What's In My Bag

NOTD: Topshop 'Late Show'

As you may have noticed from my February Favourites post, this Topshop nail polish has been one of my favourite shades recently, and is proudly gracing my nails as I type.

Artificial light, with flash

Daylight {indoors}, with flash

I keep referring to the colour as a 'Cadbury purple', and although it's not the exact same shade, it's pretty darn close {and I must confess it does conjure up images of it's chocolate counterpart when I glance at it}. 

This was three coats, on top of a base coat, although I think if I'd have been a little more consistent in my application {as in two thinner coats per nail as opposed to randomly and halfheartedly splodging it on}, it wouldn't have necessitated that many. It's a gorgeous consistency, and very creamy in it's finish, although naturally glossy too. I'm really quite impressed with its durability and longevity too, especially given that it's really been put through it's paces over the past couple of days {I've been helping out with my parents house move}.

Topshop nail polishes retail at £5.00, and are available from most Topshop stores or online.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Topshop. All words and opinions are 100% my own. This product was purchased with my own money. Some links may be affiliated.

YouTube/TAG: Best of Both Worlds

My sister Lucy and I decided to take an embarrassing plunge into the world of YouTube this afternoon, and our first video is the Best of Both Worlds/sister TAG. It's just light-hearted silliness, but do let us know what you think and subscribe if you'd like to see more!

PART 1

PART 2

OH! Aren't those ATTRACTIVE thumbnails?!

February Favourites {2012}

We're six days into March, which MUST mean it's about time for my February favourites, right?! Apologies for the delay, let's get on with the show...

 

SKINCARE

 

L'Occitane Ultra Gentle Moisturiser*

 I really rate L'Occitane for high end, high quality products, and this gorgeous moisturiser containing 8% shea butter is no exception. It is so lightweight, yet fantastically hydrating and nourishing, making it the perfect antidote for my oily yet dehydrated skin this winter. I've been applying a decent layer of this at night, after I remove my make up, and I wake up to soft, supple skin. It's fragrance free and very gentle, so would be perfect for more sensitive skins.

Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask*

 This is a "reviving, fast acting mask for instant radiance", that can be applied of a morning for 30 seconds to 2 minutes {then removed with a muslin cloth}. Whilst I am a lover of face masks that can be left on to work their magic whilst you luxuriate in a hot, bubbly bath, I was also on the lookout for a 'pick me up' skincare product that I could use of a morning. This mask from Liz Earle honestly is perfect, and some mornings I even use it in place of my cleanser. It instantly brightens, tightens and awakens the face, leaving visible results, although I must point out this is not suitable for sensitive skin types {it tingles and does leave my face feeling slightly tight until I use toner}.

PERFUME

Eau de Soap & Glory Perfume Spray {50ml}

My sister gave me this perfume for Christmas, knowing what a huge Soap & Glory fan I am. I'd been lusting after it for some time, so squealed with delight as soon as I opened it, and have been wearing it on an almost daily basis ever since. It's just the quintessential Soap & Glory scent, and although it's not incredibly long lasting, it's such an easy everyday perfume to wear, not to mention that it compliments the majority of my body care products and that I just L O V E the smell.  

HAIRCARE

V05 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil

I'm pretty sure if you're a regular reader of beauty blogs then you will have seen multiple reviews of this little bottle of 'mircale oil' from V05. Whilst I'm not sure I believe it's 'intensive leave-in treatment' nourishing claims {it contains silicone's, which coat the hair}, I can't deny this has some serious softening powers, especially on my dry, brittle ends. It won't provide any long term nourishment for my hair, but it does leave it shiny, more manageable and silky soft on a day to day basis, and for that I love it. A tiny bit goes a long way, I've been using this for approx. 1.5months and there's barely any product gone from my bottle.  

