Category Archives: review

Handmade Gift Guide: Quaint Charms Jewelery

27th November 2016
I love discovering a new place to shop for quirky jewellery and Etsy certainly has no shortage of it- particularly handy at this time of year when looking to shop for gifts that stand out from the crowd. I’ve only recently been introduced to Quaint Charms Jewelery but it really made an impact- specialising in handcrafted luxurious yet affordable pieces I was really taken with, well, most of the shop if I’m honest. I was very kindly sent a beautiful necklace and matching earrings so I could see just how well executed the products are but I thought I’d also turn this post in to a bit of a wish list/gift guide too…
How striking are these pieces? Although quite simple in themselves the combination of the beautifully coloured stones against the gold settings really captured my imagination. I’d say these are definitely on the more subtle side of what Quaint Charms has to offer yet they still manage to make a real statement. Both pieces are incredibly well made and just look “quality” (for want of a better word, what I mean is they don’t look like bog standard cheap costume jewellery) and I can see them standing up to the test of time.
As you can see from the selection above there is definitely something to cater for all tastes- there are personalised options available, the ability to request custom pieces and some really gorgeous birth stone necklaces as well…I could have quite easily have popped the whole shop in to this post but then that would leave nothing to the imagination would it?

Pop yourselves over to Quaint Charms Jewelery and let me know which piece most catches your eye. Next on my list are these amazing gold flower and jet earrings.

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Items gifted for blog post consideration, opinions are all my own.

Posted in christmas, etsy, jewellery, review, shopping, wish list

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Healthier Baking with SugaVida

21st November 2016
I’m using the word healthier in place of healthy in the post title because I’m not sure that the cookies I’m sharing a recipe for would pass as a “health food”- they still contain real butter and white flour after all. I’m definitely not the kind of person to jump on any dietary bandwagons but I’m all for a bit of experimentation so when I was given the opportunity to test out the UK’s new “super sugar” SugaVida I jumped at the chance. Actually this was more for the benefit of my best friend’s Dad who has recently been told his blood sugar is higher than it should be- he’s been really careful with his diet but has been mourning the lack of my baked goods…I decided to put my thinking cap on and come up with a bake that he could enjoy but wouldn’t undo all of his hard work.

Before I get in to the recipe I’ll explain a bit more about SugaVida. It’s essentially an alternative to traditional sugar and also goes by the name of Palmyra Jaggery which is a crystallised, unrefined nectar. Because it has a low GI it is suitable for diabetics and can be used in place of sugar in hot drinks, baking and cooking. It’s also packed with other nutritional benefits- one teaspoon of SugaVida contains 36% of the RDA of vitamin B12 (in fact, SugaVida is the only plant-based source of B12 which is great news for veggies and vegans), 210% of the RDA of vitamin B6 and a whopping 500% of vitamin B1. What’s more, SugaVida is organic, ethically sourced and sustainable for the communities who farm it!

I decided to make cookies as my first experiment, a nutella type cookie in fact, although I used Jim Jams low sugar chocolate hazelnut spread to continue on the virtue front.
Ingredients:

100g Jim Jams chocolate hazelnut spread
100g unsalted butter, softened
175g SugaVida
1 egg
250g Self raising flour

You will need also need a baking tray lined with baking parchment

How To:
Heat the oven to 180c, 160c fan. Gas 4.

Place the chocolate hazelnut spread, butter and SugaVida n a mixing bowl and beat well until smooth (an electric whisk helps).

Beat in the egg then beat in the flour to make a stiff dough.

Shape the dough into large walnut sized balls and place on a baking tray spaced a little apart. Flatten with a fork and bake for 15 mins until golden. allow to cool and store in a cake tin- they keep well, if you can resist them!

The SugaVida reminds me very much of a dark, muscavado sugar so adds a real caramel taste to the cookies. This combined with the chocolate hazelnut spread was a real winning combination and already a second lot has been requested. They are so quick and easy to make that I don’t mind and I’m hoping to experiment with some more low sugar bakes in the future so my bestie’s dad no longer needs to miss out!

SugaVida is available at major retailers now with an RRP of £6.49 for 250g. Yep, it’s pricey but if you’re baking for an occasional treat for someone who would otherwise miss out, or are planning on using it just to sweeten hot drinks then it’s not too bad.

Let me know any diabetes friendly baking recipes you may have in the comments, I know they’ll be appreciated!

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Posted in baking, food, review, snacking

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Hot Iron Holster review and giveaway

18th November 2016
I’ll be the first to hold my hands up and admit I’m not the tidiest of people- clean yes, but tidy not by a long shot! My bedroom is probably best described as an assault course and since having my hair restyled this has become even worse (and more dangerous) as I now use both a straightener and curling wand each morning then leave them lying around to cool- and trip over, and burn myself on.

Thankfully I was recently contacted by packing sorted who must have some kind of psychic insight about the state of my floor because they offered to send over one of their products, the Holster Products Hot Iron Holster*.

