HOW TO...Ice cream cone cupcakes

So ive always been the first to spot out a lovely looking cupcake, but actually making them?? im a complete and utter novice!! in an attempt to start being a baking goddess (ha I wish) I have been collecting the cake decorating magazines with my boyfriends mum!! If you follow me on instagram (hintofsparkle), you may have noticed that i excitedly posted photos of these ice cream cone cupcakes. For a first attempt im so happy with the result, and they tasted yummy if I do say so myself. 

How to...

They were ridiculously easy to make 

1. firstly you need to make the mix for the sponge, we just used the traditional cupcake mixture

2. then you must take a baking tray and apply a sheet of tin foil

3. make small little crosses above each of the holes in the baking try and then just simply pop in the ice cream cones 

4. then place the cupcake mixture into the chosen cones and put in the oven for around 15-20mins 

5. once cooked cut the tops of the sponge off and then finally its the fun part.

6. To decorate we used a basic butter cream mix and a star shaped piping nozzle. Because we wanted a bit of variety we split the butter cream into three bowls. For some we simply applied the butter cream and rolled it in hundreds and thousands. For the pinkish cupcakes me put raspberry sauce into the piping bag to create a raspberry ripple effect (they also tasted the yummiest) and finally for the mint coloured ones we applied green colouring, chocolate sprinkles and added a mini flake on the top!! 

Are you a baking pro or a novice like me??

please let me know if you like this kind of post, because im definitely planning on baking more in the future ;)

Nicole by OPI- here Kim's the sun

 Ah who cant help but love the gorgeous Kardashian sisters with their fabulous sense of style?!! So whilst in New York (my word that seems like a lifetime ago now) i made it my mission through the help of our movie and tv sights guide and my patient boyfriend to visit DASH the shop created by the gorgeous sisters themselves. the shop was rather small to what i was expecting but my word did it hold some hidden gems. After lusting after many a wildfox top, and gasping at the price of the $10 bottles of water emblazoned with pictures of the 'dash' sisters (only they could get away with this ha), the stand of Kardashian Kolor polishes caught my attention, and after serious umming and aaaahing i finally left with 'Here Kim's the sun' feeling rather pleased with myself that i now owned something from dash (i seriously am that sad). 

Being an OPI polish i new that the formula would be good. In all honesty i was stupidly expecting this to have a gel like texture and result, and although it looks fine on its own, i think 'here Kim's the sun' is more ideal as the perfect top coat. That being said, with lashings of micro glitter whats not to love right? 

Have you tried any of the Kardashian Kolor Polishes??

ever visited DASH?? 

WINNER.. NEW YORK GIVEAWAY!!

Thanks so much to everyone that entered my first giveaway!! the winner was chosen through random.org, and the lucky lady is EmilyGrace!!  I have emailed you!! .. to those that didn't win this time i shall be doing another giveaway uber soon!! Thanks so much to all of you that take the time to read my posts and comments!! it really means the world to me :) 

OPI Vintage Minnie

so i love OPI, i love all things disney and to top it all off im obsessed with the colour pink when it comes to nail polish, so it was inevitable that at some point i was going to give into temptation and purchase something from the OPI vintage Minnie collection. A visit to the hairdressers is becoming frequently dangerous to my bank balance as they have now stocked up on OPI aswell as a range of other tempting delights. Noticing that they had the vintage Minnie collection in stock, it would have been rude not to make a naughty purchase, right?? (i have problems). So i decided to pick up the vintage Minnie minis set which includes the colour of Minnie (shimmery red), if you moust you moust (pastel pink), im all ears (a vibrant pink) and a rapidry topcoat, on top of this set i also picked up nothin mousie 'bout it (ah dont you just love the names). Although i like the rapidry topcoat i feel as though the set would have been that little bit better if nothin mousie 'bout it were a part of it instead. 

Iv'e yet to try the colour of Minnie, but i can definitely vouch for the other shades by saying that they are bloody gorgeous aswell as being easy to apply. On my nails above (ignore my awful application) i have im all ears as the main polish, this took two coats to be opaque, a gorgeous vibrant fuchsia pink complete with a glitter effect, on my ring finger i have if you moust you moust a perfect barbie pink which was opaque in just one coat (im seriously impressed) with nothin mousie 'bout it on top, i must be honest although i love the glittery effect this achieves, it was a pain to get the large glitter hearts out of the bottle and as a result i didn't really get the full effect of the polish. 

Overall im really impressed with this collection. I can definitely see im all ears becoming a firm faviourite!!

Have you purchased anything from the Vintage Minnie collection?? what did you think??

http://ahintofsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/new-york-giveaway.html

If all my makeup disappeared!!

 So whilst reading Laura's recent post not only did it make me chuckle but it got me thinking about the first ten items, if heaven forbid all my makeup disappeared. I don't have a ridiculous amount of makeup but the fair few products that I do have, I will openly admit that I will stick to the same few products on a daily basis and my choices don't tend to vary. As Laura suggested this kinda post really makes you think about the products that are perhaps your holy grail and cant live without items. 

1. MAC studio sculpt foundation- i have raved about this on more than one occasion, a perfect foundation that stays put all day

2. Sleek blush (rose gold)- since I managed to get my paws on this gold dust item (and I can see why so), I have hardly touched any other blush, a gorgeous peach toned shimmery number this can be lightly applied for a subtle look, or can be applied a little heavier to create a more dramatic look. 

3.MAC refined golden bronzer- the perfect shade for contouring or for those days I fancy a change from applying blush. 