MAKE UP

Chanel Intense Radiance Lipgloss Glossimer in {161} Bagatelle

I was more than a little over the moon when I won this beautiful Chanel lipgloss in a giveaway hosted by the equally beautiful Strawberry Blonde Beauty Blog recently. It's the perfect shade for Spring/Summer, a very wearable and fun pink, shot through with delicate and subtle shimmers. The formulation is a tiny bit gritty for my liking, but I normally apply my gloss over a lipbalm, which helps to solve this becoming an issue. It has surprisingly longevity for a lipgloss too, but then it is Chanel, and I wouldn't expect any less. I've been really enjoying wearing this on sunny days, where the promise of warmer weather is tantalisingly close.

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss in {0504} Moonstone*

 Yes yes, another lipgloss, I know...but this is seriously gorgeous. I honestly didn't think I'd like it upon first impressions, it seemed too pale and, dare I say it, slightly adolescent looking with it's white base and pretty pink duo-chrome shimmers. However, when applied to the lips, this is a really nice shade, that adds the perfect level of gloss and although fairly nude, isn't unwearable. I have naturally quite pigmented lips, so this is the perfect shade for me to wear alone. The formulation and longevity also surprised me, it feels of very good quality, isn't sticky and stays put pretty darn well. The i-gloss comes with a mirror on the side and a light, should you want to apply it in a darkened room...!

Topshop NAILS in {left} Eyes of Steel and {right} Late Show

I spy with my little eye something beginning with 'a new obsession'! The Topshop nail polishes first caught my eye back in Autumn 2011, when I picked up the stunning 'Eyes of Steel' metallic shade, and wore it to death. I recently purchased the 'Late Show' shade, a gorgeous and glossy Cadbury shade of purple {NOTD coming soon}. Topshop have an impressive array of stunning shades, and it's definitely a good thing that my local store doesn't stock the full range...

Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Peach Melba

Aside from their clear mascara, which I use on my brows, Natural Collection is always a brand I bypass when browsing the beauty stands in Boots. However, their products are ridiculously affordable {this is £1.99}, and I'm coming to realise that they are also ridiculously despite the low price. This blusher has literally been the only one I've reached for over the past couple of weeks, and I'm so impressed. It's pigmented, relatively long lasting and is such a gorgeous shade. It's subtle but definitely buildable, and is a lovely peachy pink shade that just screams 'Spring' to me. I'm itching to try out more...

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned. All words and opinions are 100% my own - can't you tell?! Products received for review consideration purposes are denoted with a *. Some products mentioned were received as gifts. Some links may be affiliate links.

Spotlight On: No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow {Mink}

The splendid £5 No7 vouchers are back at Boots until 25th March {you'll get a voucher when you purchase anything over £5}, and whilst I normally tend to stockpile their face wipes, I simply urge you to spend your voucher on this little beauty:

Excuse the 'well loved and dirty' look!

If you can ignore the annoyingly bright flash glare off the pan 
{that's how much I love it see, this is the second one I've hit pan on}, 
this is a pretty true representation of the shade.

This is the No7 Stay Perfect eyeshadow in Mink {60}, and it is beautiful. I believe that beauty is often found in the simplest of things, and in terms of make up, this unassuming eyeshadow personifies just that. This shade is oh-so-wearable, oh-so-easy to apply and blend, and oh-so-wonderful. Literally no effort is required to make this eyeshadow look good, and I should know - I reach for this shade on an almost daily basis when time simply isn't on my side. You can, of course, dress it up or down depending on the occasion. I'd go so far as to say that perhaps this eyeshadow is the make up equivalent of 'the' little black dress - it's there as a reliable failsafe whenever you need it, but it can easily form the basis of a show-stopping look should you require it to do so. 

Worn alone, other than a thin smudge of MAC Print along the upper lashline. 

It's coming out a little warmer toned on camera than it does in 'real life'.

