Chocolate Swirl Meringues!

Good morning! This is hopefully the first of many recipe posts, I've been wanting to do a recipe post for a while but haven't been sure what to choose! Finally i settled on meringues as I've been a bit obsessed with them the past few weeks. Although these aren't just any meringues these are a bit of an experimentation of mine, I've seen meringues with chocolate swirls in meringues before (Carluccio's have the most amazing chocolate swirl meringues!) and have been dying to try them for a while, so here we are!

Egg whites and Caster sugar glossy mixture

Folding in the Cocoa with a swirly ribbon effect!

 Always like it a bit messy with dusted tops! 

Normally I don't do any experimenting with different or extra ingredients in my baking, I always like to follow the recipe to the letter and would have normally checked online for a recipe that incorporates cocoa powder however I keep meaning to try new things with my baking and trust my instincts so this seemed like an easy place to start. I hope you enjoy baking these as much as I did!

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 1-1.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 3 Med Eggs 
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 1.5 Tbsp Cocoa Powder 
• Whipped cream for serving (optional) 

Method: 

• Pre heat the oven to 120c and line a baking tray with baking paper, parchment or non stick liner (i use one from lakeland). 
• Separate egg whites into a mixing bowl (I use an empty plastic water bottle to suck the yolk out of the whites, it works just as well as one you can buy from the shops, however if the eggs aren't fresh then the yolk is more likely to break while being sucked out so i would recommend using fairly fresh eggs or a different method such as cracking the egg into your hand and letting the whites drip through your fingers or using a separator like this ). 
• Whisk the eggs using an electric whisk on high until they are stiff and fluffy. 
• Then add the sugar slowly, i recommend 1 tsp at a time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. (If you dare to really test if it is ready hold the bowl upside down over your head and if it stays in place your good to go!) 
• Now add the cocoa and fold in carefully, it should look swirly a bit like ribbons, make sure not to mix it in completely to get the full swirly effect. If 1.5 tbsp doesn't look like enough feel free to add more, I originally started with just 1 tbsp but thought it could use more and 1.5 seemed perfect! 
• Once the mixture is to your satisfaction either use a piping bag to pipe the meringues onto the tray, however i find that a bit too time consuming so i just use to table spoons to spoon the mixture on in a roundish sort of shape with a bit of a peak on top! You can also dust cocoa on top before popping in the oven. 
• Pop in the oven for 1-1.5 hours (mine usually takes just over an hour to be done but ovens vary a lot so when it is done you should be able to take it off the non stick paper without it sticking at all). 
• Just leave them to cool for a bit and then enjoy with whatever you fancy! Also the most amazing thing happens with the cocoa powder, in the creamy centre it goes like gooey chocolatey goodness! They're a bit addictive! 

What experiments do you do in your baking? 

Charlotte x

Amazon Wish list!

Hey all! I've decided after much deliberating that my new post will be a wish list one. I've seen quite a few different wish list posts floating around the blogosphere and thought its about time i did one too. So here we are, I've trolled through my amazon wish list (which had many wishes!) and decided only to add the ones I added more recently or really really would love!

NB: These are in no particular order by the way, just how i typed them.

