Happy New Year!

Happy New Year guys!

Hope that 2013 will be an awesome year for you and all the best from me! :D
I remember 2012 like it was yesterday! haha

Made With Love: Chocolate Croissants!

 Hey there!
Yesterday I was smooching around my kitchen and I pulled out all those dust recipe boxes. And while I sifted through recipe after recipe a few ideas sprung to mind for the New Years' party that I just happen to be hosting this year, or rather next year. So today I want to share this instant crowd pleaser with you...

Chocolate Croissants

Ingredients
2 sheets ready- ready rolled frozen puff pastry- partially thawed
8 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread
1 egg, beaten

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Cut each sheet of pastry into four squares.
3. Spread one tablespoon chocolate-hazelnut spread over each square leaving a half inch border around all edges.
4. Brush pastry edges lightly with egg.  
5. Roll up each square from corner to corner, pressing gently to seal.
6. Shape pastry rolls into croissants.
7. Place on prepared tray and brush with egg.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden a puffed. Serve warm.

This recipe make 4 serves and takes 10 minutes to prep with 20 minutes baking time.

This is a great appetizer before the big celebration feast for your New Years' party, or anywhere really.                 Hope you enjoyed, Shoba

Chapped Lips?

Is there anything worse than having chapped, cracked lips? I think not! So without further ado, here are my best remedies for soothing and smoothing those lips...

Exfoliate!
When it comes to chapped lips, exfoliating is probably the way to go. It will heal the cracks of broken- hearted lips! Just kidding..but seriously, it will heal the crack in your lips and will also smooth and soothe your lips.  There are two ways to go about this..you can use a store-bought lip scrub or you can have another excuse to DIY! So I present my two favorite recipes.

1. Brown Sugar Lip Scrub

You will need..
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon brown sugar
Small glass container or bowl for mixing

Steps
1. Mix brown sugar and olive oil in the bowl or glass container
2. Apply to lips, gent;y rubbing in a circular motion
3. Rinse off any excess with water

The brown sugar will rinse off, leaving a small amount of olive oil behind, which adds moisture and a little shine to your lips. And to finish it off, follow with your favorite lip balm. This recipe makes enough lip scrub for one application.

2. Vaseline Lip Scrub

You will need...
1. Vaseline
2. A new, unused and super soft toothbrush- kid's toothbrushes work great.

Steps
1. Apply a thick coat of Vaseline to your lips
2. Using your toothbrush, simply rub gently in circular motions. The toothbrush will exfoliate and the Vaseline will heal and hydrate.
3. Wipe off any excess Vaseline, but keep a little for added protection and shine.

Add a little blush to the Vaseline to make a quick lip tint!

Overnight Magic!
This is a great tip especially if the exfoliating didn't quite do the job well enough. Mix together some olive oil, honey and pinch of sugar and apply to your lips just before bed. Wake up to soft, smooth and totally kissable lips, but I can't guarantee anything ;D. And it doesn't taste that bad either!

Cucumber Cure
This is great remedy for chapped, and especially cracked lips, and nothing goes to waste, you can just eat it afterwards. Take a few cucumber slices and old to lips so the water of the cucumber will soothe and replenish cracked lips.

So what are your thoughts on these remedies? I'd love to hear from you!

Lots of love, Shoba

Combat Dry Skin!

Especially, with the freezing temperatures kicking in, dry, flaky skin has never been worse. So to battle dry skin here are a few tips...

So before I do anything to my skin, I do a scratch test. Which in this case, is easier done than said! Just scratch one of your arms and if you are left with a white trail, that means you have dead skin cells lying around, in other words, you have dry skin.

First of all, limit your showers to 10 minutes and keep the water warm rather than hot, and even better, go with cold water. Long, hot showers can strip the skin of natural oils and dry it out even further.

