Roulade Anyone?!

I decided to bring y'all something a little different on my blog today, in the form of a Chocolate Raspberry Roulade recipe. I saw this being demonstrated on TV by chef James Tanner, and had to give it a go! 


What I like about this recipe, is it's fairly simple.... nothing over complicated. Best of all, it's chocolately so really you can't go wrong! I made this to take to my Auntie's as we were having Sunday lunch there, so this was for dessert.

Below is some step by step pictures, followed by the method and ingredients list. There are some things you can do in advance to speed things along, such as pre-grease and line your tray, as well as making sure you have a clean tea towel to hand for rolling. I did find the rolling quite tricky, however it doesn't matter if it goes a bit wrong.... infact I think it just adds to the messiness that makes it look so appetising! The beauty about this dish is that it doesn't have to perfectly neat, so try to take it easy.

I also whisked both the egg whites and yolks by hand as we don't have an electric whisk - this added to the time of making it, so if you are not an appliance techniphobe like in my house, it will be much easier. 

If you do happen to have a go at this recipe, please leave me a comment or tweet me @paleskinmakeup .... I'd love to see your attempt!  

Hopefully none of you will mind that I posted a recipe, afterall it's good to switch things up. Normal service will be resumed shortly, I promise. 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

200g raspberries
6 free-range eggs, separated
250g icing sugar, sifted
25g (4 tbsp) cornflour, sifted
100g cocoa powder, sifted
Butter, for greasing
Flour, for dusting
300ml whipping cream, whipped
Fresh mint leaves, to decorate

 
Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).

2. Press half of the raspberries through a sieve or puree in a blender to make a smooth sauce (If blending, press through a sieve afterwards to remove the seeds)

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the icing sugar until light and fluffy.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks then gradually add the remaining sugar and whisk until stiff.

5. Stir the two egg mixtures together using a metal spoon. Add the cornflour and cocoa powder and fold until combined.

6. Line a 26cm (10 ½ in) x 24cm (9 ½ in) baking tray with baking parchment, then grease lightly with butter and dust with flour.
 
7. Spread the roulade mixture in an even layer, about 1cm ( ½ in) thick, to cover the base of the tray.

8. Bake for 8-12 minutes until risen and the mixture springs back when pressed - do not worry if it feels slighty soft.

9. Turn the roulade out on to a clean, damp tea towel; carefully remove the paper and neatly trim the edges. Allow the roulade to cool slightly. Smear the raspberry sauce (setting some aside to serve) over the roulade, then top with the whipped cream and level with a palette knife. Scatter the raspberries (setting some aside to serve) over the cream.

10. Very carefully, from the short end, roll up the roulade using the damp tea towel as a guide. Leave the roulade wrapped in the tea towel and set aside to chill in the fridge.

11. When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the tea towel and the dust roulade with additional cocoa powder and slice on the diagonal.

12. Serve with the reserved raspberries and raspberry sauce, and decorate with fresh mint.

My Daily Skincare Regime

There is alot to be said for taking care of your one and only face. I am of course no skincare expert, however, I love watching others talk about their routines on youtube, and it's something that fascinates me. So today, I thought I'd share mine with you.

I think finding what works for your skin, is comparable to solving a mathematical formula: it takes time, research and definitely alot of trial and error. I'm not saying my skin is perfect, however it's definitely the best it's been for a long time, and I believe that amongst watching my diet, stress and other factors.... the skincare I use has played a massive part in this.

Reading the product ingredients is something very important to me, and it's something not enough people do. For me, I avoid anything that's not oil free like the plague... although I do allow some natural oils but with caution. Any perfumed/harsh products also don't make the cut with me. 

I almost never ever use a face scrub either. My skin is quite dry/sensitive, and over scrubbing skin with an exfoliant is one of the worst things you can do to make this problem worse. No matter how frustrated you are with your skin, being harsh with it is never the answer, trust me.

