Yo! Sushi Katsu Chicken Noodle Bowl From Iceland Review

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new post! I saw that Yo! sushi had released a range at Iceland so I thought that I would grab something from the range and tell you all my thoughts about it. 

The Yo! sushi range at Iceland includes Tempura Prawns, Gyozas, Bao Kits and much more such as Korean Fried Chicken and Ice Cream Mochi. 

The Katsu Curry Noodle Soup is described as ‘Delicious  Chicken Dumplings, Noodles, and Asian Veg in our aromatic Katsu Broth.’ - Iceland Foods UK. 

The way to cook this confused me a bit. Some of the Asian noodle bowls/soups that I’ve cooked before have just required boiling water from a kettle to cook, whereas this product requires boiling water from the kettle but also the repetitive task of putting it in the microwave, taking it out, stirring and repeat. I guess this was to ensure that the Chicken was fully cooked but it just meant that it took a while and became quite hot to handle especially for someone who has a tendency to not have the best of dexterity skills in the world. 

The texture of this soup was everything that I’ve been wanting lately. I don’t know if it’s because of the rollercoaster weather that is going on in the UK at the moment but I’ve been craving a soup with every texture going on at the moment. The texture of the dumplings which were the first thing my spoon fell onto has not only an amazing chew to them but also had a a sublime soft and supple texture to them due to the meaty interior. This alone was the best of both worlds but was only the start of the texture train that happened within this bowl of soup. The noodles added a slight sort of bouncy texture to the dish which I really loved alongside the slight chew of the dumpling wrapper. These noodles weren’t like an udon noodle which I learned to love during my time living in Leeds during my undergraduate University degree nevertheless they were excellent to eat. The Asian Veg added a much need crunch which I really loved as it contrasted against the supple filling of the dumplings and all of the chew that was going on. Finally, the soup added a sort of creamy celebrity texture to the dish which made everything sort of combine together into a rich harmonious dish which I really enjoyed. 

The first thing that jumped into my mouth was the dumplings themselves. To some, dumpling wrappers may taste bland which I completely understand due to them being made from flour and water, but to me, they kind of give out a sort of comforting taste which I quite like especially when boiled/steamed. The chicken that laid inside of these delicious dumplings gave off a wonderful amount of umami which made them not only effortless to eat but also addictive and excellent . The noodles again added a sort of comforting slightly creaminess to the dish. The vegetables helped to cut through all of the umami and savouriness that the dumplings gave to my tastebuds and honestly ensured that this dish wasn’t bland. The curry itself gave off a creamy yet quite sweet taste which I was surprised at as the Japanese curries that I’ve had in the past have been more peppery than sweet whereas this one was more sweet than peppery and spicy. 

Would I buy it again? Yes, I would. I’m giving this an 8/10 as it definitely blew my expectiations of something frozen from Yo! Way out of the park. I love all the components and it’s actually decent for the price. I don’t think I would get this all the time but I would get it when I want a heart warm lunch or when I’m craving Japanese Curry.  I definitely advise that if you are thinking of trying the range then you should get this! 

Have you tried anything from YoB Sushi before? Let me know down below! 

Check out Iceland. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Drinking Above A Market | No. 28 Newcastle Review

 Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that today I would talk to you all about one of my new favourite place to grab a drink from in Newcastle . 

No.28 is a little bar that is tucked away above the well known Grainger Market in Newcastle City Centre. It offers a range of drinks, tapas style food and offers to suit everyone’s needs and also offers an ambience that just makes you want to spend all night in there. 

I decided to check out the superb space with Alex. We decided to get a mixture of food and drinks. (If you want to know about the food then go on over to my Instagram). 

We decided to get a cocktail a piece and some shots. I have been enjoying the Honey Cazcabel Tequila recently and saw that they had a coffee version so it made sense to try it there and then. I also made Alex try both the Honey and Coffee varieties. They loved both and I quite liked the Coffee version but I still think that the Honey one is my favourite. 

We tried both the Burnt Crumble and the Banana and Walnut Espresso Martini which Alex mainly drank but I mean I had to try a little bit of it for content reasons. 

Burnt Crumble contained Goslings Black Seal Rum, dark crème de cacao, Teichenne Butterscotch Schnapps, Apple and Lemon Juices, caramel syrup and a spray of Laphroaig over the glass. I absolutely loved this drink. The mixture of both the schnapps and syrup gave this drink a sort of sweet yet baked caramel taste to the drink which was interesting as when I saw butterscotch and caramel I was expecting this drink to be sickly but it really wasn’t. The rum added a sort of deep smokiness to the drink which helped to further cut through the two elements just mentioned. I think the dark crème de cacao blended into the rum as it wasn’t that pronounced when I sipped this drink. Finally the apple and lemon added a touch of freshness to the drink which cut through the sweet and smoky to make this drink not only delectable but also one that I could not stop sipping. If you’re a fan of well desserts, apples, crumbles, anything with a slightly sweet kick to it then definitely get this drink as you will love it. 

The Banana and Walnut Espresso Martini contained Black Tears Spiced Rum, Crème Dr Banane, Noix de la st jean and Espresso. I’m not the biggest fan of Walnuts so this drink wasn’t fully for me but I could definitely respect it for what it is. I also think that the Espresso Martini came in general is quite saturated so it’s quite refreshing to see a new take on it. The Banana complimented the coffee notes in this drink beautifully as it gave a sort of creaminess in regards to the flavour of this drink which I really enjoyed. If you love Espresso Martinis I definitely say give this a try and see if you enjoy it! 

Overall, g the great drinks, amazing ambience and fantastic food made for a great experience for me. I’ll definitely be coming back to try some of their other amazing drinks. 

