Creme Egg Brownies | Baking

On Bank Holiday Monday, Kyle and I decided to take a trip to the local town and head to co-operative in order for me to purchase some belated Easter eggs for my Mum and sister. Due to it being the day after Easter Sunday, everything was super cheap, including a box of 5 Creme Eggs for only a £1! I decided to purchase two of these boxes as I have been intending to make Creme Egg Brownies for quite a while.
As today was my only day off work, that is exactly what I got up to!

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 185g Dark Chocolate (I used milk chocolate)
• 185g Butter
• 85g Plain Flour
• 40g Cocoa Powder
• 3 Eggs
• 275g Caster Sugar
• 6 Cadbury Creme Eggs (I used 5)

Instructions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, or Gas Mark 4.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water. This can also be done in the microwave, however.
• Once this has melted, leave to cool.
• Mix the 3 eggs and sugar together using a fork, although this is probably done best with an electric whisk. The mixture is to double in size, and thicken.
• Add the egg and sugar mix into the cooled chocolate and butter mixture. Ensure that the chocolate and butter mixture is lukewarm or cooler before doing so.
• Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then going on to fold everything together using a spoon.
• Pour the mixture into a brownie tray and place into the oven for around 20 minutes.
• Whilst the brownie is baking, begin to cut your creme eggs in half. This is to be carefully done using a knife, however it does not matter if they split into more than two.
• Once 20 minutes has passed, take the brownie tray out from the oven. The brownie should look fairly soft in the middle, and cooked well around the edge. Place the creme eggs on the half cooked brownie, and proceed to gently press down. 
• Bake the brownie for a further 10-15 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
• Once removed from the oven, ensure to allow the brownie to cool before cutting.

Creme Egg Brownies are super easy to make, and they're also super tasty! I make them every Easter, and can't wait to take them into work tomorrow to share. The brownie tastes great either warmed up or cool with vanilla ice cream, or just on their own.

Have you ever made Creme Egg Brownies? 

If you enjoyed this post, let me know below and I'll hopefully create some more baking posts!

Autumn-Blaze 

xxx

My Go-To Book

As a keen reader, I've found myself scouring book shops during a majority of my shopping trips. Over the years, I have purchased a libraries worth of books, and the collection is consistently being added to. However there is one book placed on my shelf which I always pick up without hesitation when wishing to re-read something once again. I have read this book several times, and I have finished it within days each time, which is rare for me as I often get bored of some books or can not seem to grasp the plot or understanding of the characters, therefore I have to re-read chapters. Each time I have read this book, I have discovered a new love for it, analysing and vividly imagining the scenery and my favourite characters, as if they are all surrounding me.

My Go-To Book is The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.
I have been a lover of Sparks' work for as long as I remember, and The Last Song is by far my favourite. Like most of his books, this has been made into a film, starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. It is a fabulous film, but of course, I prefer the book. Small detail is missed in the movie, and it is those which create the real imagery of the characters and their surroundings.

Although a typical story about a teenage summer romance, this novel has an unexpected twist to it, and there is various moments which make it unlike the others of this genre. I have always wished for there to be a sequence to this book, and I have found myself composing a story for their lives after the summer at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

If you enjoy Romance novels and are searching for an easy read to touch your heart, then I would definitely recommend this book. It is certainly my favourite book, and I look forward to picking it up off the shelf once again.

What's your go to book?
Any book recommendations?

Autumn-Blaze
xxx

Current Addictions

Addictions are always portrayed to be those such as drug and alcohol substances. During this post, I am sharing my current addictions which I use on a daily basis, however they are creating a positive impact on my mindset. I'm willing to change people's perceptions on addictions, and show that we can use things for a form of happiness rather than aim to damage ourselves.

1. Peanut Butter on Toast - It's unreal how much of this I'm eating lately, I seem to eat between 4-8 slices a day! I don't usually eat breakfast or lunch as I'm on my own during the day, but this easy snack is satisfying my hungry needs. I've put a bit of weight on, but for once I really don't care! I'm loving peanut butter too much to think twice about it.

