Christmas Cupcake Recipie

Even though my blog is mostly beauty (I have been lacking a bit lately, but it will pick up in New Years) I thought it would be nice to show you how to make some Christmas cupcakes, either for friends and family or for yourself.

These cupcakes make 6, but if you want to make more then you can double the amount of every ingredient to make 12. I ate one after they came out, which is why there are only 5 in the pictures.

The cupcakes are standard vanilla, I added some red food colouring to make the colour a bit richer and warmer, and the icing is cinnamon so it is perfect for this Christmas season.

This recipe is really good and makes the most delicious cupcakes and instead of adding vanilla you could add something different instead, you could even have cinnamon cupcakes with vanilla icing. I got the recipe for the cupcakes from CupcakeJemma's Youtube video here and her other recipes for other types of cakes are really good so also check out her channel.

Ingredients:
For 6 cupcakes
Self raising flour - 65g
Caster sugar - 65g
Bicarbonate of Soda - 1/4 teaspoon
Soft unsalted butter - 65g
Large egg - 1
Milk - 1 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the icing
Soft unsalted butter - 25g
Icing sugar - 75g
Milk - 1/2 tablespoon
Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon

Instead of adding vanilla or cinnamon you could add another flavouring instead

Method:
Sieve the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl then add butter and the egg and mix until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until all smooth again. I added some red food colouring to make a warmer colour but you don't have to do this. Put into bun cases and put in an oven at 170° for 22 minutes. When they're done take them out and leave them to cool.

For the icing, put the butter and 1/3 of the icing in a bowl then stir until smooth, it can take a while but it will eventually become smooth. A lot of people also like to just add half of the icing sugar so that it doesn't blow up into your face but I find that it still does with half. 

Add the next 3rd of icing sugar and mix until smooth and the same with the final 3rd. Add milk and stir then add the cinnamon and stir until it is all combined. If you feel that you need to add more icing sugar then go ahead, a thicker consistency stays on your cupcakes better. Apply the icing to the cooled cupcakes and enjoy or save for your family on Christmas!


Enjoy!
- Zin x

5 Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

It's 5 sleeps until Christmas and if you're like me and still haven't bought all of your Christmas presents then I have a few quick and easy to find gifts that will be suitable for anyone!

1) Chocolate
Most people on this planet love chocolate, so unless you know they don't like chocolate this is perfect. If you know the person likes a certain type of chocolate then you can make it much more personal and I've bought 5 people chocolate of some sort this year.

2) Shower gel
Everyone needs shower gel and sometimes it can be a bit of a chore to go and buy one. To help someone beat this chore, buy them some! Sometimes I get so much shower gel that it keeps me topped up for most of the year, which is of course a good thing.

3) Socks
I think my last few blog posts have included me talking about my love of socks but this time it is actually relevant, I promise. People's socks go missing all the time right? So I suppose this can also be a bit of a helping hand for someone.

4) A Mug
This might seem a bit silly but I received 3 mugs this year for my birthday and they get a lot of good use. Shops recently have releasing really good deigns as well. If you want to go a step further then buy hot chocolate powder, marshmallows and some whipped cream.

5) A Sweet Gift
By this I mean sweet food such as cupcakes, a cake, biscuits or even mince pies. Of course this can either mean buying some from a shop or you can make them yourself to make it even more special. Recently, I have been into baking cupcakes and even made some for my friends for their presents and I might even post a tutorial on how to make some holiday cupcakes for Christmas (but don't get your hopes up, there is only 5 days left and still  a lot of preparation).

I hope this could have given you some ideas and I hope everyone has a merry Christmas!
- Zin x

What I Got For My Birthday

Hellooo! So after over a month I am  finally going to be showing a few things that I got for my birthday, you can see what I wanted here. So without further ado, I'll begin.

1. Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack - Bubble Pink

This was first on my list and I was also very excited about getting this too. As I said in my list of what I wanted for my birthday, it's supposed to last all day. I won't put a full review here as I will be doing a proper review on it soon, but I can tell you that I'm very happy with it.

2. Nikon D3200

Currently, I have been using the Nikon 1 S2 Digital Camera for all my pictures on my blog and for my hobby of photography but because I am now doing A Level photography I needed something more advanced. And because of that this is what I have got this although I will still probably be using the Nikon 1 for blog pictures. I'm still getting used to my new camera because I haven't used different camera settings before, so it will be quicker with my Nikon 1.

