La Belle Miette : Macaron High Tea ~ Six Mother’s Day Flavours

It seems as though La Belle Miette releases limited edition macarons around special occasions (such as Easter and Valentines Day) and Mother’s Day is no different. In anticipation of this year’s Mother’s Day, they have released six limited Edition macarons with the theme High Tea in mind.

On the Menu:

Cucumber Sandwiches – Delicate finger sandwiches filled with cucumber and mint

Pink Champagne – Mumm French champagne for mum! A cocktail with fresh raspberries

Berry Cheesecake – A decadent cake with forest berries

Devonshire Tea – Homemade scones with jam and cream

Opera Cake – A work in six acts; alternating layers of almond cake, coffee cream and chocolate

Chocolate Brownie – A classic chocolate slice to finish, with crushed walnuts

L-R : Chocolate Brownie, Opera Cake, Devonshire tea, Berry Cheesecake, Pink Champagne & Cucumber Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches.

This beautiful mint green macaron tasted more of mint than of cucumber but I suppose that’s to be expected as cucumbers don’t have a strong flavour. The taste of cucumber was faint, but it was definitely there and the mint… well, it tasted wonderfully fresh. I don’t know how that’s possible, to have such a fresh taste in a baked good but this macaron is proof.

Pink Champagne

Not as flavoursome as the cucumber sandwiches macaron, the taste of the sugary shells overwhelmed the taste of the pink champagne. I could only taste the champagne in the centre, where the filling was thickest and even then, the taste wasn’t as obvious.

Berry Cheesecake

I could taste the slight tang of the ‘cheesecake’ however, the taste of the forest berries was lost on me. It just tasted quite sweet and not too berry-like.

Devonshire Tea

Please excuse the broken and crushed shell… it got damaged in transition.

This one had what appeared to be either icing sugar or flour dusted on top which was a very cute touch in my opinion. The taste, well it really made me want to have a cup of green tea, instead of my cup of water but my teapot has gone missing…. Anyhow, I loved this one. The ‘jam’ is delicious and I’m not sure how a cream taste was supposed to show but the overall taste is quite nice. The shell wasn’t quite as sugary as the Pink Champagne so the jam filling in the centre (the purple) really gave it it’s zing.

Opera Cake 

This one is my favourite out of the six, and I’m really sad that it’s only limited edition. The filling is chocolate and coffee cream and since a macaron shell is made of almond flour… this one really does fulfill it’s description. The coffee cream was really smooth, flavoursome and delicious. It was also the strongest flavour and it’s what makes this one so delicious. Seriously – you need to try this one, especially the coffee lovers out there!

Chocolate Brownie

If a brownie was turned into a macaron, I’m convinced it would taste like this. The chocolate taste was not overwhelming and it wasn’t as heavy as one might think. It wasn’t as chocolate-y as any of the other one ones in their permanent range but I think that’s what makes me think of brownies. The walnut is a good addition to the taste, it add’s that extra little something.

 

Overall, I actually enjoyed this collection of macarons. The Cucumber sandwich one was definitely the most interesting and the Opera Cake was the most delicious. 

 

 

 

Happily Ever After

Doesn’t exist.

Oh, did I burst your little harlequin romance bubble? (The Ugly Truth).

I don’t think you even need to be a rocket scientist to even figure that out these days. You can just look at the divorce rate – 50% of marriages end in divorce. I don’t know about you, but a 50% chance of my marriage being the one that survives… well that’s just scary. I feel like I should stop chasing it, and I’m only 18.

I know at 18 I shouldn’t really be worrying about this. I should be having the time of my life, enjoying the uni life to the fullest etc etc. But I don’t find it appealing at all. There’s nothing appealing about ruining my health by drinking excessively or catching an sti from someone after hooking up with them whilst drunk. There’s nothing appealing about having relationships that don’t end up anywhere. They just feel like a waste of time, effort and money. Which they are really… why invest your time in something that you know won’t last?

Some might argue that they like the company, affection or knowing that they have somebody there which I have to admit, is pretty awesome but then again, the price attached to that is pretty high. You’ll need to spend money on this person (especially if you’re a guy), you’ve got to make time for this person, give up some stuff for this person and you’ll probably end up loving them. But in the end, you both know that you’ll break up anyways. So why bother?

