Bake The Blues Away!

So it’s been back to school for most this week, and back to college with me. I’m starting my second year of A levels and we’ve been thrown straight back into it which, after a summer of not doing much at all, has given me the back-to-school blues. What better way to lift said blues than to stick an apron on and get baking?

I stumbled across these endorphin-inducing little beauties on one of my craving-fuelled recipe hunts and have been dying to try them out for weeks. I found the recipe on steamykitchen which is set to become my go-to baking source.

What you’ll need is…
Roughly 8 tablespoons of nutella (a little more or less won’t hurt at all)
200g milk chocolate
150ml double cream

Crushed hazlenuts

The recipe is pretty easy but there’s some waiting around, so it’s definitely one for a rainy day.

What you need to do…
1. Using about half the nutella, make 16 dollops onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Use two teaspoons to make the dollops round, just keep scraping the nutella from one spoon to the other until it’s round enough for you. Then, stick these dollops into the freezer for an hour.

2. While those dollops are freezing, you can get started on the ganache. First of all, chop up 125g chocolate and stick it in a mixing bowl with the rest of the nutella. Then, heat the cream on a gentle heat until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan.

3. When the cream is heated, add half of it to the mixing bowl and slowly whisk until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the cream whilst continuing whisking until it’s all mixed in and smooth. Then, bung it in the fridge for fifteen minutes.

4. After the fifteen minutes has passed, whip the cold ganache until it’s light and fluffy then put it back in the fridge for another half an hour.

5. Now comes the fun bit. Using two teaspoons, roll the nutella centres in the ganache so they’re completely covered. Then back into the fridge with them for fifteen minutes.

6. While the truffles are hardening, melt the remaining chocolate.

7. When the fifteen minutes are up, using spoons again, roll the truffles in the chocolate and then the hazlenuts and stick them back in the fridge to set. 

And the best thing about this recipe? Lots of spoons to lick.

Last week I went to see Anne Hathaway’s new film: One Day. I’d been really looking forward to this film and it fitted the bill perfectly.

I had heard a couple of bad reviews of the film so I wasn’t expecting much but, once you get over Anne Hathaway’s ever-changing accent, I was pleasantly surprised. Now, I should mention here that I have a tiny girl-crush on Miss Hathaway so I may be a little bit biased, I know that some of my friends didn’t enjoy the film as much.

I should also admit that I haven’t read the book (but I will soon!) so I can’t comment on how good the adaptation is but as a stand-alone film it did what I wanted it to. The plot is pretty simple; two best friends finally realise their love for each other and get together. However, the film shows the same day from each year: St. Swithin’s Day, which turns out to be important every year. I enjoyed this way of following the pair and thought it was something a bit different. Although it’s quite similar to the (500) Days of Summer format now I think about it!

I think the acting in this film is pretty top notch too, Jim Sturgess really shines through. He manages to travel through the role as Dextor goes from loveable rogue to hated rogue to loveable older guy. I must say, his grey highlights at the end of the film definitely add something! Anne Hathaway also does well in this film, although her accent is very dodgy in places! She pulls off the nerdy character at the start of the film and always keeps a bit of that girl as the years progress.

If you’re after another chick flick but with something a bit different, I definitely recommend this. It’s got romance but the new format and the darker tones in the middle of the film make it different enough from its predecessors to not be boring. I’d give it an 8/10!

Cup of Lovin'

Summer holidays are officially over.Well for most, anyway and what better way to beat that monday feeling than with cupcakes?! What could possibly beat the yummyness that is vanilla frosting, marshmallow and cake? Not just any cake:pink cupcakes! Perfect for a girly night in.
I apologise in advance for the photography/lack of (I forgot to take pictures of some steps) the prospect of cakes with marshmallows was just too exciting.
What you'll need

Firstly using an electric whisk(purely to save time and effort) mix together the flour, sugar,baking powder, salt and butter. Use a slow speed intil everything is combined. The mixture should have a sandy consistency.
Gradually pour in half the milk and whisk so that it is fully combined with the mixture.

Next, whisk the egg and vanilla extract with the rest of the milk before adding and combining that to the mixture. Continue beating until the mixture has a smooth texture.

Once the desired texture has been reached, you can then mix in a few drops of food colouring if you wish. Simply add as much as necessary until the desired colour is achieved. TopTip: once cooked, the cake will appear slighlty lighter in colour so it is wise to make the mixture slighlty darker than the desired colour.

