Soap and Glory Pom Pom Lipstick| Review

 

I think I have found my holy grail of a lipstick! I know that I love Soap and Glory products, but I’m really not lying! You will know from the countless reviews on my blog that I am a massive Soap and Glory fan, however it wasn’t until December last year that I finally ventured into the world of Soap and Glory Cosmetics. I was very kindly sent a gift box from Soap and Glory full of their makeup products to try and the Super-Colour Fabulipstick Powdercoat Matte in shade PomPom was one of them.

I used the lipstick endlessly, and always had it in my bag. However I lost it… cry… so had to rush out and replace it as soon as possible. I am very happy to have the lipstick back in my life and I would say I am currently wearing it 4 days out of 7.

Soap and Glory Say;

“Glides on, stays put and packs a colour punch! Featuring Powdercoat Matt finish to fix velvety-rich colour to your lips, 3-D Plump peptide complex to tone and plump, and orchid extract to soften and moisturise.”

I say;

“ It definitely glides on like a dream, the lipstick is very creamy, and feels almost like a moisturising balm as it never drags on the lip or picks up on dry patches. It goes on perfectly everytime thanks to this moisture rich formula, which is quite unusual for matte lipstick which can sometimes cling. However this is light, velvety and tasty! I’m unsure about the lip plumping as haven’t really noticed that it makes my lips any bigger, however the colour is amazing! It is a plumpy, red and pink that is perfect for those who need a red lip but don’t have the confidence for a pillar box red. I think it is a very vampy colour and can be worn on nights out, yet due to the pinky tones in it I am still confident to wear it during the day as it isn’t too daring. The packaging is gorgeous, sleek and the heaviness of it, makes the lipstick feel more high-end than high-street.”

Have you ever tried the Soap and Glory Lipsticks? What did you think of them? Are there other Soap and Glory makeup products that you recommend?

Baba Ganoush Canteen Kendal| The Perfect Brunch

 

Bottom Image from www. Baba-Ganoush.co.uk

Now that my boyfriend Matt is finally moving to live in the same town of me, we finally have the opportunity to discover some new eateries, and our first stop was Baba Ganoush. If you are from the Lake District in Cumbria you will of probably heard of this spot. If not, when you visit Kendal you have to put this on your list of places to go.

Baba Ganoush is a canteen and food shop hidden down a little side street in the market town of Kendal, Cumbria. Matt and I visited the canteen on Saturday morning at around 11 and the place was already filling up quickly. We were greeted by a smiley, friendly member of staff (always great) and told to take which ever table we fancied. Menu’s were already on the table so you could start making your choices right away. The place has various specials boards scattered around which are filled with soups, main dinners, platters and cakes.

As it was brunch time, Matt went for the Fish Finger sandwich on granary bread (all the bread used in the spot is fresh from the famous Staff of Life bakery next door) and I was rather greedy and went for a soup and hot sandwich. The food arrived very promptly and was delicious. You get plenty of filling for your money, and you can tell that the ingredients are of the highest quality and the fresh bread just makes the food even more homely.

The canteen is a rather small place with around 12-15 tables, and it was full of a variety of ages, from old dears having their tea and cake, to groups of friends having hangover breakfast and families on days out stopping for lunch. Matt and I have already planned our second visit for a hangover breakfast of pancakes with syrup, butter and bacon for me, and scrambled egg with chorizo on toast for Matt.

If you have visited the Lake District of Kendal, where are your favourite places to eat? Or in your own home town, let me know where to eat in case I make a visit!

Benefit They’re Real Mascara| Review

 

During the Christmas sales I bought a Benefit Box that included a travel size Benefit They’re Real! Mascara. I have only recently started to use it and have only recently finished it, so it’s time for a review! Now I understand that this is the UK’s number one selling mascara and has a cult like following from beauty bloggers, so I obviously had big expectations for this little mascara.

Benefit Say;

This jet-black mascara lengthens, curls, volumises, lifts and separates lashes for a spectacular “out-to-here” look. The exclusive brush is specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result… luxurious, silky lashes that won’t smudge, clump or dry out.

