Chocolate Chip Cookies

So on Wednesday, I was feeling a little creative and decided that I was going to put my baking hat on and go a little nuts.  I’m not a baker, and so by nuts, I mean I whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  I followed a recipe on the BBC Good Food website listed below, only I doubled the recipe.  I wanted to make big, chunky cookies, and so doubling the recipe meant that I would still get the same amount of cookies as the standard batch, just bigger!

You will need:

300g salted butter (soften before use for an easier mix)

160g brown sugar

160g granulated or caster sugar

Vanilla extract (to your preference)

2 large eggs

450g plain flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2tsp salt

400g chocolate chips

The above ingredients are for the double batch that I made, for a standard batch, simply half the amount per item.

To start, you should preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.  After this, I then lined four (that’s right, I had four trays of cookies) with a non-stick greased baking paper to stop them from sticking to the trays. 

Next, you mix the butter and sugars into a bowl, and beat them until thick and creamy.  Once this was done, I then added in the vanilla (which I’m not going to lie, I added about half a 90ml bottle to the mixture), and slowly poured in the whisked eggs.  The toughest part was sieving in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the salt to the mixture and mixing it all together until it came to the cookie dough.  The mixture was so tough that I actually managed to snap a wooden spoon, how many of you can say you’ve done that whilst making cookies?!  

RIP

Finally, you add in the chocolate chips and stir them in so that they are mixed all the way through.  I used two bags of milk chocolate chips on Wednesday when I made them, and today used three bags, one milk, one white and one dark.  I will be following today’s footsteps forever more, just so you are all aware.

Finally, you’re ready to scoop them out onto your trays and pop them in the oven.  I placed large round blobs of the mixer on the trays, I managed approx. 7 cookies per tray.  Because they were larger, the cookies did take a lot longer to cook (today about 20-25 minutes) – but it is totally worth the extra time!

Once cooked, leave them for about 5-10 minutes and tada!  You’ve got yourself a tasty, and very calorific snack… enjoy!

Please note, that this recipe was sourced from BBC Good Food, I simply altered the recipe to my own preference :)

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2459643/vintage-chocolate-chip-cookies

What’s your favourite dessert to bake?

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Sympathy for the Skin Body Lotion

The name of this lotion intrigued me from the moment that I first spotted it in Lush about a year ago.  I have always been a big fan of their Charity Pot Lotion, and so it took me a while before I decided to branch out of my comfort zone and give this product a whirl.  This was an online purchase, and so it was the ingredients that attracted me to it.  I love to smell nice, I have a phobia of smelling bad, and so the vanilla was a winner from the get go.  The cocoa butter and banana were an added bonus too -  I knew that this concoction would smell delish, and that these three ingredients would be nourishing for my skin, never mind the whole other list of goodness packed in there too.  

This lotion is very light to put on, it rubs in nicely and although feels greasy – absorbs really quickly into the skin making it feel really supple and hydrated within ten minutes of applying.  I tend to use quite a lot of this at one time, my skin gets really dry super quickly, however if you have fairly normal/healthy skin I imagine that this product would last you a very long time as you probably wouldn't need to use  a lot.  When my skin is particularly bad, I like to use this on my face before I apply my makeup.  It works brilliantly as a base before applying a primer, which makes me love it even more as there are very few moisturisers that I have come across that would allow me to do this.  I will however point out that you do only need a tiny bit to make sure you’re not left feeling really greasy. 

Running very low 

At £5.95 for a 100g tub and £11.95 for 240g – I give this product a 9/10 as it does everything that I need it to do for my skin.  I love everything about it, the smell the feel, the results it gives.  It only looses one mark simply for the price.  I wouldn’t normally pay so much for so little, but because I (at the moment) have my skin reasonably under control, I don’t need to use it as often.  However because this product is packed in a Lush black pot, if you clean them and keep them until you have 5, you can pick up a free fresh face mask.  So it's not all bad, really.   Sympathy for the Skin is a firm favourite moisturiser of mine, and I would recommend it to anyone – regardless of their skin type.  The nutrients packed into this lotion would do good for everyone's skin, and make them smell yummy also.

