The Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe Ever

A good old British classic dessert that I often crave is Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The Aussie equivalent Sticky Date Pudding...it's alright...but it does not have that rich dark treacle-y goodness from "oor gud old pudding" { say it with a Scottish accent please! }

So I scoured the interwebs for a recipe that I could make and after a couple of trials, I have come up with a winning recipe.

Award winning.

Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Ever awarded by my mother!!

So without further ado (not adieu!!), here it is...

The Best Sticky Toffee Pudding Ever

A modified version of Ultimate Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients

[ For the pudding ]
240g pitted dates
175ml boiling hot water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g butter - softened
2tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tbsp treacle
175g self-raising flour
100ml milk (I used almond milk)

[ For the toffee sauce ]
100g brown sugar
50g butter
300ml thickened cream
2 tbsp treacle
A pinch of salt

1.  Soak the dates in the hot water and add the bicarbonate of soda.

2.  Use butter to grease a cupcake tin of 12.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan forced.

3.  Blend or process the date mixture until it is all blended up.

4.  Cream the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes.  Then add the eggs one at a time and beat well.  Then beat in the treacle.  It might look curdled at this stage but don't worry about it.  It will all come together in the end.

5.  Sift a third of the self-raising flour into the bowl and fold the flour in gently.  Then fold in a third of the milk, then more flour.  Repeat until all flour and milk is used.  Be careful not to overmix!

7.  Gently fold in the processed dates.

8.  Divide the mixture into the 12 cupcake moulds of the tin.  Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees and then turn the temperature down to 160 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes.  Check with a skewer and there may be some sticky crumbs but the majority of the skewer should be clean.  Otherwise, bake for another 2-3 minutes.

9.  To make the toffee sauce, place the sugars, butter, salt and half the cream in a pot.  Bring to the boil whilst stirring all the time until all the sugars have melted.  Add the treacle and let it bubble away for 2-3 minutes until it is a rich dark toffee colour, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.  Take the pot off the heat and stir in the rest of the cream.

10.  Serve pudding warm with a gooey puddle of sauce with a side of cream / custard / ice cream.  Whatever you like!

P.S.  There will be a considerable amount of washing up to do!  Best left for the better half to do, of course, since you did all the hard work!

Originally posted on 23/2/2015 (almost 5 years ago!!!  what the...??!!) but posting it up now so that it looks like I have updated my blog when I haven't.  LOL!!!

The Birth Story Of Dainty

I simply cannot believe my little Dainty will be turning 3 in December?

Nowadays, I may have baby brain forever but I can still remember the day she was born!

Here is her birth story...and it's a lonnnngggg one so please feel free to get a cuppa tea if you need one :P

My Birth Plan

Immediately after I had given birth to Bunty, I said I NEVER wanted to endure the same traumatic experience again.  My birth plan for Bunty was to go with the flow but I was so traumatised that she was thisclose to being an only child...but it's true what they say - you DO forget!!!

Enter baby number 2 - Dainty.

Except I did not want her to "enter" the world the same way as her sister did and I requested to have an elective C-section this time round.

But it wasn't that easy to get a C-section { not when you're a public patient anyway! }

At my first hospital appointment, the female doctor was not sympathetic. She said, "All births are traumatic!" and proceeded to ignore my request.

At my second visit, I saw her again { which is unusual being a public patient because based on my previous experience, I never saw the same doctor twice } and again, I voiced my anxiety and fears of giving birth.

This time, she said she would refer me to the Perineal Clinic so they could assess whether I could give birth vaginally.  If I could physically not give birth vaginally, then I could have my C-section.  If I could, then I would not be allowed to have a pre-planned C-section.

I was slightly disappointed but at the same time, I was very thankful to fall pregnant again { I have suspected endometriosis } and I was extremely thankful to have a healthy baby { we have a genetic blood disorder where every baby we carry has a 1 in 4 chance of death } so I was happy to go with the flow.

However, on my third visit, I saw a male French doctor.

He introduced himself and then turned and said to me, "I've read through your medical notes and have you thought about your birth plan?" { I am paraphrasing because I obviously cannot remember his exact words.  And FYI, yes, he had that sexy French accent! *ahem* }

I told him I was rather anxious and I really wanted a C-section but the previous doctor wouldn't 'allow' it but I was willing to go with the flow.

He said, "I think a C-section is a good idea considering what you went through.  Let's book it in now and if you change your mind, you can."

He went through the C-section consent forms with me, discussed the risks involved and got me to sign a few documents but stated that I could change my mind whenever I wanted.

WOW!!!  A round of applause for THE BEST DOCTOR EVER!!!!

Sadly, I never got to see him again in all my other future visits.

Instead, I saw this young female Irish doctor who really did not listen to me.  I asked her whether I still needed to go to my Perineal Clinic appointment as I had already got a date for my C-section.  She said yes.

So, at 33 weeks pregnant, I was the size of a whale and I rocked up at my appointment.  A pelvic physio and a specialist doctor poked their fingers up my bumhole to assess my muscle tone.  Gross right?

And then, as I was about to undergo an anal ultrasound, I piped up, "Ummm...I'm booked in for a C-section so do I REALLY have to do this?" No, I did not.  The specialist doctor let me leave immediately.

She said it was unnecessary to go through this torturous examination for no good reason as I had already decided on my birth plan.

I know birth plans can turn into "not exactly what I had planned" so I decided that my birth plan for Dainty would be : If she comes early, i.e. before my planned C-section date, I will try and give birth vaginally.  And if not, I will just have my planned C-section.   

The Birth Day

My C-section was booked in for 1st December 2016; when I was 39 (+1) weeks.

At around midnight, a few hours before our hospital visit, I had a bloody show - "a mucusy discharge tinged pink or brown with blood. It means the blood vessels in the cervix are rupturing as it begins to efface and dilate—a good, normal pre-labor sign if you're close to your due date"

I told myself not to worry and that "the baby is coming out in a few hours anyway so mehhhh...whatever...just sleep before the baby comes otherwise you will never sleep again!"

