Stuffed Red Peppers ❤

This is becoming a bit of a habit now, I can't believe it's been so long since I've last posted on my blog! But what better way to get back into the swing of things than with a post about FOOD ❤ my one true love! I have been trying to eat healthier now since the beginning of the year and I've found that it's not actually as difficult as I had previously expected - yay! Today I'm going to share my recipe for the best stuffed peppers I've ever had (okay yes, they're the only stuffed peppers I've ever had, but that's beside the point)

• turkey mince (or quorn mince for vegetarians)
• garlic
• red onion
• tomato sauce/chopped tomatoes
• one large red pepper
• any cheese 
• salt & pepper

I used turkey mince instead of beef mince as it's a healthier alternative and although at first I was afraid it would taste like Christmas dinner I was pleasantly surprised when the flavour wasn't a million miles away from the beef mince I've grown up eating. First off you want to fry the turkey mince in a pan with the chopped garlic and onions, I made sure to chop mine finely as I didn't want any lumps but you can have them as big as you like. When the mince is fully cooked just add in the tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste.
Chop the red pepper in half and get rid of the seeds inside; then you can begin to fill them with the turkey mix. Before putting them in the oven, sprinkle on some cheese and you're all done! They should take about 25 - 30 minutes in the oven at around 250, depending on how soft you want your pepper to be!

I hope this recipe was helpful!

xx

Mascara Review: L'oreal Miss Manga vs. Catrice Ultimate Lash Multimizer ❤

I know it's been a while but I'm back! This time with a mascara review :) I'll be comparing L'oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara (€13.49) with Catrice Ultimate Lash Multimizer Volume Mascara (€5.39).

The first major difference is the price. Granted you'll always pay that little bit extra for a more well-known brand but sometimes it's the lesser known brands that actually have the better products; it's all about trying new ones!

I had bought the L'oreal Miss Manga Mascara after I had heard people raving about it since early this year and at first I must say I was pretty impressed! It's not a bad mascara at all with its pretty pink and black packaging and the bend in the wand allows for easy application. The product itself does stay in place all day and I've never experienced any 'panda eye' effect with it which is always a bonus! My only critiques would be that it seems to dry up a little faster than some other mascaras, meaning you'd have to repurchase it more frequently. And being €13.49 I could think of a few other things I could be spending that money on - that's almost three Gingerbread Lattes from Starbucks!

The next mascara is Catrice Ultimate Lash Multimizer. I only purchased this one recently as I was looking for a new mascara and picked it up in a local chemist. I really hadn't been expecting much from it as I have purchased cheap mascaras in the past with less than satisfactory outcomes, but when I tried this out I was genuinely surprised. It really did add volume to my lashes and the looked completely different to when I had used the L'oreal Miss Manga. The brush is big enough to coat the lashes without leaving clumps behind and making the lashes stick together, which is great! It also has the same lasting power as the L'oreal and no panda eyes either!

It just goes to show that expensive products aren't necessarily the best!

xxx

Nectarine & Berry Smoothie ❤

Since it's actually getting summery around here I thought I'd do a quick smoothie recipe! This one is Nectarine and Berries but you can literally just throw in almost any fruits you have, although I'm not sure how a banana and orange smoothie would look too appetizing!

First up for this one you will need, 2 nectarines, 1 cup of raspberries, 1 cup of blackberries, half of a banana, 3 heaped tablespoons of low fat organic natural yoghurt and 2 teaspoons of honey/agave nectar.

 Chop up all of the fruits and throw them into a mixing jug, or a bowl if that's all you have. Blend for about a minute until there's no lumps and pour into glasses. These ingredients make 2 glasses of smoothie so just double up the recipe etc. if you want more!

To make the smoothie less thick you could always add some orange juice as you're blending, pouring it in gradually until you get the consistency you're looking for..

Enjoy!

Hayley 

xx

Penney's Purchases ❤

So I recently went to Penney's to pick up a few things and thought I'd share a couple of my favourite purchases!

