Monday 31 July 2017

Casting A Spell This Summer | Lush Summer 2017 Range

Hi!

Welcome to a brand new post! Lush have recently brought out a plethora of products for the face, bath, hair and body therefore I thought that it would be a good idea to talk to you guys about the brand new Lush Summer 2017 range.



As you may know, Lush decided to remove a good quantity of their products for many reasons. The main reasons that I know of are that they couldn't afford the ingredients for various reasons or they believe that worldwide its not selling as well as well as it can therefore Lush decided to release a brightening and uplifting Summer range full of gorgeous goodies. Sadly, the Summer range is available in 15 Lush stores. (Don't hold me to that if I'm wrong though.)

Jelly Face Masks 

I know that Jelly Face Masks sound completely unusuak but the best way to think about is the a thicker face mask or a face mask with the texture of a shower jelly. The way to use this innovative product, simply pinch off a piece of the mask and work to a paste between clean, dry hands. Apply to the face and let it work its magic for 5-10 minutes. Wash the mask off with warm water or with a cloth/a flannel. 

The Jelly Face Masks contain Carrageenan Extract in which makes the texture what it is. Carrageenan is an extract from Seaweed which is sustainable via Lush collecting it from waters that are located near their factories within Poole.

Just To Clarify

This product was named apparently due to someone within the Lush Poole Factory who said just to clarify a lot, so in a slightly light hearted joking way, they honoured via naming this face mask after her. As Clarifying means exfoliating and revealing, this product has ingredients in to get deep into the skin such as Bamboo Stem which is a fine exfoliant. Papaya Juice brightens the skin so if your skin is looking a bit dul then I'd check it out.  A staff member demo'd this on me and it did feel weird going onto my hand but it settled and I quite liked it. As I said the Bamboo is more of a fine scrub which gets into the skin without being too full on compared to something that's very gritty like Ocean Salt. The smell reminds me of Chocolate Orange Digestives which sounds odd but if you go into a Lush store and try this out then you might get what I mean.



Bunny Moon

This mask has Honey in which sadly means that this product isn't Vegan friendly but Honey is a great for those who need a little bit of moisture and is also has antiseptic properties. Bunny Moon has Rose Oil in which helps soothe the skin and also gives the mask a slight bit of floral scent to it. It also contains Marigold and Chamomile Infusion which again is an antiseptic but also calms the skin down. Scent wise, Bunny Moon contains Vanilla Absolute which gives the product a soothing smell to it.



1000 Millihelens

1000 Millihelens was inspired by two people. The first woman is the infamous Helen Of Troy who's face launched a thousand ships and Lush Co-founder and Product Developer Helen Ambrosen. This product contains Fresh Apple Juice which helps to brighten the skin due to the enzymes within the juice and Green Tea which helps to tone the skin. It also contains Witch Hazel which helps the skin due to it being antibacterial and Sicilian Lemon and Brazilian Orange Oils which give a good scent to the face mask and again helps to brighten the skin. Due to the toning effects of this face mask, it's great for those who need a product that will help to firm the skin. If you need a firming product for the face then check 1000 Millihelens out!



The Birth Of Venus

The Birth Of Venus will ensure that you feel like you have been born again! This mask contains Fresh Sea Water to tone and refresh the face (which is also used within Lush's Face Toners), Lavender Oil calms the skin and helps to sort the sebum oils in the face, Rose Absolute to soothe and balance the skin and Carrageenan Extract which is within the mask helps the skin to feel extra soft. If you want your face to feel smoother than a Babies Bottom then definitely try this out!



FOMO

If you don't know what FOMO stands for then let me tell you. FOMO means Fear Of Missing Out therefore the purpose of this face mask is to ensure that you don't miss out on having great skin! This Mask contains Calamine Powder which helps to soften and calm the skin (which is also in Catastrophe Cosmetic), Neroli Oil which evens skin tone and Rose Absoute which helps to balance the skin.



Body Sprays: 

Rose Jam

If you love the Rose Jam Shower Gel at Christmas, Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, Ro's Argan Gourmet Soap or anything Rose from Lush then you will love the new Rose Jam Body Spray. If you haven't smelt Rose Jam before then the best way to describe it is a Zesty Rose scent mainly due to the scent consisting of Rose Oil, Rose Absolute and Sicilian Lemon Oil. It's an amazing scent for the Spring!