Cue the toddler...

I'm telling ya, they know EVERYTHING!

Instead of sleeping through the night as usual, she decided to wake around 1am and SCREECH AND HOWL till 3am.

How did she know that she was no longer going to be an only child in a few hours time??!!!

Finally, when all was calm, we had a couple of hours of sleep.

I remember tossing and turning a lot as I started getting lower back pain...the signs of early labour?

 Just before my alarm went off at 6am, I jolted awake.

I turned to my husband and woke him up - "Um...I'm getting contractions...OWWWW!!!"

We got to the hospital at 6.20am and at this point, the contractions were really strong and pretty close together.

The Day Surgery reception was not open till 6.30am so I headed to the Emergency Department.

"Hi, I'm booked in for a C-section..."
"Okay, you have to wait till Day Surgery opens at 6.30am..."
"OWWW...I'm having contractions though..."
"Oh, give me your details and we'll see you now..."

 A nurse took me to a room, told me to strip off into a hospital gown, checked my vitals and gave me paracetamol to help ease the pain.

Paracetamol??!!!  Did not do anything!!!

The nurse said I was second in line for the C-section and enquired if I was wanting to have a vaginal birth instead... "Well, if I have to...OWWW....OWWWW..."

But then another nurse popped in and said that the pregnant patient who was first in line for the C-section had NOT turned up!!  They could not get in touch with her nor her partner.  Apparently, it was her fourth child so you would think she would remember to turn up for her scheduled surgery, right??!!

 "You're 6cm dilated.  You can wait and choose to give birth vaginally or go for the C-section now.  It's up to you!"
"Wellll...I don't mind...I don't know..."

Seriously, I am the worst decision maker in the world!!!!

I turned to my husband to ask him what I should do.

He didn't want to take responsibility in case he picked the "wrong" choice.

Seeing our struggle with decision-making at a critical time, the nurse said -
"Can you remember why you and the doctor decided that a C-section was best for you?"
 "Yes!"
"Well, go for it!"

And there you go.  I was wheeled to the theatre room.

They helped me put on highly attractive compression stockings and a hair net thing.

Everyone involved introduced themselves to me and explained what they were going to do which was lovely but I REALLY needed to NOT feel pain because my contractions were really strong.

{ There was a midwife/nurse who made a passing comment that I could have pushed in an hour's time which I chose to ignore and not let it spoil my birth experience.  Yes, I was 6cm dilated but there is no 100% guarantee that I would fully dilate to 10cm...and maybe the baby would get distressed / stuck / etc...so STFU please!!! }

Once the anaesthetic kicked in and I could no longer feel the contractions, I relaxed...there was a burning flesh smell...and then, a few minutes later, Dainty was born.

SO QUICK!!!!

When they handed her to me, my first thought was that she had so much hair.  Beautiful thick black hair.

She was quite a big baby at 3.73kg.

She was perfect.

We had already chosen a name for her months and months ago and it suited her perfectly.

Tears of joy followed.

None from my husband - I HAVE YET TO SEE HIM CRY!!!

We had skin-to-skin.  And she naturally made her way to my nipple and fed!!!!  Unbelievable! I felt on top of the world! { Such a contrast to her big sister's birth where immediately after I pushed her out, I lost so much blood which splashed on the floor and I vomited everywhere and I was in and out of consciousness and was so weak that I couldn't even lift her to feed her! }

I was so thankful that Dainty's birth went so smoothly and I was able to be 'all there' for the whole procedure.

I had such a lovely and positive birth experience.

I loved having all the drugs because I did not feel any pain whatsoever.

In fact, I feel that I recovered a lot quicker physically and mentally with a C-section even though I had a horrendous cough and cold which made it REALLY painful during my coughing fits.

I was just so grateful to not have people examining and poking their fingers in all my orifices all the freaking time.

Anyway, I was so sure that I was done with having kids...but immediately after giving birth to Dainty, I turned to my Husband and said, "I'm ready for another one!"  Haha!!!!

And here we are today...almost 3 years later...and oooh...first time mentioning it on the blog...but we do have a 3rd child...boy...Simba...3 months plus...who is currently crying and refusing to sleep as I type this!!!

A Walk To The Park To Remember

So this happened...

It had been dark, cold and lazy winter days for too long in Melbourne so when there was that one sunny day a few weeks ago, I peeled my lazy ass off the couch and spontaneously decided to take the kids to our local park... ...without driving there.

As in, walking there pushing the baby in the pram and preschooler in the skateboard.

"Are you sure you don't want to drive there?" - asked my husband.  He didn't join us as he was busy with some home DIY project.

"Yes, I can do this!  Pfft, it's only up the road!" - said I, with steely determination in my voice.

I quickly buckled the kids up and headed off...before I could change my mind...

15 minutes later, we reached the park.

There was a toddler there on the swings with her dad.

My 3yo hopped off her skateboard and ran towards the slide, giggling along the way.

I was severely slightly out of breath but I was beaming with pride at myself because I did it!  I walked to the park!!!!

Obviously, I made sure to take plenty of photos and videos on my phone because if it's not on social media, did it really happen?!

"Baby!  That's a baby!" yelled the toddler as she pointed to my 9 month old.  Her father and I exchanged a friendly parent-to-parent nod and smile.

For 5 minutes, everything was going exceedingly well.

The sun was shining, I was on a swing holding onto my koala baby while my 3yo was running up the stairs and going down the slide and it just felt so good to be alive... .

..until my 3yo piped up, "Mum, I need the toilet!  NOW!"

I told myself to stay calm and collected.  I can handle this.  No biggie, I thought to myself.

I plonked the baby onto the pram, grabbed my 3yo's hand and headed to the nearest tree.

I squatted and held onto my 3yo's legs and helped her squat for her to pee.

"Are you finished peeing yet?"
"Yes.  But I need to poo now."
"Whaaa... okay, quickly, come on!"

I quickly glanced around to see if anybody was watching.

