Everyday Makeup

I've recently started following vlogger/blogger posts by Tanya Burr - she's a British makeup artist and blogger and is refreshingly normal - ie she's happy to post wearing her gungey leggings and makeup free face, but her tutorials are easy to follow and she even does a fantastic tutorial using everyday drugstore brands, rather than the very expensive brands, so the looks she creates are affordable.
I have to confess that I LOVE makeup.  Full disclosure.  For me, going into SpaceNK is the equivalent of the sweetie shop for kids.  I totally love the browsing, discovering different brands, and I always seem to come away with something, even if it's just samples from the sales girls.  If you need more incentive then they also have a loyalty card called Ndulge so you rack up points that convert to hard cash too.

Although I do love makeup, I don't spend hours putting it on.  I haven't got the time or the patience so it takes me about ten minutes tops in the mornings before work.  I do have some staples that I keep coming back to but I like to experiment too. So, here are the brands/products that are working for me currently: (Apologies for the awful photos - left it too late in the day to photograph - and the products are all in use, hence the 'used' look of most of them!)

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Top right - Kevin Aucoin foundation; Top left - Laura Mercier Addiction highlighter
Bottom left - Caudalie Beauty Elixir; Bottom right - Space NK eyelash curlers

Foundation - The Etherealist Skin Illuminator by Kevin Aucoin in Light.  Its a liquid foundation that is light reflecting and not too heavy on the skin

Brows - anyone who knows me knows that my eyebrows are white blonde.  When I do get them coloured I just feel like I look weird but this little palette by Tanya Burr does the trick for me, with four different powder shades so I can mix it up and get the right kind of look.

I am addicted to Laura Mercier products - she really does create the flawless face - and I have three palettes of hers, including the gorgeous highlighter above in Addiction which gives the most heavenly but subtle glow to the cheek bones.  Also in the Laura Mercier brand, I use their Caviar Sticks eyeshadows - I got the cutest ever little pack before Christmas with four of their bestselling colours, but my favourite is definitely Rosegold.  It just slides on and stays put all day - I use it as an eyeliner mostly, rather than an eyeshadow.

Rosegold Laura Mercier Caviar Stick

Top: Tanya Burr eyebrow kit Bottom: Laura Mercier Glam to Go Palette

I've been using the Laura Mercier palette for the last few weeks as it has absolutely everything I need in one place - eyeshadow, blusher and lip gloss.  The blushers in this palette come in a peach and a pink shade, both of which are beautifully natural, although the pigment is quite strong so you don't need a heavy hand when applying.

I finish off with a slick of mascara.  I've been trying out this Chantecaille one, but I always go back to my Lancome Doll Eyes which I love.  As I wear contacts I also always have a bottle of soothing drops with me throughout the day.  I don't use a fixing spray as such, however, I do often spritz my face after I've done it, with Caudalie Beauty Elixir, which I'm completely addicted to.  If you've never tried it - go get.  Space NK do it in a smaller bottle so try it out first - with tones of Rosemary, Orange Flower and Rose, its like blitzing your face with botanicals and gives a real lift.

The last thing I do before I gallop out of the door is apply a slick of gloss or subtle lipstick.  I've been wearing a whole variety of nude lipsticks but recently bought this natural pink one from Tanya Burr cosmetics - it's quite pale, so will probably be better in the summer months when I have a bit of colour - and that's it - I'm good to go!

Lipstick in 'Birthday Cake' - Tanya Burr Cosmetics

Oh - quick aside about the makeup brushes in the top picture... They're Real Techniques brushes for foundation and concealer as well as one gorgeous Artis Elite Mirror brush in Oval 6. The Oval 6 will happily double up as a foundation/concealer brush, or even an eyeshadow.   I totally adore the Artis brushes, they are the softest brush I've ever come across and the bristles are densely packed so the product doesn't disappear into the brush!  I also had the Oval 10 but the handle snapped!!!  If you look closely you can see that the middle section of the brush is very finely tapered and I think the weight of the 10 wasn't supported by the design sadly.  I did get my money back, but I love the brand regardless. 

