Witches Brew

For your party celebrations this weekend, why not add a dose of gory glamour to the occasion and try some of these macabre mixtures to send chills and thrills down the spines of your gruesome guests!

The Corpse Reviver No. 2

An old fashioned favourite dating back to 1930 was featured in Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book. This drink was said to be taken when energy was needed, but drink with care as you could soon take one sip too many and un-revive that corpse! 

RECIPE

Serves 1

1 oz gin
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (a French appertif or use Dry Vermouth as alternative)
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
An absinthe rinse
Garnish with a Luxardo cherry

Add all ingredients into a shaker except for the garnish. Shake with ice. Rinse your chilled cocktail glass with 3 drops of absinthe. Discard any excess absinthe. Strain your shaker into the cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Recipe from www.postprohibition.com

Black Devil Martini

A simple yet spooky looking cocktail perfect for those who have Rum as their tipple.

RECIPE

Serves 1

2 oz. dark rum
½ oz. dry vermouth
Black olive
Orange sugar


Wet the rim of a chilled martini glass (or any other fun drinking glass you might have lying around) and dip in orange sugar. Stir and strain the rum and vermouth into the glass. Garnish with a black olive.

Recipe from www.cookingchanneltv.com

Pina Ghoulada

A terrifying twist on the classic Pina Colada

RECIPE

Serves 10 -12

3 tablespoons corn syrup

red food coloring
20 oz pineapple juice
1 (15 oz) can cream of coconut
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup orange juice
10 oz rum (optional)
ice cube

- Pour the corn syrup into a shallow bowl.
- Dip a toothpick into the red food colouring, and stir a very small amount of the food colouring into the corn syrup; stir until it looks like blood.
- Hold one glass by the stem, and dip the rim of the glass into the red syrup and turn the glass to coat the entire rim.
- Turn glass upright. Allow the syrup to drip down the sides of the glass (to resemble dripping blood). - - Dip the remaining glass in the same manner. Set the glasses aside.
- To make the pina colada mix, whisk together the pineapple juice, cream of coconut, cream, orange juice and rum (if using).
- Place about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of ice cubes in a blender, and add 1 cup of the drink mixture. Blend until smooth. Add more pineapple juice (not more pina colada mix) if mixture is too thick.
- Carefully pour the pina colada mix into the cocktail glasses, being careful not to disrupt the "bloody" red rims.
- Repeat with remaining drink mixture and ice.

Recipe from www.food.com

La Bru-Ja-Ja

If you fancy a spot of adding a hint Dia De Los Meurtos to your proceedings

RECIPE

Serves 1

1 1/2 oz Tequila Don Julio Blanco
2 1/2 oz pomegranate juice
2 teaspoons fine sugar
1/2 oz lime juice
Sugar (to rim glass)
1 lime wedge


Combine Don Julio Blanco, pomegranate juice, fine sugar and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well
Rim glass with sugar
Strain ingredients into rocks glass
Garnish with lime.

Recipe from www.Latina.com

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year... HALLOWEEN!

That's right gorgeous guys and gals, it's that magical time of the year again when we embrace our inner vamp and experiment with make up beyond our usual mascara, lipstick and liner. Here are some fabulous Halloween looks and products for you to check out and perhaps try for yourself....?! I mean, who doesn't want to look Devilish at least once a year...

This year, MAC have teamed up with Special Effects for Film Make up Artist, Rick Baker to bring a collection of ghoulish palettes and colours just right for helping you achieve that from beyond the grave Halloween Hunny look! Featured above is the Spider Queen pro palette great for anything Frankenstein's Bride or Zombie Queen and the forever faithful lip colour Cyber, perfect for embracing your inner Vamp. Finally, set your make up with the translucent set powder to keep your make up in place.

Also new for this Halloween is Illamasqua's Bat Lash Duo with uniquely designed Bat Wing false lashes and black glitter Swarm nail polish, just the perfect finishing touches for anyone choosing Vampira, Elvira or Lily Munster as their inspiration! And if you wanted to pale down your skin colour, try their Rich Liquid Foundation in 100 either mixed with your own everyday foundation, just to add a subtle deathly pallor or wear alone for that full on Bride of Dracula look.

If you wanted to try something a bit more out there and paint your face as a Candy Skull or Skeleton, try using Kroylan's Aqua Colour paints with water and a sponge, to cover large areas and really build up dense colour. Kroylan are masters of special effects make up and you can be rest assured that no matter what colours your after, no matter how bright, they will have them.

Alternatively, try French brand Make up Forever, their Aqua Black waterproof cream Eyeshadow would be ideal for creating a heavy black smokey eye that wouldn't look out of place where the Gothic subculture first begun back in the 1980's The Bat Cave! (see below if you don't believe us!)

(Images: EverMagazine, Illamasqua, bitchy-lau.tumblr.com, MakeupGeek.com)