March Beauty Buys

Spring always awakens my liveliest side and makes me feel more energetic and fresh so, in make up terms, it usually calls for vivid pink lips and strokes of brilliant colour for happy and healthy with a bit of glow cheeks. These have been my favourites for the past month. I hope you'll enjoy them.
 

1. I have combination skin and this is by far the lightest and most natural powder I've ever used. I hate the feeling of a cakey or  very matte complexion on myself [I prefer kind of a dewy look]so I've been wear it every day over my usual foundation for a hint of healthy-looking coverage and to help set it as well - perfect results with just one brush-stroke.  My skin looks natural and real but a more perfect and radiant version. This product is a godsend for me. I have shade 30 which is a good match for my complexion and I just love how luminous it makes my skin without taking away the glow of my foundation! Absolutely lovely product, thank you Chanel!

2. Catrice is still my favourite budget make-up brand, they keep on working on their products and they always come out with great new stuff.  These are three lovely pigmented bright shades - 020 Rose Royce,  030 Love & Peach and 040 Think Pink - that had to come to my spring/summer make up collection right away. Each blush is about €3.99 (price may vary per shop and country) for 5 gram of non animal tested, good pigmented product containing vitamine E and C.  They're incredibly silky underneath the fingers, are super easy to apply and blend with a brush and leave a bit of a satin sheen on your face, giving you a healthy, lively look.

3. The holy grail of lipsticks for me elegance, texture and colourwise is YSL's lipsticks Rouge Volupté Shine. This lipstick is very moisturizing and works really well with my sometimes dry lips. I don't see the streaks and dryness I experience when I use other lipsticks. It gives a nice smooth application and leaves my lips feeling moisturized. The scent reminds me of candy or fruit and there's also a slight flavor to the lipstick which is really nice. This is, hands-down, my new favorite lipstick for spring - 8 Fetish Pink, a bright pink hue that glides on effortlessly with full coverage in just one swipe.

Charlotte Olympia's Kitty Flats

I love sabrinas and very comfortable shoes with a twist or unexpected detail and although these are no news I have a major crush on them! Super cute and comfy but still very polished, adding personality and wit to your look, these infamous kitty flats/ loafers which have been a cult favorite for a long time now,  unfortunately have a price tag attached that I consider an attempt to my pocket. I still crave them though, but just for the record that's how closer I'll get to being a cat lady!

This Too Shall Pass

In The Mood For

{freshly baked crepes for the weekend's breakfast}

With some days off until Easter and some baking treats up my sleeve to be tested for the usual family get together on Easter day I can finally be looking forward to some well deserved rested days. From a minor car accident last week thankfully with no injuries included [except fot the cars] to every kind of daily hassles I had a pretty filled up week. The most positive aspect was meeting and getting close to a very kind and genuine group of people in a training action that took two weeks and that ended  yesterday that made me realize that no matter how many difficulties each and everyone of us is dealing with/ going through, there's always somenone willing to give a comforting smile, a notable contribution and even to create bonds strong enough to start some hopefully new great friendships.Have a nice weekend. I'm in the mood for...

{this polished ensemble for transitioning weather}

{fresh flowers from the local market}

{the unexpected pop of colour from this bright rug}

{the artistic drawings my 15-year-old niece drew for her own birthday cake}

{this beauty bag I was offered as a usual customer gift}

{favourite neutral + accessories for today}

Mint Cheesecake

A burst of freshness, a mixture of soft and crunchy textures and delicious flavors that marry perfectly, this was undoubtedly one of the most successful cheesecakes I've done to date. It was the dessert I chose to create to celebrate Valentine's Day this year, but I ended up sharing some with my family, which now repeated [and abusively !!!!] ask me to re-bake it in any family life event, request to which, of course, I give in willingly. A calorie bomb? Surely, I have to nod to the fact, but it's worth losing your head over a piece of this temptation, have no doubt about it! And as today is the World Chocolate Day, though it has not been intentional, this recipe could not have been more to the point. Bon Appetite!

 Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 package of oreo cookies 
•  unsalted butter
•  2 packages cream
•  1 can of condensed milk
•  1 and 1/2 packages Philadelphia cheese
•  10 sheets of gelatine
•  10 dl milk
•  1 white chocolate
•  2 milk chocolates
•  2 boxes of  After Eight

 Crush the oreo cookies after removing the white cream and add the melted butter, mix well and place in the bottom of a tart mold. Refrigerate while preparing the cream. Soak the gelatine leaves in four tablespoons of water  and drain well before melting them in 1 dl of milk. Whip the cream with three tablespoons of sugar and set aside. Beat the cheese for a few seconds with the condensed milk and mix the cream, add the melted gelatin and pour over dough. Melt white chocolate and add it. Pour some of this cream on the biscuit base and put some after eights on top. Pour another layer of cream and then place another layer of after eights. Pour the remaining cream. Refrigerate to solidify overnight. Then remove from the refrigerator and  without unmolding it melt the milk chocolate and spread it on top. Garnish with the remaining After Eight chocolates. Place it back in the refrigerator and serve cold.


Uma explosão de frescura, uma mistura de texturas suaves e crocantes e de sabores deliciosos que casam na perfeição, este foi foi sem dúvida um dos cheesecakes de maior sucesso que já fiz até hoje. Foi a sobremesa de eleição que criei para celebrar o dia dos namorados este ano, mas que acabei por partilhar com a família, que agora, repetida [e abusivamente !!!!] me pedem para voltar a fazer em qualquer evento de convívio familiar, pedido ao qual, naturalmente, eu cedo de boa vontade. Uma bomba calórica? Pois, tenho de anuir, mas que vale a pena perder a cabeça por um pedaço desta tentação, não tenham qualquer dúvida! e como hoje é o Dia Mundial do chocolate, ainda que não tenha sido intencional, esta receita não poderia ter vindo mais a propósito. Bom apetite!

Ingredientes:

• 1 e 1/2 pacotes de bolachas oreo
• manteiga sem sal
• 2 pacotes de natas
• 1 lata de leite condensado
• 1 e 1/2 pacotes de queijo Philadelphia
• 10 folhas de gelatina
• 10 dl leite
• 1 chocolate branco
• 2 chocolates de leite
• 2 caixas de chocolates After Eight

Esmague as bolachas oreo depois de retirar o creme branco e adicione a manteiga derretida , misture bem e coloque no fundo de uma tarteira. Leve ao frigorífico enquanto prepara o creme . Mergulhe as folhas de gelatina em quatro colheres de sopa de água e escorra bem antes de derretê-las em 1 dl de leite. Bata as natas com três colheres de sopa de açúcar e reserve. Bata o queijo por alguns segundos com o leite condensado e misture as natas, adicione a gelatina derretida e despeje sobre o preparado. Derreta o chocolate branco e adicione-o. Despeje um pouco desse creme sobre a base de bolacha e disponha por cima alguns after eight. Verta outra camada de creme e volte a dispor por cima alguns chocolates. Verta o creme restante. Leve ao frigorífico para solidificar de um dia para o outro. Em seguida, retire do frigorífico e sem desenformar derreta os chocolate de leite e espalhe-os por cima. Decore com os restantes chocolates After Eight.Colocar de novo no frigorífico e servir gelado.