Degustabox: December review and discount code

Some time amidst all of the madness of Christmas I took delivery of the December Degustabox* which was rammed full of new treats to try out. I’m a little late with posting my review, the last few weeks have been quite busy and my procrastination game has been strong, but here I am with my thoughts on the last box of 2016 as well as a hefty discount for anyone wishing to give this foodie subscription a whirl.

For those who don’t know Degustabox is a monthly subscription box filled with 10-15 food/drink products, most of which are brand new to the market so it’s a great way to try things out. 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.

Introductions over and it’s on to the contents…

First up are these Bahlsen Akora biscuits, a traditional German heart-shaped lebkuchen. Spiced jam filling, soft gingerbread and signature chocolate are combined to make one of my favourite festive treats. I’ve loved lebkuchen for as long as I can remember and this is up there with some of the best I’ve had. Sadly only available at Christmas but at £1.99 a bag it’s well worth stocking up on when you can.
It took me a while to get my head around this snack from Bite+. Essentially a savoury cereal each pack contains two servings with an RRP of £1.69. It comes in an assortment of flavours and are high fibre, low fat and packed with taste. Once I got my head around the fact that these were a snack and not some strange alternative to cornflakes I broke in to my pack and really enjoyed them.
This apple and cinnamon fudge from Oh Fudge was delicious- creamy and rich with an apple and cinnamon flavour that was perfect for this time of year. I don’t have the exact price information to hand but a quick google suggests this goes for around £3.50 a box which for the size of it isn’t bad at all. The packaging is gorgeous too so would make for a lovely gift.
Quick meals are my thing and what’s more comforting than a steaming bowl of risotto? This rich four cheese risotto from Gallo and risotto box with cheese and vegetables both cook wonderfully in the microwave and make for the ultimate comfort food dinner in minutes. The pouch costs £2.29 and the box £2.00 (perfect for a work day lunch).
I think Hoots is such a cool name for a snack! These are baked multigrain snacks designed to be an alternative to crisps. I especially enjoyed the salt & pepper flavour (I wish more things came in that flavour to be honest) and at £0.69 per pack they are pretty good value. Also suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
Maggi 3 minute noodles (£0.75) make for another quick and easy meal. The chicken flavour is pretty decent and being ready in only three minutes they appeal to my impatient nature. They are also available in beef and curry flavours and would make a good desk drawer emergency lunch.
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and whilst I am a creature of habit with what I choose (porridge and toast usually) I can be tempted in to trying something different from time to time. Nutri-Brex gluten free coconut and crispy rice are similar to weetabix in principle and really tasty especially with hot milk. At £3.79 I wouldn’t pay full price for them but would pick up a box or two if I saw them on offer.
I’m not much of a soft drinks person myself but do like to keep a few bottles of something in for when guests pop round. The alcohol free wine by Eisberg (£1.39) is ideal for drivers or those watching their weight. Made in the same way as normal wine but with the alcohol gently removed this has only 28kcal per 125ml serving. Also included was Newton’s Appl Fizzics (£1.29). This is a blend of apple juice and sparkling water which is all natural with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Crisp and refreshing even I enjoyed this!
Finally on the drinks front we have some What A Melon watermelon juice (£2.00) which I admit I am yet to try. This claims to be hydrating like coconut water but with extra anti-oxidants and amino acids. It sounds lovely I’ll admit so I’ll be sure to give it a go soon! the a2 milk (£1.39) is a long life cow’s milk which is free from the a1 protein that can trigger symptoms associated with lactose intolerance (although it isn’t suitable for anyone with a cow’s milk protein allergy). There’s not much I can say about this, it tastes like milk but has added benefits. Useful to have in as a stand-by!
If I’ve tempted you to treat yourself to a Degustabox subscription then you can claim a brilliant £7.00 discount off of your first box with the code 6HZJ8 making it only £5.99. I’d love to know if you do sign up and what your thoughts are! I look forward to getting my box every month as it’s a great way to try out new things that I’d otherwise overlook or never otherwise find.

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Degustabox provided for review purposes, all opinions and reviews are my own.

Time to #GetReadyWithRimmel

The other day another really exciting surprise package arrived from Rimmel London containing a selection of products to create a festive face of makeup. My party nights have been and gone and I have no plans for New Years Eve so I thought I’d pop together a super simple “home for Christmas” face of makeup to go along side some little product reviews.
All of the products in the package were ones I’ve been meaning to try for a while so I was really excited to get stuck in. The Wonderfull Mascara* promises full volume without the clumps and despite feeling incredibly “not there” thanks to it’s Argan Oil formulation it really does deliver on the volume front. It perhaps doesn’t add as much length as I would like but for a natural daytime look I’m a fan and my lashes feel pretty good for it!

