Quick and easy Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

I do believe it’s time for another recipe!

In the cookbook this is a recipe for “Chocolate Butterfly Cakes”, but in my recipe I added a chocolate icing instead of cream and they tasted trés magnifique. I wish I cud say the cake was the best part but icing was divoon. These are quick and easy and a perfect little touch for Valentine’s Day, be it with your lover or just friends!

You will need:

25g/1oz plain chocolate

125g/4½oz butter

85g/4oz caster sugar

150g/5½oz self-raising flour

2 eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Icing cugar

White Chocolate

So here’s the recipe:

§ Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F/ Gas mark 4. Line a 12 hole bun tin with paper cases. Preparation is key my lovelies!

§ Melt Chocolate on a double boiler pan or in the microwave, but make sure to keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn.

§ Beat together butter, sugar, flour, eggs and cocoa in a large bowl until just smooth. Beat the melted chocolate into the mixture.

§ For this I sneakily defied the instructions of the cookbook (teehee) and added in a square of chocolate into each cake. I half-filled the paper case, place a piece of chocolate in the middle and poured the rest of the batter over the top. Some sank to the bottom but they tasted absolutely gorgeous!

§ Spoon into the cases (about ¾ full) and bake in the oven for 15minutes or until springy to the touch. Allow to cool completely.

For the Icing:

§ Melt some white chocolate and add in an equal amount of icing sugar or confectionary sugar. The amount will vary on how thick or how much you want on each cupcake. Gently mix together until it thickens to a paste, you know yourself what icing looks like!

§ Spread onto the cupcakes and there you have it! Beautiful cupcakes!

So there you have it, a quick and simple recipe for any special occasion sure to make any mouth water.

Happy licking of spoons,

Aila Maritz xox

Mental Health Week

Just a very short post today, but I'd just like to address the fact that it's Mental Health Week.

Most of us have had some form of depression in our lives, the fact that there is a week dedicated to it proves that it's nothing rare or to be ashamed of.

"Depression isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign that you have been too strong for too long".

I want to reassure everyone that you're not weak and you're not crazy. It's not your fault and it's hard to overcome, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. However, you need to realize that you create your own destiny; if you think your life isn't worth while then you will accept this fact and do nothing to change it.

It's ok to cry, it's ok to curl up with a blanket sometimes and let it all out. But don't let it overcome you, don't let it define your life. Life is happening right now, don't miss it because your in crying about how you're missing it!

One night a while back I was feeling really down and couldn't sleep, so at sunset I took my dog for a short walk. We watched the sunset (my dog knew what was going on, obviously) and it was so peaceful and beautiful. It made me see the beauty of the world, and the fact that every slight noise in the dead silence made my dog have near heart-failure made me laugh so much I forgot about my woes.

It's the little things that help, realizing life is all around you and if you open your eyes you might be amazed.

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Never accept anyone's definition of you; define yourself."

Listen to your favourite happy music and flick through this website http://weheartit.com/. You never know, it might inspire you to smile!

Don't take life too seriously lads, we'll never get out alive.

Aila Maritz xox

How to love yourself

1. Pick out five things you hate about yourself.

2. Pick out five things you don’t hate, but you wouldn’t mind altering a bit.

3. Pick out five things you love about yourself.

Which was easiest? Could you pick five things easily?

Bet it was really easy to pick the things you hate, and fairly easy to find the things you wouldn’t mind tweaking. But the things you love about yourself?

How many times a day do you look in the mirror and tell yourself you’re amazing? And how many times do you think how fat you are, how big your nose is, how you hate your eyes, how your ears are a weird shape, how you would be pretty if you could just change that one major flaw?

Everyone should look at themselves and think I’m not perfect, but I’m better than everyone else. I know everyone wants me, they’re just too shy to do anything about it. Don’t mistake this for vanity for self-praise is no praise.

But how can you give yourself completely to another, mind and body, perfections and flaws, if you don’t love yourself enough to accept these flaws yourself?

Don’t talk down to yourself, don’t treat yourself how you wouldn’t want to treat your mother, or sister, or best friend. If you think you’re beautiful, you’re right. If you think you’re ugly, you’re right. By this I mean embracing your beauty will make you shine; don’t ever frown as you don’t know who could be falling in love with your smile.

You were born an original, don’t die a copy.

Aila Maritz xox

How to find the perfect foundation: things every girl MUST know when shopping for foundation!

It’s hard not to impulse buy when we’re shopping for make-up, what with being girls and all. But one time we must really have our wits about us is when shopping for foundation. The amount of people I know wearing the wrong shade and texture is jaw dropping when it’s so simple to pick your right shade, all you have to do is know what to look for.

Ok, first thing’s first. What every girl should know is that the people working behind the make-up counters are not there to help you; their primary goal is to sell the product. Now I’m not saying that all employees of make-up brands are evil and unhelpful, but logically they don’t want to lose a sale by telling you to shop at the next counter because they will have a better suited foundation. Of course not and to think so is delusional. They want to sell their product. So if you go in and try on three foundations that all look awful on you, they without fail will tell you one looks amazing. So trust your instincts ladies, if it doesn’t look right to you, don’t buy it.

They will also inevitably tell you how the foundation won’t have the desired effect without the matching concealer and powder. FALSE. Once again, they want to sell a product, no more. They more products they link, the more commission they receive. This also applies to the lower end products that have matching labels. One good product does not mean you must buy them all!

Also, when choosing a colour, don’t let them choose it for you. Research your own skin tone before you go in there. My advice is to begin with a shade you think will be far to light and work your way darker. You want the foundation to blend completely into your skin, not to be a shade darker. Remember, if just your face looks like it was in Spain for two weeks it’s not really gonna be a good look.

