Tuesday 29 December 2015

Baylis and Harding - limited edition

Hi everyone
 
Baylis and Harding is a new brand I have been trying recently as I got a lot of it for Christmas. I have used there hand wash and hand moisturiser for a while now and I love the creamy texture of them and also that they come in so many different colours and fragrances you can coordinate them to your bathroom.

The set I talking about today is the Limited Edition Bayliss and Harding set I got for Christmas. I was lucky enough to get so many new toiletries for Christmas I'm still working my way through them.

Im really impressed with them, there is the Verbena and Chamomile Hand and Body Lotion, the BlackRaspberry and Fig Body Wash and the Peach, Poppy and Vanilla Shower Creme. 



The first product I have is the Black Rasberry and Fig Body Wash. This comes pours out the product in a jelly form and it's also slightly pink which I love. It smells lovely, quite subtle but very much like Raspberries. I feel like I'm using this quite quickly because it is the jelly format so I'm trying to be more careful when pouring.


Next I have the Verbena and Chamomile Hand and Body Lotion. This doesn't really have a smell that stands out do I really like it before work. It is also quite light and disappears into your skin so you can rub it in and put on your clothes on straight away. I've been using it as a body lotion as its too big to go in my bag but it would work great as a hand lotion also.


Finally is the Peach, Poppy and Vanilla Shower Creme, I love the different ingredients in this. The smell that stands out for me is Vanilla and as this is one of my favourite fragrances I'm really happy. It's easier to use than the Body Wash as its less jelly like but it's not pink so still deciding which is my favourite.


All in all I love these products and I love the packaging. It came in a lovely tin which you will have seen before as its now my make up case.


Thanks for reading

AKL



Hangover cures

Hay there everyone 

Now let me just put it out there that I am not a professional, I'm not reinventing the wheel and I am in no way claiming you will be as fresh as a daisy the next day but with New Years Eve in sight these are the things I will be doing before and after I partake in the celebrations.

Before

Drink water..... Doh

Now this is so obvious it's 'roll your eyes worthy', however do you do it? It's a bit hit and miss for me but when I don't I massively regret it. So on Thursday I will be drinking water all day before my celebrations, I'm going to attempt to drink in between drinks (this is the bit where I fail normally) and I will be drinking a pint of water before I go to bed. This way I should hopefully limit the dehydrating affects of the alcohol.

Eat..again doh

Again so obvious but I'm very guilty of forgetting this bit as I get caught up in the moment. The best things to eat are food that have natural fats such as salmon and avocado and foods that stick to your stomach (that sounds a bit disgusting but it's true) such as yogurt. For me I'm going to be going for salmon which I steam with lemon and then potatoes boiled then topped with pepper and a bit of butter. I've added the potatoes because I know they will fill me up. I might even be extra good and go with a yogurt to finish.

On the night

Choose your tipple

A lot of people say stick to the same drink all night which in certain cases I think is true but for me it depends on what you start off with. Personally I am very partial to a glass or 2 of prosecco but I know if I drink this all night I immediately regret it the next day as the bubbles give me the worst hangover. So I go for a prosecco to start off with and then move to something like a vodka and cranberry. I'm not sure if the cranberry hydrates me as much as the vodka dehydrates me but it certainly makes a difference to me.

After

Brush your teeth and take off your make up

You will never thank yourself enough for this step, it will take a lot of willpower but it's so worth it. To make it easier get your toothbrush ready before you go and leave some make up wipes next to your bed. I don't normally use wipes as they are a little harsh on my skin and I feel they drag but they are perfect if I'm feeling lazy but still want to remove my make up.

Get a good moisturiser

Normally I would class my skin as oily/combination but when I wake up after a few drinks there is only one description and that's dry. I have a really good moisturiser which I shall be using which I have posted about before and that's the Naturally Renewing night cream from Superdrug. It smells lovely and is perfect to get my skin back in order.

Get in some hangover food

Have something in the house to snack on the next day. For me that starts off with something plain like toast maybe with cheese or a spread to give it flavour of if I'm feeling up to it (meat free) sausages. Eggs are always a good choice as well as they contain some of the vitamins you loose when you have had a drink. Fruit and fruit juices are also a good option but I'm always a little weary as they could be a little harsh on your tummy. For me these is nothing better to drink that is cold and fizzy which is proberley not recommend but I will be treating myself to a fizzy drink and then moving to water and cordial after to rehydrate me. Finally coconut water, this is really hydrating and to be honest good with or without a hangover.

What are your best hangover cures and what do you do to prepare for a night out? Let me know.

Thank you for reading mine and I hope they help.

AKL



Stress and how I deal with it

Hi everyone

I've entitled this post 'Stress and how I deal with it' but I surpose the reality of stress is that you never really 'deal' with it. It gets better and it gets worse, things come and go in your life that cause you more or less stress and everyone is individual. So my aim with this post is just to hopefully give you a some inspiration on what I do when I get stressed or hit a stressful patch.

