Beauty: Liquid Matte Lipstick

Makeup hasn't always been a big deal for me. I'm the kind of girl who can happily wear a homemade lip balm all week and not even think about lipstick.

This might have something to do with the fact that my grandmother used to tell me that lipstick makes your lips wrinkly and no one wants lips like prunes.

Anyway, I stumbled across liquid matte lipstick a few years ago and I'm hooked. 

I still don't wear lipstick every day but I definitely have a few more than I did. I like to wear them on the odd occasion, a night out or to spice up a plain outfit.

It did take me a while to get used to the dry-ish texture when the liquid matte dries but I love how they look and was surprised to find out that they don't actually make your lips as dry as I first thought.

Give em a go.....

***My favourite liquid matte brands***

Barry M

Lottie London

NYX

@MsShayDivine

Food: Bangers with Pumpkin And Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients (x2 portions)

Mash

1/4 of a small pumpkin 

1/2 small sweet potato

x1 glove garlic 

1/2tsp olive oil spread 

Curry

1 onions

x1 clove garlic

5 mushrooms

1 courgette

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

1tbsp concentrated curry paste

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1tbsp sesame oil

Veg

Brocolli (steamed)

Linda McCartney sausages (whichever you choose)

What to do...

Put the sausages in the oven and steam the broccoli till cooked but firm.

Mash

Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin and sweet potato into sizeable chunks and boil in lightly salted water till soft.

Chop garlic and fry in sesame oil till brown.

Drain the garlic and add to boiled pumpkin and sweet potato, mash with olive oil spread till smooth (or to preference).

Curry

Wash and finely chop onions, garlic, mushrooms, yellow pepper and courgette.

Wash 1/2cup quinoa and add to a pan of boiling lightly salted water (1/2cup)

In a frying pan heat 1tbsp of sesame oil

Add chopped veg and herbs/seasoning to taste, fry until veg is soft.

In a mug add the concentrated curry paste and slowly add boiling hot water to form a sauce (If you want a thick sauce add less water)

Mix all the veg, curry sauce and quinoa together and serve with the broccoli, mash and sausages.

Henjoy!

@MsShayDivine

Food: Spicy vegan chickpea and avocado salad in pitta

After a yummy vegan lunch idea...How about this!

Spicy chickpea and avocado salad in pitta

Ingredients

Smashed chickpeas

Avocado

Plum tomato

Pepperdew peppers

Vegan Parmesan

Black olives
Red Onions

Sainsbury's Italian salad

Olive spread

Paprika

Cayenne pepper

Cracked black pepper

Food Dr Pitta Breads

What do to....

Smash the chickpeas and avocado in a bowl.

Chop the Plum tomato, pepperdew peppers, onions and Black olives into slices and add to the chickpeas and avocado.

Add the Vegan Parmesan, 1/2 tsp of Paprika, 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper & 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper to the mix and let it sit for 15mins.

Cut a pocket into the pitta bread and toast to preference. 

Once toasted spread the olive and humous inside the pitta and add the salad.

Spoon a few tbsp fulls of the spicy chickpea mixture into the toasted pitta pocket and ENJOY!

@MsShayDivine

Food: Dairy Free Naan Pizza

Recently, I've done a lot of research on food, diet and nutrition and decided to try a vegan low soya diet. 

I could go into the reasons but I'll save that for another post.

Last week I got invited to Pizza Express and immediately got filled with dread...what would I eat? I am sure the Vegan Giardiniera is great but I am fussy and not keen on artichoke....

This gave me the idea of creating a pizza I'd like.

The original pizza base idea came from an old friend who used to make me pitta bread pizza all the time, they were soooo yummy!

I took that idea and ran to Asda to get a base for my own dairy free naan pizza which was so delicious, I thought I'd share.

Let me know what you think :-)

Ingredients

Dairy free wholemeal Naan (I got mine in Asda)

Tomato and basil pasta sauce

Mixed herbs

Paprika

Cayenne pepper

Red onion

Garlic

Peppers

Mushrooms

Black Olives

Courgette

Plum tomatoes

Violife dairy free mozzarella flavour (Cheese)

Method

Add the pasta sauce to a pan on a low heat and season with mixed herbs, paprika & cayenne pepper to taste.

Let the sauce cool and spread evenly on the naan bread.

Add the Violife and sprinkle the vegetables

Cook on a medium heat till the veg is cooked through and ENJOY!

Love @MsShayDivine xxx

Health: Oolong Tea

***Oolong tea***

I recently went to Thailand and overheard some very youthful older ladies talking about their love of Oolong tea in the markets. I asked what I was for and one of them said "by the time you reach our age, you'll be grateful for oolong" and laughed. I didn't quite get the joke but I decided to do a little digging and find out more...

What is Oolong?

Camellia sinensis (aka Oolong) is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea.

What are the said benefits?

http://www.healthynaturaldiet.com/oolong-tea-for-weight-loss/

I bought my 1st Oolong vacuum pack from a herbal shop in Thailand and a tea infuser from Flying Tiger (London) and had my first cup.

Taste wise it's not my favourite type of tea (similar to green tea) but if it does all it is said to I will definitely keep drinking it.

@MsShayDivine