3. Accessorize College Backpack

I had featured this in a previous post saying that I would really like it for school and a family member heard my call and gave me this. I really love the plain design and I have updated the post to give a small review on it.

4. F&F Boots

F&F isn't a place I usually shop, mostly because it's in Tesco and supermarket clothing never really appeals to me, but sometimes I am forced to go and look with my sister. Sometimes there are certain clothes that look OK, but what really caught my eye one time were the amount of really good boots that they had in at that time so I asked for them for my birthday.

They don't do these boots any more, neither do they do all the other ones that looked really good.

I hope you enjoyed finding out what I got for my birthday and now that it is December I will be doing more Christmas themed posts, so keep an eye out!

- Zin x

Favourite Winter 2014 Trends

Favourite Winter 2014 Trends by zin-s featuring a double breasted coat

To celebrate the upcoming holidays and this seasons new trends I have picked a few of my favourites that have really caught my eye.

1. First of all the classic Christmas jumper. This started to become a trend in the winter a few years ago but it always fades out after Christmas time even when it's still cold but thankfully it's an acceptable time now to start wearing them again!

The one that features above is one that I have had my eye on for a while but I haven't gotten round to buying it. I absolutely love it because the design of it is really adorable and it looks very cosy too.

2. Oversized blazers are my next favourite. My favourite part of this trend is that they go well with so much and is perfect to make an outfit stylish.

3. Leather coats with fabric look really stylish and perfect to add to a casual outfit to make it look edgier. The one above looks very christmassy especially because of the red and because it is quite dark, like a lot of fashions are at this time of year.

4. Of course I couldn't miss out socks but especially because socks have become an important part of fashion for over a year now. I love Christmas patterns and designs on Christmas clothing so it's obvious that I am adoring this trend.

5. Finally, one of my very favourite trends that started to arrive last year but only this year has it become a very prominent trend; oversized scarves. Last year when I was wearing a large scarf people asked me why I didn't get a smaller one, but this year those people are also wearing them.

Because the fashion this year is to have it loose around your neck (like the scarf above shows) it means that your neck has to be a little chillier for fashion's sake, but that doesn't matter to me much.

-Zin x

Pick of the Month: Accessorize Bags

For this months pick of the month I tried to pick a bag from Accessorize but there were too many that I loved and that I couldn't chose from so I have picked 5 of my favourites.

1. Double Zip Bowler - £32

This bag is similar to 2 others that I have put on this list but this one has 2 compartments inside and would be perfect for a long day out, work or school and there is currently a review on the website about this bag saying that it is great because it's not bulky but obviously can hold a lot.

I also really like this colour but it doesn't come in other colours if you would prefer another colour.

2. Mini Kingston Satchel - £19

In contrast to the Double Zip Bowler above, this bag is really tiny but would be perfect if all you needed was a purse and your phone or a few other small items. I have always wanted a satchel with this design although I think they are not as popular any more but they're still a great compliment to casual outfits.

3. Melissa Winged Handheld Bag - £32

This comes in pink (above), navy and black and I really love this design. It has been catching my eye each time I go into Accessorize but my clothing style doesn't really go with the vintage style of this bag or others similar but I have seen these bags being able to go with loads of outfits.

Like the Double Zip Bowler, it is said to also hold a lot but not be very bulky.


4. College Backpack - £37

This is one of my favourites and I'm really considering buying it for school as it would be perfect for books and would go well with many outfits (at my sixth form we can wear normal clothes). I am slightly hesitant of buying though because some reviews have said that it breaks easily whilst others say that it's worth the money.

Update:
I got this for my birthday and so far I am very satisfied with it. Nothing has broken and I am carrying about 4-5 text books along with 2 bottles of water, my lunch and other school supplies, although I am a bit worried that it might break soon but it still looks very sturdy and strong.

5. Verity Metal Bar Tote Bag - £45

This comes in grey (above), black and berry and also is said to have a large amount of space. It has a really pretty design with the pocket at the front and when it is in the berry colour it looks very classy especially with the gold.

This one also received reviews that the metal bits fell off easily but then others that said it lasted a long time so if I was to get this I would be a bit sceptical.

-Zin x