Night Time Routine For Good Sleep

Having entered one of the most stressful years academically that I’ve had in a long time, it’s become vital that I get a good night’s sleep to ensure that I’m able to perform to my best abilities in everything that I do.  Working part time alongside my studies, I often find myself either up super early or working till late at night, meaning that my sleeping pattern can be all over the place, making it that little bit harder to get up for uni or to study.  Over the last three months I’ve been on a mission to help myself get a better night’s sleep, and whilst doing so I’ve come across a few handy tools that have aided the process along the way!

Deep Sleep Spray

Now this had been a staple product of mine ever since I treated myself to the sample packs back in October.  At Christmas my parents gifted me a large bottle of the stuff, and so I was so delighted that my good night’s sleep would long continue!  What I really like about the stuff is just how subtle it is, yet how it manages to work above and beyond what is expected.  I like to use around three sprays on my pillow before bed, and like I said in my November Favourites post, although it doesn’t send you straight to sleep right away, it does send you into a beautifully deep slumber when sleep does approach.  Having been using this for months now, I can truthfully say that I always get a better night’s sleep when this is on the go.

Sleepy Lotion

Although this has vanished from the Lush stores until the Christmas range is upon us once again, their sleepy lotion is another product that really does help me get a better nights sleep.   I was gifted one of these in a Christmas gift set, which was perfect timing as mine had just run out!  Although not a particularly large tub, I only use a little bit each night, and so I’m sure this supply will last me well and truly until the kitchen decide to make a batch – we hope!  Sleepy lotion smells of lavender and gingerbread, which might sound like an odd combination, but trust me, it really works.  I like to rub about a fingertips worth into my temples and pulse points, and I just find that it’s just a really soothing smell to fall asleep with.  It’s totally not necessary, but definitely one of my comforts now!

Clipper Sleep Easy Tea

During the colder months I have become a total sucker for herbal teas, and have completely fallen in love with this one.  Packed with cinnamon, lavender and chamomile, this gorgeous blend really does help me unwind and fall into a deep slumber as best time approaches – especially on those days were I’ve been super busy or have had a super stressful day.  It’s both a sweet yet subtle tea, and really does taste delicious… It’s the cinnamon that does it for me!

These are the three staple products that I find helps me get a really good night’s sleep – and with dissertation hand in approaching faster with each and every day, I think that these will be the products that really help me pull through!

What's your trick for a good night's sleep?

Until the next one,

Soap & Glory Face Mask

So the last couple of weeks have been slightly crazy to say the least!  My summer is officially over, uni has started up again and I’m already having stress related symptoms just processing the idea of fourth year!  I wasn't prepared for the crazy work load that got thrown at me during the first week, and so my blog took a little it of a hit during that time - so my apologies for my unexplained absence, but I'm back now and ready to carry on again!

In August I treated myself to the Soap and Glory No Pores Allowed deep cleansing mask, after I had used up the last of my Lush ones.  It’s been a while since I bought myself a face mask that wasn’t from Lush, and over time I’ve noticed that my pores have become a lot more noticeable – so I wanted to go for something that will tackle them without being too harsh on my skin.  My eczema has been acting up too after trying my luck with some yeast foods (won’t be doing that again any time soon) so as a result I’ve been really careful as what I’m using on my skin to avoid an even bigger flare up. 

Soap and Glory have always been favourite brand of mine, however I’ve been using them a lot more ever since I went cruelty free.  I’ve only ever seen good reviews on this particular mask, and the £12 price tag was made an awful lot better when it was BOGOHP on all of their skin care products… boost! 