Twilight

If you love the Twilight Bath Bomb, Sleepy or anything that has Lavender in then you will love this body spray. This product contains Lavender & Ylang Ylang Oils and Tonka Absolute. Lavender helps to calm the mind and Tonka Absolute gives a slight sweetness to the scent and reminds me of Malted Hot Chocolate in a way. I think that this is a great product for anyone who loves a sweet scent or Lavender.



Bath Bombs & Jelly Bath Bombs:  

Rocket Science

Y'know when people say 'it's not rocket science!' Well what if it actually is? This bath bomb says that it's actually Rocket Science. This rocket shaped bath bomb contains Sicilian Lemon and Bergamot Oils to create a deep Citrus scent. It contains bits of Electric Blue, Vivid Yellow and Hot Pink to create a mesmeric bath. If you like Yellow Submarine then you might like this.



Cheer Up Buttercup

This Bath Bomb is based on the good old British childhood classic of putting a Buttercup under your chin and if it glows Yellow then you love Butter. I love how Lush are referencing British childhood culture! Uplifting Lemon Myrtle, Lime and Neroli Oils help to cheer you up hence the name. If you like Citrus scents or Avobath then you will love this.



Green Coconut Jelly Bath Bomb

Lush has got a lovely bunch of Coconuts and they want to share them with you in the Bath! A Jelly Bath Bomb sounds strange, I know, but it spreads across the top of the bath and softens as it goes which then in turn helps to soften your body. This Bath Ballistic contains Coconut Cream and Cinnamon Leaf Oil which creates a Summery Beach scent with a bit of an Spicy, Earthy background. If you love Coconut scents then you will love this!



The Big Sleep Jelly Bath Bomb

Again, the jelly rises to the top and disperses itself to melt away to ensure that the bath is softening as it can be. This bath bomb contains Lavender and Neroli Oils, Tonka Absolute and Chamomile Powder which help to soothe the skin and calm the mind. Lavender helps to relax and Chamomile is used in a lot of Sleepytime Tea. This also shares the same scent as Ickle Baby Bot so if you're not keen on the Jelly then you can always get that version of it.



Dark Arts Jelly Bath Bomb

Do you like to dabble in the Dark Arts? Do you like to dream of getting that letter in September to say that you're going to Hogwarts? If so then this one is for you! Tendrils of Black slowly give way to allow Love Potion Pink to the surface within the bath. The Jelly works in the same way above. This contains Almond, Brazilian Orange and Cinnamon Leaf Oils.  If you have ever enjoyed Cinders Bath Bomb at Christmas a couple of years ago then you wil love this as it shares the same scent as Cinders!



Hot Oil Treatments 

The way to use these is to boil some water into a cup and stir the stick with the treatment on the end into the cup until it creates a creamy paste and then applying to the hair and leaving for 20 minutes or so and then rinsing until all of the product is out of your hair. 

Marilyn

Do you want to keep your Blonde Hair as Blonde as it can possibly be? If so then Marilyn Hot Oil Treatment is for you! This contains Extra Virgin Olive Oil which helps the hair, Lemon Juice and Saffron which brighten the hair and a load more incredible ingredients such as Lemon and Chamomile Oil which both do amazing things to the scalp and mind.



New

As it says, New is for well New Hair! New is about stimulating your hair to create new hair. Sadly, if you're bald then this won't create for you. This amazing stick of loveliness contains Cinnamon Leaf and Clove Bud Oil which helps to stimulate the hair to create new hair and Bay Oil which conditions the hair and at the same time is an antiseptic. The colour of this product is red but it will not dye or stain your hair.



Hair Doctor

The Hair Doctor is here to prescribe you a good dose of what your hair needs! This hot oil treatment helps the scalp as well as the hair. It contains Peppermint Oil which helps to invigorate the hair and helps to sort out anything thats wrong in the scalp. Almond Oil also helps to condition the hair which is what we're all looking for when we want a good hair mask. The mask also contains lots of other gorgeous goodies to help the scalp and hair.



Damaged

Damaged does what it says on the label! It sorts out damaged skin whether this has happened from bleaching, heat or anything of that sort. This hot oil treatment contains lots of lovely oils to nourish the hair such as Extra Virgin Olive, Almond and Organic Avocade Oils which help strengthen the hair.