Finally, if you do suffer from any kind of skin complaint or just want to clue yourself up more on your own skin needs, I can't recommend Caroline Hiron's blog enough. I think it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking the most advertised product on tv/magazines will answer all your prayers and clear your skin and make it look A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, but it's often not the case. It's not about spending the Earth or going overboard either, it's really about listening to your skins needs and treating it with care, afterall you only get one face! 

I'm not saying my skincare regime will always stay exactly the same, but for now these are the products I am loving the most...



1. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - Hot Cloth Cleanser

  
I recently did a post on this which you can see here for more details. In short, I love this cleanser because it's like a facial in a tube. Make-up remover alone will not fully cleanse your skin and remove all traces of daily grime, pollution, mascara traces etc.... so a good cleanser is essential for everyone. 

This cleanser is one I have bought time and time again, as it contains no nasty ingredients, and doesn't irritate my skin. It comes hand in hand with the supplied Muslin Cloths, in which I use to remove the cleanser and any masks/treatments I may use.



2. Garnier Essentials Make Up Remover 

I am a little less faithful with make up removers, I tend to prefer this one and the L'Oreal cleansing milk. I do however buy the Garnier one quite reguarly, as it just melts away my foundation. I find it really easy to work with, and best of all it doesn't try out my skin. Simply shake together before use, for one unified liquid and apply all over the face.




3. Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask 

This is a very clever mask... for starters it heats up once it is exposed to oxygen, so as you apply it on the skin it warms your whole face. Products that heat up are great for getting deep into pores, because they help open them up... giving a similar effect to when you "steam" the face during a facial. It doesn't get too hot or burn though, so it is very safe and effective to use on the face.

I use this product once a week, and use my Muslin Cloth soaked in warm water to remove all traces. I then finish off with some of my Liz Earle Cleanser afterwards, to ensure all traces of the mask have been cleaned off.

 

4. Rose & Almond Vaseline

A bit of a controversial choice, as some argue Vaseline dries out the lips, however I have been using this Rose & Almond flavour for years now. This is a great product for those days when you don't want to wear a lipstick, yet hate bear lips and at the same time hate lip balms. The smell will bowl you over, and of course the little tin is perfect for even the smallest handbags!

 
5. Nivea Oil Free Moisturiser

Strangely, this variety is for oily skin types and my skin is dry/sensitive. However, I find the richer version too rich for my skin, and the normal version doesn't sink into my skin at all and makes my make up sit terribly. The green version however, sinks in beautifully and works really well underneath my primer. It's not too heavy, and being oil free will not cause breakouts. 

I find this is often the cheapest of the 3 varieties too, even though this is what works the best!

 
6. Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream 

Fresh from New Zealand, I first found out about the Antipodes range after seeing a video by Essiebutton. I feel an eye cream is very important, as I want to prevent wrinkles and dark circles in the future as much as possible. As the eye area is also extremely delicate, it's important to use products that specify they are for the eye area.

I keep this product in the fridge, and delicately apply it at least once a day. It sits really great under concealer, providing you don't cake it on. One of the great things about this cream, is the first time you use it you do feel a tightening, and there is a visible difference when I look in the mirror.

 
7 - Hydraluron  

Hydraluron is the newest addition to my skincare regime, and is a product to be used after cleansing but before moisturiser. It claims that it "Increases skin hydration from below the surface, with an ultra-high quality hydraluronic acid, that holds up to 1,000 times it's weight in water".

I'm only a week into using Hydraluron, but I have already noticed a difference in my overall skin hyrdration... particularly in regards to how soft it feels. It has a clear gel like formula, and sinks very easily into the skin, although works best if you don't over apply it.

I shall keep you posted with my progress, but so far I am quite impressed. 



 

Nail Yourself A Bargain!