When choosing your foundation colour, you want to test it on your jawline between your ear and chin and blend this slightly into the neck. If it disappears, it’s your shade. Trust me, as a make-up artist, get the colour that disappears into your skin tone. You can always darken it up with bronzer! That goes for foundation that’s too light also, I know a few girls who are so afraid of looking orange they dive to the opposite end of the spectrum which is just as bad. You want to look fresh and alive, not like a cheetoh or a corpse.

And finally, if you find a foundation you think you will like, apply it to your whole face. Walk around for half an hour then come back and see how it held up. Seriously, you won’t know what you’re actually buying unless you do this. This step is especially important for the higher-end products as you could be spending a lotta dosh on something that fades off or goes patchy. Ask for a sample for a couple of days if you’re bold enough, but I am yet to come across someone who is willing to provide this.

Then, and ONLY then should you buy your foundation. If you follow these steps you and your foundation will live happily ever after in the world or false flawlessness.

Be wary girls, but don’t go in giving the make-up assistants the stink eye all day, that’s just weird.

Aila Maritz xox

Sure to raise some eyebrows....

Ugh, where to begin. There are so many contradicting ideas of what the perfect eyebrow is that people seem to be afraid of this subject. However, as a make-up artist I know the importance of your eyebrows and how much of a difference they really do make.

First of all, everyone needs to realize how important your eyebrows actually are. A well groomed brow will make you seem more well groomed in general, create a far more professional look and give your face structure that it otherwise would not have.

Now, the shape. I can’t stress enough that no two people are going to be the same. These fashion trends of the bushy brow, the arched brow, the thin brows; they’r a load of sh#t, pardon my French. You can’t miraculously change the entire shape of your eyebrow and expect to look good. The eyebrow stencils you get with eyebrow sets? They’re evil, stay away from them. They will absolutely ruin your eyebrows and trust me, you WILL regret it in the long run. Your eyebrows are there to suit your face specifically. For example, people will round faces will more than likely have naturally arched eyebrows to sharpen their facial features and people with sharper bone structure will have rounder brows to soften their faces etc. To alter them to the latest fashion won’t make you look like a model, it will just make you look less structured and proportional.

A number one DON’T is plucking about your eyebrows. Unless the hairs are a few millimetres away from your actual brow just don’t go there. This will ruin the natural arch of your brow and once you pluck them for a while they won’t grow back. The only places you want to pluck are between the eye and brow and in between both brows. That means no altering the shape ladies!!

So please ladies (and gents), don’t try to make your eyebrows into something they’re not. Your eyebrows are that shape for a reason. We all have different faces and different hair growth, don’t try to be someone you’re not because chances are someone wants to be you too! Embrace your eyebrows no matter what shape they are and instead of altering them, try to learn how to maintain your own shape. I promise you’ll be presently surprised!

Sex, drugs and pencil kohls,

Aila Maritz xox

What is music?

I have always had a strange relationship with music. From a very young age I have been involved in music; I learned the piano, the violin, took theory lessons and voice lessons. Although I liked going to classes and meeting new people, I never really took to them. The violin hurt my neck when I played it and my piano teacher would pick her nose and flick it onto the keys as I played. Needless to say, I gave that up. I learned the theoretical side but without an instrument to practice with, forgot all the words and functions of the little squiggles. Besides, going to music classes wasn’t cool to the ignorant, closed minded people I tried so desperately to fit in with. So, that was that.

When I was a young teenager, the popular music was “dance” music and Rap music. Therefore in order to be socially accepted I had to eat, sleep and breathe the music of the era. I would listen to this music and never really get it. I never got why music was such a big deal, how people could love it so much. After all, dance music was the only “cool” music so anything else wasn’t worth listening to and anyone who did was weird.

In secondary school, or high school to my lovely yankee doodles, it was generally the same thing. There wasn’t as much pressure to be into the right kind of music, but I felt obligated to listen to the same music as my peers. If I didn’t hear of a new song or music artist I would be greeted with a blank stare paired with an “Oh my Gooood I can’t believe you haven’t heard of him, what a loser.” So I had my iPod loaded with the newest songs but never truly got lost in music.

Then I hit college. I met new people from all walks of life and realised it was ok to be yourself and dress how you want to dress and talk how you want to talk and listen to whatever music moved you. As I met more “alternative” people as the stereotype labels them, I began to investigate new forms of music that they recommended. Some I liked, some I hated. But I discovered the true meaning of music.

As I listened to the music I become enamoured, losing myself completely in the emotion and lyric of the song. I realised that I don’t like any genre. At all. I like songs. If an individual song moves me I will love it regardless of who sings it and what genre it is. I don’t even care about the name of the song or any other song said band has, it’s irrelevant. All I care about is the music and how it makes me feel.

For example, Clair de lune is my all-time favourite composition of music. When I listen to this melody I feel the cycle of life; the tunebegins softly and peacefully, crescendos in certain areas and finally fades off in quiet weakness. I frequently cry listening to this no matter how often I already have, because I know no matter how hard my life gets or how it crescendos, it will eventually soften to sweet melodious harmony.

I have been called emo, mainstream, weird for my taste in music, but honestly who cares what others think? If this music makes me happy does it truly matter what stereotype my music throws me into?

Here’s some examples of the music I like so that you can freely and easily agree or judge.

Bella’s Lullaby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoBoeg-oyBA

Staind: Outside http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYQnolOq88U

30 seconds to mars: Modern Myth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZds7HnSXyw

Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra: Kiss the sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jQcl0v26Ms

Pink: Nobody Knows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfX2MGN05BQ

My Chemical Romance: I don’t love you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO9Lj0T93Xk

John Mayer: Free Falling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmXuSFYRhzM

Sigur Ros: Untitled #1 (when singing kicks in at around 2mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqJ8hFgYwVg

Antsy Pants: Tree Hugger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R378SwPH-b0

Of course, these are only very few examples of music I like. I also like happy songs obviously! And some popular rock, pop, heavy metal etc. but these are the type of songs I get most ridiculed for.

