UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

Chi Coconut Water // Review

I've always wanted to try coconut water yet for some odd reason that I can only put down to living in Somerset...it just doesn't seem to be in any supermarket here!? Slightly ridiculous with how much rubbish fills the shelves compared to the healthy nutritional values of this beverage. Coconut water surprised me, I couldn't have expected a different taste and texture. 
Coconut water has many benefits not only to your health but also beauty (skin care) just like your regular tap/bottled waters however this low fat drink contains very low calories, no cholesterol and more potassium than a banana. Calcium and magnesium are in there too, while it gets to work helping you rehydrate quicker, help digestion and work wonders on your immune system. One product celebrities have promoted correctly I think you'll agree. Chi Coconut water in particular contains less natural sugar than other brands, with nearly four times as less in some cases! They also only use the sweetest of Thailand coconuts and win on the original name and packaging - Chi means life force while they must be the only brand not to include coco in their name nor a stockpile coconut image. Bravo. 
I expected a clear liquid, that strongly tasted of very sweet coconuts, similar to juice drinks I've craved over the years however I couldn't be any more wrong. The liquid itself is a milky white with a grey tinge with no coconut scent to linger. After my first few sips I definitely wasn't won over but things changed. Half way through I started to feel refreshed and perfectly cool - I've been struggling to keep a temperature down all week thanks to the flu. Mixing the water has been a lot of fun and will carry on into the summer months whether it be smoothies or cocktails. Coconut water comes in handy when I'm cooking, I like my food hot and most my family struggle with the slightest kick. Though men assume they won't like this drink despite not taking a single sip. You get used to the texture it's only slightly thicker than regular water.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Nakd Food Bars // Gluten Free

For quite some time now I've been following a gluten free diet, at first I didn't know how I'd truly cope in the long run, trial runs always seemed easier. I always kept a cereal bar handy, this is where I discovered Nakd bars. Locally only two flavours of these healthy snack bars are readily available, but online I've been introduced to an enormous amount of others.
A mixed case of 18 Nakd bars arrived from Natural Balance Foods just before Christmas, with all the festive foods I've just got round to making my way through the entire selection. The occasional unwanted bar was shared with my Dad, who else does this? Mine will always endure Coffee flavoured items. Most of you are wondering what an earth are these Nakd bars? Nakd bars are raw whole food bars containing 100% natural ingredients, raw fruit and nuts. Along with having no added sugars & syrups these bars are Gluten, What, Dairy and GM free. Most bars count as one of your five a day too. Dates and Cashew nuts are the two key ingredients to these non baked bars, with raisins being the third most used ingredients across the range. Each bar has percentages of ingredients written clearly. The flavours my case contained were Cocoa Mint, Cocoa Delight, Cocoa Orange, Cashew Cookie, Pecan Pie, Ginger Bread, Berry Delight, NEW Rhubarb & Custard and NEW CaffĂ© Mocha.
My favourite Nakd bars are of course the obvious Cocoa containing Mint, Orange and Delight bars followed by Berry Delight. They're more scrumptious than any of my old cereal bars. I could easily live on them all. For me to enjoy a Ginger Bread bar I'd have to be in the mood for one, I'm not the biggest ginger bread fan but I love the scent! Really does smell delicious. Pecan Pie surprised me, after trying Cashew Cookie I didn't have high hopes but it seems since it's the only bar not containing cashew it makes a nice change to the texture. Rhubarb & Custard would be perfect for the up coming summer, tasty just not quite as great as Berry Delight. The CaffĂ© Mocha bars didn't get a tasting, all coffee flavoured products make me gag. So my Dad took the bars to work and came home asking if there were any more he could have. Though he never took up the Cashew Cookie offer, the texture of this bar isn't for me or my family, the cashew percentage is far too high.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Pootles Papercraft // Review

Last week I received a package from Sam of MakeupAdviceForum and now owner of Pootles Papercraft an online papercraft store, turning basic stationary into unique and beautiful pieces perfect for bloggers! Standard notebooks, pegs and sticky notes all receive makeovers with buttons, brads, glitter and blossoming papers. The sticky notes are contained in cases with magnetic closures oh and it all arrived packaged in pink tissue, tied with string, complete with a brown paper tag! Cute right?
The Smirk Blogger Duo has been my favourite of the bunch, I absolutely love the quote and character on both items. It definitely reminds me of myself. In each blogger duo you receive a notepad and set of sticky notes - who else is guilty of placing sticky notes all over the place? Each Blogger Duo retails for £4 with limited quantities. Another Blogger Duo I unwrapped happened to be from the Elegant Garden range retailing for £3. The two jotters are perfect for carrying around, especially for popping down beauty items I shouldn't really be buying and blog post ideas. I sure do have the prettiest notebooks around. Next up we have an item from The Hideaway range, Mammawrites has nabbed this notepad to keep in her handbag. The last pink package to unwrap contained a trio of pegs, Sugar & Spice. I absolutely love the design, I'm already in spring/summer mode wishing away the wet weather. They'll either take their place on the fridge as they have magnets on the back or since they're so cute they'd be perfect for customising my brush holders. A trio of customised peg magnets retail for £3.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

