How-do? Its been basically forever in the blogging world since my last update. Quite a lot has happened to me and I lost my blogging mojo in a big way. Truth be told I lost my mojo full stop. This isn't the place where I'd ever really want to talk that personally but rest assured, its been a rough few months but I'm hoping that all the unpleasantness is over. With that in mind, I feel ready to come back to being a mediocre blogger! I've been really impressed with how many page views I've had despite no updates since the end of August and no attempts to advertise my blog anyway. So thanks, friendly readers. I have accumulated a few things to do as giveaways but I think I will wait till after Christmas as its always a frantic time, no?
I thought I'd return to blogging with some less than fascinating photos of the last few months of my life :) I'm on Instagram here so feel free to follow me if you like.
I thought I'd return to blogging with some less than fascinating photos of the last few months of my life :) I'm on Instagram here so feel free to follow me if you like.
A whole month has gone by! I can't quite believe it. Its been a little cold the last couple of days which says to me that autumn is coming. I do love autumn (if we could just have one with very little rain, I'd be extremely happy!).
I've been trying to zip through all my half-used beauty products still and I think I'm making reasonable progress. My progress would be a lot better if I stopped buying more things, of course, but we won't worry ourselves about that.
Here's my empties this month. I still think I Must Try Harder.
I've been trying to zip through all my half-used beauty products still and I think I'm making reasonable progress. My progress would be a lot better if I stopped buying more things, of course, but we won't worry ourselves about that.
Here's my empties this month. I still think I Must Try Harder.
Given that I'm ever so behind in blogging, today you're getting my round up of all the beauty boxes I received in August! So expect this to be a long post with a lot of pictures. Its not like anyone uses dial up anymore, thank goodness.
First up way back at the beginning of the month was a Latest in Beauty You Magazine collaboration box. The 'In Flight' Box. This box had lots of goodies in it considered useful for those off on holiday. Ahhh, holidays.
The box contained:
Second in the month for me was GlossyBox. My box gets sent to my in-laws house, as the postman over there is better at hiding packages/handing them in to neighbours than mine is down here. So I always end up seeing other people's spoilers before I get my box. Unfortunately, this month, I wasn't terribly excited. The theme was International Superstars, which could have been amazing.
I received:
All in all, I really wasn't that impressed with the box. I hope next month's is better. We'll see.
Next up was the Selfridges beauty box. I don't know that I've ever worked harder to buy something in my entire life. I meant to get up early to buy it online, but slept in. Then I figured they were all sold out and I'd missed my chance. Then Selfridges announced the release of more via twitter. The the site went into meltdown. I must have spent an entire hour trying to buy it. Im not the most patient of person, but I somehow managed to not throw the mother of all hissy fits and finally, it was mine!
To be honest with you, Selfridges single handedly raised the bar with their offering, which I presume is a happy little one off, but still. No tiny perfume vial! Amazing products! Amazing value! None of that sizzle stuff in the box! The box contains:
The final box I received this month came only today, which was good timing for this post! Back to my old friends at the lovely Latest in Beauty. They've launched the Collections boxes which means even more boxes even more frequently. My bank manager isn't happy, but I'm delighted! The first one was an Editor's Picks box, with Aveda products in it. I've never tried Aveda but I always hear good things.
The box contains:
So, those were my beauty boxes this month. The GlossyBox was a bit disappointing and I could have lived without it, but the others more than made up for it. Im already excited at the prospect of next month's boxes!
Did you get any of these? Have you tried any of the products featured here already? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
First up way back at the beginning of the month was a Latest in Beauty You Magazine collaboration box. The 'In Flight' Box. This box had lots of goodies in it considered useful for those off on holiday. Ahhh, holidays.
The box contained:
- A tin of Barkleys Cinnamon mints. So useful for that post travelling funk mouth we all get. Have to admit, I haven't plucked up the courage to try these yet, haha. Cinnamon I only like in small quantities...might try these on my other half first.
- Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist - this is so nice and refreshing when you spray it on your face. I tried a couple of sprays worth but I'm saving it for my upcoming holiday!
- Garnier BB cream - three sample sachets. I've tried this once before and I didn't love it, so I tried another sachet and, well, I still dont love it. But then I did find my favourite high street BB cream in Maybelline so nothing's really lost. I'll pop the other sachets into a giveaway box I've been gradually building up.
- Stri-VectinSH Age Protect SPF30 - I have very fair, pale, Scottish skin. Although said skin is cov ered in freckles, I still have to be very careful in the sun and I use factor 30 in the UK (don't laugh!). So I'm always happy to receive SPF30. This also came with a wrist band which changes colour when you're exposed to UVB, very helpful.
- Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry - I have quite a few of these handbag sized cans now and I'm grateful. At the moment I'm fighting a losing battle with my hair, brought on by the mad heat we've had and my recent foray into exercise, which makes me sweaty, which makes my roots look greasy really quickly. I also plan on getting my fringe cut back in soon, and I use dry shampoo to help keep it tamed and in place.
- Xen-Tan Dark lotion - I've been a bit scared to use this as it's 'Dark'. And I am, well, super pale! But according to the blurb that came with the box, it can be mixed with moisturiser, which might be a better bet for me. That being said, I find it really hard to get tan to take on my legs, so maybe dark is the way forward there?
- OPI Nail Polish in William Tell Me About OPI - Apparently, this isn't the nail polish I should have received, it should have been one of two limited edition Muppets colours. To be honest, I don't really mind. I remember thinking I REALLY didn't want to get one of the polish colours, and I'm very happy with this deep purple colour. And I love the name.
- Acqua D'Alfresco Insect repellant - unfortunately my holiday this year wont be to sunny climes where bugs will be a problem. But there's always next year! Otherwise I'll use it against the dreaded Scottish midge when I go home :)
- Urban Acai Powder Sachet - Acai is one of those superfoods, I do believe. I'd probably not drink this while on holiday but as part of a build-up detox!
- L'Oreal Mythic Oil - I'm a big fan of hair oils and use various different ones, so I'm pleased to get to sample this one too.
- Good to Go Anywhere wipes - fab for popping into a handbag. I've been doing a lot of travel in and out of London and always feel so grimy on the tube! This will certainly help.
Second in the month for me was GlossyBox. My box gets sent to my in-laws house, as the postman over there is better at hiding packages/handing them in to neighbours than mine is down here. So I always end up seeing other people's spoilers before I get my box. Unfortunately, this month, I wasn't terribly excited. The theme was International Superstars, which could have been amazing.
I received:
- All for Eve- Eve's Balm - I have no idea where this is from, actually, and it didn't say on my card either. Anyway, its a multi-purpose balm. I do like a good balm in the wintertime.
- DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - I love oil cleansers and am a big fan of the Oil Cleansing Method, which I've always meant to blog about. This one has mixed reviews but as I know my skin gets on well with oil cleansers, I'm excited to try it.
- Lipcote original lip sealer - I've never tried this before but always meant to pick some up, so that has saved me the trouble. I have heard it makes your lips sting though, which puts me off a lot!
- Pro-White Original whitening nail varnish - I learned in a chemistry lecture at school from a guest emeritus professor of chemistry about how specks of blue makes things look whiter and brighter and how, before the days of optical whiteners, blue powder called Rickett's Blue was rubbed into white clothes to make them look whiter (in fact, people who used to keep birds and show them at shows would rub it into their white chests, apparently. I dont condone rubbing a bird with blue powder, though). Fun science facts! I must surely have carried that nugget of knowledge around with me for 10 years, waiting for the day when I could explain to people why this polish has a blue tint to it! Its there to combat the yellowing effect using lots of nail polish has on the nails. I struggle with this a lot so I'm really pleased to have this. And as its German, I'm hoping when I go to Europe in 3 weeks I can pick a full sized one up!
- THAT eyeshadow palette. To be honest, there's no point even naming it. Its pretty vile. You can buy better eyeshadows in the pound shops, the sponge applicator is the worst I've ever seen (I know they're all bad, but this is EXTRA BAD) and the shadows basically have no pigment in them. One for the bin.
- Glossybox lipstick. This is a nice colour, looks like it'll suit most colourings and would be good for every day wear. Here's a swatch:
All in all, I really wasn't that impressed with the box. I hope next month's is better. We'll see.
Next up was the Selfridges beauty box. I don't know that I've ever worked harder to buy something in my entire life. I meant to get up early to buy it online, but slept in. Then I figured they were all sold out and I'd missed my chance. Then Selfridges announced the release of more via twitter. The the site went into meltdown. I must have spent an entire hour trying to buy it. Im not the most patient of person, but I somehow managed to not throw the mother of all hissy fits and finally, it was mine!
To be honest with you, Selfridges single handedly raised the bar with their offering, which I presume is a happy little one off, but still. No tiny perfume vial! Amazing products! Amazing value! None of that sizzle stuff in the box! The box contains:
- Antipodes Organic Avocado & Rosehip Divine Facial Oil - Anything with the word divine in attracts my attention! And I love facial oils, as I have documented well in this little blog.
- Bio Effect EGF Serum - I've heard a lot about Bio Effect and I'm excited to try this. Second to my love of oils is serums!
- Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum - I've been wanting to try out Aesop for ages and ages and now I can. Thanks, Selfridges!
- Estelle & Third Lip Balm - I like to have a lip balm in every handbag becase I'm forever licking and biting my lips.
- Philip B Katira Hair Masque - My hair seems to be permanently split at the ends, so all hair masques are good for me
- Stila One Step Correct - Known as a 'Fashion Week Favourite' this primer looks amazing in the tube, can't wait to try it out.
- Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask - perfect for pamper days.
The final box I received this month came only today, which was good timing for this post! Back to my old friends at the lovely Latest in Beauty. They've launched the Collections boxes which means even more boxes even more frequently. My bank manager isn't happy, but I'm delighted! The first one was an Editor's Picks box, with Aveda products in it. I've never tried Aveda but I always hear good things.
The box contains:
- Smoothing Body polish - this smells really nice!
- Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser - excellent for a beach holiday methinks
- Caribbean Therapy Body Scrub - there's something about body scrubs that screams pamper session to me, probably because of how I feel after using them. Hooray!
- Damage Remedy Shampoo, conditioner treatment and daily hair repair. Amazing! I have very dry brittle ends on my hair, and no amount of cutting seems to be helping at the moment!
- Caribbean Therapy Body Cleanser - unfortunately, this wasn't in my box. But Latest in Beauty being as wonderful as they are, within minutes of me e-mailing, they said they'd pop it in the post for me. Hooray!
So, those were my beauty boxes this month. The GlossyBox was a bit disappointing and I could have lived without it, but the others more than made up for it. Im already excited at the prospect of next month's boxes!
Did you get any of these? Have you tried any of the products featured here already? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Im very very behind in blogging. I basically have no excuse! My usual routines are totally shot to pieces at the moment and although I have lots of free time, I just end up forgetting. Its true what they say, if you want something done, ask a busy person!
With that in mind, here's some super old Instagram pictures.
MUA shade 19 nails, some MUA purchases, simple outfit to have the in-laws round for dinner, essential hangover cure Dominos.
I ♥ NY and coffee in equal measures, my excellent Primark trousers which are like PJ trousers, leftovers of the amazing passionfruit and white chocolate cheesecake, mixing it up with a hot chocolate rather than a coffee.
Big fringe, big lips, silly face, new Ikea bedding, new Ikea storage jars, a meal out at my favourite chinese restaurant round these parts.
Old enough to need to try Garnier Ultralift, one of many insane things I buy on Ebay when I can't sleep, waiting for my work laptop to shut down was killing me, after finding grey hairs in my fringe, it was time to colour it again.
Yummy lunch, samples through the post, my beautiful Cala lillies, my favourite flower, doing the ironing, a job I actually enjoy (I know, I know!)
Keen to go home, went out on one of those baking hot days and quickly realised my legs would burn, baking hot day to be on a train, one of those cute 'end of the line' train stations that time rather delightfully forgot.
Best GlossyBox ever, gorgeous flower than sprang up in my garden, amazing sushi lunch, FBI cocktail in place of dessert, one of my favourites!
Not perhaps the most exciting post ever but then my life isn't exactly the most exciting at the moment!
With that in mind, here's some super old Instagram pictures.
MUA shade 19 nails, some MUA purchases, simple outfit to have the in-laws round for dinner, essential hangover cure Dominos.
I ♥ NY and coffee in equal measures, my excellent Primark trousers which are like PJ trousers, leftovers of the amazing passionfruit and white chocolate cheesecake, mixing it up with a hot chocolate rather than a coffee.
Big fringe, big lips, silly face, new Ikea bedding, new Ikea storage jars, a meal out at my favourite chinese restaurant round these parts.
Old enough to need to try Garnier Ultralift, one of many insane things I buy on Ebay when I can't sleep, waiting for my work laptop to shut down was killing me, after finding grey hairs in my fringe, it was time to colour it again.
Yummy lunch, samples through the post, my beautiful Cala lillies, my favourite flower, doing the ironing, a job I actually enjoy (I know, I know!)
Keen to go home, went out on one of those baking hot days and quickly realised my legs would burn, baking hot day to be on a train, one of those cute 'end of the line' train stations that time rather delightfully forgot.
Best GlossyBox ever, gorgeous flower than sprang up in my garden, amazing sushi lunch, FBI cocktail in place of dessert, one of my favourites!