What's your favourite body lotion at the moment?

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Lush Dark Angels Face and Body Scrub

There is nothing that I enjoy more after a long day either at work or at uni, than taking off my makeup and jumping in the shower.  One of my latest purchases from Lush, is their Dark Angels face and body scrub, made with black sugar and charcoal for a gentle exfoliation and deep clean.  What really attracted me to this cleanser was its slogan on the Lush app “for those of you who really like to scrub your skin to feel clean” – because I am SO guilty of this.  I used to pick facial scrubs with microbeads in them, because I truly believed that these were the only products to give my skin that just washed feel that I desired.  However, after it was brought to my attention just how bad these were for the environment, and how many alternatives that there actually are to give my skin a good scrubbing, I was very easily converted.

Dark Angels hidden in with the rest of my boxing day sale goodies!

Dark Angels comes in one of the Lush black pots.  The scrub itself is black in colour, and sits in a soft/solid state – I think it kind of resembles playdoh!  Dark Angels smells an awful lot like liquorice, which I am not a fan of, however I didn’t let this put me off… and neither should you!  To use, you simply break a bit off, and either lather in your hands or apply straight onto the face or desired area for a great clean!  The charcoal gives the skin a very intense cleaning sensation, you can tell that it is cleaning deep into your pores, with very little effort being made.  What I really love about Dark Angels is the ease of which it works, you don’t need to scrub your whole face into a red hot mess to feel the benefits of it!  This scrub is strong enough for a gentle scrub over the face – but if you’re like me, I like to give my problem areas an extra good scrub with each use (just for good measure). When it’s washed off - you’re good to go, leaving your skin feeling clean and moisturised after every use!

Scrub scrub scrub

Retailing for about £6.95 for 100g tub, I believe that Dark Angels is a bargain for the results that it gives!   I’ve had mine now for a near 2 months, and after using it near every single day, I’ve only now approaching the end of the tub – with probably another 2-3 weeks left in it!  Since I started using this product, my face looks a lot clearer and feels softer, which makes me super happy.  I’ve noticed a huge improvement in my problem areas in regards to black heads – and so it is safe to say that Dark Angels will be a new favourite cleanser of mine.  And don’t forget, keep the tub when you’ve finished the product, give it a good clean and put it aside until you have 5 black Lush pots.  Take these into your local Lush store and you can pick up a fresh facemask, totally free!

What’s your favourite cleanser from the Lush range?  I’ve purchased but not used the Movis facial soap yet, have you tied it out?

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Fresh Flowers at Tesco Program

A couple of weeks ago now, I decided to sign up to The Orchard Program by Tesco.  It’s a great way to try out loads of products that Tesco have on offer both online and instore – for free or at discounted prices.  Not long after I signed up and started filling out surveys, they asked me if I would be interested in taking part in the Fresh Flowers at Tesco program.  Naturally, I signed up without hesitation – I love flowers however I never really buy them for myself to them and so this was the perfect way to go about it. 

A £5 voucher for Tesco fresh flowers arrived through the post last week, which I was delighted about because all of the Valentine’s Day flowers were catching my eye every time I had to nip instore.  I’ve always found that Tesco have a beautiful flower selection no matter what time of the year it is, and when you can pick up a pretty bunch of tulips for as little as £3 with the promise of 8 days freshness, you can’t really go wrong, can you? 

Day 1

In the end, I went for a pretty £5 bouquet of white and pink roses, with some yellow lilies in the mix – both of my favourite flowers combined into one bunch!  These were not from the Valentine’s Day selection – however I did very nearly come away with a pretty bouquet of fresh red roses before these ones caught my eye.

Day 2

I’ve had these flowers displayed in my bedroom since late Saturday night when I picked them up with my mum.  The lilies are still opening up day by day, however the roses are still looking beautiful in colour and life!  All of the flowers look healthy and fresh on day 5 of their life with me (I’m surprised they’ve not died yet if I’m being totally honest… I’m not very good with plants) – and I’m pretty sure they will outlast Tesco’s 8 day freshness guarantee.

