My writing playground
I don’t tend to make huge New Year’s resolutions that you struggle desperately to keep within the first few weeks of January. However, if there’s one thing I want to invest more time in, it’s to draw more!
So to kick things off, here are a few of my recent sketches.
With the Winter months rolling in and the temperature having dropped drastically as of late (AKA the time of year when I have to sit in my car for a good ten minutes for the ice to defrost) this is definitely my favourite warming go-to dinner at the moment!
This is by far my favourite meal at the moment. It is absolutely heavenly. It’s from Deliciously Ella’s cookbook, which my Mum makes a lot. However, since I was having ever-so-slight withdrawal symptoms, I just had to make it for myself! The combination of the creamy coconut milk, aubergines and butternut squash makes for a really melt-in-your-mouth kind of dish and the ginger adds a lovely warming kick. Plus, the chickpeas transform it into a hearty and filling meal. I always find myself coming back for seconds!
Ella’s recipe:
(serves 4)
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A few of my drawings currently in progress…
I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for Autumn. With only a smattering of sunny days over the Summer months I feel as though it’s about time we kiss adieu to Summer and welcome in Fall with open arms. Plus, there are leaves already forming on the ground and it’s my birthday season, therefore officially making it the best one out of the four.
So I thought it was only fitting that I do a much-needed review of Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat lip liner in Bad Romance and her Matte Revolution lipstick in Glastonberry. The most beautiful rich mauvey berry colours- perfect for Autumn!
When I bought the two together, I definitely fell prey to the ever-persistent beauty counter assistant at Selfridges, who absolutely insisted the two had to be bought together. In fairness, she was right.
The lip liner
Glides on like a dream and really does give the appearance of fuller lips. In fact, the colour and consistency are so great you could probably wear it completely on it’s own.
The lipstick
The colour is deep and purpley and everything you could want from an Autumnal lipstick, with just the right amount of shine. My only criticism is that because of the shade, I do think the coverage could be a tad better, considering the price! You really have to layer it up because otherwise it has a tendency to look a little uneven and streaky.
Overall, the two products are fab together and I’ll definitely be on the look out over the coming weeks for my next Charlotte Tilbury Autumn-inspired duo.
If like me, you’ve been living under a rock for the past year and have never heard of how amazing the Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow range is (although I’m sure most of you have), then let me enlighten you!
I discovered the brand at the end of last year after my sister recommended it to me. Not only was it a breath of fresh (h)air for my eyebrows, but the products are also completely and 100% cruelty free- and proud of it.
Initially, despite being tempted by the Dipbrow Pomade, (I came to the conclusion I’d end up with a messy Scouse brow so decided to steer clear of anything too scary and liquidy) I started off with buying the Brow Wiz (in Medium Brown), which has a very fine retractable pencil, to imitate the strokes of hair, perfect for creating fuller brows. After hours of deliberation over which colour to buy, once it had arrived, I loved the pencil as the control you had over how much or how little you used was so precise. However, the downside was that it definitely didn’t last very long considering the price of £15.50.
The other day, when the remains of the pencil rather unfortunately came to it’s sorry end after falling out of the retractor, I thought I would give the Perfect Brow pencil a go. At £18 it is more expensive, but it will probably last about 3 x longer than the Brow Wiz.
Even though the Brow Wiz is the holy grail of ABH’s products in terms of the endless rave reviews it receives (and you only have to check Beauty Bay to confirm this), I actually prefer the Perfect Brow!
I ordered it in the same colour of Medium Brown, yet somehow it seems ever so slightly lighter and is in fact a better match for my hair colour, much to my delight. It’s long lasting, it looks more natural and doesn’t resemble that somewhat shiny appearance that the previous pencil occasionally did in warm weather, after a long day at work. Plus, it also comes with a spooley brush, handy for brushing up those brows and getting as much volume in them as possible after applying.
All in all, I’m over the moon that I finally discovered Anastasia Beverley Hills- thanks sis!
X
Hey lovelies!
So I thought I would have a bit of fun and I’ve created my very own online mini magazine for June. I’ve explored my lust-haves for the coming month in the form of a lookbook, along with my top beauty discoveries, from lipstick and hair repair, to lotions and potions. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed making it, and I would love to know what you all think!
From gypsy embroidery, to pompoms and palms, these are a few of my favourite things in the shops this May! (Sung Sound-of-Music-style) If only my paycheck was generous enough to treat me to all of these beautiful Spring delights… Could you tell I have an ever so slight obsession with Zara at the moment?
1. Zara, Printed Bomber Jacket, £39.99, 2. Zara, Special Edition Embroidered Crop Top, £49.99 3. Mango, Bead Embroidery Dress, £39.99 4. Whistles, Mini Belted Skirt, £110 5. Fjallraven Kanken Classic Plum Backpack, £67 6. Jeepers Peepers Sunglasses @ ASOS, £18.99 7. Zara, Cropped Flowing Trousers £19.99 8. Regal Rose, ‘DWYN’ Black Mother of Pearl Chain Choker, 9. Zara, Dress (Editorials) 10. Whistles, Cut About Stripe Jumpsuit, £130 11. Urban Outfitters, Black Leather and Suede Fringe Duffle Bag, £59 12. Zara, Pompom sandals, £49.99
Yes- I’ll admit it. I appear to have developed a serious addiction to collecting lip balms, if my growing hoard is anything to go by. (And this is just a select few). So I thought it was only right for me to rate and review some of them! I also threw in my trusty Lush lip scrub for good measure. Despite the changing of seasons and ever-so-slight rise in temperature, my lips have been particularly dry recently. But rest assured, I will find a balm to cure me!