Not perhaps the most exciting post ever but then my life isn't exactly the most exciting at the moment!
I've been following the lovely Kia's blog MAKE me UP for a few months now and she's been quietly but diligently launching her very own beauty product. At the start of the month she announced her product, Moonie! Moonie's are natural muslin face cloths in a big round full moon shape. Kia even has her own face of the brand, the lovely Neil!
I couldn't resist buying a pack of Moonies. Kia sorted my order immediately and they arrived super quickly! I love the packaging, and now I have my very own Neil, which I'm super excited about!
Like I said, I loved the all-natural, recyclable packaging!
You get three large Moonies for £5.99, which I think is a really great bargain :)
And here's a Moonie unfolded. I love that the muslin is unbleached. The white commerical ones go grey and grubby looking so quickly, no matter how diligently you wash them.
The cloths feel really good on the skin, rough enough to exfoliate and wake your skin up, but gentle enough not to damage your face. I like to use these on days I don't use an exfoliator but still need a skin pick me up. Kia also has some helpful tips for other ways the Moonie's can be used so be sure to check out her blog post!
As for the lovely Neil, he is now the guardian of all my muslin cloths. I keep them in a glass jar I picked up in a charity shop for the bargain price of £1.75, gotta love charity shops :)
Moonies cost £5.99 for a pack of 3 and for a limited time include free super speedy delivery to the UK! You can buy them here.
Big congratulations to you, Kia, on the launch of Moonies, and I wish you every success in your business!
I couldn't resist buying a pack of Moonies. Kia sorted my order immediately and they arrived super quickly! I love the packaging, and now I have my very own Neil, which I'm super excited about!
Like I said, I loved the all-natural, recyclable packaging!
You get three large Moonies for £5.99, which I think is a really great bargain :)
And here's a Moonie unfolded. I love that the muslin is unbleached. The white commerical ones go grey and grubby looking so quickly, no matter how diligently you wash them.
The cloths feel really good on the skin, rough enough to exfoliate and wake your skin up, but gentle enough not to damage your face. I like to use these on days I don't use an exfoliator but still need a skin pick me up. Kia also has some helpful tips for other ways the Moonie's can be used so be sure to check out her blog post!
As for the lovely Neil, he is now the guardian of all my muslin cloths. I keep them in a glass jar I picked up in a charity shop for the bargain price of £1.75, gotta love charity shops :)
Moonies cost £5.99 for a pack of 3 and for a limited time include free super speedy delivery to the UK! You can buy them here.
Big congratulations to you, Kia, on the launch of Moonies, and I wish you every success in your business!
Im a sucker for beauty products and I'm a sucker for discounts. So when I found out about some great offers on at REN and Dermalogica last month I couldn't resist trying their products out. Aside from the products in last month's magazine freebies, I'd never tried REN before but I had heard amazing things. And I've never tried Dermalogica either.
First up, REN. I told you here about the REN offers combining 10% off your first order, 10% off with WIMH and the free Six of the Best trial set. That's what I opted for. The cheapest thing you could buy to take advantage of this offer was some muslin cloths, but when I saw the Kit for Blemish Prone Skin I decided to give that a whirl as I'm always on the lookout for the perfect products for my face. Along side this I received the Six Of The Best kit and I got to choose four super cute teeny weeny samples for free.
Here was my stash. I love that the tiny samples came in an envelope. I'm clearly easily amused!
And these are my tiny samples. As you can see I chose the Invisible Pores Detox Mask, T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid, F10 Smooth and Renew Mask and the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. The last one comes in the Six of the Best pack too but I'd heard so many good things I thought getting a little extra wouldn't hurt!
So far, in from Kit for Blemish Prone Skin, I've tried the mask and it was really good. My skin has been disasterous lately and this took the angry redness out of my blemishes and calmed it right down. My skin felt very different after using it. It was tight but not so tight that it felt like I'd sucked all the goodness out of it and looked much better the next day too. I've also tried the radiance renewal mask and I like how its left my skin, although I do find my skin is quite greasy the next day after using it.
Next up was my Dermalogica. The box looked like this:
And I liked that when you opened the flap it said 'this box isn't pretty, but it is recyclable'.
I like it when my packages talk to me. Yeah, I know. There are things one shouldn't admit in the public domain.
And these were my goodies! I went for the Clean Start Major Breakout mini kit again, because I'm always on the lookout for the perfect products for my skin. With this I received the Smart Mouth Lip Shine free, along with a Hydration deluxa sample kit, also free. I believe I had a voucher code for 10% or 20% off too.
I'm chuffed to bits with my haul and I can't wait to use up my current cleanser so I can get stuck into some of these to see how the work on my skin!
Have you tried any of these products? Or have you seen any excellent skincare offers anyway? Let me know in the comments!
First up, REN. I told you here about the REN offers combining 10% off your first order, 10% off with WIMH and the free Six of the Best trial set. That's what I opted for. The cheapest thing you could buy to take advantage of this offer was some muslin cloths, but when I saw the Kit for Blemish Prone Skin I decided to give that a whirl as I'm always on the lookout for the perfect products for my face. Along side this I received the Six Of The Best kit and I got to choose four super cute teeny weeny samples for free.
Here was my stash. I love that the tiny samples came in an envelope. I'm clearly easily amused!
And these are my tiny samples. As you can see I chose the Invisible Pores Detox Mask, T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid, F10 Smooth and Renew Mask and the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. The last one comes in the Six of the Best pack too but I'd heard so many good things I thought getting a little extra wouldn't hurt!
So far, in from Kit for Blemish Prone Skin, I've tried the mask and it was really good. My skin has been disasterous lately and this took the angry redness out of my blemishes and calmed it right down. My skin felt very different after using it. It was tight but not so tight that it felt like I'd sucked all the goodness out of it and looked much better the next day too. I've also tried the radiance renewal mask and I like how its left my skin, although I do find my skin is quite greasy the next day after using it.
Next up was my Dermalogica. The box looked like this:
And I liked that when you opened the flap it said 'this box isn't pretty, but it is recyclable'.
I like it when my packages talk to me. Yeah, I know. There are things one shouldn't admit in the public domain.
And these were my goodies! I went for the Clean Start Major Breakout mini kit again, because I'm always on the lookout for the perfect products for my skin. With this I received the Smart Mouth Lip Shine free, along with a Hydration deluxa sample kit, also free. I believe I had a voucher code for 10% or 20% off too.
I'm chuffed to bits with my haul and I can't wait to use up my current cleanser so I can get stuck into some of these to see how the work on my skin!
Have you tried any of these products? Or have you seen any excellent skincare offers anyway? Let me know in the comments!
I love reading empties posts on other blogs so I've decided to do one here. An empties post, incase you've never come across one before, is where you photograph all your used up toiletries and do a little review on how you found them and if you'd use them again.