2. My Journal

3. Pyjamas

4. Films

5. Green Tea

Cara Delevingne Inspired Make-Up | Beauty

I've always looked up to Cara Delevingne, especially as an inspiration for brows. Tonight's post is a make-up look inspired by the beautiful lady herself. The make-up I have attempted can be seen in the photo below.

As you can probably tell, I've fake tanned recently, therefore my skin is darker than I wished it to be for this look. Oops. (As seen in below photo - before makeup)

Below photos: The make-up look.

Foundation: No 7 Stay Perfect in Beige.

Highlight: Make-Up Academy Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten Kit, 17 Metallic Cream.

Mascara: Revlon Bold Lacquer.

Eyeshadow: Revolution Salvation Palette.

Blusher: Benefit Benetint.

Lip gloss: Make Me Beautiful by Next.

Eyebrows: Dark Brown brow powder.

Brushes: W7 Beauty Blender, Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow Brush, Body Collection Foundation Brush.

I really hope that you like this look. Please excuse both my silly poses and Micky Mouse pyjamas, haha! If you want me to attempt more make-up looks, let me know in the comments below!

Autumn-Blaze

xxx

Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel | Review

Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin. That's me. I've always been the family member which comes home from a week abroad, still looking the same as I did before. Life is better with a tan. I instantly feel more confident and the sun does miracles for my skin, but my tans always have to be fake.

Spray tans were a favourite of mine from the age of 14 to around 17, however after many people at school soon nicknamed me 'potato', I knew it was time to stop. I've attempted to embrace my paleness, but I just want to be one of those tanned Australian girls you see on Tumblr...is that too much to ask for?!
My Nan is a tad fairer than me, and attempts to use gradual tan products every once in a while, and if all fails, it's handed to me to try. This time, she gave me the Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel.

After a hot bath, I used Vaseline's Cocoa Radiant Lotion to moisturise my skin in preparation for the fake tan. This lotion itself claims to release your skins inner glow, but more to the point it smells sooooo good!! I then progressed to use the Clarins Instant Gel. It was discovered that the gel itself is transparent, therefore you cannot see where you have already applied, leading to leaving a fair few streaky bits when developed. Like in all tans in a bottle, it had that odd biscuit smell (you know which one I mean), however it was not at strong as previous fake tans that I have used, which was an advantage as I hate smelling like something that should be dipped in a cup of tea!! I also had the advantage of being able to apply this product with my hands, simply washing them as soon as I had finished applying. There was no signs of orange-ness on my palms which is always good.

The word 'instant' stood out to me when analysing the bottle, however I did not notice any instant changes of my skin tone. I went to bed in hope that there would be a noticeable change in the morning, and there was. I awoke with a natural glow, and did not feel the need to wear make-up as I was so pleased with how well it also cleared up my skin. As previously mentioned, there is a fair few streaky bits due to being unable to see where I had already applied the gel, so I have reapplied with more caution this evening, hoping to see even less of my paleness in the morning. 

A natural glow (as seen in above photo).

Overall, I am SO pleased with this product! I've always been rubbish at applying fake tan, so maybe the streaky bits are due to fault of my own. 

What fake tan products would you recommend? Let me know in the comments!

Autumn-Blaze 

xxx

Lazy Day | OOTD

What's better than waking up on a Tuesday morning to head downstairs after hearing a knock on the door. Stands there is a man in red and black uniform. Ah, the delivery man.

Today he holds in his hand a delightfully coloured pink parcel. Just what I've been waiting for.

The gorgeous Maria Lace Up Tracksuit from Boutique of Molly was finally in my hands!

This super soft tracksuit feels unbelievably comfortable, and is perfect for those lazy days!

The flared sleeves of the top allow you to also be able to team it up with some jeans, ideal for looking glamorous with maximum comfort during those intense shopping sprees! I'd also pair this with a leather look skirt and heels when going for a drink with the girls.