I write this having come through a particularly stressful patch at work so a lot of what I wrote had work in mind but I hope this will help you in any situation causing you stress. So here goes....

1. Think through the stress
This proberley sounds a little strange as most advice tells you to put it at the back of your mind. This doesnt work for me, what I do is allow myself a certain amount of time to think through the situation and think why I'm stressed and I feel this helps me understand the stress.

An example of this would be:

The situation - 'I'm applying for a new job which means I will have to go through an interview and I'm worried that I will not be able to answer the questions they ask me'

Why does this create stress - 'I might embarrass myself in front of people, they might think I can't do the job, I might freeze up in the interview'.

I feel this then allows me to address the stress and the reason for it, they don't go away but for me they are sorted and listed and they stop endless circling my head.

2. Home is where the heart is 
I often find when I stressed that it helps to remind myself of all the things that won't change if I don't get the outcome I want from the stressful situation.

For me these are things such as

'even if I don't get this jobs my dog will great me at the door with love and squeaky toys'

'If I embarrass myself in the interview I will still have my friends to go out with on Saturday night and they can help me laugh off my embarrassing situation'

'if I freeze in the interview I will still come home and eat dinner on my sofa and watch my TV and cuddle my boyfriend and get into my own bed'

It might sounds a bit basic but I surpose it's a long winded way of saying what's the worse that can happen.

3. Watch a film or read a book unrelated to your situation
For me this is Twilight, Benidorm or Harry Potter. There's plenty of stressful situations for the characters but seen as I've never had a vampire and werewolf fight over me I certainly doesn't remind me of my own situations.

4. Watch YouTube
As I've said before I watch a lot of beauty channels and I love the fact that they are so positive and upbeat so they are a good retreat to make you smile. 

5. If all else fails light a candle and make a cup of tea
English breakfast, green tea, camomile, honey and lemon whatever you fancy, light a candle, make a tea and it gives you 5 minutes to take time out and relax.



Thanks for reading, I hope you have enjoyed this and it helps you relax.

AKL





 


Back to work - 5 top tips to beat the blues

Hi everyone

With less than 48 hours before I will be returning to work after a lovely Christmas break I am trying to stave off those back to work blues so I thought I would share with you my 5 top tips that help me focus on the good not the bad.

1. Get ready
Make that first morning back as easy as possible. For me that means making sure that all my clothes are washed, ironed and hung up on the front of my wardrobe so that I don't have to think about what to wear out that first day back. Anything that saves time and gives me peace of mind.

2. Christmas smells 
I always tend to get shower gels and body lotions over Christmas so I use these when I wake up, that way it reminds me of the good times I had over the holidays and puts me in a positive mind frame. For me that will be one of my new Lush shower gels below ( I will talk about these in my Lush haul coming soon).



3. Have something nice ready for lunch. 
I always take prepared lunches to work and while January is most certainly the time to be eating healthily it is also nice to have somthing to look forward to at lunch. My favourite snack at the moment is the vegetable Kettle chips.



4. Prepare to relax
After spending the holidays napping and eating far too much there's every chance that I'm going to be tired on that first day back so I make dinner and freeze it. For me this year it will be vegetable stew made with tomatoes, suede, potatoe, garlic and courgettes. As you can see below its all ready to go.



5. Remember you never know what will happen
I know first hand that sometimes when your are expecting the worst day it can turn into the best day. In 2009 the first day back to work after the Christmas break was the 5th of January and that was the day I met my boyfriend who I am still together with 7 years later. 

I hope this helps settle you back into your routine and hold off those back to work blues.

Thanks for reading.

AKL

Bath time - time to relax

Hello all

So it's only half way through but it's been a very hectic week I decided it was time to relax and a bath seemed like a good place to start. Most of the time I opt for a shower it's quicker and easier after a long day at work.

So in preparation I got my new products out along with a few extras.

Firstly I start off with my lovely pink candle, it smells amazing really sweet and fruity and set the scene for my relaxing bath. My favourite fragrances are the fresh ones like strawberry, raspberry and vanilla. I'm not a big fan of anything too musky.


Then I have my bath scrunchy which I love especially if I'm wearing fake tan as its amazing for getting any lasting bits off. It's also amazing before you tan to make sure it goes on smoothly without any steaks or getting stuck to dry bits.


Then for my bath I have my Bayliss and Harding Sweet Mandarin and Grapefruit Relaxing bath creme, it smells amazing really fresh and it bubbles up really well. (if I'm having a bath it's got to be bubbly). I also have my Bayliss and Harding Shower creme and Body Wash (I wasn't sure which one I wanted).


Finally for after my bath there is my Indulgent Moisturising Lotion again from Bayliss and Harding and my fluffy fluffy socks which feels amazing after my bath.

There is nothing better to wash the day away. Thanks for reading.