But really… at only 18, I’m sick of it all. I’m sick of the games. I’m sick of chasing it. I really am. It could be my depression talking but I feel jaded. I’m sick of meeting the wrong guys. I’m sick of dates going nowhere or ending badly. I’m sick of waiting for guys making the first move, yet they never do and only reveal that they were interested after much circling and me making the first move. I’m sick of getting rejected. I’m sick of the worrying about it all. I’m sick of it all. I’ve just gone on too many dates and deleted too many numbers off of my phone. I just wish for this impossible happily ever after.

I know that its impossible to be always happy in a relationship so the happily ever after doesn’t really ‘exist’. What I mean is the happily ever after where i really like or even love the other person and we spend a lot of our time together, doing just the simple things like enjoying a cuddle on the couch; cooking a meal together; taking a walk together; laughing together; having long debates that take us from topic to topic and just enjoying the time together. But it all really seems like a fantasy that isn’t bound to happen because it just feels like I’ve gone through so much, yet I still haven’t managed to have a person in my life that I could do all those things with.

I feel like half of a romantic just thinking about all these things. I feel jaded about dating but I still can’t help but wish for a man who smells like heaven and gives me a bouquet of flowers on our first date. A man whom I would really click with and am able to be myself with. A man who can make me laugh and smile all the time – and never faking it either. I want a man who I would enjoy everything life has to offer with and whom I would have great chemistry with. I want a man who I would heat up the sheets with and never get bored. I want Mr. Impossible.

But he doesn’t exist. Happy ever after doesn’t exist…. but its something that I’m wishing will be proved wrong…

 

Sometimes I wonder what you’ve been up to – whether you’re happy and content without me in your life or are you struggling to fill the space that I’ve left? I wonder if our parting was an abrupt occasion or was it destined to happen sooner or later and then I wonder if it was a mistake. Was it a mistake to leave such a gap in each others lives? Was our actions leading up to that event a terrible sequence of events? Will it be something that we both regret in the future?

I recall that last moment before we said our goodbyes. It felt like there was just so much that needed to be said but the air between us couldn’t be filled with words. I recall how neither of us particularly wanted to leave but it had to be done, we had to part.

It was also the last time I saw your face.

 

Faded wings

The butterfly sat in the corner, with her knees pulled up and her covering her face. Her body was shaking as her wings crumpled around her, slightly torn and faded. A tiny sob escaped her mouth, so quiet that it would not have been heard if not all the other butterflies hadn’t gone out already. She was alone, underneath the velvet petals of her flower. All alone.

Her friends had told her to stay strong; to not fall down that spiral again but it was so hard. It was so hard to keep herself from crying, to keep herself from breaking down. It was so hard to keep up the facade of being okay. It was hard to go out and smile, feeling the way that she did. All she wanted to do was stay inside her flower and cry. She couldn’t keep up the strength to deal with it all, she was dying.
She could tell. She could see the tears in her wings. She could see how the vitality was leaving them; the colour that once was brilliant, was now faded. She was so close to giving up… so close…

Even when she was surrounded by other butterflies and her friends, she felt alone. She had never felt so lonely, so desolate. She felt empty, void of any warmth. She had felt so much pain for so long, she was now numb. Her tears had now dried up and all she could do was to make the sound but even then, her voice was going too. Everything, everything that showed she was alive, was leaving her. She didn’t know how she was even able to make it each day anymore.

Her stomach rumbled. She needed sustenance. If not for the begging of her best friend the day before, she wouldn’t even consider getting out of her flower to go and find nectar to drink. Well, at least I have one reason to live, she thought to herself as she slowly untucked herself from her position. Standing up, she fluttered her wings. It had been so long since she had last flown, they felt stiff and weak.

When she felt that she had shaken them out enough, she flew out of her flower only to be hit by the brilliance of the sunlight shining onto the garden. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of her closed flower after being in there for so long, the light had become foreign to her. Blinking several times and with the feeling of disorientation, she clumsily made her way to the nectar market.

On her way, she could hear all the murmurs around her.

Look at her, all alone.

Look at her, she has lost her colour.

Look at her, look at the poor state of her wings.

Look at her, she looks like a mess.

Look at her, she’s broken.

She could feel the stares of the other butterflies and of the bees around her. She just wanted to close her eyes and hide back into the safe haven that was her flower. She prayed that she wouldn’t make more of a fool out herself and she wished that she could just disappear. She wished that she could escape all the stares, all the murmuring, all of the judgement.

Luckily for her, she was able to get her nectar without taking too long and when she was leaving the market, all she could see were all the couples, all of the groups. It stung her heart and pierced her soul, to see how everyone else was able to be so happy, and yet happiness was eluding her when she had wished for it so much.

