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Monday, 23 April 2012

Strawberry Roulade/Swiss Roll Recipe


Hey my beautifuls how are you all doing?
Now i know this is a long over due recipe i promised to post for you all 
But i didnt have my detailed photos until just the other day my little boy turned 5 and i 
asked him what type cake he wanted me to bake for him and he wanted this one but with icing on top :) Bless his little cotton socks and puppy dog eyes i just couldnt refuse :) 
The thought of Strawberry swissroll with icing all over didnt seem too attractive in my eyes but my baby boy got what my baby boy wanted and to be honest it actually worked out to be a hit !!! I will post pictures of his Iced covered Strawberry Roulade/Swiss roll at the end :) 
Anyways here i will give you the recipe of this lovely cake in the picture above.  Its actually quite easy and once you bake it the 1st time you will surely know how to without instructions.  
Starting off with Ingredients :) 
6 eggs seperated 
115g Icing Sugar
65g Cake/Self Raising Flour 
300g Strawberry Jam
250mls Heavy cream
30g Icing Sugar (for cream & Dusting) 
Vegetable Oil 
Flour for Dusting 
12x15 inch baking tray
(you can go for low fat options of the cream and jam if you wish) 
So now for the baking part :) :) :) 
  • Ok start off by  preheat the oven to 356 F (180 C)
  • Then seperate your 6 eggs 
  • Starting with the egg yolks whisk them a little and then slowly add the 115g Icing Sugar while whisking :) dont over whisk as they will get too thick :)
  •  Add in the flour and mix again (dont forget not to thick)
  • In a separate bowl whisk you egg whites until you get firm soft peaks
  • Now all you gotta do is add them to the egg yolk mixture but be careful dont mix them in.  Use a Spatula to fold them in and the mixture should look something like below 

  • The lighter and fluffier the mix is the better sponge you will get 
  • Line your baking pan with parchment paper, and (to stay on the safe side) spray it with some vegetable oil and flour it lightly
  • Pour the mix onto the tray and spread it out evenly :) Then place into your heated oven and bake until golden brown 

  • While your lovely sponge is baking prepare the work surface to place your sponge. Get a clean towel and place it on your work surface 

  •  Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the towel 

  •  Then sprinkle the parchment paper with a little Icing sugar to prevent the sponge from sticking to it. 

  • Ding Ding Ding your sponge is ready!!!!!!!!! 

  • Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, invert it onto the towel and the paper you have prepared.  So now you have the dish towel and the paper underneath the cake and there’s also a piece of paper on top of the cake the one it was on first.
  • My Sponge came out alot thicker than a normal Swiss roll but if you want it thinner simply use a bigger baking tray 
  • While the cake is still hot remove the parchment paper on top and roll the rest together towel included if you try to roll it when its cool down it will break
  • Leave it to cool completely which will take less than 2 hours not even 
  • Then when cool roll it out and spread your favourite strawberry jam (you dont have to use strawberry BTW you can use any of your favourite jams if you want) 
  • Then whip up that lovely cream in which you can sweeten with the 35g Icing sugar as listed in the ingredients or you can leave that out and have plan cream i have a seet tooth so i like the icing sugar in it 
  • Then spread the cream over the jam 
  • Then roll you swiss roll up again
  • Now as i stated above this is a much thicker swiss roll than normal but if you wanted a skinnier one simple use a bigger baking tray my kiddies love it this way in fact so do i :)  :) 
  • You will notice you will have cream left over and i will post a picture on what i done with my left overs below 
  • After rolling up your cake simply dust it with Icing sugar and if you want to get even more creative you could drizzle it with chocolate in a zig zag design :) :) 
  • As instructed by my beloved son he wanted icing so here is his little birthday cake
  • I just made up a little icing with a drop of blue food colouring and drop of strawberry flavouring into it :) 
  • With the left over cream I just topped Madeira buns with it and sprinkled them with Chocolate  :) :) 

I really hope you enjoyed this post :) 
Let me know if you have tried it :) 
Until next time 
Lots of love luck and laughter 
Nina C
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox






Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Collection 2000 Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Cream Review

Hey my beauties how are you all doing today :) 
Well after getting over a few days of not feeling so good i am now feeling better enough to start at least blogging again.  The making videos part will have to wait another couple of days but the more i wait the more video ideas is on my list lol but hey its better than having nothing :) 

So if you read my last review on the Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades Blush you would have read that i got 3 items in my haul in which i decided to review separately so this is the 2nd one of my purchases The Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Cream.  I always wanted to try these as they remind me a little of the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream and i wanted to see were they the same or near it as i do like the Nyx ones in which i will be reviewing very soon 
What Collection 2000 say:
Velvet vibes have been hitting the catwalk, the high street and have been seen on our favourite celebs; now this touch-tastic sensation is landing a smacker on our lips! Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Cream is the new velvet-feeling, matt-looking, muted and moisturising lip cream.
For a velveteen pout that doesn’t look puckered, Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Cream is your perfect product. Enriched with a creamy, hyper-moisturising formula that is packed full of vitamins, this innovative cream with a powder finish is a lip-loving product that provides a unique matt, long-lasting lustre to the lips. Powder microspheres hug the creamy colour to your lips to make sure that your pout is perfect all day, or night!

