A Christmasy Day + Make Up Look + Cookies | Part 2!!!

Why hello again Christmas Lovers!

After I did my make up today, I spent the whole day baking Christmas cookies with my mom!  We had a super fun time and I got even more into the Christmas spirit than I was already (if that is even possible).

One of my favorite Christmas cookies to make are palmiers.  Anne Burrell from the Food Network has a fantastic recipe that uses orange zest and they make the whole house smell like Christmas.

Here is how we made these AMAZING little cookies:

First we gathered all of our supplies: 2 sheets of puff pastry, 2 oranges, sugar, ground cinnamon, a small bowl, a grater or zester for the oranges, a cutting board or surface to roll the dough on, a rolling pin, 2 cookie sheets, a fork, and plastic wrap.

Set the sheets of puff pastry side by side and let thaw for about 30 minutes, unless you make your own - and in that case, good for you!

While the pastry is thawing, I measure out 2 cups of sugar, 4 teaspoons of cinnamon, and zest 2 small or medium oranges.  I then combined these in a small bowl with a fork.  The smell is HEAVENLY.

When the pastry is thawed, I spread out a quarter of the sugar mixture on my surface.  Then I unfold one sheet of the pastry and spread another quarter of the mixture on top.  

Using a rolling pin, I rolled the dough to about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Make sure to press down really hard to get the sugar to stick onto the dough.

Then, rolling from the shorter sides (if there are any... I'm not a very good roller so by this time it has lost its original shape) roll until they meet in the middle.  This may take some practice, but it doesn't need to look SUPER pretty - it spreads out while cooking anyway.

Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Here you can see that I did both sheets of pastry and placed them side by side to rest in the refrigerator.  Waiting for this to set is the hardest part, after your hands already smell all Christmasy and you are anticipating the deliciousness that will be coming out of the oven!!!!

Speaking of ovens... I preheated mine to 400 degrees.

After they chilled, I cut them into 1/4 inch slices and laid them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Like I said, appearance doesn't really matter - they will cook and caramelize and no one will care what they look like.

I then place the palmiers into a 400 degree oven.  I recommend only doing one pan at a time.  Last year, when I tried to place both baking sheets in the oven - the bottom one was really burned.  

This really is the best part of the whole process (besides eating them).  The entire house is filled with the smell of cinnamon and oranges.  Does anyone know if they make a palmier candle? I need it.

Let them cook for 11-12 minutes, remove from oven and turn them all over.  Then I cook them for 6 more minutes.  Look how brown and delicious they are already!

Yum!! This is what they look like when they first come out of the oven.  Don't they look all delicious and amazing?

I snapped a few pictures of the other cookies we made: rolo pretzels (which are not really cookies) and some delicious red velvet and white chocolate cookies!

What are your favorite cookies to make???

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of my Christmasy day (don't forget to check out Part 1), and I look forward to sharing more of my festive adventures with you.

With Love,

Traci J

A Christmasy Day + Make Up Look + Cookie Recipe

Hello Christmas Lovers!

Today was a fun day.  I got up and played around with my make up - and then spent the whole day making Christmas cookies with my mom (aside from a short break to go shovel the driveway - eew).  So, since I had such a wonderfully Christmas-filled and relaxing day (again, aside from the snow shoveling) you all get a 2 in 1 post today.  The first part is the make up look I wore today - with muted browns and a beautiful plum shade on the cheeks, and the second part is this yummy palmier cookie recipe.  Enjoy!

My idea was for this to be a 2 in 1 post - first my make up look for the day, and then rolling into my cookie baking extravaganza.  However, I realized that this post would end up being too ridiulously long if I added all my cookie bits to it.  So click here for PART 2 of this " 2 in 1" blog post!

