XERXES, KING OF PERSIA

All hail Xerxes!

Xerxes, the King of Persia was dripping in gold & opulence. The luxury & fierceness of his look in the movie '300' had me drawn to this character transformation. 

To my jewellery drawers, I went, on the hunt for every gold necklace, bracelet & ring I own to create a unique costume. I even used toe rings as a nose ring and ear cuff.  The accessories include tons of pieces from River Island and Primark in the UK. 

The inspiration for my makeup look was an extreme bronzed palette; bold gold eyeshadow, dark smouldering eyeliner & a shimmery nude lip. I felt like a Persian villain goddess. 

The toughest part was hiding my eyebrows with tons of concealer and recreating King Xerxes' non-existent brows.

The products I used for this makeup look are:

MAC Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze

MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in Gold Deposit

URBAN DECAY 'NAKED' Eyeshadow in Half Baked & Smog

MAC Lipstick in Velvet Teddy

MAYBELLINE Master Kajal Eyeliner in Onyx Rush

Happy Halloween! 

XO 

Kiran

CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP

CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP

The star of the autumn season is the pumpkin, from Thanksgiving pies to carved Halloween creatures. I found this beautiful tiger pumpkin that immediately made me think of a carved soup bowl rather than to carve it up. 

The curry powder gives this creamy soup a little kick & I garnished it with crunchy coconut & a drizzle of maple syrup. 

INGREDIENTS

1 tiger pumpkin (or regular pumpkin)

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp fresh shredded coconut

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup vegetable broth (preferably homemade)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

METHOD

To make a pumpkin bowl, using a carving or paring knife, carve the top off of the pumpkin. Create a circle sliding the knife diagonally. Then carefully remove the pumpkin from the skin, discard of the seeds. Be very careful towards the bottom of the pumpkin to not create any holes. 

In a pot, add pumpkin pieces, chopped onion, garlic, & vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Transfer the contents to a blender. Blend until smooth. 

Pour the mixture back into the pot. Add curry powder, nut meg, cayenne, & whipping cream. Simmer & serve immediately. 

To serve pour soup back into the carved pumpkin bowl, garnish with a drizzle of maple syrup, & coconut. 

XO

Kiran & THE BLANK PLATE