The Hot Iron Holster is a heat resistant (up to 260 degrees celsius) silicon holster designed to safely store your hair straighteners, curling wands and other styling tools whilst heating up, being used and whilst cooling down. You can pretty much use this anywhere as it grips on to any smooth surface. It’s been an absolute saviour in my bedroom and would also be a perfect travel companion as it folds up small and is easily fixed to and removed from surfaces.

The Hot Iron Holster costs £18.99 from www.packingsorted.co.uk and comes in a choice of four colours- pink, white, black and purple.

As well as sending me a Hot Iron Holster to review I’ve also been given a second one to giveaway to one lucky reader. If you fancy getting yourself a bit more organised, not to mention safer then just follow the simple steps below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This really is a great product and would also make an ideal Christmas present for anyone who uses styling tools on a regular basis!

Good luck, this giveaway is open to UK readers and upon closing I will contact the winner and pass their delivery details on to the PR who will send out the prize.

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Posted in christmas, gifts, giveaway, review

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The Only 1 Matte Lipstick from Rimmel

15th November 2016
Rimmel was one of the first makeup brands I ever used and one that I have remained faithful to over the years- I can’t get enough of their products, especially the foundation and mascaras so when a rather snazzy envelope full of lipsticks from them landed at my door I couldn’t contain my excitement!

Inside the package was all nine shades of their brand new “The Only 1 Matte” lipstick*

These are a new generation of matte lipsticks- a bold matte colour that slides on like a dream (it really does!) and has a non-drying formula (also a true claim). The colours are super high coverage with full on colour even in the nude shades, it lasts for hours and hours too which is perfect for someone like me who forgets to take her lipstick out with her on a regular basis.

In the name of blogging I decided to test out each lipstick and post a selfie on social media, partly to show just how awesome these are and partly to help myself decide on a favourite. I’ll say now that I really didn’t expect to love every single one of the shades, there are usually one or two in any given collection that just don’t work for me but as I worked my way through the nine shades here I realised that actually I was rather taken with them all! Hover over each image to find out the shade number and product name…and prepare for an overload of my face!

Shade 110- Leader of the Pink
Shade 610- High Flyer
Shade 700- Trendsetter
Shade 810- The Matte Factor
Shade 750- Look Who’s Talking
Shade 800- Run The Show
Shade 500- Take the Stage
Shade 200- Salute
Shade 120- Call the Shots
Honestly, I think it’s impossible to pick a favourite out of the nine but the one that really stands out to me has to be shade 800- run the show. I had no idea I could be brave enough, let alone suit a purple lip before but this has persuaded me it’s not a bad look at all!

Which shade is your favourite? You can pick up the lipsticks from Boots (£4.99) and Superdrug (£6.99). Let me know if you grab any and what you think.

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*Lipsticks gifted by Rimmel for blog and social media consideration*.

Posted in beauty, brands I love, make up, review

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Gift Inspiration: The Foodie One

09th November 2016
I think for most people one of the most integral parts of every festive season is the food. Even the people I know who ordinarily have little interest and view food merely as essential fuel get a little bit excited when the selection boxes hit the shelves. For those of us with serious foodies in our lives this is the perfect time of year to spoil them rotten with some luxurious and unusual treats and today I’m bringing you a selection of sweet (and savoury) little stocking filler ideas…I hope those around me are taking notes!
First up we have almost a rainbow of chocolate from Chocolate and Love* which Mae took an immediate interest in- she couldn’t even be distracted by a bag of dreamies! Chocolate and Love offers something more luxurious than your average chocolate bar, made with ethically sourced organic, high quality and fair trade ingredients. The bars come in seven different flavours which include coffee, mint, orange, sea salt and caramel as well as some varying degrees of darkness plain bars. Just how gorgeous is that packaging? You almost wouldn’t need to gift wrap these bars, just tie a stack together with some string. The mint 67% dark chocolate was my personal favourite and the coffee was a real winner with my best friend. You can pick these bars up in Sainsburys for £3.00 or look at their website for more stockists.
Next up we have a pyramid of pickles (and chutneys) from The English Provender Company* all of which would make a welcome addition to any festive buffet as much as they would make a spectacular gift nestled in to a foodie hamper. I was really excited by these as I’m a bit of a condiment queen and love loading up a festive leftovers salad or sandwich with as many kinds as I can get my hands on. The most intriguing of the selection I was sent was the Moroccan Spiced Chutney which would be simply amazing with a cous-cous and turkey based salad. The website suggests combining it with creme fraiche for a dip with a twist too, I’m so giving that a whirl! You’ll find The English Provender Company in all major supermarkets. I’m doing my best to save this selection for the festive period but I don’t know how long I’m going to last out!
I’ve been a fan of Nakd bars since they first hit supermarket shelves and the festive addition of a Christmas Pud bar has been a seasonal highlight for me for the last couple of years, despite really disliking actual Christmas Pudding. These bars are made from all natural ingredients with a festive kick and counts as one of your five a day! Stock up if you see these in store (or order yourself a case, which is my plan!). Perfect for stuffing in to stockings as an alternative to a chocolate orange too.
What are you food highlights of the festive season? I’m wondering how soon is too soon to start on the Stollen!

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Products in this post are PR samples.

Posted in christmas, food, gifts, review

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