I must warn you, this was an exceptionally boring month for me. I'm on a bit of a buying freeze while I use everything up. And there's a lot to use up!
Garnier Intensive 7 Day Moisturiser This was a 7 day trial, which I used on my legs. I already noticed that, when using the Garnier Gradual Tanner, that my legs were very soft feeling, so I was excited to try this now I'm on a tanning hiatus. This is a milky gel-like consistency with a fresh smell and it did help my legs feel smooth. It soaked in quickly, better that body butters etc that I've tried. Purchase again? Yes, I think I will!
John Freida Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine and Enhancing Shampoos I had about three John Freida shampoo and conditioner sets on the go at once and this was the last of it used up this month (am I the only person who uses up the conditioner much quicker than the shampoo?). These shampoos are often on offer at Boots and Superdrug. The enhancing shampoo muddied up some highlights that I had last year, and to be honest it was better to use the enhancing shampoo when I was a red head as that faded so quickly! The Liquid Shine range was good though and there is also a Liquid Shine serum with glitter particles in it that is really nice for styling. Purchase again? The enhancing shampoo, no, the liquid shine, yes.
Regis Design Line Get It Pumped Shampoo I was persuaded to buy this by a hairdresser, who insisted on giving me a bouncy hair blowdry once (it was SO bouncy. Hah!). I don't tend to go for a lot of volume in my hair and to be honest, this did previous little for me. Not a bad shampoo, but not worth the price tag on my hair. Purchase again? No.
L'oreal Ever Pure Shampoo and Conditioner Sample This is a sulphate free shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair. I was so impressed with it when I washed and conditioned my hair, but the very next morning (I wash my hair at night normally), my roots were greasy looking, and I had to use dry shampoo on them. Thats supremely not good. I do have another set of samples so I will give it another try, and hope it's better the second time around. Purchase again? Not unless the second sample works miracles.
Imperial Leather Japanese Spa Shower Gel I've had this a while but only just started using it. I use the hand soap version of this sometimes and I like the smell. This is creamy and produces a lot of lather. The smell isn't especially lingering on the skin but its a budget shower gel so I don't mind. I've been showering extremely frequently in that short lived heatwave we had and using lots and lots of shower gel so this got used up in about a week! Purchase again? Not for a while as I have zillions to get through, but yes I would buy this again.
Mitchum Advanced Control 24 Hour Deodorant I started using this when I worked in a job where I was running around all day (even in a 30 degree heatwave, where I found myself on a farm!) and I swear by it. Its really good at keeping me fresh. I don't have such a physically demanding job any more but I carry on using it regardless. This was the unperfumed one so it doesn't interfere with perfume. etc. Purchase again? Yep, I already have!
Caudalie Vinosource Serum S.O.S I got this in a Glossy Box and I assumed I would only use it in emergencies as my face is combination leaning more towards oily. But its totally unlike any other moisturising product I've ever used. Its not remotely greasy and sinks in immediately. Its become a real cult product for me. Purchase again? I already have, but I cheated and bought up all the other 10ml samples on Ebay because that was cheaper than spending £29 on the 30ml bottle.
Not a very inspiring post and I'm really suprised I didn't use up anything else! I'll have to make a more concerted effort next month to use up more interesting products I suppose.
What products did you use up in July?
I must warn you, this was an exceptionally boring month for me. I'm on a bit of a buying freeze while I use everything up. And there's a lot to use up!
Garnier Intensive 7 Day Moisturiser This was a 7 day trial, which I used on my legs. I already noticed that, when using the Garnier Gradual Tanner, that my legs were very soft feeling, so I was excited to try this now I'm on a tanning hiatus. This is a milky gel-like consistency with a fresh smell and it did help my legs feel smooth. It soaked in quickly, better that body butters etc that I've tried. Purchase again? Yes, I think I will!
John Freida Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine and Enhancing Shampoos I had about three John Freida shampoo and conditioner sets on the go at once and this was the last of it used up this month (am I the only person who uses up the conditioner much quicker than the shampoo?). These shampoos are often on offer at Boots and Superdrug. The enhancing shampoo muddied up some highlights that I had last year, and to be honest it was better to use the enhancing shampoo when I was a red head as that faded so quickly! The Liquid Shine range was good though and there is also a Liquid Shine serum with glitter particles in it that is really nice for styling. Purchase again? The enhancing shampoo, no, the liquid shine, yes.
Regis Design Line Get It Pumped Shampoo I was persuaded to buy this by a hairdresser, who insisted on giving me a bouncy hair blowdry once (it was SO bouncy. Hah!). I don't tend to go for a lot of volume in my hair and to be honest, this did previous little for me. Not a bad shampoo, but not worth the price tag on my hair. Purchase again? No.
L'oreal Ever Pure Shampoo and Conditioner Sample This is a sulphate free shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair. I was so impressed with it when I washed and conditioned my hair, but the very next morning (I wash my hair at night normally), my roots were greasy looking, and I had to use dry shampoo on them. Thats supremely not good. I do have another set of samples so I will give it another try, and hope it's better the second time around. Purchase again? Not unless the second sample works miracles.
Imperial Leather Japanese Spa Shower Gel I've had this a while but only just started using it. I use the hand soap version of this sometimes and I like the smell. This is creamy and produces a lot of lather. The smell isn't especially lingering on the skin but its a budget shower gel so I don't mind. I've been showering extremely frequently in that short lived heatwave we had and using lots and lots of shower gel so this got used up in about a week! Purchase again? Not for a while as I have zillions to get through, but yes I would buy this again.
Mitchum Advanced Control 24 Hour Deodorant I started using this when I worked in a job where I was running around all day (even in a 30 degree heatwave, where I found myself on a farm!) and I swear by it. Its really good at keeping me fresh. I don't have such a physically demanding job any more but I carry on using it regardless. This was the unperfumed one so it doesn't interfere with perfume. etc. Purchase again? Yep, I already have!
Caudalie Vinosource Serum S.O.S I got this in a Glossy Box and I assumed I would only use it in emergencies as my face is combination leaning more towards oily. But its totally unlike any other moisturising product I've ever used. Its not remotely greasy and sinks in immediately. Its become a real cult product for me. Purchase again? I already have, but I cheated and bought up all the other 10ml samples on Ebay because that was cheaper than spending £29 on the 30ml bottle.
Not a very inspiring post and I'm really suprised I didn't use up anything else! I'll have to make a more concerted effort next month to use up more interesting products I suppose.
What products did you use up in July?
You know I can't resist pitting beauty boxes against each other! The Glossy Box vs Latest in Beauty posts disappeared for June but they're back for July!
