An unfolding dream...

I stirred in my bed for a moment as I slowly gained awareness of my surroundings. I could hear a faint, inaudible melody in the background that gradually grew clear. “That was the brand new single from The Wanted here on Capital FM…” said the radio host. I turned to the direction in which the sound was coming from and squinted to make out what it read. 6:00 am. Reaching over with great effort to turn off the radio, I flinched. The scorching surface where the sun had been blazing through a gap in my crisp, white curtains, gave a shock to my system. Silence.

As I fiercely whipped the soft white sheets off of my body I made my way over to the window, the sun blinding me with every step. I reached up to the handle of the window and thrust it open. A strong breeze gushed past me as the smell of freshly cut grass overwhelmed the room. The birds were singing and the cars were zooming past. I stared down at the busy town. This is where I had longed to be for some time. Feeling content and no longer lethargic, I grabbed a soft towel off of the radiator and wandered into the bathroom. Jumping into the shower I turned the dial from cold to hot and let the water fall down on me for a moment. Running my hands through my hair, I felt completely relaxed. After cleaning myself and forcing my body out of the shower I dried off, wrapped myself up in my cosy dressing gown, towel enfolded about my hair, ready to continue with my daily routine.

Hanging on my wardrobe was the outfit that I had picked out to wear the night before: A gorgeous white silk blouse, a black high-waisted skirt and a pair of stunning high heels to complete the look. Being a fashion journalist, I was always expected to look presentable and with my designer wardrobe, that was never a problem. I slipped the blouse over my arms as the silk caressed my skin and pulled the skirt up to my waist. Each button on the blouse, so tiny and detailed, were done up one by one. I tucked the shirt into my skirt and slipped on my shoes. My hair was almost dry by this time. Not needing a lot done to it, I left it to dry completely naturally. My hair had a wavy elegance about it that I loved. My skin retained a natural glow, and so all I needed to do was moisturise to look appropriate for the day.

After all the commotion of getting ready was concluded, I strolled into my bright white kitchen and placed two slices of wholemeal bread into the toaster, while engaging in deep thought of what the day ahead of me would consist of. The aroma of fresh, warm toast wafted past me and I soon focused back to my task. Unexpectedly and making me jump a little, the toaster pinged! I lay the toast on the worktop and spread some butter upon them. I hungrily sailed through my first piece, the mouth-watering crunch so appealing to my senses. The second slice I gripped with my teeth as I dashed about the flat collecting my things. Finally ready to leave, I grabbed the keys off the table and hurriedly leapt out the door.

Walking along the street was always enjoyable, watching everyone rush around and listening to the town go wild. I came to a halt as I walked past Starbucks. The smell of the fresh coffee was such a treat, tempting me towards the shop. However I was already running a little late due to the fact that I was so involved in everything that was going on around me, so I carried on my journey to work…

…I stirred in my bed for a moment as I slowly gained awareness of my surroundings. I could hear a faint, inaudible melody in the background that gradually grew clear. “That was the brand new single from The Wanted here on Capital FM…” said the radio host. I turned to the direction in which the sound was coming from and squinted to make out what it read. 7:30 ­­am. “Time to get up!” I heard my mum shout from downstairs. Today was the day of my English exam. I hadn't stopped worrying about it for months. I really required a good grade if I wanted my dream to come true. All I could do was hope and pray. One day, one day I will become a fashion journalist.

----

Hi guys! 

So, this was a short piece of creative writing that I came across tonight that I had written for year 11 English. It shocked and amazed me to discover that my ideal "dream" has not changed a single bit since then. When I finished sixth form I got really distracted from said "dream" as I was doing my make up course and focusing on becoming a Make up Artist. I was so wrapped up in it that I forgot where my passion really lied. And that's with writing. I have always wanted to eventually become a Fashion Journalist, and from this evening onwards I have decided that that is exactly what I am going to focus on. 

"Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you." - Marsha Norman

"If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney

"Everything starts with a dream." - Anon

Love, H x

My Veggie Bean Chilli Recipe

Hey guys!

Today I thought I would share with you my vegetarian bean chilli recipe. It's one of my all time favourite dishes to make... And eat...

It's super quick and simple and soooo delicious. Of course you can alter the recipe to work around your personal taste, but I'm sharing with you my favourite way to make it. Hope you enjoy!

This recipe makes 2 large servings.

What you will need: 

100g quinoa

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tin of mixed beans in tomato sauce

1 half tin of chick peas

1 white onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 half of a hot red chilli pepper

1 red bell pepper

As much chilli powder as you like...

A squirt of brown sauce

2 vegetable stock cubes (I like to use beef stock as I'm not a strict vegetarian - beef stock gives much more flavour than veggie stock - but vegetable stock works just fine)

Method:

1. Chop the onion and bell pepper into 1cm chunks. Mince the garlic and chilli pepper.

2. Add the quinoa to a pan. Dissolve one of the stock cubes with half a pint of water. Once dissolved, add to the quinoa and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes. 

3. Whilst the quinoa is simmering, fry the onion in a little oil until translucent.

4. Add the bell pepper to the onion and allow to soften. Once soft add the garlic and chilli pepper.

5. When all the veg is soft you can add the tinned tomatoes.

6. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the mixed beans and chick peas. Leave the mixture to simmer until the beans are warmed through. 

7. When the beans are warmed through, dissolve the second stock cube in 200ml of water and add to the mixture. 

8. Then add as much chilli powder as you like... I like ALOT.

9. Next, add a good squirt of brown sauce. This adds a really nice sweet kick and some richness.

10. When everything has been added, the final thing to do is add the quinoa to the mix, Stir until everything is combined and leave to simmer for another 5 mins or so.