Yuge

Yuge is a Hot Oil Treatment which helps the hair with volume but as Lush like to be cheeky, they've played on the fact that Donald Trump can't say huge properly especially as Trump is against what Lush stands for. This treatment contains things like Sea Salt which give volume and Jojoba Oil which gives hair a good shine. If you like your hair on the huge side then you will want to try this out.



Other:

Rump

Again, Lush have played on that... Well, that people think that people think Trump is a bit of a derriere and therefore have decided to create a product out if it. This is a product that helps to firm places such as the thigh area therefore it's perfect for those who exercise/get 'chub rub; sometimes. Obviously, this won't stiop any of that or firm it up straight away but instead it will help it. This product contains Aloe Vera Gel and lots of different Butters to ensure that the skin is lovely and smooth with a slight bit more firmness to it.



What's your favourite Lush Summer 2017 product? Let me know down below. 

Don't forget to check out Lush here or go to your local Lush store.

I hope that you've enjoyed this beauty based blog post! I hope that you come back next time for another interesting blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

All of these pictures are via Lush and they own the right to them. 

Friday 28 July 2017

Delivering The Good Times This Summer | McDelivery In Leeds

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new post! Today, I thought that I would talk to you guys about the new McDelivery concept that McDonalds has brought to selected cities within the UK with Uber Eats.

McDonalds have recently brought out the McDelivery concept with delivery brand Uber Eats to selected cities which includes Leeds, London and many other cities. McDelivery gives you the ability to order your favourite McDonalds food within a 1.5 mile radius of selected McDonald's restaurants within the selected city. 



It came to the time where I was craving McDonalds so I decided to use McDelivery whilst I was in Leeds so I decided to download the Uber Eats app and login. (If you've already got an Uber account then all you have to do is login via that account which makes the journey of getting your food that little bit quicker.)



When you sort your location out, you can then find your local participating McDonalds via the app. The participating restaurants that I could choose from were McDonalds Briggate, McDonalds St John's Centre and McDonalds Kirkgate. At the time of ordering, McDonalds Briggate was the quickest to deliver so I decided to order from  that one.

I scrolled through the menu and decided on what I wanted. Sadly, the specials such as the limited edition McFlurry's and Burgers aren't available to be delivered but everything else is including Breakfast. (Imagine ordering that McMuffin that you need to perk yourself up with on a boring Monday morning!) I placed my order which consisted of two Wrap Meals and a Mayo Chicken for myself and Luke.

When you put your order into the cart, you have the ability to add additional information such as No Cheese, Extra Sauce etc so I added to ensure that my drink had No Ice as that's how I like it. This means that you still have the ability to make your meal your own.

I placed the order and got told what was happening to it and what time to expect the order. I watched the phone and waited for the order to arrive. It arrived and when talking to the delivery person, He then asked for me to double check that everything that I ordered was in the bag which it was.

The food was delicious and warm just like it would be when you order in McDonalds. Even though, there is a £2.50 delivery charge, which isn't as bad as it could be for delivery charges, I do think that its a great idea for when you want a McDonalds when you're at home. I also think that its a great idea for those who might end hungove rat the end of the weekend and all they want is a McDonalds meal delivering to them.



What's your favourite thing to order when you're at McDonalds? Comment down below! 

If you want to check out what McDonalds are up to this Summer then check out their hashtag #hellogoodtimes. 

I hope that you've enjoyed reading this food based post. I hope that you come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This post is in collaboration with the brand McDonald's and Uber Eats. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own. 

Wednesday 26 July 2017

Having A Discounted Shopping Experience | McArthur Glen York Designer Outlet

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! A couple of weeks ago, myself and Luke decided to go on an adventure to York to visit the McArthur Glen York Designer Outlet and I thought that today I would talk to you guys about what we got up to.

McArthur Glen is known for their designer outlet shopping centres where you can snag an amazing product for a discount of the price that you would find on the high street. They have quite a few stores including York, Nottingham and many more. The stores in the York Outlet include Nike Factory Store, Levi Jeans, M&S Outlet and many more. 

The day started off by getting the train from Bradford to York. Sadly, as Bradford only has one train per hour that goes directly to York, we got a train to Leeds and then we rushed to find a train that went to York. After hectically finding our platform, we were finally on the train.