The first thing I got was this Beauty Blender sponge and it was an absolute STEAL at only €1.50. I haven't tried either the Real Techniques Beauty Blender or the Original Beauty Blender, but this one works fabulously! I can't see either of the others doing a better job. And for the price of it I wouldn't really mind if it didn't last a really long time.

The next two purchases were a dark pink and cream floral crowns! Now I've been searching everywhere for one of these beauties that isn't extraordinarily expensive, like here for example, where the crown is selling for almost €23. I bought the two crowns in Penneys for €3 each!! They're sure to sell out super quickly so get down ASAP and get them before they're gone!

Here's the cream floral crown on:

More soon 

xxx

Red Velvet Cupcakes ❤

This is way overdue, but it's time for a new baking post! Three words, RED. VELVET. CUPCAKES. I see these literally everywhere and they look so cute and tasty! So I just had to make them in honor of my sister's return home from Scotland.

This particular recipe is from Odlums for the cupcake and Kraft recipes for the icing. The ingredients are:

175g Self Raising Flour

125g Caster Sugar

150g Butter/Margarine 

2 Large Eggs

2 Tablespoons Drinking Chocolate

4 Tablespoons Water

2 Teaspoons Red Food Colouring

1 pkg. Philadephia Cream Cheese, softened

1 tsp.  Vanilla

2 cups  Icing Sugar, sifted

Cupcake
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Beat butter or margarine and sugar in a bowl until light in colour.
Add the flour, eggs, drinking chocolate, water and red colouring.
Beat well until mixture resembles a thick batter.
Divide the mixture into the muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes until risen and ‘springs back’ when gently touched.
Cool on a wire tray and then decorate with icing!

Icing

Beat cream cheese and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended.

Then add sugar gradually, beating until well blended after each addition.

They turned out pretty nice actually!
More soon

xxx

Favourite iPhone Apps ❤

I've been meaning to do a "favourite app" post since I got my phone last October. So here it is! 

First off is Instagram, I think this is a fairly obvious one but I do really love it! I can spend ages scrolling through other people's pictures - because I'm so nosy! And I love how some people edit their pictures too, such a creative little app :) You can follow me here.

Next is Twitter, I've only gotten into this recently but I find myself using it more and more these days! I find myself waking up in the morning and checking Twitter to see what's going on in the world before I even get out of the bed! My twitter is here. 

Buzzfeed is such a handy little app for when you're sitting on the bus or waiting to go somewhere; there's loads of articles, quizzes and videos to look at from make-up and fashion to celebrity news and current affairs. It really makes the news much more exciting to read! 

Afterlight is the best app for editing in my opinion. There's a huge range of filters and lights which can be added to the picture, along with the standard editing tools like brightness, saturation and contrast. I'd have to say that I use Afterlight for the majority of my Instagram photos. It is 89c (I think) in the App Store but it's well worth it!

If you're looking for a good exercising app, Runtastic is pretty nifty. It can track the distance, pace and calories burned during whichever exercise you select, and it shows exactly where you traveled on the map! I've been using it for the last few runs/walks that I've been on and it's great to be able to keep track of everything on the one app.

I love finding cool apps to download and I'm forever looking out for new ones! I'd love to hear any suggestions, especially picture editing apps ❤

xxx

Tribal Swimwear ❤

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything on my blog, seriously been neglecting it! In my defence I've been super busy doing final year of my degree, but more on that soon!

I know it's only March, but I don't think it's ever too early to start planning summer outfits! Starting off with the summeriest of attire - the bikini! 

First off is this tribal print and black bikini top, €7 from Penneys, it's super cute and looks great with a summer glow! Whether you're a blonde, brunette or redhead the tribal prints fit with any hair colour! Best of all because of the black cups this bikini top can be paired with a simple pair of black bikini bottoms and still look chic!

These cute bracelets and rings are the perfect accessories for this tribal look, also from Penneys. The silver Filigree Cuff €5, Friendship Bracelets €3.50 each, and Ring Multi Sets from €1.50 and in stores from March.

