Cookies and Cream Layer Cake

Hey lovelies, 

So today i was literally itching to do a big bake...didn't expect to do this whopper! 

Meet my Cookies and Cream Layer Cake...

I made this last year, and was honestly the easiest, and most yummiest cake i had made to date. Simple yet effective.

So here is my version of the recipe...

You will need-

• 3 10" inch cake tins
• Electric mixer- i used my K Mix

For the sponge mixture...

• 100g unsalted butter- softened
• 380g caster sugar
• 320g plain flour
• 4tsp baking powder
• 320ml buttermilk- these come in 280ml tubs, so cheekily you will need to of these! 
• 3 large eggs
• 4 cookies- that do not contain white chocolate- the 'soft' sort, you can find these in a bakery section of a supermarket. I bought mine from Waitrose. 

For the butter cream...

• 1kg icing sugar- not sifted
• 320g unsalted butter- softened
• 500g mascarpone- try Galbani
• 3 cookies (see above)

Preheat your oven at 180c 

Measure out and add all your dry ingredients to your mixer, along with 100g of your unsalted butter. Mix till all combined, and almost like a 'sandy' consistency.

In a jug put your buttermilk- (1 and a half tubs), plus 3 large eggs and mix well.

Slowly add and incorporate the wet to the dry and leave on a medium speed to allow all ingredients to come together and you should have no lumps.

Crumble up your cookies and using a spoon or spatula, fold in.

Evenly distribute between 3, well greased and lined tins. Add then bake in the oven.

When they have cooked evenly, remove from the oven, in their tins and leave to cool for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Then for the butter cream...

Start off with about 250g of icing sugar and a tablespoon of mascarpone, along with your 320g of the unsalted butter (cut into cubes), and add to your mixer on a slow speed setting, as not to create a 'dust' cloud...

Gradually add all the ingredients to the mixer and then let the speed increase so that all of mixture is properly incorporated. You do not want a gritty butter cream consistency, i would always say to let your mixer do the hard work for you. 

When the butter cream is ready to go, you can start to assemble your cake. 

This is the fun bit!

Take your plate, board or stand, and put a bit of the butter cream onto it as so the first sponge cake can adhere too. 

Layer the sponge with the butter cream, and then some of your cookies that are broken up. (Imagine building a lasagne's...same sort of idea...)

Repeat until your cake is complete. I have iced the sides also, but you font have too. Finish your layer cake with large pieces of the remaining cookies. 

You may now sit back and admire your masterpiece!

Well done!

Have a great evening! 

Current favourites

So we are in the middle of the month, yet i feel i need to do a 'Current Favourites' blog.

Lots of things that i love so far this month... these are it...

I don't know what it is about these items, but i keep going back to them daily, (obvs not the pj leggings- they would need washing)!, 

I seem to be hooked on Soap & Glory products, this Sugar Crush Body Buttercream is divine! I could actually eat it, it smells that good. The scent lasts along time also, very zesty.

Also the Hand Dream Super Intensive Hand Cream is really good, love the packaging- i seem to have a thing for pink products.... can you tell?

This product i think has to be the beauty bloggers most blogged skincare product of 2014, let alone 2015. The Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is honestly incredible, you get alot in the bottle to start off with, its reasonably priced compared to the one that started it all... La Roche- Posay Micellar Solution at £12. This takes ALL your makeup off, makes your skin feel squeaky clean, i would say to maybe use a facial wipe first to take most of your makeup off, then a few cotton pads to take everything that's left off your skin. 

I love this foundation. Simple. It is matte for starters, and for me and my skin, do not usually take too kindly to matte products, (i have combination skin), but this is fine. Its build able, doesn't cake- or yet i don't believe it does, and very high coverage. Win win!

