TOP FIVE MAKE-UP BRUSHES

I do love make-up brushes. I wash them to keep them clean and germ-free, and replace them when they look tired. I have loads, as there really is a brush for every occasion. Below are some of my favourites....



Max Factor Foundation Brush, £10
exclusively at Boots. http://www.boots.com/

I was a lover of my MAC foundation brush, but it cost a bloody fortune, and my little sister one day decided she would paint with it - actual GREEN paint... it never recovered. Anyway, I've recently switched to the Max Factor Foundation brush, and I love it.  Famously Max Factor is the 'make-up of make-up artists', so it's no surprise that Caroline Barnes is a fan of this brush. It's really firm - great for precise application. It's made with smooth capra hair - it's lush, and at a tenner - you'll be able to buy one for your little sister to use for her art project (and still spend less than you would at the MAC counter!).

EcoTools Eye Shading Brush, £4.10
http://www.boots.com/

Renowned make-up artist Lauren Parsons (she's worked with Mario Testino!) says that 'looking good shouldn't cost the earth' - which I totally agree with. She's an ambassador for EcoTools brushes, which as well as being unbelievably soft, are one of the first to use sustainable resources to minimise the negative effect on the environment. I adore the Eye Shading Brush - it's really large - so is great for shading. The best part? You can feel good about spending money on make-up!!

Cosmopolitan TM Smokey Eyes Brush Set  £5.99

http://www.tesco.com/

Have you ever come a-cropper on a Monday morning, as you go to apply your 'day eyeshadows' for work... You go to apply a nice cream/brown shade and then spend twenty minutes rubbing the brushes on tissues/your hand/dressing gowns trying to get the dark colours off the brushes because you gave yourself a sexy smokey eye at the weekend!!? The answer? Get a special set for your dark eyeshadow with Cosmopolitan’s Smokey Eyes Brush Set. The trio of professional brushes have been specifically designed to create a truly smouldering eye. The base brush is there to layer and blend your desired colour, using deeper colour on the outer corners of the eye to make them appear larger. The angled brush can then be used to add a deep colour to your top & bottom lash line, finally the smudger brush can be used to add a white or silver shadow to the inner corner of your eye to make them appear brighter... and leave your regular brushes free for your pale shades!

Now, apologies that I don't have an image of this brush - but it's fab, so I'm going to talk about it anyway. It's a black Kabuki brush from Boots. It costs about £4/5 and is amazing for applying bronzer - you can use the side of it to apply to cheekbones, but it has a really big head, so if you want to apply to your whole face/shoulders, then it's great for this too. Boots don't appear to sell it online either : ( but I've bought about four... and loads of my friends have one too, so I doubt very much they discontinue it! Have a search....

Paint brush, cheap
all good art shops

I was on a shoot recently, and a lovely make-up artist was telling me that she uses artist paint brushes for applying gel eyeliner. What a great call. Good make-up brushes like this can cost £20, but art shops sell these tiny brushes for a couple of quid. Even an expensive brush won't last forever, as you need them to be so precise, so stock up on a few artist ones next time you're in an art shop - now that's what I call crafty!

Any brush suggestions from you?

TOP FIVE MOTHERS DAY GIFTS

So, I have been a naughty little blogger and not posted for a week or so. Tut tut tut. I have excuses - I have been a busy little soldier, chained to my desk at work but I promise to do better in future. This Sunday, in case any of you have forgotten, is Mother's Day. After buying my mum gifts at Christmas, Mothers Day and her birthday each year, it can get a little tricky to come up with a new idea. I quite often just ask her what she wants, but for those of you that want to surprise your mum this Sunday, I've come up with a top five gift ideas for your No. 1 Mum...

Royal Horticultural Society Sunflower Candle, £12
http://www.wax-lyrical.co.uk/

Wax Lyrical and the Royal Horticultural Society have collaborated to create the RHS Chelsea collection. The Sunflower candle comes in a contemporary case, but has a beautiful black and white botanical English garden illustrations from the RHS Lindley Library adorning the glass. It is so, so pretty. It has a fresh spring scent containing a luxurious blend of essential oils. It's a great gift for mum to enjoy this Sunday!

