Kate Middleton Royal Wedding Beauty

Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding Day Makeup: 1. Jo Malone Cologne in Orange Blossom, Grapefruit, and Lime, Basil & Mandarin; 2. Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Soothing Anti-Stress Moistursing Cream;  3. Bourjois Rose Lounge 28 Nail Polish; 4. Essie 423 Allure Nail Polish; 5. Bobbi Brown Rose Shimmer; 6. Richard Ward Couture Hair Gravitiser Sleekening Cream; 7. Karin Herzog Oxygen Face Cream; 8. Lancome Hypnose Mascara; 9. Lancome Artliner; 10. Chanel Perfect Brows

Forget the Royal Regiment, let's talk the Royal Regimen -- beauty regimen, that is.  Kate Middleton is reinventing the Royal Family with her modern sensibilities, natural grace, and unassuming charm.  The blushing bride may have left the wedding dress details in the capable hands of Alexander McQueen head designer Sarah Burton, but she insisted on doing her own makeup on the day. I love how natural she looked with her healthy shiny hair, perfectly groomed strong brows, and glowing rosy complexion.  I'm convinced that her accessible beauty has a lot to do with her intrigue and likeability. 

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

In lieu of sunshine, I will be painting my nails neon yellow and eating lemon poppy seed muffins all day!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:

(Recipe adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients:

• All-Purpose Flour, 2 cups
• Baking Powder, 2 teaspoons
• Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
• Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup
• Lemons, zest of 1 and slices of the other
• Granulated Sugar, 2/3 cup
• Eggs, 2 large
• Poppy Seeds, 4 teaspoons
• Milk, 1/2 cup

 Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a muffin tin with muffin wrappers.
• In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
• In an electric mixer, cream butter, lemon zest, and sugar.
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Stir in poppy seeds.
• Fold in flour mixture in three parts until just combined, adding milk in between.
• Place batter into muffin wrappers and adorn with lemon slices.
• Bake for 25 minutes.

If you love lemon as much as me, you'll be interested in my Lemon Meringue Cake, Limoncello and Granita di Limone. And for more muffin recipes, try my Blueberry Muffins and Cherry Madeira Cakes!

Chocolate Plum Cake with Sticky Muscovado Crumble

Baking is all the funner with my friendly sous chef -- even if she did just lounge around eating plum slices the whole time!

Chocolate Plum Cake with Sticky Muscovado Crumble
(From A Year at Avoca: a Cook Book)

Ingredients:

• Plums, 6, halved and pitted
• Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup
• All-Purpose Flour, 1 1/10 cups + 2 tablespoons
• Cocoa Powder, 3 tablespoons
• Baking Powder, 2 teaspoons
• Salt, 1/4 teaspoon
• Granulated Sugar, 1 cup
• Eggs, 3 large,. lightly beaten
• Milk, a little less than 3/4 cup
• Muscovado Sugar, 3/4 cup

Sticky Muscovado Crumble:

•  In a large bowl, rub together muscovado sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/3 cup unsalted butter until the consistency becomes coarse.

Chocolate Plum Cake:

•  In a large bowl, sift together 1 1/10 cups flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In an electric mixture, cream together 1/2 cup unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy - about 10 minutes.
• Beat in eggs, flour mixture, and milk alternating a little at a time.
• Pour the batter into a parchment lined loose-bottomed tin.
• Arrange the halved plums, cut side down, in the tin.
• Sprinkle the muscovado crumble mixture over the top.
• Bake at 338 degrees for one hour.

Chanel Black Pearl

Chanel Le Vernis Black Pearl

Hot off the runway from Paris, Chanel Black Pearl, a metallic gun-metal gray lacquer with pearly teal undertones, is decidedly the nail color of the season.  It makes you feel instantly chic and gives you all the luxury and glamor of Chanel in a pretty little glass bottle that doesn't break the bank (though I may have to break the bank for those perfectly feminine chain mail gloves!).  Here it is, featuring prominently in the Chanel Spring 11 Show:

For more Spring style, might i suggest Spring 11 Runway Trends and Beach Style!

DIY: Bespoke Tarahumara Huaraches

So...I'm running a 10k next week... If I sound a bit apprehensive, it's because I've embraced a rather unconventional (read: dubious) training regimen, consisting of living in heels to strengthen calf muscles, buying a groupon for Scandinave Spa, eating big pasta dinners, banking on some sort of osmosis from my nationally ranked marathoner brother, rereading Born To Run, planning a trip to the Copper Canyon, drinking Iskiate, fashioning huaraches - you know, everything except actually running!  Whatever happens, at least I got an adorable pair of shoes out of the whole debacle!

To make your own $5 Tarahumara Huaraches, all you need is a sheet of foam or rubber, a length of suede cord, and your trusty manicure set!  This handy Youtube video should help with the rest.

Fall 2011 Runway Fashion Trends

LIKE THE BOYS:

(Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney)

CAPED CRUSADER:

(Gareth Pugh, Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander Wang, Christopher Kane)

EASY RIDER:

(Burberry Prorsum, Celine, Balmain, Chloe, Louis Vuitton)

HELMET BAG:

(Dries Van Noten, Celine, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, 3.1 Phillip Lim)

SPEED RACER:

(3.1 Phillip Lim, Celine, Chloe, Louis Vuitton, Derek Lam)

TRICKS UP YOUR SLEEVE:

(Derek Lam, 3.1 Phillip Lim, 3.1 Phillip Lim, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Derek Lam)

THE SWEATER SET:

(Celine, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jil Sander, Chloe, Burberry Prorsum)

IT DON'T MATTER IF YOU'RE BLACK OR WHITE:

(Giambattista Valli, Derek Lam, Yves Saint Lauren, Dries Van Noten, Alexander McQueen)

THE YETI:

(Isabel Marant, Balmain, Yves Saint Lauren, Alexander McQueen, Derek Lam)

TULLE:

(Hakaan, Givenchy, Giles, Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton)

LACE:

(Lanvin, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, Chanel)

POLKA DOTS:

(Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana)

COLOR BLOCKING:

(Chloe, Giambattista Valli, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Giambattista Valli)

GRAPHIC PRINTS:

(Giles, Hermes, Christopher Kane, Dries Van Noten, Proenza Schouler)

DR. SEUSS:

(Versace, Emilio Pucci, Gucci, Prada, Balmain)

FLOWER POWER:

(Lanvin, Miu Miu, Jil Sander, Emilio Pucci, Versace)

THE JADE TIGER:

(Emilio Pucci, Haider Ackermann, Oscar de la Renta, Emilio Pucci, Gucci)

THE SACK DRESS:

(Jil Sander, Rochas, Giambattista Valli, Derek Lam, Dries Van Noten)

What new Fall trends are you seeing? What will you be rocking next Autumn?! What are your favorite collections?

Fall fashion may be jumping the gun a bit - it is only cherry blossom season after all - so might I also suggest Spring 2011 Runway Trends!

P.S. Read about my time at New York Fashion Week here, here, and here!

P.P.S. Follow Coulter Curated on Facebook and Twitter!

*All photos are from Style.com.