I Say;

You can’t argue with what the picture shows, this mascara definitely makes your eyelashes look amazing! I have even had a few people ask me if I was wearing lash inserts when I have been wearing this mascara. The above picture was taken after curling and applying three coats of the mascara. I found that the bristles were great at separating my lashes and getting to even the tiniest eyelashes. This mascara is also long lasting; I didn’t end up with black smudges under my eyes at 3 o’ clock in the afternoon like I do with some others.

However I found that this mascara ran out quite quickly, I do wear quite a lot of mascara but this seems to run out a lot quicker than others that I have bought and it may be down to the fact that the formula is a little wet. Obviously this was just a travel size but it does put me off investing in the full size at nearly £20 if it is not going to last that long! I am impressed with the results it gives so think I am going to buy the full size tube and see how long that is going to last me.

Have you tried They’re Real Mascara before? Do you agree with the rest of the population that it’s the best mascara on the market? Which others would you recommend for me to try next?

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL| Pump Up Your Pout

 

I’m not normally one for lip-glosses, but when Soap and Glory kindly gifted me their new Sexy Mother Pucker XL* for Valentines Day I was not going to turn it down, and I’m glad I didn’t! At first I was a little dubious, as I have tried their regular Sexy Mother Pucker Lipgloss a few months ago and found it sticky and ineffective, so gave it to my mum, who thankfully doesn’t mind it… win win. So when I first applied this and found that it wasn’t sticky like the last one I was pleasantly surprised.

I was even more surprised when the lip plumping action started! Oh my word do your lips tingle! It starts out quite tame but the feeling increases over time. At first it is a very strange sensation, my lips felt cool and tingly, and as the feeling intensifies it feels like my lips have pins and needles. The feeling lasts for a good 10 minutes or so, so if you love your tingly lip plump products this is definitely a must buy! I have to say my lips were much more plump and pouty… hence the silly pouty picture above!

Soap and Glory say that this Lipgloss is “a  Super-sizing, extra strength collagen lip shine with LIPSWELL natural plant oil infusion, SUPERFILL nanovactors and VISIVOLUME immediate effect lip filler.” This lip plump definitely works in my eyes, but beware it is not for the faint hearted! It does tingle alot, so those with more sensitive skin may find it irritatable, and although I was given this so I could “pucker up” Valentines Day last week, I will not be kissing anyone while wearing it for fear of my numb lips drooling everywhere due to the pins and needles… not an attractive look!

Preparing for Valentines Day| Passion Peel Off Mask

 

Well I don’t know what your plans for Valentines Day tomorrow but mine are very low key. As I’m in a long distance relationship I won’t be seeing my boyfriend tomorrow. Instead I’m off to my friends for pizza, wine and trashy television. So as my valentines Day will be at the weekend I took the opportunity to pamper myself tonight. Thankfully Montagne Jeunesse recently sent me this lovely face mask to try as an early Valentine present.

I was gifted the Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel Off face mask*, which is jam packed full of pomegranate, passion-fruit, raspberry, grape and cranberry, even better it is suitable for vegetarians and full of natural ingredients. It smells divine and I love the striking red colour; really gets me in the mood for Valentines Day.  Their facemasks are available from Asda, other leading retailers and their website- www.montagnejeunesse.com

Montagne Jeunesse say-

“ Gently peel away dead skin with our amazing Passion Peel Off deep cleansing masque. Our Pomegranate and Passion Flower formula cleans, purifies and protects leaving your skin feeling fresh and radiant, perfect to get up close and personal!”

I say-

“ The mix of the red ingredients and the amazing fruity smell really made  in the mood for Valentines Day. The texture is fairly gloopy and very thick, however it spreads onto your face quite easily. There was enough in the packet to cover my whole face and neck. The mask took about 10-15 minute to set so gave me enough time to soak in the bath and paint my nails. Once dry it peeled off my face very easily and left it smooth, clean, fresh and with minimised pores.”

