The Christmas Tag!

Hey guys! What better way to start off some Christmassy posts than with a Christmas Tag? I was tagged by Emma at PeaceLoveVintage a few days ago and can't wait to answer some questions! Let's get into it :)

1. Do you Prefer a Real Tree or Synthetic?

I've always had a synthetic tree in my house so I'd probably have to go for that! I love the look of real trees but I honestly think the malting would drive me mad haha!

2. You're in a coffee shop, its December, what do you pick?
This year I have been loving Costa's White Hot Chocolate! To be honest I don't go in to coffee shops too often as I don't like tea or coffee, but when I do I normally go for a hot chocolate or one of the iced drinks - but maybe not this time of year! 

3. What's your favourite colour scheme for decorating the house?
For quite a few years we have had red and gold; it's traditional and pretty and just makes me think of Christmas! I have to say I'm really not a fan of some of the bright coloured decorations you see around - Christmas is supposed to be warm and inviting and for some reason those colours just put me off!

4. To mince pie or not to?

Definitely not! I just can't understand why they are such a big deal haha! 

5. What's on your plate when Christmas dinner is served?

Too much! Haha! I have to say I'm not much of a vegetable person so my plate pretty much consists of potatoes, pigs in blankets (my fav!) yorkshire puddings, and whatever meat is going! Oh so healthy! haha ;) 

6. What's your Christmas day style?

I always enjoy going shopping and looking for a nice Christmas outfit to wear! I like to have something a little sparkly and festive as I never normally wear anything like that. However I don't normally get dressed until around lunchtime... you gotta have that cosy Christmas morning!

7. Which Christmas movie could you watch again and again?

I'm a sucker for Christmas films! I could pretty much watch any over and over haha but my favourites have to be Elf, The Grinch, Jingle all the Way and Christmas with the Cranks!

8.Do you open presents before or after lunch?
Before, always! What people can wait until after lunch? I know I can't!

9. Name one tradition your family does each Christmas?

Surprisingly we don't really have any traditions! We have certain decorations we put in places each year, but that's all! I also normally love to watch The Snowman on Christmas Eve just before I go to bed :)

10. Online Gift Shopping or Christmas Market shopping?
There are certain cool gift ideas and presents that you can only find online, so I do some of my shopping on there, but I have to say I prefer going into town to do Christmas shopping as it is always so cute and festive! However I try to go at quieter times because let's face it - the crowds can be the most annoying thing!

So that's it for this tag guys! Thank you to Emma for tagging me to do it :) Be sure to answer the questions yourself if you're feeling Christmassy!

Lauren x 

QUICK HALLOWEEN OUTFITS

Hey guys! Today I've put together a few outfits that are quick and easy to do, if maybe you've got a party invite last minute or haven't got your costume sorted yet! They should be simple enough to achieve with things you've already got in your wardrobe, so let's get in to it!

This one is really simple and effective! I think pretty much everyone has a pair of black leggings or jeans and a stripy top laying around, and many will have some plain shoes and a black beanie, too. If not these can be picked up for super cheap in places like New Look! The plain black mask is also super affordable and only around £2 from shops like Rockbottom Toystore, and as well for the bag, you can easily use a plain canvas bag you can pick up from most supermarkets and draw on the dollar sign with a permanent marker!

This Cat is definitely the easiest costume to do! These tights can be found on eBay for around £2, the ears can be picked up from several stores such as Claires for really cheap, and then you just need any black dress you already own and a pair of heels!

My final idea is quick but effective! All you'll need is some chinos or a beige/sand coloured skirt, and an old white top! Then pick up some of these craft lolly sticks (which can be found in most supermarkets) and glue them to your top. If you can't find coloured lolly sticks you could paint them yourself, or just draw directly on to your top. This will create the sprinkle part of your costume! Finish it off with some nude heels or shoes, and you're good to go! An additional touch could be a cherry on top, maybe in the form of a headband!

So that's it guys! I hope you find this useful if you are stuck on ideas or just need something to put together really quickly! What are you dressing up as this year?

Lauren x

Halloween Cupcakes!

Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been a long while since my last post, I've had a lot going on but anyway I'm not going to blab on about it! This week I will be doing some Halloween type posts in the run up to the big day, starting with this easy cupcake recipe, perfect for any party or just to have for yourself! Let's get into it!

The ingredients you will need for the batter:

• 110g Butter (or margarine)
• 110g Caster Sugar
• 2 Free Range Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 110g Self-Raising Flour
• Green Food Colouring
• Disposable Piping bags
• Cupcake Cases (mixture normally makes 12)

I think pretty much everyone knows how to make a simple cake batter, but I will quickly go over the details!