Oh great, the toddler was pointing her finger at us.  I gave the dad a weak smile...

"I'm finished mum!"
"Okay, wait here while I get some tissue..."

I ran back to the pram, peered into the basket and found two tissues...which were probably used to wipe a snotty nose or two...oops!

TMI but usually my 3yo does poos where there's nothing left behind and one quick wipe is enough.

Unfortunately, today was not one of those days.  I quickly realised that this wet sloppy pile of poo was not a two tissue affair.

 nd I also realised that I had nothing, NOTHING!!! packed in the pram basket.  No nappies, no baby wipes, no food wrapper that could be used as an emergency tissue or poo bag....NOTHING!!!

I had to call for emergency back up.

The five minutes it took for my husband to drive to the park felt like FOREVER.

We stood next to the tree, guarding the hot steaming pile of stinky poo.  My 3yo was embarrassed and didn't want to talk.  My 9mo was getting antsy sitting in the pram.  And I was avoiding the toddler and her dad who were extremely curious at what we were doing.

My husband pulled up the car and strolled towards us with a big massive grin on his face; one hand carrying toilet roll and the other hand carrying a plastic bag.

"Do I HAVE to pick up the poo?  Why can't I just sprinkle some twigs and leaves on top of it?"
"It is not singular.  Think plural.  Have you seen the pile of poo??!!"
"Oh my gosh!!"

All parents will nod their head and agree when I say that it is amazing how much and how often a little mini person can poo.

Feeling left out, the little one decided to do a big massive poo in her nappy while we were doing the clean-up!!!

But it somehow broke the ice because after I wiped her bum, my 3yo started singing, "I poo-poo-ed and then little sister poo-poo-ed too!  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  We poo-poo together!!"

We now call our local park, The Poo Poo Park!

Apply, Dry & Peel

I was hoping to kick off my beauty blogging comeback with an awesome never-been-blogged-before-brand-spanking-new-hot-off-the-press beauty product but it's not going to happen because I have dropped off most of the PR call-put lists now { sob, sob } so I don't have a Scooby Doo what is new in the beauty world these days.

Instead, the product I am going to blog about today was purchased after I read two raving reviews of it { and the fact that it was half price helped too! }.

Without further ado, I am going to review...

*drum roll*

...Maybelline Tattoo Brow 3 Day Gel Tint  { Aussie gals - you can buy this at Priceline! }

It's basically a DIY paint-on gel tint for brows which lasts up to 3 days; perfect for those who would love daily brow definition but don't have time to draw in brows every morning but also, who don't go to the beauty salon to get their brows tinted.  That me!

So it's super easy to use in 3 simple steps :-

1.  Apply a thick even layer over brows in the shape you desire
2.  Wait for at least 20 minutes for it to dry { browse through Insta-stories to kill time }
3.  Peel it off and brush brows gently with a spoolie

I like it!

It's convenient without breaking the bank and doesn't require too much effort from lazy old me.

Added bonus :  the peeling bit is fun and reminds me of primary school when I used to enjoy picking off dried PVA glue on my hands.  Tell me I am not alone!!!

And evidently, I have given birth to another aspiring baby beauty blogger!  Thank you my dear little Dainty for kindly modelling my tube of Maybelline Tattoo Brow 3 Day Gel Tint with your cute ickle hands and flashing us your wee piggy toes too! Disclosure : Product was purchased by moi!

He Said, She Said : The One About 4 Different Perfumes

There are 10 days till Christmas!

Has the panic kicked in yet?  Have you bought all your Christmas shopping?

If not, are you thinking of buying perfume for anyone?  Or are you wanting a new perfume for Christmas?

If yes, then you might find this perfume review somewhat useful...

I was lucky enough to receive 4 different perfumes in the mail throughout the year, but it's only been now that I have been able to handle perfumes as I was averse to a lot of scents earlier in the pregnancy.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to enlist the help of my husband to help me review these perfumes as everyone has different taste in scents...

Vera Wang Princess Revolution

They said :  This is for the confident, edgy and rebellious who has found the perfect balance of rock and romance.
He said :  Oh it's Vera Wang - isn't she a designer who makes wedding clothes?  { wedding dresses, duhhh! }  This is nice.  It's not overpowering.
She said :  Look, you can wear the crown as a ring as well as the band ring!!  The bottle design is also funky and edgy; very appealing to young girls.  It smells like watermelon and very fresh.  I do like it a lot!

CK One Gold

They said : The new aroma for her and for him, coming out mid-2016, is a modern interpretation of the iconic fragrance conveying the message: "Be brave. Stand out from the crowd. Everything you touch exudes gold. "
He said :  I liked the original CK One when I was younger...but this one is a maybe.  Maybe I would wear it?  Maybe not.
She said :  This is my favourite bottle design out of the 4.  Oh, it smells quite woody and sweet.  I think this would smell good on you.  Wear it!

Beyonce Heat Seduction

They said :  A sensual, intoxicating and irresistible fragrance of exotic fruits, hypnotic flowers and carnal amber and resins.
He said :  Beyonce has a perfume?!  This smells...oh...I don't like it.  It smells like...talcum powder.  It DOES smell like talcum powder.  Just no.
She said :  It smells like vanilla to me.  And I guess I won't be wearing it if I want to turn on the heat and seduce you since you don't like it at all!!

Chloe My Little Roses De Chloe

They said : Gentle and graceful, the fragrance tries to capture a walk down the Parisian rose gardens.
He said :  This smells like lychee!  This is my second favourite after Vera.
She said :  I LOVE THIS!!!  The bottle is super cuuuute!!!  It smells like roses, very feminine and classic - but not like a granny or overpoweringly floral.  This is my favourite.  I'm gonna wear this every day!!!

It was super fun doing this perfume review together and interesting to see how my husband reacted to different scents.

Have you tried any of these perfumes?  What do you think of them?  And what is your current fave scent?
Disclosure :  Thanks to Coty PR for sending these perfumes for review.

I Can Still See My Toes

Every pregnancy is different.