AKL





Lush haircare

Hi everyone

Hope your all doing well, I'm back again with Lush (I just can't help it). This time it's haircare.

have a shampoo and a conditioner to talk about so let start in the order of use with the Jersey Bounce shampoo. This is another Lush first for me as I've never tried a Lush shampoo before. I thought this product was a little weird as when I first opened it as the product has a rough texture like you would expect of a skin exfoliator not a shampoo, however this comes from the sea salt. Despite this I did really like this product as it made my scalp feel really clean, it felt like I was giving my hair a really good scrub. The smell is not one I would normally go for as it contains honey and lemon and these are the 2 stand out smells, I normally prefer a raspberry or strawberry smell but I would still give this a thumbs up.

Next it's the R n B hair moisturiser and I actually got free sample of this when I brought another full size conditioner in the past so I knew I liked this product. It contains coconut oil and jojoba oil so it's really moisturising and smells lovely. I have quite long hair so I tend to save this one for a day when I'm giving my hair a treat but I do notice the difference in the look and feel of my hair afterwards.



Let me know what your favourite hair products are and also any Lush recommendations. 

Thanks for reading
AKL

Lush skincare and my favourite face moisturiser ever!

Hi everyone

So I'm talking Lush again and as you can tell from my posts I'm well stocked up on Lush right now.

This time it's skincare that I'm talking about. These are all products that I've not tried before but I am very impressed with all of them and there is at least one that I will be using sparingly and most certainly repurchasing and that is the Vanishing Cream facial moisturiser.

Now I've only used this product over the last couple of day but I absolutely love it. It's designed for oily skin and it is very light but does provide enough moisturiser. I am very prone to breakouts around my chin but after a couple of days using this my skin is clearer and smoother.

It contains lavender, neroli and geranium, it's the lavender scent that comes through but it's not overbearing. 




Then I have 2 lip products, the first one is Rose lollipop and even the name sounds good. It applies really well and is none sticky, not to mention the smell is amazing. The second is Passion Fruit and again it's a lovely smooth texture. It does have a much stronger smell but still beautiful and I'm thinking this will be perfect for beach holidays.  

The final product is the RO's Argan Body Conditioner. I'm looking forward to using this as it says to take it into the the bath or shower. I've used these type of in shower products before and really liked them but I've not had any since I went cruelty free. Also anything with Argan oil in is a winner in my book.

Thanks for reading.

AKL

Mens skincare


Hi everyone

So something a bit different.... I've not talked about men's skincare yet but as I have just brought my boyfriend some new skincare products now seemed like a good time.

I have a whole range of different brands here and they are all cruelty free so let's dive in.

Firstly Lush and the 'Cosmetic lad', this product is particularly good for the male skin as it contain Lavender and Aloe Vera to calm the skin after shaving, it also contains anti redness and antioxidants. The smell is very fresh and while you would assume from the packaging it smells like lavender it is actually a fresher orange smell. I really like this and while it is aimed at men I might give it a go also.


Next is a brand neither me or my boyfriend had tried before, I purchased it specially due to it being a cruelty free brand and it is Bulldog. I brought him the Original Facewash, Original face scrub and the Original moisturiser. They also do a sensitive range which is blue. As well as being cruelty free Bulldog products dont contain parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, artificial colours or synthetic fragrances so it will do the job but not leave your skin feeling dry and sore.


The last product is from the Superdrug B. Range and it is the Charcoal face scrub. I choose this one as my boyfriend uses a charcoal face wash from another brand so thought this would be a good addition. Also I have used the B. Products so I know they are good products. I have 'borrowed' my boyfriends charcoal face wash before and it is fantastic for a one off deep clean but a bit harsh for everyday but as he will only use this a couple of times a week hopefully it will fit in nicely with his skincare routine.


Thanks for reading

AKL

Sunscreen......in January (almost)

Hello

I do realise that this is a bit random for the time of year given that I live in England and just in case you don't know ... it's cold ... But this was a really thoughtful gift so I had to share.

I got this as a gift from my boyfriend as we are going to Cape Verde in May for 2 weeks and this is the first holiday in the sun since I decided to buy cruelty free products. So this is the Lush Sesame Suntan Lotion. Its really creamy and has a really subtle smell. It's factor 10 and I'm not sure if they do other factors as unless I'm going mad I can't find it on the website so I'll have to check this out when I next go to the store.


Roll on the summer and thanks for reading.

AKL

Lush haul

Hi again

I'm back with my new Lush products this time and I'm very excited to use these.  I've done the a obligatory poke my finger in and sniff but due to the fact that I was spoiled at Christmas I've not had the chance to use all of these yet.



So let's start with the jellies and it has to be Santas Belly just because the name is great and also it has stars in. I'm a bit of a sucker for anything with sparkles or stars. It smells like apples and contains seaweed which is meant to brighten the skin. Having never used a lush jelly before I didn't realise it has to be kept in the freezer so that it goes cold into the hot shower. I can't wait to see how that feels, I might have to be feeling brave on my first icy go.

Next is 93,000 miles and this one is to revive tired and achy muscles, now I've go to admit I'm not one for the gym but I am going to save this for after a long day at work and I'm sure I will appreciate it.


Now on to the shower creams and gels and I've got The Olive Branch, The Comforter' and Yuzu and Cocoa.

