate cake?

Well, I have a secret for you my friend – I’ve found it; and no it isn’t winning the lottery or even scoring a date with Bradley Cooper (neither of which you can achieve with eight ounces of kerrygold and a pre-heated oven I can assure you!) No, it is my very special, incredibly indulgent Nutella Frosted Chocolate Cake.

More S'mores!

Okay, so you know how I dabbled in some S'more making just a little while ago? Well my friends, I have taken this to the next level - and created a S'more Cupcake! 

Skincare Spotlight: Glamglow Youth Mud Mask

So it's about this time in the year where my skin begins to hate me a little.

Gone are the days of readily available Vitamin D straight from the sunshine, and instead weeks are replaced by miserable rain and cold winds which like nothing more than to zap the moisture out of your skin. If it wasn't for all the festive cheer and easy access to hog roasts, you'd be more than a little ticked off to see the arrival of the winter months!

Super-quick S'mores

I don't know what it is about the word "S'mores" that makes me really want...well more I guess!

Despite never properly having them before, all I had to do was look at the ingredients and thoughtfully picture a campfire scene that was straight out of "Are You Afraid of the Dark", (minus the creepy stories,) to know it was gonna be one quick and delicious dessert - almost like it was made for Bonfire night!

A coffee and cake kinda day

So whilst I do have another baking post in the pipeline for you foodies, this is a slightly more relaxed version for those of you who maybe aren’t so acquainted with a whisk and muffin tray as I am.

My favourite ways to catch up with friends is normally over a hot drink and something delicious, enter a coffee and cake date! Most of the time I try and find new places to discover with my buddies, sampling their finest selections (more often than not a slice of Red Velvet cake) and rating the hot chocolate to whipped cream ratio whilst gossiping about gosh knows what.

Pampering, Sunday Style.

Gosh I love a Sunday, don't you?

It's the one day a week I try and reserve for total relaxational bliss, (yeah I just made up a word, it's THAT relaxing.) Sometimes I have the whole day to pamper up a storm, other times I squeeze it into an evening before bed - this week I had a Sunday morning to fit in some me-time, and boy was I ready for it!

Coffee and Walnut Cake

When it comes to baking something a little outside my comfort zone – I’m gonna be honest, I kind of freak out a little.

I think with baking, it can be super easy to stick with your strengths and signature bakes, baking is a science – and there’s nothing worse than getting in a flurry of flour and icing sugar, only to find out your batch of almond slices have gone flatter than Elle Macpherson’s abs.

How to: Clean your brushes like a Pro

Okay, so just when you've mastered knowing which make-up brush is for contouring and which one creates the perfect smokey eye - you find out you gotta keep them clean!?

Okay, this shouldn't really come as a big shock, but yes - your brushes should be kept clean, and giving them a good wash every 2 weeks (at least) or anytime you switch a product will keep them in best possible condition and make them last twice as long!

PB and Chip Cookies

So I was feeling a little spontaneous the other day, and after prepping a Sunday Dinner for my fam, I decided to go the whole hog and bake them some cookies too (I know, crazy spontaneous right?)

What I really like about baking cookies is that, you can't really do much wrong - everything just seems to work when it's in cookie form, with very few exceptions - like broccoli, tarragon etc - let’s not get silly here.

So I checked what we had in the cupboard, which was stocked full of chunky peanut butter (my sister's having a thing with it at the mo) – and whilst I have experimented with this in cakes, I had never actually tried it in cookies so heck! Why not give it a go?

My Night-time Skin Routine

If you had asked me 3 years ago what my Night-time Routine was, I would have simply replied with; "4 bourbon biscuits and a glass of milk".  Because frankly, that's all it was for quite a while.

It took a harsh dose of acne-related troubles and research for me to start appreciating my skin a lot more and to treat it with the respect and love it deserves, because we do put it through a hell of a lot. Drinking, sunbathing, waxing (never again). So what changes have I made in the evenings to make sure I don't look like a leather handbag by the time I'm 35? Well, let me tell you;

USA Cake Confessions

So if you've read any of my previous blog posts, you'll be fully aware that I recently went away to the sunshine state of Florida in the USA.

To say I had a fabulous time would be an understatement, I got more than acquainted with the Sephora stores (but that's for another post!) And of course ate my way around all the incredibly decadent and indulgent cakes and sweet treats that Orlando had to offer.

As a self-confessed cake, cookie and dessert lover - I felt it was my duty to try as many of these indulgences as possible to create not only a food memory I can revisit time and time again, but also to help me recreate some of the delights I sampled in the hope of bringing home a little slice of USA with me.

Skincare Spotlight : Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Clensing Masque

Despite being in a post-flight, jet-lagged state - I literally couldn't wait to write this review of the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Clensing Masque (phew, bit of a mouthful eh?) So with about a gallon of water and 300g Milka bar by my side, I'm beating the dreaded US-jet lag with a skincare spotlight of my latest beauty discovery!