Turning Loss Around

We’ve all been there … from losing something that may be small and insignificant to others, but has great meaning for us – to losing a great love, or the death of a close friend or relative.  Loss comes to us all, in different guises, and the response differs  from person to person…some hide it away behind a wall of false laughter and forced banter, while others mourn openly, talking and crying with the associated mess that this particular kind of grief bestows.  I fall somewhere in between.  It depends on the loss.  Over the last few years I’ve had to bend and stretch to accommodate a wide range of loss – a marriage, a friendship, the loss of hopes and dreams, children leaving to start their own lives, both near and far; the loss of our family home where I grew up, both parents living with dementia  and no longer able to play their long-held roles in my life as well as the death of much-loved relatives.  Listed like this, it seems a lot and I’ve not emerged unscathed.  Grief is like the ebb and flow of the ocean, sometimes the waters are calm and tranquil, sometimes they rage and roar and often there is no warning that the tide is turning.  The smallest things can unleash the wild woman within; the faint smell of your child as you pass their empty bedroom, a random memory jogged by an innocent comment, the incomprehension on your parent’s face when you visit – taken unawares the grief is often overwhelming. 

But still, days go by, life goes on and somehow we survive the changes, the challenges, and by embracing them we become stronger,  learning more about our own resilience and coping mechanisms.  They say that nature abhors a vacuum, and loss creates the biggest of voids – but like nature, the spaces left in our lives slowly fill up - sometimes with new relationships, different friendships, new hobbies. As people move on, as situations change, as our children grow and use their wings to fly, (just as we dreamed they would, never believing that by giving them permission to seize their joy, that our joy would be fractionally dimmed by the sheer loss of their company.  Who knew this? ) we learn to accommodate the gaps, to live with them, to tolerate and maybe eventually to embrace them. 

'Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms you would never see the true beauty of their carvings.' Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


Somehow,  the stripping back to the bare bones of loss can reveal its true heart ...  love and loss are inextricably linked and without great love there will never be the pain of huge loss.  So despite the grip of losses talons, there is a way to transmute the grief into something bearable.  To remember that love was at the heart of all loss can be a great comfort - I never believed in the adage 'better to have loved and lost than never loved at all' but somewhere in that trite little phrase, there is a great truth: significant loss is preceded by extraordinary love.  For that, there can only be gratitude. 

 'I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them. The gratitude has finally conquered the loss.' – Rita Mae Brown.

Just one word

Nurture – the word for 2017

verb: to care for and protect (someone or something) while they are growing.

So each year in January, I choose a word for the year.  Just one word that encapsulates my priorities and travels with me, hopefully permeating everything I do.  I think extremely carefully about what my word will be and the process usually starts sometime in December with a few words that spring into being, before I finally settle on the word.  The trick to finding your word, is not to think too hard about it, just let the ideas come naturally and you’ll just know when you’ve got the right word.  Past words have been laughter, peace and one year was hope.  This year I had several options that floated around my brain for a few weeks – cherish and nourish – but during a meditation session the word ‘nurture’ popped into my head, and there it stayed and so this year’s word is nurture.  In the process of choosing my word I shared the process with some friends and family and we had a totally hilarious hour coming up with a variety of suggestions (many unprintable here!!).  In the end, those same people ended up with their own words – one of which was home – something that was so relevant for that person and for the year ahead.

What is nurture?  How will that impact on my year?  What does it mean for me as I go about my life?

For me, the other word that goes with nurture, is growth.  So in the year to come, I will protect my growth, I will fiercely guard my right to grow, in whatever arena that may be.  In order to grow, like a tiny seedling, there are things that I will need: time to relax and recharge – to read, run warm baths, meditate, walk and contemplate; to know when to retreat and take things at a slower pace; I need to nourish my physical body – exercise and nutritious food, as well as nourishing my inner self – making sure I silence the inner critic and talk to myself in the same way that I would encourage others. I will seek out the new and relish the experiences, knowing that everything is contributing to growth.  I will cherish my relationships, those already in my life and those yet to be made.  I won’t let fear of failure stop me from chasing down my dreams.

So… there’s my word.  Now it’s your turn… what will yours be?

Thought for the day...

How I Meditate

Mindfulness is the buzz word on everyone's lips at the moment - for a reason!  People are beginning to discover the benefits to health and personal and emotional well-being.  I've been meditating now for the last five or six years - sometimes more effectively than others, but I when I let my practice slip I feel as if something important and grounding is missing in my life and I always return to it. I really began my practice under the wonderful tuition of Lama - a Buddhist Monk who taught me the Buddhist tradition of meditation and breath work.  It all stemmed from there.