The Kate Sculpting Palette* is something I’ve been meaning to pick up for a while now. I’m yet to dip my toe in to the contouring trend and to be honest I probably won’t but using this palette I did manage to get a bit more definition on my cheekbones and gave a lovely glow to boot. At £6.99 I think this is really good value too as you essentially get three cheek products in one.

We all know I’m pretty obsessed with lipstick at the moment and the Kate 15 Year Lipstick* in this beautiful nude shade is a welcome addition. Inspired by Kate Moss’ favourite reds and nudes this is a long lasting lipstick that applies like a dream. Perfect for looking like you’ve made a bit of an effort when actually you’re over full, in need of a nap and tired of watching crap TV over the festive season.

Probably my favourite product is the Magnifeyes Eye Contouring Palette*. Jam packed with a gorgeous array of neutral colours blend seamlessly to sculpt, shade and define the eye. There’s an easy to follow guide on the back of the palette to help you get your perfect look and there are endless combinations possible.

I’ve not been wearing eyeliner as much as I used to, I’m not sure why (other than my tendency to stab my eyeball which may have put me off) but it’s about time it returned. I’m really fussy about what liquid eyeliners I use and I’m always skeptical about trying a new one but the bold Liquid Liner* has impressed me. The ball tip to this liner looked scary but actually made application a breeze with no snagging. It’s waterproof and holds it’s promised shine well- without me ending it smeared around my face by lunch time.

Let me know what Rimmel products you’re loving right now- I’d say a good quarter of my makeup collection is made up of their stuff at the moment!

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Products sent for blog consideration by Rimmel. Post contains affiliate links.

Shadow Switch- Dry Brush Cleaner review

I’m not one of those people with a huge collection of makeup brushes and more often than I care to admit to I end up spoiling my makeup by trying to apply a neutral base eyeshadow with the same brush that carries the remnants of last night’s smokey eye- or even more frequently than I care to admit to dip my brush in to the wrong shade shadow when using a palette (I can’t be the only person who forgets which one they’ve just used right?). So when I heard about a brand new product called Shadow Switch, a dry brush cleaner designed to remove makeup from your brushes quickly and effectively meaning no more getting your shades mixed up or applying some strange hybrid colour you never knew existed I was more than a little bit excited to get the chance to try it out*!
Shadow Switch is a compact little tin (although once released properly the packaging will look different) containing a black sponge. To remove makeup from your brush you simply roll it over the Shadow Switch sponge in a circular motion until all the colour has disappeared. It sounds too good to be true, right? That’s what I thought at first, but since it’s arrival I’ve been using this every time I do my makeup either during the process if I’m using the same brush for more than one colour or before I pack my brushes away to ensure I have a clean slate for next time and it’s a game changer. I’ve gone from often having to take my eye makeup off and start over to getting it all done in one go (mostly, I am prone to the odd sneeze whilst doing my eye liner or prodding myself with my mascara wand) and it adds barely any time to my routine at all.
At £5.99 this has definitely become a welcome addition to my makeup box and with good maintenance in the form of cleaning the sponge with warm water and fragrance free soap each Shadow Switch sponge should last you two months before it needs replacing.

Beauty Essentials, the brand behind Shadow Switch are new to the UK and this is the first product they’ve released. Based on how impressed I’ve been by this one I can’t wait to see what else they have up their sleeves.

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Product sent to me for blog consideration, all thoughts are my own.

Keeping Cosy with Bows Boutiques*

I don’t do things by halves, it appears I’ve gone from posting pretty much no outfit posts in ages to bringing you one today that has three separate looks in it. I do love dressing for winter weather though, there’s something about layering up and keeping snug that is infinitely appealing and thanks to some new arrivals in my wardrobe from Bows Boutiques I’m keeping cosy in style.

Coat c/o Bows Boutiques | Skirt: New Look | Boots: Long Tall Sally

I think this might be the warmest coat I have ever owned (and that’s saying something as I currently own a lot of coats!) It’s taken me a while to embrace parka style coats but right now I can’t get enough and this one is just perfect. It’s super padded and has lots of faux fur details to make it extra snug and the quality is amazing. I’ve been wearing this non-stop since it arrived- my other coats are starting to feel quite neglected but my loyalty currently lies with this one.

