Mumma's cakes

Sarah Davis Cakes

So my beaut Mum literally makes the most amazing cakes ever and I just wanted to write a quick post about them because, well they're the best. As is she.

My Mum started baking cakes for people absolutely ages ago as a hobby more than anything, but now she is always super busy creating beautiful wedding cakes, crazy birthday cakes, cute cupcakes and awesome personalised cakes for many loyal and new clients. What makes her cakes so special is that she's not only amazing at baking them and I mean it when I say that they are DELICIOUS, but she spends so much time on the decoration and the attention to detail is superb. She really studies the client to ensure that the cake is the perfect one for them, which makes every cake unique and personal to the client. 

Every cake is made with so much dedication and love and I MAY be a little biased, but they are the best cakes I've ever tried. 

I would absolutely love it if you would take some time to check out her Facebook page and you can see for yourself! Don't forget to Like, Comment and Share with your friends on Facebook - that would mean the absolute world to her.

For all bookings and enquiries email sarahkitney@hotmail.com.

Thank you for reading guys! 

I'll speak to you in my next post.

Love H ♥

My festive pumpkin soup recipe

Hey everyone! 

I really want to share with you my recipe for pumpkin soup because it's getting to that time of the year where I love to make warming, homely food. Soup is something I associate with Autumn and Winter and so I made pumpkin soup recently and thought I would share.

I absolutely love pumpkin, it's one of my favourite ever vegetables. I get so excited for this time of year because they come back to supermarkets and I can go crazy and experiment. The other day I was shopping and wasn't expecting to see edible pumpkins on the shelves, but there they were!!! You can imagine the delight. So obviously I bought one, and a load of other ingredients to make my festive pumpkin soup. Perfect for Autumn.

What you will need:

● 1 small edible pumpkin

● 1/2 of a large butternut squash OR 1 small one

● 2 large carrots

● 4 large potatoes (you could use sweet potato if you wanted)

● 150g of mixed baby sweet peppers (apprx. 6 baby peppers)

● 1/2 of a white onion 

●1/2 of a red onion 

● 1 clove of garlic 

● 1 vegetable stock cube OR chicken stock cube if you prefer

● Dried chilli flakes

● A pinch of nutmeg

● A pinch of cayenne pepper 

● A pinch of smoked paprika

● Sea salt and coarse cracked black pepper to season

● A large pan to boil the veg

● A medium sized frying pan
● A blender (handheld or normal)

This recipe will serve approximately 6 people. You can freeze the left overs and defrost whenever you want, or keep in the fridge for up to a week, no longer.

Method:

1. Cut the pumpkin, squash, carrots and potatoes into 1 inch pieces. 

2. Add the veg to a large pan filled with seasoned cold water and leave to boil.

3. Cut the peppers and onions into 1 inch pieces and chop the garlic into thick slices. Leave veg to one side.

4. When the boiling vegetables are close to being done (test a piece of pumpkin to make sure - a knife should slice through easily), turn the heat off and leave in the hot water while you lightly fry the onion, peppers and garlic in a splash of olive oil. 

5. While the veg is frying, add dried chilli flakes (quantity depending on how hot you want it), a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. You can now boil the kettle ready for the stock.

6. Once the onions are transparent and the peppers have softened, you can remove the veg from the heat.

7. Drain the boiled vegetables and add back into the pan. 

8. Add the fried vegetables to the veg in the pan and add a litre of stock. If need be, you can add more hot water from the kettle until the water is almost covering the top of the vegetables.

9. Put the pan back on the heat, and leave to simmer until the vegetables are completely soft and all of the flavours have combined.

10. Once the vegetables are completely done, you can take the pan off the heat and blend. If you are using a handheld blender (like I did), you can do this while it's still hot, but be careful as it might splash up. And it burns. Trust me, I know. If you are using a normal blender I would recommend leaving the veg to cool a little. You will also need another pan to put the blended soup into, as you will probably need to blend in batches.

11. Once everything is blended and the soup is smooth, you can season again if needed. Then, you can serve and enjoy!!!

Serving recommendation:

Add croutons to the top of the soup for some added texture, OR serve with a warm, buttered, crusty roll for dipping! Mmmmm.

Thanks so much for reading, I hope I've inspired you to make some yummy pumpkin soup.
Speak to you in my next post.

Love H ♥

What's in my makeup bag?

A question I get asked a lot as a makeup artist; what products do I use on myself/what's in my makeup bag? All of the products I use I would recommend a million times over, and so I'm going to share them all with you in this post. I do change up my makeup a lot as you can imagine, but these are the products that I'm reaching for at the moment. I'm not going to include the brushes that I use on a daily basis in this post, if you'd like to see a seperate post about those then just let me know in the comments. WARNING: This might be a rather long post.

