Disillusioned Blogger

It has been so long since I popped a beauty review or diet update on this blog. I’ve wanted to and thought about you many times since my last post but must admit after a few months of writing these posts I feel disillusioned … or maybe disappointed in my blog and the blogging world.

In terms of reviews, the majority of items have been reviewed before and in terms of diet, I just wasn’t willing to put my emotional eating struggles out there for all to read.

So for the time being, until I’ve found the one thing I can write about that inspires me and shows my individuality, there will be no more posts.

P.s. Is there a beauty blogger out there that isn't spending half their wage each month on products they really don’t need??

Pink Parcel, you done me wrong!

Well I think from the title you can guess how I feel about Pink Parcel this month. Maybe I’ve been overly spoilt by previous Pink Parcel boxes but this month’s was somewhat of a let-down.

Got my usual tampons (great, I’m a Kotex Click convert) but the contents of the ‘For You’ box was mostly a repeat of last month … with less items. I’m not moaning (much) as two of the repeat items I loved last month (OPI nail varnish and Paw Paw balm) so I’m happy to have them again BUT I always get a bit excited about getting one of the first boxes of the month and now it looks like I’ll be relegated to April’s box right at the end of April.

Pink Parcel did contact everyone to say they were changing distributors but I was expecting a delay, not a poohy repeat box. Anyway, here is the review of the one item that wasn’t repeated ..

BubbleT – Lemongrass and Green Tea hand cream

A gorgeous fresh scent that reminds me of Refreshers! Lovely thick texture and melts into the hands quickly leaving them feeling soft and freshed.

 

So I'm a bit disappointed, although the contents of this monthly box can't be match for £9.99. I wait with bated breath to see what next months will bring ...I hope I'm not pushed to jump ship and join Period Box ... who's name alone makes me cringe.

 

I'd love to hear from anyone else who subscribes to tampon subscription boxes, what's been your experience? If you liked this review please follow me on Twitter or bloglovin for regular updates.

Lip balm addiction

This is probably an unknown fact within my circle of friends but I’m a total lip balm addict. I love the smells, colours and textures of them and to top it off (but please don’t psychoanalyse me) my dad once said to me that women with thin lips are aggressive and cold.

So to keep myself from becoming an old, lonely, unhappy spinster I ‘invest’ in every lip balm I come across and add them to my pile.

Currently I’m on a four lip balm daily rotation; one for the morning, at work, evenings and before bed. Yes I really am that sad.

 

Morning balm – Pixi Shea Butter in Natural Rose.

This is a totally gorgeous soft, smooth light pink balm. I don’t smell any fragrance with this but the balm just melts into your lips and adds a light pink tint to perk up your face. I would say you can it on your lips for 2 hours before feeling the need to reapply.

At work balm – Simply M (by Michelle Robillard)

This is a US handmade lip balm I was made aware of by my fiancé. All the ingredients are 100% natural and organic using essential oils of a therapeutic grade. This equals amazing fragrances in a very soft textured balm which sinks into your lips leaving them soft and non-sticky. The lavender and Grapefruit smells amazing, a very calming effect – great for office stress.

Evening balm – The Body Shop Lip Butter – Hazelnut

Being a self-proclaimed connoisseur of lip balms I have to say I’m not keen on the stick-your-finger-in-a-pot style balm. Nails get in the way and although I’m not a germ freak, it does seem a bit unhygienic. Having said that this butter smells gorgeous and is great to slather on after a long day.

Before bed balm – Papaya Gold Paw Paw

Although this balm is multipurpose i.e. it can be used for dry skin patches on elbows etc and isn’t in the best packaging to spread, the morning effects of using this in the evening are amazing. After a night covered in this balm my lips are soft, hydrated and no peeling skin or yucky bits. A big thumbs up for the Down Under balm.

I would love to hear what your top lip balms are so leave a comment, contact me or drop me a message on Twitter! If you like this post and would like to follow me click on the Bloglovin button or submit your email to receive notification when I post again.  

Diet Update – Everything alright on the 8th night

I’ve now been on my VLCD for a week which basically consists of bar, snack, meal, shake, milk, water repeat. The main aim of this slightly restrictive diet (aren’t all diets restrictive?) is to lose the weight quickly (2-3lbs a week consistently). This means the food isn’t gourmet but edible and the meal isn’t coated in breadcrumbs.

