Chocolate Cookies

Hey guys! 

So today is the day we fly home :( but it won't be until about 11:00 tonight. I hope you've liked the posts from the last few weeks! Hopefully I should be able to do a few different DIY posts throughout the summer that are slightly bigger. 

This recipe is originally Tanya Burr's and I give complete credit to her as they are absolutely amazing! Here is the original recipe. I altered it slightly just to add my own twist but the basics are pretty much the same. 

She says the recipe tend to make 10 cookies but I'm not so sure about that because everytime I make the same amount and I end up with different numbers of cookies every time.  

200g butter

150g caster sugar 

150g soft brown sugar 

1 large egg

275g self-raising flour

Optional:

cocoa powder mixed with a little milk to make a paste 

a bar of milk chocolate (or buttons)

a bar of white chocolate (or buttons)

Raisins or sultanas

I tend to bake them at 180 degrees Celsius for about 13 minutes which is slightly longer than the original recipe but the temperature is lower. If they come out still very soft though, you may want to put them in for slightly longer until they're only slightly soft. 

A variation I did of this was to not add cocoa powder and put raisins or sultanas in instead of chocolate. This makes them slightly flatter for some reason when they cook but still soft and chewy. 

Myself and my family have all agreed that these cookies are by far the best ones we have ever had! They are so delicious and the brown sugar just adds a little extra soft and chewy-ness that otherwise caster sugar wouldn't.

Have an absolutely wonderful few days guys!

Until next time 

Grace

X

DIY Multi-Frames

Hey guys! 

This idea came to me when I saw how much these frames usually are in shops! I knew I had a load of old wooden frames and luckily, had some ivory paint left over from when we decorated my bedroom last year. I'm really sorry that the photos are such poor quality! The lighting in my room just didn't want to co-operate with me and they were taken a little quick!

I originally had some stickers on the frames so sanding them down was the first port of call to make sure the paint would go on smoothly. They all ended up looking pretty good afterwards so I laid out an old towel in the sunshine to paint them. (The towel ended up being a really good idea as I managed to spill some of the paint and the frames had paint on the undersides from where it went over a little). 

The frames were originally a light wood (but I didn't think to take before photos!) and can be brought from pretty much any hobby shop or online. The smaller frames were all the same size but all different thicknesses. I think this actually added more to the overall look of the frame in the end because it made it have a few different levels. I also found some larger frames that someone had given us a while ago and added one into the centre of the frames. Originally, I was just going to glue the smaller frames together but after I saw what the larger one looked like, I decided it looked a lot better! I had to do about 3 coats on all of the frames so that they were all the same colour and the paint was even. They came up looking pretty good actually! 

I then laid them out on the table/my bed to decide how they look best and used my glue gun to glue them all together. I think they came out looking pretty good and it definitely saved me money when it comes to it! It also creates a nice DIY touch to my room. 

Now, all I have to do is fill the frames with photos, put it up on the wall and the job is done! This post was a lot shorter that I was originally expecting! Sorry about that, but hopefully *crosses fingers* Saturday's post will be a little longer!

Have a lovely few days!

Until next time 

Grace

X

Zoella 'Blissful Mistful' Review

Hey guys!

Welcome to another lovely Wednesday! 

This body mist was something that I wanted to buy for quite a long time! I've watched Zoe's YouTube channel for years and when she released the range I automatically wanted to buy it but whenever I went to Superdug, they were sold out! It took until now (when she released the new range) for me to buy it! However, I thought it would make a good review. 

This body mist has such a beautiful smell! Fruity, floral and fresh. It just adds an extra lift each morning when I spray it! It isn't overpowering in any way but holds it's scent very well! At first I was a little skeptical about spending £8 on it but turns out, I'm using it a lot slower than I first expected! It's only gone down a little bit from when I first bought it and now, which is great! 

The bottle is also really cute! The dots on the back can be seen through the bottle which really adds to the pretty-ness of the liquid inside. I absolutely love the colour of the lid and how it ties in with the colour of the writing. It is just all super adorable and I love it!

Have a lovely few days guys! I really can't wait for you to read next Wednesday's post and I hope you enjoyed last Saturday's post!

Until next time 

Grace

X

Glue Sun-catchers

Hey guys! 

Happy Saturday! I hope your weeks have all been wonderful. 

This post may end in disaster. When I started this idea I wasn't sure if it was going to work and as I write this, I already know that I may have tried to peel the glue off before it was dry this morning! 

I found this idea on Pinterest and If it works, I think it would be a great DIY for kids or just for decorations. For this, you will need, glue (this was probably where I went wrong because it was clear PVA rather than the white one like the Pinterest post said to use), food colouring, an old lid to put it in and tooth picks. This actually didn't take too long to make (apart from the drying time) and was pretty fun! 

If you have gel food colour like me, I would recommend mixing a small amount with a drop of water to make it more liquid-y but regular food colouring is probably the best to use. I mixed my colouring in teaspoons and made all the primary and secondary colours. 