This time round nearing the end of my 3rd trimester, I can still see my toes!!!

Hence the need for a pretty pedi.

I'm a big fan of shellac pedicures because they last for ages, there's no chipping and it's pretty reasonable in terms of cost depending where you go.

This turquoise green Express Pedicure was done at Organique Wellness and Beauty Bar in Pran Central for $35.  { Well, it was actually $35.35 because there was a 1% card surcharge :P }

The first thing Bunty said to me when she got home that day was - "NEW COLOUR MUMMY!!!  I WANT!!!"

Seriously, toddlers notice E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!!

As for the gorgeous gold snake print sandals adorning my feet, they are courtesy of Naturalizer from the Kids Business Bloggers Brunch Event I attended a couple of weeks ago.

Comfy yet stylish.

Perfect for this busy mama who is planning to drop a sprog very, very soon!

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All I need is less rain and more sunshine so I can show off my pretty feet!!!  D'you hear me Melbourne??!!!

My First ColourPop Haul & It Won't Be My Last!

I never used to be a fan of online shopping because I like having instant gratification from my retail therapy.

HOWEVER, that was until I turned into the size of 3 whales and waddling around shops didn't seem that enjoyable anymore. #preggolyf

Enter online retail therapy which has delayed gratification...but when your parcel arrives, it's like unboxing a present to yourself.

TOO.  MUCH.  FUN.

One of my online shopping hauls was from ColourPop cosmetics.  I ordered on a Saturday night and my parcel arrived 10 days later...  *squee*

SO QUICK!!!

FYI, I didn't buy ALL of those goodies...

Half of it belonged to my girlfriend, Minda...

But it looked really impressive though didn't it?

Anyway, here's what I bought, dear readers...

ColourPop Bangin' Brunette Brow Pencil

Say hello to my new HOLY GRAIL brow pencil!!  Yup, it's perfect.  Well, except for one thing...  Once you wind it up, you can't wind it down again.  GURRRR!!!

The colour is spot on now that my hair roots are showing through.  And the skinny tip is fantastic for emulating brow hairs.  I LOVE IT!!!

ColourPop Easy Peasy Sculpting Stix

I need help in the contouring department especially now that I have a big moon face thanks to pregnancy weight gain, so I thought I'd give this contour stick a go since it's supposed to be "Easy Peasy".

The colour looks very brown (see my swatch below) but once blended in, it suits my yellow Asian skin tone...but I still need to work on my non-existent contouring skillzzzzzzz

ColourPop Let's Play Lippie Stix

The packaging is uber cute.  This lippy is from their newest collab with Hello Kitty.  I may be 36 years old but I will love Hello Kitty foreverrrrrr!!!

The colour is a beautiful cranberry red with a hot pink micro shimmer - very festive and very apt for Christmas.  I wore it without prepping my lips beforehand with lip balm so it did feel slightly dry.  It's a very full-on colour and it lasts ages on the lips before fading into a pretty berry stain.

ColourPop Frick N Frack Ultra Satin Lip

This is one of their bestsellers so it went into the shopping cart.  The Ultra Satin Lip formula felt great on my lips - almost like I was not wearing anything.

Unfortunately, Frick N Frack is too brown for me.

Even my little toddler tried it on and asked for it to be removed straight away!  She likes her pinks and reds like her mama!

I have to layer a bright red over it to make it a semi-wearable shade for me.

ColourPop Cheerio Blush

I thought I made a boo boo buying this blush because it looked like a really strong bold cranberry pink shade which would make me look like a China doll...

But once applied on the cheeks, it suited my skin tone to a tee!  It just gives me a lovely healthy flush of colour on the cheeks.

This creme powder formula is AMAZING!

And I wish, I wish, I wish I bought some eyeshadows to try now.

ColourPop Swatches

From left to right, we have swatches of ColourPop Banging' Brunette Brow Pencil, Easy Peasy Sculpting Stix, Let's Play Lippie Stix, Frick N Frack Ultra Satin Lip and Cheerio Blush on my yellow Asian NC-30-ish skin tone.

Now I know why so many peeps rave about ColourPop cosmetics!  I am a convert!!!

Sadly, I'm now officially on a spending ban { because #maternityleave #anothermouthtofeed } but when I have saved up some moolah for makeup ( 48587 years later! ), I will definitely buy more stuff from ColourPop.

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Have you tried anything from ColourPop cosmetics yet?  What was your latest online shopping haul?

New Additions To The Real Techniques Range

A few weeks ago, I waddled along to a Real Techniques event where I met the Pixiwoo sisters #fangirlmoment where they introduced us to the 3 new { to us in Australia } additions to the Real Techniques range :-

• Miracle Sculpting Sponge RRP $15.99
• Ultimate Base Set RRP $45
• Miracle Mine Eraser Sponges RRP $16.99

Miracle Sculpting Sponge

This bright pink sponge has 6 surfaces and is designed for highlighting (using the small side) and contouring (using the large side).

For everyday busy women and mamas out there, who has time to highlight and contour in the mornings??  Definitely NOT me.

I did find the large flat side useful for applying and blending out blush though when I ran out of clean blusher brushes.

And I can see how this Miracle Sculpting Sponge would be useful for those women out there who have time and skills to highlight and contour.

Ultimate Base Set

So this set contains 3 goodies and one dud.

The 2 makeup brushes are great with super soft bristles.

The Expert Face Brush is great for applying and buffing liquid foundation.

The Deluxe Concealer Brush is obviously meant for using with concealer - but I actually like to use it to apply eyeshadow because the dense brush picks up a lot of pigment.

I'm already a major fan of the Miracle Complexion Sponge - which is the NUMBER ONE SELLING PRODUCT IN PRICELINE!!!

That's a photo of the duo pack of sponges** - I bought these when they were on sale as a backup.  I like to use this sponge in its damp state for applying liquid foundation or BB cream because it somehow makes my skin look more dewy than when I just use my fingers.  It's also great for blending in concealer under my eyes too.