The first 7 days of this type of diet is probably the worst. You have to remain focus, wait for the protein to kick in (which will reduce your appetite) and avoid temptation! The weight loss will be big in the first week as you’ll lose ‘water weight’ and what I like to call ‘loose weight’ from the feasts you consumed in the days before you started your diet. Nothing better than a pre-diet feast, it’s like eating whatever you like with no consequences because you know you’ll lose the weight in the next week.

The one BIG motivating factor in all this is the weight loss and you aren’t going to see that unless you weigh yourself. I’m currently not weighing myself and won’t start doing that until next Monday. The thought of getting on those scales and seeing how much I’ve gained since I last restarted this diet would just be too depressing. So I’ve given myself two weeks before the big event.

One tip if you have to step on the scales and face your weight reality is to change the scales to total pounds or kg rather than stones and pounds. As I have always weighed myself using stones and pounds, seeing total pounds means very little to me (unless I divide by 14) but still shows my loses and still shows how far I have to go before reaching my ‘ideal weight’.    

Day Four and Five – salad bar, the dieter's best fwend!

Yesterday was not good. I woke up late, running around like a nutter trying to get my bus on time and totally forgot to pack my diet products. This would usually result in me panicking, feeling hungry and justifying a cheese and pickle sandwich for lunch.

However, with my new determination to fight the flab I sat down at work, had a think and realised that my diet gives me around 750 kcals a day based on high protein low calorie nutrition. So how can I achieve that without my pre-packed diet products? In short … meat and veg. What did I do? I hit the salad bar!

 

Had a couple of cups of coffee to keep me going to lunch and then hit the works salad bar with lashings of mackerel, salad goodness and balsamic vinegar. I kept it smallish so I could have a MRP shake and small tea when I got home.

The alternatives to a salad bar – If you aren’t lucky enough to have a salad bar at work (or money is tight), what is the alternative if you go to work without your diet products? For this particular diet the aim is low calorie, high protein. It may be for your working day you focus on one of the priorities. If it’s low calorie you can have low fat crisps, fruit or some kind of salad sandwich. If you’re focusing on high protein you could have Mini Babybels, stringy cheese, ham slices or even nuts to keep you going. This doesn’t stick to the diet guidelines but these are good alternatives to throwing in the towel and sinking your teeth into something Oh So naughty.

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souksouk - Brits do skincare??

Firstly, sorry about the photo quality. I took the photos in my bedroom and they look like I'm trying to use a sepia filter and I wasn't, it was my terrible bedroom lighting.

This is the first time I've ordered from souksouk which sells organic/natural skin care products. I ordered a mix box for normal skin at £20 and I got quite a few products, the majority having a really fresh citrus/rose/herb scent to them.

Conscious skincare body lotion and body wash - made in Britain with a strong scent of grapefruit and cedarwood (because they contain grapefruit and cedarwood essential oils) these products both have a lovely rich texture and the body lotion soaks in quickly leaving your skin smooth and soft.

Sranrom 'Calm Down' hand cream - contains so many strong fragrances it's hard to identify them all ... so I cheated and read the label. A massive mixture including spearmint, lemongrass, licorice and kaffir lime so its full of fragrance and leaves your hands feeling lovely and soft.

Micosalud Mico-Serum - they recommend you use this twice a day but who has the time to do that? There wasn't much information on the small sachets I received but I found this 'The serum contains highly concentrated extracts of organic mushrooms, chosen for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties' plus extra info about the products here. I'm not sure how I feel about rubbing fungus into my face but if it gets rid of my 'fine lines' it's worth a go!

BalmBalm lip balm - imaginative product title! This is a balm that can be used on your lips or any dry patches. Multi-use products are so in right now ... well we are in a recession! HAHA This company actually sells loads of different products including candles. This is the full size Tea Tree balm containing shea butter, sunflower, beeswax, jojoba, calendula & tea tree essential oil. Smooths onto the lips nicely, good softening feeling and not overly scented.

 Dr Alkaitis Organic soothing gel, eye cream and facial cleanser samples - all three samples have a very woody smell to them which is probably the wild chamomile and other herbs contained in the products. The facial cleanser is a bit on the murky brown side, reminds me of the sea at Great Yarmouth ... yuck. The soothing 'gel' is actually liquid so maybe that needs to go in the fridge to solidify? Currently these aren't hitting high on my rating scale.


