Life: Double Choc Chip Cupcakes

Hello Everyone!

I'm back today with another baking blog post for you, which I have been absolutely loving doing recently. I have really been enjoying taking a basic recipe and changing it up my self to what I have in my cupboard or to what I fancy. Yesterday, I initially thought that I was going to just make some simple cupcakes, but somehow, I ended up with double chocolate chip cupcakes with a butter cream frosting, and I have to say (not blowing my own trumpet) but they were too delicious not to share with you. The best part of this recipe? They are so quick and easy to make, any of you can do it, even if you're a bit of a novice in the kitchen and you don't need any fancy equipment!

Ingredients (Cupcakes)

110g butter (soft, room temperature)

110g caster sugar

110g self raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cocoa powder

chocolate chips (as many as you like)

Ingredients (Butter icing)

140g butter

280g icing sugar

1-2 tablespoons of milk

Method

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line  a muffin tray with paper cases (I used these adorable ones with pink polka dots on!)

2) Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy

3) Sift in flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder into the bowl

4) Beat the eggs and vanilla extract then add to the main bowl and beat until combined

5) Stir in chocolate chips

6) put the mixture into the paper cases and bake for around twenty minutes, testing if it is cooked by poking a knife into one of the cakes and seeing whether it comes out clean

7) Leave to cool before decorating or your icing will melt

These cakes are of course delicious on their own, but if you want something a bit extra, butter icing is perfect!

1)Beat the butter in the bowl to make it more smooth

2) Gradually add your icing sugar and continue to beat until all combined 

3) add some milk to make it extra creamy

4) put them on yours cakes! You can be fancy and use a piping bag, but I tend to just swipe it on with a knife

Finally I just popped some more chocolate chips on top. Et voila! Some light and delicious chocolate cupcakes perfect for any occasion 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if you would like to see even more recipes from me, as I love writing about them. What are your favourite recipes?

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Beauty: Bubbasdoll Lip Scrub Review

Hello everyone! 

Today I have a brand new product for you that I think you're going to love! Introducing Bubbasdoll lip scrubs*. It's now summer and the weather is warmer and the sun is out, which is absolutely fabulous for us. However, our skin may disagree slightly. Whilst we might all try to be good make sure we are keeping on top of moisturising and SPF, there are obviously going to be times when we slip up and might get a little bit burnt or dry and flakey. We all think about our face, but a lot of us forget about taking care of our lips, which are also a very important part of skin. And if you're like me, and have an obsession with lip glosses, lip liners, lipsticks, the works, you will definitely need to make sure you are looking after your lips to provide the best canvas that you can for your work of art. Lip scrubs are a great way to not only make sure that your lips are nice and moisturised but keep the blood flowing to make sure that they are lovely and naturally plump.

So when I was contacted recently by Kiera, asking me if  I would like to try her homemade, natural lip scrubs I was beyond excited. The scrub arrived in a gorgeous little box with little notes from Kiera herself such as how to use the product and it's ingredients. The packaging is a little glass jar with an adorable ribbon tied around it. I just found it so authentic and personal and it's so nice to have a homemade product. When I first opened the jar I was amazed at the prominent scent of toffee, making it so much more 'luxury' and nice to use. They also have the flavours of coffee, bubblegum peppermint and tropical, which I am very eager to try. Each of them contain coconut oil, natural flavours and are suitable for vegetarians. They are retailed at the bargain price of £4 each on Etsy 

All you have to do is stir the scrub with the little strirers provided and apply to your lips, then rinse off. I found the formula of the scrub very comfortable and not too harsh, but could also feel it working away at my dead skin and circulation. Once I had rinsed it off, I applied a small about of vaseline to my lips to add a bit of moisture, et voila! They felt so much softer and plumper, and all in such a small amount of time. I would suggest doing this a few times a week to keep your lips irresistible.

If you would like to find out more about Bubbasdoll lip scrubs you can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Etsy.