Let's start with The Comforter mainly because it's pink and like sparkles and stars I also love pink. It smells like berries and as it has been described as wrapping you in a warm hug it sounds perfect for winter.

The Olive Branch is next and unsurprisingly this smells like Olive oil, it's not quite so appealing in colour but makes up for it in the fact that olive oil reminds me of summer (is that weird). As its designed to smooth and unwind this may be saved for a hectic day when I need to relax.

Finally is the Yuzu and Cocoa and again I really like the colour on this, it does kind of remind me of mustard though or piccalilli (if you know what that is) but it smells much better. This one although you wouldn't think it from the colour it smells of chocolate orange. 


Thanks for reading.

AKL


Dazzling with Magic & Sparkle

Hello everyone

Firstly, sorry for my disappearance over the last couple of weeks. Work has been more than a little stressful and I left work on Christmas Eve and hurtled straight into Christmas so I've spent virtually no time at home. I'm not complaining, I've had a lovely Christmas but it's left little time for blogging. However I'm back and I have lots of goodies to talk about over the next few days, some I brought myself and some that are gifts. So here goes.....

With New Years Eve just 2 days away ive been looking for something a bit special to wear and so I was very happy to open this gift. This is the Marks and Spencer Dazzling Nail gift set and Cosmetic bag with lip gloss. 

The nail set comes with 3 different colours a bright pink, a bright orange and a gold glitter which works really well as a top coat on either of the other 2 colours to give them an extra bit of New Years Eve sparkle.

The cosmetic bag ( which actually seems to nice just to sit at home holding cosmetics) comes with a lip gloss in a pearly pink/nude colour and again a really good top coat on a brighter pink or nude lipstick. It's goes on really smooth and not sticky like some glosses. This will most certainly be part of my New Years Eve make up kit.


On another note I have shopped in Marks and Spencer's all my life (mainly the food section :) but I've never thought of it as somewhere to buy my cosmetic from but it turns out this is the perfect place as there beauty products are cruelty free and have the Leaping bunny logo. So from now on I will be taking a detour on my way to the food hall.

Hope you have all had a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to a happy New Year.

AKL

Thursday 17 December 2015

Doggie gadgets

Hi everyone

I had to share with you my newest doggie gadget, it flashes red with a little LED light like you would see on a bike and warns bikers and other walkers that she is there. It's also very Christmassy!



AKL

The best quick body bronzing products

Hi everyone

Hope you are all having a good week. We are smack bang in the middle of party season and sometimes you don't always have time for a overnight tan so here are my favourite quick fix bronzes.

The first one is a brand called Jelly Pong Pong and all of there products are 100% cruelty free. The product I have is the Hawaiian bronzer and it's a powder bronzer with its very own buff puff. It goes on like a face powder so really good for matching your neck and arms to your face if you haven't had the time to tan. It's not orange and you can keeping adding more until you get the right colour.



The second product is from Sanctuary and it's liquid gold. It literally come out as a gold oil and smoothes on to your body leaving a sparkly affect when it hits the light. It's perfect for your legs and actually sits well under the Hawaiian bronze. It's perfect for the Christmas season.

Enjoy all your Christmas fun! 

AKL

Saturday 12 December 2015

Christmas sparkles

Hi everyone

So we are nearly at Christmas and I've got to be honest I do sometimes find Christmas itself a little stressful (maybe I'll explain why in another post) however what I do love about Christmas is that it gives me a reason to add sparkles to everything! The first thing has to be my nails and I've found a great one this year, it's the Barry M Nail paint.


It's really thick so gives a really good coverage and so many sparkles. It come out on your nails a greeny blue colour with silvery bits. The only thing I would say is that's it is a bit flaky after a few coats.

Also pictured is the Morrisons nail varnish remover which is also cruelty free and very cheap it's a really good cheap basic. It's gentle on my nails and doesn't damage the the top layer

All in all a really ggood Christmas party duo!

Have a good one

AKL

My current favourite make up removers

Hello all

Hope you are all doing well.

Today I'm going to talk about my current favourite make up removers. It's such an important step and one I had missed until quite recently. Up until the last year I relied on my face wash to take off my make up and wash my face all in one but my face never felt fully clean and it proberley wasn't! So now I always make sure that I'm taking off my make up to allow my face wash to actually wash my face.

So to remove my eye make up I use coconut oil (I also use it on my hair but that's another storey). It's brilliant for just 'melting' my eye make up away even waterproof mascara. In fact there are so many benefits of using coconut oil that I might do a separate post on them, but for now it's my top reccomendation for removing eye make up. It smoothes over my eyes and doesn't drag my eyes which is really important.


For my face I use Superdrug Simply Pure Miceller Water. This is quite a recent addition to my skincare but it works really well. I have oily skin so often find that balms or cleansers mean I have to splash my face with water after to remove the greasy feeling of the balm whereas with the Miceller water it drys instantly leaving my face very fresh.

The last item in my picture is my face cleanser from Superdrug. It's brilliant to use with my face wash after removing make up to get the final traces away. I often use this after a night in the tiles when I wear more make up.