She wished that she would be able to find someone and become whole again. She wished she could regain her vitality and to shine again. She wished that she could hold someone’s hand and fly along together under the sun. She wished she could have someone to appreciate the flowers with her. She wished for happiness. But she knew no matter how much she wished and prayed, she would not attain it. She was torn and faded. She was broken and battered. She was unwanted and undesirable.

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. I want you.

She turned around to see a flash of light in front of her eyes and heard the soft fluttering of wings. Where are you?

I’m here, and I want you. She turned around once again, towards the voice. All she saw was the darkness. Please… I need you. Where are you?

She waited for a moment for a reply but there was nothing. She could not see nor hear a single thing.

It was all just in her head.

It was all just an illusion.

She was just deluding herself into thinking that there was someone out there who wanted her, who needed her.

All she wanted, was to become special again, to become someone.

All she wanted was happiness.

 

Five Fantasy Faces

So I was tagged by heartofparadise to do a post on the personalities of the five people I would surround myself with and bleed into my own self. This was no easy feat because well, I don’t have too many problems with myself or I’ve tried to stop myself from even thinking about it. However, I did manage to make a list.

1. Sheldon Cooper

Sheldon absolutely cracks me up with his blunt honesty and his inability to comprehend the social norms. I also utterly adore his confidence in himself. It’s really something to aspire to for me since I have minimal confidence in my own intelligence. I always second guess my answers and it’s quite a bad trait.

2. Sherlock Holmes

Since I haven’t really watched many versions of this man, I am referring to the Sherlock in Elementary portrayed by Johnny Lee Miller and the Sherlock in Sherlock Holmes portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. However I do believe that the characteristics should all be the same – highly intelligent men who know absolutely everything and can solve any crime possible. I wouldn’t want their drug addictions though, just their abilities to decipher information about a person from seemingly minimal amounts of information.

3. Luna Lovegood

As the Harry Potter Wiki puts it: Luna was an extremely quirky girl with a serene disposition and many eccentric beliefs and qualities. She was a complete nonconformist; she lacked self-consciousness and wasn’t afraid to show who she truly was. Luna was also highly intelligent and unusually perceptive.

Luna is my absolute female idol. I don’t know how to put it into any other way. Although most would perceive her as a weirdo, I found her interesting. If she lived in this day and age, she would be a diamond among diamantes. Where we all strive to turn ourselves into the image society deems as “perfect”, she turns away from that and doesn’t even take notice of it. She has achieved zen (as in she’s understood and accepted herself fully, therefore finding true happiness)

4. Narcissa Malfoy

Okay, I know that a lot of people would be saying ‘what the eff’ to this but I still think she belongs on this list. Narcissa may be proud, cold and she may discriminate against those who aren’t pure bloods, but Narcissa truly loved her family and would do anything to keep them safe. That is the part about her that I admire, how she was able to put aside her pride and actually make Snape make the unbreakable vow with her in order to keep Draco safe. There are various instances in the novels that Narcissa does what she has to, in order to protect her family.

5. Hermione Granger

I’m not sure I need to explain this. Hermione is quite a female icon. She’s intelligent and unafraid to show it; she’s courageous yet level-headed; and she’s highly protective of her friends and of the weak. Every list should have Hermione somewhere on it.

Whimsical Nail Polish by Pam : Kitty Glitter Review

Hi guys!

I’m sorry about the lack of posts over the past month, I guess I didn’t really feel like writing. Things weren’t that great I suppose as I had received my atar score. The mark I received was one that I wasn’t happy with but I can’t really go back in time to fix it so I’ll just have to hope for the best. I also was quite busy with family events and I hope you all had a great christmas and a happy new year! I think the next holiday coming up is Lunar New year, on the 10th of February, 4 days before Valentines day

Today, I’ve got a polish review for you: Kitty Glitter from Whimsical Nail Polish by Pam.

Kitty Glitter is a beautiful seafoam blue jelly with pieces of differently sized silver hexagonal glitter. It is quite a sheer polish, needing 5 coats to be opaque. However, I found that the polish dried amazingly fast and I didn’t need to wait too long between coats (about 2-5 minutes) and it was perfect within 15 minutes of top coat! I didn’t get any bumps from it not setting properly – it was really the best polish I’ve tried so far in terms of formula The glitter turned  out a bit bumpy but two coats of top coat made it quite smooth.