This was a make or break GlossyBox for me this month. There's nothing wrong with the boxes I've had, per se, and I've definitely found some excellent products through them. But everytime I log in to review my products, or read blogs and I see the products that everyone else got, I am pretty much always disappointed and wished to get different products in my box. When I saw spoilers of the July box I knew that there were some amazing products on offer. And I wished and I hoped that I would get the good stuff!
And I DID get the good stuff, yay! My box contained:
Next up, the Latest in Beauty Editor's Picks box. These boxes are getting better and better as the months go on, I'm completely loving them.
This month I received:
Were you delighted or disappointed by GlossyBox this month? Let me know in the comments :)
This was a make or break GlossyBox for me this month. There's nothing wrong with the boxes I've had, per se, and I've definitely found some excellent products through them. But everytime I log in to review my products, or read blogs and I see the products that everyone else got, I am pretty much always disappointed and wished to get different products in my box. When I saw spoilers of the July box I knew that there were some amazing products on offer. And I wished and I hoped that I would get the good stuff!
And I DID get the good stuff, yay! My box contained:
- HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette - a fullsize with an RRP of £19.95. I received 'bombshell' which is supposed to be for blondes, but my eyebrows are very fair so this should be the perfect colour for me. I've got some eyebrow pencils but I haven't really mastered the art of defining my brows yet, so I hope this will help!
- Clynol Enrich Colour Shampoo - I've just recently dyed my hair again and so a colour-protecting shampoo is perfect for me.
- Muno Golden Glow - I'm loving gradual tanners and I love Monu so I'm very excited to try this. It says you can use it on the face as well, I'm not sure if I have the guts to try it there though!
- Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting - you notice this as soon as you open the box, it has a very strong, sweet smell. You can use it on your cheeks as well as your lips, and it works really nicely on cheeks. And the smell is to die for!
- Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Balancing Lotion - its great to get a product for combination skin like mine. Unfortunately my dream product, Dr Nick Lowe's oil balancing day cream, is currently out of stock, so I am trying all sorts of products to tide me over!
- There was also a 3-step Elizabeth Arden sample set for combination skin, three small sachets of product.
Next up, the Latest in Beauty Editor's Picks box. These boxes are getting better and better as the months go on, I'm completely loving them.
This month I received:
- Love Your Skin Exfoliating Wash - this smells delicious and I love the packaging, really high end looking. This is a full size product with a £22 RRP!
- Weleda Pomegranate Night Firming Cream - I'm in the market for a new night cream so I'm looking forward to trying this.
- Weleda Firming Serum - I do love a good serum!
- Mavala mini nail polish in Liberty - I have one other Mavala polish and I love it, so this will be great to try and I do love a nude nail.
- Balance Me Radiance Face Mask - after being a bit disappointed by the face wash, but loving the lip salve and the body washes, I'm hoping this will be another winner.
- Melvita Micellar Water - I'm currently using one of these and I really like it, and you all know I love duplicates, especially for travelling.
- Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry - I'm a big dry shampoo lover and I like Batiste, its probably not my favourite but its still really good and I like the scents. A great one for travel.
Were you delighted or disappointed by GlossyBox this month? Let me know in the comments :)
Have I ever expressed my love for Lakeland on here before? If not, shame on me. If so, sorry, you're going to hear it again. I ADORE Lakeland. Not only can they both amazing customer service both in store and online (and I cannot begin to tell you how important that is to me. I hate going into shops to be met with sales assistants too busy chatting to each other to serve me, or contacting a customer service department by e-mail to be met with useless automated responses or rudeness. URGH. Thankfully, Lakeland do neither!), but their products are wonderful, more to the point. Full of kitchen and homeware gadgetry (a big obsession of mine, I put some sort of kitchen gadget on my wishlist every Christmas and birthday!), but no gimmicks. Everything is actually useful, actually serves a purpose. Yep, you probably did survive without it, but with it, your life is going to be better, in culinary or housekeeping terms.
My most recent Lakeland catalogue arrived in the post. I remember when I was living at home and these would arrive for my Mum, she used to let me open it even though it wasn't addressed to me simply so I could pour through the pages until she got home from work. What an excellent mother she is! Anyway, this particular catalogue was so chock full of things I want I might have to put it in the recycling as quickly as I can bear so I don't spend every penny I own buying up everything. This catalogue is called Simply Home-Made and there's so many amazing things in there. But what really caught my eye was their new range of cheese-making products.
I sort of knew that making soft cheese wasn't especially difficult, nor was it fantastically time consuming, but I hadn't really considered it. However Lakeland have teamed up with BBC Good Food columnist Gerard Baker to produce a recipe book:
Image courtesy of the Lakeland website
How to Make Soft Cheese is a 34 page book with basic recipes, tips, equipment lists, etc. According to the blurb in the catalogue, you can make cream cheese, 'feta', halloumi, ricotta and mozarella to name a few. I'm hugely tempted by this. What goes one step further than making cheesecake? making cheesecake with homemade cream cheese in it, of course! I love being able to make those extra touches. My 'signature' dish, as it were, is lasagne (I might post a recipe one of these days). Its been a labour of love that I have worked on improving for 10+ years, and I make nearly everything from scratch (never have made the pasta, perhaps that's next!). The idea that I could make the mozarella that goes in the lasagne too just makes me even more excited.
As well as selling a how-to book, Lakeland also sell the other kit you might need to make cheese. Such as a maslin pan, which I would call a 'jam pan'. I already own one, which was a hand-me down from my mother, which was a hand-me-down from my grandmother, so I'm not looking to replace it. But hey, I'm one piece of kit up on the cheese-making thing, winner!
Image courtesey of Lakeland website
This is one of two cheese moulds Lakeland are selling, both this conical mould and the basket mould are a snip at £3.99 each.
Image courtesey of Lakeland website
You'll also need some muslin squares to separate your curds from your whey. Muslin squares can also be used to strain homemade wine or to make bouquet garni, and are re-useable. This pack of 10 can be found here for £5.49.
I'm pretty sure I have just talked myself into buying these up and making soft cheese. I'll be sure to post about how I get on when I do (let's face it, its not 'if', it's when).
If you've never been to a Lakeland store before, shame on you. Get yourself there immediately to immerse yourself in all that is wonderful about kitchenware. The staff know their products and will be more than happy to chat to you if you have any questions at all. Also, check out their bargain corner for some amazing bargain finds. My mother picked up this electric jam maker for £49.99 instead of the £99.99 it was a few years ago simply because the outer box was damaged. Literally, just the packaging was a bit bashed, there was nothing wrong or missing from the product. Half price for a ripped box! That's amazingly good! The Lakeland Store Locator is here but if you get the chance, you have to visit the flagship store in Windermere, Cumbria. Its a vast store in the most beautiful surroundings and the cafe there is completely to die for!