So that's my top products for removing make up. Thank you for reading.

AKL



Foods I'm loving this week

Hi all

So straight into foods I'm loving this week.....

Food number 1 is Sweet potatoes 


Sweet Potatoe is full of nutritional value especially vitamin C which is really good for the immune system and much needed at this time of the year. It also contains Thiamin which is Vitamin B and really good for keeping your blood pressure healthy. It also taste really good, I like it mashed, baked but best of all sweet photos fries. I put them in the oven for about 15 minutes with some olive oil and then ...... enjoy.

My second food I'm loving this week is Kale


Kale helps to lower cholesterol and it is also said that it can lower the risk of some cancers. I have been boiling mine or adding it to stir frys but the best way to hang on to the nutrients is to steam so that's what I shall be doing.

Thanks for reading.

AKL

Empties

Happy Saturday everyone.

Seen as Christmas is around the corner I've been having a bit of a clear out and I thought I would go through my empties and discuss repurchase or no repurchase.


The first 2 empties I've talked about before and it's the Superdrug Revitalising Raspberry and Macadamia Nut shampoo and Conditioner these are still my basics and I will be repurchasing these again.

Next is the Barry M Matte foundation and I will defiantly be repurchasing this. It's a very light coverage foundation so I use it as an everyday foundation for work or going shopping. Its very smooth and doesn't drag the skin and it's ivory not orange (if you see what I mean) which I find a lot even in really light shades of foundation.

Yes To Carrots cleansing wipes is the only product I wouldn't repurchase out of the bunch, I've watched so many positive you tube skincare videos and read so many blogs about the 'Yes To' products so I will be purchasing other items but just not the one. They dragged my skin and didn't really remove my make up as well as I would like.

Another product that I will be repurchasing is the  Vitamin E moisturising lotion from Superdrug, it rubs in really well, it's really creamy and has a very light smell, nothing too overpowering so great for every day before work or to sit under purfume.

The next product I'm a little unsure of, it's the Original Source Quench shower product and I do like it but it's a little sticky. I think it's because of the moisturising element as there is another type of Original Source products which is thinner which I prefer.

Last but not least is the Lee Stafford humidity spray. This is only a tiny bottle of this product and so I've only used it occasionally but I'm not going to be repurchasing as I don't think it works for me. Maybe my hair is beyond hope!

Thank you for reading

AKL

Friday 11 December 2015

The best cruelty free deodrents

Hi everyone

Deodorant, it's not the most glamorous of beauty product but it one I wouldn't be without.

It's one of the last things I looked for when I moved to buying cruelty free products because I had a good one and wanted to make sure I found another one and these are the best 2 I've found.

The first thing I did was turn to Superdrug and the Cotton Fresh antiperspirant. This one is closest to my previous deodrent, it smells fresh (hence the name) and as long as I give it a few minutes to dry before putting my clothes on it doesn't leave white marks. The only thing I would say is that I do often feel like I need to reapply half way through the day.


My second find was from of course Lush and it's 'The Greench'. It contains Thyme, Rosemary and Tea Tree oil, the later is what stands out the strongest in terms of smell but once applied it is practically odourless. It also contains magnesium trisilicate and sodium bicarbonate which are the bits that keep you dry. Again I often feel like I need to apply this product a few times throughout the day.

My best tip would be to apply The Greench in the morning and then pop the Superdrug anti perspiration in your bag for top ups throughout the day. 

Happy weekend (nearly) everyone.

AKL



Monday 7 December 2015

Protect your skin!

OHi everyone

This time of year I feel like my skin is constantly being battered by the wind, rain and cold and it's not just my face that suffers. So I decided to treat myself to some new body moisturisers.




I couldn't decide which one was the best so I went for both. The pink one is a body butter from Superdrug and is Cherry and Macadamia. It's very rich and creamy, it smells beautiful like purfume but not overpowering.

The second is good old faithful Cocoa and Shea butter, this is perfect for winter and keeping skin soft and protected and this one is from Morrisons.

I would reccomend a good thick skin protecting moisturiser at this time of the year to keep your skin soft and protected against the winter.

AKL
 

Sunday 6 December 2015

Skincare again

Hi everyone.

I'm talking skincare again. So a few posts ago I talked about Skin System face cream, the Superdrug light face moisturiser and the Nspa eye cream this time and while I do still love these products I've mixed it up a bit.

I've decided to take the SPF out of my skincare, my skin felt very clogged particularly around my chin and while I do believe I do need a SPF I think this may have been the culprit. So in the mean time until I find one that doesn't clog my pores I'm using the light Superdrug moisturiser in the day and then I have 2 new products to talk about.




The first one is a night cream and it's from Superdrug again but this time the Naturally Radient range which is slightly more expensive but still affordable. It contains Kwei Fruits and Mulberry extract which brighten the skin and also renewing fruit acids. I really like this product, it is slightly heavier that my normal cream but that's good for a night cream. It also smells amazing. You may have noticed for many of my post that smell is important to me and this one smell very fruity with no harsh chemicals at all.