The gorgeous two piece is a simple statement, yet the lace up either side of both the top and bottoms adds detail to make it more unique than the usual black two piece.

Naturally having the figure of an ironing board, I was hesitant when buying this as small sizes are often far too big for me, however I found that the fit was superb. The material fit me in all the right places, and did not hog the lumps and bumps which I avoid to be seen. 

The trousers sat comfortably just above my belly button, allowing me to potter round all day without having to hitch them up once - which is always a bonus! There was no gap between the top and bottoms once on, which for me, is ideal as I am not a fan of walking round with my belly out. (As seen in above photo)

With a small dose of foundation and a light contour, alongside my Maria Lace Up Tracksuit, I have never felt more glam on a lazy day! I happily popped to the shops and flaunted about, without having to worry about looking un-presentable. 

Boutique of Molly offer a super fast delivery for £3.99 to the UK, and they also post to the rest of the world! After such a positive experience with the company, I cannot wait to be buying more from their site! You can find them on Twitter here and on their website here.

What outfit do you usually go for on a lazy day? Have you bought anything from Boutique of Molly? Let me know in the comments below!!

Autumn-Blaze

xxx

The First Saturday of 2016 | Outfit of the Night

Although the first Saturday of 2016 was on the 2nd, it is only now that I have found time to write up a post about my outfit.
I spent my first Saturday of 2016 with friends in the local city. We had this booked for months, and it wasn't until that evening that we realised that our first weekend of 2016 was being celebrated with one another (Credit to the DJ at one of the clubs for actually announcing this, haha!)

Above photo: Polaroid photos with the ladies!

Originally, I bought 3 outfits to pick from for the night. I'm super picky and always have a mass debate! What if I'm too hot? What if I'm too cold? Shall I show off my legs? Does this outfit mean I have to fake tan? Surely I'm not the only one!
I singled my choices down to two, due to one of the dresses being unflattering on my ironing board physique. One of the choices was a Michelle Keegan for Lipsy lace black top, paired with Lipsy black shorts and New Look heels. (Below)

On the night, I decided on a pastel blue dress which I had purchased from PrettyLittleThing.com. I had never ordered from this website before, but I was SO impressed with the service as I selected next day delivery, and it actually came the next day! (Unlike Missguided, which once delivered my outfits 3 weeks later. Not cool).

As we waited to check into the hotel, my friend Laura and I decided to have a mooch around the shops. It was in New Look that I discovered some pale pink heels which were reduced to £9 from £25. I was still unwilling to spend my money (I'm super tight), but eventually Laura convinced me after showering me in compliments after I had tried the heels on. The purchase finalised my decision for what to wear and they were PERFECT for my outfit!

Above photo: Me on the left, Laura on the right.

It seems that I didn't get the memo, because all the other girls were dressed in black (oops), but I was still so happy with my choice of outfit, although I did look out of place!

The pastel blue dress and pale pink heels were paired with a pink clutch bag from New Look, my Tiffany & Co necklace, Michael Kors watch, Nomination bracelet, and Pandora bracelet. These are my everyday accessories, but they went so well with the dress - adding minimal, yet classy detail. (As seen in above photo)

For make-up, I used my No.7 foundation, then went on to use a MUA bronzer to contour, and a pressed Body Shop highlighter to add a shimmer just above my cheekbones and across the T-section.

A pale pink eyeshadow was used from a Next palette, and for lipgloss I also used a pale pink from a Next giftset which I got for Christmas.

My eyebrows were filled in using a powder, aswell as the Benefit 'Gimme Brow!'. I used two mascaras to enhance the length of my eyelashes, one of those being the Benefit 'They're Real' mascara.

Hair wise I simply tamed the mane by straightening it, keeping everything simple, but effective.

Above photos: My friends and I before we went out!

Unfortunately I forgot to get some close ups of my make-up, but that just gives me an excuse to go out again, right?! 

What do you think to my outfit? Would you have picked a different colour for the shoes and bag? Let me know in the comments!

Autumn-Blaze

xx