January Favorites

Here are some of my favorite bits from January:

• Oliver Bonas Ginger and Lime Shower Gel-This shower gel smells amazing! It is an odd mix of scents that I wouldn't expect to work but it actually smells really fresh. It's not massively moisturizing but my skin does feel a bit smoother after using it.

• Benefit They're Real! Mascara-This has been one of my favorite mascaras for a while but I recently reunited myself with it using the help of Christmas money! I have very typical Mediterranean lashes, which is great, but they're so heavy that they never stay curled. This mascara is one of the only ones I have found that keep my lashes curled and voluminous throughout the day.

• Lush Bubblegum Lip scrub-I know it seems kind of gross to lick it off but trust me this is a great product for tackling those dry winter lips. I put this on every night and my lips always feel really smooth in the morning.

• Smashbox Eyeshadow Trio-This was a Christmas present from my sister that knows me too well! The shade 'Nectar' is perfect to use as a base or along the brow bone. The shade 'Cinammon Toast' is my favorite-I love warm tones for the eyes and I think it is super pretty for a casual daytime look. The darkest shade, 'Roast' is great for the contour area and outer corners; sometimes I like putting it beneath my lower lash line to add some definition.

• The Chia Cookbook-Recently, I bought a packet of Chia seeds upon hearing about their various benefits to the body but once I had them I didn't really know what to do with them. This book has loads of recipes, some I have tried and loved and others I am looking forward to trying out soon (particularly the white chocolate and macadamia granola bars).

• Fashion Exercise Book-I used to love these colouring in books when I was little so my mum surprised me with a somewhat maturer version! I think this is a really fun way to solve boredom and I can't wait to take this on a flight with me to pass the time!

Miso Aubergine Steak on Roast Veg

My sister and I have been having some fun with the BBC Good Food recipes and especially enjoyed this one! It's surprisingly filling and full of flavour...

For 4 people we used:

• Two aubergines
• One sweet potato, cut into chunky slices (with skin left on)
• Sugar snaps
• One garlic clove
• Broccoli
• Yukata organic brown miso paste
• Pinch of rock salt
• Olive oil to drizzle

1. Preheat the oven to 180c
2. Peel the aubergine and cut in half. Put in a roasting tin and spread the miso paste all over the top.
3. Surround the aubergine with the sweet potato, sugar snaps and broccoli. Pour 225ml boiling water.
   
   Sprinkle the salt and grate the garlic over the veg, then it place in the oven for 30 mins.
4. Then pour 125ml of boiling water into the tin and roast for another 20 minutes. (we changed this from the original recipe so it did not burn as we used half an aubergine per plate)
5. Slice the aubergine into wedges and place on top of the potatoes and veg. Drizzle with olive oil.
6. Enjoy!

We changed the recipe slightly; for the original: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/miso-roasted-aubergine-steaks-sweet-potato

My Top 5 Favourite Books

1) The Colour Purple by Alice Walker:

my review: http://em-loves-reading.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-colour-purple-by-alice-walker.html

2) I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb: 

Malala Yousafzai is one of my biggest inspirations for obvious reasons. Reading this book left me in  awe of not just her courage but how she refuses to be intimidated by violent and threatening behaviour and that through such difficult times she still retains her beliefs. A quote from the book that struck me hard was, "I was a girl in a land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life simply to prepare food and give birth to children.".
A more thorough review that I read on good-reads before I read the book is: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/740859770?book_show_action=true

3) A Song Of Ice and Fire: A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin:

The 'A Song Of Ice And Fire' collection is my favorite series by far but if I had to choose a favorite book from the series it would definitely be the most recent one. This is mostly because Part 1 is largely set away from Westeros, so it points the focus on some really interesting characters that were not focused on as much in the previous books. Also, part 2 explores the character, Theon Greyjoy in more depth which I love as I find him the most intriguing to read about.

4) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee:

An absolute classic! Some parts of this book leave me feeling amused, while the rest causes an odd mix of happiness and overwhelming sadness. It's full of lovable characters like Atticus, calpurnia and Scout. Whereas some other characters are incredibly, incredibly frustrating!

5) Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

I am really interested in psychology, especially looking into the minds of psychopaths, so I found this to be a particularly fascinating read. What I found most intriguing was Dexter's calm and collect response to situations that would leave most people completely freaking out! My favorite element to the story is the references to his 'dark passenger' as he talks about 'it' in third person which really emphasises his inability to control the need to kill.

Going For Bolder Lips!

I know it seems strange but one of my resolutions, for the rest of this year and the next, is to have the confidence to wear bold lipsticks. I am generally quite a reserved person and, like many, I care way too much about what everyone else think of me-which just eats away at my confidence! And so one of the ways I thought I could make it fun to turn this around is by wearing bold coloured lips, without worrying that people think 'i'm trying too hard' or that 'i'm trying to look older'. I know it sounds silly but i love makeup and what better way to fix a problem than with something you enjoy?

TopShop  have brought out a range of beautiful lipsticks; I've especially been loving Armour. I definitely think it looks better with some lip liner beneath -I use Rimmel 047 Cappuccino-but the actual colour is really lovely. I've also been using Rimmel 01 Lasting Finish by Kate Moss which is super pretty and Berry Blush tinted lip balm-which is really pigmented-from their Keep Calm collection. I can always count on Rimmel for a great lip product!

Day Out: Poppy Field

On Sunday, my mum, dad and I took a drive down to central London to see the poppy field in the moat. I can't imagine how long it must have taken to complete but it looks absolutely beautiful-especially with the lights turned on-and is generally just a lovely way to pay our respects!

Then we went to have dinner at the Natural Kitchen which was seriously delicious! I had beetroot and ricotta tortellini with a pomegranate and feta salad and a raspberry ice tea. For dessert I had a hazelnut brownie-which was amazingly gooey-with vanilla ice cream. To be honest the service was really pants but the food was great.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I had tried out my friend's beauty blender and loved it but it cost way too much for me. Instead I decided to give the Real Techniques dupe a go and I have to admit I prefer it. It's not so good for coverage but the round edge is great for a flawless base and an even complexion. The reason I prefer it to the beauty blender is the flat edge which is perfect for patting in and blending concealer. Not to mention it only costs £5.99 at Superdrug! I definitely recommend it to those on a budget.

My Favourite Healthy Recipes

For a while I have had trouble keeping my food down which has caused me a lot of stress. I was nowhere near healthy: I'd binge eat all day, have massive portions of stodgy food and after a while my body just seemed to say no. I have started making healthier snacks, juices/smoothies and joined a gym with my mum (which really helped!). Here are some of the recipes I have been enjoying:

Grilled courgette:

All you need to do is slice some courgette,

brush with olive oil and lemon and stick it on the grill!

 Peach and banana juice:

• 1 peach (sliced, so it blends quicker)
• 1 sliced banana
• coconut water
• a pinch of cinnamon

Peanut butter chocolate chip bars:

I am obsessed with peanut butter so I was

really excited when I found this recipe!

http://www.primaverakitchen.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-bars/

And lastly...

My favourite juice:

• A handful of pineapple chunks
• 1/2 Celery stalk
• A handful of mango chunks
• A small handful of spinach
• 1 inch of ginger
• Sliced banana
• Coconut water