day out: glasgow edition

Another one of my favourite Scottish cities is Glasgow. I would describe it more as the modern day Scotland. I love the architecture of Glasgow and the colour of the city (that doesn't even make any sense to you does it?)

I have a lot of days off work at the moment so last week I booked a last minute bus ticket to Glasgow just to spend a little time away from dreary Aberdeen. I hit up the Gallery of Modern Art because there was a few exhibits I wanted to see. Who knew you could draw on some paper with biro and write on a post-it and have it framed for an exhibit? Fascinating!

I wanted to go to The Lighthouse which is a visitor centre that has a lot of design and architectural exhibits. *Side note* my brother did an exhibit there during his uni days and I got to go and see it. If you go up to the 6th floor, there is a viewing platform that it supposed to be really amazing but alas it was closed for a private event. Boo!

I ended up doing a little shopping, being payday and all. The new Forever 21 has opened so I had a little look inside. Oh em gee. It is so amazing! Three floors of amazing clothing and it's so much better laid out than the Oxford Street one in London. It has a mens and a plus sized section as well which was good to see. 

The weather was so nice and although I ended up losing a nail polish on the way home (where did it go?), I had an amazing yet tiring day. I'm sure it won't be the last time I'll hit up Glasgow!

Vanessa

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april resolution

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I seem to have missed January, February and March. Where did it go? It suddenly seems like we're a fourth of the way through the year in a blink of an eye! But alas, it is time for another monthly resolution!

This month is called 'Art April'! I used to LOVE art at school! Oil pastels were my material of choice and I so miss that creative side of me once I went to university. Inspired by Instagram and amazing illustrators on the blogger-sphere, I decided to take up a little bit of art this month. Although I love oil pastels, I'm going to experiment in a little watercolours this time and I managed to find some very inexpensive watercolours on Amazon and some 'special' paper so I'm all set to go! Now I just need some inspiration of what to paint!

I can't believe I've actually made it this far with my monthly resolutions. I thought I was going to give up by February. Have you been doing monthly resolutions with me too? If you haven't, how are your yearly resolutions going?

Vanessa

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sometimes.

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Sometimes it's okay...

to be stuck for inspiration

'to choose between a bunch of wrong choices...You just have to choose which wrong choice feels the least wrong' - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

to spend time by yourself and discover new things that you didn't know about you

to be a bit radical and think 'life is too short for regrets'

to be worried about the journey because everyone wants to reach their destination in one piece

to be a bit confused about life because at the end of the day, someone threw that rulebook out ages ago

to try different things because you might find out that you're really good at something you never thought you would be

Vanessa

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recipe: white chocolate and raspberry cupcakes

I'm sure it's no secret to anyone. I love to bake. I figured that I haven't done a recipe post in a while despite baking quite a lot the past few weeks, so I thought I'd share with you my new creations. White chocolate and raspberry cupcakes. These two vital ingredients are like one of the best flavour combinations ever! And oh my, they taste good. 


Ingredients
175g self raising flour
125g unsalted butter, softened
175g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons semi-skimmed milk
100g melted white chocolate
1 packet of fresh/frozen raspberries

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare a cake tin with 12 paper cases.
2. Melt the white chocolate over a bain marie (or in the microwave, but be careful to not let it burn). Leave to one side to cool slightly.
3. Beat the softened butter with an electric whisk until light and fluffy and add the sugar, beating for an additional 5 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract together.
5. Add the egg mixture into the butter mix in 3 separate batches making sure you're scraping down the sides of the bowl after each time.
6. Add the flour and milk alternatively, i.e. flour, milk, flour, milk, flour, milk until all incorporated.
7. Add the melted chocolate and raspberries and mix well. If using fresh raspberries, wash before use and put them in the freezer for about an hour before adding to the mix. 
8. Divide amongst the 12 paper cases and bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.
9. Once golden brown and springs back to the touch, leave in the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Top with the buttercream of your choice and enjoy with a hot beverage.

For my buttercream, I used a simple vanilla based buttercream, piped with a star nozzle and decorated it with white chocolate stars and mini marshmallows. These will keep for a few days in an airtight container and usually tastes best the day after you make them. But they still taste immense if you can't wait once they're ready!

Bon appétit 

Vanessa

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wishlist #6

J.W. Anderson Jumper | Pinafore | Game of Thrones | Fujifilm Instax Mini 7 | They're Real Mascara

Looking back over my previous posts, I realised that the last wish list I made was in October 2012! Can't believe there was nothing that I was wanting since then. I've been going on a huge savings spree and putting anything that I can aside and only buying the essentials. My money moral is at an all time low so I thought I'd share some of the things I've had my eye on.