While you're in there, you might as well make the most of it by exfoliating your skin with a body scrub. For best results, use at least 2 times per week. For really smooth and supple skin, I recommend going with a scrub with exfoliating beads, which will really remove all those dead skin cells and other pollutants like dirt and sweat. As gross as it seems, you actually shed about one million skin cells a day! When you dry yourself off, don't rub your skin, pat it dry, to retain as much moisture and making the moisturizing job a whole lot easier.

To step it up, slather on a body butter rather than a regular moisturizer. Body butters are more concentrated and will really nourish your skin. The reason that you want to do this straight after your shower is because your pores will be open and will absorb more product, so you might as well make the most of it! If you want to give your skin a real treat, slip into a cotton robe which will lock in your body heat and help the body butter absorb faster and deeper, moisturizing your skin better.

 While we're talking about moisturizing, well you should moisturize often to seal in moisture and keep water from escaping. Using a rich cream or lotion will really do the job well.

Drink, drink, drink! This is a tip that everybody knows but not everybody follows. But drink water, not soft drinks. These sugary drinks don't us any justice, they just de-hydrate our skin more.

Trust me, your skin will thank you one day! Now, after doing all that moisturizing do the 'scratch test' again and see what your skin has to say!

What are your thoughts?
Love, Shoba

Treat your Feet! DIY Foot Scrub!

One of my ten commandments of beauty is that  beauty is  from head to toe, and that is why this post is dedicated to our feet!  So treat your feet with this nourishing foot scrub!

DIY Honey Almond Foot Scrub
I swear by this foot scrub and it leaves my feet smooth and soft.
You will need..

1. 3 tablespoons honey 
2. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
3. 3 tablespoons extra virgin oil 
4. 11 almonds
5. Juice of 1/4 lemon 

Steps 

1. Grind almonds into a fine meal in a blender or food processor 

2. Mix almonds, olive oil, honey, brown sugar and the juice of the lemon

3. Rub onto feet and massage

4. Rinse off

Makes enough for one application.

So what are your thoughts on this foot scrub? Leave a comment below!

<3 Shoba 

Through the Night

Hello!
Having to touch up your lips every 15 minutes? Well, I definitely have that issue! After a little researching and experimenting, I present to you my tips for making your lip color last through the night...

1. Preparation
Just like cooking a meal or studying for an exam, lips need preparation. Don't hate, exfoliate! Lips need exfoliation just like skin needs it. So begin with a lip scrub to really remove all those dead skin cells. One of my all time favorite tricks is to use a toothbrush to exfoliate. Yes, I said toothbrush! Dampen a soft bristle toothbrush with water and gently massage over your lips in a circular motion. Then whip out that lip balm and get moisturizing. Check out my Balmy Army  post for the scoop on all the best lip balms this Winter! The lip balm acts as primer and makes whatever you put on top last longer.

2. Line, Shape and Fill in your lips.
This is where you can allow your imagination to run wild. The lip liner acts like a back-up to the lip stick you apply over it and also intensifies the color. Work your way from the cupids bow down to the corners of your lips, creating the shape of your choice. Finish by filling in your lips, coloring them in just like you would in a coloring in book, but just stay in the lines!

3. Fix it up
This is great tip, especially if you reshaped your lips. Using a lip brush laden with concealer, closest of your natural lip color, begin to define the new lip shape and conceal any part of your lips where you have not applied lip liner. This is also a great tip to make your lips perfectly sculpted. This also makes the liner really stand out.

4. Lipstick Time!
Apply a layer of your chosen lip color. Blot any excess oil from your lipstick by pressing your lips together against a tissue, ensuring even application.

5. Repeat Step 3

6. Top it off with a coat of Lip Gloss
Personally, I find that applying the gloss only to the center of my lips visually plumps them. Who doesn't want full, kissable lips for that crush of yours to kiss. I can't guarantee anything though! ;D

With these tips, you can enjoy the night without escaping to the powder room to touch up your lips every 30 minutes!

Love,
Shoba

You all know what this is for!