1. Smashbox Photo Matte Anti Shine Primer 

We all know I've got oily skin, and so this primer is literally a God-send. I love this primer so much. It does such a fantastic job a smoothing out my pores and making them look flawless (much like the benefit porefessional in texture). But it also keeps me matte all day long. I do tend to use matte finish foundation which I think helps a lot when keeping me matte, however when I don't use this primer I can see by the end of the day that the oils in my skin are more visable and I tend to have to blot throughout the day. I have a horrible feeling that this primer is discontinued :'( but if I can find a link to it then I will link it above.

2. There are two foundations that I tend to switch between on a daily basis. The first being Revlon Colourstay for combination/oily skin. Mine is in this shade... I use this foundation when I want a more full covereage finish. I looooove this foundation it's my favourite drugstore foundation and I will continue to repurchase this for a long, long time. They have a range for normal/dry skin too which leaves a more dewy finish to the skin so there's somethig for everyone. The second foundation I swear by is MAC Face and Body . I use this foundation when I want next to no coverage, just a little colour. I freaking adore this product so much that I have shades in my kit too. It's so ideal for use all over the body (covering discoloration on the legs, evening out skin tone etc.) but also it's a great foundation for more mature skin. It's so thin in consistency that it doesn't settle into fine lines or look cakey which is perfect for someone with mature skin. The foundation can leave quite a dewy finish to the skin but what I love about it is that if you work it between your fingers and then apply, it sort of changes to a thicker consistency and has a more powdery finish. I know that sounds weird but it's ideal for more oily skin types. It's like a 2 in 1. Amazing. Love. 

3. Origins Plantscription Anti Ageing Concealer

Concealer is my thing. Everytime I'm in a makeup store or at a makeup counter, concealer is the thing I gravitate towards. I don't know why! My favourite at the moment is the Origins Plantscription one, however concealer is really something that I change up A LOT. If you'd like to see a post on my favourite concealers then comment below and let me know! That might be easier than trying to list all of my faves in this post! Anyway, the Origins concealer is amazing. It's got such good coverage but isn't too thick and cakey for underneath the eyes. They have a variety of good shades, I personally use the colour Light underneath my eyes to brighten and cancel out any dark circles. It also has anti ageing qualities which is never a bad thing. I love using this concealer on clients too. It's a must have in my opinion!  

4. MAC Studio Finish Concealer
I have this concealer in my makeup bag too for covering blemishes. I use the colour NC30 as this matches my face the best. The consistency of this concealer is perfect for covering blemishes and hiding any imperfections, but it is far too thick to be used underneath the eyes. You can get away by using the tiniest amount to colour correct over your under eye concealer, however on it's own it's too much. I've used it in that area before and I ended up with creasing and flaking and IT WASN'T PREDDY. But yeah, it's amazing for spot concealing!!!

5. Chanel Les Beiges

This product is sooo beaut. It's a powder that gives super light but buildable coverage that you can use to set your base. I love using this to set my foundation becuase it's so light that it doesn't turn cakey. You know sometimes when you set your foundation and then look up close at your face and you've suddenly turned into Mrs Cake? Not with this beauty. I personally love this powder, I carry it everywhere. It's so perfect for touch ups throughout the day due to it's super light coverage and handy compact. Would recommend this to everyone!

6. L'Oreal Glambronze in Golden Bronze

I have grown a real love for this bronzer, I didn't think I would love it as much as I do. It's the only one I reach for at the moment, and let me tell you I have a LOT of bronzers. It's such a good colour for me, not too orange and not too ashy. It could potentially be used as a contour shade, but it does have the tiniest little bit of shimmer in it, so I prefer to use another product to contour. I would seriously recommend this bronzer I think it's so good for the price! For me it beats my Bourjois chocolate bronzer and my MAC MSF's. 

7. Sleek Contour Kit in Light

This contour kit is such a handy thing to have in your makeup bag! The quality of Sleek makeup is amazing anyway, but their ideas and the way they package their products is so ideal. So in this kit you get a highlight colour, a contour colour and a blush colour. All of the products are really good quality and I just find this handy little palette the most perfect thing to keep in my makeup bag for every day use. The blush shade in the palette reminds me a lot of NARS Orgasm, which is awesome. I just think for the price, you get a lot of great quality product and I recommend to everyone! 

8. MAC eye shadows in Omega and Charcoal Brown

I am obsessed with using these two colours for filling in my brows at the moment. I bought these shadows forever ago under the recommendation of Tanya Burr. Not directly (I wish) - through watching her videos on YouTube. They really are the perfect colours for creating a natural defined brow. I feel like they suit everyone and so that's why they are most definitely a part of my pro kit too! The colours are not too red, not too ashy, just the perfect inbetween and they look stunning through the brows. I personally use Omega through the head of the brow to define while keeping it natural, and then I use Charcoal Brown through the tail of my brow. These shadows are what I reach for every day without fail. Sleek's Brow Kit in Light actually has a very similar colour to Charcoal Brown, so I would recommend checking that out for a more affordable option!

9. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Gold

I keep this in my makeup bag because it's such an easy product to throw on for an every day look. It blends out beautifully and the colour is stunning. The majority of the time I would wear this just on it's own for a really simple look, but I also like to use Charcoal Brown in the crease to give the eye some more definition and add a little something to the look. I also love to carry this incase I want to use my Naked 3 palette (which I also keep in my makeup bag) as it acts as the perfect base for most of the shades in that palette. I would recommend any of the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. 

10. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

I know a whole eyeshadow palette seems a little excessive to have in my makeup bag, but I don't take my makeup bag with me everywhere. I just carry with me the essentials I'll need to top up my look throughout the day. However, I feel that having a palette in my everyday makeup bag just makes it easier to quickly achieve a nice eye makeup look in the morning, especially if I'm in a rush! 

11. L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara in Extra Black
This mascara is suuuuper lengthening which is why I love it so much. The combination of the plastic bristled brush and the wet formula of the product makes for a really nice, non-clumpy mascara. You can build it up to create more volume, but I love using one coat as it doesn't clump and gives the perfect amount of length for me.

12. L'Oreal gel eyeliner in 01 Pure Black 

I don't always use eye liner on a daily basis, but I do keep it in my makeup bag just incase. Sometimes when I'm not feeling doing anything dramatic with my eye makeup I will do a winged liner to add a little something to the look instead. I love the L'oreal one as it doesn't tend to transfer as much as others that I have tried, but it can still transfer a little.

13. Tanya Burr lipgloss in Chic

Lip products are another thing that I adore, you could call it an obsession. My lip product literally changes every day; I wear a colour depending on how I'm feeling. 9 times out of 10 I will probably select a nude, however with autumn coming up I'm starting to get back into my darker lip colours. So for my nude I will usually gravitate towards Chic by Tanya Burr Cosmetics. I loveeeeeeee this lipgloss, it's the most perfect shade of nude for me. I love the smell, the consistency, the price. Everything. Would 100% recommend any lipgloss from the line. 

14. Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me

For a really wearable pop of colour I've been loving using this Baby lips lip balm. It's so moisturising but also adds a really nice subtly pop of colour, and so is literally perfect for the transition into the colder months. I would recommend all of the baby lips balms from the line, I love them all.

15. Gold Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers

As I'm sure you know, I feel that eyelash curlers are super important for completing a makeup look. I feel like curling the lashes adds another element to the makeup and I personally feel that if I don't curl my lashes then my look isn't complete. I know some people find curling their lashes scary, but if you can get the hang of it, you'll be so amazed what a difference it can make. I use the shu uemura ones as I feel that they are the best quality ones I've tried to far. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone and everyone! 

Thank you so much for reading guys, I hope you made it to the end without being bored! I apologise it was a long post.

Hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll see you in my next one :-)

Love H ♥

Green, blue and purple gradient liner

Hey everyone! So I thought I'd share with you a quick post on this gradient liner that I created today. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do when I started my makeup this morning, but this is how it turned out... 

To create the multi-coloured liner, I first mapped out the liner with a white base. To do this I used the NYX white eyeshadow base, which is basically NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk in a melted form which has been put in a convenient little pot. Amazing stuff! 

To do the majority of the liner I used the Louise Young LY24A brush and to create the wing I used the LY37 brush. 

I then packed on the green eyeshadow colour on the inner third of the eye, then the blue in the middle and the purple on the outer corner and the wing, making sure to blend each colour into the last as I did so. This creates the gradient/ombre effect. Of course you could create this look using any three eyeshadows you wish, you could even use more than three shadows, or less! It's really versitile. Once all the colour was on, I went back underneath the wing with the white base and my LY24A brush to create a straight line to make the look more intense. I think the white finishes it off perfectly. You could do this part with a black liner if you wanted for a more wearable look, but I chose to use white.  

I then curled my lashes with my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers and added a coat of mascara.

As you can see from the picture above, I first paired it with a nude lip, which is great for a wearable option as there is so much going on with the eye. However, I then wanted to try it with a bright orangey-red lip, which I love for a more dramatic look. 

PS: Excuse the blemish scarring on my cheeks, I don't have foundation on in the picture, just fake tan and some concealer as I'm trying to give my skin a rest!!!! :(

Thanks for reading guys, I hope you liked this post! 

Be sure to leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought :-) 

Speak to you in my next post.

Love H ♥