Where?
Usually sitting in bed - sometimes in the spare room and sometimes on the sofa.  As long as I'm upright and my spine is straight, my neck in line, it works.  If I lie down, chances are I fall asleep!

When?
I'd like to say that I get up at 5am to do an hour, but the reality is I don't.  I just can't wake myself up, so I tend to meditate in the evening and sometimes at my desk in the morning - even five minutes makes a difference.

What type of meditation?
Mindfulness - watching the breath.  Sometimes I chant the Buddhist chant 'om mane padme'. You can find this on You Tube and teach it to yourself. It depends what kind of mood I'm in.  Chanting is good when I'm really distracted as it calms the mind quickly.

Why?
I meditate to get more out of my day. To feel calmer and more in control, no matter what the day throws at me.  I meditate to feel connected to the 'quieter me', the observer. 

Props?
This varies - mostly nothing at all, sometimes I burn an incense stick or play quiet music.  Sometimes I light a candle.  I have several apps that I return to Calm and Anamaya are my current go-tos - they offer meditations on different things ie anxiety, creativity, sleep etc.  I also use the site Meditainment for guided visualisations and meditation.  If you sign up, each month a new guided meditation is released.

Green Goodness - Courgetti Noodles

I'm pretty new to the spiralizer revolution, but that's not to say I'm not embracing it now I've finally got there!  There is a feeling, something akin to smugness I have to admit, of wholesomeness when you're munching through those delicate green strands. There is a plethora of recipes 'out there' for courgetti, but I still prefer the simplicity of a salad, or the softness of noodles sauted in butter and garlic with a smattering of parsley and feta.  Less is definitely more in this case.
Anyway, I came across this recipe and it struck all the right notes for me, so here it is.

You will need...

(Serves 2 as a Side or Starter - double the portions for a main)

3 Large Asparagus Spears, peeled
1 Large Courgette, spiralised
3 Mini Courgettes, peeled
4 Mini Fennels, finely sliced
½ cup of Fresh Peas
4 Sprigs of Tarragon, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Chives, finely chopped
2 tsp Capers
50g Feta, crumbled
½ Lemon, Juice and Zest
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbsp Good Olive Oil

There really isn't a 'method' as such - just some slicing and a bit of crumbling at the end...

1. Using a  vegetable peeler  peel the Asparagus and mini Courgette into a large bowl.
2. Then using either the julienne or spiralise the large Courgette into noodles and add it to the bowl.
3. Finely slice the Fennel and add it to the bowl along with the Peas, and Capers, Lemon Juice and Zest, Salt and Pepper and Olive Oil.
4. Finely chop the Tarragon leaves and Chives, then add to the bowl along with the crumbled Feta.
5. Toss the Salad throughly and serve with a little extra Olive Oil drizzled on top.

(You could substitute the feta with goats cheese, or crispy pancetta, you choose!)

photos by Peony Lim





Wednesday Words

Honey and Soy Belly Pork Slices

 

In our house we like nothing better than a good roast pork.  However, if it's a roast belly pork, then that tops the bill every time.  It's the one meal that I can guarantee has everyone sitting down in 2 seconds flat.  The key with cooking belly pork is to cook it long and slow.  This means that the fatty layers in between the meat have time to melt down into unctuous  deliciousness....  I have a variety of recipes that use belly pork slices, including this one from Nigella which uses potatoes, onions and belly pork slices; however, I recently came across a new recipe that may blow Nigella out of the water...

 Make up your marinade and coat pork and leave overnight.

Marinade

200g Slice of Pork Belly

1 Tbsp Grated Garlic

1 Tbsp Grated Ginger

1 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

¼ Cup Orange Juice

For Glaze – 2 Tbsp Honey

 Dipping Sauce

  1 Tbsp Sweet Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Golden Syrup

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Glaze the Pork with Honey and roast for an hour, glazing with more Honey every 15mins.

Allow to rest for 30 mins.

Take the left over Marinate and add the Sweet Soy Sauce and Golden Syrup, mix and place over a medium high heat in a pan. Reduce to a thick dipping sauce, this should take about 10 mins.

How to eat!

