High Tea

I love going out for high tea - whether it's with mum for some mother-daughter time after a shopping trip, or just with friends to eat yummy food! 

The other day we had a farewell for some of my friends and mum and I decided to have high tea at home. We had such a lovely afternoon and it was lovely to sit outside in the sun and eat all the lovely food.

Mum and I made three things - chicken sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches, and chocolate brownies for dessert (I use Bill Granger's recipe). I thought I'd write a post on the recipes because everything was so yummy and it's such a nice thing to do with friends.

Sandwiches
- Chicken with garlic aioli and lettuce
- Smoked salmon, dill and creme fraiche

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:
350g (11/2 cups) caster sugar
80g (2/3 cup) cocoa powder
60g (1/2 cup) plain all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, beaten
200g (7oz) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g (7oz) dark chocolate buttons
icing sugar, for dusting (optional, but it makes them look so pretty!)


Method:
Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F). Stir the sugar, cocoa powder, flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Add the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate buttons. Pour into a lined 22cm (9 inch) square tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Allow the brownie block to slightly cool then cut - I usually cut 9 pieces, but this depends on the size you want. Dust with icing sugar. They're really nice served with ice cream when they're hot, or perfect even on there own.

Enjoy!

Benefit "Most Glamorous Nudes Ever" Palette Review

As always, Benefit's packaging does not disappoint. I love the cute vintage print and the summary of all the products included in the kit on the back. I also love the fact that they give you suggestions on how to apply the products - which is perfect if you don't feel that confident doing eye make up or are not sure what to do.

The colours included in the palette are all gorgeous and have a glamorous feel. The palette includes a highlighter - perfect for the inner corners of the eye, a soft rose gold and a champagne gold - both perfect on the lids, and also a satin finish chocolate brown to go in the crease.

The shadows are all well pigmented and I love the formula. They apply really well and are easy to blend. My favourites in the palette would definitely be "It's Complicated" and "Kiss Me, I'm Tipsy".

I love how Benefit also included two of their Creaseless Cream Shadows in the kit - "My Two Cents" and "Birthday Suit". It is the perfect way to try the cream shadows without having to invest in the full size (although the packaging for these aren't as cute as the full size!). I also love the formula of these - they are build able, smooth, easy to apply and again blend like a dream. And the best thing is they last on the lid for a long time without creasing!

Overall, I really love this palette. It is great for an everyday eye look and even for a night time look. For the 6 eye shadows you get I think this is a very decent price to pay and I would definitely suggest investing in this gorgeous Benefit palette.

Brand Focus | Soap & Glory

Soap & Glory is one of my favourite brands in terms of bath and skincare. I'm one of those people who is attracted to nicely packaged things and their packaging is always spot on. Also, the scents are always amazing and the names too punny!

The Breakfast Scrub
This smells delicious, like maple syrup, so much so that I want to eat it from the pot (sadly, the back warns that it is not edible). It is an amazing scrub and I love it as it leaves my skin super soft and moisturised. A little goes along way, and the tub is rather huge so I reckon it would last a while.

Sugar Crush Body Wash
I know some people don't love this product as the scent is quite sweet and to some I guess it could be overwhelming. But if like fresh citrus-y scents and brown sugar, as I do, this is right up your alley. I absolutely love the scent. I think it could be my most favourite scent ever. I can't stop smelling it. It lathers well, and is a really nice wake me up morning shower wash, although I use it at night too.

Glow Job (hehe)
I use a small amount of this on my fingertips and rub together, releasing the bronze from the beads in the cream, which I then apply to my face. This product leaves a really nice bronzed dewy finish on the face, and for those with light skin gives a faux tan effect and leaves you looking alive and awake.

Hand Food
Their famous hand cream. This stuff is literally amazing. It leaves your hands feeling soft and smooth, but the most amazing thing is that it is completely grease-free and sinks into your skin straight away. So you don't have to deal with slippery hands. It's also quite thick so a little goes a long way.

I'm so glad Kit Cosmetics stocks Soap & Glory in Australia. Although I wish there was a wider variety of their products because not everything is sold here :(

What are your favourite Soap & Glory products?

Clinique Chubby Stick Review

This is the Clinique chubby stick in the colour 05 Chunky Cherry. These are super moisturising as they contain mango and shea butter, and add a really nice sheen to the lips. They aren't super pigmented, but then again they don't claim to be, they're just a coloured lip balm, which is perfect for moisturising the lips but also adding a tiny bit of colour. This would be perfect for school if you aren't allowed to wear makeup as it is really subtle but super pretty on the lips. The only downside is that they are a bit on the pricey side at $35 each.