Lemon Cupcake Recipe!

Hey beaut's!

The weather has been gorgeous this week so I wanted a nice refreshing cupcake to tuck into and lemon is always a great flavour for the summer so I whipped up a cheeky batch of lemon cupcakes, and wow these where delicious!  

What You Will Need For The Cupcakes

125g butter

2 large free-range eggs 

125g self raising flour

125g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2-3 tablespoons milk (optional)

What You Will Need For The Icing

125g butter

250g icing sugar

juice of 1 small lemon

lemon to decorate (optional)

How To - Cupcakes

1. Firstly pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 /180 and line a muffin tin with your cupcake cases.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whack in all of your cupcakes ingredients and mix until smooth with a hand whizzer. If the mixture is a little thick add in some milk and tablespoon at a time!

3. Once the cupcake batter is smooth mix pop a heaped tablespoon of the cupcake batter into each cupcake case and bake in the oven for around 18 minutes or until the top of the cupcakes are springy to the touch, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

How To - Icing
1. In a large bowl, beat the butter until it becomes smooth and whippy, then start adding the icing sugar slowly to avoid the dreaded icing sugar cloud and again mix until combined. Then pop in your lemon juice and mix again, this not gives the icing a lovely fresh lemon taste but acts as the liquid to get the buttercream at the perfect texture, you shouldn't need to add in any milk at all. 
2. Pipe or spoon the icing on top of the cupcakes and decorate how you wish, I chopped up some lemon slices and popped them on top, this is OK if the cupcakes are going to be eaten straight away but if not I'd just decorate with some sprinkles!

And there you have it, super yummy lemon cupcakes that are so easy to make! If your fond of lemon I really recommend you give these a try, their also great for this heat because I really don't fancy a chocolate cupcake when it's hot but refreshing lemon I certainly do he he!

June Beauty Favourites!

Hey beaut's!

June has been a bit of a poo month really, a close family member has been poorly and it's generally been crap, but on a brighter note I'm currently on holiday from work and the weather is bloody gorgeous so theres always that! A favourite I have to add in before we get down to beauty business is Love Island, oh how I'm addicted! I actually re-watched series 1 and 2 on Netflix before series 4 started (why oh why isn't series 3 on Netflix?) and I've been hooked to series 4 ever since it came on, I must admit it has been a slightly slow start but I feel like things are really heating up this week, I also detest Adam and Meghan, ewwww!

 Firstly this month I have been loving my Urban Decay Trouble Maker Mascara again, I'm doing that thing where I'm trying to use makeup within my makeup collection before going out and buying something new, and as I'd finished my Tanya Burr mascara I decided to whack this beauty back out and I've really been loving it! It volumizes and lengthens as it separates which is just what I like and it doesn't flake or smudge on me, hurrah! 

 Scent wise this month I've been obsessed with my Zoella Gelat'Eau Body Mist, in fact I've nearly finished my bottle now! The scent of this mist is so nice for this time of the year, think slightly floral, fresh and edible (but don't actually spray it in your mouth he he) it's lush!

 My lips have been having a real dry spell recently so out came the Clarins Lip Oil to the rescue, it leaves a shiny, non-sticky finish on the lips which is so nourishing and gives my lips that dose of moisture they crave! I have a feeling I'll be buying lots of this stuff during the colder months too, I really want to try one of the tinted, scented ones next!

 Leighton Denny's Street Dance has been my go to for the last couple of months really, it has a clear base but is jam packed with all different sizes, shapes and colours of glitter, and after a couple of coats it literally takes any coloured manicure to a whole new level, it's stunning! 

 I've only just recently been using my Joan Collins lippie in the shade Bella because I had totally forgotten about it 'silly me', but I had to include it within my favourites because it looks so bloody pretty! It's a delicate peachy nude and for me it's the easiest way to switch my lip colour up for the Summer without going too bold!

 My final favourite this month is from Zoella again, it's her Shower Sauce Body Wash from the same Gelato range as the body mist above! This stuff has the same gorgeous scent as the perfume, it's so summery and lingers on my skin for hours after use, for me it smells of all things Summer within a body wash!

What have you been loving this month beaut's? I'd love to know!

Kit Stars Makeup Brushes Reviewed!

Hey beaut's!

I'm a serious makeup brush addict, I just cant resist collecting makeup brushes and putting them to the test so when Kit Stars launched their gorgeous makeup brushes on the Beauty Chamber website I couldn't wait to whack them on my face and get blending!

