Red lips are... HOT

Let's just start by saying that red lipstick is a universal classic. You have seen celebrities wearing red lips for many seasons and it hasn't gone out of style yet. Why? The answer is simple. As the winter is coming up, your tan is not at its best (except if you are a tanning ban fan of course) and with a pale face, there is nothing better than wearing RED. Your fabulous lips will grad all the attention and you will look stunning. Yet, many women assume that they can't wear it. It is wrong. Very wrong.

Here are some tips:

Rule #1: The paler your face, the better the result-  go light on the makeup for eyes and blush, so you don't end up looking like a clown.

Rule #2: Red lipstick tends to bleed, so fill in lips with lip liner first.

Rule #3: Pick the right color- Apply a red lipstick shade that you like to your top lip only and then look at the color against your natural bottom lip. If the red lipstick is one or two shades darker then you've found the perfect shade for you.

Rule #4: Do not forget to press clean tissue to your lips and get a second coat to make sure color stays long enough.

Give your black coffee a French touch'

In order to start off your day right, you need coffee in the morning but you are tired of drinking the same thing everyday? Black coffee is your only option since you are not working at Starbucks. You maybe own a fancy Expresso machine that gives more options than the simple coffee maker but it is still NOT Starbucks. So here is my solution for you. You should make "café au lait". I know it sounds fancy and really french but honestly it is really easy to make and taste ten times better than simple black coffee.

"Cafe au lait" is simply the combination of dark coffee and heated milk. 

Directions:

-Make 1 cup of your regular black coffee

-Heat 1 cup of milk (I use non-fat milk but it is up to you)

-Pour the coffee and the milk at the same time in the cup so they can mix well together

-Use a frother to make the milk foamy (see picture below)

-Add 2 sweeteners

Here is your café au lait!

Enjoy, my friends!

Bonne journée!

With love,

B-Lou

Thanksgiving is coming up, what to bring to the party?

The host of the party told you not to bring anything. Of course, if the host is your mother, she loves you very much and seeing you at home is good enough for her. Great. But not every Thanksgiving dinner is going to be  hosted by your creator. You have a girlfriend/boyfriend or eventually you will get one and you will need to attend this kind of event. It will eventually be hosted by the "other family" AND you will need to be loved by the "other family". Or at least accepted and not hated right away.
You know your host has been slaving in the kitchen all day, the idea of bringing "yourself" is not good enough. Everyone enjoys getting gifts in return of their hard work. Everyone.

So here is a list of tips and ideas when answering the question: What should I bring?

• Booze is the word- do your research, find out what the host likes to drink & change a boring Thanksgiving dinner into a party
• Fingers food is a must- smelling that turkey for hours make everybody hungry, so help the host and bring appetizers so nobody gets angry-hungry
• Dish of dessert- you can never have too many dessert, it is simply impossible
• Flowers- if you know that your host already planned food that could feel the whole neighborhood, just bring flowers, it always works

The best things in life

• Making new friends or spending time with old ones   
• Decorating cupcakes in a fancy way
• Falling in love
• Hot shower after spending the day in the rain
• Laughing for absolutely no reason at all
• Pick a spot on the world map, pack and go
• Watching all over again all the Disney movies
• Shopping like your credit card has no limits
• And of course... french food!  

Everyday may not be a good day but there is something good in every day. You just have to look for a way to turn the bad into good. Be positive. Smile. Life will become a lot easier. A lot.

With love,
B-lou

Shake & Shock the World to bring back the Peace

I'm all about peace, happiness, and everything that goes with it. We live in a crazy world and things do not seem to be getting any better in the future. News on TV and radio shows are making me depressed. Bad economy, war in Iraq, terrorism, crimes... When do we ever hear about people getting richer, healthier, and happier? Not a lot. Unfortunately.

For centuries, there have been wars about religion, conquest of territory, desire to get more power and the list can go on. Through the years, history has been developed and we have recognized legends who tried to make the world a better place and I do believe that it is very important. Everybody knows Gandhi. Thank God. Well at least I would like to think so.

I am absolutely loving the new Benetton campaign called "Unhate". Some critics called it shocking and not appropriate but I love the idea behind the concept.
Benetton's ads showing world leaders kissing each other on the mouth are aiming at shocking AND promoting love all around the world.

"These are symbolic images with an ironic touch of hope and constructive provocation to promote some thought about the way policies, faith and ideas, even if they are completely opposite and diverse, can lead to dialogue and mediation," said Benetton.

I could not agree more with Benetton.
Share your love & promote Peace.

With love,

B-Lou

If a wine does not taste great, use it to cook

Have you ever bought a bottle of wine that did not taste good? or did not meet your expectations?
It happens to me from time to time; as a "wine lover", I like to branch out and try different wines at different prices; some are winners and some are not. At all.
It breaks my heart to through away an entire bottle, so I found a solution, use the "not-tasting-so-good-wine" to cook and keep the good one to drink and enjoy.
Also, when wine is heated, the alcoholic content disappears so only the essence imparting a subtle flavor is left. No worries about getting grandma drunk :)

You can use wine in 3 different ways: as a marinade, as a cooking liquid or as a flavoring in a finished dish.

Last night, I made "Poulet au Vin Rouge" (Chicken with red wine), here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
-Chicken breast
-Onions
-Red wine

Directions:
-Chop onions & start cooking them
-When the onions are getting brown, add the red wine and the chicken
-Cook until everything is browned on all sides

Also, for your side, it is good to make mashed potatoes and green beans. Keep some extra red wine sauce and onions to add on the top of your mashed potatoes, it will be delicious!

Bon appétit my friends!

To be American, you have to be a Bacon lover

After a long week, Friday night is the perfect night to order a pizza or make something different that will taste GREAT, look GREAT and is very EASY to make.
My boyfriend is a "bacon lover", so if I can make anything that involves bacon, he will love me even more! (hopefully that will work for you as well, ladies )

Here is the perfect recipe for you : Cheddar Tomato Bacon Toasts

You will need:
- 1/2 lb cheese (sauce Ragu cheesy double cheddar sauce) or simple cheddar melt
- 1/2 tomato (chopped)
- 2 & 1/2 slices bacon (crisp cooked and crumbled about 1/3 cup)
-1 loaf loaves (Italian bread each cut into 16 slices each about 16 inches long)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F
2) In medium bowl, combine Ragu Cheesy Sauce, tomato and bacon
3) On baking sheet, arrange bread slices. Evenly top with sauce mixture
4) Bake 10 minutes or until sauce mixture is bubbling. Serve immediately

Bienvenue/Welcome

Bienvenue/Welcome to my blog!

Here I will share with you a little bit of "me" and everything that I like.
This is going to be a place of thoughts, inspirations, hobbies, cooking recipes, fashion tips... BlaBlaBla!

"Life with a French twist" is written by a little Frenchie living in the USA since 2007.

With Love,
B-Lou