Myself and Luke headed towards the exit of the Train Station and slowly made our way to the bus stop... Well we did after I realised where the bus stop exactly was which was over the road from the Train Station, After a quick ride, we arrived in the spacious car park of the shopping centre.



We arrived and made our way throught eh entrance doors of the grand shopping centre. We walked down the glamorous path until we stopped at our first destination. Lindt. We walked around the chic store and browsed the shelves that contained an array of wonderful chocolate based products such as Chocolate Bars which contained interesting ingredients such as Lime, Blueberry, Coconut and so forth. We then saw that the Pick and Mix that is in Lindt stores was on offer so me and Luke felt like we deserved to buy some goodies due to this marvellous discount. We filled our bag up with truffles with flavours such as Champagne, Irish Coffee, Almond and Strawberries & Cream. We paid for the bag of chocolates and made our way onto the next store.



Carrying on with the chocolate haul, we ended up at Thorntons which has an Outlet section so instantly that is where we looked. After a good few minutes of perusing, myself and Luke decided to sttick for the 3 for £10 that was available via the stock at the Outlet section of the store, We chose three which included a lovely Summer inspired Collection and we made our way to the next store.

Last stop on our chocolate haul was Cadburys. Three's always a charm, right? We entered the Purple plastered store and wandered around to find some of beloved favourites including one of Lukes which is Fry's Turkish Delight and big bars of Dairy Milk With Crunchie but the best thing that was available via the Cadbury store was a bag of Mis Shapes. Mis Shapes are exactly what they are misshapen chocolates that haven't made it into the boxes on the shelves of your local supermarkets but at £3.50 for a 750g bag, you can't go wrong! We bought a bag for the whole family to enjoy and glided to our next store.

Who does Yankee Candle? Well, myself and Luke do because Yankee Candle were the next stop on our adventure through the York Designer Outlet. We walked around and smelt all of the perfect products and after a while, Luke decided to get a large candle which was £12 whereas normally they're double the price. The candle that he got was inspired by Italian Vineyards.

Myself and Luke then decided that it was time for a spot of lunch therefore we made our way up to the spacious food court and after a while, we decided to get a Subway.

Once we had finished our food and made our way down back to  Vans. If you follow me on Social Media then you will know that I love me some Vans. We entered the store and searched through some of the shoes that were available in mine and Luke's shoe sizes and after a while, I found us both a pair each for £17 which is a bargain for a pair of Vans. I got a pair of Red Floral Vans which I absolutely adore.



We then popped into The Body Shop just to have a little wander around as it is really a shopping experience without at least a bit of beauty product browsing?

Finally, Luke wanted to find some luxury sunglasses so we decided to look in some designer shops such as Hugo Boss, French Connection, Ralph Lauren and a few others but finally Luke found some that he absolutely adored at Sunglasses Hut.

We then decided that it was time to go therefore we headed back into York City Centre and then we got the train back to Bradford.

Have you ever been to a McArthur Glen Outlet or the York Designer Outlet in particular before? Let me know down below! 

I hope that you've enjoyed this post and I hope to see you next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x

Monday 24 July 2017

Becoming A Super Being | Being By Sanctuary Spa

Hey! 

Welcome to another blog post! The amazing people behing the amazing brand Being By Sanctuary Spa sent me a few goodies to try as I am a Being By Sanctuary Spa Ambassador due to believing in everything that they stand for and I thought that today I would talk to you guys all about them!

Being By Sanctuary Spa are the daughter brand of the well known brand Sanctuary Spa, Being is aimed at young people whereas Sanctuary Spa is known for being targeted towards to those that might be a bit stress and in need of a pamper. Being are all about promoting feminism via catering all of their beautiful products towards everyone no matter what gender, They also work with an amazing mental health charity called The Mix which I think is amazing. They are also completely against animal testing! All of Being By Sanctuary Spa is available within Boots stores.



Being By Sanctuary Spado five different scents. These are Chilli, Mango and Tonka Bean, Hibiscus and Coconut Water, Salted Caramel, Water Lotus and Pomelo, Cloudberry and Lychee Blossom, As there is scents that are sweet such as the Salted Caramel, ones that are fresh like the Water Lotus and Pomelo and ones that are fruity such as the Cloudberry and Lychee Blossom, this means that there is a scent for everyone.

