red velvet cupcakes

 

hello!

i planned to have a really cool, inventive title for this post, but couldn't think of one. so this 'book' is exactly what it says on the 'cover', and i'm going to be sharing with you these scrummy red velvet cupcakes i made at the weekend...

 

just before i start, i'd like to say that a) i am now better, yay! and b) this is my first foody post so please tell me how to improve!

 

i'm not going to pretend i made this recipe up, as it's way too technical (it has oil, and bicarbonate of soda in it!) for me to work out in my head, so i used a recipe from the hummingbird bakery. you can find the recipe online here, as i followed it exactly.

 

 

 they are delicious, and i would definitely recommend you make them. to present, i just piped the icing on using my piping bag, and then crumbled a spare cupcake over the top for a nice bit of contrast! i also used these spring-y cases in different colours!

 

 

 they're just the perfect not-so-healthy snack, and it's a really great recipe!
hopefully my next food post will be a bit more than sending you to a recipe but i'm better at creating savoury rather than sweet recipes.

bye!

fuchsiaforest on twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.



blog of the week: hello october

 

hello!

 

this week i have really been loving suzie's blog: hello october.

 

 

 

she seems like such a nice person, and her blog is the perfect spot for a mix of beauty, fashion and lifestyle. i always check out her blog when it comes to a bit of nice higher-end beauty, as her beauty basket/top 5... posts are always full of amazing reviews. she also does youtube videos, and i looved her recent makeup collection video which is now one of my favourite collections and has given me lots to put on my wishlist! i am now definitely craving essie tart deco, damn my spendng ban!

 

so you should all without a doubt go and have a nose around suzie's blog, now!

 

bye!

(i also wanted to mention that there is now a sidebar with a blogroll of all the blogs featured on blog of the week, although it won't be updated until i get back from school! you can also look at the page, which is under 'home')

fuchsiaforest on twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

loving and lusting #8

 

hello again!

for once, i'm going to do a loving and lusting without a huge, rambling introduction. *gasp*

buuuut... sorry that the pictures are three different pictures rather than a collage but the new security software my dad has downloaded onto our computer is blocking picmonkey and i have no clue how to unblock it/ what other software to use, and it won't be up in time if i try and learn so hopefully it will be for next week as i am very. annoyed.

1-fashion

oh i'm just oh-so-cliched. whilst some may say this isn't technically clothes, i have decided to rename this section fashion so as to create a broader spectrum for myself, and basically, cheat.

saying that, is there a girl who doesn't want a mulberry bag, even if they say otherwise? i honestly don't think so, and let me tell you as soon as i get a job and have nothing to save up for, i am buying one of these babies, because you just have to agree that she is a beaut.

 

 

2-beauty

i've been wanting to delve into the world of overnight masks for a while now and fro some reason just never taken the plunge and bought the origins one, which is obviously the 'must buy'. which is why when pictures of this little beauty from BB-renowned fame Dr Jart+ started popping up in my instagram feed i was drawn, like a calling... it claims to be ultra light on the skin which appeals to me, so when my spending ban is done and dusted we shall definitely see...

 

 

3-random

this last item is perfect for two reasons:

*1- rob ryan is one of my favourite designers; his work is so 'quirky' and i luuurve.

*2-this money box is actually literally the cutest thing ever.

i'm actually considering breaking my spending ban *temporarily* for it.

 

 

so that's it folks, and reading this through i realise i sound like an absolute nutter, but there we go.

bye!

fuchsiaforest on twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

instagrams of late

hello!

 

i'm still feeling a bit under the weather and not quite back to normal so no proper post today i'm afraid. however, i am feeling much better and am sure all your lovely comments on wednesday's post definitely helped!

 

so today i have a post showing you my instagrams of late. please leave your usernames below, and mine is fuchsiaforest, please check it out!

 

 

 

heart made from stones on new year's day// outfit photo fail// deciding what to cook// blog post planning// refrigerator cake// taking the christmas tree down// pens// biggest pomegranate ever// loungewear// shoes// bedtime reading// fairy lights// breakfast// soup// fluffy socks// brother's arsenal obsession (very worrying).

 

goodbye, and as always please tell me what you'd like to see below!