I still get those people who slate me for not knowing a particular song or make me feel stupid for not liking a particular genre (or getting the name wrong like saying dead-mow-five instead of dead-mouse for Deadmau5, but really, why would I possibly assume the 5 was an S?). I realise now, however, that if I cared any less what they think of my taste in music I’d spontaneously induce into a choma.

Listen to whatever music you want to listen to and what really moves you, be it hardcore heavy metal, old school rock, modern hip hop or Barbie Girl. Otherwise you’ll miss out on what music truly is.

Happy hair-brush singing,

Aila Maritz xox

DIY facial for free!

Here’s my top secret secret skincare routine that’s absolutely free. Now, this isn’t supposed to replace your everyday cleanser but it will make your skin smoother, brighter and softer than baby cuddles. This won’t get rid of active acne, if you have a spot it’s not going to miraculously cure it, but it will make your face fresher and brighter!

• First off is my face scrub. It’s so simple I feel silly even giving instructions on how to make it. It’s simply lemon juice and sugar.

On a plate mix some sugar with lemon juice, enough to bind the sugar together but not so much that it’s really runny. You want to be able to pick it up and scrub your face with it, obviously enough. Transfer this into an old container or jar or anything you may have lying around. The sugar will exfoliate your skin and the lemon juice will get rid of any acne scars and freckles on your face! Be gentle though, scrubbing too hard will cause bad skin in the first place! If you're feeling very lah-dee-dah you can add a few drops of essential oils of your choosing for extra pizazz and moisture.

Alternatively, if you don't have any empty container (which I usually don't), soak a cotton pad in lemon juice and pour a teaspoon of sugar onto it and scrub your face with that. Wash your face well afterwards as it can get quite sticky!

• · Now to make your skin really soft. Apply organic natural youghurt to your face. I know, it’s beyond simple but believe me it works. Just apply a thin layer with your fingertips, massage lightly into the skin and wash it off after 5-10 minutes. This will further exfoliate your skin, moisturize it and leave it looking fresh and supple. When washing it off don’t be too rough as this will undo the good the youghurt did, and that’s one messy waste of time.

• · Lastly to cool down your skin, cut the skin off a slice of cucumber and rub it all over your face. If you feel its drying out just get a new slice and continue beautifying yourself. This will get rid of any redness, any oiliness (yes I know that’s not actually a word) and make it gloriously soft. Don’t wash your face after this step, the cucumber juice will soak into your skin and the glowing effect will last all day!

As for the eyes, I have never found that anything makes much of a difference. I have tried the cucumber slices and cold used teabags, both which have made my eyes sting and made absolutely no noticeable difference whatsoever. However, that’s just my eyes, so if you feel this could benefit you give it a bash and let me know how those peepers look when you’re done.

I do this routine every few days, could be once a week or once every 3 days, it just depends on my mood really. I have really problematic skin so I can’t say that it gave me perfect skin, but I always find my face glows after I use these ingredients.

As I said this isn’t supposed to replace your cleanser and moisturizer but it definitely works to keep you ticking over instead of those 50euro facial scrubs or actual spa facials. It will cost you at most 4euro for a few week’s worth and no matter what it is, if it’s cheap I’ll give it a bash. Classy Recessionista as always, eh guys?

Happy scrubbing,

Aila Maritz xox

Happy Monday my love!

Ah, Valentine’s Day. That much anticipated 24 hours for lovers to revel in each other’s perfection in pure, irrevocable bliss. The day in which he whispers how you simply breathing is everything he needs as he takes you by the hand and leads you to a room filled with candles and roses where he makes love to you until you feel like you’re soaring and plummeting at the same time…

Or, in most people’s cases, a Monday. The day that feels no different than the day before or the day after. In reality it’s not the perfect love novel come to life, it doesn’t live up to the expectations of hallmark who assume everyone in the world will be drugged up on love pills. It’s just the 14^th. Be it that you don’t have a significant other, or your lover simply doesn’t take notice of the day enough to make a fuss, it’s not going to be a fairytale.

Now, I’m not one of these sad begrudging women who claim to hate Valentine’s Day simple because they are alone. In fact, I don’t actually hate Valentine’s Day; I think it’s a lovely day for people to show each other they care.

My only problem is, why does it have to be about lovers? Why can’t there be a section dedicated to your friends? Or your phone? Or chocolate biscuits? Or your dog? I frickin love my dog.

Or maybe, just maybe, we could love ourselves Valentine’s Day. Maybe instead of crying to yourself watching notebook with a big bar of dairymilk we could take one day out of our low self-esteem and lack of confidence and realize, hey, I’m pretty f#ckin awesome. Valentine’s Day is a day of love; nowhere in the golden book of life’s rules does it say you need a lover to be allowed a smile on this dreaded day. Love yourself Valentine’s Day. Love the fresh air, the feel of freshly washed bed sheets as you crawl into bed, the warmth of a nice cuppa as it melts down your throat. Love everyone you love and who loves you back.

Look in the mirror, turn yo swag on, and go out and enjoy your day. Hey, you never know, your mom might send you a card.

Love always,

Aila xox

Cake-tastrophe

Know what those are supposed to be? Doughnut balls.

Yep, they were supposed to be edible. I decided to actually plan out a blogpost rather than sitting at my computer and word vomiting all over my screen (try to picture words coming out of my mouth when you read that instead of something else…..well, it’s funny in my head. No? Hang my head in shame? Ok then). I spent an hour researching multiple doughnut recipes, finding the easiest and adding some lemon rind to it for give it a lemony zest. This is what happened.

Cakes resembling burned sausages.

And it doesn’t stop there. Oh no. The centre of each doughnut was raw. You would think as I reduced the size after every five or so burned balls they would get better. No siree, they got progressively worse. I just gave up halfway through due the urge to actually vomit from testing the raw ones. I still have no idea what went wrong or why they look like little pebbles of hell, but a disaster it undoubtedly was.