Day 4

Beautiful

Have you #triedforfree on the Tesco Orchard Program?

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Sky's Body Shop at Home Facial Care

Alongside the body care products that Sky dropped off for me last week, she left a variety of different facial care products for me to try out on my sensitive skin.  The majority of the products she left came from the Vitamin E range, which is specially tailored to suit all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Vitamin E Facial Exfoliating Scrub

This facial wash was very gentle, and it felt really nice as you applied it to the skin.  The scrub was cream based, and so although it felt really moisturising and soft, you could really feel that you were getting a good scrub.  I really loved that it was cream based and not a gel like formula – it was so moisturising and so because of that, I didn’t have that crazy mad dash to get the moisturiser on my face the second after I got out the shower.

Vitamin E Ice Cube

This little product felt really refreshing applying it around the eyes, and I loved that it wasn’t greasy and so I was able to apply my make up straight after each use!  I didn’t use this product often enough to notice any dramatic changes, however I have only seen good reviews about it.  The cooling sensation that it gave when I applied it around my eyes was enough to make me consider buying it in the future.

Vitamin E Day and Night Creams

Both these products felt really nice on my face, they gave a calm and also a slight cooling sensation effect to the skin – which I found after applying straight from the shower really nice.  What I really liked about the day cream was that it made the perfect base for my BB cream in the morning.  I only had to leave it to sit for a minute or so before applying the BB cream, and even after an 8 hour shift at work my skin still looked great!  I also loved that both the creams were so light to wear, which was perfect on my no make-up days because it didn’t feel greasy at all.  I like to make sure that my skin is well treated at all times, and so these creams were the perfect combination for my skin type.

Vitamin E Serum & Aloe Restoring Mask

Now I only used these two products once throughout the week that I had them, and so I don’t feel as though I can give a detailed report on how well they worked or not.  I was excited to try out the oil because this was something that I’ve been keen to try for a while.  I used a couple of drops to cover the whole of my face, and in the morning my face felt really soft and even moisturised.  I would be interested to see if using this product over a period of time would make noticeable changes to my skin or not.  The aloe face mask was quite a thick clear mixture, however you only need to apply a thin layer across the face which was good because I was worried that it would get hot and sticky overnight.  In the morning I did notice that my skin was really smooth and soft, however I do think this would be a product that you had to use over a period of time to see any noticeable differences.

Eye Mask

This was something that I really enjoyed using at night or first thing in the morning because it was so refreshing and cooling.  I didn’t even put it in the fridge like Sky had suggested, yet after each use my eyes felt more awake.  My skin looked plumped and revitalised and overall I just felt as though I had been well and truly pampered.  This is something that I would apply to any patch of irritated skin for instant relief.

Vitamin E Toner & Cleanser

I absolutely loved both of these products, they were perfect for removing the very last of my make up at night as well as giving my skin that extra little bit of hydration first thing in the morning before applying my make up.  Like most of the Vitamin E products that I tried, they felt extremely light on the face and always left my skin feeling as though it had just been given the best clean ever.  These two will be products that I hope to pick up in the near future.

The favourites

I’m really grateful that Sky gave me the opportunity to use these products on a trial basis, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve found a few products that I will most definitely be using again, and look forward to trying out some of the other products suitable for dry and sensitive skin in the future.