 

fuchsiaforest on twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

 

spending ban update #1

hello there!

as i am currently ill, bedridden, and off school, and can't muster up the energy to even stand up and take some blog pictures i thought i would do a nice easy post and update you all on how my spending ban has been coming along.

i'm now 23 days in, and can honestly say the only money to have left my purse is one pound for something at school, which wasn't optional and is therefore justified! i haven't actually been to tempted at all to buy things yet, although i think the hardest bit is always when the spring beauty and fashion collections come out, which they are just starting to. however, although i started my spending ban on the first of january (post here) the only money i've spent since september has been christmas presents, which is technically over 100 days and pretty damn impressive. but i am going to do 100 days from the first, and maybe even carry it on...

in order to keep myself motivated i have spent quite a while deciding what i'm going to buy once i've saved up and i think i've decided on the camera i want, which is very exciting!

as before, if any of you are currently doing this spending ban or are thinking of starting one please leave your links below, as the positive comments i got on the blog post introducing it (and tweets) have really helped in motivating and i would love to do the same thing back!

bye!

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

blog of the week: in the frow

hello again!

this week i have been loving victoria's blog, in the frow.

 i found her blog quite recently through the #bbloggers chat on twitter and love it. she seems so nice and sweet and her blog is now the first place i go to for reviews as she always does great thorough reviews with amaazing pictures! i loved her recent review of lancome's teint miracle foundation, and i am now very tempted by it! she mainly posts about beauty bu there is also a bit of fashion thrown in. she has also recently started making youtube videos, and posts some great videos on there!

i would definitely recommend checking victoria's blog and youtube out, as she is one of my new favourites!

bye!

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

loving and lusting #7

 

hello!

 

i'm back with loving and lusting, and we're already in the seventh week of it! can you believe that!?

anyway, this is everything i'm lusting after this week. as always, please tell me what you're loving this week; i'd love to know! and if you have any blog post suggestions or just general themes (e.g. life/beauty/fashion) let me know, as i want you to like what i'm writing! i'll stop rambling now, but what do you think of the new picture format for these posts?

 

 

 

1-clothes

i'm not doing anything soon that will call for such a 'spangly' piece, but this playsuit from zara is entirely gorgeous. i would wear a camisole underneath, as the model seems to be wearing absolutely zilch underneath, and i'm not certain that's a look i'll be wearing anytime soon! thinking ahead, it would be perfect for new year's eve...

 

2-beauty

this nail varnish from chanel's spring collecion is also gorgeous. i've heard that the quality of their nail varnishes are awful, but i really couldn't resist as it's just such a pretty colour and is so perfect for sping/summer. if you know of any *good quality* dupes please let me know!
 

3-random
agin on a spring-y note, this camera from lomography is so pretty and cute. i've always thought old-style cameras like this one are cute and the colour of this one makes it unbelievably sweet, and would just complete an outfit when/if summer comes!

bye!!

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

lush king of skin

hello!
i have been a bad blogger. i have broken the unwritten rule and used this product before photographing. i have nothing to say but i'm sorry, please forgive me!

moving on.... i'd heard quite a bit about the lush body bars, and after seeing alix talk about this particular one in a video i decided to try out king of skin.

link

if you don't know what the body bars are, they're basically solid body butters that you rub over damp skin before getting out the shower. this was originally in the shape of a crown, but as i said i um, used it.

it took me a while to work out how to use this, which was part of the reason i didn't take pictures as when i first purchased it i didn't think it was worth a review. however, once you know how to use it, it's amazing. you wash it off before getting out, and it leaves a slight oily residue. i like to really massage it in and find it leaves my body so nice and moisturised. obviously it's not a particularly rich moisturiser and if you have very dry skin it might not be too great, but for every day moisturisation it's perfect!

however, the best bit is the smell. even if you don't want to buy it, just please go into lush and smell it. it's absolutely gorgeous, and somehow manages to be vanilla-y and lovely without being sickly. it's so good that i was actually seriously considering eating it yesterday in the bath. seriously. (i didn't)

so i would definitely recommend this lovely product, as it's perfect for travel and everyday use. it's a definite repurchase!

bye!

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

REN vetiver v7 hand and body cream

hello!

sorry for the slight overrun of ren products on this blog at the moment, but today I am going to share with you this gorgeous handcream from the brand. Again it's a sample, but I think it's the perfect size for a handcream, so is very handy!

link

 

this obviously says on the tube that it is a body cream, and i'm sure it's just as lovely on the body, but i decided to use it on my hands due to the small size. this means that it is quite thick and rich, but therefore is a lovely, luxurious cream perfect for use before bed. it also has a lovely natural herbally smell that is so relaxing when going to sleep, especially if you're most productive at night, like i seem to be.

