My Festive OOTD | December 2015

My Festive OOTD | December 2015

Sunday, 27 December 2015

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I really hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, what ever plans you had with family and friends. For today's post, I thought I would share with you my outfit from Christmas Day:

 I only managed to get a few snaps because it was such a hectic day!
But, I managed to pick up this gorgeous dress from River Island on Christmas Eve while out with my family. There was only one left on the rail and it just happened to be my size...so of course it was meant to be! My sisters and I love getting a bit more dressed up with dresses and nice makeup on Christmas because it just feels a little more special, even though in reality we will just be chilling, spending time with family and eating all day!

I feel like this outfit would also be good for New Years parties or any upcoming occasion because of its monochrome print, it makes it quite a flexible piece. I can already tell how much of a staple and favourite this dress is going to become in my wardrobe.

Let me know in the comments: What do you like to do/wear on Christmas Day?

xx

The CHAI Tea Post. ☕

The CHAI Tea Post. ☕

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The secret is out: I am a self confessed chai tea addict.

I am that type of person who drinks hot drinks all year round, and I seem to go for tea much more than coffee. I have drunk MANY cups and types of tea, but for the last few months, chai has been my absolute favourite!

I thought I would make a post to share with you the best chai teas I have found (trust me I've tried a lot!) that are quite easy to find in most supermarkets.

Five Days To Go...

Five Days To Go...

Sunday, 20 December 2015

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It's actually crazy how quickly advent has flown by and Christmas has approached, it honestly feels to me like it was the summer holidays only last week...Bur I can't believe there is only five days left to go until the big day!

I just wanted to make this little post to combine a few wintery photos of things that have made my December  festive, and I also wanted to wish you all a beautiful, magical Christmas this year: 

❣ make the last few days of 2015 count ❣

Lots of love,

-Monochrome Roses x

Festive Shortbread Puppies ❄

Festive Shortbread Puppies ❄

Sunday, 13 December 2015

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As a lot of you will know, I love to bake. So as Christmas is approaching I decided to start baking some treats for my family. I got a cookie cutter in the shape of a puppy when I was on holiday last year and I completely forgot I had it until I spotted it in my baking drawer the other day. So...I had to make some puppy-shaped biscuits!

I also tried to make them a little bit christmassy by adding a red nose to some of them!

I used a basic shortbread recipe of:

175g butter

50g caster sugar

175g self-raising flour

(Makes 12-14)

and then I split the mixture in half, mixing one with vanilla extract and chocolate chip toppings; and the rest with salted caramel extract, and topped with some fudge pieces and a cranberry to make the facial features.

These went down a treat in my family, especially as we are all dog-lovers! I also think a few of these would be such a lovely Christmas present too.

I hope this has inspired you to do some fun and festive baking. Let me know if you like these sort of posts because I can definitely do more, and there are loads of recipes that I can't wait to try out soon.

Hope you are having a happy & merry December.

xx

My First GRAZE box | Review

My First GRAZE box | Review

Sunday, 6 December 2015

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So I had heard all of the hype about Graze Subscription Boxes that I just had to get my hands on one to try them out for myself!

Mince Pie Flapjack- As I opened the packet, I got the most amazing smell of cinnamon and other yummy spices! And it definitely did not disappoint. I was so pleased to receive this one in particular in my graze box, because I browsed the snacks before buying and I immediately rated this one 'LOVE' because it looked perfect for me!

Jaffa Cake Punnet- I was so pleasantly surprised about this combination, to be honest I didn't expect this to be anything special but it was so delicious and I would definitely have it again! It was a lovely combination of flavours, and the orange infused raisins made it taste festive too.

Peanut Butter with Pretzel Sticks- I cannot deny that I am a peanut butter addict. So, once again this was a perfect treat for me. I loved the salty combination of the pretzels too. I had this as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea and a pink lady apple...mmm!

Cocoa Vanilla Protein Flapjack- No surprise here because I loved this snack too! It tasted a bit like cocoa pops to me, which was my favourite cereal when I was little. So, I enjoyed this with a yummy hot chocolate whilst watching a Christmas movie last night.

This post is not sponsored, I am just extremely pleased with my box.

Let me know what you think of Graze Boxes and which of these snacks do you think would be your favourite?

xx

My Beauty Advent Calendars 2015

My Beauty Advent Calendars 2015

Sunday, 29 November 2015

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I can't actually believe it is only 2 days until December (squeal!). Unfortunately this year, most of my December is taken up by mock exams and coursework for my GCSE's. But, I am not letting that prevent me from getting really festive!

I've only ever had chocolate advent calendars before, but this year I have a couple of beauty ones to try. And to tell you I was excited for advent would be an understatement!

Here are the two I am lucky enough to try out this year:

Benefit Party Poppers Advent Calendar

I am a HUGE Benefit fan and I have already tried some of their products. Usually the mini-sizes are such good value and very long-lasting so I am excited to see what products are included. Yes, it's not the cheapest advent calendar out there, but I've had my eye on it for the past few Christmases and so my parents were kind enough to surprise me with this yesterday as a pre-christmas treat! 