The beautiful brand kindly sent me three products. These included a bubble bath, body butter and a hand cream which are all available at your local Boots.

The Hibiscus and Coconut Water Bubble Bath came in a massive bottle which means that you can luxurious baths whenever you want. The product created so many fluffy bubbles for a bath where all you need is some fluffly bubles, a nice drink and some music. The scent begins with a floral note from the Hibiscus but after a while you get the whiff of a fresher version of Coconut in the sense that its milder than the general Coconut scent that's found within cosmetic products. The scent filled the whole room up and I instantly felt like I was on the perfect beach in somewhere like The Caribbean.



Next up is the Body Butter which is the same scent as above. I loved it for that moment in the morning when I needed some moisture which this definitely did. It made my skin absolutely soft and again this scent lasted ages which I loved as I find that some products don't linger for long and then you don't smell as gorgeous as you did when you stepped out of the door. If you want a scent that is uplifting but also reminiscent of a Summer beach then you should definitely get the Hibiscus and Coconut Water range from Being By Sanctuary Spa which includes Bath Bombs, Body Mists, the products mentioned and much more.



Last but not least, the Chilli, Mango and Tonka Bean Hand Cream.

I don't know if you're like me but I always need a good hand cream because I'm a nail biter which I think is down to my anxiety but I'm not completey sure. This one soothes hands instantly and keeps them soft as a blanket. It's easy to get out of the tube as well which is great as sometimes very thick creams mean that you have to awkwardly squeeze as hard as you can sometimes to get it out of the tube (which reminds me of toothpaste a bit.) The scent is gorgeous even though I was a bit worried due to Chili having not much a scent but more of a tingling sensation when it's been included within cosmetic products whereas this actually gave the product a sort of spicy note which I adored. The Mango gave it a bit of fruitiness and the Tonka Bean which I thought was going to take over the Mango added to the Mango and gave the whole hand cream a rounded scent. I keep applying this a lot because I love it!



Have you tried any of the products from Being By Sanctuary Spa? Let me know down below! 

Thank you to the amazing people over at Being By Sanctuary Spawho sent me these gorgeous goodies. Please do check out their products at Boots!

I hope that you've enjoyed this beauty based post and I hope that you come back next time for another post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Thursday 20 July 2017

Let's Get Spooky | The Addams Family Musical

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! I went to the Alhambra last week to see The Addams Family Musical and I thought that I'd talk to you all about it as I love a good musical!



There will be no spoilers within this post except for the description of the musical but its not really spoilers.

The background of this musical is that the family have grown up and Wednesday has found a boyfriend and Wednesday thinks its a great idea to bring the other family around for dinner but of course it's never easy meeting The Addams Family for the first time.

We arrived at the Bradford Alhambra and slowly made our way to the stalls section as the seats that we had booked were within the stalls which personally I think are the best when it comes to musicals. I know that they can be a little bit more expensive but they're definitely worth it. We found our seats and waited for it to start via The Hand getting us to clap along to the theme tune.

We watched the musical and enjoyed the songs which fitted well with the slightly macabre yet slight yet comedic family that the world has become well established with.

I'm not to going to mention every member of the cast.

Samantha Womack is well known for being Ronnie Mitchell on the BBC soap EastEnders so I was bit hesitant on how she would portray Morticia but she lived up to it! It was very obvious that she had researched the role very well. She sung the songs perfectly and I honestly thinl that she would be great if she was to just do West End for the rest of her life.

I already knew that Carrie Hope Fletcher would make an amazing Wednesday and she did. She screamed Wednesday Addams realness and killed it with all the songs. Carrie can seriously do anything even pull off an American Addams Family accent.

Les Dennis was great as Uncle Fester as he pulled off the kookiness of Uncle Fester but as Uncle Fester's voice is quite high it was a bit difficult to properly understand what his accent was but he was great nevertheless.

Last but not least, Oliver Ormson played Wednesday's beau., I loved him. He played the character amazingly and he sung the songs beautifully and I think that he should be in every musical going which sounds a bit over the top but Oliver was seriously amazing.

Have you seen The Addams Family Musical? Let me know down below! 

