Battle of the Lip Care

I’ve been on a mission these last few weeks to try and find the perfect lip product for my poor dry lips.  I woke up one morning and they were just so red, sore, chapped and just really uncomfortable – not to mention really unpleasant looking.  I tried creams, coconut oil and my trusty Lush Lip Scrub – but none of it worked!  So payday past, I picked up a few wee bits to put to the test of trying to bring my lips back to normality.  Here is what I found!

Crazy Rumours

After searching high and low online for a cruelty free lip balm, I was delighted to spy that Holland and Barrett stocked these fantastic balms.  For a long time I saw a lot of people raving about these on Instagram, as they are a 100% natural and vegan lip balm with a load of lovely favours!  From sodas, to citrus, to coffee and even festivities – Crazy Rumours legit have a flavour for everyone and every mood possible!  I treated myself to the lovely Peppermint one as I like the tinglyness on my lips when they’re not looking great, and it sure didn’t disappoint.  A simple balm with no colour, it’s really helped to try and get my lips over this weird dry phase!  It’s a lovely light weight balm that is non sticky and really soothing – especially when the peppermint starts to set in.  It takes a few seconds to feel the tingle, however it lasts long enough to make them feel lush and lively!  The smell is so great too, it reminds me of candy canes and you can actually smell it as you’re wearing it which is fab.  I’m really pleased with my purchase and will be picking up a few others the next time I head into Holland and Barrett!

Burts Bees

How is it possible that I am going to be twenty two this year, and this month was the first time EVER that I have tried a Burts Bees product?  Although not vegan, they are a totally cruelty free which is exactly what I need right now!  Seeing as Holland and Barrett had a BOGOHP sale on at the time of purchase, I decided to go for one of each brand.  I went for the Wild Cherry flavour as I fancied something fruity, which smells absolutely amazing, like good enough to eat.  Unlike Crazy Rumours, Burts is quite a thick balm which you can totally feel as you apply it.  It leaves my lips feeling glossy and very well nourished with every application, and I’ve noticed that one application of this will last me hours – although I do like to apply a touch up, it definitely is not necessary.  Like Crazy Rumours, Burts have a great variety of flavours to choose from – so many actually that I’ve decided to pick up a few gift sets to put away for Christmas pressies already… I like to be organised okay?! 

Lush Charity Pot

I also picked myself up a small pot of my trusty old friend Charity Pot during my last visit to Lush, as it’s been a while since I scooped one up.  It’s the perfect size for my little travel bag, and is great for those times when my lips feel like they’re on fire and need to be soothed.  A little goes a long way with this, so for just £3.50 it’s a bargain considering I’ve barley made a dent in it coming up to week three since purchase.  I will admit that it does feel a little greasy at times when apply to my chin and upper lip too, however when it’s all absorbed it does leave my skin feeling soft to the touch and less irritated.

Unfortunately, as much as I’ve loved all these products - none have them have managed to cure my poor old lips completely…yet!  Although very much improved, there have been a few days (like today) when nothing seems to want to help me out.  I’m delighted with each of my purchases - however I’m still on the hunt for that perfect product!

What’s your go to purchase for your peckers?

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,

Littles Flavored Coffee

We all know that I’m mad about coffee.  It’s my fuel – I need it.  So when it was brought to my attention that Holland and Barret were going to be stocking Littles coffee, I was over the moon!  My parents treated me to a lovely selection of their coffees over Christmas and they were absolutely delightful.  As there is not a Waitross in Aberdeen, I’ve had no way of picking up any new flavours to try out, other than ordering online.  Nobody likes to wait for things to come in the post, so being able to restock every time I’m in town is something to smile about.

I’ve always been a lover of flavoured coffees – Beanies having always been my favourite.  However I’m very pleased to report that Littles are a very strong contender for first place now.

My trip to Holland and Barrett consisted of a jar of the Swiss French Vanilla Infused Coffee – which is absolutely delicious.  When you open the jar you get a very strong scent of vanilla – but what I really like is that you can still smell the coffee too.  Sometimes vanilla can over power the scent of everything – but this is not the case here.  Littles – you got it perfect!  Another thing that really pleases me was that you’re not left with a bitter or over powering taste at the bottom of your mug – which again can happen with some flavoured coffees.  Littles Swiss Vanilla provides you with a lovely mug of fuel, with an amazing aroma and smooth tasting coffee from start to finish! 

Holland and Barrett currently have them priced at just £2.99 a jar – which is a really great price for such a high quality product and a decent quantity too.  You can also pick up the Swiss Chocolate Infused coffee from H&B too – which I would also highly recommend.

My favourites so far have been the Vanilla, Chocolate Orange and Café Amaretto – however I have also had the pleasure of enjoying the Chocolate Caramel and Irish Cream too.  I currently have a jar of the Havana Rum flavour – which I am currently trying to decide if I love it… or if it is just a little bit too outside of my coffee comfort zone.  Give me another mug or two to decide, I’ll let you know later my verdict!
And if you're not yet convinced by these gems, Littles use natural flavours to create their beautiful coffees - making them perfect for those of us who are trying to watch what we are putting into our bodies.  These are great for sorting out a sweet tooth too, if you're trying to be good! 

I’m really looking forward to treating myself to their Island Coconut, Maple Walnut and Spicy Cardamom flavours soon – they are a top priority on my must buy list for next month!  Who knows, I’ll maybe even treat myself to a mix and match box too!
If you fancy trying out any of the Littles range, you can find them here at: https://www.wearelittles.com/product-category/infused-instant-coffees/
With such a wide variety of flavours to choose from - I'm sure that there will be one for everyone!

Have you tried out any of the Littles range?  Let me know what your favourite is below!

Until the next one,