 

 

I check the Selfridges beauty page more times than most people check their mail... yes it's true I have an obsession at looking at all the beautiful, expensive products that have just come into stock. I noticed a few weeks ago, a brand new shade of nail polish by Chanel, in this wonderful Mermaid-Esque shimmery green colour, number 531 to be precise.  I loved the colour, just not the price. So, imagine my delight at seeing an almost identical replica in Tesco the other day entitled "Bongo Beat", for just £1.49. It made for a slightly alternative version to the Tesco meal deal that I usually go for, but one could argue the goods were much tastier. 

I applied this polish the same day, and after 4 days it still shows no sign of chipping, despite me not adding a topcoat. You would think that because it's a "cheap" nail polish, that it would go on in a similar fashion, but honestly it couldn't be any different... the polish has a wonderful shimmery-yet-not-glittery effect to it, and the texture is quite creamy, similar to polish I have tried from Bobbi Brown. I also noticed it was fairly quick to dry, and any additional coats went on really smoothly.

For over a £21 saving (I don't live anywhere near a Chanel/Selfridges counter so would have to pay the postage)... I think the Collection 2000 version is excellent, so good infact that it makes me realise just how ridiculous the Chanel price is, even though I'm sure it's wonderful too.  I do like my high end make up, however why pay more if the high street brands can pack just as good a punch?

Finally, in terms of pale skin this is a great autumnal colour, and I think it would suit redheads brilliantly. It's not a dark, flat colour... and yet it's not too sparkly for daytime wear. Give it a try!  

I don't think Jackie O would have been a fan....

Nothing excites me more in the make up world, than finding pale foundations.... they are a rare find afterall! Lush - yes that shop that fills every shopping center up and down the land with the smell of bath bombs, jellies, scrubs and all sorts - have brought out their own range of foundations, entitled "Colour Supplements". 

I think this product is hands down the closest ever matching foundation I have ever found in relation to my skintone. Lush seem to have grasped the concept that pale foundation means NO orange/deep yellow tones. I swatched some of this product on my skin from one of the tester pots in their Lincoln store. Normally when I do this, I go into daylight outside and boom - it's oxidised and turned much darker on my hand and that's another load of money I have just wasted. I was completely amazed that Jackie Oates really does stay the same colour - and genuinely is 100% for pale skin tones.

Price wise, it's £8.50 for 20g of product which I think is pretty reasonable. Sadly, us fairer folk don't always have the option of price, coverage, brand etc... it's literally what colour we can find to give us the closest match!

I wish the rest of this review was going to continue in such a positive light, however when I got the pot home and went to apply it... this is where things started to turn sour.

Before applying Jackie Oates, I cleansed my skin and applied Hydroluron, followed by my moisturiser and then a light application of MUA primer. This is the same routine I do before applying any base, as my skin is quite dry. This is where I soon ran into problems with Jackie Oates, as the application was terrible and no matter which method I used (hands or brush), I just couldn't get it to sit nicely. I found that if I tried to blend it in, it would either peel away or simply cling to dry areas of the skin, and no matter how many times I went over with with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, I couldn't get it to blend. 

It kills me to speak badly of Lush products, as I find them and their values towards animal testing, recycling etc to be very commendable.... but at the same time I can't lie. Jackie Oates for me is a big disappointment, which is a shame because as you can see compared to the lightest shade mac do (apart from pure white), JO is a very pale shade indeed.  

Also, the first time I used this my skin broke out in quite an unusual way... I am wondering if this has something to do with the ingredients which includes Titanium Dioxide. I have tried to research this online and have found nothing substantial that suggests this is a bad thing as such. However, it does surprise me the ingredients aren't completely natural, being made by Lush and all. Maybe someone can fill me in on whether it is harmful?

All in all, as you can probably tell I am quite dissapointed by Jackie Oates. However, I have a feeling it's probably one of those products that simply works better for other skin types (such as oily) than it does mine. I still applaud Lush for recognising that there is a *dire* need for pale foundations... I am just sad that Jackie Oates doesn't quite fit the bill. If they were to improve the formulation however, I would gladly re-purchase and re-review it... as I know they can do better with this one.