Slip on these shoes if you need to pop from the pool to the bar or across some stoney sand, only €18 from Penneys and available at the end of April. These could definitely be a staple summer shoe!

To complete this beachy look and shield your eyes from the rays are these Round Frame sunglasses, only €2 from Penneys - although they could pass for Wildfox!

More soon!

xx

August Favourites ❤

Well, I think it's about time I did another favourites post! These are some things I've had my eye on the last month and are definitely going on my wishlist. It's a more autumn look because I think the days of sunbathing and bikinis are over for this year, sadly.. 

First off, I have been wanting a Wildfox jumper for SO long now. This pink one just looks adorable and would be so comfortable. Wildfox in general is pretty expensive but I wouldn't mind spending the money on a jumper, just as a one off treat! I think the jumpers are usually around €100, which is a lot, but they do some similar style jumpers on asos.com for less than half of the price.

Another thing is striped monochrome jeans; I've been seeing these a lot this month and I think they look really nice on and make legs look skinny - which can only be a bonus! I like the fact that they can be worn in summer or winter with boots or flats. These are from Mango and are $40 on the website, so they would probably be around €30 if the price is converted properly, put that rarely happens!

The boots are just amazing! I saw them in a video on Youtube recently and fell in love with them instantly! They're from the Rihanna collection in River Island and are around €100.

The black bag is €56 from handpicked.net and I found it on Polyvore. I like how it's quilted and I think black goes with any outfit.

I've always liked the indie nerd glasses and think they look really cute on anyone.These ones are €7.50 from shopzerouv.com, which I think is a pretty decent price.

The two makeup items here are a nail polish from Topshop in the shade 'Pink Powder' and Mac Pro Longwear Foundation.

Last but not least is a polaroid camera, this one is an Instax mini 8 from Fujifilm and is around €80. I've seen these cameras in places like Urban Outfitters for ages and I think it would be so cute to have one!

Hope you guys enjoyed

Have an amazing day

x

Hair Chalks: Are They Worth the Hype? ❤

I've been a big fan of colouring my hair crazy colours since I had pink ombré last year. I thought about doing it again this summer but then found hair chalks in Penneys. These ones were €5 and come in a pack with pink and purple. Looking at the brightness of the chalks I did expect them to be pretty vibrant, but they come out a lot more pastel, which isn't necessarily a bad thing either. I like the way the chalks fit into what looks like a mini GHD and you can easily pull it through your hair without getting chalk dust all over your hands! All in all, I do like these little chalks but if I was to take the plunge for pink ombré every day I'd definitely go with a hair dye.

Hope you enjoyed

Have an amazing day

x

Review: Lee Stafford My Big Fat Texturised Spray ❤

Today is going to be a review of Lee Stafford's 'My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray' Matte Style. I think this is a really handy little product as it gives hair a really nice beachy texture, but without the salty smell. It also holds better than a lot of sea salt sprays I have tried in the past and I just love the fact that it's all pink!

I think the best way to use this product is firstly, not to use any heat on your hair. If possible, let your hair dry naturally. Then, when your hair is dry, spray the product directly onto your hair and use your hands to style it as you like. If you want to find out more about the product click here to go to the Boots website.

For the price (around €10) this product has lasted me quite a long time, and still has plenty left. I really like it for the summer months but I would also definitely use it in the winter as well because it doesn't have a beachy smell; it smells sweet and slightly perfumed which I like for my hair.

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Have an amazing day

x

Skin Care: Greek Yogurt Face Mask ❤

Today is going to be about face cleansing and just generally looking after that pretty face of yours! The best thing to do is not to wait for breakouts, get in there before they even have a chance to think about appearing on your face. Scrubs with harsh granules can irritate your skin and may leave it red and blotchy, which nobody really wants!