Check out No.28.

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Lush Mothers Day 2022 First Impressions

 Hey ever)one! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. A while ago, I went to Lush to pick up their Mothers Day range and I thought that it was finally time to tell you all what I thought about the range. 

Bath Bombs:

The Elephant In The Tea Room 

This elephant is packing their trunk to say goodbye to the tub. Not only does this bomb look cute as it is the hybrid of an elephant and a tea pot. This bomb contains Bergamot and Lemon Myrtle Oils, Benzoin Resinoid, Powdered Gunpowder and Sencha Teas. Apparently this is a new scent called Tea and Biscuits at Lush which I get but to me that kind of sounds pretty vague. To me, this kind of gives me Earl Grey Tea vibes. If anyone remembers the Shades Of Earl Grey Massage Bar, imagine that but a little less creamy and a little bit more citrus based. This bomb to me is mainly citrus with a touch of sweetness that is coming from the Benzoin. The tea does come through but it doesn’t overwhelm which I was surprised at as when lush have used tea before it’s been the predominant scent in the product. I really like this but I think that this scent would do really well in the autumn as well as the spring whether as a limited or all year round product. Priced at £6.

Atom Heart Mother 

I did talk about this product last year so I will keep this one short. This bomb shares the same scent as the old scent So White. Some do say that So White and Once Upon A Time are the same scent but to me OUAT has a little bit more of a floral sort of slightly biscuit based scent to it than a fruity scent that So White has. Apples are a big part of both Spring and Autumn to me so this product screams Spring to me due to its Apple based scent that is provided by Rose Absolute, Neroli, Orange Flower Absolute and Brazilian Orange Oil. I absolutely love this bomb.  Priced at £5.

Jasmine

This was our last year but in the form of a bubble bar, so this one will be kept quite short too. If you have been a Lush customer for a while then you may know the scent of this product by a different name. Christmas Eve/The Great Wave. This bomb contains Jasmine and Ylang Ylang which to me creates a sort of creamy yet very strong floral scent. Slightly like the scent of when you walk into a florist. This product also contains Rice Starch which gives a soothing property to the bath which I always adore due to having slightly dry skin. Priced at  £4.50

Rose Gold 

A micro-influencers bathing dream has come true. A bath that is completely rose gold inside and out! This bath bomb contains Ylang Ylang and Bergamot Oils, Benzoin Resinoid and Orris Root Powder which gives the bomb a sort of floral sweet scent. To me, this scent reminded me of Coconut more than anything. I like Coconut but I wasn’t expecting it to smell like this from the ingredients that are in this bomb. Does anyone else get Coconut? Let me know. Priced at £6.

Bubble Bars:

Bestie 

Snap this bubble bar in half and share with your ultimate bestie! Not only does this product look amazing due to it having a sort of entwined giraffes design but it smells amazing too! This product contains Brazilian Orange and Lime Oils which to me creates a very sort of sparkling citrus smell. Honestly this bubble bar reminds me of the Celebrate/Golden Wonder/Bubbly scent from Lush which I absolutely adore! Priced at £6.

Shower: 

Yummy Custard Body Wash 

Who doesn’t want some lovely thick creamy stuff smeared all over them in the shower? I’ve been loving the sample of Posh Chocolate Body Wash that I got a while ago, so when I saw that Lush had released another Body Wash, I was intrigued to see what it was like. This product contains Vanilla Oat Milk, Vanilla Pod Powder and Aloe Vera Gel. I guess the gel is to help with the texture of the product and to provide a bit of nourishing and healing properties to the skin whilst the double vanilla make up the scent of this product. To me, this smells like when you open a can of Ambrosia custard. Lush had a product out years ago called Hair Custard and this body wash smells the exact same as that to me! I absolutely love it. Priced at £8 per 100g. 

Mimosa Shower Gel

Cheers, Sweetie Darling. Who doesn’t love a good Mimosa? Not only is the name of this gel referencing that feel good drink but is also referencing the Mimosa Flower which sometimes gets forgotten due to the very well known drink. This gel contains Elderflower Infusion, Fresh Orange Juice, Wine Lees and Sweet Wild Orange Oils and Carnation. Absolute. This combination of scents to me reminds me of a Mimosa cocktail with a touch of floral pepperiness in the background which I’m guessing is from the Carnation and Elderflower. The texture is quite nice. Reminds me of a slightly thick serum to me. If you like anything citrus based then you will definitely love this Shower Gel! Priced at £7 for a 120g bottle. 

Soap:

Buzzy Mum 

Buzzy Mums may not have the time, but they deserve the self care! This soap not only smells cute but looks cute as it is in the shape of a very buzzy buzzy bee who are in dire need of being saved! This soap contains Camelina Seed Sativa Infusion, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Peach Powder, Carnation Absolute and Sweet Wild Orange Oil. To me, this soap smells like a sort of sweet floral concoction. I like it but I kind of wished that the Peach was a little bit more pronounced. Priced at £6.

Hands:

Lovely Hand Balm 

To misquote Scouting For Girls, they’re so lovely! Who doesn’t love a good bit of hand care? Everyone needs to have soft hands especially after the past two years! This hand product contains Everlasting Flower Absolute and Ylang Ylang which to me creates a sort of delicate soft floral scent. To me, it reminds me of slightly scented laundry detergent. This product contains a plethora of softening ingredients like Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Aloe Vera Gel and Macadamia Nut Oil to ensure that your hands are soft for hours and hours! Priced at £12.

