Glitter for 2012! (Instagram)

Wasn't planning on posting again today but just couldn't contain my excitement about these nails inc polishes

Gold Glitter - Nails Inc in Finsbury Park

Pearlescent Plum - Nails Inc in Regents Palace

Aren't they gorgeous?!

I got these in a set for Christmas alongside 3 other festive shades and thought I would give them a go for New Years Eve and I really couldn't be happier.

I was a little dubious at how good the coverage of the gold polish would be but was really pleasantly surprised, perfect after just two coats!  The plum shade is a lovely pearlescent multi tonal colour with navy undertones and the good coverage you would expect from any Nails Inc polish.

Alas... My love affair with Nails Inc continues!

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a suitably stylish 2012...

Comfort is Key...!

So. It's that time of year again.  The excitement of Christmas has been and gone and no longer can we lazy students ignore the impending doom of essay deadlines and January exams!
Unfortunately for me, this means I have been spending most of my life in the library.  As you can imagine, turning up to the library in floaty dresses furs and sparkles isn't really the done thing (... maybe I should change this?!)  so I've been making use of cosy jumpers to keep snug and comfortable!

Jumper: River Island

Boots: Miss Selfridge

Vest: Topshop

Cable knit jumpers are big news this season and this one is a personal favourite.  I found it in River Island a few months ago and was drawn to its unusual swing cut.  The shape is really easy to wear and just an interesting new take on an old classic.  I must admit however that my arms tend to get a little cold when I wear this so it probably isn't the most practical of warm jumpers but a favourite none the less!

I also got a chance to try out my new La-Tweez illuminating tweezers and must say I am VERY impressed!  Will be posting about those tomorrow, a nice little break from essay hell...!

Hope you're not working too hard, any revision tips out there?!

Until next time...

Festive Treats you can make all year round!

Whenever my family come to visit I use it as a great excuse to whip out my Cath Kidston apron and experiment with new recipes!
This Christmas was no exception.  As well as some German Stollen, iced mince pies and a traditional Christmas Cake I also rustled up these Sugar Cookies and some Chocolate and Cointreau Truffles.

All of which disappeared pretty sharpish!  And they couldn't be easier to make.


Sugar Cookies   (makes around 20)


200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
280 g caster sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
400 g plain flour
a pinch of salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Royal Icing 
1 egg white
½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
310 g icing sugar, sifted
food colouring, optional
shaped biscuit cutters
4 baking trays, lined with greaseproof paper


1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.


2. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and cream until light and fluffy.


(I always use a handheld electric whisk.  So much cheaper than a Kitchenaid and just as good!)


Add the egg and mix well, scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 


3. Add the flour, salt and cream of tartar and mix well, but be careful not to over do it. The dough should be light, soft and easy to handle.


4. Now for the fun part...! Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Cut out shapes with your choice of biscuit cutters. 


5. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Check them regularly to make sure they are not burning. The cookies should be very light golden on the outer edges and paler in the centre. 


6. When you are happy that they are cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly on the trays before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 


7. For the royal icing: Beat the egg white and lemon juice together. Gradually start adding the icing sugar, mixing well after each addition to ensure all sugar is incorporated. Whisk until you get stiff peaks.


8. Stir in a couple of drops of food colouring, if using, and decorate the cookies. I used bronze pearls, white chocolate balls and some edible glitter to create mine!


and voila! Yummy biscuits.




Chocolate and Cointreau Truffles (Makes about 25)


25g unsalted butter
5 tbsp double cream
325g of Dark Chocolate broken in to pieces (I used Bourneville)
2 tbsp Cointreau (Or any other liqueur of your choice!)


1. Line a small tin with baking paper.  It needs not to be too large as it can be hard to scoop the mixture out later on.  A swiss roll tin is ideal.


2.  Place the butter and cream in a small saucepan and bring slowly to the boil making sure to stir constantly.  Boil for about a minute and then remove from the heat.


3.  Add 275g of the chocolate to the cream and stir until it all melts in.  Then add the cointreau.  Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or until the mixture is firm.


4.  Use a teaspoon to scoop out balls from the mixture and (this is the messy part!) use your hands to roll them in to nice bite sized truffles!  Its a good idea to keep some kitchen roll to hand for this, your hands WILL get covered in chocolate!