1. I've never bought anything from the J.W. Anderson collection from Topshop before but this jumper is really cute! Worth the £70.00 price tag? Hmmm, maybe not.

2. I'm really loving the pinafore trend coming in this season. Any excuse to wear cute blouses under shift dresses. This particular one is from the petites section but everytime I go into the store, there are only size 8's left. Errrr, that won't even fit round my thigh. Forever holding my breath for more sizes to come in.

3. I started reading the Game of Throne series last year and made it to Book 4 before giving up. It got too confusing and all my favourite characters were dying. Season 2 however is 'A Clash of Kings' book which is one of my favourite ones and I haven't watched it yet. We don't have Sky. When I get paid, this bad boy is going into my shopping basket!

4. One day, this camera was on ebay and I put in a bid hoping I would get it for the snip of a price. I woke up after my nightshift nap and I was outbid by a pound! The travesty! This Instax camera is so kitsch and when you take a picture, it prints out at the top like a polaroid. I'm sure the novelty will wear out soon but I'd have so much fun with this.

5. I'm going through a mascara rough patch at the moment. I can't say that there is one mascara I'm loving and I'm flipping between a few. This £18.00 wonder is supposedly amazing but with a usage of 3 months only, it may have to be a payday treat!

Have you got any good inexpensive mascara recommendations? What is on your wishlist just now?

Vanessa

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new in: H&M boots

Ever since I was a teenager, I longed after a pair of Doc Martins but watching my friends at school painstakingly save up for a pair and then suffer through the pain of wearing them was enough to put me off. 

It wasn't until recently that these combat style boots caught my eye again but I couldn't justify paying over £100 for a pair so I lusted after them from afar. The other day, I was browsing in H&M and I saw on the bottom shelf, right at the back, one of these beauties. I snapped them up and tried them on out of sheer curiosity. I fell in love with them. I stalked up to the till without a second of regret and parted with £24.99 of my hard earned pennies. 

The boots inside have a thick lining and the sole itself is very sturdy. They are so comfortable around the lower calf as well and they give my wide feet a lot of room to breathe. They still fit comfortably with regular socks or even thicker socks for the colder days. Now that we're getting another fluster of snow, these are perfect for larking around in the snow or begrudgingly waiting around for a bus in the cold. They're probably not to everyone's tastes but they are such a staple piece!

An inexpensive price tag of £24.99, you can't say no really!

Vanessa

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review: MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Vintage Selection

I was so gutted when I missed out on Vintage Selection when it was limited edition in the Cham-pale collection. Fast forward a year or so later and an announcement that MAC were releasing more paint pot shades and re-releasing a few for the permanent collection. Cue my obsession with owning Vintage Selection! 

I finally got my hands on it with one of Debenhams 10% discounts and I must say it's love. It's described as a 'frosted dirty peach' but I think it leans more on the pink side of peach. I am a huge fan of the paint pots formulation, really creamy and easy to use. A word of caution, I do find they dry out with long periods of un-use so it's best to keep regular use of it, or your eye on it! This shade in particular has a little too much glitter/shimmer in it for my liking but I've been using it everyday since I got it nonetheless. With a little UD Smog in the outer corner, you're good to go!

Vintage Selection is £14.50 which is obviously a bit more expensive that your standard high street cream eyeshadows but it is such a unique colour and very versatile!

Were you excited when MAC re-released some old favourites that you were pining after?

Vanessa

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lately.

Life has literally been non-stop for the past 2 weeks. Barely had time to blog, working all kinds of hours and been going through some life/family stuff so it's all just been a bit too much. I thought I would take the time to show you all what I've been doing with any of the spare time I have!

It was my brother's birthday at the weekend so we all went out for a meal at my friend's restaurant called Aperitivo. If you're ever in Aberdeen, visit this place! Amazing italian tapas and of course, the owners are fabulous! I had spent the entire day making a three layer black forest gateau as well. Apparently, the recipe states it's 859 calories per slice. Good God! There goes my diet!

On Saturday, I met up with my friend for some dim sum and then impromptu coffee at Starbucks. I love our chats over some noms! On Mothers' Day, I took my mum out into the town and did some window shopping and I was planning on treating her to something but she had money left over from Chinese New Year so she didn't want me spending my money on her. I ended up buying the food for dinner that night. M&S Dine in for 4 anyone?

On a side note, how cute is the stationery sections at Paperchase. I want to buy it all! Especially those small printed notebooks. Cute stationery call out to me!

I hope you're all doing well! It's almost the middle of March and I may have an exciting announcement to make in the next coming months also!

Vanessa

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mothers' day

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To Mum:

A small note to say, Happy Mothers' Day. I am so proud of your achievements and the amount of time and hard work you have spent raising me and my brother through all these years.