The second one is my new eye cream and as much as I really liked the Nspa one I decided it was good to try something new and so I purchase the Naturally Radient one as well. This doesn't really have a smell but there is still no chemical undertone. It's very creamy and rich my only issues with this is that it sits on my eyes for a long time and stay wet for a while before soaking in. This is not brilliant if your In a rush other than that I would reccomend this.

I love finding new skincare, what are your favourites?

Have a good weekend everyone

AKL

Thursday 3 December 2015

Foods I'm loving this week

Hi everyone

Time for some food (and drink) that I'm loving this week.

Let's start with the drink...

Hemp milk
This is a new discovery for me, something I've never tried and I'm very impressed. It's a great alternative to cows milk with many benefits including low in fat, free from diary and lactose freeand gluten   free. I'm not a huge milk drinker anyway but I am a massive fan of a good cup of English breakfast and that was my main concern when trying out milk alternatives. I'm please to report this works very well with tea so I would recommend this for anyone looking for a milk alternative. As for the taste I woul describe it as slightly sweeter than cows milk and very similar to almond milk in taste and texture.



Crackers
Next it's crackers and these are my favourite, they contain flaxseed, chia seed, sunflower seeds and are a great source of protein. They come in little packets of 5 so are perfect for taking to work or school. I don't have anything with mine but would be perfect with any sort of spread either sweet or savoury. 


Breakfast biscuits
So I showed you last week my breakfast favourites and it's time for another one. Nairns gluten free breakfast biscuits. These ones re chocolate chip as well so a bit of an indulgent breakfast. I like to have these on hand for days when I'm in a rush.


Have a good weekend everyone
AKL

Tuesday 1 December 2015

Nailed it

Hi 

Hope you are all doing well today.

After my last none beauty post its only fair to talk again about beauty products and I have new purchases (again).

This time it was for nails, I always do my own nails and I like to change up the colour depending on mood. A range that I've been looking at for a while is B. From Superdrug ( B. Stands for Beautiful by the way). This brand is both cruelty free and vegan and it's also a really good price. To make it even better they have had half price in many items over the weekend which meant nail varnishes were £1.49 each. What a bargain!

After picking up nearly every colour going I decided on the below:

Lilac Frost (Number 151) and Clear 




The Lilac Frost looks quite pinky in this picture but when it's in it's more purple. I really like it, it doesn't come across immediately as a winter colour but once on its perfect for winter, it's sort of a cold purple. I hope that's make sense although I suspect not. Both of these nail varnishes go on really smoothly, no lumps or bubbles and drys really quickly. 

I've brought a few other B. Products which I've not tried yet so I will let you know what I think but as for nail varnishes I will defiantly be purchasing more colours.

Happy Tuesday

AKL


Frozeys - amazing doggie treats

Hi 

So slightly off topic for my other posts but if there are any dog lovers out there you may appreciate this....

These are frozzys and they as you may have guessed are yogurts for dogs. We were wondering around our local pet shop purchasing my normal dog food and spotted a fridge. We love buying new things for our doggie and these seemed so random. My doggie loves them and while strawberry doesn't seem a flavour she would go for they disappeared in seconds. Both me and my dog highly recommend these!


Hope your doggies enjoy! 

AKL

Saturday 28 November 2015

Haircare (again)

Hi everyone

As I mentioned this is my 'out if shower haircare'.


It's not a complete list and I do tend to change it up a bit but for basic haircare that is cruelty free here is my starting point. So here goes:

Heat protector spray
Like a few other products I've talked about this was a replacement of a none cruelty free product which I brought from Superdrug. I do like this product it soaks ( not sure if that's the right word) into the hair and doesn't leave any build up or brittle texture, my only critics really is that it smells quite chemically. 

Extra firm hold mouse
Again a Superdrug product and very much a basic. I don't use moose very often but I've started to add it into my hair routine again to give my hair a bit more volume when blow drying. Similar to the heat protector it does have that chemical smell again. Maybe I've just been spoiled by the other cruelty free products I've found recently.

Root boost
This was a bit of a random purchase for me, not something I've used before. Along with the moose I'm endless trying for more volume. I'm not sure about this product currently, I think it's boosts my hair straight after blow drying but a couple of hours later I can't really see any difference ( it could just be my hair) so the request continues for the volume.

Dry shampoo
Very impressed with this product, it's does what it says on the tin but this product has a very subtle smell. It also seems to leave less white dry residue than other dry shampoos that I have used. I really like the packaging on this product also, one I would recommend.

Hair therapy oil with Argon oil
So this is most certainly the best till last. I love this product, I use it as a serum after washing my hair and as a conditioning treatment as often as I can. It makes my hair easier to brush, less tangly, softer and I think with a nice shine ( not to blow my own trumpet). I would 100% reccomend this product and currently it is 2 for £6. Go get it!