I also took the chance to paint my nails a gorgeous deep red, scrub and moisturise my body with the help of Soap and Glory and repaired my hair with an Aussie 3 Minute Mask. So overall I have spent the evening beautifying myself and preparing myself for a perfect Valentines Weekend. I plan to look amazing for my boyfriend and find that spending some time pampering myself always helps to boost my confidence and make me feel sexier.

Have you tired this mask from Montagne Jeunesse? What have you done to prepare yourself for Valentines day? Have you been pampering yourself?

My First Ever MAC Lipstick| MAC Sweetie

 

If you read my blog regularly you will know that I have never before owned a MAC product… that is until now! I have tried MAC products, but never really had the desire or funds to spurge on MAC, but thought I might as well try a product to see what the hype it about. To be honest whenever I have ventured into MAC it has always been too busy and chaotic and I’ve found some of the staff to put a bit off putting and unhelpful, so I always walked away empty handed.

Despite all this when I did my sale shopping I thought why not buy a lipstick seems I am loving my lipsticks at the moment, plus they do some amazing shades! So I spent about an hour comparing lipstick swatches online to see which one I should buy, and decided that since I was splurging £14 on a lipstick that I would pick a shade that I would use quite regularly so I went for a more subtle shade than the bold ones I have been buying recently.

I was not disappointed with my MAC lipstick, it has such a creamy consistency and applies like a dream even when I have dry lips. It lasts for a good few hours… not as long as I had hoped but the pigmentation is great so for the hours that it does last it looks amazing. Because it is so pigmented you don't have to apply too many layers so I image it is going to last me quite a while which makes me feel better about the £14 I spent. This lipstick has a shimmer to it unlike all the others I have bought, I’m still unsure as to whether I like the shimmer as I normally stick to matte shades. I was not disappointed with my MAC lipstick but I do like other brands just as much. The main selling point for me is the wide range colours that MAC have… there are so many more that I want!

What do you think of MAC lipsticks, are they worth the money and hype? Which shade is your favourite and would recommend for my next purchase?

Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub| Review| We have a winner

 

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I am forever on the search for the perfect scrub, be it face or body, and until recently for my search had been unsuccessful… until now! I was recently given a selection of Soap and Glory goodies to try and the multi award winning Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub was one of the products I received. To say I am in love with this product is a bit of an understatement, so before I start rambling here’s my review for you.

One of the standout factors of this product is the smell, it is very sweet smelling, it basically smells like a bottle of maple syrup. So if like me you have a massive sweet tooth, you are in for a treat… I love it so much I actually find myself wanting to nibble on it as it smells delicious! If you don’t have a sweet tooth the smell may be a little overpowering for you. Hopefully the fact that the product works will let you oversee this.

You can see from the pictures it is a very thick and creamy scrub. It is a proper sugar scrub jam packed full of tiny little particles that you can really work into your skin. I mostly enjoyed this scrub because the little particles are very resistant and do not break up when rubbing them into your skin, therefor you can give yourself a good scrub to reveal gorgeous smooth skin. Even though the scrub is quite abrasive  the Shea butter in it means that it still provides moistures. however it is not a scrub to use everyday, I would say use it twice a week.

I have used this scrub quite a few times, as has my mum but you can see from the picture that it barely looks touched. I think it will last me a good couple for months which means the £9.50 price tag is very reasonable!

Have you tried this scrub before? What do you think of the maple syrup smell? Are there any other body scrub you would recommend; which one’s are your favourite?

Fruity Face Masks| A Montagne Jeunesse Review

 

A face mask always brightens up my day. I don’t know about you but as soon as I put a face mask on I am instantly relaxed, it may be because you can’t really move around too much while you are wearing one. Whether it is or it isn’t, those ten minute when my skin is being cleaned and nourished are special to me. So whenever Montagne Jeunesee contact me to ask whether I would like to trial their new face masks I always say yes. Plus a nice soothing or refreshing facemask is perfect for rejuvenating your skin after those late nights and too many glasses of champagne you’ve probably consumed over the past week!