Eyes:

Wondermum Eye Mask 

Wondermum to the rescue! This eye pad contains a plethora of ingredients including  Fennel Seed and Saffron Infusion, Fresh Carrot Juice, Aloe Gel and Carrageenan. These ingredients combine to help the eyes and to give customers who use this product a good amount of me time that they definitely deserve. The ones I used sadly ripped before I used them so it was a bit of a pain to use them. Priced at £5.  

Here’s a photo of the Just For You gift that you can buy that includesThe Olive Branch Shower Gel and Lovely Hand Balm. Priced at £16.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know down below or on social media! 

Check out Lush. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

OMG! I Love Licking Out That Chocolate Crevice! | The Chocolate Smiths & George’s Bakery Collaboration Bar

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I purchased a George’s Bakery Collaboration bar a while ago and it has finally arrived so I thought I would tell you all about it today!

If you don’t know what a collaboration bar is then the best way to put is that it’s a chocolate bar all about collaborating with other small businesses to promote said business. The chocolate smiths do this by collaborating with businesses not only through promoting them on the wrapper of the bars but by putting some of the other small businesses most liked or most known product into the bar itself  and this time it’s the turn of the sumptuous, sublime and damn right sexy salted caramel crevice that blew up on TikTok not only for its hefty holes in the middle but for the titillating tutorial of how George makes it. 

‘George's famous cornflake crevice filled with the most delicious caramel, stuffed inside a milk and white chocolate bar with white chocolate spread. And of course. We had to feature his signature OMG!'

The texture of this bar is amazing. So many different layers and textures in one bar. Not only do you have the crunchy texture of the crevice itself, but you also have the gooey caramel, the thick spread and the slightly snappy chocolate. When you put all of these in your mouth via this bar, it creates a textural experience like no other. I love a bar with different textures in it so this bar just from textures alone ticks all of the boxes for me. 

When I put a piece of this beautifully bulging bar in my mouth, the first taste that entered my mouth was the sweet yet slightly savoury cornflake crevice base itself. The crevice had a bit of a treacly undertone to it which instantly made me want to grab the whole bar and just ram it into my mouth. After this, the flavour of the devilishly decadent caramel flooded the interior of my mouth. Once this fabulous flavour flitted away from my tongue, a saline hit swam across my tongue. If you know me well, then you will know that I love not only Salted Carmel but anything with a good salty kick to it. I mean, who doesn't? This saline kick merged into the white chocolate spread which created a lovely flavour as well salty and creamy flavours are always a good thing too me. To finish off this bar to me, the last flavour that I got was the sightly sweet chocolate that The Chocolate Smiths are known for which ensured me that I remembered that this was not only a bar cranked full of delicious delights but an amazing collaboration between two small businesses. 

Would I get it again? Definitely! You get to support two small businesses, get to eat some amazing chocolate and also have the ability to lick out a delicious crevice which lets be honest is everyones number one fantasy. (This is all only possible if The Chocolate Smiths ever brought this bar out again). Now that I know what the products from George’s Bakery taste like too, I’ll definitely be making an order for one of their boxes very soon!  

Check out George’s Bakery. 

Check out The Chocolate Smiths. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Lush Lucky Tiger Bath Bomb Review

 Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. I thought that today I would talk to you all about the Lush Lunar New Year bath bomb 'Lucky Tiger'. I haven't done blog posts like this for a while so do bear with me as I have mainly stuck to creating first impression based posts about Lush products as it has just been a bit easier for me to create when there has been several products to discuss in one post. 

List Of Ingredients

Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Alcohol Denat., Dark Sumatran Patchouli Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Lavandin Oil, Siberian Fir Needle Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Elemi Oil, Water (Aqua), Titanium Dioxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, *Citral, *Citronellol, *Hydroxycitronellal, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 15985:1, Colour 19140:1, Colour 77491

I first saw the spoilers for this bath bomb and as soon as I saw that it was Karma scented, I knew that I had to have it! I am also quite happy that Lush is slowly releasing a range for Lunar New Year as I know a fair few people that celebrate it and its nice to know that somewhere that I go to will have products for Lunar New Year that I can give as gifts. 

If you haven't smelt Karma before then the best way to describe it is sort of a mixture between deep dark slightly smoky Patchouli, with punches of citrus mainly coming from a mix of Orange and Lemongrass and Incense. I realise that this sounds like such an odd mixture but I really enjoy it. I could also say that to my nose, it does remind me of a sort of mature Chocolate Orange scent. 

The scent of this bath bomb plays on the above. To me, the Patchouli and Orange come out the most in this bomb. The Lemongrass is more subtle and if you search for it in the bomb you can kind of find it. In my opinion, the other products such as Elemi, Lavender and the Fir Needle oils boost the Patchouli and Orange more than anything. I think that out of these three, the Lavender is pretty much non-existent whereas the other two help the Orange come out a bit more. I did also realise if you left this bomb covered up and left for a day or two, the Patchouli did seem to come out a lot more. 

When using this bath bomb, I noticed that it mainly turned the bath water a sort of mixture of Orange and Gold which I absolutely loved. The mixture of these two colours really uplifted my mood. The strangeness of the scent when I dropped it into the water was quite strong. I loved this as sometimes with bath bombs, I notice that the scent can be quite muted which then makes the point of using the bath bomb a bit pointless because well the point of using it is to make your bath smell gorgeous which this bomb definitely did. As mentioned above, the two most dominant scents were Patchouli and Orange and if you don't like either of this then you may not enjoy this product. Not only is this bomb gorgeous to look at, but, it is also gorgeous to use. So gorgeous to the point that I have bought multiple of these to go with my Karma perfume. It is such an amazing scent to use on a cold morning (which at the moment is every day) as it will definitely make you feel happy and uplifted whilst still evoking the feeling of Winter slightly with the Fir Needle and Patchouli Oils. 

