Baking Mad!

I love baking and cooking and I love trying out new recipes that I find online. One of my favourite websites is Baking Mad where people can upload their own recipes for others to try. I particularly like this as you know the results can be achieved and often you don't need fancy ingredients that cost an arm and a leg that you'll never use again. 

I recently was sent some baking goodies to try out and as I hadn't done some baking for a while I decided to crack out the mixing bowl and make something.

Even though I was sent a recipe book, I found the recipe for ice cream cone cupcakes on the Baking Mad website and decided I would give them a try.

The recipe was really easy to follow and here is my end result:

I also really enjoy making cheesecakes and there are some really good recipes available here: http://www.bakingmad.com/ideas/cheesecake-recipes

And there are some great cupcake recipes too, I am definitely going to bake the christmas tree ones at christmas:

http://www.bakingmad.com/recipes/cupcake-recipe

In the next couple of weeks I am going to bake a few recipes from the recipe book including the pink swirl meringues and jaffa cakes so I'll let you know how they turn out!

Do you like baking? What are your favourite recipes and things to cook?

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50 Random Facts About Me!

Everyone seems to be doing a 50 random facts post lately so I thought I'd hop on the bandwagon and join in so here are mine.

1. I have a degree in Health

2. I sniff bread to see if it's gone off. In fact I sniff all bread before I use it! Yes I know I'm weird!

3. I'm left handed

4. I have lists for everything

5. I had mumps and rubella as a teenager

6. I love the smell of coffee but hate the taste of it

7. I sleep talk

8. I hate making phone calls, it can sometimes take me weeks

9. On my driving test I reversed into a big metal fence. I failed

10. My first job was at Superdrug

11. The first concert I went to was see Justin Timberlake

12. I was in the school hockey team

13. I need glasses

14. When I was just a few months old my dad nearly died

15. I moved out of home when I was 18 and moved back when I was 22

16. I could easily spend a week in my own company

17. I walk on the side of my feet

18. Until February this year hadn't had my hair cut properly in over 2 years

19. I've walked past Ronan Keating in my little home town

20. I have a king sized bed but always sleep on the one side

21. I'm an only child

22. Originally my blog was for crafting not for beauty

23. I want to visit New York and Dubai

24. I don't like strawberries but love strawberry jam and yogurts

25. I hate bridges, being stuck on one makes me panic 

26. I much prefer Diet Coke to regular Coke

27. I've never broken a bone (touch wood)

28. I've twisted my ankle twice

29. I've never owned a PC, I've always had a Mac (and always will)

30. My hair is the longest it's been in about 7 years

31. When I was little I used to eat raw sausages out of the fridge (I don't know why!)

32. I can't breathe out of my nose very well, it's an allergy but doctors cant help me

33. If I think of something I need to do in bed I can't sleep until I've written it down

34. I'v never watched a musical until a few years ago hen Hairspray came out on film

35. I used to want a nose job

36. I don't like melted butter, it gives me tummy ache 

37. I've never had an operation

38. I shake my foot when I'm sat still

39. I'm a bit number and letter dyslexic

40. I once saw the Queen at Lincoln Cathedral (this was a long time ago)

41. I want a micro pig

42. I always get told I've got a line of dirt on my nose but it's just natural shadow

43. My hair is naturally wavy but I always wear it straight

44. I'd love to be a secondary school teacher, a historian or work from home

45. I've never ever smoked or taken drugs

46. The first CD I bought was by the Spice Girls

47. I used to have a pet Jack Russell called Emma

48. My favourite radio station is Kisstory (old school anthems) 

49. I can't lay on my left hand side when sleeping as I can hear my pulse 

50.  Ever car I've had has had the air conditioning broken and it's always been unable to fix

So there are my 50 random facts, if you've done this challenge then comment below with the link and I'll check it out. 

Goody Quikstyle paddle brush

My hair is really thick and takes quite a while to blow dry which isn't ideal when I wash my hair in the mornings before work so when I saw that Goody had brought out a paddle brush which contained micro fibre bristles I had to buy it to see if it was as good as I imagined it to be.

It is a typical paddle brush in shape and size but in between the bristle there are microfibre bristles and Goody claims that these help to reduce drying time by up to 30%.