Montagne Jeunesse kindly sent me three masks to try from their new Exotic Fruits Range, one mud mask and two peel off masks. I am sure you have heard of Montagne Jeunesse before, many of you, like me will have grown up using their face masks with your mum or with your friends during sleep overs. If you haven’t I will give you a little information. They are an animal friendly company based in the UK which makes a range of natural skin care products. Their products are all suitable for vegetables and  use natural ingredients. I think they are very reasonably priced at around £1, this range above are sold for £1.29 from Boots, Asda and their website- www.motagnejeunesse.com. I was really surprised to learn that they sell 30,000 face mask every day in the UK! Now that’s impressive!

Anyways onto the products and review. Their Exotic Fruit collection is is made from a range of unusual natural skin care ingredients, which makes them all very fruity! 

Paw Paw Peel Off Mask

They say- “Picked from the tropics of South America the PawPaw aka Papaya (known as “ Fruit of Angels”) and Noni Fruit naturally help protect. This duo work harmoniously, revealing clean sensational skin, sent from the Heavens.”

I say- “This mask was very very sticky when applying, so it went on quite thick. Despite how thick it went on it dried in a good amount of time (around 10 minutes) and when drying there was no discomfort like there is sometimes. The mask came off very easily, almost in one piece, and I was left with amazingly soft skin!! I tried to take a picture of how glowing it was, but the picture did no justice to how great my skin looked. It definitely took away my dead pores and left with with pretty good pores!”

Dragon Fruit Sauna Mask

They say-“For a flaming good clean, ablaze with freshly crushed Dragon Fruit from the depths of central America and pulped Kiwi Fruit, this warming wonder reaches into pores removing trapped oil and dirt… a fiery feast for smooth, clean skin.”

I say-“Again this mask was very very sticky, and very fruity smelling, but the smell was amazing! This mask definitely warmed up! It heated to a noticeable yet comfortable temperature and dried in good time. Again I was left with soft, clean and glowing skin. However I don’t think this is my favourite sauna mask, there are others in the Montagne Jeunesse range I prefer, such as the Red Hot Earth Sauna Masque.”

 Prickly Pear Peel Off Mask

They say-“Native to the Western Hemisphere, Prickly Pear helps protect skin from the Earth’s daily assaults whilst Mangosteen has powerful free scavengers (antioxidants)- How’s that for a boost?”

I say-“Again this mask is super sticky! But the results are amazing, very similar to the Paw Paw Peel Off mask, my skin was left very smooth, soft and clean. I used it after my night out in Manchester, and it definitely brightened up my dull, hungover skin, and I went to work on Monday looking fresh (just a little tired!)”

Overall, as always, I was very impressed with the results. My skin looked amazing after each mask and the product did as it said it would! The only downside and negative comment I can make is that the Exotic Fruits range as fruity as it is, isn’t very festive. It would of been great to see a new range released that reflexed my favourite season. Something rich, chocolaty and warming!

What do you think of Montagne Jeunesse products? Are you a fan? Have you seen or tried any great Christmassy face masks that are fitting for the season?

Luscious Locks| Lee Stafford Hair Growth| Review

A few months ago I was the victim of a scissor happy hair dresser, this resulted in having hair that was much shorter than the couple of inches trim I had asked for. Not enjoying my new short bob I decided that this was the time to invest in Lee Stafford Hair Growth products. My best friend used these products before her graduation and enjoyed them, and after seeing many other bloggers both rave and slate this product, I decided to give it a go myself and form my own opinion.

Lee Stafford claim that this product range contains a pro-Growth complex formula for strength within. This protein based complex will fertilize your follicles, and create a healthy environment on your scalp helping your hair grow faster and reach its maximum potential length.

I purchased the shampoo and conditioner from Boots, each cost £6.99, but they are often on three for two, so you can make a saving. For me £6.99 is quite pricey for a shampoo so I did have high hopes for this product.