 

As you can see, Mink is a gorgeous cool toned taupe grey brown, with a subtle and very wearable sheen to it - you won't find any disco glitter here. I think this shade is beautiful enough to be worn alone, but it also works perfectly to tone down a slightly-too-dark eyeshadow look, with a smokey eye, or to add some shimmer to a matte eyeshadow. It applies like a dream with a satin finish, and is incredibly pigmented with zero fallout. Regardless of the 'Stay Perfect' claims, this eyeshadow is impressively long wearing, and even with slightly oily lids and no primer, it has never once creased on me. I've not seen this eyeshadow featured on any blogs that I follow, so I'm hoping that this post will give it the attention it most definitely deserves. Staple shadows don't have to mean boring.

The Stay Perfect eyeshadows retail for £8.00 each, and are available in most Boots stores from the No7 counter/stand. Using a voucher makes this even more of a bargain! I managed to acquire three of the £5 vouchers this week {having to buy baby wipes and nappies comes in handy sometimes you know, and it's currently 3 for 3 across all baby things, even better!}, and have repurchased Mink {for the third time}, along with another of the eyeshadows in the shade Wheatsheaf {55} and a nail varnish in the shade Foxglove {80}.

What do you think? Will you be putting your £5 No7 voucher towards the humble Mink?

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with No7 or Boots. I was not asked nor sponsored by anyone to write this post. All views are 100% my own and the products were purchased with my own money. I simply felt ashamed that an eyeshadow I have been LOVING for almost 3 years now has never really graced the pages of my blog, and felt the need to rectify that immediately. Some links may be affiliated.

Recipe: Mellow meatballs

I love this recipe so much, I've now made it multiple times and just can't get enough of the taste - I do think that Thai curries are my favourite type. This is another offering from the Nigella's Express cookbook, which I've adapted slightly {the original recipe is pg 369 if you have the book}, and is a very tasty dinner that certainly won't take you hours to prepare.

You need:

3 x 15ml tbsp red curry paste

2 x 15ml tbsp vegetable oil

40 mini- meatballs, or 20 normal size meatballs

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 400ml can coconut milk

1 400ml can chopped tomatoes

1 410g chickpeas, drained

350g butternut squash and sweet potato, diced {you can get packets of this in the supermarket if you're lazy!}

500ml chicken stock

2 x 15ml tbsp honey

chopped coriander {I use dried}

rice, to serve

Method:

Put your rice on to cook, according to the packet instructions.

 Heat the red curry paste and vegetable oil in a large, wide pan.

 Once it starts sizzling {it WILL spit, so be careful} add in the meatballs, and ensure to coat them in the curry paste.

 Sprinkle over the cinnamon and ginger, and fry for a couple of minutes. 

 Pour in the coconut milk, tomatoes and chickpeas, then add the butternut squash and sweet potato, then the stock and finally the honey. Ensure you stir well at each stage and make sure all of the ingredients are well combined.

Bring the mixture to the boil and then simmer over a low heat for approx. 20-30 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice, and enjoy the delicious, creamy flavours, mmm mmm.

 

Recipe: Spaghetti with prawns and chilli

I adapted this recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks, Nigella's Express {check out pg293 if you have it, for the original recipe}, and although on paper I should hate this {I don't like tomatoes or spring onions, I'm not great with chilli, and have rather gone off prawns}, I really enjoyed it, and will definitely make it again.

You need:

200g frozen, cooked prawns {defrosted}

250g spaghetti

2 x 15ml tbsp garlic oil

4 spring onions, finely sliced

1/2 tsp crushed chilli flakes {I added a LOT more than this}

200g sundried tomatoes, in oil

125ml white wine

50g rocket {I forgot to buy this, so we went without!}

fresh parsley, to garnish {I rarely buy fresh herbs, so used dried}

Method:

Drain the prawns and set aside. Put your spaghetti on to cook, according to the packet instructions.

Heat the garlic oil in a large pan, and fry the spring onions and chilli flakes for a couple of minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick.

 

 Add in the tomatoes {and their oil} and the prawns {doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing, I know}, and give it all a good stir.

