Carluccio's, Vegan Menu - Review

I was happy to find out that Carluccio's, Glasgow, offered a vegetarian and vegan friendly menu when I visited recently with a friend. Although most restaurants will be happy to amend meals for people, it's a lot easier to have a premade menu to select from without feeling like you're being a bother by asking your server a ton of questions about your meal.

The menu had a decent size and if you're interested in it you can view it here. To start with I ordered the bruschetta with baby plum tomatoes, basil and garlic (pictured above). Although it was a simple starter, it was tasty and enjoyable.

I was pleased to see that they offered Hendricks Gin and it even came with my favourite brand of tonic water, Fever Tree. I've been a huge gin fan since I discovered Gin 71 and love when I find nice gin offered elsewhere.

I was a little disappointed to see that there was only one vegan option for the main course, but I went ahead and ordered it anyway. It was the "Spaghetti Al Pomodoro E Basilico" (spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil sauce). Now, I wouldn't say that this was a bad pasta, but I would say that I was underwhelmed. It was quite plain and I had to ask myself if much thought had went into their only vegan main course. I understand that meat and dairy are used in almost every dish in most Italian restaurants, but there are so many vegetables out there to make tasty and exciting dishes with. To me it felt like the kind of plain tomato pasta usually offered on a kids menu for fussy children. It didn't taste bad, it just didn't do anything for me and I was expecting more - especially for the price.

Would I recommend Carluccio's? Well if you're vegetarian there were a few more options available, but since I haven't tried them I can't vouch for them. If you're vegan I'd say there's a lot more places in Glasgow with a more exciting range of dishes, and at a friendlier price. I'm hoping Carluccio's change this in future, as veganism is growing in Glasgow, so if they ever do I'll maybe pay them a visit again.

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Paesano Pizza Glasgow - Review

Anyone who knows me will know how much I rave about the pizza from Paesano. Since I first visited it this summer I've been around five times, and not once have I been disappointed.

The pizzas range in price from £5-£8, with the option to add on toppings of your liking. The pizza base is soft, doughy and thin and the toppings are always bursting with flavour. Add a little of their chilli infused olive oil and you have a pizza that can rival even Italy's finest.

It's great news if you're vegan as well, as the menu offers a cheese-less pizza for just £5. To top it comes with garlic, oregano and evoo (extra virgin olive oil), and my favourite add-ons are basil and artichokes. Artichoke is one of my favourite vegetables and I get pretty excited when I find them on a menu as they're rarely offered in Scotland.

It just takes a quick glance at their Paesano's website to see why their pizzas are so good. It reads:

"At Paesano Pizza we are the first to bring authentic, traditional Napoletana pizza to Glasgow. Cooked in Artisan built wood fired ovens from Naples, our Pizzaiolo take pride in adhering to the process in production of the dough and provenance of the produce to Verace pizza Napoletana standard. Our pizza is a hybrid yeast and sourdough proofed for over 48 hours. The long proofing time together with cooking at an intense heat of 500oC produces a moist, light, soft, digestible crust which is aromatic and delicious."

Alongside their pizzas they offer some tasty sides as well. The artichokes and sunblushed tomatoes are my usual go to, but I recently tried the balsamic onions and was pleasantly surprised.

Next time you're looking for pizza, I urge you to visit Paesano. Unfortunately you cannot book a table, but I've never waited longer than five minutes even when it's been busy. Not only are the pizzas vegetarian and vegan friendly, they're affordable and incredibly tasty.

Have you tried Paesano yet? I'd love to hear what you thought!

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Bread Meats Bread, Veggie/Vegan Menu - Review

Recently I heard that Bread Meats Bread, one of the most popular burger restaurants in Glasgow, had brought out a new vegetarian and vegan menu. I found myself in Glasgow looking for somewhere to eat recently and I just had to go and try it out.

I chose the BBQ Pulled Mushroom Bun after seeing a picture of it on Facebook. It promised "smoked and pulled oyster and portobello mushrooms with sweet peppers; smothered in smoky BBQ sauce and topped with coleslaw & fried onions". You can make it vegan by swapping the coleslaw for dressed, peppery leaves and tofu and miso sauce (I went with the swap).

It was delicious. The mushrooms had great texture, just a little chewy, and there was just enough sauce without being overpowered with BBQ. The peppered leaves were tasty and went well with the rest of the burger. If BBQ isn't your thing, the menu also offered to other veggie/vegan friendly burgers: the Beetroot & Baba' Falafel Burger and the Mexican Falafel Burger (both are on my to-try list).