Rose Jug, £25
http://www.marksandspencer.co.uk/

I think this jug from M&S is so cute... I prefer plants to flowers, as they have a bit of longevity. What is also amazing about M&S is that if you order by 6pm, you get next day delivery - perfect for last minute 'what do I buy mum?' panics!!


Charbonnel & Walker Pink Champagne Truffles, £21.50
http://www.charbonnel.co.uk/

 A gift from Charbonnel & Walker will always make the recipient feel special - I bought some for my darling mum last year. The pink coloured champagne truffles have a milk chocolate and Champagne centre - yummy! The boxes of these premium eats are so gorgeous you need not wrap them! Bonus for people with substandard wrapping skills (like me!).

Diane Von Furstenberg Campbell Silk Scarf, £125
http://www.selfridges.com/

I think scarfs are always a lovely gift. You'd need to be feeling pretty flash to buy your mum a DVF scarf for mother's day, but this one is so so pretty, I just had to include it on my blog!

Prucia Plum Liquer, £31
http://www.harrods.com/

Oh my goodness... This has to be the most amazing drink I have ever, and may ever try. Buying booze for your mum isn't necessarily the obvious choice for Mothers Day, but why not break the trend and pick her up a bottle of the heavenly Prucia Plum Liquer? Serve over crushed ice or splash in a glass of Champagne for an uber-posh Kir Royal!

Love to all your mums xxx

TOP FIVE DAYTIME MOISTURISERS

Smooth, hydrated, soft skin. That's what we're all aiming for. There's hundreds of moisturisers on the shelves and it can be tricky to find one that does the job without breaking your skin out in spots - or breaking the bank! I've tested so many moisturisers in the past few years, but my favourite five are listed below....

Garnier Nutritionist Youthful Radiance Daily Moisturiser for Normal/Combination Skin, £8.67
http://www.boots.com/

Best value

Garnier Nutritionist Youthful Radiance Daily Moisturiser is the most amazing moisturiser... and it's less than £9!! It moisturises without being oily - the perfect base for make-up. This product is specially developed for skin showing the first signs of ageing, so will smooth out any fine lines and supplement skin with caring ingredients. It feels and smells lovely on skin. A bargain buy. Love,love, love!

StriVectin® Instant Moisture Repair™, £51
http://www.salonskincare.co.uk/

Best for thirsty skin
I have combination skin, which can be tricky, as I have patches of skin fighting for moisture, while my t-zone wishes to avoid coming into contact with more oil. I think StriVectin moisturiser is a great solution, as not only does it moisturise the areas that need it, but it's non-oily, so keeps my whole face happy (when clinically trialled, skin moisture levels of people using this cream rose by 30% in one hour!). It's also clinically proven to keep skin looking young - bonus! This is the first StriVectin product I've used, but I would definitely try products from this brand again.

Nelsons Pure & Clear Balancing Moisturiser, £8
http://www.nelsonspureandclear.com/

Best for oily skin
Nelsons Pure & Clear Balancing Moisturiser for oily skin helps control shine by balancing oil production. It manages to leave skin smooth and hydrated without blocking pores, which is a real plus if your pores are on the large side!. Its formula you'd expect from an oil-free moisturiser, it's light has a slightly clinical smell. The moisturiser also contains aloe vera to soothe and calm irritated skin. I use this moisturiser when I have spots, to get my skin back on track.

Simple Daily Radiace with SPF 10, £6.63
http://www.boots.com/

Best for brightening
We all know that wrinkles make us look old, but dull skintone and texture can be just as guilty in ageing our face. Simple, the experts in sensitive skin, launched their Radiance range of skin-illuminating products to help women achieve naturally brighter-looking skin. It contains mango extract to moisturise as well as light reflecting particles to illuminate the skin and even out skin tone - giving it a youthful glow! It also has SPF 10, that goes some way to protect against photoageing (although ideally, it should be 15!).

Caudalie’s Vinosource Quenching Sorbet-Crème, £20

http://www.caudalie.com/

Best for soothing skin
This ultra light cream hydrates and soothes sensitive and dehydrated skin. The cream restarts internal hydrating mechanisms and restores water reserves according to the packaging!). It feels like a really premium cream, and gives skin a velvety finish. Luscious. I love the packaging too.

