Who do your eyebrows idolise?

How To Get A Perfectly Shaped Eyebrow

This os optional, but trimming your eyebrows will make a big difference in getting a perfect shape.
Comb your eyebrows up, trim any excess that goes beyond the natural hair line. Comb your eyebrows down, and do the same.

In order to create a symmetrical look, take a pencil and place it vertically against your nose. It should run from the side of the nose, mid-mouth, and by the tear duct of the eye. This is where your eyebrow should start; any hair that is visible beyond the pencil should be tweezed.

To determine the arch: place the pencil diagonally where it should hit the middle of the mouth, nostril, and outside the iris of the eye. Tweeze a smooth arch from that point to the start of the eyebrow. The thickness is up to you, but try not to make them too thin as it means high maintenance!

The eyebrow should end diagonally from the nostril, and outside corner of the eye.

The beginning and end of the eyebrow should be perfectly horizontal.

Here are some key elements that are in season at the moment.

Custard Apples

Grapefruit

Carrots

Leeks

Rosemary

The idea is to base your meals around ingredients that are readily available and in season.

By keeping this in mind – you won’t be paying a fortune for imported fruits and veggies!

Why not try a yummy Potato and Leek soup this winter?

Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

Need to tame that wild beast?

Winter can dry out everyones hair, moving from freezing temperatures into warm heated rooms eventually takes its toll!

Look after your hair, and beat the frizz!

 Avocado Hair Treatment

Ingredients

• one egg yoke
• half a cup of honey
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 small ripe avocados

Method

Mix together in a big bowl and apply the remedy to the entire head and leave on for one to two hours, until hard. Shampoo and condition as usual.

SOUP!

Why not borrow a little inspiration from our friends in Japan??

MISO SOUP

Ingredients

Serves: 3

• 2 cups water
• 60g firm tofu, cut into 5mm cubes
• 15g fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon light miso paste
• 2 teaspoons barley miso paste
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced

Method

Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 5 minutes

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the boiling water into a small bowl, and set aside. Add tofu to saucepan and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add spinach and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, or until tender. Remove soup from heat.

2. Blend white miso and barley miso into reserved hot water and stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with spring onion. Serve immediately.

Remember to have a little fun, make it your own!
Adding mushrooms, pork, or your choice of veggies can make it a great staple dish for your table.

We found the perfect desert for rugging up on the couch!

PLUM CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS

After experimenting in Shanghai with various mediums, he finally found his favourite… watercolour.

“With watercolor you cannot cover your mistakes, so you must know what you are doing,” he says.

And he certainly has not made any mistakes in our eyes!

We L-O-V-E all his work!

x x x

our hearts could easily be in ANY of these beautiful homes!

No place like home.

x x x

a vintage suitcase that emanates elegance.

And we’ve found some that emanate more than just elegance!

So now we know – there’s no excuse for not taking your entire bookcase with you all the time!

x x x

We love these images which express colour through fashion, interior design and style!

and flouncy embellishments.

But no…

We’re talking PANCAKES!

From Polka Dots & Justin Bieber to Star Wars,

it seems there is nothing that can’t be replicated in the form of a pancake!

How creative are your cakes?

x x x

Deep, vamp lips made quite a few appearances looking amazing on all including:

Lana Del Rey, Camilla Belle & Kate Bosworth (to name a few).

We adored Kate Bosworth from head to toe with her top knot, flirty Prada frock & of course the dark lip!

To get this look we use ‘Diva’ by M.A.C lipstick with a top coat of Revlon’s Colourburst gloss in ‘Bordeaux’

x x x

One would think that Efron would be Nicholas Sparks’ dream for the lead role… but some viewers deem otherwise.

The story goes  that Efron’s character Logan finds a picture of a girl whilst on duty in Iraq, in all of five minutes of his return he tracks down the girl (without so much as a name) and from here the romance is supposed to start.

Unfortunately Efron can’t stop squinting and lacks the charisma that he’s character in the novel was sure to have.

So although it has all the makings of the perfect romance, be prepared for a slight let down…

The cinematography however is beautiful, and makes us want to jump on a plane to Louisiana!!

We will admit that it did serve for a good dose of eye candy

We rate it 2/5

x x x

It allows the shooter to capture everyday images and turn them into something from a dream!

Here are some of our favourites…

Well here it is . .