And that's it!!! Your veggie bean chilli is ready to serve.

Serving suggestion: Add a good dollop of soured cream to the centre. YUMMM.

Whenever I cook something veggie like this, which is quite often, my boyfriend likes to add his own meat. To this dish he added some chicken breast he had marinated in cayenne pepper and chilli powder.

Hope you enjoyed this post guys! I love sharing recipes with you.

Please share any thoughts in the comments section below, and let me know if you try this dish out!

Speak soon!

Love, H x

My 5 favourite foundation brushes

I am an absolute sucker for a foundation brush... As weird as that might sound. I used to be super into applying foundation with my fingers (and still do sometimes if I'm going for a really natural look), but the majority of the time I love using brushes. So in this post I am going to talk to you about 5 of my absolute favourites... (The brushes had just been washed so the bristles still look a little wet in the pics)

1. Real Techniques Buffing brush

This brush is the one I've had the longest. It is definitely tried and true. I used to use the Expert Face brush but found that the bristles were a little too dense for my liking and I much preferred the bristles on the buffing brush. This brush (as the name suggests) is great for buffing and blending in foundation to create a flawless base. I switch up the my foundation brush a lot but I have to say I keep coming back to this one. Loving this brush at the moment! 

As I was searching where to find this brush, I realised that I think you can only get it as part of their Core Collection Kit. Which is super annoying! The kit is £21.99 from Boots. You could probably find it sold separately on Ebay or Amazon though. Sorry about that guys!

2. Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki brush 

This beauty is my absolute favourite for achieving a full coverage base. It works best (for me) as a brush for packing on foundation, almost like a stippling brush. In my opinion it's the best way to achieve fast full coverage results without having to layer on foundation. It's designed in the most perfect way to fit into every crevice of the face, making product application super fast and easy. Love it! £18.95 From Love Makeup.

3. Zoeva 122 Petit Stippling brush

This brush is my favourite for when I want to take a little more time with my foundation and really get it worked into the skin. This brush makes foundation almost look like second skin, if you know what I mean. It gives an absolutely flawless effect, but it does take more time to get it perfected as it's such a tiny little brush. I love this brush for working on clients as it's nice and small and you can really control where the product is going.  

£8.95 from Beauty Bay.

4. Real Techniques Duo Fibre Face brush

This brush is amazing for achieving a really lightweight natural base. I have found it works really well with foundations like MAC Face and Body and BB cream type products. Because the fibres on the brush are so long, it doesn't buff like some other brushes I've mentioned, but there's something about how this brush applies product that I just love. It definitely works better with thinner foundations as they don't require so much working into the skin... So bare that in mind. But for a quick and easy application this brush is an absolute winner!

EEK the same thing happened with this brush as with the Buffing brush! You can only buy it as part of the Limited Edition Duo Fibre Set. Guys I am literally so sorry!
The set is £23.99 from Boots. Again you might be able to find it sold separately on Ebay or something!

5. Zoeva 102 Silk Finish brush

Now this brush is very similar to the real techniques ... Brush, but is much more domed in shape. I'm not sure if it's the shape that makes me prefer it to the RT one... But I do. The application of product with this brush just seems to be much more even and flawless. I went through a stage of being absolutely obsessed with it, I'd use it every day without fail. I have to say it's an excellent every day foundation brush. Great for buffing and blending but could easily be used to stipple and pack product onto the skin. A real all rounder I'd say. Mine is from the Zoeva Rose Gold Collection but you can just buy the single one for £11.50 on Beauty Bay.

Oh and I just wanna add this in here... Not a brush but still a favourite... The Real Techniques Miracle Beauty Sponge! It's just a makeup sponge really. But an amazing one. Applies foundation beautifully and gives a seamless natural looking finish. Use it damp to achieve best results.
£5.99 from Boots.

And that's it... There are my favourite foundation brushes. I hope that this has been helpful for you if you were thinking of investing in a new foundation brush.

Thanks so much for reading!

Love, H x

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation - Review

Anyone that knows me personally, knows that I never, ever stop raving about this foundation. For the past, I would say, 4 months, if anyone has asked me what foundation I'm wearing it will be this one. I get so many compliments on my skin when I wear this foundation, which is when you know your foundation is looking gooooood.

I came across this product after using the True Match foundation and finding it too matte. I wanted something a little more dewy to give my skin some luminosity. So I tried Lumi Magique. And I am so, so glad I did. I hadn't head many amazing reviews about it so I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it like I did.

This product is designed to give your skin a natural looking glow, which it absolutely does. I'm someone that suffers from oily skin, so usually I would steer clear of anything that could possible make me too shiny. However, this product works perfectly over a mattifying primer (it doesn't at all defeat the object of having a dewy foundation) and stays looking fresh throughout the day. If you are someone that has dry skin or combination skin, I feel that this product would be perfect for you. It really is an all rounder.

I personally could not say enough good things about this foundation, I continue to repurchase it over and over again because it's one that I can fully trust. Plus it's from the drugstore which makes it an absolute winner in my eyes. At around £10.99 from Boots you really can't go wrong.

In terms of coverage, it is a medium/buildable full. However if you use just a little bit of this product you could achieve a really natural look. I like to use this foundation for medium coverage and correct any other areas with concealers.

Check out the video below to see this beauty in action!!!

I hope that this post was helpful guys. Please leave me a comment if there's a foundation you think I should try, or your thoughts on this foundation.

Thanks for reading!

Love H x