What moisturisers do you swear by?

TOP FIVE BLUSHERS

The finishing touch to my make-up is a flash of blusher. It brings it all together and adds some colour to my face! Here are my top five blushers...

Dainty Doll Blusher in Hippy Shake, £13
Harrods

Best for pale & interesting sorts

Now, you may have seen my top five foundations post recently, where Dainty Doll featured, but my absolute favourite product in the Dainty Doll range (created by Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts) is the blusher. I just love the lilacy beauty of the Hippy Shake powder cheek tint. It's the perfect product to give pale skin a glow - and it will sculpt your cheekbones so they look razor sharp! The compact is gorgeous and slimline, complete with a mirror for on-the-go touch-ups. Hooray for the ginger Girls Aloud gal!

Touch of Blush, £10
http://www.hqhair.com/

Best for Dannii Mingogue wannabes

Dannii Minogue - she knows how to look amazing, doesn't she! How does she get her cheeks looking so rosy? Touch of Blush, that's how! I'm not surprised she selected this product either, rushing between her Project D empire, looking after little Ethan and X-Factor, she needs an easy-to-apply blusher like this... It's a great, summery colour and can be applied in one sweep - a great handbag essential (as the powder comes out on a brush for ease of application). 

New CID i – glow in Coral Crush, £24
http://www.newcidcosmetics.com/

Best for those who like their blush with a shim-shim-shimmer

I'm a big fan of new CID products - the white packaging makes them look a little space age. They have a new compact shimmer powder that contains a magical marble blusher inside - filled with a swirl of cheek-tinting colours containing light reflective pigments that mimic your skins natural radiance. This blusher is great for a night out - giving a dramatic look with a subtle shimmer! 



No7 Blusher in Soft Damson, £9
http://www.boots.com/



Best for a classic look

This powder blush from No7 creates a really natural colour on the cheeks - the shade I love from the range is Soft Damson. It's so easy to apply, and it would need a lot for you to look 'overdone'. It's a real bargain to - less than £10. My only gripe with No7 products is I find that the clear bit on the lids of its products come loose/fall out, which can make transporting them tricky... but I do love this blusher, so I guess 'lid issues' aren't a big deal!



Airbase blusher, £32.95
www.airbasemakeup.com/blush

Best for a pro finish

Silicone feels really smooth on skin; doesn't clog pores, allows skin to breathe and is the reason why Airbase make-up has amazing durability. Silicone products are preferred by many make-up artists, as they last particularly well at high temperatures (great for being under strong lights on stages and film sets). This makes this blusher great on nights out - as it will stay on no matter how hot you get. It's almost water-like in texture - so you can put a teeny, tiny bit on with a foundation-type brush, and then work-up until you achieve the desired amount of rouge.

What blusher could you not live without?

TOP FIVE PANCAKE IDEAS

So, This Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day! Yippee. Get flippin, but first read my top five pancake ideas... 



New Orleans Drizzle
www.facebook.com/southerncomfort

 Ingredients

2 large oranges

50g butter

50g golden caster sugar

Large Pinch cinnamon

4tbsp Southern Comfort

+ pack mini pancakes (+vanllia ice cream if you want them to be extra special!)

Holy sweet Jesus, how good do these pancakes look? About half as good as they taste. Go buy some small Scotch Pancakes, and toast them, before drizzling over this delicious sauce... here's the recipe:

First, peel the rind from one orange, and cut into thin strips. Squeeze the juice from both oranges.

Then, heat the butter and sugar in a frying pan until dissolved. Add the orange rind, juice and cinnamon. Bring to the boil and boil until its reduced by half (the sauce will be syrupy).

Toast the pancakes and pour over the sauce. Serve with vanilla ice-cream if you're feeling like an extra treat. Heavenly pancakes that will impress all your friends!!