Would I buy it again? Definitely! As stated, I did buy multiples of this product due to it being out only for the duration of the Lunar New Year festivities. I think that this could be brought out as an all year round product. Well, I hope that it does. The Karma range is not only one of my favourites at Lush but many other members of the publics favourite range from Lush and it would be a shame to not bring out a bath bomb all year round with the Karma scent.

I would give this a 9/10 overall. Why am I not giving it a 10/10? The main reasons are the fact that it is limited edition so if I enjoyed it, I had to use it before Lunar New Year to ensure that I could get another to save and enjoy later on int the year which during COVID and January when it is forever cold is a bit of a pain. 

Priced at £6.

Check out Lush. 

Have you tried anything from the Karma range before? Let me know down below. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Krispy Kreme UK Vegan Doughnuts Review

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I recently tried the three new Vegan Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme UK and I thought that I would talk about them to you all today.




Apple Custard Crumble

‘A classic apple and custard vegan filled doughnut which is topped with icing & a cinnamon crumble crumb.’ - Krispy Kreme UK.

So the texture of this doughnut was a bit tough compared to the other two vegan doughnuts which I was a bit unsure about. It seemed soft but sort of stale around the edges? It was a bit weird. The texture of the rest of doughnut was sublime otherwise. The interior was slightly chunky but smooth at the same time due to the mixture of the apple and custard which I adored and the crunchy crumble on the top contrasted beautifully with this instantly making me fall in love with this doughnut!

The taste of this doughnut was delightful! When I took a bite, the first flavour profile that hit my tongue was a sweet vanilla taste from the dough. Once this taste had dissipated, the next flavour that hit my palette was the slightly tart but fresh apple flavour. I love a good tart apple flavour in a sweet dish as this contrasts against all of the sweetness normally and stops the sweet dish (in this case the doughnut) from being sickly. The vanilla from the custard blended into the apple flavour and normally I’m a bit iffy about custard and fruit flavours mixed together but I really loved this one. Once this combination had left my tongue, the last flavour to hit the inside of my mouth was the cinnamon crumble. Now, if you know me well then you will know that I absolutely love cinnamon. The level of cinnamon in this doughnut was quite subdue though which would enable people who aren’t friends of cinnamon to enjoy the doughnut but me being me I would have loved a bit more cinnamon here.

Fudge Brownie Bliss

‘Indulge in our delicious Belgian chocolate filled doughnut, topped with chocolate icing, dark chocolate drizzle & crunchy brownie pieces. ‘ - Krispy Kreme UK.

This doughnut was similar texture to the one above but the brownie decorations actually added a bit of texture to this doughnut. The decoration added a much needed crunch to this product which I really enjoyed.

The main flavour that I got from this doughnut was chocolate. I know that this sounds severely obvious but the level of chocolate throughout eating this product was varied which I really liked. The doughnut had a slightly sweeter flavour to it which when contrasted against the slightly more molten dark chocolate filling made for a more three dimensional tasting experience compared to other chocolate baked products that I’ve had before which have ended up being really bland and one dimensional.

Caramel Choc Delight

‘Made fresh, delicious and vegan friendly doughnut. With a double filling of creamy caramel and Belgian chocolate, topped with caramel icing & dark chocolate.’ - Krispy Kreme UK.

Honestly the texture of this was quite one note. It was soft which doughnut: should be but that was about it.

The taste was questionable for me. The first flavour that jumped onto my tongue was the vanilla from the dough and then it all got a little bit confusing.

Even though there was chocolate and caramel in the middle, neither of these flavours jumped onto my tongue. The main flavour that I got from the interior of this doughnuts was pretty much just sugar. I did get a bit more of a chocolate note from the topping of the doughnut but again the one dimensional sugar flavour overwhelmed any other flavour that was in or on this doughnut. Honestly, I’d say try this flavour but In my opinion the two flavours mentioned above were ten times better.

Would I buy them again? The first two definitely. I think I would even get a dozen of just the apple flavour which is rare for me to say. All three are definitely worth a try though! Thank goodness for brands releasing vegan items that my lactose intolerant stomach can handle.

Have you tried these? Have you tried any amazing Vegan products lately?

Check out Krispy Kreme UK.

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x

Lush Valentines Day 2022 First Impressions

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. I recently went to my local Lush store and saw that the Valnetines Day range had dropped. I grabbed some of the products in this lovely range so I thought that today I would talk to you all about the range. 

Bath Bombs: 

Big Aubergine 

Who doesn't love a good 9 inch... bath bomb? This bath bomb has been out in a slightly smaller form but no matter what size this bath bomb is, its one that is adored by all. This bomb contains Bergamot, Ho Wood and Litsea Cubeba Oils, Tonka Absolute and Fresh Aubergine. The mixture of oils creates a sort of smoky creamy sherbet scent to me. If you are familiar with the scents at Lush then you may know this scent by the name of '29 High Street'. I think that this is a great bath bomb for Valentines Day for a gift or as a treat yourself gift. I think for myself, I would cut this bomb up just as I can't fathom spending £10 on a one use bath bomb. Priced £10. 

Love Bug 

Are you my Love Bug? This bath bomb looks so adorable and will definitely perk you up if you're having one of those meh days. Some of you may remember this bath bomb under their previous name 'Love Boat'. This bomb contains Sicilian Lemon, Sweet Orange and Rose Oils. I know that I said that Big Aubergine was reminiscent to sherbet in terms of scent but to me this one is definitely more sherbet reminiscent. I think where Big Aubergine had a sort of smoky note to it, this one has definitely a sort of light citrus note to it. In previous years, Love Boat reminded me more of a direct citrus scent where as Love Bug reminds me of a soft sort of citrus note. A pastel sort of version but in scent form if that makes any form of sense. I quite like this one and I think when it gets a bit warmer, this bomb would be perfect to use. Priced at £5. 