I know I'm not the perfect daughter, I have my flaws and annoying habits and dreams that you don't necessarily agree with. 

Recent family news makes me cherish you even more because you only get one mum and you do such a great job. I hope in my 23 years, I have made you proud of what I have achieved and I know none of it would have happened where it not for the amazing opportunities that you have allowed me to have. From my first word, to my graduation day, I know that you will always be there to support me unconditionally.

To you my amazing mother, through unspoken words and loving acts. I love you.

Vanessa

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review: clarins instant light complexion perfector

I've always held Clarins in high regard. Their skincare is really good so I thought I would branch out and dabble in their makeup range. With my skin feeling a lot fresher and lighter, I'm going for a fresher makeup look with minimal products that give me a glowy finish. 

The Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector: 

'...smooths and evens skin tone for a more luminous glow and fresh, radiant, healthy-looking complexion. This lightweight texture glides on effortlessly, illuminating the complexion and promoting a long-wearing natural finish. Can be used alone, under or mixed in with your usual foundation'.

I've been using this before putting on my foundation and I must say, it's pretty good. It doesn't have too much shimmer in it so it doesn't look like you've dipped your face in sparkles. It just gives off a gentle glow and luminosity that I love, especially for emulating the flawless korean makeup look. The application of it is very impressive as well. It glides on very smoothly and a little goes a long way in this case. 

The one gripe I have with this is the packaging and in particular that pump. I know it's a bit pernickety but when I push the pump, it feels like I don't have enough control in how much product comes out because it doesn't push down that far. A minor issue but it's more of a preference thing.

I haven't tried using this on its own yet but I will probably will when I get towards my lazy days! You can buy this online or at a Clarins counter for £26.00. A little pricey but well worth the splurdge if you're looking to add something special to your makeup routine. 

Vanessa

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sawyer & scout harry potter cluster necklace

So I'm a little bit of a Harry Potter fanatic. Anyone who knows me in real life knows that a gift of the Harry Potter kind is up my street. My brother bought this necklace for me for my birthday and it is absolutely lovely!

It's from a company called Sawyer & Scout that sells jewellery and accessories. They also do collections based on Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and the Divergent series. This particular necklace however contains a small cluster of all things Harry Potter; lightning bolt, wand, golden snitch, Gryffindor charm and a Philosopher Stone. All coming together on a bronze coloured chain. 

I've already got my eye on a Hunger Games themed necklace already. Oh stop me before I put everything in my basket!!!!

Vanessa

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make-up brush free makeup

Try saying that title over and over again. Tongue twister right? If you haven't discovered by now, I am the ultimate lazy girl. If there's something that needs to be done, I will find the easiest way that it can be done. I'm sometimes like that with my makeup. I can go days without putting a hint of makeup on. Mainly because I want an extra 10 minutes in bed, but also because I like to let my skin breathe. Then there is the fuss of spot cleaning makeup brushes every time I use them. Time consuming huh?

For those gals who cherish those extra 10 minutes in bed and forgo the routine of putting on makeup, I salute you! Here is my (rough) guide to makeup brush free makeup!

• BB Cream: I only ever use my fingers to put BB cream on. Because of its thick consistency, using a makeup brush is hard work. Plus, you can use your fingers to concentrate on particular areas if you're having a bad skin day.
• Cream Blush: When photographing these pictures, I realised that I hardly ever use powder blushes anymore. Cream blushes are so easy to blend with fingers and very travel friendly as you won't need to take another brush with you. NARS Penny Lane is my ultimate favourite. 
• Eyebrow Pencil: I usually use a powder to do my eyebrows but for this look, an eyebrow pencil does just the job right!
• Cream Eyeshadows: Long lasting and one swipe of stunning colour is enough to make your eyes pop. MAC does a lovely range of cream eyeshadows but on the pricey side, Maybelline Colour Tattoos also does the job brilliantly at a fraction of the price. 
• Pencil Eyeliner: Technically not cheating as it doesn't come with a brush anyway but makes a big difference when you do use it.
• Eyelash Curlers: Again, not cheating because it has no bristles on it. Always need an eyelash curler to make those peepers lovely!
• Mascara: You may argue that it has a brush but name someone who can put mascara on with their hands? No-one. Plus, you don't need to wash it afterwards so it has a purpose. I've been testing Seventeen Doll'd up and I really like it!

I always keep a face/wet wipe handy to clean my fingers between each product because no one likes BB cream in their cream blush! Such a simple look and not a hint of spot cleaning afterwards!

Have you ever tried a makeup brush free look or do you love your makeup brushes too much?

Vanessa

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