1. Pre heat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream them together with a wooden spoon, until they are light and fluffy.
2. Slowly beat in the eggs a little at a time to make sure your mixture doesn't curdle.
3. Then, slowly sift in your flour, making sure not to mix too fast. Fold it in slowly until completely combined.
4. Add in your vanilla extract and mix again.
5. Then, you'll need to separate about 1/5 of your mixture and put it in a different bowl. Add in a couple of drops of Green food colouring and mix it through until you have your desired colour.
6. Transfer the green mixture into a disposable piping bag. (This is just to make things easier and isn't a necessity).
7. Now, you need to put some of your original batter into the bottom of each cupcake case, not too much though as you will be needing some again later! (If it is easier for you, put your original batter into a piping bag as well. It will give you a little more control.)
8. Next, cut off the tip of your disposable piping bag with the green mixture inside, and squeeze a little into the middle of each cupcake case. Remember not to do too much as it has to go into all 12 of the cakes! 
9. Finally, spoon/pipe the remainder of your original batter over the top, covering the green batter back up. 
10. Give the cupcake tray a little bang on your worktop, just to even out the mixture and make sure any air is released.
11. Place the cupcakes in the oven, they should take between 10-15 minutes! Poke a skewer into them to check that they are cooked all the way through.

Whilst the cakes are in the oven, you can start making your decorations to save time. To make the decorations, you will need:

• A template of the design you want to go on top ( I found some simple spider webs and spider templates on Pinterest)
• Baking Paper
• Disposable Piping Bag
• Candy Melts in Green and Black

To start, place your template on your kitchen side, and place the baking paper directly over the top. Secure them together using tape. Next, melt your candy melts following the instructions on the packaging, and place it into a piping bag. Now you can cut a tiny bit off the bottom of the bag, so it is almost like a pen, and trace your design on to the baking paper! Once it is complete, transfer it to your fridge to harden, this should only take about 10 minutes.

Finally, you will need to make the Icing! You can do this while the cakes are cooling to give them plenty of time. You will need:

• 150g of softened Butter (unsalted)
• 330g of Icing Sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons of Milk
• Around 1/2 a tablespoon of any flavourings you want ( I used a Salted Caramel Flavouring)
• Disposable Piping Bag
• Open Star Tip (or any you'd prefer!)

The icing is very simple to make! All you have to do is mix the icing sugar and butter in a bowl until they are fully combined. Once this is done, add the milk and continue to mix for around 2 minutes, until it is paler and smooth. Then, add your flavouring if you are going to! Finally, cut the tip off the piping bag and slot in your choice of tip, then fill the bag with the icing.

Now, to put it all together, all you have to do is ice each cupcake, and place a decoration on top! And when you bite into the middle, it will reveal the green insides! I think they look really cute and they are perfect for Halloween!

Lauren x

INTRODUCING: THE H&M BEAUTY DEPARTMENT

Hey guys! I've got an exciting post today. You may all have seen the odd bits of make-up in H&M before, but as of yesterday, they have upgraded their game and completely re-vamped the range, introducing a whole new range of lipsticks, liners, eyeshadows, palettes, varnishes, pretty much everything you can think of! I went in with my sister yesterday to have a good look around all the products, (test out every lipstick on my hand) and pick up just a couple of things. I would have got so much more, but, unfortunately, a student budget doesn't stretch very far!

Lip liner in Bramble Ripple, Nail Varnish in Stucco

As you can see, the packaging on these products is gorgeous, I love the white, black and gold together, it really makes it look classy and definitely better than before. Anyway, let's talk about the lip liner!
I chose the shade Bramble Ripple after much contemplating, which is a dark purple/plum shade. There were a few lovely neutrals but I told myself I need to try something different and this colour is great for Autumn! For a first impression, as you can see above, I used the liner all over my lips to get  proper idea of the shade and consistency. Unfortunately the consistency is pretty dry so I'd say these aren't really suitable to wear on their own as you can with some liners and they probably need a lipstick to go with them, however the colour was awesome and it really stayed put on my lips (so much so I had to scrub at it to get it off afterwards!) so overall I would say it was okay! These also only cost £3.99, so I may have to go back and get one of those nude shades I kept staring at!

Next was the varnish. H&M have done varnishes in the past and the sales assistant came over and spoke to us saying how they have left the price the same, again at £3.99, to make them affordable to everyone! I have been looking for a nice grey tone varnish for a while so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to pick one up! They had absolutely loads to choose from in so many nice colours, however I found the grey I wanted in the shade 'Stucco'. At first impression I was impressed with the shape of the brush, it is quite wide to make for an easier application. The colour also looked great when I tested it on my little colour wheel, and this is with only one layer! As I mentioned, I'm not yet sure on staying power/chipping as I only went yesterday but it seems pretty great to me!

Have you tried any of the other products? What did you think?

Lauren x

MY 'COLLECTION' COLLECTION

Hey guys! I picked up a couple of new Collection items recently, but as I have been using the brand for quite a while I thought I would show you guys my favourites from them that are currently in my make-up bag!

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner - I've pretty much used this eye liner for about 5 years, I just never find anything I like more! I love the tip applicator which makes it really easy to get a great line, and also the pigmentation of the actual liner is amazing. I always find with felt-tip style liners the colour fades over the course of the day, whereas with this it just doesn't.

Collection Speedy Highlighter - This is one of the new products I picked up and I've really been loving it! As the name would suggest, it is super speedy to apply, just a quick swipe over your cheekbones, blend in with your finger and you're set. It leaves a super nice glow that's not too over the top, and comes in a few shades too!