So there’s my hilarious failure for today. Hopefully you all had a good laugh at my incompetence.

Evil recipes and oil burns(did I mention that little gem?)

Aila Maritz xox

The stages of grief through music

Silence.

The stage where you’re numb. You range from feeling nothing to feeling physically sick from the pain. To listen to any type of music would be pointless. At this stage music is nothing. The sound of your own tears is loud enough.

Self-pity.

The stage where all you want to do is snuggle up with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s and a box of tissues and listen to songs directly relating to your situation. Be it a love song, a song about loss, or just any song with a sombre tone or melody. Even though these songs will inevitably cause you pain, you listen anyway because it makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger, an emotional state that links you to millions of people around the world so you don’t feel completely alone. I’ll link some of my favourite self-pitying songs here that will associate with a few situations.

Evanescence: My immortal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7CRQ2zuyeU

Ray Lamontagne: Empty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT69zOTNa8Q

Christina Aguila: You lost me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On7sbkiZ5MY

Paulo Nutini: Last request piano version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0mnlQX7W9w&feature=fvsr

Remembering who you are.

The stage where you listen to inspirational music, the music that speaks to your soul. The sweet melodies that remind you to just stop, breathe and appreciate the beauty of the music. This is the point where you begin to appreciate beauty again, you don't want to wallow in the depths of despair anymore. You being to remember who you are, who you were before this. This is your music. It's difficult to recommend the music for this stage of dealing, but heres some music that works for me, heres my music.

Ray Lamontagne: Be here now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Upwd_gqDk&feature=related

Debussy: Clair de Lune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvUepMa31o

Brooke Fraser: Scarlet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy8h-yel0gg

Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra: Kiss the sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jQcl0v26Ms

Glen Hansard: Leave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFxylUv3mVk

Eva Cassidy: Somewhere over the rainbow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccCnL8hArW8 (my cousin read this blog and suggested I add this in, aint that sweet)

Anger.

In other words, not giving a fiddlers f#ck anymore. Or at least convincing yourself that you don't. This is where you listen to loud music and stop caring about the world and everyone in it, becoming completely lost in the upbeat f#ck it attitude of the song. Usually when you listen to this music you'll have a certain someone in mind, a certain few people, or else you'll stick your finger to the world with your box of tissues still in hand and belt the lyrics at the top of your lungs, simply because you can. Here's some examples of songs to get you in the angry mood.

Foo Fighters: Best of you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtfE72Ni9_Y

Kings of Leon: Four kicks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHPXIXItlpQ

Bon Jovi: It's my life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU4nOERhczc

Nirvana: Smells like teen spirit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

Acceptance.

Now this is the place you want to be. This is where you accept what has happened (obviously enough) and realize you're a stronger person because of it. You'll stop thinking long enough to see that you're still here. It's time to move now. You can begin to accept life again, never forget that period in your life, but be happy you're still around to see tomorrow.

The Weepies: Can't go back now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JscAwVu2QI

Lily Alan: F#ck you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scXxt6QOyHA

Paramore: Misery business http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCyGvGEtOwc

Lenka: The Show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnN30rs5NkQ

Well there you have it, my bible of lyrical grief.

Aila Maritz xox

Just breathe....

No one is perfect. No life is what you expected it to be. This is not an excuse to let that overcome you. Sure, life will throw shit at you that you have no idea how to handle. But you'll handle it anyway, just because you can. Because we're all the same. Because no matter what,we all turn out fine in the end.

You are not weak. You are not feeble. The only thing you fear is fear itself and once you shed the childish notions of self pity, you'll realize there was no real reason to cry in the first place.

You are everything you were ever supposed to be, or never supposed to be, but you are.

You. Are.

They're the only two words you need. You are here, you are breathing, you can see what's in front of you and smell the fresh air and and feel the raindrops on your skin that no one else in the world can feel.

Wake up. Realize that all you need is yourself to be ok. Realize you can do whatever the fuck you wanna do whenever you feel like doing it. Really, who's gonna stop you?

Just let go. Close your eyes and breathe. Tomorrow will come, and it will go as quickly. And you'll still be you, doing whatever the fuck you want.

Aila xo

Your blush is my drug

Make-up; My biggest passion in life. Being a “Professional” Make-up Artist (that phrase sounds so pretentious) makes me aware of the fine art and technique of applying your “face” every morning. I don’t mean the make-up of every girl who buys a foundation slightly darker than her skin tone to look a bit more tanned, or buys the cheapest panstick concealer because “they all look the same anyway”. I mean the combination of colours and textures expertly applied to achieve a face far more perfect than should be allowed. I mean experimenting with make-up.

It has been a long journey for me in the world of make-up, and hopefully an unfinished one. I started off staying up for hours at night watching youtube videos to experimenting with eyeliners as lipsticks, drawing designs on my eyes, trying to create aesthetic photos to display the work I had done. I developed a keen interest and noticed my method improving with each video and each new trick-of-the-trade learned. I have since bought many (expensive) utensils, and much to my parents’ dismay, fallen in love with the industry. Just so that I wouldn’t become a total disappointment I completed a course and earned a certificate in Make-up artistry and started off as a freelance make-up artist. Sort of. Well, I’m still trying to publicize my mini self-sufficient business.

The money doesn’t bother me, however. Much to everyone’s surprise I didn’t fall in love with make-up just to make a few bob. It is an art form, my face being the canvas, my make-up and the paint and my brushes…..well, I didn’t think that metaphor through did I? The colours, lines, symmetry, asymmetry, shimmers, GLITTERS, CREAMS, LASHES, BLENDING……..sorry about that, got a bit carried away there. Bottom line is, make-up is my art. My venting outlet, my tool of self-expression, my masterpiece I can create day after day without ever getting bored.