• Neoprene Protector Camera Cover (Med) By WJR Accessories UK. £6.99 
  I love my Nikon DSLR but sometimes i find myself not wanting to carry it around with me because the bag i have for it is crazy big (I usually fit both mine and Owen's DSLR's in aswell as my purse and other essentials!). But i thought there must be a better solution, and then i found this so i can carry my camera over my shoulder knowing it has added protection, plus its quite a bargain! This also ties in nicely with the next item on my list: 
• Unisex Leather Vintage Casual Fashion Day Pack £24.99 By BV & JO. (Can be used to hold DSLR Cameras as well as laptops and tablets, although maybe not all at the same time!). As soon as i saw this bag i fell in love with it! I had originally been looking for a new camera bag that looked a bit more aesthetically pleasing as well as being easier to carry around and i didn't expect to come across this beauty!  However i am still a bit weary that it might not be able to protect my camera as well as my normal camera bag, which is where the Neoprene protector cover comes in again - problem solved! 
• Women's Stripe Sheer Overlay A-Line Skirt by Girls on Film £16.32
  I don't normally look for clothes on amazon but I've heard from a few people that they sometimes have some quite good things on, so i thought why not have a look anyway! Thankfully i managed to come across this gorgeous A-Line skirt, I've been wanting an A-Line skirt for a while but i couldn't find one i really really liked, so thank you amazon! 
• Liquiseal Travel Mug in Magenta By OXO Good Grips £12.00 
  The amount of travel mugs and tumblers I've had over the time I've been at uni is unreal! Yet I've only had one that i really liked (and i ruined it by leaving tea in it too long, bit gross), it was a Starbucks one which usually are really good but after i destroyed my favourite one from there, i replaced it with one of their newer bigger ones which constantly leaked so i couldn't carry it around in my uni bag without fear of it leaking on my Ipad and notes. However this one on amazon claims to be leak proof so i thought i would add it to my wishlist in the hope i may find another just as good as the first one i had (plus i really love the colour!). 
• Zig Water Colour System Brush H20 - Set of four brush pens By Kuretake £18.39 
  I'll be honest these to me seem a bit expensive for what they are, which is one of the reasons they're on the wish list and not actually mine! But these would be really useful for taking places with me without having to carry a watercolour set everywhere! As well as being useful for journalling. 
• Pigma Micron Assorted Pens 6 Pack Black By Sakura £10.99 
  These have actually gone down in price twice! Hurray! they were originally £34.78 bumped down to £11.01 and now are £10.99! These are supposed to be really good pens for drawing which i love doing in my journal, I love the way black pen makes lettering and drawing look. 
• The Great British Sewing Bee: Sew your own wardrobe By Tessa Evelegh £20.00 
  In the last year or so i decided to take up sewing as a hobby. I'd always loved to design my own clothes but didn't have the skills to actually try and make them. Which is why i fell in love with sewing and generally making things. I still haven't been able to make any of my own clothes yet, however i have altered some slightly so i'm getting there, but i thought this book could help a lot in getting me to my goal! (Also i love the great British sewing bee). 
• Astro Mini 3200mAH Ultra Compact Lipstick Sized Portable Charger Power Bank. By Anker £13.99 
  Not only would this be super useful for when im at uni and my ipad inevitably runs out of charge, but its also come down in price massively! from £39.99! If your like me and always seem to carry some type of technological device then this is a must have! 

There you have it! My some what narrowed down Amazon wish list! Would love to hear what's on your Amazon wish list! Comment below :) 

Charlotte x 

Liebster Award Nomination!

Hello all! Last week I got some amazing news! I've been nominated for the Liebster award! Which is an award to help recognise new blogs (less than 200 followers). So I would love to say a huge THANK YOU! to the lovely Agne (theage) for nominating me. Her blog is great you should definitely check it out here.

So the rules if you wish to accept your nomination are:

• To thank the person that nominated you.
• Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 bloggers that have less than 200 followers.
• Post your own 11 questions. 
• And finally let your nominees know though social media or their blog. 

Without further ado! Here are the questions  i was asked by Agne and my answers! 

1. What is your most embarrassing memory of a lifetime?

For anyone who has seen the film its my angus thongs and perfect snogging moment (where she ends up falling backwards and revealing some very unfortunate white frilly knickers!). I was in year 7 of school at the time and my friends and i were waiting to go into tutor, we were all messing around and trying to prank each other in numerous hilarious ways. I unfortunately got well and truly pranked! One of my friends ended up pulling down my school trousers which revealed my white briefs! (its possible there were frills!) At the time i was mortified, i mean what 11 year old wouldn't have been? but thankfully i got over it pretty quickly and in hindsight can see the hilarious side of things and perhaps i should have worn a belt!

2. Favourite breakfast & lunch dishes?
I have a bit of a sweet tooth so i love being able to have pancakes covered in golden syrup for breakfast, yum! 
For lunch you can't really beat smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches! they're so good. 

3. The best cosmetic brand for you is?
Being a poor student I've only really had the opportunity to thoroughly try out high street brands, so my answer would have to be Rimmel london as its the best all around high street brand, it's also the one i use the most and i do love it! Plus its super affordable. 

4.Family or career?And why?
This is a hard one for me because I want both and i think you can have both. I personally want to make sure that i have a stable environment to start a family, which to be involves having a good career (hopefully one in teaching). 

5. If you could choose between living a celebrity or an ordinary people life, what would you choose?
Definitely an ordinary person life, i don't think i could deal with every single aspect of my personal life being examined and discussed as it seems happens with every celebrities life, which you know is something they may expect and perhaps even ask for but i wouldn't want that for myself. 