Intelligent Nutrients Harmonic Shampoo and Conditioner - these are both full on scents again with peppermint and rosemary shining through the mix. Apparently these hair products do everything you could ever wish for 'anti-aging, antioxidant, rich, volumising, super smooth, non-frizzy, scalp and hair nourishing with colour protection'! Blimey, if this shampoo and conditioner can do all that I'll pay the £18 each for full sized ones! FYI the travel size (which is what I received) costs £9 each on the Intelligent Nutrients website!

There was another shampoo in the box of goodies but it was such a sh*tty looking half filled tube I won't review it.

Bloom Remedies Daily Balance Face Cream - handmade in Cornwall and contains Sweet Orange, Geranium and Rose. This cream smells gorgeous but then I've always loved the scent of rose water. Gorgeous thick cream which I would probably use as a night cream because the soothing fragrance would make me nod off in no time.

Mel Millis Mist Tonic Neroli Hydrolate - this mist is meant to be used as an energy boost for the face, 'Neroli Has Both A Rejuvenating And Regenerative Effect On The Skin. It Promotes The Generation Of New Cells, Stimulating Those Already Present And Protecting The Epidermis From Extrinsic Factors'. There website is full of technical terms but it all sounds amazing. I'm not sure if it's the mist tonic or the rather forceful spray in the face but it feels fresh.

Freshness of the Morning Antioxidant facial mask - '100% natural exfoliating and detoxifying mask that provides a gentle ex-foliation to reveal a clearer, younger and brighter complexion. Works by targeting age spots and reduces the appearance of fine lines.' I haven't tried this product yet but wanted to add some information about it as they advise you to use the dry powder on wet skin first to exfoliate and then mix some of the powder to make a mask. Very intriguing!

Konjac puff sponge - this is made from natural vegetable fibres and is used wet on your face to cleanse and exfoliate. You can use it with or without cleansing products and it will last for around 3 months. This particular sponge is £7.99 but I'm guessing you can find it cheaper on eBay. It's softly cleansing on the skin and I think a nice addition to your morning/night routine.

I am really happy with the mixed box I ordered from souksouk and I'm amazed that Britain has so many skincare companies ... when did that happen? The quality is high but so are the prices for these organic and natural products. BUT I might just treat myself occasionally to a sample box for £20.

Have you got any organic or natural products you can't live without? It would be great to hear from you so leave a comment below or come say hi on Twitter.

Day Three – Coffee for breakfast?

There are so many opinions on coffee and dieting. Personally I’m addicted (in the least possible way) to vending machine coffee for my breakfast (along with my MRP bar). Rest assured the machine uses skimmed milk and the coffee is on the vile tasting side but my morning just wouldn’t be the same without it.

So what effect will this have on my diet? Although caffeine is a stimulant and can increase your morning metabolism I doubt very much that the vending machine coffee I consume has nearly enough caffeine in it to make my lazy metabolism move an inch. In fact I’m 99% sure that the coffee I drink contains a minuscule amount of caffeine as fresh coffee with a full whack of caffeine over-stimulates my intestines … if you get what I mean! And that does not happen with vending machine coffee.

Caffeine may affect your insulin levels, in a good or bad way. This is all ‘ifs, buts and maybes’ so it really depends on your body and how it handles coffee/caffeine.

There’s a Doctor online who’s created a list of ‘Ten reasons why you should quit your coffee’. I can only assume this is all based on fresh, high quality coffee … rather than the nasty but good coffee from vending machines or instant.

To entice you to stick with your steaming cup of morning sunshine I’ve just discovered flavoured instant coffee only 2 calories a cup (not including milk etc)!

 

Beanies coffee is seriously good, I’ve got several of their instant coffees (they also do fresh ground) and the double chocolate and hazelnut flavours are yum! They infuse the bean before they make the coffee, so it full of flavour without the calories of syrups. FYI I’m not sponsored by them, they’re just a good low calorie treat which I can incorporate into my diet.

What low calorie treats have you added to your diet? Pop a comment below or drop me a line on Twitter!

Day Two - already looking at burger menus!

I was watching one of my favourite YouTubers (Ken Domik) when he talked about his review of Holy Chuck, a burger bar in Toronto. I live in the UK so there's no way I'll be making my way there any time soon but Oh My God ... is that not the most amazing gorgeous stack of burgery cheesey goodness?