Start with a clean face - then apply a generous amount of moisturizer.  I have been double moisturizing lately since the winter air is super drying and just really not nice to my skin. :(

For foundation I have just started using Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 by Covergirl.  I use the shade Classic Ivory - since I am quite pale.  Primer is optional with this foundation since it is a 3 in 1 - and I definitely feel comfortable going without!  However, in the summer when my skin is super oily and sweaty, I would probably opt for a primer underneath.  This foundation gives good coverage and is build-able for my troubled areas (aka the acne on my forehead at the moment).  My go to foundation applicator is the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques - you can see me using it while staring at the camera like a weirdo in the picture on the right...

After blending my foundation, I use the Above & Beyond FULL Coverage Concelear by NYX.  I wear the shade Porcelain.  I have to be honest, this is not my favorite concealer.  I find it to be a little bit cakey on my face - and it doesn't do a great job at covering up my redness.  I am just trying to use it up before I purchase a new one.  Luckily, my foundation does such a good job - I don't need much. I also blend this out with the Real Techniques brush.

To set my foundation and concealer, I use the Shine Free Pressed Powder by Maybelline, in the shade Ivory. This powder is NOT cakey and doesn't settle into the dry skin on my face, which makes me super happy and in love with this powder.  I put it all over my face with the Total Face Brush by E.l.f.  

Once my powder is on - this is how my face looks ^^. Pretty nice, I think.

 

Next, I apply Color Tattoo by Maybelline in the shade Tough as Taupe (I just use my finger).  This is a nice matte shade that I find blends seamlessly onto my skin, it leans on the more grey side of taupe.  The Maybelline Color Tattoos are another one of those products that don't need a primer, but would benefit from one on a humid day or for a long wear application.

When I wear Tough as Taupe, I always cover it with the taupe shade from my Caviar & Bubble palette by NYX (this palette seems to be discontinued - I cannot find a link to it ANYWHERE - sad... I love this palette).  If you can't tell, it is the second shade on the top.  It almost exactly matches Tough as Taupe, and just makes blending in other colors a lot easier.  I also apply this allover my lid with my finger.

I then apply the dark brown shade from the same palette with this Defining Eye Brush by E.l.f.  I just put it in my crease and blend it a little with the same brush.  I then take a brush that is a little bit fluffier and better for blending, the Full Eye Shadow Brush by Ecotools.  I blend the eye shadow up and out until it makes a more natural look.

To highlight the inner corner of my eye and brow bone, I sweep on a little bit of the Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter by theBalm.  This stuff is my all time favorite highlighter.  It is a gorgeous light champagne color and makes my eyes look awake and shimmery. This is another product that I apply using my fingers.

So far, my eyes look something like this.

For eyeliner, I line my upper inner rim with the Color Stay Pencil by Revlon in black, and I use the Color Stay Liquid Eyeliner in blackest black to lightly line my lash line.  My favorite drugstore mascara is The Rocket by Maybelline.  I think that it does a great job at making my eyelashes look full but not clumpy.  I use the waterproof version in very black.  I applied mascara on both my upper and lower lashes.

And here are my eyes. Yay!

For bronzer I opted for a shimmery powder by E.l.f.  This is the Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder, I have absolutely no idea what shade this is... the label has worn off.  For my cheeks I used a brand new blush that I picked up from Ulta yesterday! I love new blushes!!! The blush is Cheekers by Covergirl in the shade Deep Plum.  This is a pretty plum shade that I think is perfect for winter, and I  apply this with a generic blush brush.

For lips I chose a pretty pinkish/brown shade.  I also picked up this product yesterday, and it is every bit as good as everyone is saying it is! This lip gloss is the Butter Gloss by NYX, and the color is Tiramisu.  Really, it feels just like buttery goodness on your lips.  Plus, I think it smells like cake - so that's a plus.

Here are a few photos of the finished make up look.  Sorry that this didn't end up as a 2 in 1 post - but be sure to check out what I did AFTER I did my make up here!

I hope you enjoyed this make up tutorial - please let me know what you thought in the comments.  Also, throw out any concealer recommendations that you have!

With Love, 

Traci J