6. Imagine meeting your idol and you could ask just a one question.What would you ask him/her?
I'm not sure i really have an idol per say, however i do hold the writer C.S Lewis in high regard for beautiful work and if i were to ask him one question it would simply be who was his favourite character from the Narnia books? I suspect i could guess his answer but it would be interesting to know. 

7. Why you start bloging?
I started blogging because I've always loved writing, especially journals perhaps in a bit of a waffley (new word!) fashion but i love it and some how writing my thoughts and life down is very therapeutic and fun! 

8. The best movie you have ever seen?
This one has been really hard! I've seen so many amazing movies and i have a bit of an eclectic taste in movies but i have managed to narrow it down to one that i really love which is about time, its such a lovely film, a romantic comedy and i would recommend it to everyone!

9. What is your dream job?
I've had many discussions with friends and family about dream jobs and mine has changed many times as i grew up, however now it has been the same for quite a while but it could change again! At the moment it would have to be being a professional netball player, I know it very unlikely to happen but that's why its a dream! 

10. Three things you can`t live without?
Books, good chocolate and good tea. 

11. What can you wish for others bloggers?
My wish for other bloggers would be that they are able to enjoy with passion every moment of their writing. 

My list of nominees (in no particular order): 

• Harajuku Girl of http://harajukugirlfl.com/ 
• Mandi Gubler of http://www.vintagerevivals.com/
• Rachel Butterworth of http://raytoria.blogspot.co.uk
• College nomad of http://www.collegenomad.com/
• Millie Kate of http://millie-kate.blogspot.com
• Pamela Rogers of http://pamelarogersart.blogspot.com/
• Miss Pond of http://misspond.com/
• This little lady of http://thislittlelady.co.uk
• Rachel of http://confessionofsahm.com
• Orli Degani of http://londondegani.blogspot.co.uk/
• Owen Roberts of http://chopperobbo.blogspot.co.uk/

My questions to my nominees! 

1. If you could live anywhere other than where you currently live where would it be and why? 
2. What is your favourite item of clothing in your wardrobe right now? (only one!) 
3. What book are you currently reading? (if any). 
4. What was your favourite movie of 2014?
5. Out of all of the years you have been alive which is your favourite and why? 
6. If you could visit only one place in all of space and time where would you go and why? 
7. Do you have a celebrity crush, if so who? 
8. Which is your favourite high street store? 
9. Vintage or New?
10. What is the one beauty product you couldn't live without? 
11. And finally out of all of your blog posts so far, which has been your favourite? and why? 

I've really enjoyed writing this post i hope you do too! :)

Charlotte x

My Cold/Flu Essentials kit!

Winter (especially January) is one of my favourite times of year (probably because of my birthday) even though it's a time when we all usually lack money after the christmas spending and the january sales. I think it's just because i love winter, and perhaps as a winter baby, I love the crisp cold air and the rosey cheeks that accompany the winter months. I absolutely love winter fashion; chunky knits, gorgeous fluffy jumpers and thick woollen tights in rich dark statement colours (the classic Blair Waldorf look!). Yet there is one thing that always seems to try and ruin winter and January especially and that's the dreaded cold and flu that will almost certainly come our way. Which is exactly what happened to me this past week. So i decided that this would not put a downer on my beautiful January (now February really), and would use my cold as inspiration for a new post! Hopefully i will be able to help other's stuck in my predicament, and get out and enjoy the lovely winter weather!

Here is a quick list of products i use to make my life a little bit easier when i catch the inevitable cold!

- Paracodamol or Ibuprofen.

- Vapo-Rub 

- Lemonade 

- Honey 

-  Whiskey 

- Mens face wash (One with menthol)

- Lush Lip Scrub

- Paw Paw skin salve 

- Home made foot soak and scrub

- Ear Plugs 

- A good audio book/ playlist 

- An abundance of Hankies (I made my own) 

The paracodamol or ibuprofen are probably standard choices for easing the symptoms of a cold or flu. Choosing which to use is really down to personal preference, at first i used the paracodamol which arewater soluable tablets that can be taken 4 times in 24 hours with a 4 hour rest perioid between each dose. I find these to be extremely effective at relieving symptoms that are especially bad, they work really fast too which is an added bonus, i willl warn you however that they taste awful so i would try and down the solution as quickly as possible! Ibuprofen are also great for relieving symptoms but i find they take a little longer and aren't always as effective, however i would recommend them if you really dislike water soluable tablets (which i did but i forced myself to get used to it because it was so much more effective (Make sure you read the insructions carefully though!)