Makes: 10  Prep: 15 minutes (plus chilling)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 200g sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, finely grate zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice, finely grate zest
• 1/4 cup thickened cream
• 1/2 cup of chopped can pears
• 200g packet of lattice biscuits
• icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine coconut, condensed milk, juices and zest, stirring until thick. Fold cream through then pears

2. Spoon 2 tablespoons of mixture onto each of half the biscuits. Sandwich together with remaining biscuits and arrange on a tray.

3. Chill for 15 minutes. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Collingwood’s Inter Studio is just bursting with fun ways to sit,

not mention their support for local and overseas independent designers!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes: 5 cups (500g total)

You will need:

• 2 ½ cups (225g) rolled oats

• 1tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ cup (80g) blanched almonds, halved

• 1 cup (55g) dried apple, roughly chopped

• ½ cup (125ml) store-bought apple sauce

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• ½ cup (60g) dried goji berries

• ¾ cup (50g) bran

Ready to go:

Step one: Preheat the oven to 180⁰C (160⁰C fan-forced). Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Step two: Place the oats, cinnamon, almonds, dried apple in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
Step three: Drizzle over the apple sauce and maple syrup, stir well to coat.
Step four: Tumble the oat mixture onto the lined tray and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Step five: Remove from the oven and transfer to a clean tray to cool. Stir through the dried goji berries and bran, serve with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit. It will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container.

And you can always get creative and add your own special touch!

Some of our favourite liners:

$$$

-Dior ‘Crayon Eye Liner Waterproof’

-Bobby Brown ‘Gel Eye Liner’

$

-Rimmel ‘Soft Kohl Eye Pencil’

-Maybelline ‘Lasting Drama Gel Liner’

When wanting to focus on a bold lip, a simple eye using liner always works best.

x x x

but haven’t tried this one yet!

So shall we find some feathers for our lashes?

Well, maybe not, but they make some stunning photos!

x x x

]]> http://thedressingroommelbourne.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/egg-tastic/ Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:00:26 +0000 thedressingroommelbourne http://thedressingroommelbourne.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/egg-tastic/ Easter… get creative!

Looking at pretty eggs is one thing, actually making them pretty is another!

With Easter around the corner, we sussed out a great way to get a little messy with “Wholesome Cook‘s” step by step egg painting!!

Egg types and preparation

You may need to look around for white or light shell eggs as they are not a very popular type in Australia,

but the colours look much more vibrant on lighter shells.

What you will need:

• 6-12 eggs (quail or chicken)
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• enough cold water to cover eggs in a saucepan

Place eggs in cold water, add vinegar. Bring to a boil then simmer for 9 minutes for chicken eggs, 3 minutes for quail eggs. Drain water away.

Workspace preparation

It might get messy, especially when working with kids, so if you like, line your workspace with old newspapers.

What you will need:

• old newspapers
• small tray or platter
• 6-8 paper towels
• 4-5 heatproof glasses
• 1 tablespoon
• (plastic gloves)

Line tray or platter with paper towels – this is where you will pop the eggs out of the dye. Reserve a couple for wiping eggs clean and dry. If you’re keen to dip the eggs to achieve patterns, I recommend having plastic gloves handy, the colour likes the porous nature of nails… NOT a pretty look.

Dyes

Whether you’re using powdered dyes or food colouring, preparation is similar. Although for powdered dyes always follow instructions specific to the brand and included on packaging. Generally this means dissolving  the powder in 1/2 cup of boiling water and add 1 tbsp white vinegar.

What you will need:

• 4 vials of Rainbow food colouring (yellow, red, blue, green)
• 4 tbsp vinegar
• 2 cups of boiling water

Empty vials into 4 separate heat-proof glasses. Top with 1/2 cup of boiling water and add vinegar. Mix. You’re ready for dyeing.

Dying and creating patterns

Single colour

From pastels to rich hues, dazzle your family and guests with beautiful eggs in all the colours of the rainbow and more. Mix and match colours. Double dip. Have fun with it! To achieve a glossy finish, rub in some vegetable oil into the shells after they’ve been coloured and dried.

Lower each egg into the desired glass and let it steep for about 10 seconds. Lift egg with a spoon to check how strong the colour has gotten. White eggs and darker colours will become richer quicker, but the shades depend on how long you leave the egg in. For dark, rich hues leave the eggs in for a couple of minutes, checking progress from time to time.

Dipping – rainbow stripes, half-half and check

Be creative with your dipping and colour combinations. Half half eggs look great, but have you thought about dipping them on an angle?

