Recipe: Healthy Sugar-Free Chia Seed Cake

I love to bake… well, I love to eat cake, so they’re part and parcel of the same interest. However I’m a bit of a sugar addict and I’m actively trying to eliminate as much of the bad stuff from my diet as I can. So, I experimented in the kitchen and came up with this cake; it’s yummy if I do say so myself.

I’ve replaced the sugar with agave syrup which has a Glycaemic Index that is 5 times lower than sugar, meaning you don’t get blood sugar spikes. I also added healthy chia seeds that not only add a delicious crunch to the cake but are packed full of Omega 3s.

Ingredients.
4 Organic eggs
200g Natural Agave Syrup
225g Self-raising flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tbs Vanilla essence
10g Chia Seeds
225g Butter or Margarine

For filling.
Sugar-free raspberry jam, or make a coulis by reducing the a punnet of raspberries in a pan and adding agave to taste
Mascarpone or cream – add some powdered artificial sweetener to sweeten, or icing sugar if you feel naughty.

Method. 
1. Pre-heat oven to about 170c
2. Grease 2 baking tins
3. Blend all ingredients together (doesn’t matter about the order, just bung them in)
4. Bake for about 20-25mins or until a golden brown. *The agave will result in a darker colour than normal sugar, so don't worry if it looks overdone
5. Leave cakes to cool on a wire rack
6. Spread jam and cream filling on cakes and sand which together
7. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar or vanilla powder
8. Enjoy!!


I’d encourage you to mess around with this recipe, substituting what you like, trying to make it healthier… or more sinful. The basic recipe is a good base though, but mainly it tastes delicious!

The 7 Best Lip Balms

There's nothing more annoying than the sore and chapped lips that winter brings with it - keep your kissable with these miracle products.

Diptyque Mimosa Candle Review

I’m a huge fan of Diptyque candles, for the obvious reasons that they look amazing and are a bit of a fashion status symbol, but also because their scent and quality is unrivalled.

Everyone likes a scented candle but until you’ve burned one of these babies you’re missing out – the scents are strong enough to fragrance a whole room without being overpowering and the use of high quality essential oils and spices means that the smell is deliciously relaxing. They even give off a fragrance when not being burned!

The Mimosa candle is ideal for those of you who favour fresh, clean scents – with a floral fragrance that evokes spring the Mimosa candle works best in an airy living room or hallway.

Selfridges £20

SHOP THE POST

#REVIEW & Other Stories 7:e Våningen Candle

The packaging of this candle rivals any designer one but for a fraction of the price. You can inject some of that cool Scandinavian aesthetic into your home so simply with one of these lovely-looking beauties (there are 6 to choose from).

I chose the 7:e Våningen named after & Other Stories Stockholm atelier - a fresh and clean scent that would make a welcome addition to any bedroom or bathroom - especially with it's matte white pot and natural label.

& Other Stories £17

SHU UEMURA EYELASH CURLERS REVIEW

They say that this medieval looking contraption is the be-all and end-all when it comes to eyelash curling, so I thought I'd better try it.

Having been a false eyelashes devotee for many years I've never really bothered with curlers but now that I favour a more natural look (less truly is more) I'm looking to tools that enhance my natural features.

The Shu Uemura curlers are so easy to use and the curved shape means they get right into the base of the eyelash giving you lots of lift and opening up the eyes.

I tried out the curlers on a no-makeup day at work and got lots of comments along the lines of how rested I looked. 

While this cult beauty tool may not have the wow factor of others it's an essential tool for your makeup bag, especially on days when you want to forgo the eye makeup.

Selfridges £18

#REVIEW & Other Stories Tangier Tales Fragrance

Swedish high street powerhouse & Other Stories are renowned for their cosmetics - their makeup and skincare is as good as their clothing and accessories with sleek minimalist packaging and, of course, it's great quality.

I ran out of my signature scent Ambre Sultan and being a little skint I didn't want to shell out the £75 so I decided to give one on Stories scents a whirl. At a purse-pleasing £26 the perfume comes in a chic glass bottle with a fabric label.

The fragrance is fresh yet rich with notes of juicy pear mellowing to a deep spicy Amber - I've had lots of compliments, there are 5 other scents in the range which you can view here.