The Kit Stars makeup brushes come in either natural hair or synthetic vegan fibres for face, eyes and lips with 10 different head shapes to collect! I opted for the synthetic set because all of my makeup brushes I own are already synthetic and I'm happier with synthetics if I'm honest, plus synthetics work with powders, creams and liquids extremely well! Each Kit Stars brush has hand crafted, solid copper ferrules with a gold plated finish and sturdy black handles which look super sleek and professional, I also like how each brush has the brush number and name written on the side of them, this is great for beginners that might need some help on what to use each brush for. The brush bristles are an on off-white ivory colour and are the softest, fluffiest little beauties everrrr, arhhh I find myself just stroking my face randomly because it just feels so nice against my skin and not scratchy in the slightest!

Out of the 10 brushes I have theres 4 for the face and 6 for eyes and lips, obviously the brushes are all multi-use and can be used in numerous different ways, it's all about finding which brush works best in your routine really isn't it! Anywhooo here's the lowdown on all the brushes within the collection....

S1 Powder* (£10.00) 

 This is a lovely large fluffy powder brush best used for setting your face with pressed or loose powder, I've also used this one with my bronzer too and it blended like a dream.

S2 Shaping Veil* (£9.00) 

 This is probably one of my favourite plus the most useful brushes within the collection because you can literally use it in a multitude of ways from sculpting, contouring, highlighting, applying blush and blending in concealer, it's uses are never ended to be honest!

S3 Blush* (£10.00) 

This is a nice fluffy brush that applies blusher beautifully, the bristles are the perfect shape to hug your cheekbones and leaves such a soft, defused wash of colour to the cheeks!

S4 Base* (£11.00)

Another one of my favourites within the collection is the base brush, we all long for that perfect foundation brush that will blend our base in quickly and effortlessly without a single streak in sight and this brush does just that, it's so simple to use and the results are flawless!

S30 Small Tapered Blender* (£7.00) 

This little beauty is great for adding definition and contour shades through the crease line. The slimmer 'blending brush' design allows for more detailed blending out and can get right into the socket and inner corners with ease.

S31 Tapered Blender* (£7.00) 

This is a staple in every ones makeup collection, it's a fluffy blending brush that applies transition shades through the crease line with ease and buffs and blends your eyeshadow out to pure perfection, yet another favourite of mine.

S32 Shader* (£7.00) 

 Another staple to add to your collection is a shader brush, this packs colour onto the lids quickly and is also the perfect shape to pack glitter on the face and eyes too. I also like to use this one for applying and blending eyeshadow underneath my lower lash line! 

S33 Micro Pencil* (£6.00) 

 If your a fan of a highlighted into corner then your going to love this little brush, it's the perfect mini size that gets right into that tear-duct area so easily. 

S40 Easy Lip* (£6.00)  

The easy lip brush is small with a curved angle that allows perfect precision around the contours of the lips, I must admit I always use a lip brush with bolder colours like reds and burgundys and this brush makes light work of the application process.

S41 Short Angle* (£6.00) 

No brush collection would be complete without a little angled brush to tackle those brows would it, I love this one because the bristles are so short and sturdy making it so precise and easy to achieve a killer brow!

Overall I am so impressed with these brushes, not only do they look stunning on my dresser but they are so easy to work with, they blend my makeup like a dream and they even wash up well without any shedding bristles and they keep their shape. The quality feels really professional with these too, I can seem them lasting me for years if I'm honest, I love them so much!

You can find the full Kit Stars Makeup Brush Collection on the Beauty Chamber website HERE with prices ranging from £6.00- £11.00!

My Easy Banana Bread Recipe!

Hey beaut's!

Arhhh banana bread, oh how I love you he he! Despite being a huge lover of banana bread I rarely make it because I never have any banana's left that are over ripe (we always eat them too quikcly you see), but I over bought some banana's this week in the hope to have a couple left to use and here we are... with a banana bread recipe! In my recipe I like to use light brown sugar and a tiny bit of cinnamon, this gives the bread the most amazing caramel-banana-y flavour and wow it's immense!

What You Will Need
140g butter
140g light brown sugar
2 large eggs or 3 medium
140g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
half tsp cinnamon
2 very ripe bananas mashed
50g icing sugar

How To
1. Firstly pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 /180 and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it's whippy and fluffy, then slowly add the eggs one at a time. 
3. Then fold in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and bananas and pour into the loaf tin and bake for about 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. One thing I love to do just before I put my batter in the oven to cook  is to sprinkle a little bit more light brown sugar across the top, this gives an amazing crunch to the top of the loaf once its cooked!
4. Once the banana bread is completely cool, mix the icing sugar with a couple of teaspoons of cold water to make a runny icing, then drizzle the icing across the top of the loaf anyway you like, you could also decorate with some sliced banana on the top if you wish and voila!!!