I found that the brush did slightly reduce my drying time but it also helped to smooth out my hair so that it didn't take as long to straighten.

If you have long hair then this could be your saviour. I would like to see a slightly smaller brush with the microfibre bristles for people with shorter hair to use.

The Quikstyle is £12.49 and available from Boots.

Schwarzkopf Color Mask permanent hair dye

Schwarzkopf brought out the worlds first hair mask colorant earlier this year and it seemed to come out right when my hair needed dying so I bought a pack to try.

I bought it in shade 586 warm mahogany.

It was easy to use, you take the lid off the mask pot, add the colorant, shake vigorously 40 times and apply to dry, unwashed hair.

I found that one pack wasn't enough for my hair, I had to really use it sparingly but like all other hair dyes they do recommend more than one pack for thick or long hair.

There was a slight smell of ammonia but nothing too overpowering. 

I wasn't too keen on the end colour, I have used better.

This is £6.49 and available from most beauty outlets but personally I would give this one a miss, there are much better products on the market.

MUA Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette

I have MUA's Undressed palette and have used it that much some of my favourite shades have hit pan so when they released the Undress Me Too palette I had to buy it.

I like that there is a mix of pearl and matte shades that not only can be used as eyeshadow but also as eyebrow colours. Excuse my messy looking palette in the photo above!

On this palette the shades are named which makes creating looks a little easier. I'm not sure if these colours are going to be introduced to MUA's Fashionista fill your own palette range, it would be great of they did as I do have a couple of firm favourites already.

The shadows have quite a smooth texture and glide on my lids easily. The pigmentation is also really good but I haven't used the matte colours, I much prefer the pearl finish shades. I found that they also lasted the majority of the day but they do crease a little.

The palette is £4 so your can't really go wrong compared to some other 'nude' palettes this one is so affordable and I wouldn't even consider buying the others as I don't think the quality would beat this one.

This is available from MUA online and Superdrug stores. 

Bumble and Bumble Creme De Coco

About a year ago I found this in TK Maxx for £9.99 a bottle but as I being good I decided that I didn't need another shampoo and conditioner even though I really wanted to try it so I resisted and didn't buy it.

Almost immediately I regretted my decision and have trawled every TK Maxx I've come across since to try to find it again...with no luck :-(

So I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy these for full price from Boots: the shampoo was £18.50 and the conditioner £20.00. Yes they're pricey.

The scent is a light coconut and most importantly it doesn't smell artificial. For almost £40 for both I would have been seriously disappointed if they did.

I also decided that these were going to be for special hair days and not for everyday use as I simply can't afford £40 every month or so to replace but I have used these everytime I've washed my hair since I bought them.

From the first wash my hair felt and looked so much fresher, smoother and shinier. Sometimes my hair can look greasy straight after washing but with these I am going 3 days with out re-washing as my hair still feels fresh. My scalp feels slightly itchy but as long as my hair doesn't look greasy I can cope with this!  

I am really impressed with these products and have repurchased them already but I am gong to cut down on when I use them as I can't afford to use them as I am at the moment.

These can be bought at Boots or they are slightly cheaper on some online websites.

Review - MUA Every Lash Mascara

I picked up this mascara a while ago in Superdrug as it looked like a dupe for Revlon's Grow Luscious (amazing) mascara but for a fraction of the price.

The brush is a reasonable size which gives good definition and separates the lashes. I found it hard to build up the product and to volumise my lashes.

The mascara is a good black colour but I have to admit that it the best thing about this mascara.

During the day I do have a habit of picking my mascara off but when I started to attempt to pick this off it was like something I've never experienced before. It was like plastic. I did managed to get a bit off and it reminded me a bit of bin bag plastic. Then I tried to remove it properly and boy it didn't want to come off. I tried everything but it wouldn't budge. In the end I had to pick it off.

For £3.00 I wasn't expecting the world but I did expect more that what this actually was. I would not buy this again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is probably one of the worst products I have ever tried, and I've tried a lot!