Thanks so much for reading this review, I hope you enjoyed it! 

Don't forget to follow me on twitter, instagram and Bloglovin'

Love, Yasmin xxx

Beauty: Maybelline Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to talk to you about my new love, and something I have grown to become very reliant on in many of my summery makeup routine. The Maybelline Blushed Nudes Palette. I knew that I had to change up my eye makeup a little bit when I realised that pretty much all the eyeshaddow palettes I own are full of browny/nudes, which is great, we all love them and they're a great go to colour. However, these are the colours I have been rocking for absolute years now and when I noticed this palette  in Superdrug, I had to get it!

What caught my eye about this palette is the fact that this contains so many gorgeous pink shades, and even the shades that aren't pink have a hint of pink shimmer in them and they all just look gorgeous together. The  top row is full of light colours which are perfect for base shades: A bright shimmery pearl, a shimmer pale pinky nude, a pale taupe, baby pink, browny pink and a pale shimmery brown.

The bottom line is full of darkey colours which are perfect for the crease and blending: A shimmery rose gold, a dark brown, a shimmery coffee colour, a dark grey, a deep rosy pink and a dark brown with perfect pink shimmers running through it.

The pigmentation of this pallete is really great, you barely need any product on the brush, which is perfect because it means that the palette will hopefully hopefully last for ages. The colours are also really easy to blend and can create either a really bright eye or a dark and smokey look. One of the best parts about this palette is the price. At only £10, I think that it is such good value for money. Personally I like to use my own brushes, however, it also comes with a double ended brush which is great for on the move if you need to touch up or adjust your look from day to night. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading this post! Please let me know in the comments which eye shadow palettes are your favourite?

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin'!

Love, Yasmin xx

Fashion: Party Outfit Post

Hello everyone!

I absolutely love getting dressed up for a night out, it's one of my absolute favourite things. So when it was one of my friends birthday celebrations, I got super excited. Not only because we were all going out but because it was one of the first proper times seeing all my old friends since coming home from university from the summer. At the moment I am one hundred percent having a love affair with play suits. I don't normally go for red tones, but I really fell for this light burgundy colour. It buttons down and has lose shorts with a belt tie. I think that this not only looks so smart and classy, but a nice twist on a dress, which I would normally automatically opt for on a night out. I decided to pair these with slinky nude heels to keep this look neutral and fresh, as I am getting a bit bored of constantly wearing at least some sort of black - this outfit actually has none! This definitely makes it more summery. To go with this I styled my hair with loose waves and a glowey makeup look with lots of highlighter so that even if the sun isn't shining, I can at least pretend my face is reaping the benefits.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this outfit post! What's your go to outfit for a night out?

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin'

Love,Yasmin xxx

Life: Oat And Date Cookies

Hello everyone! The other day I was really in the mood to do some baking and so I raided my cupboards to see what I had.. not a lot was the answer. However, I did notice that I had the ingredients to make some oat and date cookies! These are absolutely perfect for any one who doesn't like rich flavours such as chocholate of caramel, but still wants something sweet. These barely took any time at all and went down an absolute treat with my family.

You will need:

250 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil

170g (1 cup) brown sugar

2 medium eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

140g (1 cup) plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

280g (2 cups) plain oats

1 cup of dates (sliced to your size preference)

Method

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C and line baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Use a large bowl and combine vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar until well blended.

In separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, thee gradually add to the original bowl and stir well.

Finally add in the oats and the dates last.

After this use a table spoon to evenly space the mixure on the tray. Bake for around 25 minutes, however do check them in between, and remember to take them out while they're still a little bit gooey so they don't go too hard.

Leave to cool for a while and then enjoy!

I decided to enjoy mine with a nice cup of tea, perfect for an afternoon snack! These are so simple to make and just so delicious. Let me know if you try these out or if there are any other recipes you think I should try next!
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Love, Yasmin xxx

Fashion: Why Harem Pants Are The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Hello everyone! 