And there you have it beaut's, a super easy but very very tasty banana bread which hardly requires any skill and it's made up of pretty basic ingredients! You definitely have to try this one out if your a lover of all things banana'y he he!

New Herbal Haircare by Hempz!

Hi beaut's!

I'm really into my haircare at the moment, I've finally started to have regular haircuts because yes... I am the sort of person to just leave my hair for months upon months without it being cut until it's in a bush-like state, and since having these regular trim-ups I've noticed my hair's much healthier so I really wanted to start using some products to keep my hair in the best condition possible and that's where the new Hempz Herbal Haircare range comes in.

The Hempz Herbal Haircare range is made up of 5 luxurious products for a fabulous and full haircare routine, I've been using 3 of the 5 and have really been enjoying them, I can now see why the Hempz brand is so big in the beauty world right now! All of the Hempz products are enriched with 100% pure natural Hemp Seed oil which is renowned for its high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids – making it a truly nourishing and healing ingredient. The Herbal Haircare collection is also Sulphate-Free, Vegan-Friendly, Cruelty-Free, Paraben-Free and has the most gorgeous Fresh Hemp and Citrus scent which really lasts and lingers.

The first product I knew I needed to switch up in my haircare routine was a shampoo, I knew I wanted something sulphate-free so it's pretty good for me that the Hempz Fortifying Shampoo* (£16.99) is indeed sulphate-free! The formula of the shampoo itself is super thick and lathers up really well, and the citrus scent is so refreshing and lasts in my hair a good couple of days after washing, it almost smells like sweets to be honest. After washing I noticed my hair was so soft and smooth without being fly-away or static, and the Hempz shampoo is super nourishing and moisturising without leaving me greasy which is a major plus for me especially because I use so much heat on my hair, it feels like a treatment to be honest.

I use hairspray everyday because I get a few wispy bit's were my parting is that I like to tame, and if I curl or wave my hair then I always give my hair a good spritz for lasting purposes so I was interested to see how the Hempz Workable Hairspray* (£18.99) fared, I've tried a lorry load of hairsprays in my time I tell ya! The Hempz hairspray really did work well in my hair, not only did it add body and volume when I curled my hair but it leaves a lovely shine and doesn't go crispy or sticky, it also has a guard against humidity so if you suffer from frizz you will love this stuff, it's a medium hold hairspray too so it's keeps everything tamed and in place with ease.

I like using the Flexible Styling Sculpt* (£15.99) again when I've added some curl and texture to my hair, it just helps to tame the frizz the curls may have created and helps lock everything in place. My boyfriend has actually become obsessed with this stuff too whilst styling his barnet, he loves it because it looks so natural and doesn't give your hair a wet-hair gel look and it never goes hard or flaky in his hair either which is a pet hate of his!

If your looking for some natural, good quality haircare products to add to your routine I really cant recommend Hempz enough, my hair's honestly never felt or looked so healthy and if my boyfriend even approves then it must be some good stuff he he.

My Top 5 Makeup Setting/Priming Sprays!

Hey beaut's!

Makeup setting sprays and priming sprays are huge these days and I for one am a total addict of them, priming sprays always make such a different in how my foundation looks on my skin and setting sprays... well they just keep everything set and in place, no melting clown faces to see here beaut's he he! 

I'd say MAC's Fix + and Technic's Primer Spray are both my favourites for refreshing and priming my skin, and to be honest despite the price difference they both work in more or less the same way. Before I apply my foundation or concealer I literally drench my face in either of these beauties and then I go straight in with my foundation and concealer whilst my face is still wet with the priming sprays, this does something magical as I'm blending everything in and the overall finish of my base makeup is lovely, so lightweight, smooth and dewy, I love it. Both of these priming sprays can really transform your eye shadows and highlighters into well pigmented, gleaming gorgeousness too, just spritz your makeup brush and your well away!

As for setting sprays theres one clear, affordable winner for me and that's the Barry M Mist & Fix Dewy Finish Setting Spray quickly followed by Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray. These two are extremely similar to each other and practically work the same way although, I would say Urban Decay's offering does keep my makeup in place a tiny bit longer than Barry M's Mist & Fix but I'd say Barry M have a great dupe here and for a fraction of the price, plus I love the fact Barry M have the option for a Dewy finish setting spray or a Matte one, you don't see that very often. Finally I adore Rimmel's #Insta Fix & Go, this is a two for the price of one kind of product, not only does it set and lock in your makeup but it can be used to prime the skin too, you cant beat getting two products in one can you! Not only is Rimmel's offering really good for the price but it gets the award for best smelling making spray in my opinion, on my goodness it has the most amazing refreshing cucumber scent which is so lovely and something you don't find in most makeup setting sprays do you. I'd definitely say all three of these sprays keep my makeup in place a good 7+ hours without any fading, caking or melting and none of them dry my skin out at all and they keep me looking fresh, dewy and radiant which I love.