Hey there lovely,
I've got one thing to say and that's have a very Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart! Oh, and I get a break from blogging...I've only been at it a month, but boy can I say that it's a huge commitment!

Talk to you soon,
Shoba

Hello Relaxation!

Have you forgotten how to relax?

Believe me, you probably have. So here are my tips to really relax and unwind...

Nothing makes me feel more calm and collected than a lukewarm bath with a candle burning with the scent wafting around the room and a at-home spa treatment! Slather on a mask and pop on some cucumbers and sit back and enjoy the moment. It's really these little things in life that make the biggest difference. Then, to top it off, I go to bed early, a real treat for me.

Another tip that really starts my day off well, is breakfast in bed, even if it means preparing it the night before and getting someone to deliver it to your room! This is especially a great idea to treat someone who really deserves to relax, as you can snuggle up in bed and enjoy a breakfast made with love!

Spending the afternoon baking whatever I may fancy really makes me cool down and forget all my worries. And then inviting a few friends over to share what I made, and chat over a cup of tea.

On the topic of friends, a great idea is to invite a few girlfriends over for a girl's night in and watch and old favorite and do what you love doing best, whatever that may be! Or you could all meet up at some downtown restaurant and chat over gourmet meals. There's nothing better than a full stomach to make all your worries go away.

Juts popping down to the local bouquet and buying fresh flowers really makes a difference to me. And what I love most is making up to see a vase of fresh flowers sitting on your beside table and taking a big whiff of them to start your day off with a smile.

Another great tip that I personally really enjoy is people-watching. As weird as it may seem, people-watching really makes me forget about myself and put myself in someone else's shoes.  I usually take a stroll down to the local cafe and with a cup of coffee (another great way to relax) and my laptop at the ready, in case anyone happens to spy me watching them, I begin to watch people. And this is where the really fun begins. I pretend to be them and all I think about is them, everything else fades away. I even make up a back story, a job and family even crazy names!

What helps you relax?
Love, Shoba

DIY! Pretty Pegs!

Today I was in the mood to do some DIYing, so I came across this sweet little tutorial to make decorative clothespins! Yes, I said it, clothespins! This tutorial is straight off Creature Comforts (http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com)

What you will need:

1. Standard Wooden clothes pegs-Generally found in the laundry section of stores
2. Fabric Scraps in solid colors or prints- lightweight cottons will work best 
3. Double Sided Tape
4. Scissors

Steps:

1. Pull out a strip of double-sided tape that is as long or slightly longer than your clothespin.  Attach it to the surface of the clothespin making sure to keep it free from bubbles or creases.  The tape should be lined up evenly along one long edge so that the excess hangs off the other sides (seen in the photo above).  Trim off excess using your scissors - this works best when the tape-free side is facing towards you while you cut.
2. Place your prepared clothespin tape-side down onto the back side of your fabric (make sure the right side of the fabric is facing down for this step so that it will be displayed correctly when you are done).  Turn over and use your finger to press and smooth the fabric onto the tape.  Cut excess fabric off all sides - this works best when the fabric-covered side is away from you while you cut.
3. You're done!

Hope you enjoyed it! Tell me if you have a go!

Shoba ;}

Festive Delight!

Hello my Shining Stars!
When I was browsing the net, I found this image from H&M. All three looks are great for Christmas parties and New Year, and well just about anything!

1. Glam Rock

This gently flare, sleeveless dress is sophisticated yet stylish at the same time. The peplum accentuates your waist, but the waist-upwards is slim and fitted, keeping the dress balanced. Black on lack can look very chic if you just know how to style it. In this outfit, the key pieces, the shoes, clutch and dress, have been cleverly kept black, but the pop of gold adds sophistication and shows that you really know your accessories! Another great thing about this look are the sudden twist with the earring. A huge fashion tip is to be daring, add something girly to a black on black outfit.

