Category Archives: brands I love

Degustabox May 2019

28th May 2019

Hello, and welcome to a whistle stop tour of the May 2019 Degustabox*

Looking at this photo I have convinced myself I have missed something, but I couldn’t tell you what…anyway, as per last month this is another short and sweet recap of this foodie subscription box, I haven’t had as much time to try everything as I would like due to going on holiday on Friday and still having what seems like an impossible amount to do.

This month’s box had a brunch/afternoon tea theme and contained some fantastic products…

Splenda Sweet Minis; I am a sweetener user and Splenda is one of my go-to brands. This dinky little dispenser is perfect for on the go (I keep one on my desk at work) and is available in all major supermarkets for around £1.50.

These are one of Bob’s all time favourite treats, and I’m quite partial to them too. A crunchy waffle with delicious caramel inside- a Dutch institution for a reason. If you’re yet to try them, I 100% recommend Daelmans’ brand.

I’m always on the lookout for healthier snacks, and whilst aimed at kids I love the fun packaging of the Fruity Beauties bar. High in fibre and and easy 1 of your 5 a day, these are tasty enough to feel more of a treat than a healthier option.

I love tea and I love adding to my stash. This was the product of the month this month. I love the flavour of apricot in everything and this is light and refreshing. It’s ideal for work as it tastes as good cold as it does hot- and getting a piping hot drink at your desk is a rarity. Available on the Oteas website.
I was most intrigued by these Seaweed puffs from Shore. These crunchy sea salt & balsamic snacks are dangerously more-ish and I wish they were more widely available.
Indie Bay pretzel bits have become a regular in my cupboard, again, a bit addictive! Both of these snacks have less than 100 calories per pack and boast way more benefits than a packet of crisps.

Milkybar mixups are new to the market and are the first new product from Nestle I’ve been vaguely excited about in a while. Milk and white chocolate all jumbled up in a handy snack sized bag (also in sharing pouches), these aren’t groundbreaking by any means, but they’re still good!
For those avoiding sugar I highly recommend these midget gems from Bravura Food. They are also vegan and gluten free so a great all rounder. I’d love to try more from this brand.

Gin Cornichons? I didn’t even know what a Cornichon was! Turns out it’s a mini gherkin and these ones are infused with gin. I haven’t had a chance to try these yet, but I am mighty curious and will be sure to report back.
Likewise I haven’t tried the vegan mayo from heinz- we’re not mayo lovers in this house, but it seems like a great addition to the brand’s range. I’d be curious to hear thoughts from those who have tried it.

Drinks! Firefly Drinks lemon, lime and ginger and a Laura sized bottle of prosecco, fantastic! I’m yet to crack in to either, I think I’ll save the fizz for post holiday blues, and the firefly drinks for when I’m in dire need of some goodness. I just love this brand’s packaging.

I’ve used Koko brand coconut milk for years off an on in porridge. This super milk is enriched with 9 vitamins and minerals making it an excellent replacement for full fat milk- therefor making it ideal for kids and adults alike. I haven’t tried this yet as I didn’t want to open it so close to holiday and end up wasting some, but I am excited to try it.

Finally we have another ketchup from the Real Good brand. I’ve tried their no added sugar regular ketchup before (and approved) and this smokey BBQ flavour it another hit. I like this as a dip for sweet potato fries, but I think it’d also make an ideal marinade and is perfect for setting out at a BBQ.


Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments.


If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.
On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.


If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £5.00 off of your first box (making it just £7.99!) by entering the code 6HZJ8 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

Posted in brands I love, food, review

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Another Day, Another Wish List

25th May 2019

I’ve had so many good intentions for blogging lately, determined to get back at it and start sharing more of what I love/wear/do/buy, and then life happens and before you know it over a week has passed since I last had a chance to put anything down on screen, and when I do all I can muster is another wish list.

Nothing wrong with wish lists of course, and mine is seemingly endless at the moment despite quite a large amount of retail therapy. It’s only 6 days now until we escape on our American Road Trip Adventure so every spare penny has been going towards that, hopefully when I’m back I’ll have some spare cash once more and be able to shop away the inevitable post-holiday blues…and what will I be buying? Hopefully some of the below!

