Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Naked Palette 2 Product Preview

The internet is abuzz with rumors of Urban Decay's Naked Palette 2, and Urban Decay just posted some photos on their Facebook page to prove its existence:




Blogger Pinch of Pretty has AWESOME shots of the Naked Palette 2 here, and also follow Urban Decay's Facebook Page to stay up to date with news and release dates!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate, Dried Cranberries, & Walnuts


Happy Saturday, everyone! =]

Around this time of the year, I usually like to bake my Kris Kringle cookies with white chocolate, dried cranberries, and walnuts.  This past week I encountered a similar recipe on two peas & their pod that included oatmeal, but no walnuts...so I thought, why not throw all the ingredients together?  I'd say they turned out pretty awesome!  I love nuts in EVERYTHING (no jokes please) but if you're allergic to nuts, feel free to omit them from the recipe.


Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate, Dried Cranberries, & Walnuts



½ c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1 egg 
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1 1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. oats
1 cup of dried cranberries (Craisins)
1 cup of white chocolate chips

1 cup of chopped walnuts


Beat together the butter & sugars until smooth.  Next, add the egg & vanilla.


In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Add this mixture slowly to the wet ingredients, mixing after every addition.  Finally, add the oats, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and chopped walnuts.  Your mixture should look something like this...


Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

How to Revive Your Shattered Eyeshadow

Being the careless, clumsy person that I am, I often drop things.  However, this particular drop nearly cost me $33!

NARS Cordura Eyeshadow Duo ($33, available at Sephora, www.narscosmetics.com, and other select online retailers) is a combination of a "shimmering warm rich brown" and a "shimmering sooty dark brown".  Since I purchased this eyeshadow duo, I think it's safe to say that I've used it every single day. My everyday look consists of the medium brown eyeshadow patted onto my lid with a few coats of volumizing mascara; when I have a little extra time, I'll deepen my crease with the dark brown shade.

I'm so in love with this eyeshadow duo.  Both shadows are highly pigmented and possess just the right amount of shimmer with very little (if any) fallout.  So you can just imagine my devastation when I dropped it!  At first it started out as a tiny crack, then larger pieces began to shatter and crumble...

I'd never repaired a shattered eyeshadow before, but there's a first time for everything.  I researched a couple different choices, and I found By Celina 's method to be the simplest and easiest.

Say hello to my revived Cordura eyeshadow =] still beautiful, still pigmented!

After adding a few drops of 99% isopropyl alcohol, I mixed the eyeshadow until it transformed into a pasty texture. 
Next, I cut the corner of a rounded-edged card into the shape of the eyeshadow pan, wrapped it into a tissue, and stamped the eyeshadow...good as new!

SOME EXTRA TIPS:
  • The higher the concentration of alcohol, the quicker the eyeshadow will dry.
  • Speed up the drying process by patting a paper towel or tissue onto the wet eyeshadow to absorb excess liquid.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Butterless Apple Brownies



Yes, I know, I've been slacking.  But what can I say...life gets busy!

Winter break is approaching, and if there's one thing I know that I'll definitely be doing during winter break, it's BAKING =]

I don't exactly remember how I came across this recipe, but once I saw it, I knew I had to try it.  As I quickly skimmed over the ingredients to determine if it was something I could immediately bake without having to drive my lazy ass to the store, I noticed one thing...NO BUTTER!  Although the recipe does call for 1 cup of vegetable oil, in my opinion, that's way better than 2 whole sticks of butter.

I wouldn't personally call these "brownies" because I think the texture is more cake-like, if anything.  Call them what you want, they're super moist, delicious, and extremely easy to bake.  ENJOY!

Grandma's Secret Apple Brownies!

Original recipe found here

3 call purpose flour
3 capples
2 csugar
1 tspcinnamon
1 tspbaking soda
1/3 corange juice
2eggs
1 cvegetable oil
     1 tspsalt

Directions

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
Peel and core about 3 to 4 apples, Finely chop apples (You want the pieces small)

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl.  
Bake at 325 degrees for appoximately 45 mins to 1 hour.

Eat and Enjoy!!