Mr. Loba Loba 

You're my Lobster! I instantly saw this bomb and thought of that very well know Friends scene! This bomb contains Benzoin Resinoid. Tonka Absolute and Almond Essential Oil. To me this is a very creamy smelling product. I quite enjoy creamy scented products from Lush as they have a soothing element to them without being one note like some other creamy smelling products that I have smelt before. To me, the Almond is there to boost the other oils up and doesn't really provide much of a scent but the other two oils create a sort of creamy, slightly sweet, slightly fruity scent which I really enjoy. It's cute, smells great and is fun for everyone. What's not to love? Priced at £3.50. 

Bubble Bars: 

Kim The Carrot 

Kevin's 15 minutes of fame has gone. Now it's time for Kim to shine! Okay, I have no idea if Kim was inspired by Kevin but well my mind instantly connected the two. I am not sure if the design was intentional which I mean it probably was because well Lush love to create a discussion, but, Kim can be shown to be nearly flashing something when her legs are crossed... Anyway, this bubble bar contains Benzoin Resinoid, Vanilla Absolute, Fresh Carrot Juice and Fresh Ginger Root. These oils combine to create a sort of creamy scent. To me, this bubble bar smells of those little candy cigarette sweets that everyone used to enjoy when they were younger. I know that this contains Ginger Root but as someone who loves Ginger as a ingredient in food and beauty products, I could not detect the Ginger Root at all! All in all a cool product with a nostalgic scent. Priced at £6. 

Shower: 

Temptation (I Can Resist Anything But Temptation)( Shower Gel 

Trust me, if you know me at all I can resist nothing... I love that Lush have shortened the name of this product online because I have trouble saying my name sometimes never mind the full title of this Shower Gel. This product contains Cinnamon Stick, Red Rose and Ginseng Infusion, Organic Apple Juice, Myrrh Resinoid, Orange Flower Absolute and Cinnamon Leaf Oil. To me, these ingredients combine to create a sort of Autumnal Red Apple scent to me. Sort of what you want to smell in a burning candle at the beginning of Autumn when the weather is getting cold. If you are familiar with scents from Lush then you may know the scent in this Shower Gel through the Apple Crumble Bubble Bar. All in all, a great shower gel that I will definitely use when I want that sort of mixture of spice and fresh Spring like Apples. Priced from £7 for a 100g bottle. 

Strawberry Heart Shower Jelly 

Everyone beats to their own drum! I love when Lush create a shaped Shower Jelly and this lovely slightly thematically dark Heart is no exception. I mean who doesn't want a squishy heart that only cleanses and nourishes the body but also that they can squeeze when thoughts of past lovers creep into their head? This product contains Fresh Strawberry Juice, Sicilian Lemon, Lime and Ho Wood Oils and Jasmine Absolute. To me, this concoction of oils creates a sort of fresh Strawberry Laces scent to me. I know that Strawberry Laces aren't fresh nor do they have a fresh scent to them but this product reminds me of a more real and slightly grassy smelling Strawberry Laces. I love everything about this product. The shape, the smell, the thoughts of pretending that this a real heart... Priced at £5

Soap: 

New Rose Soap 

Mmm... Smells like Rosebuds... This soap contains Lavender, Brazilian Orange, Ylang Ylang and Rose Hip Oils and Rose Absolute. This scent was out last Valentines Day in the form of Love Me Do Bath Melt. To me, this scent smells kind of like smoky and slightly wet fresh Cotton which I am not going to lie isn't my most favourite scent. Although I sound like I am slating it from the scent alone, I can grasp why some may really enjoy this scent palette especially in a soap format and I urge you all to go and smell it for yourselves. Priced at £7. 

Lips: 

Hot Lips Lip Mask & Scrub 

Who doesn't love a big pair of juicy Cherry Lips? I am a bit hesitant when it comes to products such as lip masks and sheet masks due to having barely a shred of dexterity and the products being so fiddly all of the time. However, this mask was easy to put on. I always need more nourishment when it comes to my lips due to my lip piercing so I was hoping this would do that and it really did! This product contains Davana, Lime and Almond Essential Oils which creates a lovely sort of Cherry Bakewell/Cherry Lips scent. This product also contains Bamboo Stem Extract which helps to scrub the lips through rubbing some of this product all over them. I think that this is such a creative product for Lush and I definitely think that you should all try it. I absolutely love it. Priced at £3. 

Have you checked out the new Valentines Day range from Lush? Let me know down below or on my social media channels. 

Check out Lush. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

The Chocolate Smiths 99 Ice Cream Bizarre Bar Review

 Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that today I would talk to you all about some amazing chocolate that I tried recently. 

The Chocolate Smiths are a small business based in the heart of Newcastle who create innovative inventive Chocolate bars that no one could ever think of. I have followed them for years on Instagram and with my anxious indecisive mind I have always wanted to get some of their products so I decided that finally I would. The best short way to sum up The Chocolate Smiths is that they are an amazing team who are living the dream of having their own fabulous chocolate factory in Newcastle that you can view thanks to Instagram stories. 