December Beauty Favourites

1/ B.PURE MICELLAR WATER
This micellar water is amazing, gently removing eye makeup with ease which is great for delicate skin. The price tag is nice too.
Superdrug £4.99

2/ NV COLOUR COSMETICS LIPSTICK
This is a flattering everyday red with a long-lasting moisturising formula and nifty magnetic lid so you don't lose it, natch.
Nv Colour Cosmetics £6 

3/ BOBBI BROWN GEL LINER
I've worn this for 10 years and although I've flirted with other eyeliners none come close to the long-lasting jet black goodness of this. A cult classic.
John Lewis £16

4/ SEPHORA SOFTENING FACIAL MIST
The air con in my office managed to dry out even my super-oily skin so a moisturising facial mist is a must for hydrating halfway through the day.
Sephora £12

5/ CHARLOTTE TILSBURY FULL FAT LASHES
This mascara by Kate Moss's makeup artist is the most natural one I've tried - it still lengthens and thickens but you could just get away with pretending those were the lashes you were born with.
Selfridges £22

6/ ILLAMASQUA SKIN BASE
A lovely light base which I mix with moisturiser for a bit of a winter tan - I wear shade 13.
ASOS £27

7/ RIMMEL EYEBROW PENCIL
My desert island item - I could not live without this brow pencil (shade brown/black), it's cheap as chips and the prefect formula and application.
Superdrug £2.99

8/  BOURJOIS ROSE DOR BLUSH
This smells fab and gives your cheeks a rosy glow with a subtle shimmer - it looks beautiful on mixed-race or asian skin.
ASOS £7.99

& Other Stories Perfumes

H&M’s cooler, more sophisticated sister brand & Other Stories launches its first fragrances this month, and they’re everything and more than we expected from the Scandinavian fashion powerhouse.

GLITTER LIPS Lip Glitter in Cherry Pie

This is one product you definitely need on your Christmas list

This is a lip product that I randomly saw on Twitter and I just HAD to try it - it looked amazing. I've long been a fan of a glittery lip, however, they are notoriously hard to achieve. Also glitter is the most annoying substance known to man - it just gets everywhere... or so I thought.

Glitter Lips promises to give you long-lasting, non-messy and super glittery lips. Which is a huge claim but I can contest that it's true. To apply you simply paint on a kind of glossy glue, then press on an ultra fine glitter - I was very dubious at first but as if by magic the glitter didn't stick to my face at all. Just the glue on my lips. The whole application took about 1 minute and the photos here are of my very first attempt - which I think is pretty good.

I also, in the name of research, had a cup of tea and a vigourus rub of my lips and the glitter stayed put. I can't believe it.

The photos don't really do the Glitter Lips justice  they are sooooooooooooooooo sparkly and pretty and I will 100% be rocking these to my Christmas party.

Grab yours HERE - I am literally in love with this product (and I haven't been paid to say this, I really do love it, although the Glitter Lips were kindly gifted to me.)

Price: £12.50

Packaging: Doesn't do the product justice

Coverage: Excellent

Overall review: 9/10 The product is so unique and really works but the packaging could be improved

Buy it HERE

Nasty Gal x MAC

MAC cosmetics are certainly no stranger to a collaboration (or 27,000,000) and their latest collabo is right on the money. They’re teaming up with webtrepaneur and #GIRLBOSS Sophia Amoruso of fashion brand Nasty Gal. Amoruso has designed a range of three lipsticks (in pillar box red, vampy purple and deep burgundy) plus a nail lacquer. The products look great, but then MAC collaborations tend to be already fab MAC products with fancy new packaging. What do you think? Will you be dashing out to buy this collection? 

RECIPE: 2 Ingredient, Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

 I LOVE pancakes… in fact that's a understatement. On a weekend I will happily cook up a tasty batch but when you think about the ingredients (white processed flour, processed sugar, milk and butter) the allure dulls. Their nutritional value is practically nothing!

So when I heard you could use magical bananas and eggs and nothing else to make pancakes I was all for it!

INGREDIENTS

1 Large Banana per person

2 Organic Eggs

Pinch Baking Powder

Pinch Cinnamon (or vanilla)

METHOD

Mash the bananas really well then mix all ingredients together.

Fry in a frying pan on a low heat with a tiny bit of coconut oil.

Serve with natural Maple Syrup.

ENJOY!

BENEFITS

These pancakes don't contain sugar, gluten or lactose. Plus the eggs mean that they're high in protein.

