Beauty Haul

So its nearly new years and theres no better way to get prepared than to stock up on long lasting makeup. Urban decay is one of my favourite brands especially for setting spray. It is almost impossible to get your hands on (my favourite being the hydrating spray ). Which should tell you something about the product. It clams to help your makeup last up to 14hrs and leaving it just as fresh as when it was first applied. You spray it in an x shape over the face. I will admit it does feel a little cringey the first time but it really does work! The next product is one by the body shop. It is new from the 'oils of life range'. You simply massage in a few drops after your shower or in the morning to your face or body. I cannot get over how wonderful your skin feels after this has been applied. It is so hydrating and nourishing. I wouldn't recommend this to oily or ache prone skin as it does leave a very oily finish until it has been completely soaked in. It hasn't caused me to break out but would recommend using it in moderation. Lastly two lip colour crayons by Natio in poppy and tea rose. Although they are not incredibly pigmented they are so flattering. They leave a light shine to the lip and are very hydrating. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas or whatever you choose to celebrate. Don't forget to follow me. All the products featured on this site is 100% cruelty free. 

Love Clover x

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit

Ive been hearing a lot about the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit and was very surprised to find that it was in fact cruelty free. This pallet was very over priced for the size of it, however it is the perfect introduction if your new to the brand. The pallet features two highlighters, two bronzers and two blushes. Each one has a shimmer too it which is a little daunting but not as obvious once applied. The idea behind the pallet is creating that 'natural glow'. Though they are not incredibly pigmented it does give a very natural finish. My only grip with this is the packaging, it is rose gold and beautiful but is instantly dirty once it is touched. Overall i would say it was worth the money if you are looking for a natural glowing finish to the skin. 

(Cruelty free as always)

Clover x

Healthy Mince Pies

Christmas is by far my favourite time of the year. Ive been seeing little cookies all over the internet so i though id do something a little different. I found this recipe on Madeleine Shaws website a loved it so much. Not only is it delicious but there super healthy too. (I will leave the link to her page bellow, its worth a look!). They are vegetarian but by using a substitute for the egg you could easily recreate it as vegan. Its not hard to follow along i you read over the directions first, which i should have done. Though if they do turn out total disasters you can rest assured they'll still taste good... mine did. 

So lets begin...

What your going to need.. 

• 100g of raisins
• 100g of cranberries
• 100g of sultanas
• 1 apple
• 1 & 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp  ground ginger
• 2 oranges
• 250g of ground almonds/almond meal
• 200 g of walnuts
• 2 TBSP of coconut sugar or honey
• 2 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 
  

Directions
Zest and juice the oranges, place in a pot and put on a medium heat.
Cut up the apple into small slithers (discard stem) and place into pot with raisins, sultanas, cranberries, vanilla, 1/2 tsp of ginger, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 nutmeg. (I know it doesn't look like 
enough liquid but it is) 
Let this simmer for 25 minutes only stirring occasionally (make sure you don’t boil it). 
Turn off the heat, transfer to another bowl and let cool.
Turn on the oven to 150ºC.
Place the almonds and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until a flour is formed, add honey, 1 TBSP of cinnamon, coconut oil and egg and combine until a dough forms (if it is a little dry add a little water, if it is too moist add a little more almonds)
Grease some muffin/cupcake holders with coconut oil.
Grab a large TBSP of dough and push into the moulds covering the bottom of the shell, leaving enough room to put the mince inside (you might need to add a little more depending on your tin size). Make sure the entire sides are covered. This mixture should make around 15 mince pies however this maybe more or less dependant on your mould size.
Add in a little over 1 TBSP of mince into each shell.
With the left over pastry, roll out inbetween baking paper until it is 1/2 cm thick, using a circle cutter the same size as the top of your pie. If you run out of pastry cutting a little shape from the lids will help you extend your pastry out so you don't need to make more. Once your done place them in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. 
Remove and rest on a tray once cooled. These stay best when placed in an upright container in the fridge. 

http://madeleineshaw.com/recipes/healthy-mince-pies/