I feel like I’m wearing a lot of makeup here, but I’m not…comparatively speaking. Compared to what I used to rock on the daily five or six years ago! ? ? I swear, if I just do a little concealer and foundation these days, and maybe a light dusting of powder, bam! — I feel ready for a black-tie ball from The Great Gatsby.
Funny thing is…I was trying for an “everyday look” here with UD’s Naked Wild West Palette, which is why I used the matte, neutral workhorse shades — gray, a reddish brick brown, a taupe and a beige. I dunno though… I also couldn’t resist adding a little glitter in the inner corner!
Truth be told, my threshold for “dressing up” is very low now. Basically, whenever I put on a T-shirt and jeans that, ya know…fit, I feel dressed to the nines!
The Naked Wild West workhorse shadows blend beautifully with very little fallout, and I also like how smooth they look on my lids. They don’t look heavily creased or dry.
To go with the warm red brick tones on the lids, I added a warm reddish blush (Hourglass Diffused Heat, an old standby that goes really well with so many different shades of red lipstick) and sheer warm red Chanel Rouge Coco in Arthur on my lips.
DUDE, I am on a total Chanel Rouge Coco kick right now! It’s fancy yet approachable, with just the right amount of shine and opacity (or rather, semi-sheerness). The shade on my lips here is called Arthur, which I applied by dabbing the tube lightly on my lips. Then I pressed it in with a finger to create a warm reddish stain.
Makeup worn in this look
- BASE: Chanel Ultra Le Tint Ultrawear All Day Comfort Flawless Finish Foundation in BD51, bareMinerals Original Liquid Mineral Concealer in Medium/Tan 3.5 C, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden
- EYES: Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette (Standoff as a base, Laredo and Ghost Town on lids, Pony Up as eyeliner, Cowboy Rick as an inner corner highlight), Lancome Lash Idole Mascara, IT Cosmetics Brow Power in Universal Taupe, Neutrogena Smokey Grey Eyeliner
- CHEEKS: Hourglass Diffused Heat Blush
- LIPS: Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Arthur
And now…
Chocolate chip applesauce cake
Quite a few gals requested this recipe, so here it is, from my tummy to yours! I originally billed this as a “one-bowl baking job,” but I was overzealous there. You will need two. I hope that doesn’t stop you from trying it because the batter comes together really quickly, and the cake bakes in about 30 minutes.
When you’re done, listen for the sound of angels singing (AAAAAHHHHH!!!!), as you’ll be rewarded with the most shockingly delicious, otherworldly, melt-in-your-mouth cake!
If you’re looking to cut down on the simple carbs, feel free to dial back the granulated and brown sugar, or, you could leave out the topping entirely. Or, you can just make it as is!
Since it’s a good amount of cake for just me, El Hub and my sous chef, I usually divvy up the cake and pass on the sugary goodness to my neighbors. You could also try cutting the slices and freezing them, although I haven’t done that yet.
INGREDIENTS
For the batter, wet ingredients:
- 2 cups no-sugar added applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) lightly packed brown sugar
For the batter, dry ingredients:
- 2 cups (10 ounces) gluten-free flour, or all-purpose flour, either one works great
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (3 ounces) chocolate chips, I like Guittard Semi-Sweet because that’s the brand we used in the bakery
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 ounces) chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. If you’re using a glass pan like I did, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients — the applesauce, melted butter, vanilla, eggs, granulated and brown sugar.
- In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients — flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips. You’ll want to coat the chocolate chips with the dry ingredients to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake while it bakes.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined. Whatever you do, please don’t overmix!
- Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan, then sprinkle the brown sugar and chocolate chip topping evenly across the top.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (a little bit of melted chocolate is just fine). If you’re using a glass pan, you may need to bake a little bit longer… My cake ended up taking about 38 minutes total.
- Store well-covered at room temperature, and it should keep for several days!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
That photo of CoyWolf is great! It’s one to print out and put in a frame! And I love her unicorn apron!
Love that gray liner. Your wings are perfect! How do the Neutrogena liners compare to the UD 24/7 liners?
That’s a pretty blouse! I love the satiny fabric, color and the gathers around the neckline. Very feminine. It’s a sophisticated color, too!
I could see amping up the spices in this cake a bit and substituting chopped nuts for the chocolate chips or nuts and shredded coconut. This seems like a versatile cake.
Guittard Chocolate is located down here on the peninsula. Sometimes when you drive by on 101 you can get a whiff of chocolate. I don’t know if they do it anymore but they used to give away the spent cocoa hulls to use as mulch in your garden. It’s my preferred brand of chocolate. I have to hide my baking chocolate because Dear Husband has been known to eat it and then when I go to bake I don’t have any.
They’re comparable to the UD liners, but the only big downside is that there’s no way sharpen them! 🙁 I end up either wearing mine on the waterlines (I think they do better on waterlines compared to UD) or having to use am angled brush to line my lash lines.