OPI // Strawberry Margarita

Meet my favourite nail polish. The only polish you'll find me wearing at the moment.
Once coat of this polish is enough, though two coats are perfect if you really want those nails popping. To protect my nails from the staining I apply my trusty OPI base coat and to stop all chipping their ordinary top coat. I don't know about anyone else, but before I was using Seche Ultra V, it seems to chip like crazy despite it always being my favourite!? With this OPI trio I have chip free nails for a week at least, perfect if you're actually very lazy with your own nails. 
Using Strawberry Margarita for so long has really reminded me how much I love OPI formula's - I'd been wearing a lot of Essie and Look Beauty. There's definitely not a drugstore polish out there that lives up to the quality of most OPI's especially when you add in the brush. OPI brushes fit my nail shape perfectly along with providing an equal coat.

Elemis // Skin Clear Treatment Gel

For the past month this petite white tube has been my 'holy grail product'. Elemis is a brand I often see blogged about, though being the skincare nut I am, I hadn't actually ventured that way. I'm definitely not the worst acne sufferer, but I do have horrendously stubborn hormonal breakouts. My usual Lush Grease Lightening stopped working a long time ago, the second bottle seemed to lose strength rapidly. With my breakouts being hormonal rather than due to my skin type I can't always prevent them, they have a mind of their own, however spot treatments like Elemis Treatment Gel are perfect.

Elemis Fresh Skin Clear Skin consists of nine products all containing combinations of hardworking natural ingredients for blemish and oiliness prone skin, concentrating on teens to twenties, though this product remains suitable for anyone in my book. Whilst containing powerful ingredients such as salicylic acid all formula's remain gentle on the skin. This anti-blemish treatment helps reduce breakouts without drying and tightening your skin. Along with salicylic acid, zinc and vitamin A remain important ingredients to de-clog pores, balance and cleanse skin.

The Treatment Gel is a lot thinner than I expected, a little of the clear gel goes a very long way to fighting those pesky spots. Usually I'll only apply this gel at night time, though I'll sometimes use throughout the day if needed - maximum of three times. A small dab of product onto your hand, then apply with a different finger per blemish...hygiene freak Lucy. Unlike other spot treatments on the market there's no burning, swelling and redness are reduced. I find the gel cooling when I apply and of course extremely effective banishing blemishes and healing. For instance I went to bed with a pretty large spot, lets just say it was big enough for my family to notice it was gone in the morning. Barely a bump was left behind. Will I continue to purchase the product? Most definitely, Elemis' Skin Clear, Treatment Gel has earned a permanent place on my dressing table and skin care routine.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

January Favourites // 2013

I'll start with my only non beauty product, by old favourites you'll know I love to find drinks in cute glass bottles. My usual Firefly drinks have been banished, I think I was the only one to buy them in my town, but I did however discover Purdey's Rejuvenate multivitamin fruit drink. It's not something I'd miss if this disappeared too but it was extremely nice and great when you need a little lift, containing grape, peach, apple and sparkling water.

A few years back I became hooked on Lee Stafford products, I thought every product of his was amazing, before I started testing different products each month. While looking in the sales I made sure I found the gift set containing this product, if you hate dry shampoo because of it's white powder, chill to your hair and various scents out there I'd grab a can of this. It barely leaves any white and does a great job at refreshing, seriously when it was snowing I used this more than I should have between hair washes and you wouldn't have even known!? Long hair saviour.

Soap and Glory's Peaches and Clean appeared under the Christmas tree for me, in their huge Boots set. This stuff is amazing, so amazing MammaWrites has actually kept her bottle from her gift set and insists on sharing how brilliant it works. I tend to use the cleanser 2-3 times a week, my skin knows when I haven't. I tend to stay away from every day use due to the ingredients causing photosenitivity. Make sure you use an SPF.

Another Soap and Glory product I reached for more when the snow arrived, Hand Food. Who out there hasn't tried this hand cream!? It's a miracle in a tube..or pump. We have the pump version in our bathroom, even the boys use it.

Have you noticed how pink my favourites are this month? I mentioned in my last haul that I've only worn OPI Strawberry Margarita in January. My nails are currently naked, but the bottles next to me waiting for another application. The weathers so dull and this polish has got me wishing away the last of winter ready to pull out the shorts.

Look Beauty are my favourite drugstore brand, their products are affordable, the packaging is the cutest and of course the products apply without a single fault. I'm proud to say I beat the temptation of their recent offer, I almost completed their blush range, here I have Flirt which gives me a gorgeous natural flush, with the slightest bit of product on my brush.

Twisted Sista* appeared in my products of 2012, I've left the standard 'oils' and headed back to serums. Firstly these products ALL smell incredible, contain my favourite Argan oil and are extremely cheap. You'll find the range in Tesco, sadly one store I lack here. But as soon as I've ran out I'll be off to pick another bottle up to keep my hair soft, silky and incredibly shiny.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.
© Lucyy Writes

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