That's a heart attack on a plate but I bet it tastes amazing (hence me morphing it into an angelic god-like cloud frame). This does make me think though, once I lose the weight I'm still going to have these crazy cravings for full fat, artery blocking, carb crambed junk ... so what do I do then?

However much weight you lose the prospect of putting it all back on again may make you quit before you've begun or keep dreaming that one day you'll fall in love with lettuce. This is something I will have to focus on as my diet progresses, maintenance doesn't start once the diet stops. Maintenance is about changing your bad habits, setting goals once the diet stops and realising that however much you want that cow on a plate it should be seen as a treat and not a daily menu option.

It would be great to hear from anyone that has lost the weight and kept it off. Leave me a comment below or drop me a line on Twitter! 

Day One - all the help I can get!

It's another diet restart! YIPPEE, not! I've been on and off diets for many years and its gotten to the point that I actually think this is becoming a hobby. What would I do if I didn't need to diet? What would I think about? What would I worry about? It's a very first world problem. People in the First World worry about getting fat or becoming thin. People in the Third World worry about where their next meal is coming from.

Anyway, enough reflection, I'm going to add a blog post every day for a week re my diet. This is more to motivate myself and keep me on track than it is to entertain or educate readers ... although hopefully my posts will provide a bit of that too.

I'm back on the Slim2BTrim diet, I chose this diet as I've done VLCD before and their product prices seemed good and there is a Facebook Support Group which can be very comforting when you're having a bad diet day.

It would be great to hear from anyone who is also restarting a diet today or anyone who's on a VLCD. Leave a comment below or drop me a message on Twitter!

My Big Fat Diet Fail (part 10)

I've lost count of the amount of times I have started and stopped a diet. There is always an excuse "My parents are visiting", "I'm having a hard day" etc. Essentially it is self sabotage and I wonder why I sabotage myself, what do I gain from remaining overweight? I think that's the eternal question most dieters have, either that or "What's the local chippies number?" HEHE ... I can laugh as I'm a fellow fatty at the moment.

I'm refocusing and restarting tomorrow (Sunday) as I'm getting very fed up of my big belly and lack of neck. Diets can feel like an uphill struggle but this is why I like the VLCDs as you're losing around 3lbs a week which is so motivating. It is restrictive and I do have this very bad habit of eyeing up restaurant menus when I'm on this type of diet. I'm thinking that has to stop and maybe the ordering of kebabs (salad, chicken shish and chili sauce) under the pretense of 'well it's high protein'. It is high protein but I don't know whats in the sauce, what the chicken is marinated in or if they put any dressing or ingredient with citric acid in the salad, so it's a no no.

I don't tend to dwell on these things but I have to learn from my diet mistakes and there have been many!

So I hope from Sunday I will be posting some very positive blog entries about my diet progress and I'll hopefully not feel like shooting my scales in the months to come.

Pink Parcel - March 2015

My March Pink Parcel arrived nice and early! No theme to it this month but it included seven items in total (not including my months supply of tampons). The bar of Divine Chocolate was white chocolate this time, which was yummy and the teabag was from Teapigs, chocolate flake tea. 

Bubble T - Hibiscus and Acai Berry Tea Bath Bomb

Unfortunately I don't have a bath at the moment but these gorgeous little bombs (about 2cms in diameter) have a strong floral scent so I will be taking a few with me next time I'm staying in a hotel. These will 'help to bring clarity of mind leaving your skin feeling hydrated and cared for', according to the website.You get 7 mini bombs in a tube and they cost £6 from the Bubble T website.

Perfectil Triple Active Skin, Hair & Nails

I'm really not comfortable with taking additional nutrients just to make your skin, hair and nails look nice but then I don't have any major issues with my skin, hair or nails. I personally don't believe these things work and unfortunately I can't try these as I'm already taking a multi-vitamin/mineral in conjunction with my diet.

I have looked at online reviews and apparently hair transplantation surgeons and dermatologist have encouraged their clients to use this after treatments. There are loads of positive reviews on Amazon so check that out if you're interested.

PapayaGold PawPaw Moisturising Balm

This is made in Australia and is enriched with 'Bio Active Manuka Honey 20+' which apparently 'soothes, relieves and moisturises dry, sensitive and irritated skin'. Well all that sounds amazing and as a lip balm it is moisturising and long lasting. The look of the squeezie tube is a bit dated compared to the Manuka Doctor products, who I'm guessing are a competitor but overall a great product that works!