Spoon the mixture into papercases, so they are about two thirds full. Then bake for 20-25 minutes at 170degree celsius.

While the cupcakes are cooling, place a heatproof bowl containg the 12 marshmallows over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave until the marshmallows are melted and smooth.

Then, scoop out about a teaspoon from the centre of the cupcake and fill with melted marshmallow.
Alternatively you can melt the marshmallows for about 15 seconds in a miccrowave. Although only melt a few at a time as they will quickly become too tacky.

Vanilla Frosting

Beat the Icing Sugar and butter together until they are well mixed.

Combine the milk and vanilla extract together in a seperate bowl before adding to the mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time.

Once all the milk has been added and the mixture is light and fluffy, fold in the marshmallows.










Then simply spoon the frosting onto the top of your now cool cupcakes. Add any decorations, if you so choose and enjoy!

Pluck Pluck Pluck and Away!

I always thought that the dreaded 'tadpole' eyebrows were only a feature of young teenage girls; over excited by the new task of shaping their brows. Though recently i've been noticing numerous women sporting this ugly and unflattering look. Ladies! Please!

There are several different ways you can shape your eyebrows, the most popular being waxing, threading and my method of choice: tweezing. Which ever method you choice is entirely up to you, all have good and bad points. I personally choose tweezing for the simple fact that it's easy to do at home.
Obviously, if tweezing your eyebrows at home, the type and quality of tweezers you use make a huge difference. My tweezer of choice, as should your's be: is Tweezerman.
Firstly let's start with the only negative about these tweezers. The price. For those of you accustomed to spending a couple of quid on probably the cheapest pair you could find, the price may come as a shock:mostly ranging between £12-£20. Although they're definiley worth every penny! For starters they come with a lifetime guarantee and you can send them off to get them resharpened. So although it might seem a lot of money at first, they would actually work out cheaper than constantly having to replace your cheaper pairs.

The main reason I love Tweezerman tweezers? For the fact that they work on even the most stubborn type of eyebrow hair. Whether you've got fine, sparse eyebrows or thick bushy eyebrows. These are a must have! Able to grab even the smallest hair it allows you to get proffessional results at home. In fact, many beauty salons use Tweezerman tweezers. I use the slanted tweezers. These are perfect for tweezing individual hairs by using just the point, allowing you to create your perfect shape. The tweezers have a really good grip on the hair also. This helps to prevent the hair breaking, ensuring it is pulled out from the root.

Finally, another good point about Tweezerman tweezers? The design! Available in a range of colours, patterns and sizes, there really is at least one style for everyone. Easily available from Boots and online, they're definitely worth adding to your shopping list!

Top tips for the perfect eyebrow shape?
Everyone has naturally different shaped eyebrows and when shaping your own it is important to simply enhance your natural shape. Before starting, work out what length you want your eyebrows to be, where you want them to start and where you want your arch to be.
Where to start: Hold a pencil/ruler /brush (anything long and straight) against your nostrils upward to your forhead. Generally, most eyebrows start inline with the very inner corner of your eye.
The arch: Again, holding pencil/whatever you are using, hold it against the side of your nostril and rotate so that it passes through the centre of your pupil. The point at which this line hits your eyebrow, should be th highest point of your arch.
Where to end: To figure out the ideal place for your eyebrows to end. Once more hold your 'pencil' against the side of your nose and rotate so it matches up wit the outer corner of your eye.

To help you remember these positions, you can use a coloured eyeliner to mark them onto your skin.

Do not shape from above your eyebrows. However if you get alot of fine hairs above or to the side of your eyebrows, as many women/men do, consider bleaching them so they don't intefere with the neat shape of your eyebrows. Also many people tend to overpluck as they try and get rid of eyebrow hairs that are too long but aren't necessarily in the wrong place. For this, simply brush your hairs upwards and using a pair of nail scissors trim any hairs that are longer than most.
Remember your face is not perfectly symmetrical. Don't worry if you can't get your eyebrows to match exactly. 'Eyebrows should be like siblings not twins'.
My concluding toptip? Upkeep is essential. Trust me it's alot easier to pluck a few hairs on a regular basis, even if this means everyday, this saves effort and time, rather than letting your eyebrows grow and then having to completley reshape them.

Teen Spirit Smells Like...

...Sweat, beer, wee and fireworks. This weekend I went to Leeds Festival with a few of my friends and it was completely incredible. It was my first festival so I was a bit wary to begin with but the smell and the awful toilets are definitely worth it!