Nivea’s Vanilla & Macadamia Lip Butter: 4/5
It’s moisturising and creamy, and it smells so delicious I could eat it. Plus, you don’t have to take out a loan to buy it! A classic budget lip balm that you can’t go wrong with. (£2)
Lush Santa Lip Scrub: 3.5/5
I love how soft my lips are after using this and the rouge tint that it leaves. And you can actually lick the scrub off your lips (it tastes great) with this one! It’s the perfect companion for using before applying lipstick, as it really smoothes and buffs away at any lingering dead skin. However, I find the softness only lasts a few hours before my lips start to feel dry again. To avoid this, I tend to cake my lips with lip balm afterwards for ultra moisturisation if I’m not leaving the house! (£5.50)
Eve Lom’s Kiss Mix: 3/5
I love a good lip balm that makes your lips tingle, and Eve Lom’s does just that. It feels refreshing and gives a lovely shine to lips too. (The most expensive of the bunch at a crazy £16)
Nuxe’s Reve de Miel: 2.5/5
I’ve reviewed this before on my blog and I definitely fell in love with the stuff when I first bought it. It’s buttery and melts onto lips and smells DIVINE. But much to my disappointment, over the months it seems to have gone slightly grainy in texture- and come to think of it, it has probably come to the end of it’s short 6 month lifespan. Sob. Considering the price, you would expect it to last a tad longer. (An expensive £9.50)
Korres Jasmine Lip Butter: 3/5
Let me begin by saying this smells delicious. The scent is sweet and I love the dusky pink colour which leaves a shiny tinted finish on lips. It isn’t the most hydrating lip balm I’ve ever found, but is great for Spring for adding a nice subtle dash of colour on lips that aren’t overly dry or chapped. In the depths of winter when my lips are crying out for moisture, this probably wouldn’t be my first point of call. (£8)
Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm: 2/5
I bought this because I was drawn to the fact that it’s natural and suitable for vegetarians, which you don’t often see overtly displayed on beauty products. The tube has a nice monochrome design and the balm has a delightful fresh and orangey scent to it. However, I’ve found it only gives a light level of moisture to lips, and so it definitely isn’t what you’re after if your suffering from severely dry skin. (£6)
And finally, the surprising winner of the bunch? Scoring an impressive 5/5 stars, it has to be…
Blistex’s Relief Cream! 5/5
Yes, you heard correct. The humble Blistex at a modest £2.69. In my eyes, it is the holy grail of lip products as it is the only lip cream that truly seems to cure my cracked lips overnight. (It’s medicated and is designed for cold sores too.) I personally love the stuff, and have no idea why I’m always tempted with the higher end expensive brands when I know I’ve got such a fail-safe winner in Blistex!
Thanks for reading! X
Along the way since becoming vegetarian over a year ago, (and also since inadvertently stumbling across some really quite disturbing photos of what had happened to the cutest bunnies after being tested on), I really want to gradually transition my makeup and beauty collection into one that is cruelty free. As quite frankly, I really don’t condone animal abuse. Obviously, I’m not saying I am perfect in the slightest, and I definitely still own makeup that is probably tested on animals, which I bought without really giving a second thought to. However, I guess it’s one big learning curve and I would like to at least try my best!
There is generally a significant amount of controversy over whether beauty brands do or do not test on animals. It’s no surprise that they never usually own up to it when questioned (and why would they), but I know that several brands find loop holes in the fact that their ‘parent company’ tests on animals, so technically they can claim that they don’t. I’m just glad my trusty Dermalogica don’t test on animals, and have even recently pulled out of selling their products in China because of the abuse that the country requires for cosmetic testing.
Anyway, I would love to know of any favourite brands which you use which are cruelty-free? I already use a few, but when I started reading the PETA list of brands, I’ll admit my mind was slightly blown by all these names I had never heard of!
X
Happy Easter everyone!
I’d love to be spending the day making delicious Easter-themed baked goods, however I move house in a week so baking has to be put on hold! Instead, I thought I would throw it back to this Lemon & Pistachio cake that I made last year for Easter. The recipe is from Waitrose and is utterly incredible, full of layers of pistachio marzipan sandwiched between moist lemon sponge. YUM. It wasn’t the easiest cake to make, but I can assure you it was definitely worth it.
(You can also find the recipe here.)
For the marzipan:
100g Love Life Pistachios
50g ground almonds
75g Billington’s
Golden Caster Sugar
75g icing sugar
1 medium essential Waitrose egg white, lightly beaten
For the cake:
175g butter, softened
175g Billington’s Golden Caster Sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons, plus 3 tbsp juice
3 medium essential Waitrose Free Range Eggs
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
For the butter icing:
75g butter, softened
75g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp lemon juice
Chopped pistachios, to decorate
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and base line
2x20cm sandwich tins. To make the marzipan, put the pistachios
in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Add the almonds, caster sugar, icing sugar and the egg white and blend to a paste.
2. For the cake, put the butter, sugar, lemon zest, eggs, flour and baking powder in a bowl and beat with a hand-held electric whisk until pale and creamy. Beat in the lemon juice and spoon a quarter of the mixture into each of the tins. Level the surface.
3. Halve the pistachio marzipan and roll out each on a surface dusted with icing sugar until slightly smaller than the tins. Press gently over the sponge filling and cover with the remaining mixture. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until risen and just firm to the touch.
4. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a knife and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. For the icing, beat the butter with the icing sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice and use to sandwich the cakes together on a serving plate. Dust the top lightly with icing sugar and scatter with chopped pistachios to decorate.
Cook’s tip
Try swapping the butter icing for softly whipped cream swirled with a spoonful of lemon curd. Keep chilled and eat on the same day.
Enjoy! x
IMMI 