 

 

it is also very moisturising and i literally need the tiniest amount to wake up with smooth, baby soft hands. it is quite greasy, so i don't tend to use it during the day for practicality reasons but as i said, it's perfect for night.

whilst it's not as important on your hands as on your face, when you put this on you can rest assured that there is nothing nasty going on, and i think that's one of the major selling points for the brand and product.

 

it's also very affordable considering ren is quite an expensive brand. the link to the product is underneath the first picture if you missed it!

so overall i love this product. i would really recommend it if you have very dry or sensitive skin on your hands, or are looking for something natural. i'm not sure if this is a repurchase for me, as i like to swap my handcreams in and out and am not 'dedicated' to a single individual one, but this is definitely a very lovely product i really recommend.

 

bye!!

 

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

 

blog of the week: laurenella

hello, i'm back with my blog of the week!

 

link

 

so this week i have been loving laurenella. she obviously has an amaazing name..!! other than that, her hair is amazing and her style is so cute and i love it. she also makes youtube videos and her best friend tag is lovely. she does a mix of lifestyle, beauty and fashion and i loved her recent post on bill's in covent garden, as it's always impossible to get a table there!

 

so definitely go and check lauren's blog out, go go go!

 

bye!!xx

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

Loving and lusting #6

hi!

I'm going to admit it now before I begin, but yes. Yes, I am thinking about summer already. I haven't gone all out summery in this post but you could definitely say a few items in this post are not that wintery.

 

1- clothes.

I absolutely adore this crop top from American Apparel. I think it would look so gorgeous with a pastel high-waisted skater skirt in the summer! I am getting a bit ahead of myself here, but I could wear it in spring with some nice coloured jeans, so I suppose I could justify it (after my spending ban though, obvs). Ooh.
I prefer the darker colour, and to be honest don't think the picture does much for it (sorry!) but saw it in a magazine where it looked luverly.

 

2- beauty.

I've been wanting to delve into facial oils for a while now and I've heard so much good about this one from antipodes. I'm not one for really thick moisturisers and prefer light day creams so think a nice oil like this would help put a bit more moisture back in my skin. Antipodes is a brand I've heard so much about and am definitely going to purchase this when I finish my spending ban!

 

3- random.

Sorry that this section always seems to be overrun by geekdom, but I'm currently saving up for a new camera and this tripod looks great. I originally spotted it as it's so extremely discounted. It's tall enough for outfit photos but can easily fold down which is great.

 

Hope you enjoyed this, and remember to leave me comments with links to your current wishlist!

Bye!xx

 

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

snazzy leggings

hello lovelies!
today i have a small outfit of the day for you featuring my amazing h&m leggings.

before i start i'd just like you all to appreciate how surprising it is to get half-decent photos like these, considering how awkward i am, especially in pictures!

so on with the outfit...

both these things were last season but you might be able to find them in a shop. sorry!

i got these amaazing leggings for my birthday back in august and i love them to pieces! they are quite loud, but paired with a plain top look really cool and very fashion-y, in my humble opinion. i just realised that actually the top is from h&m too, but I think it's a really nice flattering shape and has little specks of colour in so as not to be too plain or boring. again, i'm wearing that necklace you saw in my last ootd. i'm sorry, i have no excuse other than the one i was planning on wearing broke. tragedy.
and no shoes i'm afraid as i didn't leave the house, party animal i am.

i wore this outfit on the last day of the holidays, ie the day that broke my heart. we spent most of the christmas-new year-school period not doing much at home. we had great things planned but unfortunately my mum was ill so we couldn't do anything. we did have italian family over though- cue awkward silence when they're speaking in italian and i have no clue what they're saying...

so hope you enjoyed this post everyone, remember to leave me feedback below!
bye!!

 

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

blog of the week: blue october

hello again!

today i thought i would start a new feature on my blog; blog of the week. i've seen this idea a few times and i know a lot of people who do it, but original inspiration was shown to me on Twitter, and is from the ladies behind Not Just Inside.
anyway, i thought it was a great idea for a bit of sharing the love, and hopefully it will give you all inspiration for new blogs to follow! i'm going to do a range of different blogs so over time there should be one you'll like!

link

so my first blog of the week is blue october! i love lizzie's blog, it's just the perfect mix of lifestyle, outfitm, beauty and cooking posts. i could literally spend a whole day reading her posts, none of them have the effect so you want to skip over theml they're all really interesting topics.
i also loove her hair! it's dip-dyed pink and looks goreous!

her style also seems really similair to mine, which i love, as it means i like every outfit featured on her blog!

i don't want to ramble on for too long so am justgoing to let you all go over there now and check her blog out, and then follow her!

bye!!