Onto Nails, o i love a good nail varnish or polish or whatever you want to call this kind of stuff... I never really try new brands when it comes to manicure products, i don't know why, but i always tend to stick with what i know, trust and love. That's Nails Inc, Essie and Rimmel. But i decided to jump into the deep end, and check out Loreal. Love their slimline bottles, very chic and cute. Not badly expensive either in my opinion, This one is the Color Riche Sequin Explosion, which has now replaced the Grosvenor Gardens from Nails Inc- (they no longer do this product..boo), plus also, i needed a new Top Coat, as my go- to Caviar Top Coat from Nails Inc, (9th bottle, so shoot me), was below half.... I was informed of a new, shiny, exciting Top Coat from Seche. So far, i have had no problems, it leaves nails incredible glossy, and dries in seconds. Totally impressed. Go Google it, or take a look at the link below!

My holy grail of Dry Shampoo has to be this. Batiste is probably the best of all of them out there on the market. Its quite pricey, i do find that with alot of them out there, some of which are higher than £4! Shocking.

Next, is the No.7 Make Up Brush Cleanser, ideal between deep cleansing your brushes and applicators. Very easy to use, i just use an old hand towel, a few pumps of this on it, and then swirl your brush until you see the makeup come off. Very simple. Plus this will last a long which as a little goes along way with this.

Last but not by any means least, Primark! Need i say more? I feel as if i may have a slight legging/ PJ trouser obsession... These are soooo comfy and cute, and very cheap, i think these were £6 or £8, and are made pretty well. I love the detailing on the bottom of the legs. May have to return to 'look at' more.... Just for research of course... 

Have a great weekend. Claire x

April Glossybox

So finally my April Glossybox arrived, and boy did they do good this month.

I have to say, the actual packaging of the box is beautiful, and this on is the Iconic Hollywood Edition.

Comes as you would expect, with the ribbon and tissue paper wrapped and inside are 4 full size beauty products, and one mini.

These are....

• Lord & Berry Lipstick Pencil in Kiss

The perfect statement red. Classic pillar box hue is ideal for a classic red lip, it claims to be long- lasting and softening. Would be great worn alone or with a lip balm or non sticky gloss over the top.

• Astral Original Face and Body Moisturiser

Rich moisturising cream that has been around for a long while, and continues to do well. Perfect for all ages and skin types, very hydrating and does the job!

• POP Beauty Kajal Eyeliner Pen

Everyone loves and eyeliner, and personally i prefer a liquid pen, but this isn't at all bad. Create a flicked wing with one swipe, and then smoke out if you wanted with the sponge end. 

• Color Club Barely There Nail Polish

Nude nails are big for SS15, and many nail brands do great versions of the classic 'nude' , i hadn't heard of this brand before now, so i am hoping it does a great job. Its quite cheap too, which isn't a problem, but am not a fan of the strong smell, that reminds me of how polishes used to be... We shall see how this turns out and how well it lasts too.

• Nougat London Luscious Lip Balm

I have to say, i am in love with the cute packaging! Why can't all packaging be like this? Comes in a diddy little box, which you pull the tab out in a drawer- like fashion, then there js a small tin, which encases the lip balm itself. Smells divine too, and i love fig. So this is great. Can also be used as a base for lipstick or gloss.

These are worth the £10 a month subscription fee, (plus p+p) , and i will link below all the information and where you can purchase the items individually. 

Have a good evening lovelies x

http://www.glossybox.co.uk/

www.selfridges.com

www.boots.com

www.popbeauty.co.uk

www.colorclub.com

www.nougatlondon.co.uk

March Boots Haul and review (all in one)

Hey people, hope you have had a good weekend, mine has certainly been jam packed which i love!

Thought i would catch up and let you know what i recently purchased, well i say purchased ( i was sent vouchers and had amassed nearly £20 of points at Boots. Yesss!

So spent it on this lovely lot :)

What i got....

Soap & Glory....

• Sugar Crush Body Buttercream £10.50
• Sugar Crush Body Wash £6.50
• Hand Dream Super Intensive Hand Cream £7.00

L' Oreal...