Squeeze a thick-ish layer of glue into the lid (I used an old jar lid) and then comes the fun bit! Drop a few drops of colouring onto the glue and then swirl them around with the toothpick. This makes the catchers all look completely unique and cool at the same time. 

Believe it or nit, this photo actually has no filters on it! 

It is best to leave the lid to dry for a day probably. I left mine all afternoon and night but it still wasn't dry this morning so I really wish I had left it longer! But, hopefully it will dry and look ok later on! 

Have a lovely week guys! 

Until next time 

Grace

X

Since writing this, the glue dried and it actually looks very cool! The colours are all swirly and pretty. However, I have no idea what I'm going to do with it! Always make sure the whole of the lid is covered as well because otherwise, the edges will be uneven and look weird. Like mine!

What's in my Holiday Make-up Bag

Hey guys!

I am super excited! Italy here I come! For the next 2 weeks, Wednesdays are going to be mostly reviews while Saturdays will be more in-depth/DIY posts.

This one is going to be a what's in my holiday make-up bag (not a review, I know, but it'll still be interesting. I promise!) 

When I go away, I tend not to wear too much make-up. If it's hot or humid, I tend to find it a little difficult to keep it on my face! In previous years I have taken way too much make-up with me and I have to admit to you guys, I am a true hoarder of make-up! Honestly, some of the pieces I have (mostly eye-shadows and lipgloss) I have had for several years! I know it is really bad but for some reason, I just don't want to throw it away. I'm sure I'll wear that bright turquoise eye-shadow and purple lipgloss someday! Anyway, onto the post....

I tried my hardest to limit what I took away this year and I wanted it to all fit into this bag (brushes included). I'm not sure where the bag is from, I think it is from Avon but I really can't remember. It is an average size and fits all of this perfectly. 

First up is my brushes. They are all a little mix and match, but my favourite is definitely my powder brush from Wilkos. It is honestly, so soft and lovely to use! The other brushes are all one of each that I need (eye-shadow brush, blusher/bronzer brush etc...). 

I also have my mousse foundation from New York Colour that I love so much! I know I say that a lot, but this one is definitely the best coverage I have ever gotten from a foundation. I am also taking a concealer and face powder. The sponges are just ones from Primark but I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'm going to take them yet. Not that they take up much space or weight!

The only eye-shadows that I'm taking this year are the ones in my Make-up Revolution palette (Girls on Film) because it has every colour I will need and wear plus some matte ones for the crease. I also have a blusher and bronzer that both came from a set I got for Christmas (Miss Cutie Pie). They're pretty compact, and great colours. (I'm also taking an eye-shadow primer.) My regular mascara and brown eyeliner also made the cut. 

Lastly, lip products. It may be a little odd to take 2 lip balms but one of them has an SPF 15 while the other is just regular. The SPF one is good to stop my lips getting sun-burnt (which I've done before and it hurts! A lot!) I'm also taking a simple lipgloss from 2true. 

These products mean that I can create my regular make-up looks or add a little extra if I'm going out anywhere. My setting spray is also coming along because I think it will make a huge difference and make my make-up stay put! 

I hope you guys have a lovely few days! (And that my post on Saturday goes up ok!) 

Until next time 

Grace

X

Testing Testing 1 2 3

So I think I finally worked out how to schedule posts!! Yay! This one is just a tester to see if it works while my laptop is off, or if it works at all! If it does work then there will definitely be posts while I'm away because it won't depend on when I have wifi! 

If it does work, hi, but if it doesn't then I guess you probably won't see this post anyway! Haha! 

Until next time 

Grace

X

Bottles of Beads

Hey guys!

I hope you have had a lovely weekend! I can't believe it's Sunday afternoon already though! I feel like time has been slipping away this week, it doesn't help that I keep forgetting what day of the week it is either. Hopefully there should be a tester post tomorrow, it's not all that exciting to be honest, I'm just testing to see if scheduling my posts will work while I'm on holiday.

As soon as I saw these bottles in Asda (which had chocolate milk in them originally), I knew I could use them and write a post about them! That, and I really wanted the chocolate milk inside, chocolate just so happens to be my favourite sweet, so it gave me a whole other reason to buy them! (I didn't drink both, I gave one to  my brother, just in case you were thinking a downed both in a day!) They're actually a lot like the glass milk bottles people get delivered and I know you can buy similar ones in Ikea but I have no idea how much they are!

I wish I had a flower or something to put in each of the bottles because I think it would look pretty cool, especially if it was a white flower. The contrast between the beads and the flower would look very pretty. 

To fill the bottles completely, I needed a LOT of beads! In hindsight, it probably would've been easier to do a mix of colours, rather than trying to separate all of the different colours! (Believe me, it took a long time!) I didn't buy any beads for it, they all came from a tin which I've had for absolutely years, which is why they are all different! You, of course, can buy some that create the look you want! The blue and green one fits the aesthetic of my room a lot more, so that will probably be the one I will keep like it. 

Instead of beads, you could use shells, or seeds, or sand. They could also be used in a kitchen, by filling them with milk or coffee granules. There is a tonne of possibilities for a simple bottle! However, I really recommend that you use a funnel or make a paper one (like I did) to get the beads or whatever you use, into the bottle as they are prone to going everywhere!