I’m not sure the reason of this blogpost, I just wanted to share with you my passion, if there’s anyone reading this at all. My cigarette is my lipstick, my cocaine is my face powder, my crazy hair-dye is my multi-coloured eyeliners…… the list could go on. I am a proud make-up junkie needing my daily fix of gloss, blush and rock'n'roll.

Happy experimenting,

Aila Maritz xox

Big breasts are bad??

Well, there’s a random title for you. However, this is something I wish to talk about as it’s something I have to deal with on a daily basis. I am blessed or cursed with breasts that are naturally on the larger side, whichever way you wish to look at it. Therefore I feel I have a valid opinion on the subject and can convey my opinion without the ignorance of most.

They are not alla that. Trust me, I spend more time wishing them away than appreciating them. Friends of mine with smaller breasts (though usually still of a proportionate size) tell me how “amazing” they are and how they want me to give some of mine to them. This leaves me wondering how people view the life of a busty woman. Despite popular belief, it is not fun to walk down the street and have people stare because it’s not always the hot guys you’re looking back at. It’s the father’s pushing prams, the thirteen year old boys walking beside their mothers, the perverted old men sleezily smiling at you. At a party or a night club, boys feel that they have the right to walk by, cop a feel without so much as looking up at your face, then walking away again. Just because they are there doesn’t mean they are yours to gawk at. We rarely hear the cliché “beautiful eyes” speech, instead being greeted with “Look at the t#ts on her!” or “Please can I touch them?” .No, kind sir, you may not.

Then there’s the bra shopping. Oh Lord, the bra shopping. The height of sex appeal, I know. Not being able to find your size in the cheaper department stores, and let’s face it, I’m a self-proclaimed Recessionista; I want to pay a fiver in Penneys. Having to go to the more expensive Lingerie shops to find the bigger sizes, I find even THEY don’t have them, usually stocking 32FF’s. If there is a woman with the size 32FF out there, I would sincerely like to meet this creature. Even if your size is miraculously there in an appealing colour, it rarely fits, each lingerie shop having a totally different measurement for DD. And the sales! Trying to find a reasonably proportionate bra in the January sales is ridiculous. I am forced to watch in envy as the members of the ittie bittie t#ttie committee buy 75% off bras in their droves. This year I opted to buy two bras in substantially larger sizes and adjust the straps to MAKE them fit, simply because they were reduced from 30euro to 5euro each. And to my surprise, they fit perfectly! Which will show you the unreliability of the marked sizes.

I sincerely hope this post isn’t mistaken for self-praise or narcissism as, clearly, these conditions are hardly desirable.

So there you have it; the life of a big breasted woman. I apologise if you have keeled over from the pure sexual overload of the life surrounding the boobies(ahem….). Hopefully this will inform you that it’s not all roses and dandelions and that you should be proud of what you have because I guarantee it, no matter what size breasts you have, someone will envy them. The sheer contradiction of the attraction is baffling. Big breasts, in effect, are two mounds of fat pushed up to your chin for the world to marvel at, but you can’t be “fat” and be beautiful, right? Society’s standards today perplexing, and I hope my little insight will make you remove your rose tinted spectacles and perplex along with me at the attraction to the big paps.

Therefore, ladies, be proud of what you have! Flaunt those ittie bitties for the world to see!

And, guys, on behalf of busty women everywhere, my eyes are up here.

Aila Maritz, xox

Smokey eye to enhance blue eyes

*Dislaimer*

These are not my eyes but those of my beautiful sister who was kindly willing to help me with the blogpost.

Having ever-changing eyes myself, I find it hard to pinpoint what colour to call them when I am asked. Usually, I just say gray. Sometimes however, when I feel the desire to have striking, sexy eyes (ahem, dream on) I use this eye-look to enhance the blue tint in my eyes. This colour and texture combination is sure to bring out the piercing blue in anyones eyes so that you can be the show stopper at any party, or even just a dog-whistle filled day on the town! Assuming they're looking at your eyes that is.....

So here's how to achieve this look to bring out those sapphires.

• Firstly, apply an eyeshadow primer or base to your eyes. This will ensure that the colours will be vibrant and stay on those peepers all day. I use M.A.C. paintpot in 'Painterly' but I'm sure everyone has their own preferences. I have a technique to make your own using products you will already have, if anyone wants this "recipe" leave a comment and I'll write a post about that too!

• Now, onto the shadows. Apply a shimmer bronze/gold shadow all over your lid and into the crease with a flat shader brush. If you use a damp shader brush it will intensify the colour therefore contrasting more with the blue in your eyes. Blend this out to smoke out any obvious lines.

**Pro Tip** If you pick the shadow up on your brush first and then spray the brush with some water mist from a spray bottle (available at any beauty supply store or any old spray bottles you may have) it will preserve the eyeshadow from getting to an eyeliner consistency and you will get the same intense colour effect!

• Apply this copper/gold shadow liberally all along your lower lash line and join in the outer corner to the shadow above. It is easiest to apply this with a damp angled brush(or you could use the pro tip mentioned above, hint hint). Blend quite low down; the more colour surrounding your sapphires the better after all.

• Apply a dark, warm brown onto the outer crease or your "outer V" and blend like a mad yoke. For a more intense colour, add a slight amount of black and blend this even more than you would the brown.

• As added embelishment, though this is optional, apply a nude, matte eyeshadow to your brow bone and to the inner corner. Nothing too light as we don't want to take from the copper tones of the eyeshadows. If you have no nude shadow, your face powder will do perfectly fine!

• Add a thin line of black liner to the top lashline to make your lashes look thicker. Alternatively black shadow on an angled brush will do the trick.

• Last but not least, apply a copper/bronze liner to your waterline to really make your eyes pop. Apply mascara liberally and fill in the brows(optional).

• Stare in the mirror pouting for some time, then blink vigorously whilst talking to people so they will pay attention to your miniature masterpieces(seriously though, don't actually do that...)

