Halloween Graveyard Cupcakes

Happy Halloween everyone, I hope you've all had a suitably scary day! I've been busy baking some yummy, sorry SPOOKY graveyard cupcakes which were so easy to make so I thought I'd share a quick recipe for how I made them. I was inspired by this recipe for a Haunted Graveyard Bake which looks amazing but takes a little longer to create. The cupcake cases and bat decorations came as a pack which I bought from Asda last year but I've seen plenty similar in the supermarkets this year. 

Makes 12
125g (4 oz) plain flour
125g (4oz) caster sugar
125g (4oz) soft margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 eggs

For the decoration
Nice biscuits of Rich Tea Finger Biscuits
Chocolate to melt
Chocolate sprinkles
Chocolate frosting
Icing sugar for Decoration 
Icing bag 

-Mix all the cupcake ingredients together in a bowl for around one and a half to two minutes until smooth.
-Evenly distribute the mixture between the cupcake cases and bake in a preheated oven at 180C (350F), Gas Mark 4 for 15-20 minutes. They should be slightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed.
-Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely

For the decoration
-Melt the chocolate then brush it on the biscuit. Try to use biscuits with rounded edges to look like gravestones. 
-Mix up a bowl of icing which is thick enough to write with. Using the icing write some spooky phrases on to your chocolate grave stones
-Top each cupcake with a thick layer of chocolate frosting and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. You could also use crumbled biscuits or Cadburys Flake.
-Stick the biscuit in to the cake pushing down firmly. It might help keep the biscuit in place if you let the icing slightly set before you add it to the top of the cupcake.

    

Don't forget to check out my other Halloween themed posts; Halloween Nail Art and Party Make Up. Have a Happy Halloween!

Spooky Halloween Nail Art

I had a go at some spooky Halloween nails this week, seeing as I won't get a chance to dress up I thought it might be fun to do something fun with my nails. The frankenstein's monster nails I did using a tutorial from Miss Budget Beauty's youtube channel which I'll include at the bottom of the page. All the other designs I just copied off pictures I found on google.

I couldn't actually find my nail art pen so instead I used an old liquid eyeliner which worked really well and dried matte on the nails which I think looks pretty cool. Unfortunately I forgot to add a top coat to my nails so when I went in the shower the eyeliner washed completely off my nails. Oh well, you live and you learn!

For a first try I was pretty pleased with the results and all the designs were so easy to do. They'd definitely be a great addition to any Halloween costume or as a bit of fun if you're not planning on dressing up.

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Starry Night - N.O.T.D

I Nails Inc - Available here I Bourjois Manicure Laser Toppings - Available here I

I'm still feeling the effects of this horrible cold, as are most people I know at the moment, so to cheer myself up I painted my nails and I have to say I think they look pretty cool. Nails Inc's 'Motcomb Street' was a freebie in Glamour Magazine last year and it's been one of my favourite's ever since. Perfect for Autumn/Winter it's an almost black navy blue and only needs one coat which is probably why I chose it subconsciously cause I'm stuck in one of those can't be bothered moods. On two nails I added a couple of coats of the Bourjois Macincure Laser Toppings in 'Sun Scales' which looks amazing against the dark blue. It really reminds me of those beautiful, dark, starry skies you get in the winter time, I for one can't wait for cosy nights on the sofa in front of the fire!

p.s. Keep up with all the latest on A Girl Called Eleanor by following me on Twitter, Bloglovin, Google+ and Pinterest. You can also sign up by Email in the side bar for regular post updates!

The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag

I'm currently stuck in bed with the worst cold ever (no exaggeration!) and my brain just isn't working properly to be able to put together a decent blog post. With that in mind I thought it might be fun to do The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag which I saw on Chloe's Way seeing as it doesn't take too much thinking to do and tags are always fun to read so I hope you enjoy! 

1. Name a beauty regime that you rarely do.
I hardly ever exfoliate, I really should because I end up with horrible chicken skin sometimes but honestly I just can't be bothered with it. It seems like such a faff when really I just want to be in and out of the shower in a couple of minutes so I can get on with other things. 

2. Is washing your make up brushes something you do regularly?
To be honest, not really. I use my fingers to apply my foundation/concealer so there's no brushes to wash there. As for my other brushes I definitely don't wash them as often as I should, It's purely just down to me being lazy but if I remember then I will.

3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?
Not very long, I pretty much always have my nails looking nice to the point where people will notice if they are chipped or not painted. I really enjoy doing my nails or any one else's for that matter cause I just find it really relaxing.

4.How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it?
(i.e. purchasing a new top coat or a new foundation etc.)
I like to keep up with what's running out in my make up bag so I tend to get ahead of myself and buy something new before the last product has even run out. It's not exactly economical and I usually end up with loads of half empty products but I don't like to think about what would happen if I ran out of foundation or mascara! 

5. What is your worst beauty habit?
My worst beauty habit would probably be not keeping my eyebrows in shape as much as I should. I use the excuse that I have a fringe so no one ever really sees them but they are pretty thick and grow so quickly. I tend to just leave them until they get really bad and then I'll pluck/wax them. Attractive huh? I've got this new wax pen now though which is really easy to use so there's no excuses now.