As for the dud... it's the Exclusive Mirror To-Go Case...which I assumed would fit both brushes but it didn't....and I just don't see the point in it really.  Sorry!  >_<

Miracle Mini Eraser Sponge

This cute little purple sponge comes in a pack of two.  The sponge is dinky and used damp for blending away harsh lines and dry to sweep away makeup mistakes.

I like the idea of it but I have to admit that I didn't reach out for it as much as I thought I would as I am so accustomed to using my fingers / cotton bud / makeup wipe when I make a makeup boo.

Instead, I think these Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges are a perfect gift if you have little mini-me's who love to play with their mummy's makeup!

Clearly, my beauty blogging genes have passed onto Little Miss B!

Disclosure :  Thanks again to 360 PR for inviting me to the event and gifting me this goodie bag.
** I bought this duo pack of sponges, liked it and wanted to blog about it.  You can call me Disclosure Queen :P
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5 Antipodes Skincare Products You Should Try

3 things...

Firstly, I have totally neglected this blog but if you're still hanging around, thank you so much!

Secondly, I won't bore you with my excuses for being MIA in beauty blogging but just in case you're wondering (yes, Mum, I'm talking about YOU!), no I am not pregnant again.

And thirdly, I received a lovely Antipodes skincare package at the start of LAST year.  Took photos of it.  Tried all the products.  But forgot to blog about it...

...until now!

If you haven't heard of Antipodes before, you clearly don't browse the skincare aisles like I do in Priceline!  The skincare brand hails from New Zealand and I'm so glad I was introduced to their products.

1.  Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser

The first Antipodes product I tried was The Grapeseed Butter Cleanser because I was so intrigued by it.

Being a "butter cleanser", I was expecting a smooth butter-like balm but there are white bubble-y bits.

Anyway, it turns out that the white bubble-y bits are the exfoliating hibiscus flowers so everyone keep calm and exfoliate!

It also comes with a cute wee spatula.  Hi there!

You apply this onto dampened skin in circular motions and rinse off with a cloth.  The instructions recommend an organic cotton cloth, but the closest thing I could find resembling that in my house was an organic cotton nappy liner...ummm, no thanks, I'll stick to my non-organic face washer.

My skin feels nice and soft after I use it but if I don't apply serum or moisturiser shortly afterwards, it can feel a tad dry.

I also must mention that I wasn't too keen on the scent at first - it's a bit lavender-ish?? - but I got used to it after a while.

2.  Antipodes Divine Face Oil

I only used this a couple of times before my Mum stole it off me because she loves everything that contains rosehip oil.

Funnily enough, even though it is a face oil, I used it on my nails and cuticles and it really nourished them.

Side note :  My Mum used this on her face and gives this a big thumbs up!

3.  Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream

This is only a 15ml sample sized tube so I used it up in no time.  It smelt so yummy because it reminded me of vanilla ice cream.

But because it was only 15ml, I can't tell you much about the long term benefits of using this moisturiser.  My skin was happy for the short time this tube lasted.

4.  Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Definitely my favourite Antipodes skincare product from the package.

It contains manuka honey active 20+ and it just felt like a luscious treat for my forever dehydrated skin.

It's also good for clearing up blemishes which is why I like to apply it on my chest area.  Anyone else get chest zits???  So annoying!!!

5.  Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Hand & Body Cream

If you love a nice big tube of hand and body cream, you will love this.

I'm the worst when it comes to moisturising my hands and body...I don't know why...maybe it's because I am lazy...?!!!  But yeah, this tube is gonna last me foreverrrrrr!


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So, what have you been up to this year?  Can you believe we're already flying towards March already?!!!  Have you tried Antipodes products before?  What should I try next?  #iasktoomanyquestions

Dear Bunty : Happy 2nd Birthday!

TWO years!!!

We've had you in our lives for 2 whole years and everyday has truly been a blessing.

Yeah, I know...so cheesy huh?!

People always say you are your Dad's double - you both have that soft smooth skin, rosy cheeks and that chin!

But little do they know that you are in fact, my mini-me...

You are my baby beauty blogger because you love makeup!  You love powdering your face, applying lipstick and getting your toenails painted.  You love your Essie!!!

I also found you yesterday using my eyeliner!!  You gave yourself a monobrow!  LOL!!!

You love turning up the music to bop and dance like no-one's watching ya.  I LOVE dancing too.  FYI, we are both daggy dancers!

I love how you're becoming Miss Little Independent by doing things by yourself.  You learn things really quickly because I only have to show you once and you've already etched it into your memory.
That said, you become easily frustrated when you can't do things your way.  We have to watch that fiery stubborn temper of yours.

We are really enjoying having those gobbledygook conversations with you.  You babble on and on - something that I like to do too!!

Your favourite food is ice cream.  And you hate vegetables except broccoli and sweetcorn.  You have a knack for finding our secret stash of junk food in our bedroom.  We can tell that you will love junk food just like your parents.

We're not throwing a birthday party this year for you because we're too lazy!  Besides, we're already going to your mate's birthday party so we'll just take a picture of you and his cake so you'll think that you did have a party LOL!!!

Anyway, the stars aligned and I had an unexpected day off work today { I twisted my damn neck! } and I ended up baking you a birthday cake.  { Ahem, I wasn't actually planning to because LAZY! }  It's a reduced sugar wholemeal chocolate and olive oil cake - you LOVED it.

Keep being awesome and I pray to God that it'll be Terrific Twos and not Terrible Twos!

Love you lots like jelly tots,

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Mama xxx

Skincare Review : Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Cleanser, Toner & Moisturiser

Can you believe that I did some gardening last weekend?  Who even am I???!!

The flowers in the photo are from my garden - aren't they pretty?

And the trio of Paula's Choice products were kindly sent to me for review........like a bajillion years ago!!!

Ooops!

I actually used this trio a few months ago when we were still in Winter...but it wasn't rich enough for my severely Winter-fied skin back then so I stowed them away and brought them back out now that we are in the warmer months of the year.