 Once the prawns and tomatoes are heated through, add in the white wine {if you haven't drunk it}, and let it bubble up. If using, add in the rocket at this point.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain and add into the pan, toss and ensure it's coated with the oily chilly prawny mixture! Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve.

As the title of Nigella's book would suggest, this is a really quick and easy dish to prepare, and could easily work as a starter if you're planning a Come Dine With Me special - in fact this recipe serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a starter. It is quite an oily dish, but I actually didn't mind that at all, and despite adding much more chilli than the recipe called for, it wasn't overpowering at all, so you can definitely use your creative license with this one. I would also probably do a little less pasta if you're making this just for two, unless you've a large appetite!

Spotlight On: Conran Bath and Body

If Conran isn't a brand that's entered onto your radar yet, don't worry, you're not alone, I too was in the dark until just recently. Conran is a British company, developed by Sir Terence Conran {a designer}, who formed his simple yet elegant Bath & Body range with just two core {unisex} scents, combining some of his favourite ingredients. CONRAN 1 is warm and spicy, with notes of spicy nutmeg, fresh pepper and sweet cardamon, whilst CONRAN 2 is fresh and zingy with notes of lemon, mandarin and freshly cut green stems. The word on the street {their blog} is that CONRAN 3 and 4 are currently being developed.

The products that I've been trying out are the Bath Wash and Hand Cream in CONRAN 1, and the Body Scrub in CONRAN 2. On paper, CONRAN 1 would be my preferred scent, for, as I've lamented time and time again, I tend to opt for warmer, spicier fragrances. 

  

The Bath Wash {£16 for 300ml}, whether used as a body wash or in the bath water, bubbles up nicely without needing too much product, and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or itchy, although I do feel the need to moisturise afterwards. The scent doesn't linger too long on the skin, which personally I prefer because I don't like my perfume to clash. However, I must be truthful and admit I expected it to be a slightly more intense scent, not overpowering as such, just more noticeable than I feel it is. It's quite unassuming and inoffensive, which whilst might not be a bad thing necessarily, wasn't quite was I anticipated. I really like the packaging, it's clean and simple, and adds to the luxurious vibe that this brand gives off.

CONRAN 2 is definitely more of a summer fragrance in my opinion, and would be perfect for a refreshing wake up shower. Although it doesn't linger on the skin too much, as soon as you open the packaging the citrus scent hits you. I can obviously only speak for the Body Scrub {£25 for 250ml}, but it has an immediate cooling effect on the skin, and leaves you feeling very clean. As for the actual formulation of the scrub, I'd say that is definitely its USP {unique selling point}. It's a very lightweight scrub contained in tiny gel-like crystals, that feel almost like textured jelly on the skin - that sounds pretty bizarre, but it's honestly the best way I can describe it. For an exfoliating addict like myself, I have to admit I found the consistency a little too slippery and meant a lot of waste going straight down the plug hole. I also found I had to dig out a fair amount to get a decent scrubbing effect, although it did leave my skin feeling smoother and very fresh. The Conran packaging took some of it's inspiration from Kilner jars, which is obvious in the design for this product, and I really like the sturdy feel of this tub.

The Hand Cream {£12 for 100g} is the ultimate winner out of these three products for me. The formulation is a thick yet lightweight, non-greasy cream, that absorbs quickly into the skin leaving no residue, and is very nourishing with long lasting effects. I really like the packaging, the tube is simple yet stylish and practical, allowing you to dispense only what you need. The CONRAN 2 scent is a lot more intense in this product than the Bath Wash, I definitely sensed more of the spicier undertones, but it's not too obtrusive. It can't quite live up to my beloved Soap & Glory Hand Food, but it IS a close runner up.

Overall, I'm really quite impressed with Conran, despite not being totally blown away by all of the products I've tried. The brand itself is very well thought out, innovative and exciting, and the people behind it are some of the nicest and politest I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. The packaging, as you can see, is simple yet elegant, subtly embodying the Conran philosophy, whilst also remaining stylish and practical. The products feel and look good quality, and have been formulated exceptionally well. I'm looking forward to exploring this brand a little more.