Another obvious choice for a cold or flu but definitely needed to be mentioned as it is an essential; good old Vapo-rub! 

The lemonade honey and whiskey are all one really, i usually get myself a nice big mug, pour lemonade in, add a generous squeeze of honey and pop it in the microwave for about 2 mins. Once its finished i give it a good stir and then add some whiskey (Just add however much you feel you need!) and hey presto a yummy hot drink to soothe a sore throat, relieve head pain from bad sinuses and open up airways.  

Now we come to the essentials that are personal preference, but work really well! Mens face wash when i have a cold is amazing! I would recommend the nivea one i use because it has menthol in it, but i find that most mens face washes have menthol in them (where as womens often don't). The menthol in the face wash makes me feel immediately refreshed, unblocked and awake. It relieves the sinuses aswell which is usually a big issue for me when i have a cold. 

Lush lip scrubs are brilliant! I've tried the bubblegum and popcorn flavours and both are delightful, I think i probably prefer the popcorn one but thats just because i love popcorn! This i actually use on my nose as well as my lips when i have a cold, specifically around the nostrils because i don't know about you but all the nose issues end up causing really dry flakey skin around my nostrils which i hate. So i use the scrub to gently scrub off the dry flaky skin and it works so well! The skin is still red but it buffs off all of the flakey bits and keeps it smooth. 

After i use the lip scrub on my nose to then keep it smooth and hopefully soft i apply some of my Paw Paw lip and skin salve. One thing i love about this product is that its very skin friendly and it actually works better and quicker than just Vaseline which used to be my go to nose and lip healer. Applying this also helps to reduce soreness from further uses of tissues and hankies and also helps prevent dust going up the nose which helps prevent sneezing and reduces nose blocking. 

I dont know about you but when i get a cold i cant help but feel sorry for myself so i tend to treat and pamper myself more. This is where my homemade foot soak and scrub comes in (which im hoping to do a post on soon). These really help to relieve aches and pains and keep your feet smelling and looking great, plus you can do it sitting watching tv! 

Sleep is something i always need more of when i have a cold, yet its something i find very hard to do! Firstly, i'm more sensitive to noise because of head and ear aches. Thats why ear plugs are another of my essentials, just pop them in and if i were you i would invest in or make an eye mask too, day time napping will be a breeze!

Like ear plugs, i use audiobooks to help block out unwanted noise, which helps me focus and hopefully sleep. I ended up listening to Alice in wonderland because it was really cheap in the itunes store and i quite enjoy it, although i did have some weird dreams while listening to it!

Finally this is something you should definitely have if you have a cold; hankies! I know what your probably thinking that they're gross. Well i thought that too at first, but if you make your own you can make them small so they wont last very long and you can make as many as you need so you can keep changing them often. I ended up swapping mine frequently and whilst using one i would clean others, a quick hand wash will do and they dont take long to dry on the radiators. These are much better than tissues because they are so much kinder on your nose which will already be feeling sensitive, plus in the long run they are much cheaper as they can be used over and over again, especially if you make your own! I would reccomend making them from cotton only though, just to make sure its nice and soft. 

So there you go! my cold/flu essentials kit, i hope it helps anyone else suffering! Comment below if you have any cold essentials that arent on my list, or if you use the same! :) 

Charlotte x 

Everyday Makeup Style

After coming across lots of make-up style posts whilst reading through my feed on bloglovin I decided that this would be my next blog post, I love that time in the morning when I take time for myself and don't have to stress about anything whilst I'm doing my make-up. So! this is what my everyday make-up style and routine consists of:

Base:

•  The main base i use at the moment is a Nivea rich moisturising day cream. I tend to suffer from really dry skin so this is perfect for making sure its hydrated and soft, another reason why I use this cream the most is because i have really sensitive skin, especially on my face and this is made especially for people with sensitive skin and I can tell you now it works a treat. I put it on every morning even if I'm not wearing any make-up or even going out and it really helps to brighten my complexion and works as a great base to keep my make-up on most of the day. 

• Quite recently I've also found myself using a loose translucent powder on my face before any other make-up in place of foundation. I've never been a really big fan of foundation anyway and find it very hard to find one that matches my pale skin without making me look like a ghost so if I do feel the need to use anything like that I usually opt for a BB cream or a tinted moisturiser. However most of the time my Rimmel match perfection loose powder is able to give my face that overall coverage that brightens and gets rid of shine without feeling like I have an extra layer on my face and blocking my pores. I'm so pleased i made the switch from using products such as foundation and even the lighter BB creams and tinted moisturisers to the loose powder, I've definitely noticed a huge change in my complexion, it's massively reduced the amount of blemishes I get, my face hardly ever breaks out any more and its just generally brighter and clearer which has definitely boosted my confidence enough to not wear any foundation ect. It was really hard to stop 'covering up' my face to begin with as it made me feel quite exposed, but after sticking with it I feel much better about it, because now instead of using products to 'cover up' my skin I use them to enhance it. 