Thanks for reading this post. I hope that you've enjoyed this theatre based post and I can't wait to see you next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Dunking Into The Cookie Dough | Kaspa's Leeds

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! The wonderful guys over at Kaspas Leeds invited me over to their new restaurant to have a look and to try some of their wonderful desserts and treats and I thought that I would talk to you all about it.

Kaspa’s are a chain of exciting dessert houses that offer the world’s favourite hot and cold desserts under one roof. Kaspa's menu boasts a mouthwatering selection of desserts including ice creams, waffles, crepes, milkshakes, sundaes and so much more. Kaspa's will change the way you view dessert. At Kaspa's Desserts, their ethos is to create an environment where enjoying authentic desserts with family, friends or anyone that wants to come along is an unforgettable experience.



We entered The Core Shopping Centre and walked through the beautiful building until we found Kaspa's. We walked in and was shown over to a marvellous modern table. We sat down in two plush leather chairs and was told how Kaspas works which consists of choosing what you'd like to have, making sure that you know what table you're at (I was at number four) and ordering it at the till which has writing of types of food that are served at Kaspas such as Cakes, Waffles, Milkshakes and so forth above itself.

I ordered a Ferrero Rocher Milkshake which I think was just Ferrero Rocher's blended up with milk (I'm not fully sure) which may sound slightly simplistic but sometimes simple is key. I loved the creamy smoothness against the bits of Hazelnut that you got from the blended up Ferrero Rocher's. It just was a massive glass of heaven (if you like Ferrero Rocher's of course.) It was garnished with Whipped Cream which I know may sound a bit sickly but weirdly it gave the drink a little bit of freshness.




I then ordered the Fudge Brownie Cookie Dough which came with either Whipped Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream or Custard so I decided to be that weird person and go for Custard. I love Brownies and Cookie Dough so this dish was perfect for me and I love a good bit of Custard. The Cookie Dough had pieces of Brownie and the cookie dough had a crispy edge and a gooey middle. When contrasted with the Vanilla Custard, it tasted heavenly as you got a clean vanilla taste against the rich chocolate taste of the cookie dough.  I would eat this again and again.




I took a guest with me decided to get a KitKat Milkshake and they loved it. They said that it literally tasted like blended KitKats and that they loved getting a bit of crunch every now and again. They did say that it's not for the fainthearted though as they could only drink so much. They ordered the Banoffee Cookie Dough with Custard and thought it was delicious especially as it was topped with real Banana pieces and a Toffee sauce which merged inton the cuistard to create a lovely sauce for the dough. They said that they'd love to go back to try some more items from the menu.



What's your favourite sweet dessert? Have you been to Kaspa's before? Let me know down below! 

Thanks to the PR and staff at Kaspa's Leeds for inviting me. Thanks again to the staff for being amazing and for looking after me whilst I was at Kaspa's Leeds.

I hope that you've enjoyed this food based blog post and that you come back next time for another new blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Monday 17 July 2017

Creating A New Beauty Ritual | The Body Shop Briggate Bloggers Event

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! The wonderful guys over at The Body Shop invited me to their Leeds Briggate flagship store for a bloggers event and I thought that today I would tell you guys what happened at the event.



*Sadly I didn't get all the photos that I wanted of the new products which is my own fault more than anything but I'm sure you can find pictures of the products on Instagram/online.*

We started off by walking along towards The Body Shop and for once we arrived a few minutes late as I normally end up there a good five to ten minutes early. Myself and Luke greeted the staff member that was at the door to tick us off the guest list. We then walked into the grand store and I decided to grab my DSLR out of the bag to take a few photos whilst other bloggers were still arriving.

We perused some of the sale stock whilst we made our way around the store, Myself and Luke then went over to the Whittards stand. Whittards were giving out refreshments of their amazing Tea at this event. The two Teas that they were giving out were Cucumber & Mint and Grapefruit Yerba Mate. I loved the Cucumber and Mint Tea as it reminded me of a Summery Gin Cocktail but sadly I wasn't completely sold on the Grapefruit Yerba Mate but that's probably because I'm not the biggest fan of Grapefruit but I think this Tea would be grat for those who like something that has a deep Citrusy flavour. There were also gorgeous goodies at the Whittards stand including fresh juicy Apples and ripe Raspberries.





After this, Kimberley (one of the staff members at The Body Shop Briggate) introduced us to the other members of The Body Shop Briggate. Once this had happened, Kimberley started to talk about the new products that are arriving at all stores.