Grate the remaining chocolate onto a plate and roll the truffles in it until coated.

DONE!

It's best to keep the truffles in the fridge until serving as they can go a little soft and gooey, still delicious however!

Let me know how you get on...

Boxing Day and Review: Enrapture Encode Totem Styler

I am currently writing this filled to the brim with food and drink, sat by the fire and surrounded by family...  HAPPY PLACE!
In my family, Boxing Day is almost more important than Christmas day as it's the day when the whole of my dad's family comes to visit.  Because of that I always make an extra effort to look smart and ready to entertain!

Dress: Urban Outfitters
Boots: Miss Selfridge

This dress is my absolute favourite recent purchase!
After singing at a wedding I had 2 hours to kill in Bath and, being me, decided to do so in the city's shopping centre!  Since there's no Urban Outfitter in Nottingham or in Ye Olde Countryside, that was my first port of call! And there it was.
I really love the colour of this dress.  The print is discrete and the shape is ladylike but also fun with the cut out panels in the back.  I paired it with opaques and my black Acne style ankle boots from Miss Selfridge (I wear these TO DEATH) to keep it reasonably casual but it could easily be dressed up with bare legs and peep toes.  I know I will be wearing this again at the first possible opportunity!

I kept my makeup simple with my usual day to day look, a a little bronzer, a little blusher and some added High Beam (highlighter) to give my skin a dewy glow.

It's also the first day I've been able to play with my Christmas goodies!

I went straight for the Enrapture Encode Totem Styler.

EXCITING.

I have been looking for hair curlers for a while but when I read about these online I knew they were the ones for me!  The unique barrel tong has three sections which can be set to different temperatures to create the perfect curl, as loose or as tight as you'd like them to be!

Just spin the dial to set the temperature of your choice.  I opted for 1-2-1 giving me a defined curl that starts and ends gradually.  I used the flipper to clamp my hair at the bottom and curl it away from my face and held it there for about 10 seconds per curl.

As you can see, I'm really quite pleased with the result!  I curled my hair at around 10:30 this morning and as I am typing this 12 hours later my curls are just as defined and bouncy!

Overall I am really pleased with these curlers.  They heat up quickly, the flipper holds the hair in place unlike other curlers I have used in the past and the results are just what I was looking for.  I can't wait to try out different combinations and styles, I'm sure I'll be posting again.

Have you used these curlers before? Or will you be buying them in the future?

Hope everyone has had a lovely Boxing Day!

A little present from me to you... I'M BACK!

So... Santa brought me a camera charger. Wonderful news for my poor neglected blog.  Luckily enough I haven't completely forgotten how to type or take photos so I hope my little break hasnt changed anything too drastically!

First things first, A BIG FAT MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you!
I have been well and truly spoilt which means plenty of updates over the next few days!
I have much to share...

This is what I wore today,

Dress: Dress Up Topshop
Boots: Miss Selfridge
Necklace and Bracelet: Thomas Sabo

Nice and simple as you can see.  I ordered this dress online for the Uni Music Society's Christmas Do and couldn't have been happier with it when it arrived!  The material is thick and the shape is flattering.  I usually steer away from backless dresses, I tend to think they're meant for skinny girls but actually this one is fine and has become one of my favourites!

In my stocking was a lovely set from Nails Inc (thanks Mum!) and I couldnt wait to try them out.

St Pancras - A tomato red, burgundy shade.
Paddington - Slate Gray, green undertones
Fenchurch Street - Brick orange
Charing Cross - Orangey Red

I opted for Paddington, a gorgeous shade of slate grey with green undertones.  I topped it up with the Nails Inc Kensington Topcoat for some added shine.  It really is a lovely shade and I know it is going to match my dress for tomorrow just as well as it has worked today, very versatile!
The coverage is great, a thin bottom layer and a second slightly thicker layer was all I needed for a good opague splash of colour.  I can't wait to try out the rest!

Did you get any exciting Christmas goodies?
Tomorrow I am going to try my new Encode Totem Styler (Curling tongs!) review will follow shortly after.

Until next time.... (promise not to leave it too long..!!)