I purchased this in boots for the low price of 4 euro but price can vary some places do them cheaper and you are getting 5mls of product for that price.  Now as far as i know there are only 4 shades available in these lip creams there is 
Cotton Candy 
Powder Puff 
Fairy Cake (which is what i got)
Angel delight 
Even though I stood at the stall for what seemed like forever to decide which one i wanted "fairy cake" stood out to me more.  After all I was choosing shades from this brand that would be suitable for the Spring/Summer time.  
Fairy Cake is a beautiful warm coral pink shade 
The formula actually surprised me.  The consistency is thick but not too thick a little goes a long way.  It feels extremely soft and creamy on the lips.  I have found if you apply with the wand it will appear streaky on the lips so what i do is simply even it out with my little finger.  "Fairy Cake" is so pigmented and i can tell this tube will last me a long time.  Now i know what you are thinking your think "but its matte will it not make my lips drier or soak into my dry lines" the answer is no it doesnt soak into the lines at all i have even applied this when i was suffering dry lips i just put a little bit of chap stick on my lips and applied as normal.  When applied feel nothing like they look from the tube it feels really light and the lasting power is amazing i have found this shade has lasted as long as 3 to 4 hours before i even top up a little.  If you suffer with dry lips they might not last as long :)  The scent of these are lovely its not overpowering and you kind of get the scent of vanilla sweets of it but it doesnt last long on the lips if you dont like that. 
So have you tried these out? If not i would highly recommend them i will surely go out of my way to purchase the other shades for the price they are you are getting more than what you are paying for.  :) :) They are definitely the cheap version of Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams my good friend Dyna has even done a comparison review so check hers out If you want :) :) 
Until Next time 
I hope you enjoyed this review 
Take Care 
Nina C
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Saturday, 14 April 2012

Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades Blush Review

Well Hello there everyone 
How are you all doing :) :) 
Boy is it great to be finally back blogging Wow 2 weeks midterm for kiddies really is a long time 
But i enjoyed spending my time with them and now its back to what i love most next to my babies 
Today i am reviewing Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades blush in "Blushalicious" (love the name) 
Now to be honest this is my first time experiencing Collection 2000 Makeup and i got 3 items as there was an offer on in Boots at the time i bought these buy 2 items get one free so i just had to give some a go.  My next aim is to try the Collection 2000 Concealer which is very popular in the beauty world. 
Now normally 9 times out of 10 i wouldnt usually go for a shimmery blush but i really liked the idea of 4 different shades in one compact and i think i paid about 6-7 euro no more than that for it so thats a bargain (i thought).  Plus i was thinking more to summer time where i would actually wear a shimmery blush so anyway on with review :) :) 
What Collection 2000 state: 
'Release the shimmer queen in you, and create a soft glow that lasts all summer long with the new Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades.  These delightful, little compacts will give you a sun kissed, radiant glow normally associated with spending time under the exotic sun.With two palettes to choose from, prepare to dazzle as the four merged blocks combine shimmer with shade for a multi-tonal and natural blend of colour.
The Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades' skin-brightening formula will help enhance your natural skin colour ready for long, romantic summer evenings, by illuminating the apples of your cheeks and giving a light sparkle. Choose from either a bronze base in Way to Glow or a blush flush in Blushalicious.'
So Does it do exactly what it says on the package????
Now you can see why this attracted me the most just look at those fantastic shades.  
You are getting a decent amount for each shade and each shade is big enough to fit your blush brush on if you only wanted to use the one colour.   
As you can see you are getting a soft baby pink shade, A deeper pink, a very light almost highlight pinky peach and a deep coral shade with golden shimmer.  
Now some of these shades do need to used a good few times to get some colour pay off apart from the top right deep pink shade and maybe the deep coral shade under it the rest is more annoying to use on their own.  
They work fantastic together if you swirl your brush around all four you get a beautiful pinky/coral shade with golden shimmer which looks amazing on the cheek and a little goes a long way.  I have found that there isnt even that much fallout from the palette which is a bonus.  
Here is some swatches i took of them.  
In normal light
In sunlight 
To be honest i prefer to use this blush with all shades together but sometimes i like to use the coral one on its own.  Another thing is that i noticed was i thought the packaging was ok wasnt the best wasnt the worst and i felt the blush would stay put well..........until.........i had it in my handbag and my bag fell of the kitchen table to the floor, when i checked the blush it was smashed to pieces :( :( i was actually a little disappointed but im not going to waste it no point throwing it out eh i can still use it as the packaging is fine...... But just be careful if you do own this blush it doesnt take to bangs easily 
As for lasting power for this blush it lasts a good part of the day but does need a little touch up after about 6 hours you will notice it wearing off.
Would i buy it again???? Honestly i wouldnt say no but i wouldnt go out of my way to buy another after it smashing on me.  Its still a pretty blush and would suit fair to medium skin tones 
So thats it everyone.  I hope you found this review helpful.  Do you own this blush and what do you think of it. 
Until next time 
See you soon 
Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 
Nina C
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Catrice Limited Edition "Revoltaire" (Preview)


