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.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - Review

A few weeks ago I was invited to a brilliant bloggers event by The Body Shop where we were given some great goodies to try out. One of these was their Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil.

I absolutely love using oils in my skincare routine, and regularly write about the benefits of using them and DIY-ing yourself stuff. However, not everyone is able to or wants to make their own skin care, and that's okay! There are many brands out there that have great products, it's just a matter of finding the correct ones.

The Body Shop's Camomile Silky Cleansing oil is part of their Camomile range for sensitive skin - it's even suitable for contact wearers (like myself!). Even if you don't have sensitive skin, there's nothing wrong with using products for that. Even if damage doesn't show, you don't know what some products may be doing to your skin.

I use this in the evenings if I've been wearing makeup to cleanse. I simply massage a little all over my face then stick a cloth under hot water and remove it with that. I always use a cloth to remove my cleanser now, as I don't find water itself to be that effective when trying to rinse away oil.

I've found this to be very effective and I'd recommend it to anyone who's interesting in cleansing oils.

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Lush Rose Jam Solid Perfume - Review

Solid Perfume is one of those products most people would first turn their nose up at - I know I did. Perfume, to me, wasn't something found in little tins. Perfume came in beautiful glass bottles to sit out on the dressing table and look pretty. I couldn't imagine using perfume any other way than spraying it delicately on my wrists, inner elbows and throats quickly in the morning. Yet now I find myself reaching for my solid varieties more often than the sprays. Why? 

Anyone out there who loves Lush as much as me undoubtedly knows of their great range of interesting perfumes. It can be quite the struggle to find cruelty-free perfumes, so I'm always glad to have Lush's range to fall back on. It was when in store one day that I noticed the unusual small little colour filled pots lying at the perfume isle, and soon a member of staff was rubbing them in turn on my wrists for me to have a sniff.

Well what do you know? Solid perfume wasn't all that bad, and it certainly could hold a scent. The first solid perfume I picked up was Lust, in case it wasn't apparent by the almost illegible scratched surface as I've used it for so long. Not everyone seems to like this scent, as it does smell strongly of Jasmine, but I love it. The perfume is red tinted, but after it's been rubbed in for a while you can't see anything - just be watchful if you're wearing light clothes. 

The second solid perfume I purchased was Rose Jam. Rose Jam is my absolute favourite Lush scent to date, and I first discovered it with their Rose Jam shower gel. I was lucky enough to snap up this exclusive perfume from the Lush kitchen earlier this year and I adore it! I'm not looking forward to the day it runs out.

So why do I love the solid variety of perfumes instead of the fragrance? Well, firstly they're so easy to pop into your bag when you're out. There's nothing worse than finding out that your favourite, expensive perfume has leaked all over your bag. I don't have to worry about that with these, and they take up far less room which is great if you're on a night out with a teeny tiny clutch bag.

Secondly, I actually feel like these smell stronger. Although in store I was advised to use their normal perfume in the morning and top up with these during the day, I actually feel like these perform better. Usually when I spray perfume I don't really smell it most of the day, but with these I enjoy catching whiffs of my favourite scents occasionally throughout the day.

And lastly, they last for ages. I don't know about you, but I seem to go through a bottle of perfume pretty quickly. With these I only need a little bit and they last much longer.

Perfume is a pretty personal thing and the "best" formula is entirely up to preference, but if you haven't tried a solid perfume yet why not consider giving one a go? Or at least a sniff in your local Lush store!

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here.