Happy haircare everyone

AKL


Haircare

Hi everyone

I split my hair care into 2 categories 1 ' in the shower haircare'and 2 'out the shower haircare'. This blog is going to be about catagory 1 and below is what I use:



Shampoo
I use the Revitalising Rasberry and Macadamia Nut shampoo from Superdrug. I've used this since my decision to go cruelty free and I was one of the first purchase I made. I love the smell of this product and the smell seems to last a long time which is not usual for my hair. The only critics my  do have is that it's a sort of jelly like texture which means that I tend to use more than I need.

Conditioner
Again like the shampoo it smells lovely and is fine for every day use however as someone it guilty of a little home dying and a lot of home straightening I need somthing to do that bit extra conditioning and that's where my next product comes in.

Conditioning treatment
So I haven't talked about anything Lush yet in my blog but now is certainly a good time to do it. I love this product, it makes my hair feel amazing. It's easier to brush, smother after blow drying and visibly looks less damaged. I would highly reckoned this product! 

So that's my 'in shower haircare', watch out for my 'out if shower haircare' this week.

Do you have any haircare recommendations, I'd love to hear which products you use

AKL

Scrub a dub dub one one women in a ....... Shower

Hi everyone

Hope you are all having a lovely day

Now as much a I love the idea of a nice long relaxing soak in the bath realistically time lends itself better to a shower but that doesn't mean it can't be luxurious and smell just as sweet.

With that in mind I decided to pick up some new shower products. All of these are from the 'I love range' and while I found these at Superdrug I've also since spotted them at various supermarkets. 

I couldn't decide which scent I liked as as these are on 3 for £5 it would be rude not to got for 3. So I purchased the pale pink one which is Strawberries and Cream and smells like a ice cream Sunday. The darker pick one which is Raspberries and Blackberries and doesnt smell any less amazing. Finally the orange one which is Mango and Papaya. I'm more of a berries fan than Orange but it still smells very good. There are also huge and so should last ages.



I can't wait to use them but which first that is the question? Decisions decisions!

AKL

What Ive been grateful for this week

 
Hi everyone

Hope you've all had a good weekend

Its time to fill my happy box. 

To remind you what I'm talking about see my blog 'The Happy box'. It's 3 things each week that have made me smile :)

1. Dr Oetker Shimmer spray

I haven't used this yet but seeing this in the shop reminded me firstly of cake and that's always good and secondly of Christmas. I love anything glitter!

2. Winter Walks

Now wet muddy paws and cold rainy weather may not sounds like something to be grateful for but seeing my doggie happy tramping through the mud is enough to make anyone smile. It's also really good for blowing those central heating cobwebs away.


3. Family achievements

Now no this is not a member of my family but it's a picture I sent to my sister when she made captain of her equestrian team and its make me very proud to see her achieving and enjoying a sport. 


What are you happy about and grateful for this week?

AKL

Prime time - my favourite Barry M primers

,Hi there everyone

It's new purchase time! This time it's primers.

First things first I need to comment on the colours, now I know that they actually serve a practical purpose but I love the neon orange, purple and green. When I look in my make up bag there are a lot of nudes, throw in these and they really brighten my day.

That said lets get down to the practicalities.

The green primer is the Barry M Flawless Colour Corrector which is designed for anti redness, pore minimising, smoothing and matifying. I choose this one for the anti redness. For those of you who have breakout you will know that this can make you skin red and often applying blemish treatments can get rid of the spot is but also add to that redness so this primer is prefect for applying on areas where you get breakouts.






The purple primer is the Barry M flawless brightening primer which is designed to brighten dull skin, minis pores,smoothes and matifying. I decided to buy this one as well as the winter often drys out my skin leaving it dull.

So effectively I'm multi priming. One thing they have in common is that they are really silky on the face which is really good for sensitive faces. They both also contain Vitamin E which is really good for the skin.

I haven't tried many Barry M product before these but I'm very impressed and so will be repurchasing these and probably many other Barry M items.

Have a great weekend!

AKL

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Foods I'm loving this week

Hi everyone

Hope you have had a lovely day.

So as the tittle suggests this isn't a beauty product I going to be talking about, although they do say you are what you eat so I suppose this kind of goes hand in hand with beauty.

Today I'm talking about food I'm loving this week and I'm starting with breakfast.


This week I've been eating granola and I love it. Its yummy and filling and is a great source of fibre. This brand also contains honey, raisins and almonds which makes it extra moorish. Normally I turn to porridge in the winter but for now I'm going to brave cold milk first thing in the morning and stick with granola.

I like to add in more raisins because why not and also chia seeds. Chia seeds have many health benefits, they are rich in Omega 3 and also best of all keep you fuller for longer. They turn into a sort of jelly texture with the milk which is strange but in a good way.

Let me know what foods you have been loving this week and if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them

AKL

The happy box

Hi everyone

Hope you are having good hump day!

I've got something slightly different to talk about today. Something that I saw recently on Facebook and I've kind of adapted to suit me. 

It's a time capsule of good things that happen in your life. The idea is to start it on New Year's Day and then everything good that happens to you, big or small, throughout the year you write down and add to the box. Then the following year on New Year's Eve you open the box and remember all the good things that happened to you in the year.