Today I wanted to talk about one of my favourite summer fashion staples, harem pants. These light, airy and baggy trousers are perfect for the warmer weather as an alternative for shorts if you don't fancy getting your legs out. They are also a great excuse to wear different prints, patterns and colours that you might other wise not feel confident enough to. There is such a range of different ones that you can buy! I got mine when I was in Turkey a couple of years ago and I love the bright and intricate prints. It makes it quote special as I know not many other people will have it! In my outfit I decided to pair my pants with a black cropped bardot top and some slip on silver shoes. I love this outfit because it's super summery and would be perfect for many occasions; picnics, bbqs, gatherings with friends. I also love wearing these when I travel because they are so comfortable and light which is exactly what you need when you're spending a lot of time on your feet.  

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Do you own a pair of harem pants? What are your summer staples? Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin'!
Love, Yasmin xx

Life: Favourite Books I've Read In The Past Year

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. 

Today I wanted to talk about books. I have loved reading ever since I was a child, and unlike many of the kids in my primary school class, I always looked forward to reading sessions and getting my nose stuck into a new book. Now, as an almost- 20 - year old. I am still very much the same (although the likes of Jacqueline Wilson is no longer at the forefront of all my reading haha). Reading is my happy place and books are an adventure to me, there are not many activities I like more than curling under my duvet after a long day with a cup of tea and getting completely lost in the world of a book. In this post I am going to share with you some of my favourites that I have read in the past year. Whether you're a book nerd like me or you are wanting to get more into reading, I hope that this list will have something for you.

1) An Abundance Of Katherine's by John Green

I'm going to start the list with a nice and easy read. With the season of summer holidays and laying by the pool with a good read well and truly here, and this is definitely one you should read. It follows the story of a former child prodigy, who wants nothing more in life than to be remembered for doing something amazing. He tries to explain his relationships with a theorem. His adventures over the summer teach him valuable lessons about life and love with lots of funny and emotional twists along the way. I love how this one is relatable as it's about teenagers in high school who want different things from life, yet how they can still be friends. John Green is a pro at pulling at the old heart strings (The Fault In Our Stars, Paper Towns anyone?) and this one is no different at all.

2) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

If you want to get completely lost in a world unlike the one you live in, this is the book for you. Everything about this book is absolutely gorgeous. It follows the stories of two children who are trained in magic and a mysterious night circus which is beyond the imagination of anyone. This book, set in the 1800's is perfect for escapism, keeping you interested with switching of setting and the characters it follows so as a reader you can piece the puzzle together and feel a part of the story.I loved this book so much and it is one that I would probably read again. 

3) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

If you want a more thought provoking, and intellectual story, I would highly recommend this book. Originally I was asked to read this for my English Literature A Level coursework, which immediately made me think that it would be extremely... dull. Oh how wrong I was, I absolutely adored this story for many reasons (which definitely shows as I got an A* in that piece of coursework). This is a feminist novel set in the future, exploring a dystopian world where women are property of men and treated miserably in many different ways. Offred, the main character is a handmaid to a rich family and follows how she copes with this lifestyle. This book is amazing at making you think, because as you get further into the book, you realise that this dystopia life is actually a reality for some women in the world, and really makes you realise how lucky many of us women have it in developed society. It is a strong reminder that feminism IS needed desperately in the 21st century. 

4) Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

I finished reading this book a couple of months before the film came out. If you haven't seen the film yet I would strongly recommed reading this first as it is such a wonderfully written story. It tells the tale of a young women who becomes a carer for a disabled man. It isn't your typical girly novel although it does certainly have elements of it, but it is more a book to help you see positively and see the good things in life in spite of the bad things that may have happened. I am very excited to read the sequel as soon as I can.

Thank you so much for reading! Have you read any of these books? What recommendations do you have that I read next?

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin'!

Love, Yasmin xxx