Francesca Beauty ♥

Monday, 24 April 2017

VEGAN GARLIC, HERB & SPINACH CREAMY PASTA.

I've never shared any recipes on my blog before, even though I started this blog just doing beauty, I basically just share whatever I want anyway so whyyy not.

I went vegan at the start of this year and have been LOVING it, so any recipes that appear on my blog will be vegan :)

This recipe is super quick and easy and perfect for students! It's also really tasty and definitely satisfies the craving for a creamy pasta for vegans!

INGREDIENTS:

Spagetti.

Vegan Quorn "chicken".

Spinach.

Frozen Peas.

Vegan Garlic and Herb style Cream "Cheese".

Salt and Pepper to season.

METHOD:

1. Boil a pan of water for the pasta, add some salt and a tiny bit of oil to stop any sticking.

2. Add a small amount of oil or cooking spray to a wok and then add the Quorn chicken and peas.

3. After the Quorn is cooked, add a small amount of water to the wok and the spinach and leave to simmer.

4. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the wok and add in around half the pot of cream cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.

5. Serve up, add some black pepper and enjoy!

TIRED/ HUNGOVER MAKEUP LOOK

This is my "trying not to look tired or hungover" makeup look. Obviously if you are hungover or tired you could totally just stay in bed all Sunday but this is for if you actually need/ want to look presentable or if you are doing something the day after.

This is the makeup i wore to Nandos on Sunday with my friends when we were all a bit worse for wear.

I started with the Smashbox Photo Finish primer water which i recently bought and have been loving, rosewater sprays would also be great for refreshing your skin and prepping it for makeup if you're tired. I then went with one of my favourite drugstore primers which is the Maybelline Super Stay Primer, I like it because it doesn't feel silicone-y and really slippery like some primers do which I'm not the biggest fan of.

I then used my favourite foundation of the moment which is quickly making it's way to one of my all time faves, the Smashbox Studio Skin foundation and then I also used the corresponding concealer with a little bit of Tarte Shape Tape over the top. I then baked my face like normal with the Coty Airspun Translucent loose powder and then I set the rest of the face with the Maybelline Matte Maker powder. Bronzer is something that definitely helps to make you look much healthier so I added lots of the Too Faced Chocolate Solei bronzer, then the Kiko cream blush and then i added the Sleek Soltice highlighter.

For the eyes I went really simple and just set them with a white eyeshadow, used the highlighter in the inner corner, added the Soap & Glory Supercat liner and the L'Oreal volume million feline mascara. The next step is obviously optional but i feel like adding lashes is a super easy way of looking wide awake and fresh with very minimal effort. I used the Ardell Demi Wispies in 603.

For the lips i lined them with MAC Whirl and filled them in softly with MAC Velvet Teddy.

IS IT WORTH IT? • THE BEAUTY BLENDER

This is a new little "series" that I really want to start on my blog. I used to do specific product reviews all the time but I don't do it so much anymore, so I decided that to encourage me to do it more I'll start this little series. If there's a product that's more expensive or super hyped up, I'll share my opinion and tell you whether I think something is worth it or not.

So even though every beauty YouTuber I watched always raved about the Beauty Blender, I always decided against buying it and always favoured just getting one of the many cheaper alternatives. I've tried so many beauty sponges from Real Techniques to M&S however when a teeny little BB stand arrived my in local Boots I picked one up and said to my boyfriend that I didn't understand the price tag but I really wanted to try one.

As this was the day before my birthday my boyfriend very kindly bought me one as a little add- on present. So I was obviously very excited to try it and when I did....

Game.

Changed.

The texture of the real Beauty Blender is completely different to any other sponge that I've ever tried, and for some reason it makes every foundation look amazing. It makes every foundation look as good as it can and whenever I start applying my foundation with a brush, i have to switch back over. It feels much less dense than any other that I've tried and it a lot softer than the Real Techniques ones and overall performs sooo much better.

I have applied my foundation and concealer with a brush maybe 1 or 2 times if I've been in a rush to get ready or something but literally that's it. I'm also yet to find a foundation or concealer that doesn't work with it.

I ofcourse use the BB wet but sometimes I like to spray it with a facial spray instead of water and it has a really great finish. If I want my foundation to last the longest possible, or if it's a foundation that doesn't always last the longest on my skin, I'll spray the Urban Decay De- Slick spray so that it works in with the foundation to give the longest lasting base possible.

100% worth it, if you wear foundation you NEED it!

• LIVING WITH STRANGERS AT UNI •

Unintentionally, i seem to have started a little series about my life at uni. I say unintentionally because i wrote my first post to simply get the thoughts out of my head when i first started. However looking at my stats for these posts, you lot seem to enjoy them.

The next thing i want to talk about is, as the title suggests, living with strangers. This was something that i was really worried about.

Who would i end up living with?

Will we get on?

What happens if we don't?

I have to say, for the record, i got extremely lucky with who i've ended up living with.

Whilst at times it can be the most frustrating thing ever, like... when you just want to go to the kitchen and make a cheese bagel but you hear all your housemates having a party in there. You would go and join but you've already taken all your makeup off and are stewing in your space pyjamas.

Well, that might just be me.

But it is just for the year, then you can move in with whatever friends you make and you can go to kitchen whenever you want and get as many cheese toasties as your stomach can handle.

Uni is a very challenging experience and it's very important that when filling out the little boxes on the accommodation website, you think properly about the type of house and the type of people you're going to find it most comfortable to live with. There's the quiet house box, even a box that asks whether you'd prefer to live in an all- girls house... but don't take the piss and tick the quiet box so it's quiet when you want to sleep and the kitchen is free for when you want to invite everyone round for pres.

My biggest advice would be to make a bloody schedule for taking out the bins. Straight away. Even if you do it and then just sneak it on to the notice board if you don't want to seem like you're trying to be the mum. That bin schedule is important- and if it's your day, TAKE. IT. OUT.

I speak from experience. You can pretend like you won't care but a uni halls kitchen is grim place so don't make it worse.

But for real, even though it can be crap at times and even though you live with a bunch of people it can be quite lonely, it's really nothing to worry about. My biggest advice would be to make your room super homely and decorate it so it's a place you're going to want to spend loads of time. You're there for the best part of a year so refusing to call it some sort of "home" is only going to make you feel worse.