Cheeks:

• I don't really tend to use traditional blushers, usually to save money and time i just quickly dab up my cheek bones with my Rimmel colour rush lip balm in "on fire" and blend in across the cheek. I really love the way that the balmy texture of the colour rush lip balm blends into my cheeks and creates an effortless dewy look which helps my face look fresher and more awake. 

Lips: 

• Funnily enough the lip stick i usually adopt on a daily basis is the Rimmel colour rush lip balm in "on fire" again! coincidence or what!? I love the peachy pink colour of this lip balm, its basically a more vibrant and all round better version of my actual lip colour so it works really well as a natural looking lip. Also as mentioned above the balmy texture is great for creating a fresh dewy look and it also helps to keep lips from getting chapped and sore which is a massive bonus, especially as i find a lot of drug store lipsticks dry lips out more than anything. 

Eyes: 

• To get rid of under eye circles i use a combination of the MUA pro base CC palette  and the soap and glory trick and treat dark circle concealer. I've always had a big problem with dark circles under my eyes, even when i get plenty of sleep I still have them, so its likely they are genetic in which case i just have to try and cover them up which is why I was delighted when I found the MUA CC palette. The yellow section is perfect for neutralising dark purple shades under the eyes which is the one I use the most, and it does a really good job of neutralising the purple tones but then my under eyes just look yellowy which is where the soap and glory dark circle concealer comes in. Its great at covering up the dark circles too but doesn't last as long on its own because its quite watery in consistency. The pigmentation is really good at blending with individual skin tones as well, because at first glance it looks too dark for my pale skin tone, but when i blend it in it matches quite well with my skin and thankfully doesn't make it obvious I'm using under eye concealers. 

• For my eye shadow I pretty much always wear purple, as it is known to compliment green eyes and I love the colour purple! again I use a bit of a combination of two different eye shadow products to help the colour last longer and keep it vibrant. As a base colour I use superdrug's own brand cream eye shadow in royal, although after looking for a link to the eye shadow in that particular colour on the superdrug website, it doesn't look like they actually do it any more, I'll have to check in store and get back to you on that one. The creamy texture of this eye shadow is perfect for loading powder eye shadow onto to improve colour as well as wearing, especially as the pigmentation isn't particularly vibrant in the first place. The powder eye shadow I use is the Rimmel glam'eyes quad eyeshadow in smoky purple. I love a good smoky eye, even for an every day look so this is my go to eye shadow palette. The range of shades are lovely and work really well for an effective smoky eye. In the image of the palette the one with hardly any left is the one I use to sweep across the entire lid, i then use the shade across from it to highlight the inner corner and outer corner, the really dark shade I don't use very often as its not really an every day shade but if I did I would use it in the outer corner and in the crease. 

• I use three different eye liners on my eyes, all different colours and useful for different things! The first eye liner i use is a Rimmel scandal eyes kohl in nude which I use to make my eye look bigger and me more awake by applying it to the bottom waterline. I then use a regular Rimmel brown kohl pencil to again make my eyes appear bigger by applying it under my waterline on my lower lash line and blend it slightly for a smoky effect, i use the brown shade as it isn't so harsh looking for every day wear and really dark liner highlights dark circles. The final eye liner I use is the scandal eyes eye liner pen in black, which I apply to the lash line and just above the lash line on my eye lid, this is really good for precision and creating a cat eye look. 

• And finally the mascara i use is a fairly new one, I only bought it a few weeks ago after seeing some good reviews on it, also I really wanted to try out a mascara with argan oil in. Shockingly its another Rimmel product (cant seem to get enough of them!) and i have to say it does work really well. I usually give my upper lashes a quick coat of this and then use the end of the brush to focus on the outer corner of my lashes to open my eyes up a bit. I also give my lower lashes a quick coat of this but only the ones closest to my outer corner otherwise I might risk highlighting my under eye dark circles and who wants that? 

What make up do you use on a daily basis? any of the same ones? which is your favourite drug store brand? comment below :)

Charlotte x