Wednesday Wishlist - 42

 River Island

Bright Lime Double Layered Pencil Skirt - £20.00

Black Butter Wouldn't Melt Home Boy T-Shirt - £25.00

Beige Diamante Concealed Wedge High Tops - £55.00

Black Mesh Polka Dot Crop Top - £15.00

Rihanna for River Island Knot Front Thigh Split Skirt - £35.00

New Look

White Transparent Flap Stud Clutch - £12.99

Black Stripe Triangle Lock Clutch - £12.99

Paradise Chop Out Zip Top Clutch Bag - £9.99

Oscar Owl Mini Clip Frame Coin Purse - £3.99

Nip & Fab Cherry Tarte Body Butter

I picked this up in Savers for a bargain price of £2.99. Did I need another body butter/lotion? Nope, but I couldn't resist this for such a bargain price, my mum even picked up the pistachio one too! I'm a bad influence!

The butter is lovely and thick and creamy and leaves your skin feeling silky soft. I personally prefer to use a butter in the winter months as it's much more moisturising and abit stickier than a lotion but as the scent was gorgeous fruity cherries I has to start using this straight away!

The scent is a cross between a cherry bakewell and juicy cherries, amazing!

This is priced at £7.95 from Boots but as I previously mentioned I picked this up for £2.99 in Savers so head down there fast as you won't be disappointed with this product.

Book Review - Santa Baby by Katie Price

The blurb....

Angel Summer is Katie's most popular character. We first met her when she was Britain's No 1 galmour model in Katie's first novel Angel, and then in Angel Uncovered. Now in Katie's seventh novel, Santa Baby, Angel's glamour days are behind her, she's happily married to Cal and hoping to have another baby. But, as ever, drama is just around the corner, when Angel meets her half sister Tiffany for the first time....

As soon as they meet, Angel and Tiffany feel as if they've known each other for years, and before she knows it, Tiffany is working as a stylist on Angel's TV programme, and going out with Raul, a Brazilian racing driver who has all the girls after him.

If only Angel's sexy bodyguard Sean could be as welcoming. Obviously he has things on his mind, like the kidnap threat hanging over Angel an her daughter Honey. As everyone gathers at Angel and Cal's mansion for Christmas, Sean's defences finally drop. But as he relaxes, Tiffany finds herself in terrible danger....

What I thought....

I read this on holiday (this review is seriously overdue) and I couldn't put it down. I have read all of Katie's previous books about Angel but if you haven't then you can get up to speed really quickly by reading this one alone. 

The chapters were quite short and snappy and this is one of those books where you say 'just one more chapter before bed' a few times before you actually put the book down and go to bed!

I have to admit though the ending was a bit of an anti climax, I'm not going to spoil it by saying why, but it was still a good story.

This along with Katie's other books are perfect holiday reads and if you like your chick lit then definitely give these books a try.

Pages....

352

Available on....

iPad, Kindle and old fashioned paper!

Review - No7 Beautiful Skin Foam Cleanser

I rarely use the £5 off No7 vouchers you get given when shopping in Boots but sometimes I do and buy new products I haven't tried before. This time I bought the Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser for normal/oily skin.

I use this in the shower as it's quick and easy: simple pump and out comes the product. Perfect for use in the morning when I don't have much time.

The cleanser claims to gently remove make up and impurities whilst tightening pores leaving the skin feeling clean and refreshed.

I think this product is quite good, it did certainly make my skin feel clean and fresh but I haven't used it to remove make up as I use it in the morning opposed to at night. 

I can't remember when I started using this product, it must be a couple of months ago, but I still have some left so it lasts a good while.

This is priced at £9 for a 150ml bottle and is only available at Boots.

100 things I love: Part 9

Previous posts can be found here

91. Travelling by train

 92. Peonies

93. Creme Brûlée

94. Cider

 95. 90's dance anthems

96. My iPhone 5

 97. Pic n Mix

98. Watching TV in bed in the afternoon

99. My feet being massaged

100. My mum and dad :-)

So that's it I've finally completed the 100 things I love challenge! I started this back on the 20th July 2012! Link me to yours if you've taken part too!

Wednesday Wishlist - 41

New Look

Mint Green Embellished Neckline Peplum Top - £24.99

White Minnie Mouse Vest - £12.99

Navy High Shine Disco Trousers - £22.99

White and Navy Stripe Crop Top - £6.99

Oasis

Fluro Spot Scarf - £20.00

Animal Print Maxi Dress - £50.00

Zip Zag Clutch Bag - £25.00

Coin Purse - £6.00