Collection Shimmer Shades - To be honest I've had these for quite a while and they are probably past their best, however I've still been using them from time to time. If you swirl all the colours together they make for a great, glowy looking bronzer, or you can use them all separately as highlighters etc!

Lasting Perfection Foundation - I brought this on a whim when I was a bit short for cash but desperate for a new foundation, and to my surprise I actually ended up really liking it! It has a nice consistency and is easy to blend, and it actually lasts all day.

Lasting Perfection Concealer - I think everyone knows just how great this concealer is, and I've been using it for a while now. Originally I brought a shade that ended up being a bit too dark for me,but after re-purchasing I've really been loving it! It has a great coverage and blends really nicely.

Lasting Perfection Powder - I wasn't aware of this product until recently, however I picked it up because I was in need of a new powder, and it was cheap as with all Collection products. It sets my make-up really well, especially under the eye area, and doesn't make my face feel cakey at all.

So that's all I have at the moment! Do you have any Collection products you can't live without? Let me know in the comments!

Lauren x

INSTAGRAM DIARY

Hey guys! I've realised recently I probably spend a little too much of my day on Instagram, I just can't get enough of it! So I thought I'd share a few of my recent posts :)

1.Yesterday, me, Jack and some of our friends went for Lunch at a new cafe near to us called the Maritimo Lounge. It was yummy and I thought I'd take a photo of the view rather than my lunch for a change ;)
2. It was Jacks' mums birthday recently and she had a Superhero themed party so I made her some cupcakes to match!
3. Having a bit of a vein moment wearing my Kate 107 lipstick.
4. I finally got one of the hats I'd been after so of course I had to take a photo of it!
5. Recent OOTD featuring a new top I'd picked up from New Look.
6. Spending some quality time with my gorgeous little Nephew who is growing up so quickly!
7. Some of you might not know my love of video games, but I have pre-ordered the new Fallout 4 game and am so excited for it, I decided to make a Fallout themed skin for my xbox one controller!
8. Another casual Outfit of the Day!
9. Me and some friends took a trip to Manor Farm when the weather was actually nice!

So that's it really guys! If you're interested in seeing some of my other snaps, my instagram username is laurennnhobbs, or you can click the link in my sidebar :) hope you're all well and ready for Autumn?! I can't believe it's already September!

Lauren x

HIGH-STREET A/W WISHLIST!

Hey guys! It's practically the end of August, which means my favourite times of the year are coming up.. Autumn and Winter! Aside from the rain, I love everything about the ending months of the year, cosy jumpers, cute scarves, fancy warm drinks;- and then there's onesies! (but that's probably for a whole other post...) Anyway, I've been looking through my clothes recently and realising how much I.. uh.. totally need some new winter staples too add to my overflowing wardrobe! So of course I took to the internet! Here are some clothes and accessories I've been lusting over for this A/W from the high-street shops!

TOPSHOP

1. Leigh Jeans - I've always wanted a pair of the famous Topshop Leigh Jeans everyone raves over, and now my black jeans have gained a hole and are deemed for the bin, it might be the perfect time.
2. Jumper - I probably already own about 6 jumpers, but I'm yet to have a khaki coloured one, so it's okay, right? This one has a lovely zip detail up the back too, and keeps in trend with the roll style neck.
3. Chunky knee high socks - I kind of have a love/hate relationship with knee high socks, but these ones really had me loving them again! I find them quite hard to style but I think with a nice back dress and boots, these would look great.
4. Cord Skirt - This burgundy skirt screams Autumn to me and I think it would look perfect with a cropped jumper and tights! This would also be perfect to fit into the 70s trend for this winter, too.
5. Orange Bag - Again, I think the colour of this bag is perfect for the Autumn/Winter months, and it would go with so many outfits!
6. Lipstick in Wicked - I only own 1 Topshop lipstick but I really love it, and nothing says Autumn like a lovely dark berry lip. I may have to get this one soon!


NEW LOOK

1. Black Leather Boots - Anyone who knows me will know that I have a slight obsession with black boots and it won't be stopping anytime soon. These ones are a perfect height and as they are leather it means they wont get ruined straight away either, which has happened to me a couple of times with cheaper pairs.
2. Checked leggings - I thought these were really cute and the colour palette works really well, especially if you're a little shy about trying patterns. It would work great with a black jumper or long sleeved top and, you guessed it, black boots!
3. White top - This top is super cute and although it might seem quite summery I think it would work great as a transition piece with a nice knitted cardigan and jeans or leggings!
4. Checked Shirt - Another check item, but you can never get enough of the check shirt! They are in fashion almost every season and this colour works really well for Autumn. I love them as you can either wear them casually or dress them up!
5. Grey Batwing top - This loose fitting top is a great staple piece for any wardrobe this Winter. The high neck also makes it extra cosy!

So those are just a few things I've been looking at this Autumn! (There's a lot more but I don't want to keep you for hours!) Have you got any items you've been lusting over?

Lauren x