Although the burger was the perfect size, I decided that I had to try something else. I ordered the caramelised sweet potato fries - with maple syrup, cayenne pepper and coconut oil. These may just be some of the best chips I have ever tasted and I'd encourage everyone to give them a try.

It's safe to say I sufficiently stuffed my belly and will be visiting them again in future to try out the rest of their vegan menu. Glasgow is known for being one of the friendliest vegetarian/vegan cities out there, but I'm glad places like Bread Meats Bread have a dedicated vegan section of the menu so my slightly more carnivorous friends don't complain when we're out for food.

Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with skincare. Well, admittedly burgers aren't going to do a whole lot for you, but eating a lot of veggies does. I became vegetarian earlier this year and I'm transitioning to vegan as I learn about what swaps to make where in my diet. Your diet can do so much for your health and I've felt so much better since I've started introducing more vegetables into my diet. I feel better, sleep better and my skin is the best it's been in years. Although I initially began to change my diet for ethical reasons, I've started researching into the health benefits and I certainly feel a big difference myself. I've decided to start sharing some of my favourite veggie/vegan eats on my blog as I've been sampling some amazing food recently and I love to share it with my readers.

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here. 

Sinensis Skincare, Agave Gold Refining Toner - Review

Sinensis Skincare are a new beauty brand emerging in the UK market. With so many skin care brands out there today it can be overwhelming when trying to find the perfect fit for your skin. Ingredient lists can be scary and it's hard to tell where to draw the line between natural and non natural products. Personally I'm a fan of researching products on SkinDeep, but not all ingredients have been tested enough for accurate ratings. I therefore like to focus on products that are a little more natural.

Sinensis combine science with traditional Chinese herb wisdom when creating their products in order to get the "best of both worlds". The thing I love about Sinensis is that they have 20 banned ingredients that they will not use in any of their products. These are ingredients that have been proven or are potentially toxic. You can read through their banned 20 here. They are also cruelty free which is a must for my skin care. I was kindly offered a product of their to review, and so I chose their Agave Gold Refining Toner.

I haven't actually used toner in quite a while, apart from a little spray of rosewater to set my makeup in the morning. I was curious to see what a toner may do for me. I have been using the toner for a little over two weeks now and I have been pleasantly surprised.

I use this toner morning and evening after cleansing and before my facial oil. It's between a water and gel like consistency - which is unusual - but smooths over the skin and sinks in easily. Immediately after using it my skin feels soft and hydrated. Over the next two weeks I felt that my skin looked brighter and had more of a natural glow to it and my redness has decreased. There are a lot of wonderful ingredients in there, such as Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera Gel (two of my personal favourites!). There's also grapeseed and witch hazel, which I've heard are good for acne. You can read up on more of the ingredients on their website - every product has a list of them and their properties on its page.

Overall I have loved this product and have recommended it to others. I also tried a sample of both the day and night creams. I loved them, but there wasn't enough there to see the effect on my skin. I may have to try them out in future! They do a small range of other products, such as creams, serums, cleansers and hair care for men and women. I also tried out some tester pots of their day and night creams and they were super hydrating.

If you're in the midst of changing your skin care, are switching to cruelty-free, or want to find purer products for your skin, give this brand a try! If the rest of the products are anything like the toner, they won't dissapoint.

NYX HD Concealer - Review

I was quite late to the NYX makeup craze and only first tried out one of their products a few weeks ago - the matte lip creams. After trying and loving the product I thought I'd give something else a go to see what I thought. I'm constantly complaining of my dark under-eye circles, which seem to be caused by both my pale skin and sinus problems (totally not a lack of sleep!). So I picked up the NYX HD Concealer Wand in yellow.

The formula reminds me of the Nars Creamy Concealer and I think the skin tone shades would make a great dupe! I chose yellow because it's perfect for hiding those dark under eyes on paler skin. If you have a warm or darker skin tone, a orange concealer would be better for you.

I don't actually wear this everyday as it is not an all natural product, but it has never broke me out. I wear it on nights out when I wear slightly heavier makeup. It lasts well and never creases my under eyes. If you have tried and liked Nars Creamy Concealer and want a cheap dupe, I'd definitely try this out! NYX are cruelty free too, like every product I review.