• Lumi Magique Concealer in Light  £8.49
• Infallible Matte Foundation in Vanilla £6.99
• Color Riche Nails in Sequin Explosion 842

Collection...

• Lock n Hold Lipgloss in Rock Steady £2.99

Batiste...

• Dry Shampoo Original in Clean & Classic £2.99

Clean & Clear...

• Advantage Spot Treatment Gel £4.59

And the immediately the first thing i will say about this is that this new foundation i purchased, is quite simply incredible. Unlike nothing i have ever used. I made a brief review on my Instagram about this and the concealer, but seriously wow. I have combination to oily skin, and have always used time and time again the Mac Pro Longwear Foundation, and even though i have always gone to it, and re purchased it time and time again, it never 'lasted' the 15 hours it claimed. Nothing against Mac, as its probably my skin, and yes i do powder. But anyway... This L' Oreal Infallible Matte is now thee best ever, and its so cheap!! 

As this is more like a liquid to powder foundation, yes its in tube, but honestly it sets very quickly, it actually lasts all day, and that's a big deal. I am used to re applying makeup twice a day, especially if i am off to work in the evenings, and with this i do not need too. Fab. Its great coverage too, i would say medium to full coverage, and the colour shades are pretty decent too. 

Also i have had time to use and mess about with the Lumi Concealer, but am not loving it. For starters i have an issue with price. It is expensive for a concealer, and i would rather pay for Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat £25.99 or Mac Select Cover Up £15.50 over this- i would even rather use the Boots own Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light £4.19 if it was about the price itself. It is fine for highlighting, and that's about it. Also you get very little product, which i do not think would last long at all. Looks like it can cut the mustard, but sadly for me no. Sorry L' Oreal...

Another happy purchase was the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Cream and Body Wash. The scent on these is gorgeous. Limey, sweet, and almost creamy. I already have the Scrub somewhere in my massive collection of smellies. What i rate highly on all their products, is that you get generous sized products, which lasts a long time, and i use mine at least daily!! 

I chose their new hand cream too, not much to say, its a hand cream. But has the same Sugar Crush scent which is winner. One other thing i love always about Soap & Glory is just their packaging. Stands out, bold, pretty all at the same time. Well done.

These along with the make up always seem to be on a 3 for 2 promotion at Boots and at Boots.com, so i totally recommend you take up the opportunity to stock up or at least try and test out these for yourself. 

Of the other items, i chose was the L' Oreal Color Riche Nails in Sequin Explosion, has to be along with Nails Inc glitters etc.. one of the best multi- colour glitters out there. Stunning. You could wear it purely on its own which would look nice, but i think it would be too much.... i tend to add as an accent on the pinky nail alone or over a neutral polish like my current favourite shade- Essie Ballet Slippers, and do not forget your top coat. Please check out Seche Vite, it will become your go to choice. I will leave a link below on all products mentioned.

Last but not lease of course, my recurrent buys, which i don't need to explain much about are the Clean & Clear Advantage Spot Treatment and Batiste Dry Shampoo. Great products, do what they say, and are reasonably priced. Work every time too. 

Have a good Sunday evening, ta x

http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Lumi-Magique-Concealer_1247628/

http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-Infallible-Matte-Foundation_1655157/

http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Color-Riche-Nails_1247462/

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Sugar-Crush-Body-Buttercream_1286667/

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Sugar-Crush-Body-Wash-500ml_1286669/

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Hand-Dream-Super-Intensive-Hand-Cream-100ml_1367865/

http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lock-n-Hold-lipgloss_1208334/

http://www.boots.com/en/Clean-Clear-Advantage-Spot-Treatment-Gel-15ml_11634/

http://www.boots.com/en/Batiste-Dry-Shampoo-Original-Clean-Classic-200ml_1254477/

http://www.johnlewis.com/store/mac-select-cover-up/p601051?colour=NC30&navAction=jump&_requestid=5515369

http://www.johnlewis.com/yves-saint-laurent-touche-eclat-complexion-highlighter/p37503?colour=1

http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer_1436032/

http://www.seche.com/

http://www.essie.co.uk/Colours/sheers/ballet-slippers.aspx

Bleach London

Hey lovelies!