First off, rather than steaming your skin which can be quite harsh, cover it with a warm wet towel and if you have some, put a few drops of peppermint or lavender oil on the towel. Leave this on for a minute or so. After you've done this it's time for the face mask!

I'm sure everyone knows the health benefits of yogurt, but it can also be used as a really good face mask, reducing redness in the skin after just one application sometimes. The best way to apply this face mask is using a few cotton balls and just apply a thin layer onto your face. If you want to add on two cucumber slices for your eyes these can add to the benefits as cucumber contains antioxidants that can reduce irritation of the skin. Make sure the cucumber has been kept cool beforehand though.

Let the mask set for about 10 minutes then wash off gently with lukewarm water.

Hope you guys like this and if you try it out be sure to let me know!

Have an amazing day

x

How To: Clean Your Makeup Brushes ❤

Keeping your makeup tools clean is super important, especially if you use them on a daily basis. They should be cleaned every four to six weeks to help them stay nice :)

The best thing to use to clean your brushes would be a mild baby shampoo like Johnson's baby shampoo as these types of shampoo won't contain too many harsh chemicals that could ruin the brush fibres. For longer brushes, such as powder or blusher brushes, sweep these through diluted shampoo (a mix of shampoo and water). And for shorter, finer brushes like, eyeshadow brushes, these should be dipped in undiluted shampoo.

Try not to soak the brushes in water or get the handles wet as this may damage the brushes. Another thing that could damage a brush is direct heat, so it's best to leave the brushes on a towel to dry naturally rather than using a hairdryer. The best time to do this would be the evening time when you won't need to use them until the next morning.

The best way to dry the brushes is to squeeze out the excess water with a towel, reshape and lay on a clean, dry towel overnight, allowing the air to circulate. Then the next morning they're ready to use again!

Hope you enjoyed!
Have an amazing day
x

Haul: Penneys, River Island, H&M ❤

I went on a little shopping trip recently and thought I'd do a post on the things that I bought! I didn't go too crazy as you'll see I only went to Penneys, River Island and H&M.

In Penneys I bought two sheer tshirts; one in white and one in khaki green. These are really nice for the summer because the material is so light. Both of these tshirts cost €5 which i think is good but Penneys have gotten more expensive the past few years because I remember back in the day when tshirts like this would cost two or three euro - oh Penneys...

I also went to River Island where there was a sale on! It was crazy busy in there so I didn't stay very long. The accessories seemed fairly accessible since most people were diving into the clothing racks so that's where I headed :) I picked up a lilac coloured beanie for €3 and a Hamsa hand ring for €1 - if they're not bargains I don't know what is! I love this beanie because its a bright enough colour to wear it on cool days during the Summer and its a hat so it can be worn in Autumn and Winter too! Yay!

The last place I went was H&M, where there was a sale on there too! Here I bought a tshirt dress that has a really cool back and muscle tank sleeves. It's long enough to wear as a dress in summer but it can also be a top when it gets colder too. As you can tell I really like buying clothes and accessories that can go from season to season - I think that's money well spent!

Hope you enjoyed
Have an amazing day!

x

Book of the Month: July - Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn ❤

I don't know how many people will be interested in a Book of the Month post but I think it's a bit of a change from the usual reviews and beauty things! In the last few years I really haven't been reading at all unless it was for a school or college assignment but this summer I find I actually have free time to just sit out and read a book :)
The one I read this month (well technically I finished it this month but I've been reading it on and off since May!) is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It's not your typical romancey style book where girl meets boy and falls in love and they live happily ever after, oooh no! It's actually quite a thriller! And I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet but there's a HUGE twist half way through the book. I was told this early on and it took so much self control not to skip ahead and find out what was going to happen!
I found once I got into this book I couldn't put it down; you just constantly want to know what happens next and how certain things came to be. When you do finally figure out the twist it changes the whole story and your perception of the characters! It's really well written and I would definitely recommend it as a summer read if you're going on holiday or just lazing in the garden.