Verdict :  My skin likes these products a lot better now that we are in the warmer seasons!

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser :  My favourite product from the range.  It cleanses my skin beautifully without making it that horrible squeaky clean feeling, where I have to dowse my face with moisturiser immediately.  My skin feels soft and supple after using this.

Note :  If you don't close the lid by popping it shut, there will be dried crusty bits of cleanser at the opening tip - which are not easy to clean off!

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner :  I'm not a big fan of toner because I have lazy-itis.  That said, this is pretty soothing after a blackhead-squeezing session.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturiser :  I shall ignore the fact that the label is spelt with a "z" in moisturiser.  And well, this is a lovely moisturiser but as I mentioned before, I needed something MORE enriching during the cold winter months.  You can always supplement with a serum beforehand though.

Overall, this was a great introduction for my skin to Paula's Choice products.  I'd love to try more of their bestselling products to see if they work wonders on my skin too.

Have you tried any Paula's Choice products before?  Which one do you recommend?

How To Get Your Old Instagram Name Back

This is a bit of a geeky slash techie post for all those who have permanently deleted their Instagram but had a change of heart and now want to get their old username back.

Previously this was NOT possible but I DID IT TONIGHT AND SO CAN YOU!

{ And if you're a regular reader who isn't interested in reading this post, before you click away, I'm now @LingOutLoud on social media so DO NOT BE ALARMED.  It is still me! }

So allow me to share my experience...

When I started this blog last year, I snapped up all my usernames @LingOutLoud on the social media outlets I use - Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

But I was already active on these social media outlets as @Xyling.

And I thought I could EASILY juggle 3 blogs/Youtube channels and 3 social media personas AS WELL AS be a full-time working mum and wife.  And have a social life.  HAHAHAHA!!!
Yes, please laugh with me.  I thought I was the Blogging Beyonce...!!!  Hahahaha!!! #thereisonlyonequeenBanditaintme

Anyway, everything escalated out of hand and I decided to delete all of my social media personas and just use one.

I started with Instagram and permanently deleted my @LingOutLoud account.  And I thought I would just convert @Xyling to @LingOutLoud for consistent branding { even though I was mainly posting beauty stuff on that account as I use it for my beauty blog }.

Well...

Instagram would not allow me to use my old username even though the account had been permanently deleted.

What I should have done was this - Change @LingOutLoud to another random username and then delete it.  This would free up that username for me to use.

I WAS GUTTED.

And I stewed on it for days!!!!  I am OCD with bloggie stuff.

Anyway, fast forward a few months...to tonight...

A voice in my head { it sounded like me so it was actually me...! } said I should try and change my @Xyling username to @LingOutLoud.  #iampsychic

It had never worked before.  I tried it MANY times beforehand.

But tonight it worked!!!

So I am guessing Instagram has changed its policy on using old usernames.

YESSSSSS!!!

If none of that made ANY sense to you, just follow these 4 easy step-by-step instructions on how to get your old Instagram username back :-

1.  Go to your Instagram

2.  Tap on Edit Profile to edit your profile

3.  Delete your current username and type in your old username that you want back

4.  Tap Finished to save

Now this will NOT work if your username has been snapped up by someone else!!!  Obvs, duh!

If this helped you, please LIKE it, SHARE it and PIN it.

Review & Swatches : Bobbi Brown Telluride Collection

I was recently sent a few items from the newly released Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Telluride Collection and I had instant *heart eyes* because...well...take a look yourself...

Such a beautiful collection, right??!!!

I was IMMEDIATELY drawn to the Telluride Eye Palette $95 { can you blame me? } which has 7 complementary neutral eyeshadows.  My current favourite combo is Velvet Plum Metallic and the Antique Rose together to create a bronzey-rosy look.

Such a shame it doesn't have a matte medium brown shade I can use for my brows though otherwise it would be perfect.

The dual ended brush is pretty good too with the fluffy end for blending and the flat end for lining.

Bobbi Brown Telluride Eye Palette is fantastic for those who love their neutrals - everyday, work, weddings - and because it's smaller than the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, I'm definitely going to be taking this travelling instead { sorry UD! }.  It is a bit of a splurge at $95 but hey, you deserve it *winks*

Next up, I was intrigued by the New Telluride Pot Rouge For Lips & Cheeks $44 because of the unusual shade - it's milk chocolate brown.  When swatched, it's a warm mauve brown but once blended { it blends beautifully btw! }, it becomes more natural looking and really helps contour my cheekbones.

This multi-tasking blush { because you can use it on lips too! } works well with the Shimmer Brick Compact in Sunset Pink $72 because a light dusting of the  superfine powder helps set the cream but also adds a touch of 'je ne se quois'; a subtle radiance.

Side note : My shimmer brick looks a little worse for wear because Mr Postie didn't handle it with care *sad face* but I pressed it back in and it still does it's thang ;)

Last but not least, there's the Twilight Glow Lip Trio $82 which consists of :-

• Bobbi Lip Pencil - a long lasting nude brown pencil which helps accentuate lips
• Bobbi Sheer Lip Color - mauve brown lipstick which is so on trend
• Twilight Shimmer Lip Gloss - mocha coloured gloss with microshimmer

Anyway, that was a long blog post so if you've read this far, I hope I've convinced you to go to your nearest Bobbi Brown counter to check out the Telluride Collection.  It is Limited Edition so don't leave it too late!

Did any of these products tickle your fancy?  What is getting added onto your wishlist?

Disclosure : Thanks to Bobbi Brown PR for providing these items for consideration. 

Makeup Review : Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo

I have a friend who has Sharpie brows.

You know them crazy eyebrows that are drawn on really thickly with what seems like a permanent marker?

Yeah, them Sharpie brows.

We are not close at all so it's not as if I can say something like, "You need to tone them down, babe, no offence, like!" #iamsuchameangirl

In fact, we live in different countries so thank goodness I never have to bump into her otherwise I would totally stare at those Sharpie brows.