I have been literally itching to write up a review on Bleach London.

If you haven't actually heard or seen these amazing products, then where have you been!!

To be fair i had not heard much about the brand until early January, when i saw their products on the shelves in my local Boots. Certainly stands out from other competitive brands. For starters the bottles are unusual but makes them stand out for sure. I like the screw top lids they have on the shampoos, and hair dyes.

I am on my second bottle of the Silver Shampoo, and it does last a long time, i am pretty sure you are only meant to use a small amount, and leave on your hair for about 4 minutes, but me being me, i leave on for almost 10 minutes! Shock horror!! Ha!

Be aware people, that your hands and nails (and scalp) will turn a tinge of lilac, this stuff is hardcore.

Just to mention, that also if you are looking for a product that completely removes yellow brassy tones in your hair, then honestly this product is the one for you. It has changed my life. Seriously. I get my hair highlighted every 10 weeks or so, and my current natural hair colour is dark brown, so it can get a little yellow toned, and with this shampoo done either the very same day for 10 minutes, erases the yellow and changes my hair to an icy white. Its incredible. 

Also just to point out i am loving the 'grey' look that is trending in web... 

What do you think??

Have been using the shampoo every single time i wash my hair at the moment. So that's every day....ooops! 

But as we should all know, you must condition you hair, as with lightening your hair makes it very weak and brittle. I am aware my hair is very damaged, yet have no courage to have the ends cut or as i put it 'hacked' off. Aaah!

So am using in conjunction with the Silver Shampoo, the Reincarnation Mask. Love the packaging! Its very smart, and you get alot for the price which is a bonus in my opinion. Leaves your hair silky soft and back to health. Winner.

Will leave the links below for where to purchase the Bleach London products.

Have a great weekend! 

XxX

http://www.boots.com/en/Bleach-Silver-Shampoo-250ml_1401400/

http://www.boots.com/en/Bleach-Reincarnation-Mask-200ml_1401408/

http://bleachlondon.co.uk/

Creme Egg Cupcakes

So its been a while lovelies...

Thought i would let you in on my Creme Egg Cupcakes i made the other week...

As it is Easter literally around the corner! I am very excited by this...eeek!

This reciepe made 8 good sized cupcakes... which was ideal, as the leftover Creme Eggs could be scoffed!!

You will need:

- for the cakes

8 standard Creme Eggs- put in the freezer (deep freeze) for about an hour before creating..
8 Muffin Cases
125g Caster Sugar
125g Unsalted Butter softened
2 Large Eggs at room temperature
100g Self Raising Flour
25g Cocoa Powder (i used Green & Blacks)
1tbp Vanilla Extract
1tbsp Milk

And i cheated with the icing due to time... i had none! So i used just 1 tub of Betty Crocker Vanilla Buttercream and a star shaped nozzle and piping bag.

--Also you will need 8 mini Creme Eggs to go on the top for decoration.

Pre heat your oven to 180c and line your cupcake tin with the cases.

Beat the butter and sugar either by hand, but this will take a while longer and give you serious muscles haha- or use a mixer.

Slowly add your eggs and flour, a bit at a time, and then let everything come together, making sure no lumps can be seen.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixer and give it 3.

Take out your Creme Eggs and unwrap.

Put a tablespoon of cake mixture to your cases, and then put the whole Creme Egg in the case, follow with about 3/4 of a tablespoon of cake mixture on the top.

Bake for about 15 mins, but i would check on them and if there is a wobble, leave for a further 2-5 minutes.

Remove from oven

Once you are able to take them from the tray let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Then ice as desired.

Top with a minature Creme Egg

Your all done! Now enjoy!!