Happy "smiling with your eyes",

Aila Maritz xox

Can we all truly be loved?

Marriage; the ever lurking constitution in everyone's mind. Does it work? Can people be monogamous? I have no answers, this blogpost is not an epiphany or a long awaited answer provided by yours truly. I am just as lost as everyone else.

I was never one of these girls who planned their wedding, picked out their wedding dress, had every detail of the day down to a tee. The only detail I knew was that I wanted bubbles instead of confetti and a chocolate fountain in the middle of the reception room.

But I did assume that some day, I would get married. No matter how much of an ugly duckling I was, the fact that I had few friends and low self-esteem aside. I assumed a man would come along and sweep me off my feet and we would fall in love, a love like in the movies. A scenario á la "The Notebook" or any other cliché chick flick you can think of where the plain Jane lived happily ever after.

Now, having grown up and seen the world for what it really is, I'm not so sure this will ever happen. Not just for me, but for anyone. I have seen too many marriages fall apart, divorces, cheating and downright abuse to be able to know for sure if marriage is even realistic anymore. True, some people make it work. But to what cost? After how long does it fall apart? When does he or she begin to look at others out of sheer boredom and curiosity?

Can we truly love and be loved? Can we be like penguins who have one partner for the rest of our lives? Do we all have a soulmate?

Or has society and an excess of free speech and acceptance of any behaviour of "self-expression" stolen our happily ever after from us?

Easy do it yourself leopard print nails without nail art utensils!

Don't you just hate when you see a tutorial for interesting nail art and you need forty different tools and brushes to achieve what will wear off in three days anyway? Well here's an easy method to create an easy leopard print nail with products you'll already have at home.

This nail tutorial is for the quirky be-yourself girl who doesn't mind being different and colourful! My nails are not ideal for nail tutorials, but I thought it's better to share this easy method of a unique nail-colour than to not at all.

You can use any colours you would like, I have a few options in the picture above, from crazy colourful to subtle and dark(the center nail in the picture is actually gray with black and steel spots but my camera decided to make it blue). Just make sure you have a bright or light base colour, a dark colour for the spots and a vibrant or lighter colour for the colour of the spots.

For the sake of this tutorial I will use the colours pink, black and dark tangerine as shown in the photo above.

• Apply base coat to your nails(optional). Paint the pink nailvarnish all over your nails and allow to dry.

• Pour a little bit of black nailvarnish onto a piece of cardboard, a CD cover or whatever hard surface you don't mind staining; this will create, for lack of a better word, a blob of black nailvarnish.

• Dip a cocktail stick or toothpick into the black nailvarnish and draw little semi-circles onto your nails. The less perfect and unevenly spaced the more realistic the leopard spots will be. You may need to clean off the cocktail stick every so often and re-pour the varnish into your "blob". The first time I did this, being the Recessionista that I am, I had no cocktail sticks. Therefore I used an old earring that I no longer wore instead! So if you have no toothpicks I'm sure every girl can find an old cringe-worthy earring from her teeny-bopper days.

• Once the outline has dried, take a new cocktail stick(or clean off your earring) and fill in the spots with your tangerine nailvarnish carefully.

• When all nailvarnish is completely dry, cover the whole nail with a clear top coat to keep those random nails perfect for a few days!

Go forth and let out your inner multi-coloured animal,

Aila Maritz xox

Cheap dupe for Benefit Eyebright

I have seen many Make-up Gurus rave about the benefit eyebright, both as an under-eye brightener and as a highlighter for the brow-bone and inner corners. I have tried this product and found it to brighten up my face on even the dullest of days after the craziest of nights. However, while vulturing around Boots for new products I came across the Soap ‘n’ Glory section.

Having heard great things about their skincare I decided to have a nose around the products when I came across this beauty: Soap ‘n’ Glory “Arch de Triump”

This is one of my go-to make-up products, a make-up artist tool I simply cannot live without! It perfectly defines my brow bone,highlights my inner tear-duct like nobody’s business and worn beneath my under-eye concealer takes those nasty tell-tale bags away effortlessly. The brow pencil or “brow shaper” is a nice complimentary product. The shade itself is on the lighter side, but has nice payoff and is perfect for those days when you don’t want to spend time sculpting femme fatale eyebrows.

Although it is a double ended product and therefore less product than the eyebright, it lasts longer than expected. Not much product is needed to achieve the desired effect so it's not one of those products where you pay for the packaging rather than the make-up itself. I've had mine for over two years and there is still half the brightener left! And yes, I realize I overused the term product in that little paragraph but it's late and a clever synonym fails me.

At a fraction of the price of the benefit eyebright, it is certainly worth the purchase and promises to make any eyelook seem more professional and structured. A big thumbs up from me and a recommendation from a pro!

Happy sculpting,

Aila Maritz xox

Hype for the iPhone?

Last week, I got an iPhone. A shiny new iPhone. And when I say shiny and new I mean a hand-me-down 3G from my sister, half battered with her year-old information still on it. I waited for quite some time to use it, debating whether or not I should change over to o2 or get the phone unlocked and stick with my trusty old meteor. After inspecting the call plans offered by both companies, I opted for requesting a legal unlocking of the phone online. Five days later I received a text saying I was good to go and the phone would turn on without the annoying Sim Locked preventing me from using anything worthwhile on it.

I typed in the code, waited patiently for it to unlock, excitement building, expectations of this new ipod/phone/ netbook causing butterflies to do their familiar dance, and then finally….

It worked. And that was it. It simply worked. No fireworks, no life altering moment, no realization that I could never go back to the 5 year old nokia I was using before it. The only epiphany I experienced was that it was just an iPhone. A phone; a fancy, high-tech…….mobile phone.