The texture of this bar was amazing. When I took a bite of this bar, the first sort of textural component that made me excited to eat more of this bar was the snap of the chocolate. I'm one of those people who likes to have fridge cold snappable chocolate rather than room temperature Chocolate. However, I tried some of this as soon as the parcel arrived and even at room temperature, the Chocolate was snappable  which I adored. That sort of snap contrasted with the creaminess of the fillings that were inside this bar was amazing. I love a good bit of smooth and crisp against each other. Furthermore, this sort of crisp versus cream texture war carried on after due to the wafter pieces that are also in this product. The wafer provided a different sort of crisp which I loved. A sort of more crunchy crisp if that makes any form of sense. I always look for different types of textures in my Chocolate products and boy this didn't disappoint me at all. Not only did this bar provide all of the textures but also provided all of the aesthetics that you could ever want in a Chocolate Bar. 

The taste of this bar was beautiful. The first flavour profile that jumped onto my tongue was the Chocolate itself. Slightly creamy but not rich. I realised that creamy but rich sounds simplistic but what I mean by that is that this bar has a sort of creamy note to it without being sickly which I loved due to having some mass produced bars that are so creamy that I can only have a couple of squares before I don't want to touch it for a fair while. Once the chocolate flavour calmed down, next on the flavour train was the filling. I love Raspberry. To be honest, the raspberry and vanilla filling was why I was drawn to this bar in particular. The Raspberry and Vanilla worked well together. I know when some hear Raspberry and Vanilla, they imagine those split flavour yoghurts but this was nothing like that. The Raspberry added a sharp burst to the whole bar and made you wanting more and more where as the Vanilla to me added a bit more of that creaminess but in a completely different way than the Chocolate did. I really enjoyed this bar as it kept surprising me. Finally on the train of taste was the Wafer Cone pieces. Oh my god these were amazing. These shards of cone added a salty edge to the bar and well all I will say is that if you know me at all then you will know that I am a lover of sweet and salty flavours together. This bar definitely took me on a ride and I loved it. 

Would I buy it again? Yes. I think that this bar is definitely one of those that you buy when you need a pieck me up. I know that some may say that £4.99 is a lot for a Chocolate Bar and it may be but you can tell why it is that price when you take a bite of this bar as you can see, feel and taste the love and craftsmanship the has gone into this bar. 

If you haven't checked out The Chocolate Smiths then please do by clicking on their name in this sentence as it will send you to all of their amazing and creative chocolate products. 

What's your favourite Chocolate Bar at the moment? Let me know down below. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Subway T.L.C (Tastes Like Chicken) Tikka Review

 Hey everyone! 

I recently had to go out to run some errands. Whilst on my little trip outside, I decided to grab one of the new T.L.C (Tastes Like Chicken) Tikka Subs from Subway UK. I thought that today I would talk to you all about my thoughts on this new Vegan Fast Food product. 

'Introducing our new plant-based T.L.C.® Tikka, unbelievably delicious. Packed full of flavour with traditional Indian spices, loaded with crispy veggies.' - Subway UK. 

As you know, Subway is the land of imagination and choices. I decided to choose Hearty Italian bread, Vegan Cheese Toasted, Red Onion, Mixed Peppers and Gherkins with Garlic Aioli as the components that would be helping the Vegan Tikka sing when it came to consuming this sandwich.

The texture of the TLC Tikka itself reminded me of a very succulent strip of Chicken. I will probably use this reference many times throughout this post, but, imagine a piece of the ready cooked chicken that you can get for picnics and such in the supermarket but more succulent. I love that Subway have decided to ensure that these TLC pieces were in strip form rather than in chunks as it made for a more easy eating experience in my opinion. The soft and succulent TLC pieces contrasted with the crisp vegetables and slightly crunchy bread is what really made this sandwich an amazing product to consume. 

When I wrapped my mouth around this perfect product, the first flavour that jumped onto my tongue was the slightly spicy yet slightly sweet Tikka flavouring. To me, it reminded me of a classic Tikka flavouring that you can find in many products around the UK but with a little bit more sweetness to it. It made me think that Mango or something fruit based had been added to the Tikka paste as it had a slightly fruity yet slightly sweet tang to it. This flavouring was the main star of the show. However, once this flavour had flown from my tongue, the flavouring of the TLC came through. To me, the flavour notes of the pieces themselves reminded me of a sort of a savoury broth. Not too strong in flavour, but enough to add a bit of umami to the pieces and Tikka flavouring that coated them. Finally, the last flavour that hit my palette was the mixture of sour and heat from the mixture of Onion, Gherkins and Garlic Aioli. The Peppers did add a bit of sweetness but I noticed that the sweetness mainly didn't stand out unless it was paired with the TLC pieces. This mixture of sour and heat was amazing against the slightly sweet bread. I love anything that has a Garlic kick to it so it made me enjoy this superb Sub even more. 

Would I purchase this again? Definitely. I would get it again and maybe change some of the vegetables that go into it up a bit. The Tikka pieces themselves were great and I would love them to be around all year round! I'm glad that Subway are adding more meat free options and hopefully the T.L.S (Tastes Like Steak) comes to all stores soon. Definitely a bright burst of flavour that we all need during this very cold January! 

Have you tried the T.L.C Tikka? Let me know down below! 

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x

McDonalds UK McPlant Review

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. I tried the McPlant from McDonalds recently and I thought that today I would talk to you all about it. 

'A vegan burger made with a juicy plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat® featuring vegan sandwich sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and a vegan alternative to cheese in a sesame seed bun.'

The texture of this burger was amazing. I sometimes do think that the burger meat at McDonalds can vary and can sometimes be a little dry but this patty was anything but dry. It was succulent and honestly did feel very much like the texture of a succulent burger to me. It reminded me very much of a succulent burger or a Swedish meatball sort of texture. Even though this burger provided lots of succulency, it did also contain some crunch which was a pleasant surprise. The mixture of the crunchy Pickles and onions ensured that this burger wasn't one dimensional unlike some of the other meat free burgers that I have tried before. 