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.


Loving and lusting #5

hello!
i've realised this week that doing wishlists every week is really very dangerous when i'm on a spending ban. ah, the things i do for you guys..

1- clothes.
i wear my black skater skirt so much, i thought i would definitely get wear out of a second one. i love the versatility of this denim one, as i think it adds a bit to any outfit and can be paired with anything, in any season.
2- beauty.
i got quite a big sample of daisy last year and almost bought it then i loved it so much, but as ifinished it around september and it's quite a summery scent I decided to wait. obviously now i'm on a spending ban so can't buy it which is so annoying, as i love everything about it.
3- random.
i'm due new lenses for my glasses soon, and am thinking waay out of my market. These are obviously designer glasses, which my mum says she will not buy for me unless she sees me wearing my current glasses more. seeing as i don't like them, and wear them for the bare minimum, this looks like it will be a lust not a purchase. but they're just soo gorgeous, and i genuinely think i would wear them out of choice. Ahh.

so that's it folks, sorry if it seemed a bit whiney- WHY DID EVER DECIDE ON A SPENDING BAN.

bye!!

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

Sally Hansen insta-dri

 

hi!

today i thought i would put up a review for you lovelies on my favourite topcoat: Sally Hansen insta-dri. sorry if it's a bit boring, but this stuff is seriously amazing.

 

 

it packs so much shine it's actually quite ridiculous. that's the reason it is my favourite, nothing else. when i put this on, i can actually see my reflection in my nails. how's that for a selling point? i'm not too sure about how fast drying it is, but then i am famed for being impatient in the nail-drying department... (yesterday i maay have, um, scratched my head [promise i don't have nits, i had a lump!] when my nails were still wet, and got nail varnish in my hair. maybe.)

 

when i put this on top of my nail varnish, it usually lasts for about 5-6 days before chipping, which i think is fairly impressive. i'm afraid i haven't been digging or anything of the like, so don't know how long it lasts in those circumstances but it should be fine!

 

so, that's it for this post. i'm trying to post ore often at the moment, so if you have any requests please let me know below.

what's your favourite topcoat?

 

fuchsiaforest on twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

about me tag

hello!

today i thought i would do a bit of a different post, the about me tag. i feel like some of my readers may not really know me, and this tag seemed perfect. i've seen lots of versions of this and here is mine!
i'm going to try and keep my answers as concise as possible, but we'll see..!!

 

 do you have a middle name? yes, two. my first is susan, and then i have my mum's surname.
what is your favourite subject in school? history, english or music.
what is your favourite drink? i'm really boring and only drink water and hot chocolate, so water most of the time but ismail's hot chocolates are pure heaven and the best thing on earth (really!)
what is your favourite song at the moment? probably kiss you- one direction. i know loads of people hate them but i don't!
what would you name your kids? i haven't really thought about it, but i like the names eliza, sophie and olivia.
do you participate in any sports? i do a bit of hockey, and dance regularly, although i don't think dance is a sport!
favourite book? argh, i don't know! i can never read a book twice! i haven't read them in ages, but i always used to love the eva ibbotson ones. not sure about now though...
favourite colour? anything pastel!
favourite animal? giraffes, although they've gone down in my estimation after seeing them fight on africa.
favourite perfume? i don't really wear perfume that much but i love marc jacobs daisy
favourite holiday? christmas because it's so festive and cosy, or easter because it means summer is coming!
have you graduated high school? no, i'm still at school.
have you ever been out of the country? if so, how many times? gah, i don't know! probably around 35?
do you speak any other languages? not fluently, but i learn french, german and spanish, and i know a bit of italian.
how many siblings do you have? one 11 year old brother.
what is your favourite store? topshop, miss selfridge or urban outfitters.
favourite restaurant? we went to a little one called pomegranate in hastings in the summer which was amazing!
do you like school? yes, i suppose i do. i could do without the homework though. and tests. and science.
favourite youtuber? there are so many! i love zoe, tanya, jim, fleur, lauren, islay, lily, anna, alix... there are too many!
favourite movie? every time i watch a cute film i think it's my favourite! i like the proposal though, and arthur christmas is a definite!
favourite tv show? miranda, without a doubt!
pc or mac? i have a pc but i would like a mac!
what kind of phone do you have? htc rhyme
how tall are you? i'm not sure, very.