It's great with a simple boiled rice and a wonderful Asian slaw.  Or make up a veggie broth, add Pak Choi, asparagus, broccoli florets, some chilli flakes, soy sauce and noodles before slicing the pork on the top and garnish with a sprinkling of coriander.

Photo: Peony Lim

Monday montage

So summer is pretty much done, but here in London we've been enjoying some pretty spectacular sunny days...a real Indian summer. I know it won't last and I've been making use of these extra days of sunshine to prep my autumn and winter wardrobe. Ankle boots, check. Warm wraps, check. Jumper dress, check. Oversized cosy jumper, check.  Here's some of my favourite looks for chunky wool knits this season...

                             

Reasons to be Cheerful

 

I've been doing my 'Reasons to be Cheerful' posts for a while now and thought I'd explain where they came from. There has been some research done in America that reveals that if we spend just a few minutes at the end of the day reflecting on things that have gone well, on the positive aspects of the day, rather than the negative, then we deal better in the long term with stress and anxiety.
They learned from their research that thinking about positive events in a systematic way can be healthy and suggest that instead of ruminating about negative things, we try to ‘savour’ - relive, enjoy, and share - the positive events of your day.

It’s a habit that doesn’t come naturally however, warn the experts. As humans, an evolutionary survival mechanism leads us to instinctively pay closer attention to all things negative - potential risks and threats.

But the ‘three good things’ intervention can help to overcome that, say Bono and Glomb, who conducted an experiment to prove the effects of the rule. “After three weeks, stress levels and mental and physical complaints declined by small but significant amounts. Moreover, on days when participants focused on good things, they were better able to switch off stressful job-related thoughts in the evening at home.”

“Sharing positive events with others creates connections between people and bonds them with one another, further reducing evening stress,” add the researchers.

“Ultimately, this also improves sleep, which our ongoing research suggests leads to greater alertness and better mood - which in turn leads to more positive things happening the next day.”
Participants in the study also noted that they felt more productive and creative at work after trying out the ‘three good things’ rule.

So - with all these good reasons to focus on the positive, what's stopping you....? From the very small things to the big events, relish them all.   Here's my three things from last weekend...

                      

1.  The late afternoon sunshine slanting across the garden.  The soil warm from the day's rays, the raspberries plump and round, sliding easily from their anchor.  The warm, sharp explosion of taste in my mouth and a memory that is awakened by the taste and smell - I'm a small child in my Grandad's allotment, sneaking raspberries from the canes and eating them quietly in his warm, wood smelling shed. There is a moment, fleeting, of pure unadulterated childlike happiness.

2. To pick the last of the summer produce.  Reaching high up into the branches of the fig tree, feeling the soft fruit under my fingers; twisting the ripe apples from their boughs and feeling their comforting heavy weight in my hands.

3.  The waves on the pebbles, swooshing and cackling, back and forth.  The sun, warm on my face and limbs.

                     

Honey, mustard potatoes with crispy pancetta

There's nothing better than a warm potato salad, and this one ticks all the boxes for me. The addition of crispy bacon elevates it to something else. Serve with BBQ grilled meats and a crisp green salad. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Serves 4

500g New Potatoes

3 Sprigs of Mint

250g Streaky Smoked Bacon

1 Tbsp Salted Butter

2 Tbsp Cloudy Honey

1 Tbsp of Wholegrain Mustard

1 tsp English Mustard

4 Tbsp Chopped Chives

1. Over a medium flame, place a pan of salted water and bring to the boil.
   
   
2. Add the New Potatoes and Mint and gently boil until tender and cooked.
3. Slice the Bacon into lardons and fry until crisp or use pancetta cubes.
4. Assemble the dressing; Mix the Honey, Mustards, Butter and Salt and Pepper in a bowl till combined.
5. Remove the Potatoes from the heat and drain the water, discard the Mint and place them in a serving bowl.
6. Stir through the dressing until coated and glossy and finish with the Crispy Bacon and Chives.

Photo: Peony Lim

Wednesday Words

Lemon Iced Tea

This is a gorgeous refreshing drink, with the addition of green tea it's just right if you're 'clean eating'.