I’m still obsessing over Angel Eye, although this time it’s a more casual number that’s caught my eye. This is the kind of dress I’m loving for every day wear right now, and at £30.00 it’s incredibly reasonable.
This dress and I would sadly never work out. I am a spiller and I would place money on me spilling something over an all white ensemble within seconds. Still, I couldn’t not include this dress from Joy; so simple and yet so covetable with that sleeve detail!
I’ve seen this Miss Selfridge dress* all over social media lately. I’m not normally one to jump on the hype bandwagon but I make exception for this beauty (currently discounted too!)
Another Miss Selfridge beauty* here, also discounted to just £28, my resolve not to shop is seriously wavering over this one.
This Disney x Coach hoodie is pretty much sold out everywhere, although Very have a couple of sizes in stock. It’s just as well really as I cannot drop £195 on a hoodie no matter how adorable it is, but I am seriously coveting this.
It’s clearly a week for dresses, and I couldn’t not include this delight from Yumi. A long time favourite brand of mine and this little show stopper should explain exactly why I love them.

What have you been buying, or spying lately? And what stores do I need to hit up in the USA?

Posted in brands I love, dresses, fashion, personal style, shopping, wish list

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Spoiling my Feline Friend with Wilko

13th May 2019
The items in this post were kindly gifted by Wilko

Followers of my social media will know that last month my little fluffy companion, Pablo had a pretty rough time of it. What started as a reoccurrence of a longstanding digestive issue resulted in a Friday night dash to the emergency vet, major abdominal surgery (8 inch wound, poor baby!) and a lengthy recovery. Not only did Pablo have to endure the cone of shame for two solid weeks, he also managed to fall off the sofa and give himself an impressive limp. We’ve been back and forth to the vets more times than I care to remember, but he’s on the mend now and full of beans, just in time to pounce on a box of treats from the folks at Wilko.

Wilko has been one of our favourite places to stock up on pet supplies ever since Pablo was a palm-sized bundle of fluff. Everything is so well priced, and good quality and they have a great range of toys and accessories as well as great value food and kitty litter.

Our dining room has now become a dedicated feline play area for Pablo and it’s a joy to see him back to his normal, rambunctious self.

This pop up cube is an absolute bargain at £4.00 and Pablo’s favourite thing ever. He’s always loved tunnels and tubes and this has fast become his new hiding place, “secret” place to stash toys and something to drag around the house. He’ll spend hours in here and all we hear from his is the occasional thud where he’s crashed in to something, and a few growls as he bashes his toys around.
Pablo has an impressive tunnel collection (four at last count) but this £3.25 one from Wilko is the fanciest (and cheapest) one yet. He loves sliding through and batting the ball, and occasionally he’ll lounge in it for a nap.
We’ve been contemplating a new scratching post for a while as the one Pablo had when he was tiny (inherited from Mae) has long seen better days. They all seemed very pricey though, especially as it’s hit or miss whether he’d actually take to a new one. This Wilko cat scratcher post is only £8.00 so not that much of a gamble, and with a couple of toys attached to lure him in this quickly became a hit. Pablo is a big cat and has pulled this over on himself a couple of times but he doesn’t seem too bothered and for a smaller cat it would absolutely perfect.

Our house is absolutely covered in cat toys of all shapes and sizes. Pablo is an indoor cat on vet advice (he has an as yet undiagnosed digestive problem and can’t be trusted not to eat things that he really shouldn’t) so we want to keep him as entertained and stimulated as possible. This is easy thanks to the wide array of affordable cat toys on the market, most notably at the moment from Wilko. There’s a few more products I’m hoping to pick up, and for anyone just starting out with a cat I can’t recommend them enough for getting everything together that you’ll need without breaking the bank.

What is your cat’s favourite toy?

Posted in brands I love, cats

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The Caviar Collection from skinCHEMISTS

01st May 2019
Items gifted by skinCHEMISTS for blog consideration

So, I turned 32 on Sunday and I still don’t have a decent skin care routine under my belt. Sure I cleanse and moisturise, but that’s as far as it goes!