Hope you enjoyed
Have an amazing day

x

Review: Benefit Ooh La Lift ❤

First off I have to say I am completely in love with Benefit products so there may be a slight bit of prejudice in this review but I shall go ahead anyway :) The product I am going to be reviewing today is Benefit Ooh La Lift Instant Under-eye Brightening Boost. This costs €24.50 from Debenhams, you can view this site here.

I love the packaging because it's so simple but still so cute, and the name's for the products like 'Ooh La Lift' always make them that little bit better. I've had this eye brightening cream for a while now and I still like it as much now as I did when I first used it. All you do is apply three or four little dots under each eye using the applicator and gently pat it in. I usually apply it after I've done my makeup but you can do it beforehand if you like as it doesn't seem to specify which is the 'right' way to do it.

I do tend to get dark circles under my eyes from time to time but this does the job at brightening and covering up which I like, it just gives you the look that you actually got plenty of sleep the night before!

Overall I think it's a great little product to keep in your makeup bag for those days when you want a bit of a lift :) For more information and if you want to see the list of ingredients etc. you can look at this product on the Benefit website here.

Hope you enjoyed this review!

Have an amazing day

x

My Favourite Summer Nail Varnishes ❤

I love changing the colour of my nail varnish almost daily during the summer so here are a few I've been loving! And I actually found that quite a few of them are dupes for more expensive brands - win/win situation!

1. H&M Blue My Mind  dupe for China Glaze Modify Me

2. Angelica Sorbet dupe for Essie 'Shop Til I Drop'  

3. NYC Mint Macaroon dupe for China Glaze Refresh Mint

4. NYC Classy Glassy

5. Models Own Beach Party

6. Miss Sporty Lemon dupe for OPI Banana Bandana

7. Miss Sporty Baby Blue dupe for Revlon Blue Lagoon

8. Miss Sporty Turquoise dupe for China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise

My favourites out of these colours are the Miss Sporty Lemon nail varnish and The Models Own Beach Party nail varnish. These two are super summery colours and are definitely the two I wear the most often.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post

Have an amazing day!

x

The Big Bun Theory ❤

I find for the summer months the easiest and most comfortable way to style my hair is up! Whether that means a bun or a ponytail it's just a lot cooler and you don't feel like your hair is weighing you down especially if you're out shopping all day. I saw this picture on tumblr and just had to recreate all of the styles, so here are four simple different ways to style your hair in a bun!

Messy Bun

The first one is pretty simple, I used a hair "donut" as they are sometimes called, I tend to go with "fake bun". It makes the style a million times easier and you can make the bun big even if your hair is naturally quite thin!

Firstly I tied my hair up in a high ponytail, securing it with a bobbin. Then I get the hair donut and wrap my hair around that by placing it at the end of the ponytail and wrapping it around by folding the hair bun outwards. When you get to the end you can either secure it more tightly with booby pins or make it a bit messier by pulling the hair a little so its not as neat!

Ballerina Bun

Now for this one I went for a smaller sized hair donut as I wanted it to look more dainty and not as big as the messy bun. So using this the same way as before except with a side ponytail, I secured this one with bobby pins just because it was on the side of my head and I didn't want it to fall down throughout the day.

Bow Bun

For this bun I didn't use a hair donut because you need to be able to "cut" the bun in half. You start  by doing a high pony tail, but instead of pulling the hair all the way through the bobbin at the end, leave it so it makes a loose bun. When you have it the size you want it take a piece of hair about an inch or so thick and pull that out of the bobbin. Wrap it over the bun shape to create a bow and bobby pin it in place!

Boho Braid Bun

This style of bun is definitely my favourite and it's super easy like the rest of them. Basically it's the same steps as the Messy Bun but leave enough hair out of the bun to plait into the braid. You can do a fishtail braid or a standard braid, either will work fine. Wrap this around the end of the bun and secure it with a bobby pin at the back. To make the style look more boho you can mess the hair a bit more in the front by pulling it slightly to make it looser.