I have used this product for for around 2 months now, so feel I have tried it enough to give a fair and true opinion.

Firstly this product made my hair amazingly soft and shiny, it is possibly the shiniest it has ever been. I also noticed that when using this product my hair became a lot stronger. I am a girl who seems to loose my entire head of hair while showering, I literally malt everywhere; my family and boyfriend hate it. However I noticed when using this product my hair did not malt as much as previously.

More importantly, did it make my hair grow? Well judging by the picture above of my awful roots I would say it does make it grow quicker. Obviously the only accurate way of measuring this would be to measure my hair growth rate both with and without this product then compare the results; however I am not that scientific so will just give you my opinion. My roots in the picture above are around 2/3 inches and based on own hair, this is a pretty good hair growth rate. Even after only a month of usage I was much happier with the length of my hair, as it was nearing the length it was prior to it being cut.

Overall I am very happy with this shampoo, I am one of those on the side of the fence that says this product does make your hair grow. But above all that it has left my hair in a beautiful condition; strong, soft, sleek and shiny.

Have you ever tried this product before? Are you sceptical as I was prior to using it? What is you favourite shampoo and conditioner for soft shiny hair?

Soap and Glory| No Clogs Allowed Super Self Heating Deep Pore Detox Mask| Review

 

My regular readers and followers will know that I am a Soap and glory fiend! I love this brand, although I have not tried every single product in their range I have ambitions to do so. The newest products to my ever growing collection is the ‘No Clogs Allowed Detox Mask’, and the ‘Greatest Scrub of All’, both are products I have heard many good things about, and have been longing after for some time. I finally took the plunge last weekend and bought them both as Soap and Glory products were on offer for Buy One Get One Half Price, and never being one to pass on a bargain they soon appeared in my basket.

As the title suggest I am firstly going to review the ‘No Clogs Allowed Detox Mask’. I have used the mask three times now, and believe this is long enough to give you a summery of my thoughts on the product and its results.

Their opinion

Soap and Glory claim that the the mask is a an intensive-action pore-refining facial peel. Here is what they have to say about the product-

“A super self-heating 5 minute deep pore detox face mask with a free skin smoothing sponge. This is a deep cleansing treatment, ideal for greasy and blackhead prone skin.”

My opinion

The product has the consistency of a mud mask, but is not as thick as traditional ones. It comes out of the tube with ease, and when rubbed into my skin heats up with immediate effect. At first the mask feels a little grainy, but these grains soon rub out when you scrub the mask into your skin. It leaves a thin layer upon the surface of your skin and doesn’t take too long to dry. When drying the heating sensation soon levels off, and there is no tingly sensation that there is with some masks. When drying it doesn’t dry solid and crack like other mud masks.

For removal you are provided with a ‘skin smoothing sponge’. Although it is handy for removal I can’t say it leaves my skin anymore smooth than when I don’t use it. The mask cleans off easily, due to the fact only a thing layer is needed for application.

The end result is very good. My skin glows, looks very healthy and feels a lot smoother, and my blemishes and blackheads appearance are reduced. I feel like my skin is left completely clean with no dryness or sensitivity that I often suffer with after using mud masks. 

The only downsides to this product for myself are that firstly, I do not experience the blue Smurf face effect that is meant to happen when apply the mask. My face stayed white, as you can see from the pictures. Secondly, although I believe my pores appearance has reduced by using this mask, my blackheads have not reduced dramatically. This is one of the main reasons I bought this product, as I am always looking for a miracle product for reducing blackheads. I will continue to use this mask as I do love it regardless of this. I hope that in time my blackheads do disappear as it suggests on the tube, so watch this space as I will keep you updated with my progress.

Which Soap and Glory products are your favourite? Any you recommend for my collection? Or do you have any miracle cure for blackheads that you can recommend?