Like, how can she not see that her brows are totally OTT???!!!

Anyway, what she needs to do is ditch that Sharpie and get onto Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo because it is brow-lliant!  See what I did there?

Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo is a nifty little brow kit which comes with a surprisingly good mini dual-ended brow brush.

The brow creams are a light blonde/brown and a darker brown - which you can mix together if you require an in-between shade.

For my Chinese brows, I only use the darker brown.

And you don't need to use a lot of product because the pigmentation is bold and strong.  Once the cream dries, it stays put.

Once upon a time, if I had time to apply only ONE makeup product, I would grab my lippie.  But nowadays, I've been defining my brows instead!!!

Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo - love it because it gives strong brows without that Sharpie look.

Disclosure : Thanks to Paula's Choice for sending this for review.  I genuinely like it and would be happy to purchase this again.
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Review : Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush

Thanks to Nalini for requesting a review of the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush I bought recently from Mecca Maxima.

So I'm not going to beat around the bush and I'm going to tell it to you straight - I almost love it.

I'm probably being overly critical as I had high hopes for it especially seeing as it was $35 for this brush.

Don't get me wrong because it looks great,  The handle is solid and it stands out from my other brushes.

Yes, the bristles are lovely and soft so it feels lovely on my skin...but it's a tad too soft.

Yes, it can buff.

BB cream and foundation look flawless (compared to applying it with fingers!) and I can see why it's called Optical Blurring.

But the bristles aren't dense enough to give the feeling of awesome buffing.  I don't know about you but I like that awesome buffing feeling on my face.

It's like massages - I like those super deep massages where it's hard to distinguish between pain and pleasure.

Does that make sense???

And that, my friends, is why I almost love this brush.  It only just missed the mark.

If you want the perfect foundation brush with that amazing buffing feeling, I would suggest paying a little bit extra for the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush $49 as it gets into those awkward spots and gives the best buffing.  

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Skincare Review : Obagi Professional-C Serum 10% & Hydrate Luxe Moisture-Rich Cream

Obagi.

Is it Oh-bag-ee or O-ba-zhee?

Anyhoo, let me profess my undying love for both of these products that entered my life thanks to the Obagi PR.

Obagi Professional-C Serum is indeed a potent miracle serum!

Let me tell you why...

As you know, I was pregnant over a year ago and since then, my facial skin has changed.  For the worse!

It had gone really dry, dull and lacklustre { from severe sleep deprivation } and don't even get me started on the post-pregnancy pigmentation!  Just EW!

At the end of last year, I went CRAZY using retinols, brightening serums, scar fading potions and it broke me out into this horrible, itchy, red, sandpaper rash.  It took a while for me to nurse my sandpaper skin back to its usual normal/dry skin condition but I finally got there.

However, the pigmentation and dullness still remained so I was in desperate need of some miracle skincare product to address that.

Luckily, the skincare gods answered my prayers in the form of Obagi Professional-C Serum.

Obagi Professional-C Serums come in 3 concentrations of L-Ascorbic Acid : -

• 20% for normal-to-oily skin
• 15% for most skin types
• 10% for dry, sensitive or reactive skin

And luckily, I was sent the 10% to use which suited my skin to a tee.

I use 7 drops every morning before sunscreen.

For the first few days, it stung a little bit when I applied the serum and it went flaky for a day or two until I exfoliated away the dead skin.

After 10 days of usage, I started noticing the AMAZING results.

I kid you not.

My skin looked brighter and I noticed that my pigmentation was starting to fade.

And then a few more days later, I felt that my skin was that much softer and it looked more plump too.

Obagi Professional-C Serum has seriously been a lifechanger!  It's one of those skincare products that has delivered fantastic results in a short period of time.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!  As much as I love Netflix!

As for Obagi Hydrate Luxe Moisture-Rich Cream, I save this for my evening skincare routine where I need full-on, no-holds-barred hydration for my uber dry skin and this thick luscious cream totally delivers!  It is SOOO good that I don't actually have to use a hydrating serum under it.  MAJOR LOVE!

Disclosure :  I was sent these Obagi products and I am SO GRATEFUL.  Highly recommended indeed!

Bargain Beauty Buys : MUD Matte Lip Creams

If you're needing a little pick-me-up to brighten your day, allow me to point you in the direction of these MUD Matte Lip Creams at only $5 a pop.  Bargain, right?

There are a range of colours so buy one first and if you like the matte texture, go back and buy more.

If you want to know how the MUD Matte Lip Creams look like on lips, I wore the Light Pink shade in the video above.

$5 at Woolworths.  You're welcome!

#prsamples
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Tried & Tested Trio : Crop Natural Skincare Oils

I've been PMS-ing this week, suffered extreme backache plus a mother of all migraines and you will get a moody bi-atchy me.

I hate taking so many painkillers because I feel that they make my head cloudy and I can't articulate my thoughts properly.

Luckily, I prepared this post earlier thanks to the "schedule" button.

Some time last year, I received a lovely care package from Crop Natural Skincare.  In amongst the goodies were these trio of oils :-

• Pure Rosehip Oil
• Pure Macadamia Oil
• Pure Argan Oil

I've finally decided whether I like them or not so here are my thoughts...

Crop Pure Rosehip Oil :  I have dry/sensitive skin so you would totally assume that my skin would drink this up right?  WRONG.  My skin didn't take to it at all.  But then again, it was going through a crazy irritated rashy phase when I trialled it.  However, it was great for cuticles and helped strengthen my nails too.

Crop Pure Macadamia Oil :  I used this as a cleansing oil to remove stubborn lipstick and it worked like a dream.

Crop Pure Argan Oil :  This is a multi-purpose oil with "all around care" but seeing as I was already treating my hands and face with the other 2 oils, I used this on my hair tips to see if it would help bring life back to my frazzled ends.  Sadly, no, it didn't repair those darned split ends but it gave my hair a shiny but not oily boost.

Now the best thing about these oils is that they only cost $18 each and they are available at Coles supermarkets { sorry non-Aussie ladies } so pop them into your trolley the next time you're there and report back on whether you liked them or not.