After using it for a few days, trying to download apps, searching for covers to customize my new gadget, desperately trying to use the damn touch screen, I still feel the same. I have no idea why it’s such a massive deal and why people queued overnight just to spend $500 on a device that will turn them into that annoying iPhone friend who never shuts up about the new useless app they just downloaded. “What time is it?”, “Hang on, I’ll check my iPhone, theres an app for that”……no sh#t Sherlock, it’s called clock.

Now, don’t get me wrong. As far as phones go it is magnificent, killing numerous birds with one stone. It is perfect for when you're in any situation of potential boredom or awkward moment when you need something to play with. But people seem to forget that this $500 device is just a phone. It will be outdated, there will be cheaper versions made by other companies and people will still be a slave to the all powerful apple masterpiece which took the world by storm. I say, why not buy a decent phone for $200 and spend the rest on someone who needs clean water and food to, you know, live?

H"app"y.....not sure where I was going with that one....

Aila Maritz xox

Easy recipe for Rocky road!

--> Melt 125g unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons of golden syrup and 300g of chocolate in a heatproof bowl over boiling water or in a double boiler pot. I find that galaxy chocolate works best for this recipe.

--> Once melted, allow to cool but not to set. Mix in one packet of miniature marshmallows and 1-2 pouches of Malteasers or any malted balls you can find. I’m not sure how many grammes this is but it is a matter of preference rather than an exact science. When I made these I used one large pouch of malteasers but found it needed slightly more in ratio to the marshmallows.

***On a side note, malteasers and galaxy chocolate work well together because they have the same chocolate and are made by the same company!

-->Transfer to any kind of square dish to set. It doesn’t need to be smooth, it is rocky road after all! Set overnight in the fridge.

-->Once set, transfer onto a cutting board and cut into squares. Again, the size is optional but they are quite luscious so a little will go a long way! Dust with icing sugar or powdered sugar for decoration(optional).

-->Eat five in a row, feel sick for an hour and pass out of exhaustion due to attempting to digest the magnificent feast you just indulged in.

Happy vegging out!

Aila maritz xox

How to get the perfect red lip

• First of all, you want to choose your colour. Some red lipsticks can make your teeth look yellow, and we don't want that when we're channeling our inner sexy siren. I would recommend a blue-based red as this will actually make your teeth look whiter. Don't pick a lipstick that is too creamy because they have no staying power and you'll end up with it smudged all over your chin.

• Make sure your lips are well moisturized and smooth. When applying your foundation, apply to your lips also so that you have a clean, neutral base to work with.

• Line your lips with a nude lip liner. You can either follow your own natural lip shape or create a new one but if you must do this, follow the line outside your lips rather than inside. This will make you lips appear fuller without looking like a child playing with her grandmother's lipstick.

• Go over this line in a red lip liner and fill in the corners of your lips with this liner also. That way you won't have to apply lipstick to this area as it's already covered in colour. Since lipstick tends to travel most in the corners of your smackers this will be a wise move, trust me.

• Now fill in your lips with a red lip tint. Apply, let it dry, then if you wish apply a second coat for a deeper colour. Keep applying until you have the desired depth of colour. If you don't have a lip tint you can use red food colouring with a Q-tip!

• If you wish you can then fill in your entire lips with the lip liner for that extra oopmh of va va voom.

• Then carefully apply your red lipstick using a lip brush. Start at the inside of your lips and work your way out. This will ensure that you don't go outside your lip liner.

• If you're like me and you find trouble staying inside the lines while you're colouring, apply some lipstick to your finger and gently pat it onto your lips in quick, low pressure movements. As your lips slightly jut out from the rest of your face, lightly dabbing the lipstick on will catch the natural shape of the lip. You can then go in with your lip brush and fix up any little mistakes, which I usually make.

• Blot your lipstick with a tissue and apply a second coat. Fix up any little mistakes around the edges with a dry Q-tip and go over with concealer. If you wish to apply a gloss over the lipstick do so but make sure it's a longwear lipgloss as it might wear the lipstick off with it!

Now go out, have fun and most likely smear your lipstick all over bottles, glasses and other people. Enjoy!

Aila Maritz xox

Recipe for the most delicious rice-crispie treats you'll ever eat

This recipe is not an exact science. There is no real measurement, it's something that will have to be adjusted to suit your own taste and preference. I will give you rough estimates of what I use but it depends on how much you wish to make and how sticky and thick you want them to be!

• Melt 5 or 6 mars bars in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water or a double boiler pot. If you can't access mars bars any nougat and caramel bar will do and possibly just caramel. I have never tried just caramel but it would make sense, right? Anyway, back to business. After about 5-10 minutes the chocolate and caramel will be melted but the nougat will still be quite solid so that the mixture is lumpy.

• At this point add around a tablespoon of butter to the mixture. Let it melt at the side of the pot before mixing it into the mars bar mixture. This will help the rest of the nougat to melt so that we get a smooth, shiny consistency. If the mixture still isn't completely smooth, add more butter and make sure it is melted before you mix it in!

• Take the bowl/pot off the boiling water and using a spoon while the mixture is still hot, mix in rice crispies. The amount is up to you, it depends on how sticky and chocolatey you want the treats to be! You may need to dip the spoon into the boiling water in order to mix the rice crispies in as the mars bars set quite quickly.

• Transfer mixture into a baking tray or square dish. Again, you may need to dip the spoon in boiling water in order to smooth the mixture out until it's flat. Melt some milk chocolate to pour over the rice crispie mixture. I'm not going to tell you how much chocolate to pour over, but I loooove me some dairymilk. I usually use 1-2 180g bars. There is no need to wait for the rice crispie mixture to set before pouring on the chocolate as they will both set together. Put the dish into the fridge overnight or until the chocolate is hard to the touch.

• Cut into bite size squares or larger portions to your liking. Serve alone as they are very luscious.

I know these seem like the most fattening unhealthy treat there is, but they are meant for special occasions when diet doesn't matter! Enjoy them while you can!