Mum and Me and the Deep Sea (Clay Mask)

I was contacted by Montagne Jeunesse the other day and asked if I would be willing to sample their new product. As it is a company who I love, and have been using since I was a little girl, I jumped at the chance (again). I was sent two of their new Clay Spa masks in a very large but lovely box, and as there was two masks I asked my mum to help review the products for me. So after briefing her on her task we had lots of fun; as the pictures show, trying these new masks.

These masks are said to be new and ground-breaking due to the specially sourced clays and natural bamboo fabric used. The biggest selling poitn being that they deliver the traditional deep cleaning experienced with clay mask,but you don’t have the mess.The masks are available to buy for £1.49 both online Here, from Boots (mid-August) and from Asda (September). These masks, as with all their products are vegetarian-approved, made from natural ingredients and paraben-free. It is one of the things that I admire about the company, that they have an ethos for (in the own words) ‘The Conservation of Energy, Protection of animals and the Environment.’

Now on to the fun bit, the review! I am going to review the Glacial Clay Spa, and my mum is going to review the Dead Sea Mud Spa.

Me- Glacial Clay Spa

Montagne Jeunesse claim that this mask rehydrates, clears pores and removes impurities. The skin will be soothed, protected and healed.

I didn’t really know what to expect with the mask, but it wasn’t these funny looking gimp masks that’s for sure. I think my mum and I ended up channelling Hannibal Lector in a few of these shots. But I suppose the mask isn’t designed to look good,but instead do good; which is what it did. I’m not completely sold on the fabric mask, as love to pile clay masked onto my skin and wait for them to dry and crack, but I can see the benefits, as cleaning it off was a breeze. I literally splashed my face with water a couple of times and it was clean. My skin was left incredibly soft and smooth, and my  pores looked cleaner and smaller. Overall it did as it claimed the product would.

Mum- Dead Sea Mud Spa

Motagne Jeunesse claim that this mask invigorates, deep cleans and draws out impurities, while unblocking pores and nourishing the skin. It leaves skin nourished, moisturised and looking youthful.

Cat asked me to try one of these masks so I picked the Dead Sea Mud one as its supposed to leave skin nourished, moisturised and youthful. I was looking forward to the youthful bit! The fabric style was easier to put on and to take off, not as much mess as the usual mud/clay masks you smear all aver the place but its obviously one size fits all and I found mine was rather on the large size for my face and took some manoeuvring to get it to fit properly. Apart from this it did leave my skin clean and fresh and beautifully soft and pores were clearer and less visible. Must say, pleasantly surprised and pleased with this product.

What do you think of the Motagne Jeunesse products? Have you tired this one?

Montagne Jeunesse| The summer sun in my bathroom

As like many other bloggers out there I was contacted by Montagne Jeunesse and asked whether I would be interested in reviewing some of their new products, and like others I jumped at the chance. I have previously posted many times about older Montagne Jeunesse products as I am a loyal customer to the brand and have grown up using their many face-masks; admiring their dedication to natural products and their friendliness to animals,  however as always this review is not biased and my honest opinion.

On to the product. I received the Travel Pamper Pack which contains 5 different products in 6 separate sachets, in a handy little pack. Montagne Jeaunesse describe the product as follows;

‘Treat yourself on the go naturally! Whether you’re jetting off for a weekend city break, a hen night abroad or a last minute get away, this is the ultimate little pampering luxury that fits cosily in your hand luggage. An infusion of natural goodies, packed full of the most invigorating and refreshing ingredients for a perfect top to toe pamper treat.’

I chose to dedicate a night to relaxing and trying each of the products, and my review of each follows.

Passion Peel Off Masque- I loved the smell of this product, it was very fruity and delicious. I am not the biggest fan of peel off masks as I don’t feel them working on my skin unlike mud masks, however when applying this product I could feel it tingling which pleased me. I did find it very thick when applying and it did take a while to dry. An ok product but not my cup of tea.