Kiehls Sample Review

I really hope I'm not the only one in the world that goes cer-azy over sample sachets or sample-sized products, it's like a little party in an unsuspecting minimalist mask (or masque - geddit?) So you can imagine my excitement when my brother, Matthew returns home from New York loaded with the latest must-have products from Kiehls in handy, delightfully sized packages.

Now, I'm a fully-paid member of the Kiehls appreciation society (this isn't really a thing, but if it was, I'd be all over it), their SPF moisturiser is my absolute favourite and their eye treatments really do work miracles - so being able to give these samples a test drive was a task I was more than happy to complete over the Easter weekend.

My Airplane Skincare Routine

Hola!

So as a lot of you may know (due to the fact I haven't been able to shut up about it), I am currently on holiday! Yes sir-ee bob, I am currently in sunny Florida or more specifically Orlando, land of Disney, IHOP and Harry Potter World, and keeping with the travel theme of my last post, I thought I'd share some more tips and insights you might find useful!

Now, I love holidays and I especially love the excitement you get when waiting to check your bags in at the airport or you're waiting to take off. The only thing that I'm not so crazy over, is the effect it has on my skin.

What's in my Carry On?

Packing for a holiday is both a joyous and stressful task, especially when you're planning on being away for weeks at a time.

On of my favourite things to pack however, is my carry-on. It's smaller, lighter and you don't have to fold anything! So I thought as a little last minute blog, I'd indulge you on my in-flight essentials for long-haul flights.

"Leftover" Easter Egg Cupcakes

Okay, so Easter is probably my second favourite holiday of the year, it comes a very close second to Christmas. I'm not entirely sure why, I think it's the combination of the cute Spring weather, daffodils and the promise of spending the day in a chocolate coma (the 4 day weekend also helps greatly.)

So I was very lucky to receive not one, but 4 Easter Eggs this year, and as a lot of you may know - it is not too long (4 days in fact) until I jet off to sunny Florida to explore and enjoy all things Disney. Now as you can imagine, the prospect of being in a bikini has gotten me into exercise and "clean-eating" mode and whilst I do still enjoy my food and allow myself little bits of what I fancy now and again, I wondered how I was going to enjoy all of my Easter Eggs without a slight worry in the back of my head reminding me I had to be a slim jim for my vacation, in preparation of destroying my body with Turkey legs and IHOP whilst there.

So I thought, rather than wasting the eggs, mindlessly eating or leaving them for future consumption - I would turn a couple of my eggs into Easter Egg cupcakes and treat the people around me for a little piece of Easter joy to last them until next year.

Ombre-esque Summer Lips

Okay, so maybe I’m jumping the gun a little and getting a bit too excited by blogging about something even related to “Summer” but hey! It’s April, the weather is increasingly getting warmer, mornings are brighter – and you can never be too prepared for the glorious Summer days we can only hope to welcome in a few months time.

One of my favourite things about the warmer months is experimenting and changing up my make-up routine or looks. As soon as there’s any sign of heat, I’m switching up to a higher SPF moisturiser and waving goodbye to matte, perfecting foundations and say a warm Hello to my tinted moisturisers I neglected slightly in the colder months.

A fun and easy way to switch up your make-up in favour of a more “sunny, beach and bright” –esque look is simply changing up your lips, and I ain’t talking collagen. Ombre lips began creeping onto the radar last year and I think it’s high time to give it a bit of a makeover – it’s a fun way to add a pop of colour to your otherwise simple make up look, or can be a bold statement for a sunny evening spent out on the town.

How to: Decorate a Cake Like a Boss

When it comes to baking, for me simplicity goes out the window. It's always the bigger the better and to be as creative as you can be to present something you can be truly proud of to your audience.

Whilst I like a Victoria Sponge as much as the next person, (or more so infact) I can't deny itching to get my hands on the simple and basic exterior to create something more colourful and decadent - so when my mum asked me to help her decorate my sister's 27th birthday cake, I was there faster than you can say "buttercream icing".

So I may do a separate blog later on as to how we made the base and the frosting (it's a family secret don't cha know), but this post is going to purely decoration based. So grab your pallet knife and all the sugary treats in your pantry, because honey - we gonna ice a cake! 

Scrummy Homemade Milkshakes : Oreo Edition

If you know me in real-life, you probably know about my life-addiction of milkshakes. 

Why do I like them so much? I hear you ask, well where do I possibly begin? The sweet-taste, a thick, ice-creamy consistency packed full of flavour, what’s not to love?
It all began when I was only 6 years old and my mum would make me a Nesquik milkshake every day after school, rocket forward 17 years later and I’m still drinking milkshakes on any occasion and with any excuse possible.

As a full-time milkshake lover, it's very rare I can even step into a restaurant without checking out what sweet, frothy goodness they have available on the menu, and whilst I am rather proud to be somewhat of a milkshake connoisseur, the outings to the likes of T.G.I's and Gourmet Burger Kitchen just for a fix can get quite costly, despite just how delightfully delicious their shakes are.

