Friday 31 January 2014

Friday Favourites #12

For a while now, I have had a growing obsession with Matte Nails - which is made clear on my Pinterest! This all began when my sister (who is a Beauty Therapist) informed me that she had a new OPI Topcoat that creates a Matte look on your nails. So as I was home last week, I got my nails done (Yay!). I actually had Gel overlays (as these last about three weeks and don't chip like standard nail varnish) but the Matte Topcoat works on Gels too! Horaaayy! It dries instantly as well, so there was no need for me to sit around waiting for them to dry. I opted for Big Red Apple and I am really pleased with them - what do you think of Matte Nails?
As I was back in the lovely Somerset last week, I decided it was only right to go for a walk to enjoy the countryside. It sounds quite old fashioned, but I love walking. It's such a lovely way to clear your head and forget all the stresses of every day life. I always use to go walking with my Family when I was growing up too, so perhaps this is why I enjoy it too! And I'm pretty sure it is one of the most effective ways of exercising...maybe? Anyway, last weekend Nick chose to take me to Cadbury Castle - FYI there is no Castle at all which as you can imagine is quite disappointing when you are expecting to see Castle ruins or something! It is where there use to be a Castle...I think they need to consider changing the name. But anyway, after the initial disappointment, it was actually a really lovely walk and we got some great photos (this makes us sound like such an old couple - how embarressing). 


Bit old school, but this week I am loving Ed Sheerans Album "+". I have done a massive clear out of my iTunes and as well as deleting a whole load of shocking music (who is DJ Ear Worm please?) I also discovered some forgotten gems! I loved this album when it was first released and listening to it again has just reminded me how truely talented Ed Sheeran is. Along with his album, I also discovered some beautiful covers too - there really is nothing this guy cannot do!


Sam Smith is my last Friday Favourite this week. I had heard of Sam Smith before (he featured on Disclosures song Latch & Naughty Boys La La La), so he wasn't completely new to me. I believe critics have also been saying he is going to be a big deal this year, so watch this space. I first heard this particular song when my 2 year old neice started singing it...apparently it's her favourite song at the moment (fingers crossed she takes after her Aunty ZoZo and is a lover of music!). My sister told me to YouTube it and I was really impressed. Having only heard his voice featuring on songs before, I wasn't sure what to expect but I have been listening to this song constantly and can't get it out of my head. What do you think?



Have you discovered any good artists / bands recently? Let me know in the comments box below, I love hearing from you all.
 
ZoFlo

Wednesday 29 January 2014

Midweek Motivation


Today, I thought I would send you all a little Midweek Motivation. Wednesdays can be tough as we are half way through the week, but still the weekend is just out of reach! I'm not particularly excited for this weekend as it is the weekend that I don't see Nick...and being a Student, I feel I don't appreciate weekends as much as I should as I am only in Uni 2 days a week! But anyway, for anyone who is having a tough week, please enjoy the following Motivational Quote I found on Pinterest (where else!)



 Although I am enjoying my time at Uni and am really enjoying my course, I do sometimes doubt if I will be able to get a job in the Event Industry when I graduate - it's a dog eat dog world out there and sometimes it actually scares me! But this quote helps to remind me that even if I don't make it into the Event Industry, there are a million other options that can be explored, so never give up. If any of you reading this are worried about your current plan / "plan A" not working out, then don't worry....you can just make 25 other plans to work towards instead (admittedly, before Event Management, I considered Paramedic Sciences, Midwifery, Photography and Sports Science...I obviously enjoy learning new things!)

Enjoy the rest of your week!
 
ZoFlo



Monday 27 January 2014

LUSH: Think Pink


Last week, I had another wonderful Reading Week, so I was back home in Somerset again. Horaaaay! Although it wasn't all fun and games, as I had so much work to do with my Dissertation Research. Stress! But nothing a LUSH Bath Bomb won't make a million times better right? I ordered my younger sister some goodies from LUSH for her birthday and of course I treated myself to a Bath Bomb too! I had to order it all online as 1) I didn't have time to go to the actual store and 2) they are so far from where I live which is upsetting - however, please enjoy the little message that came on the box.


The Bath Bomb I sneakily purchased for myself was the Think Pink one. I chose this one as the website promised "...you’ll find yourself surrounded by rice paper confetti hearts that slowly melt away". Who doesn't want to be surrounded by rice paper confetti hearts in the bath? I also chose it because of all the wonderful reviews it had. Not being able to smell all the Bath Bombs myself made it difficult to decide. Especially because some of the most beautiful ones had mediocure reviews. Anyway, lets get to the fun part! When I put it in the bath it instantly fizzed and turned my my bath water a lovely shade of baby pink! It smelt absolutely gorgeous and, as promised, left tiny hearts floating in my bath! After I had soaked in my LUSH bath for way too long, my skin was left smelling sweet and feeling soft! I absolutely loved this Bath Bomb and would definitely recommend it.