Skin Smoother- This product can be used on face and body, I chose to use it mainly on my face, but also my elbows and knees, and I was thoroughly impressed. I love St Ives Apricot scrub and have never found a product that competes with this, until now. This scrub was amazing! The little beads of apricot were tough but did not aggrivate my skin, just got right into the little nooks around my nose etc. When washed off, my blackheads were a lot smoother and reduced in appearance, and my skin was as soft as a babies bum. I will definitely be buying this product again.

Body Wash- Wow this was like the summer in my shower. The orangey smell was divine, very strong, so if you don’t like citrus smells then this is not for you. The shower gel sachet would do at least two washes, as there is plenty of product, and it lathered up incredibly well. I did enjoy this product and see it as a good treat.

Foot Cooler- This was a strange little product. It claimed to clean and refresh tired feet by rubbing the gel into your feet and leaving it the change into a powder. The product did exactly as it described; my feet have never felt so refreshed, so much so they tingled for about 10 minutes afterwards. I would thoroughly enjoy this product while on holiday as it left me feeling really refreshed, however in cooler weather it made them feel cold. 

Intensive Spa Hair Masque- I’m not the biggest user of hair masks, as my hair is in pretty good condition so find that they don’t actually leave my hair in any better condition than if I use a conditioner. What I enjoyed from this product was the smell, yet again it was like summer.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my pamper pack! It made me feel very summery as all the product smelt amazing. I think the whole concept is great. As it mentions if you are going away for the weekend it has everything you need instead of taking a whole cosmetic bag, and for girls like me who need all the space you can get for shoes and clothes this product is perfect.

You can find out more details about the product and purchase it from here.

Two Birthdays, One Dinner| The Highwayman Restaurant Review

Having just returned from the Lake District after a very busy but lovely birthday week visiting my family, I thought it was about time I got back to regular blogging, so will be writing three posts this evening as well as taking part in #bbloggers chat at 8, two to be published today, and one tomorrow.

The first, this one, is about my second birthday meal that I had in a Restaurant outside of Kendal in the Lake District. As the pictures show, I went with my boyfriend, Mum  and her partner. The photos also show my two dogs, who didn’t go, but looked cute so thought I would involve them in this post. The meal was for my mums partner’s, Steve, Birthday as well; a double celebration.

We went the the HighwayMan Inn, owned by Nigel Haworth and located in the small village of Burrow, near to Kirby Lonsdale, I have never been before but was thoroughly impressed, not only with the quality of the food and service, but more so of the concept of the restaurant. What I love is that the restaurants uses exclusively local producers for their menu. As it is close to the borders of Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire they are in a prime location to use many different local and regional flavours. The restaurant was decorated with pictures of the producers with their produce, giving it a real feel of community. The first picture shown in this post was the placemat, which again was decorated with the friendly faces of the farmers and producers.

We had a selection of starters to share, sort of like an English tapas, which included deep fried cauliflower with curried mayonnaise, cheese soufflé, deep fried fish cheeks with an apple and garlic mayonnaise, and bread with olive oil and treacle balsamic vinegar. For my main I had a cheese and onion pie, and desert a lemon meringue pie (pictured). Overall it was beautiful, I admit not the healthiest…diet starts tomorrow, but definitely worth it!

As I mentioned the diet starts tomorrow, which it definitely must! I’m off on holiday in 4 weeks, and the past week of birthday celebrations has not be favourable to my figure, I’m looking and feeling a little more rounded… oh dear! To encourage my health kick, I will be posting a few healthy recipes that I am going to give a go… I’m an awful cook, so it could be quite entertaining!

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner Review

If I’m honest I’m not the best with my hair; I regularly go long periods of time without cutting it, I often fall asleep with wet hair, I even brush my wet hair with a brush… I know I’m awful. I am though, kind of lucky, my hair is of normal type, so isn’t dry and fizzy and nor is it greasy. However I am always on the look our for new products to make my hair nice and shiny and smooth, like all us girls.

I recently received this sample from Dove. I applied for the sample through their Facebook page I think (it was a long time ago now). I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the sample, as it was a miniature bottle, and not an awful sachet.