Are you a Lakeland fan like me? Are you a cheese-maker who can give me some tips on my first attempts at cheese? Let me know in the comments!
I'd just like to point out that this is NOT a sponsored post. Lakeland are not paying me in cash or in any of their amazing products for writing this post. I'm a genuine Lakeland fan and this post is therefore genuinely gushing!
My most recent Lakeland catalogue arrived in the post. I remember when I was living at home and these would arrive for my Mum, she used to let me open it even though it wasn't addressed to me simply so I could pour through the pages until she got home from work. What an excellent mother she is! Anyway, this particular catalogue was so chock full of things I want I might have to put it in the recycling as quickly as I can bear so I don't spend every penny I own buying up everything. This catalogue is called Simply Home-Made and there's so many amazing things in there. But what really caught my eye was their new range of cheese-making products.
I sort of knew that making soft cheese wasn't especially difficult, nor was it fantastically time consuming, but I hadn't really considered it. However Lakeland have teamed up with BBC Good Food columnist Gerard Baker to produce a recipe book:
Image courtesy of the Lakeland website
How to Make Soft Cheese is a 34 page book with basic recipes, tips, equipment lists, etc. According to the blurb in the catalogue, you can make cream cheese, 'feta', halloumi, ricotta and mozarella to name a few. I'm hugely tempted by this. What goes one step further than making cheesecake? making cheesecake with homemade cream cheese in it, of course! I love being able to make those extra touches. My 'signature' dish, as it were, is lasagne (I might post a recipe one of these days). Its been a labour of love that I have worked on improving for 10+ years, and I make nearly everything from scratch (never have made the pasta, perhaps that's next!). The idea that I could make the mozarella that goes in the lasagne too just makes me even more excited.
As well as selling a how-to book, Lakeland also sell the other kit you might need to make cheese. Such as a maslin pan, which I would call a 'jam pan'. I already own one, which was a hand-me down from my mother, which was a hand-me-down from my grandmother, so I'm not looking to replace it. But hey, I'm one piece of kit up on the cheese-making thing, winner!
Image courtesey of Lakeland website
This is one of two cheese moulds Lakeland are selling, both this conical mould and the basket mould are a snip at £3.99 each.
Image courtesey of Lakeland website
You'll also need some muslin squares to separate your curds from your whey. Muslin squares can also be used to strain homemade wine or to make bouquet garni, and are re-useable. This pack of 10 can be found here for £5.49.
I'm pretty sure I have just talked myself into buying these up and making soft cheese. I'll be sure to post about how I get on when I do (let's face it, its not 'if', it's when).
If you've never been to a Lakeland store before, shame on you. Get yourself there immediately to immerse yourself in all that is wonderful about kitchenware. The staff know their products and will be more than happy to chat to you if you have any questions at all. Also, check out their bargain corner for some amazing bargain finds. My mother picked up this electric jam maker for £49.99 instead of the £99.99 it was a few years ago simply because the outer box was damaged. Literally, just the packaging was a bit bashed, there was nothing wrong or missing from the product. Half price for a ripped box! That's amazingly good! The Lakeland Store Locator is here but if you get the chance, you have to visit the flagship store in Windermere, Cumbria. Its a vast store in the most beautiful surroundings and the cafe there is completely to die for!
Are you a Lakeland fan like me? Are you a cheese-maker who can give me some tips on my first attempts at cheese? Let me know in the comments!
I'd just like to point out that this is NOT a sponsored post. Lakeland are not paying me in cash or in any of their amazing products for writing this post. I'm a genuine Lakeland fan and this post is therefore genuinely gushing!
When I'm not spending all my pennies on beauty boxes, I can usually be found browsing magazines for their freebies. I've been a Marie Claire subscriber for years , but they long since stopped sending the freebies to subscribers (but they TOTALLY did when I signed up. Its part of the reason why I subscribed! I really dont need a limited edition subscribers cover, I need freebies). This month I believe they were giving away lovely full sized Avon mascaras. Not that I would know *sulks*.
A lot of bloggers post about what the upcoming freebies are for the next month of magazines, which definitely helps you make the decisions about which ones to get. I decided for July I would allow myself two magazines. So imagine how delighted I was when I went to my local Sainsbury's to find that they have 2 for £6 on selected magazines, including the two I wanted. Bargain!
As you can see, I opted for Red for their REN goodies and Elle for their St Tropez gradual tanning sample.
The REN kit contains samples of Vetiver hand and body cream, an eye gel and a hydrating day cream. I'm excited to try these out, especially the eye gel. As you can maybe see from the photo, I opted for the light-medium gradual tanner, as I am super pale. I've tried out the Garnier Summer Body gradual tanner in the past and I liked the results, so I'm looking forward to sampling this as well, I know St Tropez have a good name in the fake tanning world.
If you'd like to give REN a try, after picking up the samples from Red, head on over to the REN website. You get 10% off your first order. But it doesn't stop there. Pop over to Whats In My Handbag and register there, its an excellent beauty website. Now, head back over to REN and choose any item that takes your fancy. I have decided to try out the Kit For Blemish Prone Skin. Add that to your cart, and choose your whopping 4 free samples from REN. Now go to your basket and add the code RENHANDBAG to the voucher code section. You will now have the Six Of The Best kit worth £20 for free! Not forgetting all the samples and the 10% off your first order. They're practically giving it away for you to try! The offer has been going on for a while so if you're interested then I suggest you move fast! I uhmmed and ahhhed for ages about it because I'm supposed to be saving lots of money at the moment. But, well, you know. Ok, I have NO excuse except I decided I'm worth it. Ha!
What magazine freebies did you pick up this month? What were your freebie winners and losers? Are you already a total REN convert?
A lot of bloggers post about what the upcoming freebies are for the next month of magazines, which definitely helps you make the decisions about which ones to get. I decided for July I would allow myself two magazines. So imagine how delighted I was when I went to my local Sainsbury's to find that they have 2 for £6 on selected magazines, including the two I wanted. Bargain!
As you can see, I opted for Red for their REN goodies and Elle for their St Tropez gradual tanning sample.
The REN kit contains samples of Vetiver hand and body cream, an eye gel and a hydrating day cream. I'm excited to try these out, especially the eye gel. As you can maybe see from the photo, I opted for the light-medium gradual tanner, as I am super pale. I've tried out the Garnier Summer Body gradual tanner in the past and I liked the results, so I'm looking forward to sampling this as well, I know St Tropez have a good name in the fake tanning world.
