Home Decor: Vintage & Chic Bedroom Accessories

Home Decor: Vintage & Chic Bedroom Accessories

Hey everyone,

I have always adored Vintage themed things, I mean anything from a dress to a pillow.. if it's in the vintage and shabby chic family I will be sure to love it. Slowly my room will be decorated, I have already picked & bought the wallpaper so that's a start! Once my room is complete I will definitely do a sort of "room tour". At the moment it is still the same in looks but I have been collecting little accessories that I think will look great in my newly styled bedroom. One saying I love is appreciate the new but never forget the old! Although I am very excited to go out and shopping and collect more goodies (which girl wouldn't be) I still really like some of the decor I already own; so I thought why not show you some of my favourite pieces!

               If you have any questions at all please ask, I love replying to your comments!

                                                                                Ell x

Summer Cooking Recipe: Fresh Raspberry & Almond Cake

Summer Cooking Recipe: Fresh Raspberry & Almond Cake

Hey everyone,

So I am sure this doesn't apply to everyone but I absolutely love cooking & baking. Not only do I find it really fun but I just find that it relaxes me, it really is a great hobby to take on board. So of course in Summer there are a lot of recipes that involve a lot of fruit which means.. colour! I adore food that is appealing and pretty to the eye, because not only does it seem more delicious it just catches peoples eye when a dish is full of vibrant colours. You know what they say.. the more colours in a meal the healthier it is. That saying may not apply to this recipe though but everyone deserves a treat from time to time. I came across this recipe recently in Sainsbury's and really wanted to try it out. Oh boy aren't I glad that I did. This cake is so yummy and so gorgeous to look at. 

Serves 8, Prep 20 mins, Cooking 35 mins

Ingredients: 110g unsalted English butter by Sainsbury’s, softened, plus extra for greasing

1. 120g Fairtrade caster sugar by Sainsbury’s
2. 3 medium British free-range eggs by Sainsbury’s, beaten
3. 50g British self-raising flour by Sainsbury’s
4. 80g ground almonds by Sainsbury’s
5. 2 x 150g punnets fresh raspberries by Sainsbury’s
6. 60g Fairtrade smooth white chocolate by Sainsbury’s, broken up into small pieces
7. 150ml British double cream by Sainsbury’s
8. 30g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
9. 30g toasted flaked almonds by Sainsbury’s

And here is how my cake turned out! I was pretty proud if I am honest because I wouldn't call a 'cook'. Meaning I should practise more than I actually do. I think this cake would be perfect for a Summer garden party, BBQ, Birthday or any special occasion. Or perhaps like me if you just have a sweet tooth and fancied putting yourself up to the challenge. I actually found this cake really fun to make and it was relatively straight forward. 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C,fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease and line an 18cm round cake tin.
2. Put the butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream together using a hand-held electric whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, until completely incorporated.
3. Sift the flour into the bowl and gently fold in, along with the ground almonds and 1 punnet of raspberries. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
4. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the white chocolate cream: put the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, until melted. Transfer to a large bowl, then add the cream and the icing sugar. Using a hand-held electric whisk, whip the mixture until smooth and soft peaks form.
6. Spread the cream on top of the cake, then top with the remaining raspberries and flaked almonds. Dust with icing sugar.

I genuinely thought this cake tasted delicious. The topping is so unique. Instead of just traditional sugar or butter icing it is a mix of double cream and melted white chocolate... HEAVEN! The sweet, refreshing raspberry's go perfectly with the white chocolate and the sponge comes out very fluffy and soft. A 10/10 Summer Recipe! 

You can buy all these ingredients of course from Sainsbury's... Here is the link on there website if you are interested in making this cake: http://inspiration.sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/recipes/fresh-raspberry-almond-cake/

   If you liked this kind of post and want to see more, something a bit different, then let me know!

                                                                               Ell x

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Summer Makeup Looks- Bright Colours & Smokey Purple

Summer Makeup Looks- Bright Colours & Smokey Purple

Hey everyone,

So I am back! I haven't blogged in so long and have actually missed it a lot. I have just been so busy lately and with this beautiful Summer weather England has been having I thought I must make the most of it. So of course we are fully in the Summer season now and I love experimenting with colour when it comes to eyeshadow. I have created two Summer makeup looks that are both intense and bold. 

Look 1: Bright Summer Eyes- Arab Inspired

So as you can see this look is very daring as it does use a lot of bright colours mashed together to create a very vibrant eye. If you don't like wearing a lot of colour this look probably is not for you, but recently I have been trying to use more colour and the more I experiment with it the more I am beginning to love wearing it. These colours are almost quite "citrus" based and remind me of a tropical beach. This winged black pen liner I used is AMAZING! It is from the brand Bourjois. 

Look 2- Dark, Intense Smokey Purple- Summer Nights 

This second look is a lot more smokey and evening based. The purple and gold work beautifully together and the smudge of gold in the inner corner of the eye makes the whole look pop. This eyeshadow look is particularly great for people who have brown/hazel eyes as the colour purple enhances brown eyes and just makes them look stunning. Of course this look I used big false lashes which again adds a bit extra glamour and makes this look perfect for a summer night out. In this look I have used Tanya Burr's lipgloss in shade 'Chic'. 