No7 25 Days of Beauty Wonders Advent Calender

And also, I get to have a sneak peek inside the No7 calendar, as my mum, my sister and I bought this together last week to share. In my opinion, No7 products are so underrated because everything I have tried before has really impressed me. So, I am intrigued to see what this calendar offers...

Let me know if you celebrate Christmas, which advent calendar do you have?

❄Hope you all have an amazing, festive season❄

xx

My go-to chill outfit.

My go-to chill outfit.

Sunday, 22 November 2015

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Everyone definitely deserves a chill day every now and again. And of course on these days, comfort is the ultimate priority! Sundays usually become my day to take some time to relax and un-wind from the busy week. This is my go-to outfit combo for those days where I just want to lay on my bed, watch youtube and netflix, and drink endless cups of tea.

Jumper- ASOS

Black Leggings- H&M

Nails- Bourjois

Fluffy Bear Socks- Next

and obviously a dressing gown or onesie is likely to appear at one point during the day too!

Let me know: what are your go-to comfy clothes?

xx

Primark Christmas Mini Haul

Primark Christmas Mini Haul

Sunday, 15 November 2015

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I honestly can't believe how close Christmas is approaching! I can remember New Years so well, and it only feels like it was last week! But, I am definitely SO excited for Christmas because it is my all time favourite celebration and it is such a festive, happy time of the year.

This year I have decided to try and be super organised with presents! So, I recently popped in to Primark to see what new bits they had. I have to admit Primark is very hit-and-miss with me, meaning sometimes I come out with a lot and sometimes I can't find anything I like!

This time however I was SO impressed with all of the festive pieces they had in stock, this is what I picked up:

Everything was such an amazing price and the quality far exceeded my expectations for Primark!

I have worn the polar bear onesie and fluffy socks non-stop- the ultimate cosy clothes!

The candles especially were only £1 each and they are the best candles I have ever owned because they have such a strong, beautiful scent and they look amazing too!

What do you think of Primark's Christmas Range?

xx

HURRAW! Lip Balms | Review

HURRAW! Lip Balms | Review

Sunday, 8 November 2015

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As some of you may know, I follow a plant-based diet. And so, I am always intrigued to try natural, cruelty-free beauty products too! I think it's fair to say that I am a lip-product-a-holic (!!!) as many of my friends will know that I can't leave the house without a few of my trusty lip balms.

I discovered this brand HURRAW! recently when I was in American Apparel. They caught my eye as I went to the till because of the amazing flavour variety they had! Of course I chose coconut and chai spice, but there were other delicious flavours such as vanilla bean, green tea and even chocolate!

 At only £3.50 each, I was SO impressed at the scent, quality and duration of the silky soft feeling on my lips. They are all made with only raw, natural oils and ingredients that are so beneficial, and they are one of the best lip balms I have tried! So, I will definitely be repurchasing and picking out some new flavours the next time I spot them!                                                                                                  

Have you ever heard of 'HURRAW!'? Which flavour would you choose?

xx

✦HEALTHY PUMPKIN SPICE LOAF✦

✦HEALTHY PUMPKIN SPICE LOAF✦

Sunday, 1 November 2015

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Happy Halloween for yesterday!

I hope you had an amazing time whatever you had planned! For me, I'm not a huge Halloween fan, so instead I stayed in and baked something delicious instead. BUT it was pumpkin spice flavour...so that counts right?!

I based the recipe on The Pumpkin Loaf from TheSimpleVeganista but I made a few alterations to suit my taste and the ingredients I had.                                                                                          
Here is exactly what I used:

·         2 cups wholemeal flour

·         1/3 cup dates (pitted and chopped)

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·         2 teaspoons mixed spice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         pinch of mineral salt

·         1- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1/3 cup maple syrup 

·         1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)

·          1 can 100% pumpkin purée 

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 180°C

In a medium size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a small bowl, combine oil, dates, maple syrup and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture along with the pumpkin purée and mix well. Don’t over mix but be sure there is no flour clumps. Pour the batter into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once done, remove from oven, let cool slightly before serving and enjoy! Let cool completely before storing.

What did you do for Halloween?

If you try out this recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments!

xx

Campfire Nights | OOTN

Campfire Nights | OOTN

Sunday, 25 October 2015

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Recently, one of my best friends turned 16, and to celebrate she had an amazing garden party for friends&family. I didn't get any pictures of the actual party (because it was private so would have been quite awkward, haha!), but just imagine it covered in twinkly fairy lights, a mini gazebo and garden house, lots of food, drinks and cosy chairs and blankets nestled round a campfire to toast marshmallows on! It was such a beautiful evening!

As it was quite a special occasion, I decided to dress up a bit but still made sure I was comfortable. Here is what I wore (apologies for the blurry photos, I was already running a bit late!):

And of course I went for my go-to hairstyle at the moment (as you can see from previous posts!)

Coat- New Look
Dress- Topshop
Necklace- Orelia
Nail Colour- Kiko
Shoes- Topshop
Socks- Topshop



♢Let me know: what are your favourite autumn traditions?♢



xx