OPI Nail Polish Gwen Stefani (I Sing in Color)

Hopefully this picture collage shows you the colour of 'I Sing in Color' by OPI. The middle picture is my photo which makes it look brown, the photo on the right is from The Beauty of Red Roses blog who took a couple of pictures of this nail polish. The third picture on the left is from pinterest and it's of Essie's Bahama Mama because i think the colours are so similar and I fell in love with the Essie colour over the winter but didn't buy it. So I'm really happy to get this OPI polish in my Pink Parcel.With one coat it's a reddish plum and with two coats it's a deep deep red with plum tones. I can't wait to try it!

Bandzee hair bands

Bandzee appear to be a new company offering 'the stretchiest of elastics to support any hairstyle without tugging on hair or leaving dents when you take your hair down'. These look exactly like PopBands so I'm not too sure what the difference will be once this company has found its legs and sorted out its website.

Overall this has been another great box from Pink Parcel and I can't wait for next months!!

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Makeup Haul - skin, lids and brow

It's been a while since my last post so I now have quite a few posts to do. I will hopefully get those written up soon and posted asap! Here's the first, a small makeup haul.

Bourjois Poudre De Riz De Java - translated as 'Rice powder of Java'. Rather an unusual name and apparently a cult classic from 1879! I saw it in a YouTube review by Leah XL Channel so I'm unsure where it's been hiding for over 100 years.

It's a pink looking translucent powder with shimmer which is good for locking in make up and making the skin look radiant. I've been using it for several days now and although the shimmer isn't obvious (which is a good thing) my skin did take on a illuminated tone, although the powder doesn't seem to last for long.
If you want to buy this from Boots (UK) there is an offer online at the moment for 3 for 2 on selected Bourjois products.

Botanics Shine Away Invigorating Face Scrub - this was actually a 'make-do' purchase as I really wanted the Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion scrub but they didn't have it in my local Boots. Saying that this scrub does have fine scrub particles in a lovely smelling gel. It's does make my face feel fresh and clean but if you are looking for an invigorating scrub I would go with St. Ives Invigorating every time.

Botanics All Bright Radiance Balm -  This was a total random purchase, I liked the sound of it as I've been trying to brighten my rather pale lacklustre skin for quite a while. I use this before I put on my foundation and I do feel my skin looks more radiant. I'm not sure how that works and there is very little information on the Boots website but the reviews are good and it smells full of flowery goodness.

 Essence All About Chocolate eyeshadow palette - this is one of five palettes by the very cheap and cheerful Essence brand. The colours in this picture don't show the colours very well but they are a mix of browns and creams, some matte and some shimmery. The website also says metallic but I haven't found a metallic colour in this palette. You get alot of shadow for your money, this palette could easy last you a year as the shadow pots are quite deep. The pigment isn't strong but the colours are good for an everyday look.


Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara - Oddly I never thought I would need brow defining/colouring products as I have full brows with good natural shape. But I've recently gone back to dying my hair dark brown and although my eyebrows are darker than my natural hair colour, I felt they needed a bit of help to match with my new hair colour. Many moons ago I received a sample of Model Co More Brows Fibre Gel in my GlossyBox and have been using it daily. But it's £15 a pop so I went out looking for a value replacement. Maybelline Brow Drama does the job, although I will say the bulbous tip serves no purpose really. I short mascara wand would work just a well.

Thanks for reading! More posts coming soon as I've been sidetracked by my birthday celebrations! Enter your email under my logo and you'll be emailed when my next posts are available OR follow me on Twitter or Bloglovin! 

VLCD - how to keep going

I've been on Slim2BTrim for nearly a week now and lost 11lbs. That does sound like a lot of weight but for the first week or two of a vlcd (very low calorie diet) you lose a lot of water weight and 'loose' weight from the yummy fatty food you ate the week before.

I'm happy with the weight loss so far and the diet food I've been eating. The MRP (Meal Replacement Powder) shakes I've had are standard, not as thick as Exante but a lot of variation in flavours (unlike Exante). The High Protein snacks have been surprisingly tasty. The Novo Protein Bites are really good, you get a 40g bag which is full of light, airy full flavoured protein crisps. The texture is more like a Quaver than potato crisps. You can find flavour and nutritional info HERE.