When I took a bite of this burger, the first flavour profile that hit my tongue was the meaty and slightly smoky plant based patty. This particular patty was slightly subdue when it came to tasting of 'meat' and smoke but still packed a kick. The flavour of the burger patty itself wasn't too strong and allowed the other components of the burger sing in harmony with the patty. When this flavour died down on my tongue, the vegan sauce was the next to board the flavour train that was flourishing in my mouth. This particular sauce contained notes of sweet and sour due to containing a plethora of sauces and powders. Due to this combination of sauces, it meant that every bite that I took was a different tasting experience. Last but not least, the fresh vegetables and cheese jumped onto my palette. The mixture of fresh and sour vegetables mixed with the creamy and slightly sweet Vegan Cheese made for a concrete combination. I love sweet and salty or sweet and sour so the mix of creamy cheese and sour pickles is definitely one that I enjoyed. 

Would I buy this again? Definitely! For someone who is lactose intolerant, finding a fast food product that doesn't completely upset my stomach and tastes great is very rare. The taste of this burger is sensational and surprise surprise, I have enjoyed this burger a fair few times now and I have enjoyed it every time that I have tucked into it. I am definitely glad that times are changing and more establishments are catering to a plant based audience. 

Have you tried this burger? From what I know, this burger is at limited stores until the beginning of this month (January 1st) and will be rolled to all stores throughout early January so that everyone can enjoy it during Veganuary. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x 

McDonalds Festive Burgers 2021 Review

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post. I tried the new two burgers that are out for the festive period at McDonalds and I thought that I would talk to you about them today. 

Blogger has decided to be weird so please ignore that this may not look like a normal blog post from this blog. 

 


Festive Stack

‘Two 100% British and Irish beef patties with a red onion relish, white cheese sauce, bacon, crispy onions, red onion, lettuce, cheddar cheese in a glazed brioche style bun‘.

I quite enjoyed the texture of this burger. The chewiness of the meat patties against the the crunchiness of the onion pieces was sublime. Once the crunchiness of the fried onions had stopped partying on my tongue, a smooth saucy wave hit my tongue which I absolutely adored. These three textural components for me made up most of the burger and made it a great eating experience.

The flavour of this burger only added to the excellent eating experience. When I took a bite of this burger, after the savouriness of the meat hit my tongue, a wave of rich and delicious red onion relish took over. I really enjoyed it. After the red onion calmed down, the cheese sauce hit my palette like a wave of creamy goodness which combines with the after taste of the onion relish ensured that the cheese sauce wasn’t too rich for my personal taste.

Festive Crispy Chicken

‘ A chicken breast fillet in a crispy coating, cranberry sauce, sage & onion mayo, bacon, red onion, lettuce, cheddar cheese in a glazed poppy and sesame seed bun’.

The texture of this burger was a unusual one for me. The poppy and sesame seed bun created crunch which was different as normally the sesame seeds on burger buns don’t usually provide any texture to the dish overall. After the crunch of the bun came the crunch of the patty itself and, for me; it was a bit too much. After the double crunch came the chew of the bacon which didn’t provide much except an aching jaw. All in all, personally it was just a bit too much.

The taste profile of this burger was fabulously festive. When I took my first bite I had a sea of savouriness flood my mouth, after this the sweet taste of classically festive Cranberry crashed my mouth. I quite like the mix of sweet and savoury so I loved them. Once this had dissipated, a creamy flavour coated my tongue. It was meant to be sage and onion Mayo but honestly it tasted more like savoury cream than stuffing to me but every palette is different.



Would I get them again? If I’m in McDonalds and want something festive then I would pick one up but I wouldn’t rush out to get them.

Have you tried these burgers from McDonalds? Let me know down below.

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x

Aldi Festive Sandwiches 2021 (Turkey Feast & Brie & Cranberry) Review

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I recently tried two of the new festive sandwiches at Aldi and I thought that I would talk to you about them today. 

Eat and GoTurkey Feast 

Cooked turkey breast, pork, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry chutney, mayonnaise, cooked smoked bacon and fried onion on malted bread

The textural aspect of this product was quite sublime. This sandwich contained a lot of the same sort of texture just in different thickness levels such as the thick chunks of stuffing against the thin texture. Even though these were slightly different (eg. different varieties of meat, different flavours and cut into different shapes), they were very similar when it came to texture. However, what made this sandwich sublime when it came to the texture was the fried onions. Against all of the sort of succulent meats and stuffing, the onions added a much needed crunch which when contrasted with the soft meats and smooth sauce and Mayo made for a great mouth feel. 

When I took a bite of this product, the first flavour note that I got was the savouriness from the turkey. When the savouriness of the succulent turkey disappeared, the flavour of the superb sage and onion stuffing hit my palette like a wave of flavour. I love stuffing in all shapes and forms so when this particular flavour hits my tongue I am always happy to enjoy it. The last flavour that mainly hit my palette from this sandwich was the cranberry. This fruity flavour hit my tongue and contrasted amazingly with all of the savoury flavours that had been going on throughout this product. 

Eat & Go Brie & Spiced Cranberry Chutney Sandwich 

'Mould ripened brie cheese with cranberry, orange and ginger chutney, mayonnaise and spinach on malted bread'. 

The texture of this product wasn't the best. Honestly, the texture of this product isn't bad, but, as there isn't anything severely contrasting, this means that it does scream a bit one note when you bite into this product. I did love the smooth cheese against the slightly crunchy seeded bread. This was the nearest to a textural contrast when it comes to consuming this sandwich in my opinion. 