Start with the lightest colour first, for a rainbow effect use yellow first. Dry egg with paper towel and dip in red to just under half way until it turns red. Wipe and dip blue, but not as deep to create a purple band. Dry. On the other side of the egg, dip yellow part red but hold it for only half the time you did on the side and you’ll get orange. Then dip into green to create light green.

For half and half follow a similar process but only dip in two colours, and for check tip the egg on its side for the dip in the third colour.

Rubber band multi-stripes

What you will need:

• 2-5 rubber bands or different sizes and thicknesses

Wrap rubber bands around and across the egg. Dip into a lighter of your two choices of colours. Dry with a paper towel and remove bands, wipe dry. Re-apply bands again over different areas and dip the egg into a different, complimentary colour (yellow / green, red / blue, red / green). Dry with a paper towel and remove bands, wipe dry.

HAPPY EGG CREATING!!!

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 1 x 500g pack ready-made dessert pastry
• 1 large butternut squash, quartered and seeds reserved
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, preferably free-range or organic, beaten
• 200ml double cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Roll the pastry to the thickness of a dollar coin. Get a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin, line with the pastry and bake blind for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Lay the squash in a baking tray. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and drizzle with the maple syrup. Cover the tray tightly with a double layer of tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes until soft. Reduce the oven to 180ºC.

Allow the pieces of squash to cool, then scoop out the flesh. You should have about 600g of cooked squash flesh. Don’t forget to scrape out the bits in the tray and the maple syrup. Put in a food processor and wizz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the eggs. Mix well and stir in the cream.

Fill the cooled tart case with the mix and bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the stringy bits of squash off the seeds, dry them and lay them flat on a tray. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and place in the oven with the pie for the last 10 minutes until crispy.

Remove the tart from the oven. Sprinkle with the seeds when cool. Serve with a dollop of cream or ice cream.

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

• 340g graham crackers
• 4 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 sticks melted butter
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 4 egg yolks

• 1 can condensed milk
• 2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice
• 1 lime , grated zest
• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream , chilled

• 2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Black Forest Slice

Serves:

4

Preparation Time:

20 minutes (plus chilling)

Ingredients:

350gm Frozen Chocolate Cake (thawed, halved horizontally)

1/4 cup Kirsch or Cassis Liqueur

415gm Canned Cherries (drain and reserve the syrup)

300ml Thickened Cream

1tbls Icing Sugar

60gm Dark Chocloate (grated)

Method:

1. Drizzle both halves of the cake evenly with half kirsch and some of the reserved syrup. Place bottom half on a serving plate.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat cream and icing sugar together until soft peaks form. Spread cake with half cream and top with half cherries. Place remaining cake half on top.

3. Top with remaining cream and cherries. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Drizzle with remaining syrup if you like.

Tips:

1. Chill cake for 10-15 minutes if you have time to make it easier to serve

B-E-R-R-Y-L-I-C-I-O-U-S

Ingredients

Vanilla Yogurt, 1 cup

Milk, 3/4 cup

Blueberries, 1 cup

Blackberries, 1 cup

Honey, 2 tbsp

Directions

Coconut pancakes with pomegranate jewels

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder (optional)
• 1 cup milk
• 8 tbsp dessicated coconut
• 20g butter
• 1 pomegranate

Method

1. Crack an egg into a large mixing bowl. Fill a cup with flour, then add that to the bowl. Toss in the baking powder, if you have it. Fill the same cup with milk and add that too, with a tiny pinch of sea salt. Use a whisk to mix everything till smooth. Mix about 8 tbsp of dessicated coconut into your pancake batter. Cover your bowl in clingfilm and put to one side.

2. Meanwhile, cut a pomegranate in half – mind, it can be messy! Get a mixing bowl and hold the pomegranate, seed-side down, above the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to tap the back of the pomegranate so the seeds fall into the bowl. Do this with both sides until all the seeds are in the bowl. Fill the bowl with water, then pick out any white bits that float to the top, then drain away the water.

3. Put a large frying pan on a medium heat. Place half the butter in the pan, and once it is melted and is starting to bubble, spoon the pancake batter into the pan so it is roughly the size of an orange. You should be able to make 2–3 pancakes in the pan. Cook the pancakes for 1–2 minutes, until little bubbles rise up to the top. Using heatproof spatula, carefully flip them over. Cook the pancakes for another minute or so, till golden on both sides.

4. When they are done, transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Carefully wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper, then add the remaining butter and keep going until all the batter is used up. To serve, top your coconut pancakes with a spoonful of yoghurt and some pomegranate seeds. Grate over the zest of a lime and an orange.