Moving Sites

Hey lovelies!
Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm moving my blog onto Wordpress, rather than blogger. I just feel it is more suited for me. Here is the link to it!
 https://lifewithlilyy.wordpress.com/
Sorry for any inconvenience!
Lily xx

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Back with another recipe! These cookies are soooo good!.They are super delicious and I thought something this good had to be shared!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) raw sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (148g) Nutella, divided
2 and 1/3 cups (295g) all-purpose flour (do not over measure – level on a spoon)
1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
sea salt, to taste
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Line two large baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.
   2. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and raw sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in 1/4 cup of Nutella until combined.
   3. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips until evenly disbursed. Add the remaining Nutella. Beat for 5-10 seconds so the Nutella streaks through the cookie dough but is not fully mixed. Dough will be a little crumbly, that is 0k. Dough will be extremely crumbly if the remaining Nutella was mixed in too much.
   4. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls and place on baking trays. The warmth of your hands will help them come together. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until slightly golden brown around the edges. The baked cookies will look extremely soft in the centers when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. During this time, if the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. As the cookies cool, grab the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Gently press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the slightly warm cookies (this is for looks and optional, of course!)  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy! ♥

#OOTD

Tree of Life, $40 (on sale for $20!)

First off, yes, this is me in the photos – woo scary! Secondly, what camera do you lovelies use? I’m thinking of getting one as right now im only using my phone (hence the quality).

Anyway, lately I have been loving this gorgeous smock dress from Tree of Life! It is SO comfy and the colours are stunning. This dress is very casual and is perfect for every-day wear. I find this hippie style is great to wear to a music festival and it can be easily accessorised with some jewelery! This dress is perfect for those warm winter days and goes wonderfully with a pair of black boots.

Shirt – Topshop, $40    Trousers – Dotti, $20

I absolutely adore this look! Although, my judgement may be a little biased as my favourite stroe is Topshop, so any oufit including topshop I am bound to rave about. This Winter I have been loving the turtle-neck style (and my wardrobe is now full of them). The colour of this shirt is so pretty and goes perfectly with the trousers – plus it’s really warm, which is a bonus!

These pants are so comfy. I find I always get compliments when I wear them as they are a bit different. I have been looking for a pair of pants that aren’t jeans for ages and I finally found them – and I’m in love!

Dress – Miss Leona, ??  Jacket – Venus, $20

I cannot get over how beautiful this dress is! The lace detailing is to die for – I personally love the little mesh and lace fringe along the bottom. It is a very versatile dress as it can be worn to practically an occasion.

This jacket is the perfect match for this dress. It adds the classic red to the black and white, resulting in a lovely, sophisticated look. It is SUPER fluffy and warm (seriously, I could sleep in it!) and it adds a new texture to the look. I love to pair this outfit with some plain black flats for a gorgeous wintery look!

Hope you guys liked these outfits! ♥

Recipe: Mint Chocolate Bark

Hey guys! Back with another recipe! (should this be a regular thing? Let me know in the comments). This recipe is super quick and is perfect if your in a hurry or have had a bad day, and you just want a quick treat to keep you going! 

INGREDIENTS

• 99g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
• Green food colouring
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 226g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• optional: 1/3 cup chopped Andes mints

METHOD

1. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
2. Melt the white chocolate Use a double boiler or microwave. If using microwave, stir the chocolate every 20 seconds to help avoid seizing. Once melted and smooth, stir in oil, peppermint extract and 1 drop of the food colouring. Set aside.
3. Melt the dark chocolate in the same way you melted the chocolate in step 2. Pour onto prepared baking tray and spread out into a large rectangle. Drizzle the white chocolate mixture on top in lines. Use a toothpick to swirl the layers together. Optional: Sprinkle the top of the bark with Andes mints.
4. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature in a cool & dry environment. My bark usually takes around 45 minutes. If needed, you can put it in the refrigerator to help speed up the process. Once hardened, break into pieces as large or as small as you would like.
5. Store in an air tight container at the back of the fridge and snack on it whenever you want!

This recipe is so simple and so yummy! Enjoy!

♥

Random Favourites!

Hey guys! Sorry for not posting last week! School just got back and wow I was not ready for that.
Anyway, these are some random favourites of mine. Enjoy! 

SONGS

• Bad Habit - The Kooks
• What You Know - Two Door Cinema Club
• Belmore St - The Vanns
• Addicted - Bliss n Eso

BANDS/ ARTISTS

• The Cat Empire
• Sticky Fingers
• The Vanns
• The Jungle Giants
• Chet Faker

(i have some spotify playlists on my account lily_bells)

BOOKS

• Harry Potter Series (all time faves)
• The Book Thief
• Looking for Alaska
• Alice in Wonderland

MOVIES

• We're the Millers
• What we did on our Holiday
• X-men: United (or any of them)
• The Shawshank Redemption

TV Shows

• Jam'ie Private Schoolgirl
• Masterchef Australia
• Orange is the new Black
• Friends

YOUTUBERS

• Zoella
• Cartia Mallan
• Brittney Lee Saunders
• Lauren Curtis

MAKEUP

• Revlon Colour Burst Matte Balm (225)
• Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara
• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (003 Peach Glow)

