gorgeousveganblog.co.uk

Just 3 weeks and then I can back to blogging. Dissertation will be completed as well as final exams and I will be able to update this blog…just hold on.

 x

ooooh, have you tried the make-up from B Never too Busy to be Beautiful!? I put off trying it as I generally like to see the colours before  I buy but this is just insanely gorgeous! I got a gift set of half sizes, which they do not appear to have any more. They are the brightest, creamiest eyeshadows I have ever used. Although the colours look initially scary they blend in well and can either be slightly more muted or hysterically bright. The bonus is that they last for hours. As someone who is always rubbing her eyes this is a real bonus. I have tried different combinations of colours every day since I got it although I have not been brave enough to try either the pink or orange ones yet. I have found that dabbing the colour on with the applicator and then blending with my finger is the easiest but they will blend with a make-up brush. The only downside is that they have stained my brushes vivid hues!

I also bought a lip cream as a trial for possible further purchases.  I’m a bit funny about lipsticks as I always feel the colours are designed to look ridiculous and they always come off quickly in the centre of the lips and leave a strange edging. Plus they are either so hard that I am scraping at my mouth to try and get some colour on or they are so waxy it is like rubbing trex on my lips. Anyhow, the texture is smooth and the colour lasts suprisingly well. I will definately be getting a few more colours. There is one downside though. They come in the most beautiful ornate heart-shaped pots which are gorgeous but the lids don’t stay tight on them which means they can’t be thrown into a bag.

xx

All I can do is appologise for lack of blogging! I am in my final year of my degree and life has been taken over by a dissertation and lots of essays. Will try and do a big update in the next few weeks…maybe.

xx

I love going away on little holidays and the best thing about this holiday was that until the morning we left we really did not know where we were going. All we had planned was that we would camp.

We ended up in the Lake District which is just such a beautiful part of the world and before we had even pitched the tent we were in the Lakeland Pedlar drinking coffee and eating vegan chocolate cake.  We ended up staying near Keswick (for ease of obtaining chocolate cake) and pitched up on a campsite near Castlerigg stone circle. We visited Ambleside, Windermere, some coastal towns (which were not so pretty) and Grasmere. Finding vegan food was not too bad and both Ambleside and Grasmere have cafes which consider and cater for vegans. oh, and don’t miss out on the local gingerbread. While they wont tell you the ingredients (its a secret) I was assured that it was suitable for vegans. It is the most bizzare gingerbread I have had but very very tasty. It is very thin and hard but with a sort of crumb on it.

Grasmere turned out to be our favourite place and we almost didn’t even stop in by to see it. You can’t see it from the road as it is tucked away behind hills and it is stunning both in its location and the buildings within it.

Lancrigg was Awesome!! On our final night we decided that as much fun as camping was, eating a four course vegan meal and sleeping in a four poster bed was infinitely better! The food was delicious and the current Chef is vegan so there are plenty of options…oh, and lots of wine to drink too!

(If you are heading to the Lake District then the VIVA! guide to this area will help you to locate places to eat and shop.)

It never ceases to amaze me how I can spend hours updating sections on a website or blog to realise that it isn’t very noticeable! For those who haven’t noticed, to the right in the sidebar, there are now links to my aStore, recipes and links to my old blog. Off to spend many more hours updating un-noticeable aspects of the blog.

There is now a link to my Amazon marketplace in the sidebar where you can buy books that I own. I am long overdue for a clear out as mysterious objects fall out of cupboards or jam drawers. I will start with the books as they are simple to deal with and then I may enter the terrifying world of The eBay Seller.

Finally, here is a picture of me from the night out I had in June. I am very very dressed up and trust me I do not ususally look like this. The tiny waist is courtesy of a steel lined corset!

Right! First up some way of an excuse for why I have been so appalling at updating this site. Since January, when I first set it up I have written 43,000 words worth of essays. Yes. 43,000! I have double checked the figures and apparently it is correct. Wow! Didn’t realise it was that many. Add to that my computer being stolen back in February and I hope it explains in some way my abscence. However, I still have exams coming up so diligent posting should not be expected.