Anyways this is a newish product from their Dove Nourishing Oil Care product range. It is an Express Treatment Conditioner which claims to have three times the power of a standard conditioner, and it is designed to revive dry and frizzy hair in just one minute. It also claims the treatment will seal the cuticles to lock in nutrients and smoothes frizz.

The Good

• It did leave my hair soft and smooth, as promised.
• Smells lovely, the usual Dove soapy smell.
• Product was a lovely thick consistency.
• Easy to apply, it spread through my hair easily.
• A little goes a long way, I used a about a quarter of the bottle given, which was sufficient.

The Bad

• In my opinion it did not leave my hair anymore soft and smooth, than when I use my normal conditioner.

Overall- 3/5

I like this product as a conditioner as it did leave my hair soft and smooth, as it should. However it left my hair no more soft and smooth than when I use a normal conditioner, which is what disappointed me. When using an intensive conditioner I like to see a significant difference in the quality of my hair, I like to feel that it has restored lost nutrients etc, this did not happen with this product. I would not buy this product again.

I have to mention, that due to my hair being a normal type, i.e not frizzy and dry, I am perhaps not the ideal customer to be reviewing this product, it may give completely different results for  someone who does have dry hair.

Have any of your tried this product, I would love to hear if it gave different results for others?

My new love| Stylist Pick bag

 Just a quick little post to share with you the new love in my life, my Andrea bag from Stylist Pick.

I have been a member of Stylist Pick for many many months now, but had never made a purchase. I don’t think there was a month when I looked at my showroom and found something that screamed “buy me now!” However this month I finally made my first purchase.

I have been looking for a new handbag for a while now, and as I use my handbag daily till it breaks or I just don’t like it anymore, I needed one that I was in love with. I regularly swap and change my clutch bags and other bags for special occasions or nights out, but for going to work and university I stick to the one bag. Therefore I was over the moon when I found this bag, it is perfect for me, casual for everyday use, but smart enough for my dressed up personal style.  Even better, as it was my first purchase I received 25% off my order, so it only cost me £30… bargain!

As for Stylist Pick themselves, I was very impressed with the service. The product arrived this morning, and I ordered it on Wednesday afternoon, therefore delivery was very swift, which makes me very happy! Also the bag was wrapped up lovely. It was placed inside a material bag to protect it, and placed in a shopping bag, and the invoice was folded into a pretty little card. For the price of £40 (normal price) I think Stylist Pick go above and beyond expectations.

Pamper Night| Montagne Jeunesse Smoothie Face mask review

Using an entire sachet- lots of product!

Last night, I took my usual late night trip to Asda to get my tea, and was very excited to see they currently have a load of beauty and toiletry items on special offer.  I didn't get too much, but did buy a special bumper pack of face-masks, which I haven't seen been sold like this anywhere else. 

It was a bumper pack of Montagne Jeunesse sachets, there were two boxes on offer. A box filled with 5 sachets of chocolate treatments, for face, hair and body, and the pack I chose, a 5 pack of face-masks.The boxes are normally sold at £5 ish, however they were on offer for I think £3.

So last night I decided have a mini pamper and chose the Crushed Raspberry Fruit Smoothie, Deep Pore Cleaning face-mask. The product is described as; 

"Our delicious nutritious smoothie mix of raspberries, peach, mango, apricot and pomegranate isn't a drink but it is bound to leave you in a smiley mood- with fresher, cleansed  and softer skin' 

The Good

• Left my skin incredibly smooth.
• Loads of product, so enough for two treatments.
• Animal friendly. Quote- "We're vegetarian and animals are our friends-that's why we don't bash bunnies or add bits of animal!"
• A cheap product
• The product had a rich and creamy texture.

The Bad

• Nothing really, I suppose the fact that there is too much product can be wasteful.

Over all- 5/5- Its a super product and I have to agree with everything the product claims to be. It smelt absolutely gorgeous, good enough to eat (but don't.) I have used these products over the years, but  I'm still looking forward to using the other four products.