I'm also having a MRP Bar every day and the quality is very high. I've tried several VLCD in the past and the quality of food products has been so hit and miss. The Peanut and Chocolate Bar (top right) has a Tracker Bar like quality and taste with some real nuts in it. The Muesli Bar (top right) has a lovely crunch to it and the yogurt coating isn't overpowering. The Chocolate Bar and Caramel Bar (bottom left and centre) both have the same chocolate coating and gorgeous chewing texture, like a heavy Milky Way. The Truffa Bar (bottom right) has the same name as other bars I have tried on different diets but this is very different. It's very chocolatey, a nice chew to it along with additional crunchy bits!


I've also tried the pizza mix, which although has an ok base and very nice basil/oregano tomato sauce, is a little lacking. But when you're comparing a diet pizza to a Pizza Hut pizza, it's just not going to win.

The main motivation to keep going is focusing on the great tasting food you CAN eat and the amount of guaranteed weight you will lose every week you're on it. This diet is not 100% sensible and the maintenance once you reach your goal weight will be more difficult (been there, done that) compared to Weight Watchers or Slimming World with support groups. But if you want to hit your goal quick with predictable 2-3 lbs of weight loss a week, this may be the diet for you.

Diet Update!

I'm still recovering from my Birthday weekend (it was long, full of fatty foods and a visit from the parents) so a little behind with blog entries. Sorry :-)

I've now had time to rethink the diet plan, Dukan diet is great but it just didn't suit me. I have little interest in food when I'm on a diet so having to think about prepping for your breakfast and lunch just doesn't work for me.

So I've now started the Slim2BTrim. It's such a cheesey name, you could have ... LessSin2BThin, BePetiteEatMeat, BeLeanEatProtein HAHA. Anywho, it's a Very Low Calorie Diet which some people see as unsafe or controversial. It's neither, it's just a means to an end. I will consume around 750 kcals a day, eating food plus high protein meal replacements. I'm on the Lifestyle Plan so thats:

• Meal replacement bar
  
• Meal replacement shake
• High protein snack
• 150g lean protein
• 250g vegetables
• 2-3 litres of water
• 200ml of skimmed milk

I have done VLCD before and they do work, any diet works if you stick to it. I tend to lose 3lbs a week on this type of diet so I'm hoping for good results. Losing weight when you're in the right frame of mind is easy but keeping it off has always been difficult for me. I'm 100% focused on this and feeling good.

Would be great to hear from anyone else on VLCDs to find out how they're doing.

ODed on Sugar Free sweets - Diet Update

The diet has been going well. I stalled for four days but realised I wasn't eating and drinking enough so I stepped that up and dropped an extra pound. It's amazing that weight loss stops if you don't eat. I realise your body goes into starvation mode but at some point your body must start using it's fat stores to survive and the weight will drop off? Not that I'm encouraging starvation in any way. The only reason I wasn't eating a lot was because on the Dukan Diet you are eating a lot of protein which zaps your appetite.

One little issue I have with this diet is snacks and unexpected outings. If you do anything remotely unplanned finding food can be difficult. I'm currently in a hotel, I grabbed 3 liters of  bottled water, a whole chicken and Sula Mint Humbugs before I got here. The waters going down great but unfortunately my stomach wasn't keen on the chicken ... so that left the Sula Mint Humbugs and they are sooo moreish! I'm only meant to have 5 sugar free items a day but I have gone over my quota and I'm having a hard time not eating the whole packet. The only thing that's stopping me is my gurgling gut alerting me to the fact that if I have any more I'm going to be on the loo far too many times tonight.

But it's Sula sweets, eat nothing or raid the vending machines downstairs that are full of carb laden goodies. Guess I'll stick to the water then ... and look forward to my buffet breakfast tomorrow.

I'm thinking about doing an overview of the Dukan Diet. Let me know if you'd be interested in that. You can leave comments on here or my Twitter @LouKDBlog.

Love Me Beauty Box - my first box

This is the first time I have tried Love Me Beauty since they changed the way they offer their beauty box subscription.

Originally there were three boxes you could choose from a month. They contained the same types of items but each had a slight variation. The new subscription means you log into their Boutique and spend your points (you get 6 points a month) picking trial or full sized products. 

I do prefer the new way of selecting products so here's what I picked in January!