The mask itself is designed to unclog pores and leave them looking smaller, if not removing them completely over a period of time.  It’s a self-warming mask that heats up as you rub it in, which I find stays warm for the first few minutes of wearing, then cools itself down gradually until your skin actually starts to feel cold (or this is what happens to me anyways – I leave it on for around 20 minutes).  I like to feel face masks doing the work as I wear them, so this one definitely ticks that box for me.  As you’re rubbing it in, your skin benefits from an ever so gentle exfoliation, which is perfect for opening up the pores, right before the heat kicks in.  The bottle states that your mask should turn blue as you rub it in, which I have yet to experience.  You shake your bottle, then apply the off white mask to your face, which turns an ever so slightly grey colour in the process.  I’ve only ever seen my mask turn blue on occasion when I’m rubbing it off, so don’t let that bottle fool you or put you off reusing.

Having used the mask for around 2 months now, I have to say that it’s one that I really, really like.  It always leaves my skin feeling a lot cleaner, especially if I give myself another gentle exfoliation after a wear.  I will say though that it does ALWAYS make me break out, and I personally don’t mind this as I try and time my uses for days when I know I’m about to be bumming around for a while – but if you do have plans that require a fresh face and fancy a mask treat prior to the big day, this is not the one for you – unless you’re planning on using it the week before!

A fabulous mask with a great price tag, this is one that I would totally pick up again on any Soap and Glory special offer events.

What’s your favourite face mask right now?

Until the next one,

Native Unearthed Deodorant

Probably my favourite item that I received in The Vegan Kind August box was definitely the natural deodorant from Native Unearthed.  I’ve always been sceptical of natural deodorants as I have an irrational fear of smelling bad.  I’m the kind of person that will put some on in the morning, then before I leave for work, then when I get to work, then on every break etc... So you get the picture.  I don’t want to stink.  I’ve tried going natural before using one from Lush, which unfortunately did not work in the slightest for me and left me feeling really self-conscious going about my day.  I stuck it out for about 2 weeks before packing it in, so although I was excited to find this in my box, I was also a little skeptical and rather uncertain about giving another one a try. 

The Native Unearthed stick deodorant needs to be wet before you apply it to your underarms.  There is no fragrance to this particular one, which worried me slightly as what if I do start to stink and there is no pretty smells to try and combat it?  Of course I was being ridiculous, but hey, that’s just me.  As you rub it on, a clear wet paste like solution glides over the skin – it’s hard to tell if you’re putting on too much or not enough.  I will admit that it does not give me the same clean feeling as using a spray on does when applied, however you can’t really compare a spray and solid.  I love that it doesn’t flake off as you move your arms, nor does it stain you clothing as your pulling it over your head, like most spay on deodorants do!  After applied, it’s a waiting game to see how it preforms…

I played it safe for the first few wears, applying it in the morning and only using it on days when I knew I wasn’t going to be getting up to much other than blogging and a dog walk.  When these days passed without any problems, I started applying it in the mornings before going to work – but would always use the spray on stuff when I was at work to keep me topped up.  However this last week or so, I’ve put it to the real test and have been only wearing this for all day, be it a lazy day at home, a trip to town for some shopping or an evening work out at the gym – and it’s been great!  Not once have I found myself feeling sweaty or uncomfortable as my day as gone on - nor have I began to develop a bad odour either – which of course is my main concern here!  Of course I do still sweat, however it doesn’t smell at all and it doesn’t leave me feeling damp or sticky either.  It really is a great product, and I’m so happy that I got this in with the August box.  Priced at just £6.49 RRP – it’s a total bargain or the quantity and quality of the goods, and I will definitely be repurchasing again when this one runs out.  I’ve been convinced that natural deodorants are the way forward for ethical reasons thanks to Native Unearthed, it’s by far the best natural deodorant that I’ve come across to date, and would highly recommend that you give it a try too!

What’s your favourite natural deodorant? 

Until the next one,

Summer Berries at Tesco

This month The Orchard at Tesco invited me to be a part of their Summer Berries programme, which I was super pleased about because its strawberry season!  They kindly sent me a £3 voucher to pick myself up a punnet of berries of my choosing, and in return would like to know my honest thoughts about the product I chose.  I grabbed myself the largest and nicest looking punnet of strawberries from my local Tesco, with a dessert in mind that I found from my nutritionists website here.  I’ve been dying to try out coconut cream for a while now, so thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to give it a go!