Cardigan c/o Bows Boutiques | Jumper: New Look | Skirt: New Look | Boots: George at Asda

My friends and family call me the cardigan queen as it’s very rare I’m seen without one. I’ve been a little un-inspired by the high-street’s offerings this season though, especially when it came to finding a new black cardigan. This studded cardi from Bows Boutiques ticks all of the right boxes for me- decent length, super warm, pockets and something to make it stand out in the form of the silver stud detailing. This comes in one size suitable for sizes 8-16 and it hangs like a dream, it comes in three colours (grey and khaki) and I’m tempted to buy one of each come payday.

The skirt and jumper are both fairly new acquisitions from New Look- the skirt has become yet another wardrobe essential for me- a more subtle way to embrace the velvet trend with it’s quilted texture and I really like how it looked paired with these over the knee boots that I admit I forgot I owned, oops!

Jumper c/o Bows Boutiques | Jeans: New Look (old) | Boots: New Look (now half price)

I’m not usually one to share my more casual outfits on the blog, there isn’t often anything exciting to show when I’m slobbing around in jeans and a baggy jumper but I make exception for this jumper as it dresses up my one and only pair of jeans perfectly. I’m a big fan of oversized knitwear especially when I’m struggling with my body confidence and feel the need to hide. The embroidered detail is bang on trend and the jumper itself is so soft and snuggly that I just want to live in it. Again it’s a one size fits all (8-16) piece that just hangs like a dream. It comes seven different colours and I’m starting to think that one for every day of the week might not be a bad idea. I actually really like how this outfit turned out. The pewter boots finish it off wonderfully although I am slightly resentful that they are now half price at £14.99.
This post has been my introduction to the brand Bows Boutiques and I have to say I am seriously impressed. It’s hard to know what to expect when you’ve never experienced a company before but I can hand on heart say I’ll be shopping with them from here on out. The quality far exceeds that of many a high-street shop and the prices are very reasonable (£85 for the coat, £31.99 for the cardigan and £28.99 for the jumper). Watch this space for more pieces arriving in my wardrobe very soon- well, once I’m back at work and have had a chance to recover from the expense of Christmas that is!

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P.S. sorry the photos aren’t very exciting. The one and only opportunity I got to take them and the weather decided to chuck a sudden downpour at me!

Party Makeup with Essence

Party season is in full swing and last Friday saw me pop on my glad rags for my one and only festive knees up this year. I’ve never been on to splash out and invest in expensive clothes, shoes or makeup for a night out but at the same time I do want something that’ll go the distance. This year I sported a £10 playsuit and £5 jacket from Primark as well as my pewter boots from New Look (now half price). My makeup came courtesy of my friends at Essence who sent over a few new pieces for me to try out- despite their purse friendly prices the products in this post impressed me enough to make it to the top of my party makeup list and were still going strong long after I left the dance floor.
Up until the package had arrived I’d actually been struggling to find exactly the colour eyeshadow I wanted to wear so it was fortuitous that the metals eyeshadow in shade 02 frozen toffee (£2) was exactly what I’d had in mind. This is a gorgeous frosted brown that blends beautifully, the colour payoff is amazing and it didn’t crease or fade at all which is frankly amazing for the price. I used this colour as a base before blending in a smokey grey pigment and finishing off with the extreme lasting eye pencil in shade 04 nighttime in the jungle (£2). Again this shows impressive longevity for the minuscule price tag and applies like a dream- no dragging or catching at all.

I’d already decided I wanted to go with a dark lip for the party and the long lasting lipstick in shade 21 très chic (£2.30) turned out to be perfect. Once again this is an essence product that lives up to it’s claims and unlike many long lasting lip products doesn’t suck all of the moisture out of your lips by half way through the night.

Finally a product that was completely new to me was the blush ball in shade 30 cinnamon candy (£3) which I used along with highlighter to give my skin a healthy glow. I love how portable this product is although I did find it a little harsh when applied directly so used my soft blusher brush for a gentler approach. It’s a lovely way to package a product though and the colour creates a warm glow for pale winter skin.

After getting caught up in the party prep madness I didn’t actually manage to get a decent photo of the end result…but you kind of get the idea from this shameless instagram selfie right?

Are you all partied out yet? What are some of your favourite budget party makeup pieces?

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