For more detail into my beauty favourites see my June/ July Favourites post

PASS-TIMES

• Baking
• Going on Tumblr (smile-like-them)
• Watching Youtube
• Going for runs

What are some of your favourite things? x

♥

Tag: 40 Beauty Questions

SKIN:

• How many times do you wash your face daily? I usually wash my face twice a day, once in the morning and once before i go to bed. But sometimes I don't get time in the mornings so I only do it once.
• What skin type do you have? I have dry-combination skin. During the winter months I find that my skin dries out quite a lot.
• What is your current facial wash? I use the 'Clean and Clear Daily Facial Wash'.
• Do you exfoliate? Yes, I usually do it twice a week.
• What brand do you use? I use 'Formula 10.0.6'. (their range of face-masks is AMAZING)
• What moisturiser do you use? I use the 'Clean and Clear Daily Moisturiser'(they came in a set aha).
• Do you have freckles? Yes I actually have quite a lot (i have very freckle-prone skin!!). They go very dark in Summer but they are less noticeable in Winter.
• Do you use eye cream? No i do not.
• Did you or do you have acne prone skin? No, luckily enough I have not and do not have acne prone skin (yet..)
• Did you ever have to use Pro-active?  Um no

MAKE-UP:

• What foundation do you use? I prefer not to use a super full coverage foundation so I like to use the 'Rimmel Matte BB Cream - Light'.
• What about concealer? I like to use the 'Rimmel Wake me Up Concealer - Ivory' as it also isn't too heavy-duty.
• Do you know your undetone colour? I haven't been actually matched by somebody but just by looking, I definitely have a pink/ red undertone rather than a yellow one. 
• What do you think of fake eyelashes? I personally don't wear them as I am a bit too young just yet but I do think they can make your eyes look great if you choose to wear them.
• Did you know you're meant to change your mascara every 3 months? Well, I mean I do now.. Did you guys know??
• What brand of mascara do you use? I use Covergirl mascara (the Lashblast Fushion).
• Sephora or MAC? I live in Brisbane and there isn't a Sephora near me unless you count online, but I prefer to shop in person anyway. So I'd have to say MAC.
• Do you have a MAC Pro-card? No..
• What tools do you use when applying make-up? I mainly just use a small range of brushes (both for face and eyes) and my finger tbh. (I could never get the hang of beauty blenders)
• Do you use make-up base/ primer for your eyes? I do not own a proper one so I use a dab of concealer with a sweep of translucent powder on top instead.
• For the face? No to that as well.
• What is your favourite eyeshadow? I actually don't have one and have been looking for a palette of good-quality natural shades for AGES!! Do you guys know of any? xx
• Do you use pencil or liquid liner? I like to use liquid (like a felt-tip) as I find it the easiest to use.
• What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
• Do you use mineral makeup? I have never tried  actual mineral makeup but 
• What is your favourite lipstick? Probably MAC's 'Twig' because it is such a lovely colour. I also really like the Sportsgirl 'Pout About It' lipstick in 'Mystic' (see my June/ July Favourites for more info) 
• How about lipgloss? I love the 'Snowsicle' lipgloss from Limecrime.
• What is your favourite blush? I LOVE LOVE LOVE the 'Peachykeen' blush from MAC!!
• Do you buy your makeup off ebay? No I have never bought any makeup off ebay. 
• Do you like drugstore makeup? Yes! But I have trouble finding a decent eyeshadow from the drugstore.
• Do you go to CCO's? No..?
• Did you ever consider taking makeup classes? I wouldn't mind maybe taking a few when I'm older but for now I'm fine with learning from watching youtube :)
• Are you clumsy when putting on makeup? YES. I can be very clumsy when putting on makeup. Especially eyeliner!
• Name a makeup crime that you hate? I don't like when people wear TOO much blush!
• Colourful shades or neutral shades? I much prefer neutral shades.
• If you had to leave the house with just one makeup item, what would it be? My Rimmel 'Wake me Up' concealer to hide any blemishes and my dark under-eye circles.
• Could you leave the house wearing no makeup? I do if I'm going to a friends house or down to the shops but most days (like to school) I just wear a light concealer.
• In your opinion, what is the best makeup line? Highstreet: MAC Drugstore: Rimmel 
• What do you think of makeup? I think makeup is great but it is a personal choice. You can start wearing makeup whenever YOU want. If you want to start wearing it, then great, you go for it! But if you don't want to, then you shouldn't feel pressured to do so, just because others around you are. It's your choice.

♥

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Recipe

These are the fudgiest, richest, yummiest brownies. I love this recipe, it's so simple and quick - and they are DELICIOUS!

Prep Time: 40 minutes  Cook Time: 25 minutes

Makes: 20

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup (115g) butter, softened
• 1 cup (230g) cooking chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sat
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356F). 
2. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the raw sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth between each.
4. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
5. Gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Once combine, fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan and poor the batter in.
7. Bake in the over for 25-35 minutes or until when you place a skewer in the middle, it comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
8. Let it cool and cut into squares.

This recipe is SO nice and goes really well with a nice cuppa tea!! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do haha. 

Comment down below your favourite desert!

♥