We arrived at Bramham Park (after the coach ride from hell) at about 11 complete with bags full of baby wipes, food and a tent and, after getting our ultra-cool wristbands, set off in search of the perfect spot to set up camp. After much huffing, puffing and lugging we found it. Just far enough away from the toilets so we couldn’t smell them, close to the water taps and only 5 minutes walk from the arena itself.

Over the weekend I saw a lot of amazing bands so I’m just gonna give you a run down of my top five. In reverse order, in true TOTP style…

5. Frank Turner
This guy was absolutely incredible. He had the unfortunate job of playing when it had been raining all day and everybody was down in the dumps but he managed to get the crowd dancing. I love the realism of his lyrics and it was the perfect music to cheer everybody up.

4. The Vaccines
I absolutely adore this band and I’ve been desperate to see them live since I heard their album. The boys did not disappoint and Justin Young was the perfect frontman. They played a brand new track and it sounds like the band have got more of the same up their sleeves.

3. My Chemical Romance
Okay, so this might seem a bit out of character for me but I absolutely loved MCR when I was 13 so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to live out the dream and see them live. They headlined the Saturday night and they had a tough job outdoing Muse’s set from the night before but they definitely did themselves justice.

2. Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit
This wonderful man and his band were on after My Chemical Romance and I dragged my tired and begrudging friends to go and see him. It was definitely worth the loss of 45 minutes sleep. I’ve been wanted to see Johnny Flynn for a long time and it topped off my Saturday.

1. Pulp
Two words. Jarvis Cocker. The guy is the epitome of front man, it seemed like he was just making casual conversation with the crowd before thrusting like mad during the songs. It seemed like the whole of the festival had turned out to see the original indie band and the atmosphere was absolutely incredible.

In fact, the atmosphere over the whole weekend was brilliant. Some of my favourite moments happened in between bands. The whole of the crowd singing Bohemian Rhapsody before My Chemical Romance for example, or the security guards doing dances for us before the Strokes. Ignore all the horror stories you hear about festivals, there’s such a sense of community. Even if most of that community are drunk most of the time, everyone’s there for the same reason; to enjoy a bit of live music.

Store Card Blues

As you may have guessed from the numerous amounts of CDs, I spend a lot of money in HMV. So, when they brought out their ‘pure hmv’ store card I got very excited. From the look of the leaflet I was expected fun, free things and endless amounts of joy to pour out of the plastic card, but no such luck.

In reality, HMV’s points card is a bit pointless. You get a point for every penny you spend, which is really good in comparison to some other store cards, where this one falls down is that the points themselves are pretty useless.

Just £2 store credit is 10000 points, which involves spending a lot of money when you don’t get a lot back. However, credit is not the only thing you can buy in the pure HMV ‘arena’. There are exclusive and exciting other things in the arena, I was told. Not so, I’m afraid. It’s pretty much just posters, which are all well and good but I could have bought them without going through the hassle of buying a card.

Basically, HMV have finally let me down. The card is not all that, and if you haven’t got one I wouldn’t change that. Then again, all store cards have their downfalls, so check it out for yourselves and see if it could be worth it for you. 

Hydrated and happy!

Warning: This post does talk about feet!(No feet photos though,blah)

Ok, so lately my feet have been really dry!(is this just me??) I'm not sure why but they constantly look dehydrated which as you can imagine is not an attractive look, especially in flipflops. And so, i have become obsessed with moisturising my feet. My favourite new found hobby? Well, i don't actually know if there's a name for it but i call it 'moisture socks'! Basically, before i got to bed, i get a really thick moisturiser and keep working layers into my feet. I keep going till literally my skin can't absorb anymore. Then, i simply put on my socks to lock in all the moisture and go to sleep. When i wake up my feet are gloriously moisturised and happy :)

It's not just my feet that have been rather dry though lately but my lips aswell(i know it's a  true tragedy). I tend to get alot of dry skin on my lips. I find the best way to get rid of this is to exfoliate. I do this a few different ways:
1) Simply use your face exfoliator over your lips. It couldn't be any easier!
2)Use a toothbrush aand well, brush your lips. I find this the most effective way when you have a lot of dry skin.
3)Take a cotton bud and put a bit of lipbalm on it. Then twist it quite firmly into the lips. This is really useful if you've got flaky lips and it also helps work the lipbalm into your lips better so it's more effective.

A bit of a random post but hopefully some will find it useful :)

We'd love to read about any of your beauty tips in the comments below. Hope you have a happy and hydrated week!