Other than university work I am also concentrating on a bit of dressmaking for the purpose of a glamour/burlesque night in Glasgow next month. It started off as a suggestion to the girls that we should glam it up and have a night out and has now turned into a slight obsession by us all to find the perfect outfits. For what I have in mind trawling the second hand shops has so far turned up nothing as I am looking to the 40s as inspiration and I have a very particular look in mind so I am going to have to make it.

Here are some lovely inspirational finds:

What we have here, if you squint, is some lovely 40s hair, a pattern which I may use but am waiting for another to arrive and an advert from a 40s magazine for women. For some reason which I can not fathom my photos keep getting set at a ridiculously small size even though the ones I have uploaded are larger…will figure it out and sort it out.

I am also planning killer heels and 100% nylon stockings. Will see how it goes as I am not renowned for bei g the best at sewing and no doubt things such as zips, hemming and lining will be involved. I have 2 weeks to get it organised and 3 weeks to my exams so must not get carried away with clothes.

Also here are some blogs I have found that I like very much:

Sew Green Recipes for homemade and ecological cleaning products including laundry liquid! Other things too.

Angry Chicken Inspiration for all the things I would make if I had the time

It has been a while since I have posted up items of clothing, shoes or bags that I like. This is because every single shop appears to be selling a selection of bubble and sack-like items. The majority of dresses, tops and even t-shirts are totally shapeless and are designed to make even the thinest of people look like they are apple shaped. I don’t really want to follow the herd and wear these garishly patterened sacks and have found going to the shops since the beginning of the year depressing. “Where has idividuality gone” I cry out and I have longed for clothing which is more feminine and glamorous. I do not need to wait any longer. Look at what I found!!

How gorgeous is this dress!! (click on it to enlarge)

 and this is just slinky gorgeousness!

Both of these are from Bernie Dexters website but if you like this kind of style then Babygirl boutique and Mode Merr  are both worth a look. The most exciting place I found yesterday was What Katie Did  a little company down in England who reproduce vintage underwear. In my mind it is totally glamourous with a burlesque quality to it. Too beautiful to hide away. Anyway, I shall leave you all to browse

A successful day looking at eco products at entrading in Glasgow. They have all sorts from clothing to paint and I have my eye on a bamboo salad bowl. The little cafe attached sells all organic food and they do have vegan food! We had BLT sandwiches with vegan mayo and they also gave us some falafels. They had soya milk available and the woman was totally on the ball and knew what vegans eat and don’t eat. Lovely people.

Inspired by the eco shop I had a look online for all you people who aren’t as fortunate to have such a shop on your doorstep and so far my favourite places are Ecoutlet and Gonegreen. Check out this sun jar!! As they say “Jam jars store jam. The Sun Jar collects and stores sunlight…” Obvious really.  Have also been thinking about getting composting and these Bokashi buckets seem to be the solution to my composting problems. They are small enough to sit comfortably in the kitchen and are practical so I would actually use them. Have had intentions of composting before and food just sits in a bowl in the kitchen and rots. yum.

It is very strange having an evening free these days and having just completed 4 essays I thought I would take a break before I start the next 4. Am even having tomorrow off!! Shock! Horror! The plan is to visit a new eco shop which has opened in Glasgow called Entrading. It appears to have a vegan-friendly cafe too so I will have a shifty and see what it is like.

On the shopping side of things I have been very reserved, so I feel, although I did cave in and buy these rather gorgeous boots from Alternative Outfitters. I have had my eye on them since about October but I was having problems ordering through their website via credit card. They have now added a pay by PayPal (which is a little hidden away) so this should now sort out the problem with international orders. I love these boots although the boyfriend thinks they look a little like I am wearing callipers…

I still, shamefully, have not made any cupcakes from my book as currently my body is shunning cake and chocolate. Trust me, this is not intentional! Everytime I reach for the chocolate I find myself with some fruit in my hand. I suppose after being unwell my body is demanding that I treat it with some respect but as soon as I can divert its attention I will whip up some of those fine looking cakes and give them a taste test.

Ok, must go off and enjoy the rest of my weekend. I have plans to make for exciting ventures….