Hey my Gorgeous Friends 
Hope you are all well 
Im going through a stage of sick kiddies who are also bored and off school for holidays 
So thats why i have been slow at getting blog posts up but hope you can all forgive me :) 
Everything will be back to normal soon and i cant wait!!!!!
Anyway i have been keeping busy browsing on the Catrice website to see what Limited Edition collection is coming next hehehe
As i have been saying on my videos and reviews i am obsessed when it comes to Catrice Limited Editions. 
So i thought i would do something a little different as it will probably be the end of the month before we in Ireland get our hands on them, i thought i would give you a sneak peak of whats about to come to your local pharmacies or where-ever you get your Catrice Makeup :) 
& of course when and i mean WHEN i get them i will do a review/haul on them but for now here is pictures and a little information on what to expect :) :) i cant wait!!!!!
Catrice State!!
Revoltaire – the courage to be yourself and all that you want to be. To break free of conventions and to enjoy a new passion for life. CATRICE is revolutionizing the conventional colors of spring in April and May 2012 with the Limited Edition “Revoltaire”. Contrasts? Yes, please!
Natural brown, subtle green, puristic grey and soft nude shades offer the backdrop for bright acid colors, thus revealing their true style competence. Coral pink, toxic green... “Revoltaire” by CATRICE - let’s head for fabulous new color combinations!

SMOKEY EYES PALETTE

Be edgy! The catwalks are presenting strong revolutionistas who all have one thing in common: they are authentic. Simply themselves. And that’s where the style comes in: with three color-intensive powder eyeshadows and a cake eyeliner as well as an integrated applicator with a sponge on one end and an eyeliner brush on the other. The basis colors: subtle, elegant shades such as grey, brown khaki and gold. And the highlight nuances: coral pink or acid green for smokey eyes with a twist! The Revoltaire emblem decorates the high-quality gun metal case with an integrated mirror.
  • 01 Toxic Combination
  • 02 Explosive Combination
  • Price estimation is about 4.49 euro 
  • Im a bit on the hhhmmmmmmm side with these as the palettes sometimes can be a bit of disappointment but we will see 
  • VELVET MATT LIP COLOUR

    Matt, velvety lips revolutionize the spring season: full of contrasts, unexpected, exciting and new. The matt lipsticks in a unique gun metal case won’t dry out your lips thanks to their velvety, rich texture. Instead, they provide color with depth for sensual lips with a matt finish and a touch of coolness - from nude to coral pink to intensive red.
    • 01 Colour Bomb
    • 02 Nude Alarm
    • 03 Bloody Red
    • Estimated price is about 3.99 euros i actually cant wait to try these the fact they are stated to be matte is attracting me to them already 
    • POWDER BLUSH

      Emphasize your cheekbones like never before. With its fascinating color gradient ranging from nude to coral pink, the Revoltaire Powder Blush has a silky, soft texture. It is superb for modeling the contours of your face to create a gorgeous, radiant look. Have the courage to go for color - the courage for Revoltaire!
      • 01 Colour Bomb
      • Estimated price is about 3.99 euros im excited to try this one too cant wait to get it into my hands hehehehehe
      • ULTIMATE NAIL LACQUER

        A true Revoltaire loves the ultimate long-lasting texture, ultimate coverage and ultimate color and shine of the Ultimate Nail Lacquer by CATRICE! The stylish contrasts between the muted tones and bright neon colors are revolutionary, and so is the improved, ultra-broad professional brush for an excellent color finish with just one application!
        • 01 Innocent Toxin
        • 02 Attracting Camouflage
        • 03 Colour Bomb
        • 04 Colour Of Honor
        • 05 Mission Lilac
        • Estimated price is about 2.49 euros i love Catrice nail polishes so cant wait to try these new shades 

        • Lastly is a lip brush in which i too will try out :) 
        • So thats it everyone 
        • I am excited to try them out when they arrive 
        • especially the matte lipsticks as Catrice has never had any Matte lipsticks in their range :) 
        • What are you excited to try 
        • :) hope you enjoyed this sneak peak and i will keep you update on when they finally arrive :) 
        • Until next time 
        • See you soon 
        • Lots of Love Luck and Laughter 
        • Nina C