2. Making a Statement!

First of all, the dress is a fun, flirty piece that really flatters your curves and slims down your tummy with the change of color at the waist. This breaks up the color, and thus visually slims down the waist and stomach.

To make up with the lack of detail around the neck, a statement necklace will take the look to another level, and draws the eyes up, away from your waist and stomach and to that beautiful face of yours! The faux snake skin clutch adds texture to the outfit and the wedges of the shoes add a little shine. The bracelet is a nice little addition to the look so the arms don't look to bare.

3. Get your Girly on!

Without doubt, the dress is my favorite part of the outfit! It can easily be transitioned from day to night with the help of a few nifty accessories! The lace adds that feminine touch along with the warm white shade of the dress. The clutch is clever piece as the white in the ombre ties it to the dress but the pink makes it stand out and together, the dress and clutch work together. The pink also adds a pop of color. The shoes and the bracelet are an unexpected twist that makes this outfit stand out. The gold spikes and the black ballet flats are both glam pieces, but work well because they are both neutral and don't fight for attention- like my siblings!

What outfit is your favorite? Personally, I liked the second outfit! 

Bye, love Shoba 

DIY! Brown Sugar Scrub!

Christmas is nearly here! And I'm here with an easy homemade body scrub for that person that has everything! This is also a great last minute gift idea! Let's get into it!

Things you will need:

1. 1 cup brown sugar 
2. 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3. 2 tablespoons honey
4. A cute jar/ container to store the scrub in- Reuse any old candle containers or purchase form IKEA or local dollar store

Steps

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
2. Stir together and that's it!

Indulge in it yourself or give to someone you care about this Christmas!

:D Shoba 

Made with Love: Apricot Balls

These apricot balls are delicious and are great for any time of the year but especially at Christmas. Every year, I throw a Christmas party and this is the first snack that I make because firstly, they are yummmmy! and secondly,they take 15 minutes to make and you can get your kids to help to! So let's get into it!

Ingredients:

1. 500g chopped , dried apricots 
2. 395g condensed milk
3. 3 cups grated coconut 

The fun part!

1. Combine apricots, condensed milk and 2 1/2 cups grated coconut
2. With wet hands roll mixture into small balls.
3. Coat in remaining 1/2 cup coconut 
4. Refrigerate or freeze until need

Serves 20- 30 

TADAA! And as easy as that, you're done!

Talk to you soon, Shoba

Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleansing Mask!

Hello Beauties!
Today I was in the mood to blog til I drop, which explains why this is my third post today! Well, anyway  while I was travelling I re-discovered this mask/cleanser and purchased it to treat my skin from all the travelling and changing climate that it was going through. First of all, I've used this before, but had mixed results. But the main thing that drawed me in was the fact that I've heard things about this product here and there and I trust you guys enough so I gave it another go and I bought it.
So here's what I had to say about it...

Just to make it clear, I use this as a mask only because, from personal experience, this cleansing mask can be a bit drying if used as an acne wash everyday. Just a quick tip- moisturize your skin after use so it does not dry out your skin too much. Be careful if you have sensitive skin, but for most people this works fine.

I've used this product on and off in my teenage years, and have had mixed results. What I mean is that during my early teen years when I had hormonal acne, I didn't find this product very effective and it wasn't the best I had ever used. However, now that my skin has cleared up, I can really feel the difference this stuff makes. After some research, I found that this has the largest amount of benzoyl peroxide than any other drugstore product, but for some reason it didn't help when I had hormonal acne...

I use on a weekly basis and apply all over my t-zone, for oil control, or a spot treatment on problem areas. In addition, it is really great at removing size and redness of any blemishes.

Overall, I do recommend to give it a try, it's not too expensive, and see how you like it.
What are your thoughts?
Love,
Shoba

Gift Wrapping 101

Hey there!
Not many sleeps til Santa left! With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to give you my top three gift wrapping tips to make the wrapping as beautiful as the present!

