Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.'

attributed to Max Ehrmann 1927

Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

When in doubt, buy a lipstick!

My fantastic Mum treated my to this Revlon Lip Butter when I was up to visit last week. I've been hoping to get a peach shade lipstick, and after swatching a few testers in Boots, this one stood out. It's sheer, peachy and sparkly! 

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Peach Parfait' - £7.99

It was the only shade I swatched that seemed to have sparkle in it, but this isn't very noticeable on the lips, it's more of a subtle sheen. 

It's a great every day lip colour - a mixture of a lipstick and a balm, and as I said, very subtle, so great if you're not really into wearing bold colours. 

I love it! Have you tried any Revlon Lip Butters?

Love, light and lipstick :-) xx

Houmous fail..

I mentioned a while ago about my addiction to hoummous. I didn't really think I was addicted, until I went a few days without it and found myself craving it!

So I rushed home from work the other day and set about throwing my ingredients into the blender, eagerly awaiting a huge tub of my current favourite eat..

I used..

1 can tinned chickpeas

Juice of 1/2 organic lemon

2 cloves organic garlic

4 desertspoons of light tahini paste

A drizzle of olive oil

A sprinkle of cumin

I added a little of the chickpea water to make the consistency more liquid.. and I blended, and blended some more..

It looked like houmous (or maybe it looks a little more like porridge..) .. it smelt like houmus.. it tasted.. horrible.

I think my addiction may be cured. I will have to stop at the Co-Op on the way to work tomorrow to pick up a tub of their own brand, just to stop this happening. I'm not sure what I did wrong.. let me know if you have any tips!

Love and light :-) x

NOTD - Barry M Nail Paint in Berry Ice Cream

It's been a long while since I've done a NOTD - mainly because I've been wearing only hot pink! Essie 'Status Symbol' on my fingers and No.7 Stay Perfect in 'Jammy' on my toes. 

I've fancied a lilac nail polish for a while and I remember that Barry M Nail Paints are good quality, so the other day I picked up a bottle of 'Berry Ice Cream' from Boots.

I LOVE the colour, it's a beautiful pinky lilac, and it's lovely to apply - goes on smoothly and gives good coverage. This is two coats topped with Seche Vite.

Staying power is not so great, I can actually see a little chip in the picture above - it lasted about 2 days maximum before starting to flake off. However, for £3 I think this is a great quality polish for the pennies. I'm off to re-apply, and I'll definitely look out more colours.. I wonder if they make a nice hot pink?!

Love and light and purple nail polish xx

Galaxy Chocolate Biscuit Cake of Joy

I recently discovered Galaxy Chocolate Biscuit Cakes in the supermarket. They're very yummy, but also very small. So I thought I'd try to make my own.. I'm pleased to present then, the 'Galaxy Chocolate Biscuit Cake of Joy'. It's so easy to make, no bake, and makes your kitchen smell incredibly chocolatey!

Ingredients

200g Digestive Biscuits
100g Butter
2 tbsp Golden Syrup
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 bars of Galaxy Chocolate

Simply melt together the butter, golden syrup and cocoa powder on the hob over a low heat. Crush the digestives in a bag, and mix in with the syrupy mixture, spread into a baking tin (it's a good idea to line it first) and pop into the fridge until set. After a while, melt the chocolate bars using a glass bowl over a saucepan of water. You can melt the chocolate directly on the hob, but be careful that it doesn't burn or stick. Spread the melted chocolate over the base - then pop back in the fridge to set.

Share the giant Galaxy Chocolate Biscuit Cake of Joy with friends and family. Or eat it all yourself. It's joyful.

Love and light :-)

YSL Shocking Mascara vs Benefit They're Real

A little while ago, I read a GLOWING review of benefit's 'They're Real' Mascara. It was such a glowing review I was of the belief that this mascara would change my life. So I sacrificed some of my food budget for it. Ouch.. I MUST stop doing things like that! Anyway, I have the magic mascara. I like it. But I can't see myself spending £18 on a mascara again in a hurry, just because I'm on a tight budget, and shouldn't have done it!

This week, I was lucky enough to receive a sample of YSL's Shocking Mascara. I've read good things about this too. So I thought I'd try a little experiment and compare the two.

Bare Eyes

Benefit They're Real - Two Coats

YSL Shocking - two coats

Would you believe - I've spent all day with wonky eyes, a different mascara on each one, and nobody noticed. Unless they were too polite to say, or I just looked a little crazy. Honestly though, I apologise for the poor quality pictures, but I couldn't tell the difference between them. I think they are both very good mascaras, and definitely do a good job of defining my lashes. 

Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara

After wearing them all day, I'd say that the YSL has better staying power - the Benefit smudged a bit more under my eye, and it's been a very hot day where I was busy at work. 

Benefit 'They're Real' retails at £18.00 full size, and YSL Shocking retails at £23.00 full size.

YSL Shocking Mascara from What's in My Handbag - Thank you!

I think I will try this again, with one of the high end brands compared to a high street brand - I'll keep you posted!

Love and light :-)

Easy Rainbow Quinoa Recipe

Have you tried quinoa? I discovered it earlier on this year and I love it. It's a whole grain (actually a seed), it's a complete protein, which makes it filling and it's free from gluten and cholesterol.  Plus, it's pretty delicious!

Here is my recipe for a super easy supper. I cook this for myself with enough next over for a generous lunch the next day. It's great cold as a salad box. 

 

Ingredients

200g Quinoa

500ml Vegetable Stock

1 x Red Pepper, seeded and sliced

1 x Yellow Pepper, seeded and sliced

A handful of broccoli florets

A handful of green beans 

A dash of olive oil

Simply heat the olive oil in a wok, and add the peppers, broccoli and green beans, quickly stir frying until softened. Add the dry quinoa to the mixture. Then add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed - about 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!