Thursday 22 May 2014

Beauty Wish List


1. The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel All time fave. I love Body Shop shower gels, they're good value and leave you smelling super scrummy all day long. Christmas stocks are now running low (yes, I did ask for shower gel for Christmas!) so I need to grab myself a few more bottles of this stuff!

2. Clinique SPF40 Face Cream I'm pretty anal when it comes to my skin. I apply sun cream on a daily basis, even if it's cloudy! Mum's always drilled into me how important it is to look after my skin, so I apply a minimum of SPF15 all year round. I've decided using sun cream as a moisturiser before I apply my make up probably isn't the best idea, so want to give this baby a try.

3. Essie Borrowed & Blue Nail Varnish I'm big on Blue and I've been eyeing up this gorgeous pastel shade for a while now. Definitely a polish I need to add to my collection, the perfect subtle summer shade for the office.

4. Mac Shroom Eye Shadow Another Mac product that I'm lusting after at the moment. Eye shadow isn't part of my everyday make up routine, however I definitely have a few looks I want to incorporate this into. I love the shimmer and it's the perfect shade that will blend nicely with most colours.

5. Soap & Glory Peach Party Multi-Colour Blush Brick I need this blusher and fast. I didn't even know that Soap & Glory did make up until I was browsing for a friends birthday present. This has everything I look for in a blush, it's peachy, a little shimmery and multi-toned. I bought Alexandra the 'Love at First Blush' block which is also amazing and I now have blusher envy. I suit more peachy tones so this is definitely high on the wish list.

6. Mac In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Another must have Mac product. As you can tell I do have a little obsession with this brand. I tried a bit of my mums mascara before the 10K and not only did it lengthen my lashes (to the extent they looked fake) it was also perfect after running for an hour! At £18 it is a little pricey, but it's definitely worth the money and I shall be ordering one on payday.

7. Burt's Bees Rhubarb Lip Shimmer Burt's Bees is a pretty fab brand. I've tried a few of their products before and I love that they are full of good ingredients. I'm not usually a big fan of shimmery lips however after trying this on in Boots recently I have been converted!

Have you tried any of these products? What's on your beauty wish list?

M x

Sunny Days

Hellloooo sunshine! You're gorgeous, I love you, please stick around.

Last weekend the girls and I basked in the sunshine at a Lacrosse game before getting the BBQ going. There's nothing better than the smell of BBQ'd food whilst sipping on a glass of pimms (first of the year may I add). Bit of a delayed post, however better late than never. I thought I'd give you a bit of inspo for your next BBQ!



Three plates full of sausages, honey soy chicken, lime & chilli prawns, veggie kebabs and char grilled garlic butternut squash later, we were ready for a nap!

We snuggled down in pjs with a duvet, magnums and our favourite movie, Pitch Perfect. The perfect Saturday night after a day spent in the sun.

On Sunday A and I took a blanket and a punnet of strawberries and sunned ourselves in the park. We spent the afternoon reminiscing and enjoying each others company before heading home for supper.



I hope you had a lovely weekend enjoying this fab weather. 

M x

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Strawberry Roulade

Roulades/Pavalova's are definitely in my top 3 desserts.

That combination of soft, crunchy pavalova with whipped cream and fresh berries is pure heaven...


They remind me of summer evenings spent with family at my Grandparents. It's funny how many memories I have linked with food (says something, huh?!)

Roulades are fab because they're gluten free and despite the cream, pretty light. They're a perfect summer dessert, but let's be honest... I don't really need to sell them to you!

I must say this isn't an example of one of my best roulades, however I thought I had to share the recipe with you anyway because it just tastes too friggin good.

For this super delicious summer treat, you will need:

5 Egg whites
275g Caster sugar
50g Flaked almonds
250g Strawberries
300ml Double cream (whipped)

Pre-heat the oven to 200degrees (fan) and line a 33cm by 23cm baking tin with parchment.

In a clean bowl (make sure it's spotless, if it's damp or has anything in it, your egg whites won't whisk properly) whisk your egg whites until they hold soft peaks.

Add the sugar a little at a time until it's completely combined and the mixture is really stiff.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and smooth, sprinkle evenly with the almonds and bung in the oven for 8 minutes. Once the pinger sounds, turn the heat down to 140 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.



Once cooled, turn the meringue onto a large sheet of baking parchment and spread with whipped cream, then arrange the strawberries.



Tip Don't spread the cream right to the edges, once you fold it the cream will escape a little and you don't want it all leaking out!

Now for the fun part, using the baking parchment, tightly roll your meringue into a swiss roll shape and voila!


Scrummy... Now dig in!

What are your favourite summer desserts?

M x


Tuesday 13 May 2014

Birthday Fun

I loooove birthdays! Planning celebrations, wrapping gifts and creating amazing memories with close friends and family. Pretty fab.

Last weekend was spent celebrating one of my best friends, Alexandra's, 23rd birthday.

I was chief party planner and organised a surprise party complete with bubbles, canapes and cake.



Sophie and I got to work in the kitchen and created a gigantic, fudgy, Ferrero Rocher cake and decorated my flat ready for the evening. There's nothing better than a catch up whilst baking, we're both big foodies so there's no stopping us when we get in the kitchen.





Our closest friends came up for the big event and the evening was filled with lots of laughter, we're a pretty crazy bunch...



Happy Birthday Alexandra, thank you for being an amazing friend. Here's to another fantastic year making new memories.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I have lots of exciting things to share with you, so keep an eye out!

M x

Monday 5 May 2014

Minty Monday

Bank Holidays are always fun, who doesn't love a three day weekend?

I have had a perfect break, catching up on sleep and enjoying quality time with friends.

On Saturday A left bright and early for Manchester to play in the Lacrosse British Nationals, so I treated myself to a lay in. Hol and I then went on a mammoth power walk/jog for 2 hours and got a little burnt in the sun, before we finished the night off with an old school slumber party.

On Sunday I did not move from the sofa all day, instead I watched 9 episodes of One Tree Hill (Yes, 9!) and lounged around in my pjs. It was then time for a delicious Italian supper and cocktails with the girls, calamari, pork and a passion fruit mojito, perfection.

A's team won the British Nationals and when he got back we nibbled on chocolate and caught up on news from each-others weekends.

Today was particularly fab because I treated myself to a new pair of shoes in my fave colour... Mint!


The sun was shining so A and I went for a walk down to the pub and sat in the beer garden to soak up some summer sun.




Earrings can be found here, £39 from Daisy London.





Jeggings £22 from Next


Tee from Rampant Sporting and Cardigan from H&M (unavailable)

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

M x