Thanks for reading and I shall hopefully have another blog post up soon once I chase away this damn headache/backache which won't stop plaguing me! xxx
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How To Make The Best Chinese Roast Duck Ever

I love me some duck, I do!

{ FUN FACT : "Duck" in Cantonese - pronounced as "ngap" - also means gigolo }

Anyway, my dear Mum taught me how to make the best Chinese roast duck ever!

Crispy skin on the outside and juicy meat on the inside!

It's so DUCKING delicious!!!

And luckily for you, I made a video of the recipe and method of how to make it so you can make this delicious roast duck too!  { SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE HERE }

Maybe you can make this for your special someone for Valentines Day next week...?  Or Chinese New Year is coming up so why not pretend you're Chinese { if you're not already, that is! } and make this.

Just remember, it is NOT one of those recipes which you can make on the same day.  You actually need to prep the duck and wait { patiently } for 3-4 days for it to be ready to be roasted!

If you aren't a fan of videos, I've got the written version right here too :)  Don't say I'm not good to you!

Enjoy!

The Best Chinese Roast Duck Ever!

An original recipe by Ling's Mama

(Serves 2-4 people depending on how you serve it)

Ingredients

1 x duck (around 2kg+, thawed if frozen)

[A]
Half onion (sliced)
Knob of ginger (sliced)
4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
White bulb of spring onion (chopped)
1 x star anise
1 x cinnamon stick
2 x bay leaf

[B]
2 tbsp hoi sin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp five spice powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp sesame oil

[C]
3 bowls of water
3 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp maltose { sticky syrup }

Method


1.  Remove duck innards and rinse duck with cold water

2.  Dry roast [A] in a pan until fragrant.  Allow to cool.

3.  Mix [B] together

4.  Combine [A] and [B] together and stuff everything into the duck cavity

5.  Use a skewer to sew the cavity together by threading in and out

6.  Boil [C] in a large pan or wok.

7.  With the mixture boiling, carefully lift up the duck by it's neck and use a ladle to bathe the duck all over.  Repeat 10 times.  At this stage, the duck's skin will be looking plump and shiny.  If not, repeat till it is.

8.  Allow to cool before placing it in the fridge uncovered to dry out for 3-4 days.  The longer you leave it to dry out, the crispier the skin!

9.  On the day you are going to roast the duck, remove from the fridge and place on top of roasting rack with the back side up, breast side down.  Wait 30 minutes if you have time to allow the duck to come to room temperature.

10.  Preheat oven to 190 degrees fan forced.  Place the tray in the oven on the middle shelf.

11.  Let it roast for 15 minutes back side down and then flip the duck over to breast side up and continue to roast for 45 minutes.  Open the door to have a look.  If the colour is not that roast duck red colour, put it back in for another 5 minutes and check again. 

12.  Remove from oven and let the duck rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to settle. 

13.  Drain sauce from duck before chopping.  Save the sauce for noodles or make a gravy if you want.

14.  Chop it up and serve.

Personally, I love my roast duck with hoi sin sauce on dry noodles.  YUM!!!

#thebestchineseroastduckever - yep, it's so good that it deserves its own hashtag! :P  If you do happen to make it and you're an Instagram user, tag me @lingoutloud and use the hashtag #lingoutloudrecipes please so I can see and drooooool!!!

Keep Calm & Relax with L'Occitane

It has been quiet on the blog this week because :-

a)  I am extremely tired
b)  I have been super busy
c)  I am enjoying as much freedom* as I can before my in-laws arrive tomorrow to stay with us for God knows how long (kill me now!!)
d)  All of the above

And the answer is... d) All of the above... BUT especially c)

*By "freedom", what I mean is - prancing around in the comfort of my own home with no bra on!!!  Ladies, you all know what I mean, right?

Anywaaaaay, I've been doing a lot of breathing exercises lately to help me relax and wind down.  I am usually an extremely patient, mild-mannered, non-confrontational person but I am preparing myself in case I need to "have it out" with my MIL.

Luckily for me, to help me relax, L'Occitane sent me a lovely package of their soon-to-be released Aromachologie Relaxing range - Perfumed Sachets, Pillow Mist and Massage Body Oil.

Three words - TO. DIE. FOR.

As you already know, I'm a big fan of lavender pillow sprays from This Works so I was SUPER eager to test out L'Occitane's version.

The Relaxing Pillow Mist contains essential oils from lavender, bergamot, mandarin, sweet orange and geranium.  It is BEAUTIFUL!

It comes in a generous 100ml bottle which is a good thing because I spray this liberally all over my 3 pillows, my side of the duvet { Aussies say 'doona' } and even on my wrists because I love the smell that much.  It is definitely not one of those old-lady-overpowering-lavender scents but just to be on the safe side, have a sniff in store before you purchase it.

As for the Relaxing Perfumed Sachets, they give the extra oomph!  Because I am an insomniac, I struggle to fall asleep and I'm always tempted to turn on my phone and go on Facebook or something until it bores me to sleep.  But now, instead of doing that, I take a DEEP SNIFF of the Perfumed Sachet { which I conveniently place under my main pillow } and do a few deep breathing exercises and that gets my sleepy senses going.

There are 2 sachets in a box but the other one is currently sitting in my work locker as I'm saving it for the uber stressful days at work, i.e. every Monday to combat Monday-itis!

I have relaxed so much more since using both of these L'Occitane products.  They are already on my Regular Repurchases List.

The Relaxing Body Massage Oil has sadly not been put to use yet.  My husband is always asleep by the time I jump into bed.  I shall have to test it tonight { Fifty Shades of Grey style! TMI?!! LOL! } before the in-laws get here.  I'm very hopeful since the other products have been awesome.

Anyway, if you're a fan of lavender scents and/or you're looking for some relaxation, do check these out when they hit L'Occitane stores in March.

Disclosure - thanks again to L'Occitane for providing these products to help me relax!

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