so i hope you enjoyed this, and now know a bit more about me! i did have a beauty post for you today but blogger wouldn't let me upload any pictures so you got this instead! hopefully the review will be up tomorrow! bye!

 fuchsiaforest on twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

100 day spending ban

hello again!
as one of my new year's resolutions I said I wanted to save up some moneys. i've actually been saving since christmas, but when i saw the 100 say spending ban i thought it would be perfect. it doesn't need that much explaining, but every week there will be a Twitter talk to discuss your saving progress and motivate you for the following weeks. although I've been saving for a bit longer, i am officially starting my spending ban from January 1st, for the new year!

i'll link up Alice's (she has organised the Twitter chat) post on the spending ban here, and if any of you are doing this challenge please tell me!

bye!x

(ps. i'll have some reviews and stuff up tomorrow, as i'm aware my blog has been very lifestyley recently. however, i am going to attempt to do more lifestyle/diy posts to stop me spending, hope you don't mind!)

fuchsiaforest on Twitter, instagram, pinterest and tumblr.

new years' resolutions

 

hi everyone, happy new year!

 

 

today i have a more personal post for you, although it is still relevant to blogging; i thought i'd share my new years' resolutions with you. this year, i have decided to set myself more, smaller resolutions rather than a few big ones, because i feel i am more likely to achieve that way. because lots of them are to do with my blog i thought it would be nice to share them with you. i will include some personal ones as well, to put the blogging ones into context :)

 

jar of goodness- as before, i have no clue what to call this, so see yesterday's post for info on this one. i know it isn't a resolution as such, but it's something i plan to do in 2013.

save up all my money- for me, this is probably going to be one of the hardest. every year i say i'll spend less, but this year i really want to save, and only spend money on absolute necessities. i haven't decided what i'm saving up for yet, as i'd really like an iMac but doubt i'll manage to save for that long, but i just want to have a nice chunk of money so i know whether i want to buy a new camera, or an iPad i'll have money ready.

post three times a week (at least)- in these last few days of 2012 i've been blogging much more and really been enjoying it! i think i always treated blogging a bit like my homework before; i did enjoy it, just i would always do something else, like watch some youtube videos first, which i thought should change. i'm loving putting more variety into my blog, and posting more means more different types of post, which is great!

actively try to get my blog noticed- the #bbloggers chat is such a great thing to use as a blogger, and before i always kind of neglected it, along with #fbloggers and #lbloggers.  this week, i joined in the chat, put my button on the website, and joined in lots of twitter conversations. and immediately, my blog, twitter and instagram followers, and page views, are all up! i want to keep on doing this!

get to 125 blog followers, and 125 twitter followers- these two are following on from the last two, but i really want to get my little blog out there, and instead of just saying 'get more followers' i thought i'd set myself some targets! they're completely random numbers, but i thought 125 might be reasonable??!!??

do more craft/DIY posts (and in general)- i thought it might be nice in the new year to do DIY beauty products, clothing items, or just craft in general, and posts to follow. as i'm trying not to spend i thought making might make up for buying??? we'll see!

do more outfit/fashion posts- i very rarely do fashion posts at the moment, just because the photos are a pain to take , but i really enjoy doing them, and just putting clothes on (!) so i'm going to try and put more outfit posts up.

smile- i'm generally a positive person, but i'm also quite sensible and serious and think i need to smile more! see- i'm frowning as i write this, smile lauren, SMILE!

wear my glasses more- this one is pretty self-explanatory, but i know i should wear my glasses more as i'm always squinting to read thigs- whoops. i'm due to get new frames relatively soon, so hopefully that will motivate me :) (just reading this through, and definitely squinting :s)

spend no more than 2 hours on the internet a day- since starting blogging, i have been spending waay more time on the internet. i'll either be blogging, or on facebook, or on twitter, or browsing topshop... the list goes on. i'm not planning on stopping or anything, just making sure i'm not on for ridiculous amounts of time. homework doesn't count though! the sad thing is that i'll probably find this one the hardest!!

so after that massive ramble, you can probably see that i'm not aiming too big with any of my resolutions this year, but just lots of little ones.
please let me know your resolutions, and why not what you did last night to, for new years? i'd love to know!
bye!!