Aila Maritz xox

How to get sexy volumous hair the cheap way!

• Wash your hair using a volumizing Shampoo. It doesn't really matter if you don't have one, I don't think it makes much of a difference but it couldn't hurt. Be gentle when you wash your hair, if you scrub too hard you’ll scrub the volume right out of your luscious locks! And make sure all the product is completely out of your hair as this will weigh it down when dry.

• Brush your hair our gently until it is knot-free and then flip your head over so that your hair is upside-down. Blow-dry your hair until completely dry and flip it back over in one swift movement. Don’t brush it through at this stage because once again if you’re rough with it you’ll brush the body right out of it.

• While still warm from the hairdryer, gather all your hair at the very top of your head, closer to your forehead than where you would normally tie your hair back. Think ghetto hairstyles circa the 1990’s. Twist your hair into a sleek bun and secure using a hair-tie. Don’t create a messy bun as this will give your hair all kinds of funky creases and curls. Try to fix any fly-aways by weaving them into the bun but it doesn’t really matter at this stage because no one is likely to see you pre sexy volumous wavy hair. Leave this bun for a few hours or overnight. Hairspray every so often as you see fit.

• When leaving your hair down be sure to give your hair time to relax a few minutes before you want to style it. It will look a bit crazy when you first leave it down but within 5 minutes it will deflate. Use your hair straightener to fix any obvious creases or to accentuate/resculpt any waves you’re not happy with. Don’t straighten too much, however, as this will ruin the bouncy effect of the look.

• If your hair is naturally straight and flat (like mine) you may find that you will have to lightly backcomb the underneaths and hairspray to ensure the volume stays put all day. You won’t need to do much of this though as the bun will have given you most of the volume you need.

Ét Voila! Sexy volume without the hair breakage and Velcro rollers!

Aila Maritz xox

Review on pure silica powder

The first thing to know is this is not a substitute for translucent powder. I bought this powder under the illusion I would not need to buy any other powder with which to set my makeup. Well, I was wrong.

Silica powder basically has the consistency of icing sugar or powdered sugar. It's quite hard to apply because it doesn't attach to the brush very well rather sticking to the tips of the bristles and falling off easily. You can't apply it with a powder puff because you need very little for your whole face. Seriously, I read that on another review and thought because my skin is oily I could use more. But when you use a lot your face looks chalky and dry and the powder gathers in creases and blemishes making them more noticeable than before.

You can't apply it the same as you would a normal face powder. You would have to buy a translucent powder and mix it with that, probably one part(or maybe less) silica powder to two parts translucent powder and apply with a dense powder brush. If you insist on using this alone, which I wouldn't recommend, your best bet would be to use a fan brush and brush it lightly around your face.

I also heard that it is very good for using on the under-eye area as it doesn't gather in the creases and give you that powdered look. Therefore, as i was going to a party I used very little under my eyes after my foundation and concealer and it looked very nice and blended in with my dark makeup easily. However when I looked back at photos from that night, my under-eyes glowed white as if I had put white face paint on as concealer.

Therefore I mixed some silica powder in with my translucent powder and buff this onto my face using a large and very dense powder brush. This does not make me look chalky and gets rid of the oily appearance on my T-zone perfectly. I then mixed one part silica to one part translucent powder in a sifting jar and use very little of this on my under-eyes when the rest of my makeup is finished. I don't think the silica powder itself will make your makeup stay on much longer but mixed with a good translucent powder it does the job nicely.

With all the flaws however, it does make my face look more flawless and airbrushed. It gives my face a nice matte glow that I have never experienced with any other face powder. Usually powder and glow don't mix, but in this case it does! I should mention that I love this product once I figured out how to use it. I would recommend it to anyone, I just think you deserve to know exactly what you're getting.

Summary; Difficult to work with and to figure out how to use. Not an alternative to translucent powder, but used in the right way can give you an almost flawless complexion. Therefore, highly recommended for a professional look.

Happy buffing,

Aila Maritz xox

Why do we need life plans?

Why must we always know exactly where our lives are headed? It baffles me why I HAVE to know where I’m going to be when I’m 50. So I haven’t known what I want to be “when I grow up” since I was five years old. Who cares? Why the constant need to know what I’m going to do in five years’ time? Why can’t people focus on their own lives instead of trying to make me panic about mine?

People assume that because you don’t know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life that you don’t want to do anything. Not having an immediate plan doesn’t mean we have no ambition. As someone very wise once told me, your twenties is for making mistakes and your thirties are for making plans. I don’t understand why people assume they are so much wiser than you and feel the need to tell you what you need to do and when you need to do it; make plans, now.

NO!!

Life isn’t all black and white. You don’t need to be a teacher or a doctor or a scientist to have a successful life. In my books, success is how happy you can feel going to sleep at night, how many lives you’ve touched, how many funny stories you have to tell. Money isn’t happiness. A stable job isn’t happiness. Living by society’s rules and throwing away your dreams isn’t happiness. If people would back off and stop with the incessant pressure life would be a lot happier for everyone. Everyone is different, not everyone can be conventional. Not everyone can be happy in the highest paying job in the business sector. If people would care about their own lives and let everyone else do what makes them happy, life would be a lot easier for everybody.

I say do what you want, take a year out of your planned out life, have fun! If you want to sleep in, sleep in. If you want to eat cake, eat chocolate cake. If you want to go dance barefoot in the rain, who’s stopping you? People don’t realise that we can do whatever we want whenever we want. All that matters is how you feel at the end of the day and if YOU are looking forward to tomorrow. Life is boring if you plan everything out, and usually plans never work out because life will throw you a curve ball when you least expect it.

So live, love, eat, dance, sing, be happy! And don’t listen to what everyone says you “should” be doing because, really, who cares what they think?

Dancing, chocolate and fun-filled existances!

Aila Maritz xox