I don't know about you but I have a horrible habit of dwelling on the bad things and forgetting the good things so I'm hoping to change this.

I know I'm veryyyyyy late this year so I thought I would adapt it slightly. I've decide that between now and New Year's Day I will do my own box and fill it with 3 things each week that make me happy and that I am very grateful for.

I am of course very happy and grateful for my family and friends and I am lucky enough to have my health so I'm going to get that out there straight away and instead go for small things that make me smile.

Below is my chosen box and actually the colours on this remind me of summer so on this freezing cold night actually make me smile already. Each week I'll up date you on my 3 things that make me happy and then on New Years Eve I'll open it again and hopefully it will be brimming full of all the happy things that happen between now and then.

I would love it if you joined me in creating you own box and letting me know you 3 things that make you happy each week.


Have a great week 

AKL

Friday 20 November 2015

Sweet snuggles

Hi everyone, hope Monday isn't treating your too badly.

This is the shortest post but I wanted to show you my "make Monday better" purchase.



Its a tiny hand lotion and tiny nail file just right for my handbag and perfect for winter proofing hands. Best of all it's got bunny in a Christmas jumper on the packaging. At £1 what more could you want! 

AKL xx

Sunday morning

Hi everyone 

As my last blog was the 'before' it is only appropriate that I do an 'after' and actually im please to report no sore head. Im a bit sleepy and my feet could do with a good massage but surely that is a sign of a good night right?

So I thought to myself seen as I'm feeling ok why not go the extra mile and mask!

Today I've chosen 2 because like most of you the skin on my face behaves differently on different parts (good one face)!

I've gone for the anti ageing moisture mask from Superdrug which promises to give me a younger looking complexion and is designed for normal to dry skin. I wouldn't normally describe my skin as dry but after a night on the tiles a bit of extra moisture can't hurt. It is full of antioxidant rich ingredients including Raspberries, Blueberries, Cranberries and Vitamin E and I apply this on my forehead, nose and cheeks (avoiding my eye area).

Then I put a purifying mask on my chin where I get breakouts. This mask, also from Superdrug, contains Witch Hazel and is designed for oily and blemish prone skin.


I've included in my picture one other mask that I got which I didn't use which is a destressing mud mask and by the looks of the picture is green. This one contains Avocado Oil, Green Tea and Aloe Vera (the colour now makes sense). This one is for normal to combination skin. I'll let you know about this one the next time I need a bit of destressing.

Let me know your choice of masks, leave me a comment or a recommendation.

AKL xx

My favourite cruelty free fake tan

Hi everyone

So as the tittle suggests it's Saturday night and while I would love to claim that I party all night and sleep all day, that would be a lie. Therefore it is only about once a month that I decide to pull out my party frock and realise just how pale I actually am!

In my younger years I am ashamed to say that I was a bit of a sun worshipper and I'm sure I will be punished with a few extra wrinkles for that. The last few years though I have been all about faking it!

I did have an old faithful that I relied on, found only after many a orange tinged disaster, however when I made the decision to go cruelty free I had to rethink and thats when I found the Solait range at Superdrug.


I really like this fake tan, it doesn't streak and it is a bronzey (is that a word?) colour not orange. It also doesn't does make you look dirty. It doesn't have a strong smell either which after getting into bed many a time smelling of stale biscuits I appreciate and means you can apply on the same day if you don't have time to tan in advance.

I always apply using my tan mitt ( which needs a wash so I didn't think you would appreciate a visual of that) but actually the product is very light so if you are not a fake tan pro it doesn't matter. I personally do 2 or 3 coats to get the colour I want.

You could argue that it's too light and if you are used to products that only needing applying once maybe it's not for you as it is a little time consuming. For me though it's part of the fun of getting ready and so I like to take my time to build up the colour.

So whatever you are doing this Saturday night be it curled up on the sofa or ready to rave, enjoy your Saturday night

AKL xx

Scrub your troubles away

Happy Friday!

Friday is officially my favourite day and today happens to be the best Friday of the month....... PAYDAY yeaaaaaaa! So in honour of this most special of Friday's I took a bit of a detour home and treated myself to some 'Good Things' ...literally!


This is the Good Things Spa Argan Oil Restoring body scrub and by Friday I don't know about you but I need restoring!

I spotted this product firstly because of the massive 'FREE FROM' sign on the front of the product and anything 'free from' gets my attention. I wish more products followed suit as it would save me a considerable amount of time trawling the small print on bottles on every shopping trip. All the Good Things Spa products are free from animal ingredients ( suitable for vegans) as well as sulphites, parables and mineral oils.

It also smells fantastic! I can't quite pin point the smell as it contains Walnut and coccoa butter which both smell great on there own but together YUM! I don't know if I should describe a non food as yum but hay ho.

I can't wait to use this and literally scrub the week away!

I'd love to hear what you have treated yourselves to this week/month, comment below and let me know

Happy Friday everyone 

AKL. xx