I hope you liked these two Summer looks. If you have any questions please drop me a comment down below! Thanks for reading.

                                                                               Ell x

                                  

SHANY Cosmetics 40 Colour Boutique Palette Review

SHANY Cosmetics 40 Colour Boutique Palette Review

Hey everyone,

Now I could not resist to dedicate a blog post to this palette because to put it short.. it's bloody brilliant! I have forever used my Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer palette and although I still do love that dearly and there is double (and more) the amount of colours; the quality of these SHANY Cosmetics eyeshadows are beyond amazing. I have never used such pigmented, vibrant and beautiful eyeshadows, the colour range is mainly based around the bright tones but this palette still offers a few neutral shades. Not only is this palette ideal for Summer considering it's the season which evolves around a splash of yellow or coral lets say, but if you are into theatrical makeup like myself.. this palette will offer you a chance to create a variety of unusual and creatives looks. 

  I have to say, the thing that amazes me the most is that this palette is only £7.95! Which to me is the biggest bargain I have probably come across when it comes to makeup. Don't get me wrong I adore MAC eyeshadows, yet you pay £10 per eyeshadow so too fill a 15 slot palette that's £150. You really cannot go wrong with this palette and it is now by far one of my favourite makeup purchases. All I can say is you will be amazed how pigmented these cheaply priced eyeshadows are. Definitely worth buying and seeing for yourself! 

     If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment down below and I will get back to you.

                                                                             Ell x

Theatrical Makeup- Sugar Skull

Theatrical Makeup- Sugar Skull

Hey everyone,

Here is a Day of The Dead inspired makeup look. I have always loved the variety of 'Sugar Skull' looks people create so thought I would come up with one of my own. I hope you like it.

 

                                                                                Ell x

How I got rid of my Acne

How I got rid of my Acne

Hey everyone,

So a lot of people suffer with Acne, I myself also suffered with it, but luckily for me my skin has cleared up a lot. It was not easy for my skin to clear up and let me tell you, it certainly did not take over night for my skin to become clear & spotless. I had to go through a lot to get my skin to look how it is now. I started getting a lot of spots at the age of 15 and they got worse and worse. I didn't think about acne and just saw it as I was a teenager and was bound to get spots. So I just went to Superdrug and bought the "amazing" spot banishers such as Clean & Clear cleansers. There is only one thing I can say about these products which are meant to 'magically' clear your skin, personally for me... they are rubbish. They did nothing for my skin and in some cases I felt they made my skin even worse. Now everyone is different, so some people may find these a miracle to them, but for me they were no help. 

A month after I started taking Tetralysal. My skin still had a lot of redness & a few spots. But had cleared up a lot.

  I eventually went to the doctors as I started to feel so conscious, shy and unconfident about my skin and it really put me off even going out sometimes. People who have acne or who have experienced it, really know how much it can affect you as a person both mentally and physically. The doctor diagnosed me with a mild form of acne, of course there is different extremes of it, so luckily for me I was a bit lower on the scale. I got a lot of spots on my cheeks mainly, and a few dotted on my forehead and chin. I was first put on an antibiotic called Oxytetracyline (a round yellow tablet). I reacted very badly to these tablets as they constantly made me feel sick so I came off them and got put onto a tablet called Tetralysal; another form of antibiotic. This antibiotic worked wonders for me and I am still on it now. When you start taking an antibiotic it will not work its magic straight away. You have to wait a few months till you notice the difference. I know waiting can be unbearable but the wait is worth it. 

  My doctor also gave me a solution called Zineryt which is a liquid form (unfortunately it has not got the nicest of smells) but it works really well for me. You apply it over your spots, it comes in a bottle with a roller, and over night it dries them up. So when you wake up in the morning they are a lot smaller. I am now extremely happy with my skin, of course I still get the odd spot but who doesn't! One of the key things as well despite taking antibiotics and using a lotion was that I cut down on the amount of makeup I wore. I tried to use a lighter coverage such as a tinted moisturiser instead of a thick foundation (if you do suffer with bad skin I would stay away from MAC Studio Fix Fluid, yes it may hide your spots amazingly but it really does clog up your pores). I also stopped wearing makeup on days I didn't need too. 

3 months after taking Tetralysal and using Zineryt. Redness has gone, skin has cleared up massively. I get the odd few spots, especially near that time of the month (girls you know what I'm on about). 

If you have any questions at all on Acne and how my skin cleared up please leave me a comment and I will get back to you!

                                                                         Ell x

Theatrical Makeup Look- The Enchanted Mermaid

Theatrical Makeup Look- The Enchanted Mermaid 

Hey everyone,

Here is a very colourful and detailed theatrical makeup look for you all. This would be really nice for a fancy dress party and halloween. If you wanted to go that extra mile you could spray your hair or add a glitter dust then I would add some sea like accessories such as shells and starfishes (fake ones of course). If you want to see how I achieved this look then head on over to my YouTube channel 'VintageRose90' where there is a full tutorial.. and don't forget to subscribe! Hope you all like this creation. 

Check out my tutorial of this look on YouTube:

                                                                             Ell x