4.Bobbi brown long wear gel liner- I purchased this on my recent trip to new York, as I was fed up of liquid liner. a creamy formula, this black as black liner not only makes it easier to create a winged look, but it also doesn't budge all day. 

5. Collection 2000 long lasting concealer- apart from the teensy gripe in that all the writing rubs off the packaging, this is the best concealer I have managed to get my mitts on, with its creamy formula and brilliant coverage this baby beats the likes of MACs studio sculpt concealer hands down, and does so at a fraction of the price. 

6. real techniques stippling brush- this beauty can be used for a multitude of things, from applying foundation and concealer, to blush and bronzer, i along with no doubt alot of others have a soft spot for this brush, super soft, hassle free and easy to clean, what's not to love 

7. urban decay naked palette- I think this choice is pretty self explanatory, eyeshadow palettes have come and gone, but this one has always stayed a firm favourite, which is somewhat evident by the usage shown in the picture above, super soft, super pigmented and with enough matte and shimmer shades to create an abundance of looks. 

8. Bobbi brown extreme party mascara- one thing that has been clear since blogging and by the range that have been shown on my blog is the fickleness I have towards mascaras, this is the current mascara that I would definitely pick up first, this mascara defines my eyes by adding volume and length to my lashes

9. MUA clear mascara- this is perfect for keeping my unruly eyebrows at bay, and for £1 it would definitely be one of the first items id purchase if my beloved makeup were to disappear 

10. Chanel Jalousie Glossimer- lipstick has always been a daily addition to my makeup routine, completing the final touches of my look, however never before has a lip-gloss made the grade, with the idea of poor colour pay off and uber sticky lips. However Chanel's Jalousie has changed all of this, highly pigmented, brilliant colour pay off and completely colour free this baby would be the first lip product that I would purchase.

What items would you repurchase if your makeup disappeared??

http://ahintofsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/new-york-giveaway.html

New York Day 5..We saw the friends building ;)

 ah so heres the last of my photos from my trip to new York!! the final day was amazing just a shame we had to go home!! for breakfast we went to els stardust diner. it is such an amazing place, basically all of the waiters/waitresses are singers hoping to get into Broadway shows, so whilst your enjoying your meal they perform dancing and singing around the tables, and then the tips are used for auditions. 

We then went on a TV and movie sights tour which was brill. with yet another hilarious tour guide we saw the ghostbusters fire station, the friends building, beyonces home, had a quick browse in Dash, saw the wall street bull and various other sites. its only when we saw the clips that we realised all the films that had been shot outside of each building. After last minute shopping and a drink in the hotel bar it was time to depart from the big apple and head back home :( 

http://ahintofsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/new-york-giveaway.html

Bumble and Bumble Haul

 Il be 100% honest when it comes to my hair, i dont tend to bother much with styling products etc, the main reason? because my hair is oily and grease prone!! i envy all you lucky lot that only have to wash your hair every two to three days, me on the other hand?? every single day, and as a result dealing with my hair has become tedious and due to its grease prone nature i have slacked on the styling front, as a result my hair definitely needs some tender loving care.
having enough of my greasy locks i finally decided to give in to the much hyped about bumble and bumble Sunday shampoo, the idea of having clean locks for longer certainly caught my attention. I haven't used this yet but im really looking forward to testing it out, and for £15 a bottle im really hoping it does wonders.   
While i was on the site i couldnt help but browse through all the other hair care and decided to try out a few products that might transform my hair. 
Surf Spray (50ml, £8.50) 
my hair is naturally wavy but it tends to get abused with straighteners on a daily basis, surf spray claims to give your hair "Sexy, salty, sun-dried, windswept styles - whenever, wherever." , so im hoping this baby will leave me wanting to go Au natural ;) 
Styling Lotion (50ml, £6.50)
"A versatile styling option for control, body building or sleekness, plus a nourishing moisturiser which leaves the hair soft with natural movement" with all the abuse i thought it was best i finally purchased a decent heat defense spray.
Prep ( 50ml, £5.50) 
"This nutrient-rich detangler reveals texture, enhances the performance of styling products and quickly refreshes already styled hair without weighing it down". This was actually a freebie but im definitely looking forward to using it 

Have you tried any Bumble and Bumble Products?? 

http://ahintofsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/new-york-giveaway.html

New York Day 4..Top of the rock

Dunkin Donuts / water taxi / views of manhattan / 9/11 memorial / battery park / brooklyn bridge / statue of liberty / Rockefeller center / top of the rock / yummy cocktail / chicken ceaser salad / hotel lobby 

Oh my writing these posts are giving me serious withdrawal symptoms from the big apple aswell as some amazing memories. So day 4 was a relaxed but amazing day. We got up uber early to walk down to the harbor to hop onto the new York water taxi. It was amazing to see the Manhattan skyline from afar, the taxi took us to the 9/11 memorial which was harrowing but worthwhile to see the beautiful fountains that have been built in memory of all those that lost their lives on that tragic day. Of course a wander around the business district meant being bombarded by men with knock off designer bags (i sadly found it amusing seeing men walk up to people and undo their suitcases to see the obvious rip offs ha). The taxi also took us to Brooklyn bridge aswell as the statue of liberty. After a spot of lunch in Dunkin Donuts (i may have an addiction), and some serious shopping we decided to take a trip to the top of the rock (Rockefeller center). I completely preferred this to the empire state, as we were able to see all the major landmarks in Manhattan including central park.

Being the chilled day that it was we spent the evening in the hotel, getting to know the rather hilarious bar man Eddie who made sure we left very much tipsy, as well as being ridiculously full from the amazing food.  

http://ahintofsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/new-york-giveaway.html