So thanks for noticing the shirt! I bought it at Banana Republic online for a song… I still hate shopping (UGH) but I keep making myself chip away at the wardrobe checklist because I’m so tired of looking sloppy. I did have to ask El Hub if I looked like a pirate in it when I first tried it on, though. LOL! Here’s the link in case you’re interested; it’s still on sale.
So you did those wings with a brush?!!! Ok, I have to admit that is one skill I have never learned. Need to get Dear Daughter to teach me that before she leaves.
Thanks for the link to the blouse. I also like the Burnt Caramel Brown but it’s sold out in my petite size. I wonder if I could get away with the regular sizes. I hate when V-necklines reach my navel. Ok, I’m over exaggerating a bit. But I hate when my bra shows.
Pirate. Lol. Nope. You just look pretty in that blouse. To me that blouse can be worn with jeans for an dressy casual look. Or with sleek black trousers or slim black pants or a slim skirt for a much dressier look. Very versatile. And it looks comfy too.
Yes! I dipped a wet angled brush into the gray shade from the palette. I think in some ways you get more control over your liner this way, so it’s easier!
OK, I’m petite too and waffled back and forth between the regular and petite sizes. I ended up going with a regular in my standard size small, and I’m happy with the fit. The shoulders don’t feel tight (which has been an issue for me with some of Banana Republic’s petite sizes lately) and the sleeves hit right where they need to hit without feeling long. I haven’t bought shirts in literally years (did I mention I hate shopping for clothes?), and apparently a lot of Banana Republic’s shirts are not as long as they used to be because of the high waisted pant trend. So, you might want to double check the length in the sizing chart just in case you need to size up if your torso is longer. I’m short waisted and when I wear the shirt with high waisted pants I feel fine (I do a half tuck in the front), but when I have it on with mid-rise jeans, I can see how it might not feel long enough for someone with a longer waist. Anywho, highly recommended! I’ll usually find ALL THE REASONS to hate most shirts, and I don’t hate this shirt. LOL! Get one for you and get another for dear daughter. 🙂
Thanks for this info. It helps alot. Short legs, long waisted. I used to love shopping for clothes. The pandemic cured me of that. Dear Husband is very happy. He hates spending and loves saving money. Dear Daughter got my love of fashion (she has a better eye than I do) and hates to spend money like her father. She really knows how to sweet talk me into buying her clothes.
You’re welcome! I used to enjoy shopping for clothes back when I felt like I could dress like a crazy person and get away with it. LOL. Ah, to be 25 and wearing a cropped black and white faux fur coat on a Wednesday just for ’cause you can!
I have to say, I’m enjoying the wide world of wearing basics now. It’s a little boring, but makes it so much easier to get dressed, and I don’t feel sloppy anymore.
Does your daughter have a similar body type to yours? CoyWolf’s is COMPLETELY different than mine (she has her dad’s very long waist), so I probably won’t be able to pass any clothes onto her.
Thank you so much for posting the cake recipe!! I was hoping that you would. It looks so good, and right up my family’s alley. I love chocolate chips and, I love that you put applesauce in it. I will try making it sometime really soon. I can’t wait!!
Hi Sherry,
I hope you like it! Be sure to get the unsweetened applesauce, otherwise it might be too sweet. Can’t wait to here how it turns out.
Hi Karen! I’m a college student- I read your blog years ago when I was first getting into makeup (so in junior high!!) but drifted away with work and classes. I returned to it today for some nostalgia and was touched and pleased and so so glad to see this page again- it felt like running into an old friend. And Connor Claire looks so lovely and full of life- just like she did when she was a tiny newborn bean, but now holding a whisk!! 😉
Thank you for always bringing me joy!
Hi Katie,
How nice to hear from you! I’m so glad that you stopped by today to say hello; thank you for the sweet message! I hope that everything on your end is going well and that you’re healthy and happy.
I love freezing cake, just like I love freezing bolognese sauce. That way I always have some to quickly have ready when I had a bad day.
Hi Anne,
How do you typically freeze your cake? Do you do multiple layers of plastic wrap?
¡Hello Karen!
I confess that I was not excited for the new pallette of UD, but I’ve seen how versatile and am I thinking of acquiring it. It´s so beutifull.
on the other hand, that cake looks delicious, I only have a doubt with the apple puree, you do it or you buy it?
Thank´s for answering, I´m from México. I love your blog.
Hi Adriana!
You could make it at home, however I’ve never made the recipe with homemade applesauce so I can’t say how it’ll turn out. I’m guessing it would be good though! I googled a recipe for it, and I found a couple recipes:
Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce
Homemade Applesauce
3-Ingredient Applesauce (No Sugar Added)
I usually just use the kind you can find at the store in a jar. This is one of the brands I’ve used, Mott’s.
Your sous-chef is adorable, as always, and that apron made my day! You know I’m with you 100% on jeans feeling like “dressing up”, And I busted out laughing at your comment above, that you had to ask El Hub if you looked like a pirate in your new shirt. Thanks, Seinfeld for making us all question that when our shirts are slightly puffy. HAHA!