Percy & Reed - No-fuss Flawlessness Dry Conditioner
I checked out their website HERE and realised I got the full sized product costing £12. They have quite a range of hair products but I'm not too sure I would buy any. The dry conditioner did leave my hair looking glossier but I haven't seen any sign of a reduction in damage caused by brushing. In all honesty I didn't know brushing damaged the hair!

Anatomicals - Cherry Lip Balm
If you love the taste of cherry cough sweets you will love the scent of this product. I love cherry flavoured anything but this lip balm is rather pungent. The applicator tip is a well designed smooth slanted clear plastic. You can see the red tinted jelly moving up to the top.

And it is a jelly, not a creamy balm like Carmex. The jelly is on the runny side and very VERY sticky. Although it lasts quite a while on the lips it doesn't melt in, just sit there attracting your hair.


Murad - Age-Diffusing Serum
Face creams are so hard to review when you only get a trial size. The instructions tell me to massage into face, neck and chest but if I do that I'll get one application out of it. I haven't tried it yet and now think I should have picked something a bit more 'me'. I notice Murad sells on QVC ... say no more! 

Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri nail polish in 'Jet Set Jade'
I really like Sally Hansen products. I'm using the strengthening polish at the moment which works a treat. Just as it says on the pot, this polish drys quickly which is good as you'll probably need three coats. The colour I picked was a glittery sea green and if you like this product you can buy it in most High Street chemists, Boots, Superdrug etc.

Mirabella - lipstick in colour 'Collected'

This is a nice light pink colour, high pigmented with a nice smooth texture. I got the full size and I would like it more if it was sold in the UK but I can only find it in the US at the moment. There are only five shades on this 'Pretty and Proactive' range and it's advertised as 'Lead-free and Paraben free'. Lead free?? Does lipstick have lead in it? I found this article about Lead and metals in lipstick. Apparently we shouldn't worry as we consume more lead from food and water than we do lipstick! Oh that's ok then :-( 

Overall this box was great and the small canvas bag the items in (inside a box, another box and then a bag ... excessive packaging much?) was of much better quality than the Birchbox bags.

BUT after my first box from Love Me Beauty I cancelled my subscription. Why? Because I've had subscription boxes from Love Me Beauty before and unfortunately the products they offer are still not as varied and high quality as other beauty boxes. I'm seeing some products in their new Boutique that I saw the last time I subscribed a year ago. Also out of all the products they have I found it hard to pick my fifth item. It's not for me but I'm sure many people will like it.   

February 2015 Pink Parcel - Heart stoppingly good?

I'm feeling the love with this month's Pink Parcel. As always not only do I get all my months worth of tampons but I also get several full sized beauty products, chocolate and tea. With a Valentines theme ... did it steal my heart? #TotallyCheesey!

Organic Surge - Skin Perfecting Face Polish

This face polish has a very fresh scent coming from the lemon and rosemary essential oils. You can feel the olive stone granules, although a small amount doesn't contain too many so it doesn't give an intense exfoliated feel. With a smooth creamy texture, great scent and mild exfoliating granules this would be great for daily use in your morning routine. 

Mad Beauty - Pop Heart Lip Balm and Mad Glitter Nail File
Two very cute items from madbeauty.com. The lip balm is coconut scented with a white smooth to oily texture. The little pot looks so cute but it's only half full of balm which is a shame. The file looks great with glittery lips but it's filing texture is on the rough side. Overall both products look so sweet and Valentines themed but they aren't top quality, just some fun.



Pukka - 'Love' and Divine - White Chocolate

I'm looking forward to trying this tea. It contains rose, chamomile and lavender. I've never tried rose before in a tea but I'm sure it will taste floral and calming. All Divine chocolate is melt in the mouth delicious so I'm saving this for my birthday next month so I can enjoy it with no diet guilt. I know white chocolate isn't everyone's taste but there are just times in your life when milk chocolate is just not enough.

MUA 'Romantic Efflorescence' Eyeshadow Palette and Bellapierre Eyeshadow Brush No.35

This was quite a surprise. I've never had an eyeshadow palette in any of my beauty box subscriptions so to get this from Pink Parcel kinda blew my mind. 

My swatch pictures aren't the best (still trying to work out lighting for the photos) so head over to MUA for some slightly higher quality ones. I popped on their website and noticed they are currently offering a free mascara if you buy this palette.

I love the shadow names (from top left to bottom right): Mesmeric, Tempt, Corrupt, Obsessed, Lavish, Fiery, Bewitch, Magnet, Exposed, Siren, Reveal, Captivate.