If you'd like to give REN a try, after picking up the samples from Red, head on over to the REN website. You get 10% off your first order. But it doesn't stop there. Pop over to Whats In My Handbag and register there, its an excellent beauty website. Now, head back over to REN and choose any item that takes your fancy. I have decided to try out the Kit For Blemish Prone Skin. Add that to your cart, and choose your whopping 4 free samples from REN. Now go to your basket and add the code RENHANDBAG to the voucher code section. You will now have the Six Of The Best kit worth £20 for free! Not forgetting all the samples and the 10% off your first order. They're practically giving it away for you to try! The offer has been going on for a while so if you're interested then I suggest you move fast! I uhmmed and ahhhed for ages about it because I'm supposed to be saving lots of money at the moment. But, well, you know. Ok, I have NO excuse except I decided I'm worth it. Ha!
What magazine freebies did you pick up this month? What were your freebie winners and losers? Are you already a total REN convert?
One thing I love about Being A Grown Up (which basically means living in a place of my own with my lovely other half) is having people over for dinner. So far we've had people over for a couple of BBQs and two 'dinner parties'. And 9 times out of ten I drink too much of my carefully selected wine and regret that decision the next day. Must work on that.
A couple of weeks ago we had my 'in laws' over for dinner. I put it in commas because I'm not married but its easier to call them my 'in laws'. I'll lose the annoying commas from here on in. The food was delicious and I managed to track down a very decently priced wine that went amazingly with our main course. For some reason, when it comes to having people round for dinner, I like to experiment with desserts I've never made before. I wouldn't advise this, it leads to all sorts of silly fretting.
I should start by confessing that this recipe is not of my creation, its based on combining quite a few recipes and scouring various places for inspiration.
I love passion fruit, of all the tropical fruits, its definitely my favourite. I think I like it because it looks so damned weird. You have to question the first person to ever eat it, really. Anyway. White chocolate and passion fruit go very well together and as our other dishes were vaguely Thai themed, but I couldn't find a suitable Thai-style dessert, I decided I would just opt for something with passion fruit and probably white chocolate too. I considered this white chocolate and passion fruit mousse by the lovely Nigella Lawson who I should mention is my cooking idol and my biggest girl crush of all time. If I could look half as good as her now, in my late 20s, as she looks currently, I'd be a happy girl. But on this occasion, I decided I didn't want mousse and I started to think about how much I love cheesecake. So my search continued.
I decided quite early on I didn't want a baked cheesecake, I thought it might be a little bit richer in texture and whilst there are precious few light, low fat ingredients in any cheesecake, with a fluffier texture than baked, it feels lighter. Yep, I'll keep telling myself that. So my search led me here to this amazing website called Great British Chefs. Go and register and bookmark it. But don't do it if you're hungry. Its an amazing website full of excellent recipes by top chefs. Drool-worthy. And many of them look easy enough to do at home. That led me to this recipe by Matthew Tomkinson for white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake. PERFECT. Except, it made a pretty small quantity and I wasn't sure I had an appropriate tin for such a small amount. But I knew I wanted to make an orange sorbet to go with, and I loosely considered the orange crisps but decided against in the end. Then I saw this recipe by Simon Hulstone and thought I could somehow combine the two. Except, by this time I'd bought white chocolate, so I needed a white chocolate cheesecake recipe, which wasn't baked. That led me to this recipe. But I made a few little changes. So, after a LOT of waffle, this was my cheesecake recipe:
White Chocolate Cheesecake
200g Hob Nob biscuits, crushed
100g melted butter.
275g white chocolate
450g cream cheese (I used full fat Philadelphia)
375ml double cream
3 gelatine leaves
1 23cm springform tin, with the base lined with greaseproof paper
Passion Fruit Jelly Topping
500ml passion fruit juice (from a carton is fine)
25g caster sugar (the juice is ready sweetened, but you might want a little extra to take the edge off)
4 gelatine leaves
Orange and Passion Fruit Sorbet
400ml orange juice (freshly squeezed from oranges, or from a carton, or a bit of both!)
200ml passion fruit juice
200g sugar
Now, after all that writing, you're probably dying for a couple of very badly taken photographs, aren't you?
This was completely delicious, so much so that 3 out of the 4 of us all had seconds there and then! And it made loads of cheesecake, so we had lots of yummy leftovers for a few days after.
I'll definitely make this again. It does require a bit of effort but nothing about it is difficult and you just need to plan your time properly and make this well in advance. Its so tasty, not stupidly sweet and does feel quite light. Making this post has made me want to make it again right away!
Please let me know if you try this, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Do you like seeing recipes like this?
A couple of weeks ago we had my 'in laws' over for dinner. I put it in commas because I'm not married but its easier to call them my 'in laws'. I'll lose the annoying commas from here on in. The food was delicious and I managed to track down a very decently priced wine that went amazingly with our main course. For some reason, when it comes to having people round for dinner, I like to experiment with desserts I've never made before. I wouldn't advise this, it leads to all sorts of silly fretting.
I should start by confessing that this recipe is not of my creation, its based on combining quite a few recipes and scouring various places for inspiration.
I love passion fruit, of all the tropical fruits, its definitely my favourite. I think I like it because it looks so damned weird. You have to question the first person to ever eat it, really. Anyway. White chocolate and passion fruit go very well together and as our other dishes were vaguely Thai themed, but I couldn't find a suitable Thai-style dessert, I decided I would just opt for something with passion fruit and probably white chocolate too. I considered this white chocolate and passion fruit mousse by the lovely Nigella Lawson who I should mention is my cooking idol and my biggest girl crush of all time. If I could look half as good as her now, in my late 20s, as she looks currently, I'd be a happy girl. But on this occasion, I decided I didn't want mousse and I started to think about how much I love cheesecake. So my search continued.
I decided quite early on I didn't want a baked cheesecake, I thought it might be a little bit richer in texture and whilst there are precious few light, low fat ingredients in any cheesecake, with a fluffier texture than baked, it feels lighter. Yep, I'll keep telling myself that. So my search led me here to this amazing website called Great British Chefs. Go and register and bookmark it. But don't do it if you're hungry. Its an amazing website full of excellent recipes by top chefs. Drool-worthy. And many of them look easy enough to do at home. That led me to this recipe by Matthew Tomkinson for white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake. PERFECT. Except, it made a pretty small quantity and I wasn't sure I had an appropriate tin for such a small amount. But I knew I wanted to make an orange sorbet to go with, and I loosely considered the orange crisps but decided against in the end. Then I saw this recipe by Simon Hulstone and thought I could somehow combine the two. Except, by this time I'd bought white chocolate, so I needed a white chocolate cheesecake recipe, which wasn't baked. That led me to this recipe. But I made a few little changes. So, after a LOT of waffle, this was my cheesecake recipe:
White Chocolate Cheesecake
200g Hob Nob biscuits, crushed
100g melted butter.