Now, they're not quite as good as traditional pancakes because that's not the way the world works but they certainly do satisfy a sweet tooth and they're mega easy to make too.

#Review Nip + Fab Fitness

These products are amazing for a post gym scrub-down. Now, not to be too graphic, but I sweat when I work out… profusely might be too strong a word but, you know. I mention that only because my gym partner doesn't seem to perspire at all - weird!
Anyhoo although working out is great for my muscle tone I find my skin suffers from blocked pores and a bit of sweat-induced 'Bacne'. I'm sure this is a common problem so I don't mind sharing.
Nip + Fab products are amazing for combating this as they contain Glycolic acid which literally melts away sebum and sweat without being too harsh. They leave you feeling squeaky clean after a workout and smell really fresh too.
The price point is amazing also - definitely worth a try for gym bunnies!

Available HERE

DIANA VREELAND PERFUME

Ever since seeing the fantastic film The Eye Has toTravel (please watch it, it’s divine!) I’ve had a major fashion-crush on Diana Vreeland’. The late fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar (she held this position for an unprecedented 26 years) and Editor-in-Chief of US Vogue is one of the most influential fashion editors of all time…. And now you can smell like her!

Vreeland’s grandson, Alexander Vreeland, has created five luxury Diana Vreeland Parfums; cleverly named after quotes from Mrs. Vreeland herself: ‘Extravagance Russe’, ‘Absolutely Vital’, ‘Perfectly Marvellous’, ‘Simply Divine’ and ‘Outrageously Vibrant’. 

Each fragrance has been blended to represent Mrs. Vreeland’s eccentric personality and style. Alexander drew on his late grandmother’s set of memoirs and archives to create a truly personal collection of fragrances. The bottles are definitely something to write home about; with jewel-coloured glass and tassel details – I, for one, certainly want one of these on my dressing table.

Diana Vreeland Parfums are available exclusively at Selfridges and come in two sizes, 100ml (£180) and 50 ml (£135)

Radiance Cleanse at Avenue St james

Avid readers will know I'm a major fan of juicing, I can't say that I live my life totally virtuously all the time (or ever) but I try to take care of my body and juices are the best way to inject those extra vitamins into your diet. The only thing is, unless you get them delivered or happen to live near a Whole Foods they're not easy to come by (the proper, vegetable-based cold pressed juices, I mean.).

Restaurant Avenue St. James has come to the rescue with it's new breakfast menu where alongside breakfast classics like Eggs Benedict and French Toast you'll find a range of custom-blended juices including an exclusive 'Rise & Shine' juice created especially for Avenue.

There are two green juices, which contain alkalising veggies and are a great juice to start your day with, a delicious red juice with beetroot and fennel and the yellow 'Rise & Shine' which contains Tumeric root, Orange and Pineapple and tastes a bit like sunshine (seriously). 

What I like about this juicy breakfast menu is that it's not scary. Sometimes juice cleanses are a little bit overwhelming and just impractical; this way you can have a tasty breakfast with an added vitamin boost. What's not to love?

Radiance Cleanse Juices are available at Avenue St. James

7-9 St James's St, London SW1A 1EE

 CHLOROPHYLL JUICE!!

My Breakfast 

Review: Clinique Even Better Concealer in Hazelnut

I hate wearing foundation, so I never do (unless someone slathers it on me at a photoshoot). I don't have the best skin but it's okay, so I don't want to hide it. Being mixed race, I tend to get really bad pigment spots and scars if I've had a blemish. they can be really dark but they're tiny so it's hard to find conceal or to cover them.

This is super, super thick and creamy and I dab it on with my finger. It's the perfect colour match for my skin so I don't need to blend it really. It also doesn't go cake or flakey and lasts a full working day - even when you're on and off the sweaty tube. I'd highly recommend it, if like me you have a few tiny but annoying pigment spots or blemishes you want to hide. 

Price: £19

Packaging: Nice but perhaps not hygenic? 

Coverage: Excellent

Overall review: 9/10 I love this! The colour blends seamlessly and it's pigmented enough to cover scars.

You can buy it HERE

VAPESTICK E-CIGARETTE REVIEW

 VAPESTICK MENTHOL

Sorry Mum, but I do occasionally partake of the odd toke (it’s really bad, I know). Smoking, although now losing fans left, right and centre and totally not en vogue, is still a favourite pastime amongst many in the fashion industry.

