Coconut Banana Bread

Baking is one of my favourite things to do and i love finding ways to incorporate slightly healthier alternatives into my baking portfolio. Banana bread is a great dessert that is slightly healthier due to the high banana content needed to make it.This makes it a great way to indulge without the guilt! Here is a recipe i found for a coconut banana bread which uses coconut as a substitute meaning you don't have to use as much sugar as an ordinary recipe would require. The recipe also uses Greek yoghurt, which works as a binder and makes the bread taste extra creamy and indulgent. This recipe i have tried and tested a number of times and is now my go-to banana bread recipe!

Charlotte Tilbury and RHW

Just like every other gal at the moment, i love rose gold. That isn't however the only reason i love these two products. Though the packaging of both of these products does bring heart-emojis to my eyes, they're both fabulous for the reasons i'm about to give.

November

November has been a fun month. Having recently moved to University, i'm still settling into my new city and exploring everything it has to offer. As the pictures above exhibit, much of my discoveries were food based (the best kind).

I visited something completely new to me, the Gin Festival. Upon discovering this in freshers week with my also gin loving flatmate and now gin buddy, we decided to buy a ticket and give this a go. Basically this festival travels around the country offering ticket holders a chance to sample gins at four different themed bars. One for international gins, two for British-based gins and one (which was my favourite) for fruit infused gins. Upon arriving at the venue everybody is given a rather lovely gin glass with which you use to travel around the bars choosing your gin and then topping up with your tonic of choice. Next you purchase gin tokens which you then use to purchase each drink.  During this festival I discovered a new favourite of mine Edinburgh Gin Raspberry Liqueur. I also discovered a new favourite luxury tonic - Fever Tree, who sponsored the event. This tonic is lovely and claims to offer a natural way to enjoy tonic. Good news for all health conscious G & T lovers. This was a really fun experience and a great treat for gin lovers alike! I'm hoping this was my first of many visits.

The rest of my month was filled with discovering a new brunch place as well as altering to life as a University student, meaning I actually have to think up meals and cook for myself - how do we cope? As you can see above my creations haven't been too interesting but tasty nonetheless. I'm all about the quick and easy.This month I also made the discovery of Marks and Spencer's Pitta crisps which are my new treat and I seriously need to refrain from eating the whole bag in one sitting.

Last but definitely not least Christmas is on the way!!!! The Christmas food markets have been set up in the city and walking through them is a very cruel thing to do to myself. Resisting temptation to return for more churros as we speak.

Brekky Bowls

Breakfast is one of the best times of the day and porridge has to be one of my favourite foods, that may seem peculiar but true! There's nothing more comforting on a cold winter morning than a nice big ol' bowl of porridge and a brew. However I like to put a spin on what a lot of people perceive to be a boring brekky.

Cobalt.

This outfit, based around a simple white sheer blouse and black leather mini is one i would generally tend to wear to a little more dressy occassion. This is the sort of outfit i would deem perfect for me on a night out or for a meal with the girlies or a similar occasion of some sort. I like it. It's simple and easy yet isn't boring. 

I'm the sort of person who pays attention to comfort and practicality and the cobalt blue pumps from Matalan that i have paired with this outfit very much follow this line of thought. Although i love wearing heels as much as any other girl (especially seeing as i'm pretty short) i also like to wear pumps as a bit of a change when out and i love these for both their practicality but also the fact they are gorgeous and it was literally love at first sight. I'm very much a pumps girl i find a good pump can totally change the whole sort of dynamic of what you're wearing. Pointed pumps are also a new obsession of mine. Very 60's. I like how they add a smartness to what you're wearing. I love the pretty blue with this outfit; it adds interest to the monochrome theme. I also paired it with my trusty gold sequin clutch bag. I've had this for years and it's never failed me. I love sequins and the shoulder chain that fits inside it  makes life easier when you seriously cannot be bothered carrying it as a clutch bag or you're just plain forgetful and clumsy - it helps avoid the fear of losing all your wordly possessions, especially if you're me and bring literally the whole contents of Mary Poppins' bag on a night out or when you inevitably have to take responsibility for all of your friends' stuff.

Cat eye.

