Hot Tub Pig Cake

After spotting this cake online, my sister and my mum were determined to make it for Rob's 22nd birthday.  Last weekend the three of us spent Saturday mixing, baking, decorating and licking the bowl until we'd produced our own hot tub pig cake.  Sorry for the terrible quality photos, I didn't take my camera home with me so I could only use my phone.

Beauty Review: Rimmel Kate Moss 107 Lipstick

After lusting after this lipstick for what feels like forever, I finally added this lipstick from the Rimmel Kate Moss range to my collection.  After spotting it on Anna a few years ago, every A/W I've been desperate to add it to my collection, and to be honest there wasn't really any reason not to because it's easy to pick up in Boots or Superdrug and it's a bit of a bargain (just over a fiver).  I just never got around to it.  I'm sure you've heard quiiite a bit about this popular shade, but here I am adding my two cents.

Once Autumn rolls around, out come the berry, red and generally deeper shades, and 107 is perfect for that.  It's marketed as a matte lipstick,but it's definitely not a chalky, drying product - it's much more satiny than a serious matte which makes it so much more comfortable to wear.  The matte finish also means it has pretty impressive staying powder.  Even when this little beauty fades, there's no blotchiness or patches here - it fades evenly to a stain which actually looks quite good.  On the other hand you could press this into your lips and wear it was a stain from the beginning.  

The shade is to die for - a deep red with a hint of plum without being so dark that you can't match it with any eye make-up.  Every single weekend since I bought it this had been straight on my lips, I've even been choosing it over my beloved Sephora lip creme!  If you haven't got this yet what are you waiting for? It's a beauty! 

The Tenth Hole Southsea

Rob and I are suckers for a slice of cake, and one weekend in September while we walked around Southsea in the sun we came across the Tenth Hole cafe, popped in for a drink and came out a few stone heavier!  The cafe itself is sat between a cricket ground and a mini-golf course (hence the name) and I love how it's decorated! The walls are covered in hand-written quotes and paragraphs, the furniture is up-cycled and colourful and I adore the wooden floors.  

Although they do pretty delicious sandwiches (the pulled pork bun is to die for), nothing beats their cake selection.  They're all kept in a glass display case and change every day.  There's such a huge selection from victoria sponge to mars bar cheesecake to aero brownies to pavlova.  They are so delicious and the slices are huge!

I've become a bit of a sucker for the Victoria Sponge - look at the size on that chunk! We've been back a few times now, and every thing we have there is delicious.  Although it isn't a bargain, everything is reasonably priced and the service is amazing - I don't have anything bad to say! I love it there.

September Favourites

I realise this is a little bit late, but I've been a bit rushed off my feet with the new job and am only now getting round to photographing my favourite things from this month - oops!

As I said, the new job has taken quite a bit of getting used to; I'm tired the majority of the time.  Pairing my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers with the highlight shade from the Naked Basics palette is doing a good job of making my eyes look a little more awake on a daily basis.  The other part of my face really showing how much teaching is taking it out of me is my lips - they're dry, chapped and horrible.  The Nuxe Reve De Miel is slathered on as often as I remember to inject a bit of hydration and smooth everything over.

My oily skin is still up to its old tricks and needs a powder top-up a few times a day.  I've been switching between the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder and this little Soap and Glory beauty.  Although the packaging is a bit bulky, I love the natural finish and it doesnt't leave me looking cakey in the slightest!

I tend to avoid lipstick for work and go for a slather of balm, but on the weekends I'm loving cracking out the bold shades.  Throughout September I've worn MAC Rebel almost every time I've put lipstick on.  I love the autumnal berry shade, and the pretty stain left behind when it wears off isn't bad either.

I haven't worn much jewellery lately, apart from my two essentials - I never take my Pandora ring off, and lately my Charles Worthington watch is a daily necessity.  I love catching little glimpses of them throughout my day.  It's easy to forget things you always wear when writing these monthly posts, but if anything they're even more of a favourite!

Living in Southsea

About a month ago, I moved into a little flat in Southsea with Rob, and when I'm not working we spend every minute making the most of living in this beautiful place! We've found so many lovely little places to visit on the weekends, and we'd love to share them.

We've found a few pretty tasty places to eat out so far - we're big fans of Coast to Coast in Gunwharf Quays (the chicken wings are to die for), Giraffe also in Gunwharf (devine ribs), Tangs Chinese on Elm Grove (amazing sweet and sour chicken cantonese style) and the Wine Bistro on Palmerston Road (if you like your shellfish, the mussels to share is a must-have).  We're desperate to try the Steak and Lobster on Elm Grove - it sounds delicious!

We spend quite a lot of our time walking around the city finding new places; walking along the front always reminds us of home and more often than not we end up popping into a pub on Spicer Island for a pint before we walk back to the flat.  I love these adorable beach huts and Canoe Lake is such a lovely place to walk around on a sunny day.

When my parents visited for the weekend we spent most of our time doing very touristy things - we went up to the top of the Spinnaker Tower with our Tesco Clubcard vouchers and loved looking out over the city trying to spot familiar places.  It's usually £10 a head which is pretty expensive, but our vouchers meant we only paid £2.50 each - much better!

There always seems to be some sort of market on the weekends - I especially loved the farmers market with the freshly baked bread, huge meat joints, delicious looking fruit and beautiful flower arrangements.  We've also found a few vintage markets, the odd car boot sale and the weekly Southsea market on Palmerston Road.

We are loving every second of living here, and I spend all week looking forward to the weekend knowing we'll have a brilliant time exploring a different pub, restaurant or part of this lovely place.  If you have any Southsea recommendations I'd love to hear them!

Products I Don't Regret Buying

I love reading blogs, but my bank account hates me for it.  Occasionally I end up wasting my money on something that just doesn't work for me but thankfully, the majority of what I buy I end up loving, and there are a special few products which I definitely don't regret spending my pennies on.

Illamasqua Matte Veil is the best primer I've tried so far; it mattifies my skin without drying it out at all and keeps my make up in place for a lot longer than primers I've tried in the past.  The Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Flawless Finish Concealer not only wins the award for the longest name, but it's also my go-to concealer for covering blemishes and dark circles - I'm on my second tube in the shade 02.

I use Benefit Hoola every single day - sometimes to warm up my complexion but usually to contour a little bit.  It's the perfect shade for my skin tone and it's lasted years. I've used it every day for at least 3 years and I have the tiniest bit left in the bottom - I hit pan about 6 months ago and I've been trying my best to make it last as long as possible.  It will definitely be re-purchased when pay day comes around.  I bought Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in Lush Nectarine in a blog sale ages ago and I love it, I always end up coming back to it because I know it makes my skin look really healthy and glowing.  I only own three eye shadow palettes and I do love them all, but my favourite has to be the Naked basics - I love how versitile it is, including the highlight shade and a perfect match for my brows.

I ummed and ahhed about buying the Urban Decay De-Slick setting spray for months and I'm so annoyed at myself for it, because it's a life saver! If you've got oily skin, don't put off buying this - trust me!

I am a bit of a lip-product girl, but some that I definitely don't regret buying are the Nuxe Reve de Miel, the Sephora Matte Lip Creme in 01 and MAC Coral Bliss - all three are really comfortable to wear, look lovely on the lips and are worth every penny in my books!

What products don't you regret buying?

Our Little Flat

 

A month ago Rob and I moved into our little flat in Southsea, and we're so happy with it! We've been lucky enough to be gifted so many gorgeous pieces of furniture and little trinkets to decorate our rooms with, so we're really thankful to our generous families.  We are over the moon with our new home so far, and we're both really enjoying living together!