Hope you guys enjoyed these hairstyles!
Have an amazing day :)

x

Review: L'oreal Absolut Repair Cellular Masque ❤

I don't tend to invest very often in expensive hair products unless I've heard brilliant reviews, but I went a bit wild when I was in Peter Marks last month and bought a hair mask. My hair wasn't in brilliant condition. I had put a dye in it and whatever happened it just didn't take very well and left my hair very brassy and dry. While I was in the hairdressers they cut a bit off the length, mostly the dead ends, to help it repair quicker but  they also suggested a hair mask, which I thought would be a good idea, just as a once off. So I bought the L'oreal Professional Absolut Repair Cellular Masque which cost around €16. It's not available in pharmacies that I know of as it's a professional product, but I'm sure you could find it in a Peter Marks near you, or online from Amazon.

As I said my hair wasn't in great condition so I needed something to bring it back to life. I started using this hair masque properly about a month and a half ago and I have actually noticed a difference. You only need the tiniest bit for hair just below the shoulder, maybe more for longer hair. First you wash your hair as normal with shampoo and rinse it out, then towel dry your hair so its got the majority of the wetness out of it but it's still quite damp. Get a small amount of the product and rub your hands together to distribute it evenly and then put it in your hair. I tend to focus on the ends of my hair and not so much on the roots as I find if I put any sort of conditioning product on them they look a bit greasy which is not attractive! When you've got the product in your hair, leave for about 2 minutes then rinse it out.

I really do like this product as I find it makes my hair feel softer than it was before and it smells really nice too which is always a bonus. It seems to be lasting a long time as I only use it once, or maybe twice a week. I will definitely continue to use it until it's all gone :) with a possible chance of repurchase in the future!
Hope you enjoyed this post!
Have an amazing day

x

Toblerone Cookies ❤

I know I've already done a blog post on baking chocolate chip cookies but I'm a little obsessed if that wasn't obvious :) These Toblerone cookies are so easy to make! And you don't need a whole load of crazy fancy ingredients! 

All you need is:

1 cup Self-Raising Flour

1/2 cup White Sugar

One Egg

75g Butter/Margarine

100g Toblerone

(makes 10 large cookies)

First, put the butter/margarine and the sugar in the bowl and mix them together until there's no sugar left at the end of the bowl. When that's done, add in the egg and flour and mix it up again until its a nice cookie dough mixture. Then, chop up the bar of Toblerone (this can take quite a while if you're like me with a knife!) You could also grate the chocolate into the mix if you want smaller chunks!

When you're happy with the cookie dough you can start rounding the mixture into small balls and put them onto a baking tray, making sure there's enough space for them to spread as they bake.

Put them in the oven at 190 degrees celcius for about 15 to 20 minutes or until they turn brown. Take them out and slide them onto a wire rack and wait for them to cool.

Voilá, Toblerone cookies!

Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm sure I'll be baking again soon, it's quite addictive :) especially when you get yummy cookies afterwards!

Have an amazing day

x

DIY: Muscle Tank Crop Top ❤

Here's a little DIY you can do if you have an old t-shirt that you want to jazz up a bit! Personally, I don't really wear t-shirts with sleeves anymore; but this style is a whole lot more up to date. Firstly, grab a t-shirt that you want to cut up. I found this superhero t-shirt which is about a year old and I think I wore it once! These kind of tops aren't my style but I do like the design so it's the perfect one to DIY!

 

Chop off the sleeves from about half way down the top, or as far down as you want the tank to be open. When it's cut make sure to pull on the fabric so it curls in and the scissor marks won't be at all noticeable if you go a little off.

When you have the sides how you want them then you can move on to the cropping part. Cut the back in a straight line across about two inches under the end of the sleeve. Stretch the fabric again to hide any mistakes! For the front, cut a triangle shape from the centre to each side of the top making sure it matches to the back. When you have the triangle done, cut in a straight line up the centre which will give you the ties!

 This is how mine turned out - not too bad actually! Hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial, hopefully I'll do more soon!

Have an amazing day

x