Seriously, hot-foot it down to any fashwan event, party or show season and you’ll see 90% of the people there puffing away (this is an estimate but I have quite keen observational skills).

In the interest of my health (and irrational fear of getting nicotine-stained teeth… actually, it’s not so irrational, is it?) I’ve decided to stub out my smoking habit. Even ‘social’ smoking is not really a hobby you want on your list; although it can be quite an enjoyable pursuit.

That’s why eCigarettes like VapeStick (other brands are available) are brilliant; you get the sensation and pleasure of smoking without the horrible smell and numerous death-causing carcinogens.

My favourite is the Menthol kind (a true fashionista) but the eShishas are pretty good too if you want to smoke without the nicotine. I’m definitely a convert to eCigarettes – my only worry is the economic impact on my purse (they don’t come cheap) but I think as they become more widely available, prices will be driven down. Oh, they also look pretty sleek too! 

Find out more here. 

Are you a social smoker, ex-smoker or completely against it all? Let me know in the comments below. 

BEAUTY LOOK OF THE WEEK: Rihanna

This look is outrageous. The Bjork-inspired hair twist, the green lips, the FU attitude. I love it. I'm definitely up for emulating this look on a night out... it looks fierce.

JUICE RECIPE: HOT AS A CUCUMBER

(SERVES 2)

½ CUCUMBER

1 APPLE

2 LIMES (WITH RIND)

KNOB OF GINGER

1 PINT WATER

PREPARATION & METHOD

Wash all ingredients. Put all ingredients into a juicer (doesn’t matter what order), I use THIS ONE. I leave the rind on the lime as it really adds a nice sharpness; be sure to scrub the rind really well before juicing. Add water. Drink. NB: This tastes amazing chilled in the fridge.

THE HEALTH BIT

Cucumber is great for alleviating digestive problems like heartburn, acidity, gastritis or even ulcers. It contains an enzyme called Erepsin which aids the digestion of protein. Plus they’re super, super low in calories.

Apples have lots of Vitamin C which aids collagen production. You need collagen to aid wound-healing and to keep your skin healthy and glowing.

Lime has an irresistible scent which causes your mouth to water, aiding primary digestion. The fragrant oils in lime stimulate the digestive system and increase secretion of digestive juices, bile and acids.

Ginger is an excellent carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract). It also has antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.

THIS JUICE IS GREAT FOR A SLUGGISH DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND/OR BLOATING. IT’S ALSO GREAT FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GIVE THEIR TASTEBUDS A KICK-START.

THE TASTE BIT

Cucumber in juices can be a bit overpowering (although I love it) but not in this one! The cucumber adds freshness, while the apple adds a sweet hint and the lime juice, lime rind and ginger give it a seriously spicy, zesty kick. It would probably taste good with tequila in it!

JUICE RECIPE: THE GRATEFUL RED

(SERVES 2)

1 PINK GRAPEFRUIT

1 APPLE

½ CARROT

½ BEETROOT

1 TSP CINNAMON

½ PINT WATER

PREPARATION & METHOD

Wash all ingredients (obvs not the cinnamon, how would you do that). Peel the rind from the grapefruit. Put all ingredients into a juicer (doesn’t matter what order), I use THIS ONE. Add water. Drink. NB: This tastes amazing chilled in the fridge.

THE HEALTH BIT

Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin which supports the immune system and also prevents production of cascade, therefore helping to reduce severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma (which I have). The rich pink and red colours of grapefruit are due to lycopene which fights oxygen-free radicals; compounds that can damage cells.

Beetroot can help reduce blood pressure and contains loads of potassium, magnesium and iron as well as vitamins A, B6 and C, and folic acid.

Apples have lots of Vitamin C which aids collagen production. You need collagen to aid wound-healing and to keep your skin healthy.

Carrots contain B-complex vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin B-6) - these vitamins are key in maintaining red blood cells and the nervous system in good health, they also give you energy. Carrots are also great for your eyesight and skin.

Cinnamon helps to maintain blood-sugar levels so is great for diabetics.

THIS JUICE IS GREAT FOR AN ENERGY BOOST THAT WON’T GIVE YOU A MASSIVE SUGAR SPIKE AND WILL PROMOTE FABULOUS SKIN.

THE TASTE BIT

This is one of my favourites; sweet and spicy with a bit of tang and the colour is great! Some people have said it tastes like a hot cross bun in a drink… weird, but kind of accurate.