We thought it would be fun to make some coral pink Sisterly macarons! I got the recipe from HowToCookThat's blog and after the fourth attempt at baking them, they finally worked!
All you'll need for the macaron cookie:
4 large egg whites
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar
1 cup almond meal
PB&J Choc Ganache:
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1/2 block of Cadbury milk chocolate (melted)
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon olive spread
1 pinch of salt
Follow the fool-proof recipe here. Watch our YouTube video here.
I think I'm this book's no. 1 fan. Or maybe I'm Mindy Kaling's no. 1 fan. Probably both. After reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling, I knew that I had to feature this on the blog for a light and yet hilarious addition to the reading list. For those familiar with US TV series The Office, she plays Kelly Kapoor, a somewhat shallow, celebrity crazed and self obsessed colleague whose one-liners almost make you believe that she's really that airheaded kind of character. In reality however, most people should know by now is that in her early 20s she started writing for The Office. Which for a recent graduate is pretty impressive. The book has equal portions of humour, advice and insipration so you'd hardly call it an autobiography. The reason why I couldn't stop reading it was because it is honestly one of the funniest books I've read. I feel connected to her when she adds pictures in the book of awkward childhood photos of herself, laughing at the awkwardness of growing up. But when she writes about the difficulty of making it big after university and living in a cockroach infested apartment in New York, and moreover the steady pace to success she achieved when landing a job working as a Producer for The Office. The real skill of a comedy writer comes from someone who can be both self deprecating in humour and also acknowledge that they're strong and confident individuals who can enjoy life and laugh at all the awkward parts of it. I found myself laughing so many times while reading this on the train. Mindy Kaling is so funny in this book that it almost sounds like you're having a conversation with a friend you haven't seen in years. Pick it up if you get the chance! It's a short read but I'm sure you'll be watching The Mindy Project, The Office and searching for thousands of memes across the internet for her.
I can't believe I've had this palette for about 7 months now but never thought of swatching any of these colours! I almost always do the same eye makeup look for everyday and rarely ever switch it up and use bolder colours. I mean, I'm not the type of person to rock up to uni with purple and electric blue eyeshadow on my lids.
I was looking at this palette thinking, "Wow, have I really only used 4 of these colours?" so I thought I might swatch some of the more 'adventurous' shades in the palette and see how they show on the skin. I wasn't expecting them to be this pigmented or dare I say it, 'buttery'!
Before I leave the house for a full day of work or class, I make sure my 4 essentials are ALWAYS in my bag. Most of the time I carry around way more than this because I'm a 'just in case' type of person that pulls out band-aids, bobby pins, dental floss, and tissues - but if I had to choose my 4 'ride-or-die' handbag essentials it would have to be these.
Johnson's Baby Cologne - On a hot day especially in the Summer, the last thing you feel by the end of the day is fresh and clean. There's nothing more refreshing than a little baby cologne on your neck, arms, face, and underarms (yes, even there). Johnson's original Baby Cologne contains denatured alcohol which disinfects anything and everything and leaves a clean, fresh smell on your skin.
Pressed Powder - I don't have overly-oily skin however there are spots on my face that do get rather oily half-way through the day if I don't set it with a mattifying powder. So I always make sure I have a matte or mineral pressed powder in my bag just in case my nose starts to get a little too shiny. Such a lifesaver!
Lip Balm - Since I was young I've had to deal with cracked lips. When I was 9, my best friend said to me, "You have dry circles on your lip" and I remember instantly licking my lips knowing that they were peeling patches on my lower lip. Never again will I let my lips get that dry and peely! I have been using NIVEA lip balms since I was in high school although back then I would only try my sister's Strawberry flavoured one. Nowadays, I just opt for the most hydrating and repairing lip balm by NIVEA and I love it!
Perfume/Fragrance - If you know me, you know I ONLY wear Chloe. I love how clean and fresh, yet feminine it smells. Just a spritz or two and you're good to go. I can't get enough of it!
Don't throw away your old mascara! Give the mascara wands a thorough clean and disinfecting to remove all of the old goopy and crusty mascara from the wand. Once you have your clean mascara wands, you'll be left with clean wands with varying bristles and brush ends.
Here are a few ways you can use them:
Lip scrub and exfoliator - Apply your lip scrub with a densely bristled wand (seen on the left) and gently exfoliate your lips using the wand. This is much gentler than using a toothbrush yet more invigorating than using your fingers.
Adding extra volume to your lashes - Lightly coat your lashes with a loose powder (translucent or baby powder) before applying your mascara for instant volume.
Applying your eyelash growth treatment - There are many eyelash growth treatments out there but one of the cheapest and simplest DIY treatments is the humble olive oil! Apply a thin coating of olive oil to your mascara wand and apply to your eyelashes before sleeping. Gently wash off the residue in the morning.
Brushing off mascara mistakes - If you ever get mascara on your face, nose or eyelid by mistake, wait 10 seconds until the product dries and gently use a mascara wand to brush off the dry mascara. You'll be surprised, it'll come right off!
Darkening your brows - Tap your mascara wand into your brow powder and comb the wand through your brows for a fuller and more natural brow look.
Setting your brows - Apply a spritz of hair spray into your mascara wand then comb your wand through your brows to set them in place!
Remove clumpy mascara from your lashes - Sometimes your favourite mascara just gets clumpy and no matter how hard you try to remove the clumps it just gets even worse! Comb a clean mascara wand through your lashes to remove the clumps without adding any more product to your lashes.
Love Never Felt So Good - Michael Jackson feat. Justin Timberlake
The River - Sam Garrett
Naive - The Kooks
Wide Awake - Josh Record
How Do You Feel Today? - Gabrielle Aplin
Lisztomania - Phoenix
Consolation Prizes - Phoenix
Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave
Beating Hearts - King Charles
Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire
Tried and True - Eric Harvey
This month's playlist is a collection of 20 of our favourite songs. We created this playlist with the intention of coming up with songs we would enjoy listening to on our work/university commute. Some of the tracks by Eric Harvey and Northeast Party House are new discoveries whereas Naive by The Kooks and Blueprint by Eden Mulholland bring back nostalgic memories. Whether you're getting ready for the day or on a train or bus to work/uni, we hope you enjoy!