If you're interested in trying out Conran for yourself, the products are available to purchase from various instore and online sources {please click here for the full list of stockist information}, with prices starting from £12.00.

Have you tried any Conran Bath and Body products? What are your thoughts?

Disclaimer: Products provided for review consideration purposes. I am not affiliated with Conran {although I have noticed they've linked to my humble little blog on their website, how very nice of them}, and all words and opinions are 100% my own. I spent a long time writing this review, I wanted to ensure I was as thorough as possible, in order to introduce this brand to you. Some links may be affiliated.

A Review: Soap & Glory Hand Food

Soap & Glory Hand Food

Non greasy hydrating hand cream

What Do I Think?

"The most astonishing hand cream ever? You decide!" Well Soap & Glory, I've decided...YES, it is! Putting my undeniable love for everything Soap & Glory related aside, under even the most harsh of tests, this hand cream performs it's basic task {of moisturising your hands} superbly - it's incredibly nourishing, it sinks in instantly, doesn't leave a single trace of grease or other residue, has a simply wonderful scent and has very long lasting effects. A strong accolade indeed. This really is all the food my hands could ever want for {see what I did there...?!}, and it is without a doubt my favourite ever hand cream. I've tried many, and probably will continue to do so {in fact I've another hand cream review coming soon}, but I will always come running back to this, tail between my legs by way of an apology for ever dreaming something could better it. The scent is quite strong, although no overpowering - and I've quite a sensitive nose - with notes of shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow to name but a few, but if, like me, you're a Soap & Glory fan this will definitely be a positive rather than a negative. I love the packaging, it's simple, fuss free and easy to dispense only what you need, and has the classic pink, retro Soap & Glory trademarks.

Where Is It Available?

 Soap & Glory products are available to buy, instore and online, from Boots and Harvey Nichols in the UK.

How Much Does It Cost?

The 50ml {travel size} tube retails at £2.35 and the 125ml {full size} tube retails at £4.85.

Would I Recommend It?

YES! Go out and buy it, NOW!

Star Rating:

5/5

Disclaimer: This product was a Christmas gift from family. I am not affiliated with Soap & Glory, and all words and opinions, unless marked in italics, are 100% my own. Some links may be affiliate links. If you want to check out ALL of my other Soap & Glory reviews, click HERE.  

Recipe: Sticky maple pork with apples

 Sticky maple pork with apples

You need:

600g pork fillet

1tbsp olive oil

2 eating apples, cored and cut into eighths

1 garlic clove, crushed

2tbsp maple syrup

1tbsp white wine vinegar

2tbsp wholegrain mustard

rice, to serve

Method:

Put your rice on to cook, according to the packet instructions {I always add cold water to my rice, roughly about 3 parts water to 1 part rice, and only ever stir with a fork}. Cut the pork into slices {I had diced pork, so obviously skipped this step}, and heat the oil in a large, preferably non-stick, frying pan. Add the pork and fry until all sides are slightly browned, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the apples into the pan, and cook until they start to soften {approx 3-4 minutes}. Stir in the garlic, maple syrup and vinegar {although I didn't have any, so missed that out}, then add 3tbsp boiling water. Bring this to the boil, then return the pork to the pan, ensuring you coat it with all of the yummy maple juices. Simmer for a couple more minutes, making sure the pork is cooked through, and the sauce gets thicker and stickier, then stir through the wholegrain mustard. At this point I stirred in the cooked rice, to ensure it all got coated with the sauce, but you could just serve the rice alongside the pork.

This is a quick and easy meal to prepare of an evening, with very basic store cupboard ingredients and virtually no prep work required. It's also only approx. 303 calories per serving, AND has one of your five a day! Obviously the maple and apple make it pretty sweet, so it might not appeal to everyone, but I personally really liked the combination.

Disclaimer: Original credit for this recipe 'BBC Books Good Food 101 Healthy Eats'.