The first product that we were shown was the Amazonian Saviour Multi-Purpose Balm. This product helps to revitalise the appearance of tattoos, nourishes extremely dry skin and helps the appearance of skin marks. The product contains only 9 ingredients and is 100% Vegetarian. I love the fact that it sorts out extremely dry skin but sadly I wasn't that keen on the scent as it smelt of a very deep resinous scent.

Next on the list was the Ethiopian Green Coffee Cream which helps skin feel firmer and smoother. This product is a new addition to the Spa Of The World range. You know that it's going to be great as Ethiopia is known for it's Coffee and due to the Coffee, this cream has stimulating properties. (I'm keeping this one short as I shall be talking about this product later on in a bit more depth.)



Moving along on the spiritual conquest, we then got to have a play with the Spa Of The World French Grape Seed Body Scrub. This product contains Organic Sugar from Paraguay. The scrub as a whole helps to invigorate, exfoliate and radiate skin which means that once you've used the scrub then your skin will be feeling absolutely beautiful and brand new. I wasn't honestly sure on what I thought of a Grape Seed infused product scent wise but I do love a good scrub!



The last two Spa Of The World products include the Indian Turtle Massager which is wooden and has 4 balls to really get into the nooks and crannies of the body when massaging. This can be used on anyone including yourself or your partner. There was also the Thai Makrut Lime Toning Oil. This Oil is one that firms the body but at the same time it's absorbed by the body quickly which helps to nourish the body. Lime is an astringent which helps to cleanse and tone the skin.

Everyone in the room also got told about the new Green Tea Hair Mask and Shampoo and Conditioner which are coming to The Body Shop. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to properly sniff them but I think that they will be an amazing addition to the hair care range at TBS. It's for Dry Hair and the mask helps with hair conditions such as Psoriasis and the Shampoo/Conditioner is suitable for people with coloured hair.

We then wandered around and got to sniff and test out some great products such as the Pink Grapefruit range. and grabbed some more food from the Whittards range.




Myself and Luke then got hand and arm massages of the new products at the Spa Bar. If you want to find out what product Luke was pampered with then read his post when it goes up but I loved the Ethiopian Green Coffee Cream so the staff member massaged my arm with it. We talked about the product and realised that this product texture wise is inbetween a sorbet and body butter which means that you get the quick time absorbing qualities of a sorbet and the nourishing properties of a body butter. I also think that this has a scent of a green shake which sounds weird but I think its great as Spa products normally have a fresh clean cotton scent whereas this didn't.

We also got the chance to see the Beauty Lounge which is only available via the Leeds Briggate flagship store where you can get a one to one consultation, a lovely drink and much more. You can even have parties within the room. The way that you pay for the lounge is that you pay upfront but you can redeem the costs via products at The Body Shop.

It was time to say goodbye so we we finished our chat with the wonderful staff who gave me a couple of samples for my face as my face decided to act differently every week. The lovely staff assistant told us about a few secret products that are coming within August so go to your local TBS to check them out then, We then got given a wonderful goodie bag with some samples from The Body Shop including their wonderful Drops Of Youth: Youth Liquid Peel which I can't wait to try.




Whats your favourite The Body Shop product? Let me know down below! 

Thanks to the wonderful staff at The Body Shop Briggate for inviting myself to the bloggers event and thanks to them all and the Whittards staff that attended the event for putting on an amazing night!

I hope that you've enjoyed this beauty based blog post and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Friday 14 July 2017

Seeing With My Eye | Seamore and Penclic

Hey!

Welcome to a new post! The guys over at Seamore and Penclic sent me a few items so I though that today I would talk to you about them!

It's never easy to change whether this is a change in your lifestyle, relationship or your diet. Seamore know this but they believe that some change is always good therefore they developed a brand new idea and created it so the public could try it. Seaweed pasta sounds weird but as we're in the 21st Century, we should embrace it. Penclic combines design, ergonomics, functionality and comfort. Penclic ensures that the normal office worker can use their time in the best way possible.



As I mentioned above, Seamore sell I See Pasta which is Seaweed Pasta which may sound odd but it's absolutely vegan and gluten free therefore it's great for those who can't enjoy the regular pasta due to pasta being traditionally made via flour and eggs. I think that we all have this stereotype that Seaweed can only be used within Asian dishes as a garnish but I think that it's a great idea to use it as Pasta.