Having been infatuated with make up for some time now I kind of treat it like a hobby. The actual act of applying make up and developing skills is probably what I love most about it. When I got to the age where I really began to take a proper interest in make up and my era of matching my beloved blue eyeshadow with bright pink lip gloss had passed I began watching endless make up tutorial videos on YouTube, discovering new aspects of make up and different products.

Eyeliner has always been something I really liked and paid close attention to. I think i first saw it as a tween on Taylor Swift. I am a particular fan of the cat eye flick and it's my go-to eye look when going out. I find that it's very flattering and is something everybody can pull off. Though it takes aaaaaaaages to get the hang of (something I'm still working on after years of trying) it does gets much easier and then you can experiment with exactly how thick you want your line and how to achieve the perfect feline flick for your eye.

There's many different types of liner and for a newbie it can get rather confusing. For an everyday look I usually tend to wear a simple line of gel eyeliner across my top lashes using a slanted liner brush. I don't really tend to do anything more dramatic in the day and so i don't go into a flick. I find because my lashes are quite short and flat a simple line really helps in making them appear a little thicker and fuller. When i want a bit more of a dramatic look and go for a winged-out cat eye effect i always find it easier to use a liquid pen as it's easier to have control and be more precise with your line. A top tip I've recently learnt in my struggle for the perfect flick is to first draw your flick in line with the line of your bottom lashes; almost like you are continuing the line upwards and then go in and draw the line on your top lashes, joining it up with your flick. Drawing your flick this way ensures that it is perfect for your specific eye shape. I'm not very good at explaining so I'll link the video i got this trick off:

The pictures I've posted below is a classic example of my take on the cat eye. Using Soap and Glory's Supercat liquid liner for my winged line with a simple brown kohl pencil along the bottom lash line. In terms of eyeshadow I've gone quite minimal, using 'Faint' from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette in my crease and 'Smog' from the same companies Naked palette in my outer corner, which i have also taken along the lower lash line to smoke the look out a bit. To top off the eye I have used Benefit's They're Real mascara along the top and lower lashes.

Soap and Glory Supercat liner. My everyday gel liner, Bobbi brown in Espresso Ink along with my Eco Tools eyeliner brush.

Turtle.

So recently i've had a bit of an obsession with turtleneck jumpers, polo neck, roll-neck - whatever terminology you prefer to use.

With the cold weather, this eternally classic item (which according to Wikipedia apparently dates back to the 15th century) has been a huge staple for me at the moment. Ideal for warmth and adding a smart sophistication that goes with pretty much everything; from a classic pair of skinny jeans to a skirt and ankle boots the turtleneck is definitely ideal for winter.

Recently i purchased a few jumpers all in one go. A black; a burgundy; a beige and a woolly knitted edition. It's been a good way to change up my wardrobe and since then i've pretty much been alternating between each one.

The burgundy jumper i bought recently from good ol' ASOS.

As i'm quite petite i've gone for cropped versions as i tend to match with high waisted bottoms whether this be a skirt or jeans as i find it tends to look better with my proportions as a shorty. I also really like turtlenecks for the smart element they bring and i always feel a bit more put together. They really easily dress up a pair of skinnies and ankle boots - add my beloved leather jacket and I'm good to go. As well as casual I've also been wearing them a lot when I go out at night. I'm OBSESSED with a turtleneck matched with a really dressy skirt plus they are majorly comfy and keep you from freezing whilst being stood outside waiting for your taxi that should have arrived half an hour ago.

I'm not really sure what brought on this sudden fad i seem to have attained for turtlenecks, apart from the fact it's a classical item and i tend to gravitate towards timeless fashions with my wardrobe. I have a feeling this is another way in which i am trying to imitate Alexa Chung's style. It's also a trend I've been seeing a lot recently on the likes of Millie Mackintosh, who i find dresses well and is often somebody I look to for inspiration. My music taste has a big impact on my life and being a major fan of Miles Kane probably has something to do with it too. Also, whenever I'm in my black jumper I feel like I belong in the Beatles.

This is definitely a trend that is here to stay probably forever, especially in my wardrobe.

Alexa herself rocking a turtleneck and mini skirt duo.