1. Recycle it!
When it comes to choosing the paper, no-one said you had to use your Christmas paper- any paper will do- get creative! Wallpaper, newspaper, maps and my favorite, comic book paper! This is the perfect touch that can add a little of you creativity into the gift and what's more, it's vintage. In addition, this can be personalized, in a way. For example if you have a beauty lover, wrap your gift up in a magazine page.
Short on paper? Re-use colorful plastic bags. Triple-bag the gift, knot together the handles, then cut the tops of the loops and fan out the pieces.

2. Bring the gift outside!
This is a creative and original way of thinking outside the box- literally! Bring the gift out! In other words, add fun touch by securing the gift with a embellished hair tie for one lucky girl. another idea is to tie the present with a jump rope rather than ribbon. Another nifty idea as a hostess gift is to wrap a bottle of wine in a pretty dish towel for a 2 in 1 gift idea.

3.Thinking Outside the Box!
Decorative gift boxes are quick and require no wrapping and the recipient can also reuse the box as decor or a desk organizer

Do you have any tips and tricks?
Love, Shoba

Styling Tips!

I'm back!
Well, to tell you the truth, I was always here, I was just doing a little travelling for one of the magazine articles. Never mind that.  To get back into my blogging routine I wanted to share some new fashion forward tips that will step up your look!

1. Poofy Power!

In this case, the bigger, the better! Voluminous shoulders are another trick to add interest to the neck and shoulders without having a statement necklace or a detailed collar. These poofy shoulders draw the eye up and thus makes your waist look extra tiny.

2. Mix up Patterns
Adding two or three patterns to an outfit may seem overwhelming but, just like the outfit to the left, staying to the same color family will totally make the look work. This is because each piece compliments each other and they do not battle for attention.

3. Taming that Print
When paired with any solid basic, eg. a white tank, any wild print can look simple and chic. In fashion words, the look is built around your patterned piece, so any other pieces should compliment and flatter the key piece, which is exactly why this look works.This little trick will keep your patterns timeless and season less and can also be easily transitioned from day to night with a few slight changes.

4. Matching Prints!
Prints, prints, prints, what can I say? You just gotta love them! However, two prints in one outfit may seem daunting, but fear no longer! The trick is to offset a larger pattern with a smaller one, but make sure that they are of the same color palette.

5. Embrace your shape!
The biggest mistake women make is choosing pieces that do not flatter their body shape! So don't hate your shape but embrace it, dress to flatter it! For example, if your petite, then rocking some cropped jeans will look proportionate with your small frame.

What are your thoughts?
Shoba

Morning Rush?

Hey!

After a long night of partying or studying through the night, or my favorite, a movie night, the next morning is undoubtedly going to be a hassle. Everyone has a rushed morning every once in a while, so here are my tips to save time!

1.  Have a quick shower and brush your teeth while you're in there!
2. Or, have a shower at night before, so you can have a nice refreshing bath before bed instead  rushed one in the morning
3. Choose your go-to outfit. For me, it's a plain over sized sweater paired with a belt and statement necklace. If you're going with an over sized top or bottom, the other has to be form fitting- just a general fashion rule. In other words, I would pair the over sized sweater with colored skinny jeans, and if I have time tucked into some boots.
4. Pack your work/school bag the night before
5. Prepare lunch and breakfast the night before and store in the fridge
6. Set apart your "everyday" makeup and beauty items so you don't have to rummage through drawers of eye shadow until you find the right one.
7. Don't experiment new hair or makeup looks, keep it to the usual or you can just line your eyes, cat eye to dress up the look, a swipe of mascara and bright lip color to make a statement- this is a really easy and simple tip, because you honestly just need to change the color and applying lip stick really has one step to it, so it doesn't waste time.
8. Whip up your hair into a bun or add a statement headband, for that quick stylish look

What are you tips? Comment below

Shoba

Budget Holiday Gift Ideas!