I used it recently and it can be cooked just like normal pasta which I love as it means that its quick and simple. I loved the texture as again it was just like pasta but as it had a slightly bitter taste, I did think that it would have gone better with maybe a tomato/marinara sauce maybe. I think that this product would be great for a dish at a dinner party.

I also was sent a Penclic R3 which is a wireless mouse which is great for those that need a mouse but are sick of wires eg office workers or myself. It connects via a USB dongle which makes everything easier as its a short wire instead of a long wire that gets caught everywhere and has three buttons therefore again it makes everything easier. The design is quirky and it did take me a while to get used to it. Once you get past the design then its easy to handle and use.



What do you think of these two products? Comment down below!

I hope that you've enjoyed this blog post. Don't forget to come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x 

This blog post was in collaboration with Seamore and Penclic. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own and not influenced by the brands.

Tuesday 11 July 2017

Awaken The Dragon | Blue Dragon Frozen Ready Meals

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new post! The guys over at Blue Dragon sent me some of their new frozen ready meals to review so I thought that today I would talk to you about what I thought of them!



Blue Dragon began back in the 1970's when the brand discovered that there was nothing in the supermarkets to help British people recreate the authentic taste of Asian food at home in a simple and easy way. So Blue Dragon headed out to the Far East themselves, to bring back the most authenticand most exciting flavours to British society. Blue Dragon still travel to the Far East to perfect their products and are well known for their noodles, crackers, sauce pouches, dips and much much more. 

Blue Dragon also decided to bring out frozen ready meals for those who don't have the time or energy to create an authentic Asian dish. They have created four dishes and they are £2 and are stocked in most supermarkets.

Dish Number 1: 

The first dish I tried was Chicken Chow Mein with Egg Noodles.

This is described as 'Cooked egg noodles with strips of cooked breast, sliced shitake mushrooms, spring onions and red pepper in a soy and oyster flavour soy sauce.'

I loved the size of strips of Chicken as you could tell they were pieces of Chicken compared to the little stringy pieces that you normally get within ready meals. I liked the deep sauce as it complimented the Chicken well and I love Red Peppers. I didn't mind the Mushrooms as they added a deep note along with the sauce but I think that this might put some people off as I know that some people detest Mushrooms.

Dish Number 2: 

I then tried the Sweet and Sour Chicken one a couple of days later.

The dish is described as 'Cooked chicken breast pieces in a sweet and sour sauce with sliced spring onions, water chestnuts, red pepper and pineapple chunks, served with egg fried rice.'

Again, I loved the Chicken due to being able to tell that it was Chicken within the ready meal. I could tell that the Sweet and Sour Sauce was authentic and I loved the sweetness of Pineapple. I could eat Pineapple all day long! I think that the Spring Onions added a needed crunch and the Egg Fried Rice tasted great and soaked up some of the sauce.

Third Dish

Time for Sweet Chilli Noodles.

This is described as 'Cooked egg noodles and tender strips of cooked chicken breast in a spicy sweet chilli sauce with sliced red pepper, water chestnuts and spring onion.' 

I do think that it was more Chilli than Sweet Chilli but I think that this is the perfect day when it's drizzly outside and you just want something quick. I love a good bit of Red Pepper and the Water Chestnuts against the noodles was such a good contrast in textures!

Last Dish

The last dish that is in the ready meal range is Chicken In Black Bean Sauce.

This is described as 'Cooked chicken breast strips in a black bean sauce with diced red and green peppers, served with egg fried rice with sliced spring onions.'

I love Black Bean dishes but I normally get them with Beef or Special so they end up having a little bit of everything so to find a pure Chicken one was different for me. As a Black Bean dish goes, this was delicious as the contrast between deep yet dark sauce and light Chicken was delicious. I love how the rice took on some of the sauce and went from a pale white to a darker colour. Again, I'd enjoy this when its a bit moody outside, maybe?

What's your favourite Chinese Meal? Let me know down below! 

Thank you to the guys over at Blue Dragon for sending these over and I hope that you have enjoyed this food based post. I hope that you come back next time for another post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This post is in collaboration with Blue Drago. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own.