I’ve noticed a fair few sneaky extra wrinkles creeping in lately, so when skinCHEMISTS sent me some products from their super luxe sounding Caviar Collection it was like someone had be spying on my lazy-girl routine.

The Caviar Collection is one of the brands best sellers and I was both intrigued by it’s name, and slightly scared as my associations of caviar tend to err on the lumpy and fishy side of things. Still, I got stuck in and you can read my thoughts below.

Anti-Ageing facial serum £49.99

So it turns out that the Caviar element of these products is a super nutritious marine extract that aims to improve how firm your skin looks as well as reduce the appearance of fine lines.

My first impression was how light this felt when I applied it. I’ve actually been using it under my makeup in the mornings and it just glides on and sinks in well. I did initially wonder if it was worth an almost £50 price tag, and after ten days of solid use I can say yes, yes it is. You only need the smallest amount at a time so it will last for ages, and my skin looks instantly better when I apply it.

Anti-Ageing caviar eye serum £39

Eye products are the one thing I never think to buy, and the one area that really needs all of the help it can get when it comes to my face.

My first impression of this product was how chic it looked (shallow I know!) . It has a real luxe feel that makes me want to keep it on display, which in turn reminds me to use it! Almost two weeks in and I reckon the fine lines around my eyes look less pronounced than they did; I would ask Bob for his opinion but I’m not sure I’m quite ready for his brutal honesty (I’m still smarting from his remark on my grey hairs!)

Anti-Ageing caviar day moisturiser £39

This is another fancy looking product from the brand, and whilst I was a little aback by the price tag (compared to my usual under a fiver moisturiser) I have to say that after a few days of using this I began to understand why people invest in their skincare.

This is another incredibly light product that sinks in like a dream. I actually tend to use this after I’ve taken my makeup off at night; such a rebel! As I find it soothes my skin after a day in the office and I often find night creams a bit too heavy and sticky feeling.

I’m suitably impressed by all three of these products and would recommend anyone who’s looking to pick up some anti-ageing products to give these a whirl. I’m curious as to what else skinCHEMISTS can offer, and as budgets allow I will definitely be seeking out more products from the brand, both in this range and some of their others.

Does anyone have any tips for sticking to a skincare regime? Now I’ve started (again) I really could do with not stopping!

Posted in beauty, brands I love, skincare

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Working with Henryka Jewellery

22nd April 2019

This post contains gifted items.

Items c/o Henryka Jewellery

If you’ve seen my Instagram lately then you’ll have seen that I have been working as a brand ambassador with the wonderful Henryka Jewellery. This has been an absolute honour for me as I’ve long admired the brand and the gorgeous pieces that they sell.

Henryka is a British Brand inspired by nature. Each piece is unique and is made from sterling silver and a wide array of natural gemstones; from their signature amber through to turquoise, amethyst and rose quartz. I was given the chance to pick out some pieces from the range to share across my instagram, but I’m so in love with them I wanted to pop them up on the blog as well.

It’s going to be no great surprise to anyone that I managed to find a cat themed piece of jewellery to add to my collection. This sterling silver miniature cat necklace may be dainty but it’s earned me several compliments whenever I wear it. I’ve got it on a 16” chain, but it also comes in 18”-22” (prices starting at £20).

I fell in love with this silver and blue lace agate ring the second I saw it. It’s an absolutely stunning piece that has found itself a new place as my favourite every day ring. I’ve never seen blue lace agate before and it’s just so pretty. This ring is £45 and worth every penny.

I used to own so many pairs of stud earrings, but discovered a few months ago that they have been misplaced somewhere along the way. Since then I have been searching high and low for replacements with very little success. That was until I was given the chance to work with Henryka and found these silver star burst studs. I absolutely adore these earrings and I haven’t taken them out since they have arrived. Henryka have a huge array of stud earrings on their website, all around the £20 mark and I have several more pairs of studs on my wish list…as well as somewhere safe to store them!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my picks. If I’ve tempted you by any of these pieces or anything else on the website catches your eye then Henryka are offering my readers a generous 15% off their orders when they use the code DAISY15 at the checkout. Let me know if you treat yourself, I’d love to see your haul.

Posted in brands I love, jewellery

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