Santa brought me a fantastic book called "Cookies, Muffins + Cakes", as you can tell by the title, it's right up my street! After flicking through it and dribbling, I muffins my first go yesterday with rather pleasing results.
I went for the Berry Cheesecake muffins, cooked up a storm and out came these bad boys:
You can just about see the cream cheese in there, you put it in the middle of the muffins so that when it came out of the oven it was melted and all gooey. Now I just need to choose what to make next!
I've given these Eylure Individual Lashes a few goes now so I think I'm getting quite good at them. They're semi permanent individual false eyelashes, and are meant to last around a couple of weeks, although in my experience if you get more than a week out of them you've done well.
The pack include some glue, some solution for removing them (although I've never touched it as they usually fall off in their own time) and the lashes themselves.
They come in three different lengths, so I'll start with with the shortest ones in the inner corners, and then move out to use the longest ones at the outer corners. They're flared and have a little knot at the end, you just dab the glue on, place them on your lash line and hope for the best!
It's a bit fiddley and takes a bit of practice, but I really like the results it gives, especially as it lasts longer than a usual strip of falsies and is cheaper than the cost of getting a professional set.
Have you ever gotten eye lash extentions or tried these eylure ones?
We're in that awkward time of year when Christmas is over, yet the tree is still up and (some of us) aren't required to work for a few days. So what do we do? Well I browse the internet for New Years Eve inspiration. I'm not lucky enough to be on the guest list for any swanky, dressing-up occasions, but if I was below are the looks I might very well be adopting.
Dune were one of the partners and set up a competition to win a gift voucher of theirs. To my surprise I won and a shiney gift voucher arrived the very next day!
I've been eying up Chelsea Boots for ages (see my earlier post) and am very happy now I have some.
The sale has also just started at Dune, and they have some glittery shoes that had to be prized out of my hands because I'd have no where to wear them to. :( But if you've got any parties coming up or are looking for something a bit more special for Christmas or New Years I'd recommend popping in!
First up, I cracked open the advent calendar! I've got a Where's Wally one, and yes, I have managed to find him.
Second, the Starbucks red cups are in! I've never really paid attention to these before, but now I am an official coffee drinker I have seen the light and they are amazing! This was a Praline Mocha a believe and I finished it off with a slide of chocolate yule log. What? It's Christmas!
Third, I entered a competition with @Dune_Shoes and Vogue Online Fashion Week and to my surprise I won! They sent a gift card the very next day (Bravo ladies, bravo!) and I promptly purchased a very fine pair of boots, details coming soon. Some of us were just born lucky I guess! :)
Fourth, I went to the Clothes Show Live on Monday and whilst there were lots of bargains and deals and some lovely clothes and make up, there was also a chocolate fountain which was worth the trip up to Birmingham for alone! Who can resist a chocolate fountain?? (I certainly can't)
Watching: I’m a Celeb final. I’m a Celebrity
Get Me Out of Here finished last week and my-not-so-secret love of Mcfly,
especially the uber cute bassist Dougie Poynter definitely were the main reason
I was hooked on this. Slightly odd but endearing Dougie did it in the end, and
now I’m just hoping (fingers crossed) that his band mate Harry can do the same
on Strictly Come Dancing next weekend. (If you want my prediction it’ll be him
and Chelsee in top and second places, but which way round I can’t call!)
Reading: COSMO!
Winning: A new game I downloaded for my
phone called Line Runner. It’s verysimple and addictive and I’ve been
playing it on the train every day. You’re a stick man and have to jump over and
roll under little blocks to get as far as you can, sounds silly, but once you’re
hooked it’s hard to put down! My top score is 827 on track one. Can anyone beat
that?
Felicity Jones is a young British actress from Birmingham. She's recently been chosen to front the Dolce and Gabbana's cosmetic collection campaign, as well as already having worked with fashion house Burberry.
Her acting career started in a children's programme I remember watching, Worst Witch, and she has since gone on to hit the big screen, staring in Like Crazy, The Tempest and Chalet Girl all in 2011.
In 2012 I'm predicting big things for this girl. She's already got the biggest fashion houses on side, and her striking "English Rose" looks, as well as her enviable style mean, that she can turn heads on the red carpet as well as on screen.
She seems to favour summery-mint shades, her sky blue Mui Mui dress with an embellished waist band in the top left is stunning, as is the sophisticated elegence of the Calvin Klein number she wore to the Power 100: Women in Entertainment Breakfast (bottom left)
The 1st December brought excellent news to many a
beauty addict, the cult palette, Urban Decay’s Naked Palette, is to return for
a bigger and better sequel. The Naked2!
Now I don’t need to rabbit on about the amazingness of the
original Naked Palette, as lots of you will already own it and be a convert,
but it’s a great set of 12 eye shadows which can be combined to create looks
suitable for any occasion. If I could only ever use one eye shadow palette
again, it’d be this one.
The Naked2 looks very much along the same lines, a
combination of matte and more shimmery shades all in neutral hues of soft
browns and greys.
I’m particularly looking forward to the black shade at the
end, Blackout, as finding a jet black
eye shadow I always find particularly difficult.
A few select bloggers have managed to get their hands on it
early (Lipglossing and Vex in the City), and judging by their reviews and photos it’ll definitely be worth a
purchase.
The wait will be over for us Brits from 9th
January, when you’ll only be able to get it from Debenhams. From February 6th
you’ll be able to get it from House of Fraser as well, for £36. (A bit pricey,
but I think it’s worth it)
Christmas season is here and every British house hold brand with a pot to piss in has thrown squillions of pennies onto their Christmas Adverts. Some have got it very right, and some not so much.
The Good
Let's start with the good. John Lewis "The Long Wait."
Less of an advert, more of a mini film, (with a budget to match) this one's been hot on the lips of every tweeter, newspaper and X Factor viewer of middle England.
It firmly shows the John Lewis way of thinking, putting the family at the heart of things and reminding us that "it's better to give than to recieve", a message that resonates particularly hard giving the economic turmoil we find ourselves in.
Is this entirely true? Over romantised and seeing life through John-Lewis-green tinted glasses? Yes, but it's Christmas and I can forgive them. I defy anyone to not feel a flutter of emotion when they watch this and for me, it's one of the most memorable, note-worthy and moving ads I've seen.
The Bad
An ad which the concept of the magic of Christmas has clearly been lost on, Littlewoods seem to have shattered millions of children's dreams. In one fowl swoop they've dispelled the myth that a magical man dressed in red riding a sleigh pulled by reindeers delivers Christmas presents to little boys and girls all around the country, and instead shown us what they think Christmas is all about, lots and lots and LOTS of expensive branded goods, all paid for over a 12 month period. Fantastic.
This ones also caused a bit of a furore over at netmums, who've had to have lots of conversations explaining to their children that Father Christmas really does exist. But beyond that, it's just a bit bloody annoying.
The Ugly
The Ugly has to go to Iceland. As much as I love Stacey Solomon, and her "I'm from Dagenham what am I like!" persona, there is just no way in hell she's going to persuade me to buy 500 sausage rolls for a quid.
Maybe Iceland should take a leaf out of John Lewis' book and offer the song for download, because I quite like it!
What's been your favourite Christmas ad this year?
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