The strawberries are the most gorgeous shade of red ever – they look really healthy and fresh in the punnet, as if I have just picked them off a farm myself there and then!  As I washed them under the tap, the sweet aroma of the strawberries filled the kitchen, which is one of my all-time favourite smells ever.  There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh strawberries.  I picked myself a decent sized portion from the punnet, and cut them into halves to enjoy with my coconut cream.  The smell grew stronger as I did this, and the juices spilled onto the chopping board – proving that I had a really delicious and fresh bunch too! 

To make your coconut cream, you simply need to purchase yourself a tin of full fat coconut milk.  Pop in the fridge overnight, and the next day your milk will have turned into a really thick cream – which is absolutely delightful with strawberries, might I add!   I added a tiny amount of agave nectar to my bowl for a little extra sweetness, however this really was not necessary because the strawberries tasted as good as they smelt!  Sometimes when I buy strawberries, I find them to look really appealing but taste rather bland or simply like water as I make my way through the punnet.  Tesco did not disappoint with these ones though, every strawberry tastes as good as the last one – and unfortunately for me, my family seem to think so too!  I went to bed with a near half full punnet last night, only to discover this morning that I’ll be needing to make another purchase sooner rather than later! 

I’m really, really pleased with these strawberries from Tesco, and super chuffed that I got to try them for free, thanks to The Orchard programme!

What’s your favourite summer berry?

Until the next one,

Nakd Treats

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nakd bars and nibbles have been my go to treats these last few weeks ever since I got my results.  I have a major sweet tooth, like a major one.  I feel like I need something sweet after every meal, which I know probably isn’t very healthy but I just can’t seem to shift the habit.  Nakd have really helped me out with this problem any time I’ve ever tried to diet or give myself a health kick.  More so now though, that I can’t sit back with a bar of chocolate or just any regular slice of cake.  They’ve been my saviour for my cravings, and a really healthy one at that!

Nakd treats are made with 100% pure and natural fruits and nuts, making them perfect for a quick snack or pick me up throughout the day. All bars and nibbles are gluten/dairy/wheat free, as well as being suitable for vegans too.  The majority of Nakd snacks have a total of 3-7 ingredients in them – and better yet, you can actually pronounce and would probably recognise them all if they were laid out in front of you to see!   Nakd have such a wide array of flavours that are available now, with anything from pecan pie to chocolate orange to ginger bread.  With so many flavours to choose from, and trust me… there have been many occasions that these bars have helped me out – I’ve been able to select the chosen few that makes me sad to run out of at any time.

Cherry Bakewell has been a favourite treat of mine for many years now, I love the sweet taste of the marzipan and the cherry with the icing – and I’ve been lucky enough to find a gluten and dairy free alternative of the real deal too.  When I spied that Nakd had created a healthy bar of one of my favourite treats – I grabbed it and can say with 100% honesty that it is the exact replica of the pretty calorific tea time tart!  From the smell, to the taste and even the texture, Nakd have managed to whip together the most perfect healthy alternative that there possibly could be.  Bakewell Tart is my absolute favourite out of all of the bars, and I try to always pick them up whenever they are available to buy.

The Fruit Salad Nakd Nibbles have been my go too snack for whenever I fancy a sweetie style snack.  Depending on what I have just had for my tea, I either like to have something chocolatey or fruity – so the Fruit Salad and Mint Humbugs have been my favourites for these occasions. They are perfect for munching straight out of the bag, or mixing in with a yoghurt or even in some cereal throughout the day.  Surprisingly enough too, they are actually pretty filling on their own, so they are great for munching in-between lunch and tea time to keep you going. 

My all-time favourite chocolate snack is always anything chocolate orange flavoured.  Coffee, body scrub and the real deal itself, if its chocolate orange – I’ll probably love it.  So the fact that Nakd have managed to create another one of my all time favourite treats was absolutely fantastic news for me.  Although slightly more chocolatey than orangey, it really is a yummy snack to munch on whenever I’m feeling the need to satisfy my cravings.  Not quite as good as the real deal, but hey – they can’t all be perfect!