I purchased this same one for my sister too; along with Tisty Tosty Bath Bomb & the Pop in the Bath Bubble Bar. Did I make the right choices? Fingers crossed she loves them all!


What Bath Bombs would you recommend? Even if they aren't by LUSH, I would love to hear about them :)

 
ZoFlo


Friday 24 January 2014

Friday Favourites #11

After last weeks lame Friday Favourites (I'm sorry), I am hoping todays post will be slightly more interesting! Now, I know I am a little late with this, but last week I was so preoccupied with exams that I completely forgot about how amazing the Great Sport Relief Bake Off was! I'm a fan of the Great British Bake Off anyway so it was obvious I was going to love the Sport Relief version! It was hilarious watching Rochelle use salt instead of sugar on her Eccles Cakes & Helen Skeltons interesting mix of ingredients for her pizza! It made for great TV but of course it was all for a good cause too! Did you do anything this year for Sport Relief? 

Next up is my new Lunch Box!! Sometimes it really is the simple things in life that make me happy, and I was so pleased when Nick got this as a little present for me! I did actually show him it online, as my friend has one similar, but I didn't think he was really paying attention so I was super impressed with him for remembering! You can't see it very well in the photo but underneath the large writing it says "no peeping". What do you think?


 Last on my list of Friday Favourites is LUSH - an obvious one amoungst fellow bloggers. I have seen so many posts about LUSH. I haven't used any of their products in so long, mainly because the closest store is ages away. I always use to love going into LUSH when I was younger, but the smell did sometimes give me a headache! Anyway, as it was end of exams I decided to treat myself to the Think Pink Bath Bomb. I used it last night and it is the yummiest. I don't want to give too much away as I have a post dedicated to this, but I basically love it! What other Bath Bombs could you recommend?

                                   

 
ZoFlo

Thursday 23 January 2014

CookBook: Carrot Cupcakes

So this week I have been back home again, which means I have a lovely nice kitchen to cook in! And as Nick has been driving me all over the place to help me with my Dissertation Research, as a thank you for being my chauffeur I decided to make him some yummy cupcakes - carrot ones!

As usual, I used to BBC Good Food Recipe, but I have improvised a little. This is because I have no idea what Brown Muscovado Sugar is (if anyone knows please comment below) and I couldn't find it in our local supermarket so decided it can't be much different to regular brown sugar...I hope. I also couldn't be bothered to mess about with two different types of self-raising flour. I'm rubbish at sticking to the original ingredients! So my list of ingredients looked a little more like this:


Cake Mix:
175g of Brown Sugar
200g Self Raising Flour
2 tsp Mixed Spice
Zest 1 Orange
2 Eggs
150ml Sunflower Oil
200g Grated Carrots

Icing:
100g Butter, Softened
300g Soft Cheese
100g Icing Sugar, Sifted
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

To Decorate:
Sugar Stars!

Surely this isn't too different to the original ingredients? I did actually follow the recipe as it says, mixing all the cake ingredients together and then baking these little beauties for 30 minutes (instead of the recommended 20-22. Perhaps this is because of my different ingredients?). The icing was simple to make and I just smoothed it on top with a knife.

So here they are - my 12 Carrot Cupcakes! They taste lush and I am actually quite impressed with my efforts, as it is my first attempt at baking anything exotic - my baking abilities don't go much further than the usual chocolate / victoria sponge! 

 

Have you done any wonderful bakes recently? Let me know in the comments box below, I love trying out new recipes in the kitchen!

 
ZoFlo

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Review: Best of Benefit

As promised in my Friday Favourites #7, here is what I thought of each of the products in the Best of Benefit gift set that I got for Christmas.


1. Porefessional Primer - This is a product I have used before but quite a while ago. It was great to try it out again as I have been toying with the idea of getting myself a good primer. I haven't tried many, but this is my favourite one so far. It's extremely light, doesn't feel greasy and my foundation stays put! 