Kitty Glitter is a really beautiful polish that I think would be a great addition to anyone’s polish collection. I don’t have any dupes of it. It’s available from Whimsical Ideas by Pam for $10 however, she only currently ships within the US which is unfortunate for us Aussie girls but if you can somehow manage to get a few of her polishes, you won’t regret it

A week of shopping

I spent most of the week before last working. It was really tough but it was worth it to get my paycheck which I’ve spent now… with a week’s worth of shopping (most of which I haven’t received yet). In comparison to facebook posts from other girls about their shopping, I don’t think I’ve bought too much and since I’m not going to Schoolies, I thought why not pamper myself?

This is from a Revlon Sale, the Melbourne Central VIP night ( I forgot it’s actual name!), Priceline’s Revlon buy one get one free sale and a catchoftheday.com.au Butter London run a few weeks ago.

Revlon Sale.

So last weekend was Revlon’s big warehouse sale at the Melbourne Showgrounds. It ran from Friday until the Sunday and I went on both Friday (with my best friend) and on Saturday (with my sister). On both occasions I spent about $40-$50. I haven’t shown you here but I did buy a few more nail polishes for my aunt. Everything was very cheap, with prices from $2- $10, depending on the items.

Coral me Wild, Not So Blueberry, Tuscan Sun, Get Reddy & Pretty In Papaya $2 Each

Electric, Timeless, Ocean Breeze $2 Each

ColorStay Pressed Powder $4, ColorStay Blemish Concealer $3, Super Lustrous Lipstick, Living Lipstick, Colorburst lip butter $5 each

Colourburst lip butter in 050Berry Smoothie, Super Lustrous lipstick in 420Blushed, Living Lipstick in 14Hot Coral, Super Lustrous lipstick in Coralberry $5 Each

ColorStay Aqua Mineral Makeup, ColorStay Aqua Mineral Finishing powder, Photoready makeup, Age Defying with DNA advantage Cream makeup $5 each ( I think)

Touch & Glow Face Powder $4

As you can tell, this was a really great sale. Everything was heavily reduced. I think I saved the most on the foundations since they are usually around $30 each I think. The lipsticks were the most expensive product but I think they were trying to just have an even price across all the types they were selling as it was just all in boxes. I haven’t tried anything but the pressed powder and it sets my make-up marvellously. It reduces shine and it doesn’t leave dry patches or anything.

Revlon Buy One Get One Free Sale

Radiant, Sparkling, Blue Lagoon, Popular

These were $14 each so in total I saved $28 which isn’t as much of a bargain as the polishes from the Revlon sale but they didn’t have these sort of polishes at the sale.

Catchoftheday.com.au Fairy Cake, Fishwife, Sprog, Blagger

I purchased these off the Catchoftheday.com.au Butter London run a few weeks ago. I just received them last week though which was a really long wait. However they did mention that they were moving warehouses so that’s why they took that long. However, what really upset me was that I received my dispatch notice on Saturday and I received them on Thursday which was more than 15 days after purchase and after my best friend’s birthday party and I bought one for her… I was pretty angry about that. But she received it so it was good. These were $14 each and the postage was $11. The formula is really lovely.

Melbourne Central Sale 

The cuff was from Valleygirl and they ere having a 30% off sale. The necklace was from Colette when they had their 20% off sale. I also bought a pair of silver rectangular earrings and I got a pair of free false diamond studs from Colette (although I didn’t remember them when I took this photo). I really like the cuff as I don’t have any gold necklaces, I thought a cuff might be better to accompany my gold earrings and rings. The necklace is similar to one I have already but this one has loose spikes whereas the other has triangular flat shapes.

Movies with my sister at Chadstone 

So I went to the movies with my sister yesterday and watched Skyfall. I liked the movie and I’m glad I went to the cinema to see it. I would recommend you do the same. I also went to Diva with her where there were certain items that were 50% off. This pair of earrings was one of them. I really love animal designs and I just couldn’t not buy these. I love the leopard heads!
I also went to T2 to pick up a box of my favourite tea, the China Jasmine tea. This is the tea that I always offer guests and everybody loves it. It’s really nice. It’s like the tea that Asian restaurants (Chinese and Vietnamese) offer you for free. The teabags at the supermarkets that are also green tea and jasmine can’t compare at all. I’ve tried most of them now since I thought they would be more convenient for my personal use but the taste isn’t as yummy.  I also got two free samples that I haven’t tried yet.

Diva earrings $10

T2 China Jasmine tea $12

I’m really happy with my purchases and if there is anything you want a review of or want to know more about, please let me know. I also bought a pair of shorts, a skirt and a dress but I’ve already worn them all so I didn’t want to take a photo of them

Thanks for reading! Until next time =D