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Sky's Body Shop at Home

So last week, an old friend of mine got in touch with me after having come across my blog on Instagram.  Sky is a Body Shop Consultant, and has been representing the brand for a little under a year now.  She asked me a few questions about my skin type, and wanted to know if I had ever tried any of the Body Shop products for sensitive and dry skin.  I had never been aware that the Body Shop catered for my skin type. I’ve always been a fan of their body butters, however over the years as my skin has gotten worse, I’ve chosen to stay away from them – simply to avoid any unnecessary irritation... even though they all smell good enough to eat!  She asked if I would be interested in trying out some of the products on a trial basis, and to give feedback on the products designed to look after dry and irritated skin like mine – and so of course I said yes!  She dropped off a large selection of products for me to try out: face, body and even foot products – and then left me to try them all out!  This week, I’ve been making my way through the bundle and I am glad to report only good things from the selection she left me…

Just a select few of the items Sky dropped off last week

Vitamin E Body Butter

As I said before, the Body Shop body butters have always been a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember, and so I was super excited to see that there was a body butter for dry skin which states it would moisturise without irritating.  To look at, the butter was a beautiful pink colour, which I’m not going to lie kind of worried me a little as I’ve found coloured products to be really irritating in the past!  However I chose to ignore this thought as Sky had provided me with a little notebook with some information about each product she had dropped off.  I loved how thick the mixture is, yet how light it felt on my skin.  I don’t feel caked in moisturiser when I wear this, unlike some of the other moisturisers I’ve used in the past.  Because my skin is so dry, I do find myself applying more of this throughout the day – however it is not a lot that I need to use to top up and I don’t imagine that this would be necessary for normal skin types.  The butter has worked wonders on my elbows over the last week, which is amazing because I have yet to come across a product that actually works on this part of my skin.  Overall, I would totally recommend this product to everyone and anyone despite their skin type.  This is a product that I will be treating myself to in the future – the only thing stopping me from doing it now is my funds!

 

The difference in my skin (right to left) using the body butter from last Friday - Wednesday!

Peppermint Cooling Foot Cream

To start with, I love the smell!  It’s not overly minty – but it does give a nice and refreshing scent as you apply it.  The smell does tend to linger throughout the day too, which is fab because when I’m on my feet all day doing a nine hour shift – my feet don’t smell fresh like roses by the end of the day!  This is not a product that I’ve used every day since it was dropped off, however I have actually noticed that my feet feel softer to touch around my heel which was an unexpected bonus.  Overall, my feet just generally don’t look quite so gross to look at, which was nice to see after just a few uses.  I’m not normally one to fuss about buying products for my feet, however after seeing how easy it was to use this product and see results – it is something that I would consider purchasing.

Rose Body Wash

I’m not crazy about the smell of flowers ever really, and if I’m being perfectly honest – rose scented anything is something that I would normally go out of my way to try and avoid.  However, with that being said, I didn’t actually hate the scent of this new body wash range.  It lathered up amazingly, which I was very surprised by as I used very little of it.   This is not something that I would rush out to purchase for myself I don’t think – however for a rose scented shower gel, it did smell pretty good and very fresh!

Moringa Body Scrub

I love Love LOVE this product!  I’m totally amazed by just how gentle it is yet how effective.  I was feeling brave and so I applied this directly onto my irritated skin (normally I would avoid these areas until they were a little less red and sore).  You can feel that the seeds have scrubbed away at the dead skin, and yet the cream has coated the area to give it moisture and TLC.  I’m also amazed at how well treated my skin feels after each use, there is no irritation, just smooth and great feeling skin.  This is another product that I will be buying as soon as my funds permit! (Damn student life!)

Aloe Body Butter

Much in the same as the Vitamin E Body Butter, this product was great for use straight out of the shower.  I only needed a small amount each use to give my skin a good moisturise, and it didn’t take long for it to soak in at all.  I really liked that this one gave a cooling effect when it was rubbed in, I don’t know if this is simply because my skin tends to be super-hot after I shower or what, but this made my skin feel super nice and cold which I adored!  Although I’m not crazy about the scent, I would probably pick this product up if I was browsing or there was a special offer on! 

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of all of the body care products, and that’s not to mention the face care ones Sky left for me to try also!  I’ll fill you in on those ones later…

If you feel like treating yourself to a couple of the products mentioned above, or anything for that matter, you can order directly from Sky here: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402703613387143/?fref=ts

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Problematic skin

Since I was about 15 years old, I have been struggling with troubled skin on and off.  Many trips to the doctors soon determined that eczema was what I was dealing with, and I have since learned that eczema is not something that can be easily cured, however to a certain degree, it can be treated.  Doctors have told me that my eczema is a product of stress, which to some degree I suppose could be true. 