2. They're Real Mascara - A good Mascara is the most important piece of kit a girl can own in my opinion. I feel naked without Mascara on. I am a loyal MaxFactor Mascara lover and often find it hard to justify spending so much money on a Mascara. In Boots this one is available for £19.50. WOW! And unfortunately I have completely fallen in love with this Mascara. It makes my lashes look long and curled and big and beautiful! Perhaps as a well-done-for-finishing-uni gift to myself?
No Mascara, Just MAC Fluidline
MAC Fluidline & They're Real Mascara
 
3. Hoola Bonzer - I am not very experienced with Bronzers. I use to use St. Tropez and now I just use Sleek Contour Kit but this one is so lovely! I only use a small amount as I don't like it to be too bold. It goes on perfectly and looks great all day! I really love it and would totally recommend this product to anyone wanting to try bronzer. Yes it may be £23.50 in Boots, however this is such an amazing product, I think it would be hard to mess up & you'll instantly fall in love - like I have!

4. Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain - I haven't used this as a cheek stain, as I am quite pale and was told that people with pale skin should use bronzer instead of blusher/cheek stains. But I have used this as a lip stain and I was pleasantly surprised. Lip Stains are notorious for drying your lips out so I am always a little nervous to try them; but this one is yet to dry my lips. The colour is lovely, not as bold as a red lipstick but the more you apply, the darker it becomes. This is definitely great for anyone (like myself) who isn't brave enough to use a bright red lipstick, but wants to add a little colour to their look!

Top Lip - Benetint. Bottom Lip - Nothing
5. Boi-ing Concealer - I won't lie, it took me a while to get use to this concealer as I am use to using more liquid ones. I usually keep this one in my bag as an emergency concealer for when I am out and about and it is perfect. It comes in two shades, so you can use either one or blend them together - which I do to make the perfect blend for my skin tone.

6. High Beam Highlighter - The first thing that surprised me with this product is that it was a liquid and it had an applicator similar to a lip brush. I was actually expecting a powder as that is what I have used in the past. At first, I found it really difficult to apply. I only used a small amount but when blending it into my cheek bones it rubbed off my Bronzer and Foundation. This isn't too great when getting ready for a night out (and when you're running late too - stress!!). But after a little more practice, I managed to get the hang of it. I apply it to my cheek bones before putting on my bronzer and lightly blend it with my fingertips - my blending brush is way to harsh and is the reason my Bronzer & Foundation came off before! I am in love with this highlighter and will most definitely be purchasing this when I run out.

7. Come to the Pretty Party - Tucked away at the top of the gift box was a VIP Pass to be used at any Benefit Beauty Bar in Boots for a "..free makeupper..". I am yet to make use of this voucher, but when I do, I will definitely give you guys a blog post to tell you about my experience. If anybody has one of these, please let me know if you have used it and what I should expect in the comments box below.

Overall, I think we can safely say I am in love with the majority of these products and it was one of my favourite stocking fillers (Nick did good!). Fingers crossed I manage to get myself a wonderful Graduate Job this summer so I can afford to splash out and treat myself to all of these lovely products!

Have you used any of these products? What are your favourite ones?

 
ZoFlo


Friday 17 January 2014

Friday Favourites #10

Yaaaaay, it's Friday again!

This week I am absolutely loving the Coca Cola Advert! I love all the points they raise, reminding us that for every negative experience (from falling over at your graduation ceremony to pointless acts of violence) there is always more positive experiences - like funny cat videos!


I'm really getting back into reading recently, so my much neglected Kindle has been added to my favourites list for this week! It's hard to read alongside Uni work as I have so much academic reading to do as well, so reading is becoming less of a treat these days. But I recently downloaded I Heart Paris and so far I am loving it. I read I Heart New York quite a while ago and A Single Girl's To Do List, both of which I completely loved. I'm quite fussy with books but for me, Lindsay Kelk always gets it right! Let me know if you have read any good books recenetly - I'm eager to update my collection!


Sorry that this weeks Friday Favourites is quite brief - it's exam week in the student world (boohoo) so I haven't had a chance to live a proper life and find out what my new favourites are! I'll make up for it next week though, I promise!
 
 
ZoFlo


Friday 10 January 2014

Friday Favourites #9

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I am particularly happy today because tonight I get to have a fun filled girly night with the wonderful Miss Hannah - and it's only a week until exam stress is over! To help keep me calm & stress free during exams, I have been burning this Balis & Harding Candle that Nick got me for Christmas. It is Wild Bluebell & Jasmine and smells so amazing! My room smells lovely during and after burning - I think this one will be getting replaced as soon as it is finished. Although, I have been burning it all week and it isn't even a third of the way down yet, so I'm guessing it is going to last me a while - even better!


 Next is a necklace I have been wearing literally everyday since Christmas! It was a present from my Mum which she picked up in Dorothy Perkins. If I am being completely honest, I am not a massive fan of Dorothy Perkins and often think of it to be quite a "mumsie" shop (hense why my Mum was probably in there) but this is the cutest necklace and I was so impressed when I saw where it was from on the tag. I think I am definitely going to have to go in there during my next shopping trip to check out their jewellery. Well done Mum!