Hi there!
With Christmas just around the corner, the pressure of buying the right present is intense! Just kidding! Doesn't matter what you give, the recipient should love it because it's from you!

With all the gift ideas on a budget videos and blog posts out there, I wanted to keep this post nice and simple and just recommend sites and videos to help you on the hunt for gift! Oh! and staying on a budget!

Sit back and enjoy!

Good luck in finding that present for that special someone!

Shoba <3

ALERT! Winter Fashion Essentials!

Hello!

This Winter is no different from any other, in terms of fashion, you know typical clothes that mainly just keep you warm...and yes you're right about that. But just like any season, there are few staples that every girl needs in her closet! 

Jeans 

Jeans, jeans, jeans...what can I say other than you must have them! Jeans may just seem like jeans, and they are, but you can always add interest with a tear here and there, a pop of color or maybe a different style, like bootleg or flared? 

These classic jeans can be easily dressed down with a over-sized sweater or a cosy cardigan, but can also be easily dressed up with heels 

Coats

Especially with the cold weather kick in, coats are an absolute must-have this Winter season. Just by simply adding a coat to an outfit, you can easily add a sophisticated edge to it. The perfect go-to outfit for work!

Knitted Sweater or Cardigan

Both are incredibly versatile and can be worn with everything- pants, skirts and dresses. personally, my favorite style is a button up shirt tuck into a high waisted skater skirt with a sweater over. 

A soft cotton or a silk dress

When paired with a simple cardigan or stylish tunic, two completely different looks can be created. That's what i love about dresses. By simply pairing with tights and a scarf, you've got yourself a basic, yet easy outfit. For neutral dresses, I recommend a pair of colorful tights and vice versa.

Shoba :D

Let's talk Christmas Trees!

Hey there!
As I was browsing the net, I came across these Christmas trees that I just had to share with you! Below are my favorites...enjoy!

My Current Wallpaper!

Hey there!
I'm in a rush for a meeting so I'll just quickly update you with my current iphone wallpaper

I chose this wallpaper just because it me into this Winter season and all the sparkle reminded me of New Year'a Eve. Might paint my nails like this for New Year's....Who knows?

See you later,
Shoba

DIY: Winter in a Jar

Hello my sunshine!
In order to get into this festive season, let's make a little something. And you guessed it, from the pictures, it's a cute little snowglobe!An honestly, this is the easiest project to make!

So what you will need:

1. Fake snow-  baking sugar and clear glitter is a good substitute
2. Mason jar
3. Glue Gun
4. Tiny tree or other little knick knacks

Steps:

1. Using the hot glue, adhere your tree to the inside of the lid
2. Give it a little while to dry
3. In the meantime, prepare fake snow
4. Fill jar to halfway with fake snow
5. Screw in the lid
6. Flip it over and voila! you're done!

As easy as that! and you've got a awesome snowglobe done in a few minutes!~

I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! 

Love,

Shoba

DIY: Recycled Candle

Sweet smelling, calming and decorative, who wouldn't want a candle? A recycled candle that you made? Everyone loves a candle but once they come to their dying hours, they seem pretty useless. So here's a clever way to make the most of your candle...Recycle it! get creative 

What you will need: 

1. Small candy or mint tin with a lid or even a teacup!
2. Washcloth
3. Scissors
4. Prewaxed candle bleached candlewick with wick clip - I got mine from Jo-Ann 
5. Microwavable soy wax or wax crayons
6. Glue- preferably mod podge
7. Skewer

Steps-

1. Thoroughly clean the container in warm water and soap. Dry with wash cloth
2. Adhere candlewick to the base, firmly holding down for a few minutes
3. Melt wax in microwave and pour into the tin, until it nearly reaches the top
4. Twist wax around skewer and place skewer around rim of container and suspend until wax dries
5. Let wax dry
6. Trim candlewick to desire length

This is a great gift idea or even a stocking stuffer this holiday season for your fiends and family!

Would like a cup of tea?

<3 Shoba