If you’ve not tried out any of the Nakd nibbles or treats yet, then I highly recommend that you do.  They are the perfect little sweet treat to munch on, and are pretty much guilt free too!  I'm keeping my eyes peeled for the mint chocolate bars right now, but I can't seem to find them anywhere!

What is your favourite Nakd treat?

Until the next one,

Early Bird Subscription Box

After cancelling my graze boxes last year after I found them to become a little repetitive and a tad expensive for the contents, I was keen to try out a new snack subscription that was relatively healthy and wasn’t going to cost me an arm and a leg.  I came across Early Bird after their adverts had been popping up on my Facebook for a few weeks.  I thought that the subscription was very similar to Graze to begin with, but after further investigation I discovered that the snacks were completely different and each box came with a unique tea bag!  I do like a tea, and I’m trying to be better with my snacking, so I signed up for a box to try out.  What I really like is that from the get go, they let you know that there is no commitment.  Early Bird had an offer on when I subscribed, which made the first box half price for £2.48 – and you can pause or cancel your boxes at any time before your next one is sent out, fab!   I’ve paused mine for now as I wanted to try it out before I made the commitment, but I have a feeling my next box may be in the post sooner than I had anticipated…

Flat Pack Brownie

I’m a sucker for a brownie, so this one caught my eyes first!  It’s made from three ingredients: pecans, dates and chocolate buttons – all foods which I very much enjoy!  The best part about this snack was that when you eat all three together, it really does taste just like a chocolate brownie, and a good one at that!  The dates were super soft and caramel like, and the pecans were chopped up nice a fine so that they didn’t over power the taste or texture.  The mylk chocolate was daily free, but still super creamy and delicious, I could easily eat them on their own!  I’m definitely rating this snack, and I seriously wish that I could order a box full of them!

Raspberry Coconut Jelly

I’m mad about coconuts, but not a great raspberry lover – so I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to feel about this one when I opened up the pack.  I’m happy to report that it was really delicious and actually pretty filling.  Made up from raspberry fruit drops, coconut chips and raspberry coconut chips, the three work together incredibly to make a delicious crunchy-fruity treat.  The fruit drops tasted just like little sweets, I think I could quite happily eat them on their  own in bulk if I’m honest!  The raspberry coconut chips were to die for too – not too fruity, but enough flavour to make them stand out and to make me wish I had a bag of them alone to munch on!  My fingers are crossed that I will be getting this one in my box sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, after I received my Earlybird box, I went to visit a nutritionist and had an allergy test done (I will share more later, when I know what I’m doing… haha) – anyway it turns out that I need to cut gluten and dairy out of my diet for at least six weeks.  So despite how delicious it looks, and how much I was looking forward to trying it out – I was unable to try the Cacao Chia Pud!  My mum is however very excited by this, and I’m sure she will fill me in on how it good it is when she gives it a go!

My final snack was a punnet of ABC Nuts, which consisted of cashews, almonds and brazil nuts.  I’m not a great nut lover, unless they’ve been seasoned by my mother (chilli or salt and vinegar are my faves), but these will not go to waste, as now my diet is so limited that I need to make the most of the foods I can enjoy.  In the future, I will remove the nuts from my preference list, as I would much prefer to receive a more unique snack sent to me in my boxes!

And as for the tea - mint is my thang!  I'm saving this beauty for when I'm in need of some freshening up.  I find that peppermint tea is really good for when I'm feeling bloated or crappy - so I can't wait to try this one out.

Overall, I am really impressed with the great selection of snacks that Earlybird have to offer.  I’m really happy to find that they offer dairy and gluten free snacks – and I look forward to trying out some more over the next couple of months!

If you fancy trying out the Early Bird snack box, you can get your first box half price by using my friend code:

laure-7409

Until the next one,