I was getting ready to sit my standard grade exams when my skin flared up for the first time.  My eyelids were red raw and cracked all over, my elbows and neck stinging and weeping from the scratching and clawing I was doing to my skin.  For the most part, the doctor’s prescriptions would clear up my breakouts, trying all sorts of creams, steroids, ointments and even antihistamines to ease the symptoms.  This would however only work for a couple of months before my skin was flared up to its painful and itchy state. 

During my first year of college, around about the time everything was getting ready to be handed in my first graded unit, I had a major breakout that resulted in me requiring antibiotics to clear away the infection.  My arms were red from my fingers to my shoulder blades, my neck weeping and bleeding, and my face tight and sore even with the slightest movement.  The problem had spread everywhere from my thighs, back, stomach and chest.  I had to take days off work and college, and spent most of that time curled up in loose clothing and towels, bathing in moisturiser to ease the pain.  I even went to the extreme of bathing in a bath of camomile tea to try and ease the itch after reading online it was meant to help.  It did nothing.  I wouldn’t recommend.  It took about a month for the symptoms to clear fully (with the help of the doctors prescriptions.. not the tea bath).   However we got there – many trips to the doctors later.  It was a horrible experience that I would not wish upon anyone.

The worst breakout I've had to date!

Since then, I’ve learned how to deal with eczema and I know now what kind of products to avoid to try and prevent any irritation.  I’ve tried many products during the last couple of years to ease my symptoms, not very many have worked I must say, however there are a few that have been my safe haven ever since that last breakout. 

Moisturiser is key is what I will say for now, and I can’t wait to share all of my favourite skin care products later.

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Beanies flavoured coffee

I have been a self-confessed coffee fanatic since I was probably about 14/15 years old.  Coffee is like a fifth limb to me, I actually fear the days when I don’t have time for my morning brew because I honestly struggle to function without it.  It’s definitely not a healthy relationship that I have with my favourite hot beverage, but hey, I’m happy and breathing.  That’s all that matters for now.

Beanies flavoured coffee have been a favourite brand of mine for very many years now, after my mum and dad came across their small but exciting range in a Sainsburys store during one of their Christmas shops.  Irish Cream, Almond Amaretto and Cinder Toffee were the three flavours that introduced me to the wonderful world of Beanies, and the start of a beautiful (and obsessive) relationship.

This was a familiar screen for a very long time...

Over the years since I have been following and purchasing from Beanies, they’ve created some amazing flavours which I (and my mum) have fallen in love with.  I’ve witnessed the birth of the new and improved Very Vanilla, the mouth-watering Mint Chocolate and the very latest and tastiest Coconut Delight.  These editions have left me certain that I will be obsessed with this brand for many more years to come, and I can’t wait to see what delicious flavour they will bring to the Beanies family next! (Banana Bread please?!)  Chocolate Orange, Mint Chocolate, Very Vanilla and Coconut Delight are my absolute favourites right now, however I must admit, I am yet to come across a flavour that I don’t love.

A new Beanies delivery calls for an Instagram post, wouldn't you agree?

These flavoured coffees contain less than 2 calories per cup, they’re sugar free and each flavour tastes absolutely delicious.  For people who are trying to be good and avoiding sugary snacks, I find that these coffees give just enough flavour to try and control my constant sweet tooth (when I’m on a diet that is.  Which is not right now.  Chocolate Digestives and Oreos are where I’m at.)

Every single flavour is also suitable for both vegetarians and vegans – which is amazing to me because you’d be surprised by what kind of random animal products manufactures throw into their products these days.  However, what I love the most about Beanies is that they are not even unreasonably priced.  Each jar costs just £2.50, and when they recommend that you only need 1 teaspoon worth of coffee per brew, each jar will last you a decent length of time!  Beanies online almost always have some sort or promotion on be it free delivery or a free mug when you purchase 6 jars – making it even better value for money.