Wholemeal Pancakes with Simmered Winter Fruits

Ingredients 

For the pancakes:

110g wholemeal flour

pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

300ml skimmed milk

1 teaspoon Splenda granulated sweetener

vegetable oil, for frying

For the fruit filling:

1 orange

250ml orange juice

25g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped

25g raisins

pinch of mixed spice

1 apple, cored and sliced

2 plums, stoned and sliced

2 teaspoons cornflour

1 tablespoon Splenda granulated sweetener

So, if you're looking for something a little healthier, try this little recipe. It uses Splenda, which is a healthier version of sugar. Here's the how-to:

First, place the flour and salt into a large bowl with the egg, milk and sweetener. Beat together with a wire whisk to make a smooth pancake batter.

To make the filling, peel strips of zest from the orange using a potato peeler. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the orange juice, pour the rest into a saucepan and add the strips of zest, the apricots, raisins, and mixed spice. Place on the heat and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes to plump up the fruit. Remove the orange zest. Meanwhile, cut the orange into segments, removing all the pith.

Drop the orange segments into the saucepan with the sliced apple and plums. Mix the cornflour with the reserved orange juice and add to the pan. Heat again gently, stirring until thickened and smooth. Stir in the sweetener, and keep warm over a low heat whilst making the pancakes.

Heat a large frying pan and add a few drops of vegetable oil. Pour in a thin stream of batter, tilting the pan so that it flows evenly across the surface. Cook over a medium heat until set, then flip the pancake over to cook the other side. Make four large pancakes in this way. Place on warm plates and serve immediately with the simmered fruit.

 

simple pancakes

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 dessert spoons plain flour

2 tsp caster sugar

300ml milk

Pinch of salt

Sometimes, we just need a simple pancake, to load with our favourite fillings. Here's how:

First, mix eggs, flour, sugar and salt to a paste. Slowly add the milk mixing continuously until it becomes

the consistency of paint. I like to use Happy Eggs, as they're laid by hens that are well looked after. 

Then, pour into a flat, hot, buttered pan. Lift the pan moving the mixture so that it evenly coats the base of

the pan to form a thin pancake

After about 2 minutes the pancake should be loose. Tease the edges and then with a rolling motion,

toss the pancake and catch it again to cook the other side for approx 1 minute. Cover it whatever you like. Classics are lemon & sugar and Nutella, nuts and strawberries.... mmmmmm



Caramelised Pink Lady Apple Pancakes



Ingredients

100g plain flour

2 eggs

300ml milk

50g butter, melted

Cream or vanilla ice cream to serve

For the caramelised apples:

4 Pink Lady® apples

50g butter

50g light muscovado sugar

My mum always used to make stewed apple for us to pile on our pancakes, here's a recipe to create lovely apple pancakes. You'll want second helpings!!

Whizz the flour, eggs, milk and a generous pinch of salt in a blender or food processor until smooth, with the consistency of double cream – this only takes a few seconds. Then set the pancake batter aside for 10 minutes.

Next, brush a frying pan with some melted butter and put over a medium heat. Pour in enough batter (about 4 tablespoons) to coat the base, then tilt the pan so it spreads evenly. Cook the pancake for about 1 minute, until the underside is flecked with gold, then flip it over. When both sides are lightly golden, remove from the pan and keep warm. Continue making pancakes, brushing the pan with butter as needed to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, prepare the apples. Core them and cut into thin slices. Set a frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and leave it to melt. Add the apples and sprinkle with the sugar. Sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften and caramelise.

Fold the pancakes into quarters and serve topped with the apple slices and drizzled with the syrupy pan juices, with cream or ice cream on the side. Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Coconut Banana Pancakes
(recipe from Waitrose.com)

Ingredients

1 medium egg
120g plain flour
200ml coconut milk
50ml cold water
1tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1/4 tsp salt
3 bananas
Cinnamon
Maple syrup

I love Waitrose, and they have some fab recipes. I was particularly taken by this one (I've not tried it yet - so would be great to hear how you get on). Beat 1 medium egg in a large bowl. Stir in 120g plain flour, 200ml coconut milk, 50ml cold water, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil, 3 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt to create a smooth batter. Then, slice 3 bananas in 1cm-thick slices. Put a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. When very hot, pour about 50ml of batter into the centre. Gently press 4-5 banana slices into the batter as the pancake cooks. When golden on the base, dust with cinnamon and flip over. Cook until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot with more banana, and maple syrup.