 My final Friday Favourite for this week is Mumford & Sons! They have always been a favourite of mine and last year I was lucky enough to see them twice, in two weeks! I would highly recommend seeing them, they are by far one of the best bands I have seen live - and being a two time attendee of Glastonbury that is a very bold statement! They are such a feel good band with so much energy. I have found myself constently listening to them recently as their songs hold such amazing memories which keeps me positive during stressy exam period at Uni. So if you haven't already checked them out (I'm not sure where you have been if you haven't) then please have a listen! And if you are toying with the idea of seeing them live - DO IT! Especially if they are playing at any festivals this summer, as they are the perfect music festival band. I'm praying that they will be at Glasonbury Festival this year - which would make it there 5th or 6th appearance there? I think? It could happen though right?


Who are your feel good bands/artists that make stressful times that little bit better?

 
ZoFlo

Wednesday 8 January 2014

CookBook: Stuffed Chicken with Bacon

Yes, you read that correctly. I made Stuffed Chicken with Bacon! I know I mentioned in my 25 Facts About Me that I don't like eating chicken (and I haven't for about 4 years), but after various family members and friends nagging me about this I felt it was time to start introducing it into my diet again. I think it's okay to cut meat out of your diet as long as you substitute it for something that provides your body with similar nutrients...which I was not doing!

Again, I followed the BBC GoodFood recipe for this one, but instead of using Pesto or grated Cheese as they suggest, I used Philidalphia soft cheese to fill the chicken. As well as this, I also chose to use smoked bacon. I always worry that I will over cook chicken and it will go dry (dry chicken is another reason that I stopped eating it), however my Mum told me that as long as I cook it in a glass dish with a lid on when in the oven, the chicken won't dry out! Good old Mum!
 
It was ridiculously simple to make and was really yummy too - I will definitely be doing this one again soon. I served it with Cheesy Mash (one of my all time favourites) and lots of peas. Have you made any delights in the kitchen recently? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.

 
ZoFlo

Friday 3 January 2014

Friday Favourites #8

I'm still coming to terms with that fact that it is 2014....doesn't seem too long ago that I was at Glastonbury Festival, drinking cider and listening to Ben Howard! It's all gone by too quickly!

To begin my first Friday Favourites for 2014 I am introducing you all to my make do and mend sewing kit - every girl needs a mini sewing kit in their lives! I couldn't survive without one and they have definitely helped me out with various wardrobe emergencies in the past! This is the cutest one of my collection - I especially love the plaited thread that contains 25 different colours!


Next up is David Blaine! Oh my godness, he blows my mind! If you didn't see his programme Real or Magic on Wednesday night I hugely recommend that you catch up on 4od. I've just recently started catching up with the Dynamo series on Watch, so I am now obsessed with the types of magical / illusional / superhuman tricks (if I can call them tricks?) they perform! When I saw the advert for David Blaine's programme I was silly excited and it did not disappoint. If you watched it let me know what you think by commenting below. I love hearing people's opinions on illusionists as everyone has such different ideas of how they work. Real or Magic....or just completely fake?


My final Friday Favourite is the newest addition to my ever growing collection of O.P.I nail polishes! This particular one was a Christmas present from my Mum. It is called Polka.com and I felt it was perfect for the New Year. It did take me three coats to cover my nails with a good amount of glitter but, like many glitter nail polishes, it hasn't budged at all. I think next time I will put it over the top of another nail polish to turn boring nails into party nails! What do you think? Do you have any nail polishes you would recommend? 

♥  
ZoFlo


Thursday 2 January 2014

Well Hello 2014..

My goodness how quickly has 2014 come around! Looking back, I had a pretty amazing time in 2013. I met Philip Schofield (my biggest older man crush ever!), ran my first Half Marathon, completed my work placement at The Walt Disney Company, went to Glastonbury Festival, the Olympic Park Live and Pilton Party! I met my boyfriend & moved out! I started my little blog and got myself 17 wonderful followers in 2 months!


Although I am sad that all the festivities are over, with Graduation to look forward to, moving back home and the thought of starting a new, proper grown up job, I am looking forward to seeing what 2014 will bring me. Apart from the usual eat healthy / do more exercise that everyone attempts come January 1st, my only New Years Resolutions are to care less about those who care little about me and spend more time with the people that make me happy! Here's to a happy, healthy 2014 full of fun, love and laughter!

 
ZoFlo