Free mug anyone?

In January, Blue Monday to be exact, Beanies ran a competition on Facebook and I was lucky enough to win!  They sent me a prize of one of their famous Stashboxes which contained 9 jars of coffee: Almond Amaretto, Chocolate Orange, Irish Cream, Double Chocolate, Mint Chocolate, Coconut Delight, Cinder Toffee, Very vanilla and Nutty hazelnut.  I was over the moon to receive such a generous prize – and these yummy flavours will keep me going for a very, very long time!

My winnings :)

Have any of you guys tried Beanies flavoured coffees before?  What’s your favourite from the bunch?

Until the next one,

Lauren x

Beauty store bargains

For those of you who know me personally, you will know that there is nothing that excites me as much as getting anything super cheap, or better yet, free!  I love sending away for loads of free samples online and getting them delivered to my house – tea bags, moisturizers, facial washes and biscuit spread – you name it, I’ve probably had a free sample of it.  I’m not even embarrassed by it either, I like to try before I buy it.  I think that’s okay.

Just a couple of the freebies I've received in the post! 

So a couple of weeks ago now, I was out shopping in Boots and Superdrug trying to hunt down a specific shampoo that I was after.  Whilst doing so, I was delighted when I came across several bargains that I just had to nab!

The first of my finds was a Herbal Essence hair mask designed to repair split ends and nourish all hair types.  My hair is constantly a curly, frizzy mess – and despite the fact that I have drastically made the effort to avoid styling my hair with heated products over the course of the last six months, I still end up with the dreaded split ends. (If anyone can recommend a fantastic product that will actually help control my frizzy hair – please do tell!)  This 300ml hair mask retails for about £3.89 depending on where you are picking it up from, so when I found it priced at just £0.40 – it was a must have!  The label recommends that you use it once a week to treat your hair, so I believe that my purchase of two tubs will last me a very long time, happy days!

I decided to chance my luck and venture further down the aisle to see if I could spot any other super bargains.  I didn’t have to travel far before I found two different types of dry hair shampoo at similar prices to the hair mask I had just found.  The Pantene and VO5 dry hair shampoos were marked down to £0.30 and £0.40, so naturally I picked up two of the VO5 products and one Pantene to try out.  Although I do tend to wash my hair on a daily basis – on the rare occasion that I do not, I like to make sure that I have the right products to make it look and feel clean.  I’m currently using Lush’s dry hair shampoo “No Drought” which I bought about 3 months ago now for £3.95.  A little goes a long way with this product, and seeing as I have at least ¾ of the bottle left, it will be a while before I actually get around to using these particular products.  The two usually retail for about £4.00 each, and so at less than fifty pence per can, I really couldn’t resist. 

After spending just £1.90 on the five different products I had just picked up (and an additional £5.00 on the shampoo I wanted), I headed straight towards Boots – eager to see if I could possibly get lucky twice and find myself something good in there too.  I checked out the hair care products first, but without much luck.  I did however then venture down the skin care section – which is where my luck appeared to continue.  Retailing for £9.99 on a usual basis, I spotted a Biotics BB Cream in my shade (light) for just £1.19!  So of course I picked it up without hesitation, regardless of the fact that I have half a tub of a BB cream and a whole tube of CC cream waiting to be used back home.  This is a product that will be used over time, and I can’t wait to try it out to see how it looks and feels on.

My shameless goodies

So after my little unexpected bargain haul, I headed home with the 6 products I had picked up, having only actually paid a total of £3.09.  None of these items were reduced due to damages -  the stock was well within its shelf and use by dates, and must have been reduced to clear for the sake of new stock or formulas coming into store. 

So my advice for you for the next time that you are shopping in your favourite beauty stores, would be to take a closer look at the products and prices surrounding your desired purchases.  You may just walk away with a whole lot more, for very little extra cash!

What’s the best beauty products you’ve managed to pick up dirt cheap?

Until the next one,

Lauren x