275g white chocolate
450g cream cheese (I used full fat Philadelphia)
375ml double cream
3 gelatine leaves
1 23cm springform tin, with the base lined with greaseproof paper
- Break the biscuits up roughly in a food processor, then blitz until they resemble a sandy rubble. Pour in the melted butter and blitz again until both are combined. Tip this into your springform tin and flatten out with the back of a spoon. Cover your tin with clingfilm and pop into the freezer for at least a couple of hours to set the base.
- Melt the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of water on the hob. I don't like using the microwave to melt white chocolate, I always burn it!.
- Find a flat bottomed dish (I used plastic storage tubs, of which I have several), put some cold water in an inch or so deep and place your gelatine leaves in to soften for at least 5 minutes. make sure the leaves do not stick to each other (I used one large tub and one small tub to soften up three leaves)
- Put the cream cheese in a bowl and if it is still firm from the fridge, beat it to soften it up. Add the white chocolate when melted and slightly cooled and mix thoroughly.
- Place 75ml of double cream in a small saucepan, adding some vanilla extract if you like, and warm fairly gently. You don't want it to boil, but you do want it to be well over 35 degrees so that the gelatine leaves will melt into it.
- Place the remaining 300ml of double cream in a bowl and whip to soft peak stage. I used my Kenwood with balloon whisk attachment, but you can use a handheld whisk or do it by hand, it'll just take a bit longer by hand!
- When the gelatine is squidgy in the cold water, remove the leaves gently and squeeze any excess water out of the leaves. Drop the leaves in the heated cream and stir to dissolve, this will be fairly quick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, before stirring into the cream cheese and white chocolate mixture.
- Finally, fold in the whipped cream, ensuring everything is evenly combined. Drop this mixture into your springform tin and take the time to get the mixture smoothed out as evenly as you can on the top, this will help when you put the jelly layer on later! Ensure there is some space at the top of the springform tin for this jelly later. Cover the cheesecake with clingfilm again and put back into the fridge for several hours to set. I made all of this the night before.
Passion Fruit Jelly Topping
500ml passion fruit juice (from a carton is fine)
25g caster sugar (the juice is ready sweetened, but you might want a little extra to take the edge off)
4 gelatine leaves
- Once again, fill tubs with some water and place your leaves in to soak for at least 5 minutes.
- Place the passion fruit juice and the caster sugar in a saucepan and heat gently, again, you want to heat it above 35 degrees at least to get the gelatine to melt.
- When the gelatine has softened, squeeze the excess water out and add to the passion fruit juice in the saucepan, stirring until the leaves have all melted.
- Pour into a pyrex jug and allow to cool. When its lukewarm, get your cheesecake out of the fridge and pour the juice over the top. Carefully pop the clingfilm back on and slowly and steadily pop the cheesecake back into the fridge for several hours to set. I think the minimum is 4 hours.
Orange and Passion Fruit Sorbet
400ml orange juice (freshly squeezed from oranges, or from a carton, or a bit of both!)
200ml passion fruit juice
200g sugar
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil, which allows the sugar to dissolve.
- Remove from the heat and cool. This works best if you get the liquid really cold, so once its cool, pop it into the fridge to get cold.
- Pop the cold liquid into your ice cream maker and churn for 30 minutes.
- Place the sorbet into a tub and into the freezer until you need it.
Now, after all that writing, you're probably dying for a couple of very badly taken photographs, aren't you?
This was completely delicious, so much so that 3 out of the 4 of us all had seconds there and then! And it made loads of cheesecake, so we had lots of yummy leftovers for a few days after.
I'll definitely make this again. It does require a bit of effort but nothing about it is difficult and you just need to plan your time properly and make this well in advance. Its so tasty, not stupidly sweet and does feel quite light. Making this post has made me want to make it again right away!
Please let me know if you try this, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Do you like seeing recipes like this?
I love Primark. I probably shouldn't, but I do. I have Primark items I bought years and years ago that are still going strong. So when I saw this link on the Marie Claire website I had to go check out what the A/W 2012 collection was going to look like. I'm 100% an A/W girl, not a S/S girl. I'm excited to see that yellow is back, that studded collars are here to stay for a bit longer and that leather-esque trims are making an appearance. Here's a handful of my favourite pieces:
I'm hoping my next job is a more managerial one, and therefore I get to cast aside my jeans Mon-Fri in favour of office wear. I've always loved houndstooth print, and pencil skirts. Winner!
I love simple knits and the hint of lurex in here is awesome.
Who says you can't wear blues and blacks together?
See-through, polka dots AND a studded collar? Yes, please.
This, with skinny black trousers and some nude heels. Love it.
I'd like to get involved with the cut out shoulder shirt and this would be a good place to start with it all.
I actually love this skirt. It has a very Chanel-esque jacket that goes with it. I'd wear it with black and look like a bee and be very happy. If I can only afford one item, this will be it.
Finally the coat version of the blazer above. Be still, my heart. There's a waistcoat version too, you know. But all three would be overkill....wouldn't it?!
My choices are all very 'safe', I know. But I prefer to play it safe and then have one thing thats a bit striking about my outfit (unless I'm going for full-blown casual, as I am today in my jeans and breton top!). Being a larger size and not having an especially larger than life personality (I'm just very loud, there's a big difference), I don't tend to wear anything that stands out too much. Except that yellow skirt. Come to mama....
Big huge thanks to Marie Claire for putting the slideshow up. Check out the rest of the slideshow and tell me what your favourites are?
A few more of my favourite pieces are on my Style Pinboard on Pinterest, so please come check it out and add me on there if you like :)
I'm hoping my next job is a more managerial one, and therefore I get to cast aside my jeans Mon-Fri in favour of office wear. I've always loved houndstooth print, and pencil skirts. Winner!
I love simple knits and the hint of lurex in here is awesome.
Who says you can't wear blues and blacks together?
See-through, polka dots AND a studded collar? Yes, please.
This, with skinny black trousers and some nude heels. Love it.
I'd like to get involved with the cut out shoulder shirt and this would be a good place to start with it all.
I actually love this skirt. It has a very Chanel-esque jacket that goes with it. I'd wear it with black and look like a bee and be very happy. If I can only afford one item, this will be it.
Finally the coat version of the blazer above. Be still, my heart. There's a waistcoat version too, you know. But all three would be overkill....wouldn't it?!
My choices are all very 'safe', I know. But I prefer to play it safe and then have one thing thats a bit striking about my outfit (unless I'm going for full-blown casual, as I am today in my jeans and breton top!). Being a larger size and not having an especially larger than life personality (I'm just very loud, there's a big difference), I don't tend to wear anything that stands out too much. Except that yellow skirt. Come to mama....
Big huge thanks to Marie Claire for putting the slideshow up. Check out the rest of the slideshow and tell me what your favourites are?
A few more of my favourite pieces are on my Style Pinboard on Pinterest, so please come check it out and add me on there if you like :)