I hope you guys have a wonderful few days! Keep your fingers crossed that my scheduled post works!

Until next time 

Grace

X

In The Buff - Review

Hey guys!

Again, I'm sorry this didn't go up when I said it would! I think it's because I'm going away on Wednesday and I keep finding things I need to do! Like write a few posts that I can put up when I have wifi! 

I didn't realise, but the photos for this post were from ages ago, so they're in what little snow we had here in January! I hope they don't make you feel too cold...

I brought this eye shadow set last August, when I was in Wales and I instantly knew I loved all the colours and they would get good use! I wrote about it in my Wales haul post last year but put that there were only 2 matte shades and didn't really go into much detail. (When I took the pictures, I'll admit, they look hardly used but I'm not known for wearing particularly heavy eye shadow except at special occasions, so in 4 months, they weren't used too thickly). 

9 of the shadows have a slight shimmer, not too much but it is there enough for you to know it is kind of shimmery, if that makes sense! The other 3 are matte and are perfect for highlighting the brow bone or shading in the crease to give a bit more definition. The one I use for highlighting (Buff) has a slight yellow tinge (but only slightly), which I think just gives it a little bit more of a lightening effect. It is the kind of colour that I would say is a really milky pink with a tiny drop of yellow (which is the colour I ended up with when I was painting a face back at the beginning of year 10! (Let's just say, it didn't go well and they made me re-do the piece! The girl looked pretty much like a ghost and a very ill one at that!) The other matte shades are Onyx (which I'm pretty sure is just black) and Chocolate (a really subtle brown that defines perfectly). 

(I had to make this picture extra large so you could read the names! Hence why it goes off the page slightly.)

I only really use a couple of the colours on a daily basis (Sand, Chocolate, Earth, Buff and sometimes Dust), so I think I need to be slightly more experimental with my colours! All of the shades are incredibly pigmented and I think it is totally worth the £7 I paid for it! It is kind of like a cheaper dupe for the Naked palettes (there were other colour varieties in the Next I got it from). The brush that comes with it is pretty good but I don't tend to use it much as I have a couple of brushes that I think are pretty good already. They're not exactly high-end but they're good all the same! 

Have a lovely day! I'm going to post again on Sunday (This time I really do promise!) and it should be another DIY post. After this week, the posts will hopefully be up on Saturdays and Wednesdays again but it all depends on where and when I get wifi really. 

Until next time 

Grace

X

June Favourites

Hey guys!

So I finally got around to writing this! I probably should've written this post beforehand, so that I actually had something to put up! I'm sorry I kept you waiting! I hope you all had a lovely week and that it's been nice weather! Anyone in or around South East England, did you hear the huge storm on Friday night? I didn't, I managed to sleep right through as usual! I wish I had seen it though.

Since I haven't done a favourites post recently, I figured now would be a good time. All of these things are pretty new but I already know I want to share them! This first one you will recognise from my last post but I've tried it a little more now. It's the Make-up Revolution setting spray that I reviewed last week and since then, I've worn it more and for longer. It does a pretty good job at lasting 12 hours actually! It also holds makeup in place well (there's a better description in my review post)! 

2nd is this Nivea 2-in-1 micellar cleansing water. I used it leading up to prom to try and clear my skin of spots. I can never usually tell if these kind of things work or not but I'm pretty sure this one did! It can also removes makeup and moisturises in one which means you don't have to carry multiple bottles! You don't really need a lot of it on a cotton pad for it to work, which is good, because I want it to last a while!

This next one is a little odd, I'm not sure sunglasses are a normal 'favourite' thing but anyway, they're here. These aviator style ones are from New Look (for around £5.99 I think) and I love the style! They're not too big or heavy on my face but they give pretty good sun protection! I started off buying some like this from Primark but I strongly don't recommend it because they didn't block any sun! In fact, they made everything brighter. These ones are both comfortable and cool (and as a bonus, they don't leave red marks on my nose! Yay!) 

Now, a moisturiser, because you can never try enough different moisturisers! This one is Superdrug own brand and is a vitamin E one. I'm not entirely sure what that means but it feels nice on my skin and does its job very well! It soaks in pretty quickly and smells fantastic! I especially like the pot it comes in, it's very simple but looks very cool (and it holds a lot too!)

One of my friends had this Zoella body mist called 'Blissful Mistful' and while I was at her house I smelt it and loved it, so, decided to get it! I was unsure for a while in the shop because it was £8 but I also realised that I had no idea about whether or not that was good value, so I brought it anyway! Which I do quite a lot really, my head is saying 'are you sure' but I always end up trying it anyway! The scent is a little difficult to explain but I absolutely LOVE it and have worn it every day! *chokes slightly as I casually try and spray it to smell it and spray it up my nose instead* The bottle is so cute and I can't wait to try her new range!

I can't tell if this post is written in an odd way or not, it's probably just because of the way I'm thinking about it! 

Have a lovely few days! There will be another post on Wednesday or Thursday to make up for this one being late!

Until next time 

Grace

X