Holiday Haulin'

So as said in my previous blog, this post will basically be a haul of everything I got from my trip to Chester last week (and a couple of naughty internet orders thrown in there too).

So the main purpose for all my purchases is for my holiday which is only mere days away. My boyfriend Charlie and I are heading to Florida for 3 weeks to soak up the sun, catch up with Mickey Mouse and probably develop all types of diabetes (Cap'n Crunch, peanut butter M&M's, Double Stuf Oreos - you name it, we'll be devouring it).

So whilst I already have the majority of my clothes, beauty items etc, there's always those last minute bits to snap up before you gotta go jetting off. So let's get to it.

A Day in Chester

 A little bit of a different post today, but I wanted to share anyway! So last weekend my mum and I went on a little day trip to Chester, now if you have never been to Chester, you've gotta go - it's so picturesque, so quaint and full of amazing architecture...oh, did I mention they have incredible shops there too?

You see, every few months my mum and I go on little days out or adventures – never too much of a drive away but we call these days “us” days. It’s where we can just spend time together, catch up and indulge in some treats for the day. Now whether this is a visit to Bury Markets to sample caramelised cashew nuts (dreamy) or a day in Nantwich visiting the Ice Cream Factory (necessary), they’re always the funnest days filled with laughter and SO therapeutic.

Don’t get me wrong, I still pop round to my mum’s for a hot chocolate or just a chat a couple of times a week, but sometimes it’s just nice to escape and spend some quality time with each other, soaking up the atmosphere in a different town, and Chester is the perfect place for that!

5-minute (prep) cookies!

In the spirit of my previous 5-minute Make-Up post, I decided to match that with a 5-minute cookie recipe! 

Now, whilst this doesn't include cooking time (which is still only 10 minutes FYI) - it's a real quick, easy and  yummy concoction; perfect if you’re having a sleepover with friends, you want to be super cute and surprise your other half, or if you just fancy curling up with freshly baked cookies and a Matthew Mcconaughey movie.

5-Minute Makeover

So, I was originally going to post a blog on "The Perfect Spring Weekend", which was going to be filled with sunshine, picnics and froyo; but of course in true UK style, this week's sun has gone AWOL and so that joy may have to be postponed for a week or two! 

Luckily I had another blog in mind that I wanted to share, and that is my 5 minute make-up routine.

Now, we all have those morning's where we have to get up for work, we hear our alarm chime it's deadly tune (fortunately I have no such problems having the Jurassic Park theme song as my alarm tone) and we choose an extra 10 minutes of blissful sleep over looking human for the 9 hour work day ahead.

But what's that? Oh you have to leave in 20 minutes? Excellent

So here is my quick 5 minute, quick step routine to make you look a little more fresh-faced than Dawn of the Dead.

A Guide to...Reds True BBQ

So, the latest in top notch food cuisine is that of gastronomic proportions. It's been on my radar for the past couple of months ever since I heard of it making it's way from it's hometown of Leeds, all the way up to Manchester - and I for one, am truly stoked.

As a lover of all things meat (oh-er), BBQ and general marvellous-ness, I couldn't wait to sample their menu, in particular their infamous doughnut burger which was sure to throw me right over the edge into an inevitable diabetic coma. 

But hey, for £12.95? That's a bargain.

Your New Best Gooey Chocolate Brownies

So, this is where I indulge you in my ever-so-secret recipe of literally the best brownies YOU WILL EVER TASTE.

Now I know I'm being modest, but this is honestly one of my favorite creations to date, and has turned me into a complete brownie snob, so much so - that I can no longer order these in cafes anymore, purely because I have ruined myself by my own creation.

So whilst I try and deflate my head, below is a list of ingredients which you'll need.

My Winning Oscar Looks

Well, it's that time of the year, the day after the night before where we pore ourselves over Glamour.com and Cosmo to “yay or nay” Hollywood starlets, and men’s facial hair is scrutinized to the point of just plain desire and envy (by the other half obviously).
You've got it; The Oscars!

After watching the event, I can concur that the evening looked an absolute hoot, and somewhere between Ellen’s selfie/pizza run to Leo’s embrace with Matthew Mcconaughey; I looked to the faces of the silver screen stars to pick out my favourite bare-faced beauties and smoking sirens, before they smudged marinara sauce on their cheek.

How to: Glowing Skin

As we slowly transition from our woolly coats and lose those extra Christmas pounds we just couldn't shift (hey, some of us are still working through our festive treats) we can finally see the beacon of flowery hope in our sights as Spring finally decides to make an appearance in the UK. 

Now, for me, Spring is one of my favourite times of year; not only do you replenish your loss of selection boxes with a cupboard full of delicious Easter eggs; but it's the season where a Mac or a light jacket is all you need, afternoon walks aren't threatened with injury and embarrassment after slipping on black ice (three times). But we trade in our matte finish foundations and embrace glowing, healthy-looking skin perfectly complimented by the sensational (if not slightly elusive) sun.