Honestly beaut's if you haven't tried any of these makeup setting/priming sprays then now is the time to take yourself too Boots or Superdrug or place a cheeky online order and treat yourself to a couple to try, you wont regret it trust me!

Toblerone Cupcake Recipe!

Hey beaut's!

I've been baking again.... This time I wanted to bake come cupcakes for my Dad for Fathers Day, and one of my Dad's favourite chocolates in a Toblerone so of course I just had to incorporate some Toblerone within the cupcakes. These beauties have a plain cupcake base with a hint of almond extract and chunks of chopped up Toblerone within the cupcake batter and are finished off with chocolate buttercream and more Toblerone to decorate, they are so delicious even if I do say so myself!

What You Will Need For The Cupcakes

125g butter

2 large free-range eggs 

125g self raising flour

125g caster sugar

100g crushed/chopped Toblerone

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp almond extract

2-3 tablespoons milk (optional)

What You Will Need For The Icing

150g butter

300g icing sugar

30g cocoa powder (I use Bournville)

2-3 tablespoons milk (optional)

Toblerone to decorate

How To - Cupcakes

1. Firstly pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 /180 and line a muffin tin with your cupcake cases.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whack in your butter and sugar and cream together, them pop in the rest of your cupcake ingredients apart from the crushed Toblerone and mix until smooth with a hand whizzer.

3. Once the cupcake batter is smooth mix through the crushed/chopped Toblerone with a wooden spoon or spatula making sure you don't knock too much air out of your batter.

4. Pop a heaped tablespoon of the cupcake batter into each cupcake case and bake in the oven for around 18 minutes or until the top of the cupcakes are springy to the touch, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

How To - Icing

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter until it becomes smooth and whippy, then start adding the icing sugar and cocoa powder slowly to avoid the dreaded icing sugar cloud and again mix until combined. If your buttercream becomes thick just add in a tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the perfect consistency.

2. Pipe or spoon the icing on top of the cupcakes and decorate how you wish, I chopped up a Toblerone to create the individual triangles and popped them on top of the buttercream, I had a few Toblerone off-cuts too so I crushed them up and used them as sprinkles.

And there you have it, super yummy Toblerone cupcakes that are so easy to make! If your fond of a Toblerone then I really recommend you give these a try!

Morgan Taylor's NEW 'Make A Splash' Nail Polishes Reviewed!

Hey beaut's!

Fancy whacking some nail polish on your nails which are brighter than the sun? Well you just might be in luck because Morgan Taylor's new Make A Splash nail polish collection is indeed neon-tastic and mega BRIGHT!!!

The 'Make A Splash' Collection is Morgan Taylor's new collection for Summer and contains six gorgeous shades that will have you reaching for those sunnies every time you glance at your nails. The shade range in this collection really does scream all  things Summer, festivals and holidays, I've been giving three of the six shades a whirl and I've quickly fallen in love!

Firstly theres Flip Flops And Tube Tops*, this is a bright fuchsia pink shade with super fine shimmers suspended within it, this one was completely opaque after two coats.
Then theres You've Got Tan-gerine Lines*, wow this shade takes neon to a whole new level, it's the brightest orange I've ever come across and again is completely opaque after two coats. Finally I have Flamingo Float*, this is a bright coral-red that has the same super fine shimmers suspended within it from before, this one did need three coats as the formula was slightly thinner than the other two shades. Also can we just appreciate how freakin' cute the shade names are in this collection, arhhhh I love them! 

The formula of the Morgan Taylor nail polishes is really nice, they are all completely opaque after 2-3 coats and apply evenly and smooth without any bubbling or streaking and they all dried so quickly too which is such a bonus because I hate waiting for nail polish to dry. The lasting power is really good, I got a good 4ish days wear out of mine before I noticed some ever so slight chipping, I'm quite heavy handed at work and at home doing washing up and housework all the time so a solid 4 days is good for me!

Overall if your looking to brighten up your manicure this Summer I think the new 'Make A Splash' collection is a must try, I've also found in the past that neon's don't usually apply or wear well but these are amazing! I really want to whack some fake tan on now or go on me holibobs because neon shades next to a tan look insanely good!

You can find the Morgan Taylor NEW 'Make A Splash' Nail Polishes on Sally Beauty HERE.