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time.
It has to be doing my laundry, I'm so bad at keeping up with washing my clothes that I'll end up with no clean clothes left before I will put a wash in. It's not like it's even a difficult thing to do and I know I would be so much happier if I did my laundry more often because I'd have way more clothes to choose from but I just can't be bothered. 

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?
No never, I have to be organised with plenty of time other wise I just get really stressed and end up not even wanting to go out. I don't like to be rushed either so I have to give myself plenty of time, probably cause I really enjoy putting my make up on, doing my hair and choosing an outfit so I like to have time to do it. 

8. Can you commit to spending bans?
I think so, I'm quite frugal when it comes to spending and I'll go through phases when I just don't buy anything. To be honest I don't really have much money anyway at the moment so I'm pretty much on a constant spending ban!    

9. How organised is your make up and nail polish collection?
It should be really organised but it isn't. The products I don't use everyday are tidied away in all the storage I should really make more use of where as the products I use every day are currently sat on my window sill where I do my make up every day. Y'know, I've realised from this tag that I'm really quite lazy! As for nail polish, it gets shared round between my Mum, my Sister and I so there's no guessing where all the nail polishes are in our house!

10. What is the longest amount of time you have gone without writing a blog post?
I think the longest I've gone is a week without writing a post but I could be wrong. I'm pretty good at keeping up with posts, even on holiday I blogged every couple of days because I really enjoy doing it. I post at least twice a week but I'd really like to do it more often.

Rules:
1. Copy and paste these 'rules' into your post when you write it!
2. You must state that this tag was created by Laura from The Beau Bow
3. You must thank the person who tagged you at the start of your post, follow them if your feeling nice and at the end of the post state who you tag and comment on their blog to let them know you tagged them.
4. Title this post 'The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger TAG'.
5. Have fun! :)

I tag anyone who wants to do this tag, just link back to me to say I've tagged you. :-)

My Picks For Autumn 2013 - Structured Coats

I Red Coat I Camel Coat I Pink Coat I Pale Blue Coat I Orange Coat I Grey Coat I

It's that time of year again when we'll all be thinking about what we'll be wearing to keep warm this Autumn/Winter and whether the coat we bought three years will hold out another winter. I feel like a good quality coat should be a staple in all our wardrobes and boy is there some good ones around this season. I'm focusing on structured coats in this post because there's many variations on this style and lets be honest, if you've got to cover up an outfit which took an hour to pick out then you might as well pick a coat that's going to make a statement. This autumn the rule book has been thrown out the window, pastels are no longer confined to spring/summer and masculine shapes are being made more feminine with softer fabrics and fur trims. 



I Jumper Miss Selfridge £35 I Trousers  Pull and Bear £29.99 I Boots New Look £29.99 I

I Dress Matalan £10 I Tights Matalan £3 I Boots New Look £44.99 I

I T Shirt Zara £19.99 I Jeans Topshop £40 I Shoes New Look £17.99 I

It's definitely worth paying that little bit extra for a coat that will last a good few years so make sure it's good quality and most of all that it'll keep you warm! If you go for something a bit different like a biker style coat, know that it's likely to go out of style in a year or two so don't spend too much on it (unless you want to of course!). A classic style like a single breasted coat is more of an investment piece which will always be in style and last for years to come so is worth spending extra on.

If your budget is tight I'd recommend a look on ebay. I fell in love with a coat from Miss Selfridge last year but it was way out of my budget. After a quick search I managed to find the exact same coat on ebay brand new and unworn for half the price! Luckily for me someone had been given it as a gift but didn't want it so had decided to sell it. It's always worth having a look, even if you can't find the exact same coat, they'll be loads that are similar.  

p.s. Keep up with all the latest on A Girl Called Eleanor by following me on Twitter, Bloglovin, Google+ and Pinterest. You can also sign up by Email in the side bar for regular post updates!

My Picks For Autumn 2013 - Printed Trousers

Printed trousers seems to be a growing trend for Autumn 2013 with an emphasis on floral, geometric and check prints. Bold prints work really well on straight legged trousers that stop short at the ankle. This is a really flattering fit as it sits low on the hips and elongates the leg. I'd pair them up with a loose fit plain t shirt and ankle boots for a casual look or maybe something lacy and fitted with skinny heels for the evening. I've picked a few of my favourite printed trousers from across the web for which I'll include links for where you can buy them below.

Leather Jacket Available here

White T Shirt Available here

Heels Available here

Ankle Boots Available here

Lace Top Available here

Red Check Trousers Available here

Purple Foulard Print Trousers Available here

Black Floral Trousers Available here

Pink Floral Trousers Available here

Oriental Print Trousers Available here

Pink Damask Print Trousers Available here

Green/Blue Geometric Trousers Available here

p.s. Keep up with all the latest on A Girl Called Eleanor by following me on Twitter, Bloglovin, Google+ and Pinterest. You can also sign up by Email in the side bar for regular post updates!