This product may have lacked texture, but it definitely didn't disappoint when it came to taste. When I took a bite of this product, the first flavour note that flourished onto my tongue was the salty and creamy Brie. I don't eat Brie often because its sometimes hard to find for me, but when I do enjoy it, I can't get enough of it. After the creaminess cooled, the next flavour that jumped onto my tongue was the Spinach. To me, Spinach does't have much flavour but kind of has a saline yet iron based flavours to em. That sounds weird, I know but do you know what I mean? This added to the saltiness of the Cheese. After this, the final flavour that hit my palette was the fruity Cranberry. This worked amazingly against the salty and creamy flavours that screamed volumes in this product. I loved the flavour contrast of salt and sweet. It was to die for. 

Would I buy these again? Yes, definitely! They both tasted delicious and priced at £1.75, you can't not buy these again and again! 

Have you tried these? Let me know down below. 

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x

Lush All Year Round Editions Winter 2021 Range First Impressions

 Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. Lush kindly sent me their new range of all year round bath bombs so I thought that today I would talk to you all about them! 

Black Rose 

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. This bath bomb smells as sweet as an actual Rose! This product has been out before but has come back with not only a vengeance but also with a little bit of a makeover! This bomb contains Pakistani Rose Absolute, Rose Oil, Geranium Oil and Sicilian Lemon Oil. This bomb smells like a lovely mixture of a Lemon squeezed over some cooked down Roses. If you like anything with a floral kick then you will love this. I love this bomb but I do think that it is definitely one of those bombs that is fit for a certain mood especially with it's deep and dark colours that shoot themselves all over the tub. If you love anything glitter based then you will also love this bomb. This particular bomb is actually my friend Abbey's favourite bomb! Priced at £6. 

Diamond Dust 

Diamonds are a tubs best friend! Who doesn't love Diamonds? Not only is this bomb inspired by a Diamond but it also looks like a Diamond! This bomb contains Nerolii, Ylang Ylang, Black Pepper, Sandalwood and Vetivert Oils. To me, the first ingredient that I can smell in this bomb is black Pepper which I absolutely love but this has a sort of smoky, slightly fresh scent to it. If you love glitter then you will love this bomb as the glitter in this bomb makes your bath look like well Diamond Dust! I'm intrigued to see what this bomb is like as I was intrigued by the smell which smells like Breath Of God to me. Priced at £8.50 which is quite expensive but would be nice to purchase every now and again as a gift. 

Lakes 

Lets go bathe in the Lakes and think about all of the things that we regret in our life. When this bomb was first rumoured, it was apparently inspired by Taylor Swift but there is no mention of this in the description of the bomb now so I am guessing that Lush may have been scolded by someone related to Taylor Swift maybe? This bomb contains Labdanum Resinoid Siberian Fir Needle Oil, Osmanthus Absolute and Myrrh Resinoid. To me this smells very fresh. It reminds me kind of like a mixture of sea water and Cucumbers with a touch of the smell of Grass. Yes I know that this sounds like a weird mixture but I think that this would be perfect for those nights where you need to relax or a bomb for those mornings in the Spring. Priced at £5.50 and I think that it would be perfect for someone as a gift. 

Luxe 

Who doesn't love a good bit of Luxe-try? This bath bomb is a bomb that I was intrigued and unsure of before it came out as I had no idea of the scent notes or ingredients but I quote like it. This bomb contains Rose and Jasmine Absolutes, Ylang Ylang and Sandalwood Oils and Vanilla Absolute. To me, this has notes of the Cocktail perfume from Lush but a bit more woody and sweet? I enjoy Cocktail so I think that this has a sort of air of Cocktail to it. I have the Cocktail Bubble Bar so I may pair it with a tiny bit of it just to see if my nose is right. The bomb itself looks pretty and I can't wait to use it. Priced at £7.

The Experimenter 

Who doesn't love a good experiment? The Experimenter is back with a bang! When this first came out during the Oxford Street megastore

 launch, I fell in love with it. The smell was to die for and still is! This product contains Vetivert Oil and Vanilla Absolute. This smell to me creates a woody yet creamy scent. Personally, I think that it smells like when fireworks have been used. I know that sounds odd but I really love the scent. it also contains Popping Candy for a real sensory treat! Definitely one to try if you haven't before. Priced at £6.50. 

Think Pink 

Who would have thought that Think Pink is back! A classic back for good! This bomb used to be the bee's knees for a lot of people when it was out. Sadly I wasn't one of them but I appreciated the bomb. This bomb contains Vanilla Absolute, Lavender and Neroli Oils which to me creates a sort of very sweet floral scent. This bomb is also coated in glitter which I love and has always reminded me of Mean Girls for obvious reasons. The Body Spray of the same scent name wasn't my favourite but I quite liked the bomb when I smelt it before writing this so I think that my nose has changed a bit when it comes to certain scents. Priced at £6.50.

Unicorn Poop 

Unicorns are amazing and so are their poops! When I heard about this bomb ages ago, I heard that this would be in the same scent as the Uncorn Horn Bubble Bar. Now that I have smelt it, this is definitely not the case! (If it is then let me know but the last time that I checked it wasn't). This product contains Ylang Ylang, Davana and Bergamot Oils and Jasmine Absolute. To me, the first note that I got was Lemon which I guess was from the Bergamot itself. I didn’t really get much of the Davana but I got a lot of the powdery floral from the Ylang Ylang and Jasmine. I am intrigued to try and use this bomb just to see if the Davana and Bergamot transfer well to the water in the tub. Priced at £6. 

So what do you think of all of these bombs? Im intrigued to see what they're lie in the bath. Have you tried any of the bombs? Leet me know! 

Thanks to Lush for sending me these products. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

This post was in exchange for free products or services. All views and ramblings are my own.