Here's what you need - adjust proportions to fit your jug:

1/2 Juice

(I like Apple, Pear, Mango, Peach or a Mix)

1/4 Green Tea

1/4 Ice Cold Water

Lemongrass

Fruit Slices

(Orange, Lemon, Peach, Apple etc.)

Mint

1. 1. Start by brewing the tea. Make a pot of either Lemon Verbena (just add the leaves to hot water) or Green Tea. Remove the green tea leaves after 2 mins but allow to cool in the pot with the Lemongrass in.
2. 2. In a jug pour the Water, Juice, Fruit slices, Mint and lots of Ice and stir well.
3. 3. Once the Tea is cool, stir it in.
4. 4. Serve each glass with Lemongrass, a spring of Mint and a slice of Fruit.
5. 
   
   
6. Photo: peony lim

Beach Dreams

Doesn't this want to make you sink your toes into the sand...

Photo: camille styles

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland

Deep in the borderlands of Northumberland is a beautiful castle.  It is famous for it's wild highland cattle, white and ferocious, with horns you wouldn't want to mess with.  It's also had its fair share of notoriety due to the allegedly abundant ghosts that walk its corridors.  Most Haunted, the tv series, visited here some years ago. The castle is the home of Sir Humphry Wakefield and his family.  Since 1246 the castle has been owned by the same bloodline with the Earls Grey building the sinister dungeons as well as the beautiful parklands and gardens.  The current owner, who lives in one wing, has carried out extensive restoration and it's definitely a work in progress.  The rooms that are open to the public include the Armoury, the Dungeons, Mediaeval Courtyard, Great Hall (which was built to entertain James VI of Scotland), Edward 1 Room (he stayed here with his cousins whilst on his way to capture William Wallace, of Brave Heart fame), King James I Room and the Plaque Room.  There is also a Chapel and a Museum.  The whole place is brimming with artefacts that have been found during the restoration process, and they are displayed randomly and abundantly, something to stare at on every surface. I had a great chat with one of the guides, who told me about his own ghostly encounters.  It's certainly not hard to believe they exist in those eerie rooms, with untold shadows that stalk you from corner to corner.  I didn't see any ghostly figures this time, but who knows who may have been watching me from a quiet corner...

 Excuse the quality of the photos, it was very dark inside, and pouring with rain outside!  Good photos it does not make.

Wednesday Words

{Choose Joy}

Reasons to be Cheerful...

1. A country walk in weak spring sunshine delivers the most unexpected gifts - the way the light shines through the trees, glancing off the water, creating reflective mirages; tiny goslings swimming frantically to reach their mother and the sweet sound of birds chirruping to each other as they relish the warmth of the day.

2.  In-season asparagus.  What a display this was; green, white and purple, complimented by the citrus yellow of the lemons.  Mouth-watering and too good to leave in the box.  I left with several bunches and all the way home conjured up delicious ways to serve them...steamed and dripping in butter; roasted ,wrapped in salty pancetta; dipped in the runny yolk of an egg; smeared in hollandaise...

3.  To spend time with family; catching up and discovering things about each other that we never knew!  "Remember the time...."; "Have you heard from..." Leaving our meal and remembering that people are precious and never to take them for granted. 

Mulberry's Spring Campaign

Sigh...Fashion Week has yet again highlighted one of my favourite designers - Mulberry.  Their new Spring collection has me once again, drooling.  The other thing that I love is their new ad with Cressida Bonas.  It makes me feel happy.  It's spring-like and I love it.  Here it is...

Happy Monday everyone...

Reasons to be Cheerful...

1.  Slow Sundays. To lie in bed browsing, sunshine pouring through the windows, before I tuck into freshly baked croissants and coffee. They are crisp and flaky on the outside; warm, doughy and buttery on the inside. Heaven. 

2.  The satisfaction that comes from clearing a very cluttered space. Now there is flow.

3.  The miracle of technology means that I can see and talk to my gorgeous daughter every day, even though she is far away. What joy to see her spring onto my screen and hear her happy voice.

Links I Love

 

1.  This has to be the easiest DIY cheeseboard I've seen.  Can't wait to try it out.

 

 

2.  The most heavenly romantic looking Raspberry Rose Cocktail for February 14th.

 

 

3.  How to perfect the post workout pony.

 

 

4.  Quiz.  The 36 questions that lead to love.

 

5.  DIY Ikea hack.  Gilded bookshelves.