The colours range from plums through to browns and metallic's. There is a mix of mattes and shimmers, with the shimmers slightly heavier in pigment. If you're looking for high pigmented matte's you will have to layer it thickly.

The Bellapierre brush is a perfect eyeshadow brush with a medium amount of bristles, small head to get into your eye creases and a lovely long handle. I've just realised you can't see the brush in my picture so check it out here. The brush alone is £14.99 which covers the price of the whole box (plus some). As always Pink Parcel has gone beyond my expectations of a beauty box ... without being a beauty box.  

Check Pink Parcel out .. £9.99 a month for all this plus your months supply of tampons!

Quick beauty box update

I love beauty subscription boxes! LOVE LOVE LOVE them! So much so I've been through loads of different companies who offer their trial sized beauty treats to find the ultimate box.

Since the start of 2015 I have dropped and started & dropped the following:

But I'm still going strong with Pink Parcel, an amazing box of goodies plus your months supply of tampons.

I know the aim of a beauty subscription box from the suppliers perspective is that you pay a small price to try their products and then hopefully you'll buy the full size. It's makes great business sense and gets products to people who would never think to use them.

Personally I just want value for money! I want to see quality products, full size products and variety of products. Pink Parcel has all this going for it and I've now found a new box to try which I hope will also have these three amazing qualities...

(I added frame and bubbles for effect HAHA).

I think Beauteque Monthly is based in America but they will ship to the EU. I've just missed January's as they ship on the 15th, so I'm looking forward to my first box which should arrive in February .. mind you if they ship on the 15th of each month it might not arrive until March! It's $24 and contains 7 full sized products AND you get the option of what box you want to receive! Why isn't someone doing this in the UK?

I still have to review my one and only Love Me Beauty box so that will probably be my next blog. I think you can guess how that's going end.

Finally dropping some pounds

I've now been on the Dukan Diet approximately two weeks and it's going well! I'm not surprised the diet works, I'm surprised I'm sticking to it as I've had some major epic fails this last year.

BUT that was 2014 and in 2015 I'm doing good. I couldn't bear to look at my initial starting weight, that could have led to a meltdown and pizza consumption. So after week one I went on the scales and dealt with the reality. A reality which I'm not putting in my blog, no one needs to see that!

I've lost 5lbs in my second week so I must have lost at least that in my first. I'm feeling OK, my appetite has vanished which is a good side-effect of eating a high protein diet.

I've moved from the initial Attack Phase (total protein) to Cruise Phase (alternating between total protein days and protein plus veg days) and finally found somewhere that sells Oat Bran so I can have a couple of tablespoons a day.

There are a multitude of websites out there with recipes and advise so I've been having a look at a few, getting a view ideas. Ideas are very much needed because I will be doing this diet for many many months so really need to learn how to make chicken breasts more interesting. Here are some of the great sites I've found:

• http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/ - THE Dukan Diet website for the UK
• http://thedukandietsite.com - Amber knows everything about the Dukan Diet
• http://mydukandiet.com/ - great layout, easy to use site

In search of microcrystals

For over fifteen years I have been using St Ives Invigorating scrub daily. It's cheap, you get a large tube which lasts months and it makes my face feel fresh and clean.

So it was a surprise to me when Birchbox sent me a trial size tube of Vasanti Brighten Up Rejuvenator and I LOVED IT! My face felt so smooth, ,so so clean and a very small amount went along way. The only problem with trial sizes is they run out rather quickly and as this particular product is £26 for 120ml I just couldn't justify the expense of purchasing a full size.

I thought I would give other brands a go first so I brought two scrubs and both have been a total fail. Firstly, and quite surprisingly, Embryolisse Creme Exfoliante. I got this along with the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre using my Birchbox points and was looking forward to using both as they have been so over reviewed recently on YouTube I thought they must be good.

Unfortunately the exfoliante was terrible. It felt like a slightly rough cream, no exfoliating of my skin at all and my skin/makeup looked untouched once I'd removed the cream with a warm flannel. What is so special about  Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre?? I really don't get it. I've had far better moisturisers. Apparently it can also be used as a primer, makeup remover and skin irritation reducer after shaving. I guess my skin must be unique as I popped a little on my freshly shaven skin and it irritated the hell out of it!

So I moved on and looked to the High Street for my new facial scrub/exfoliant. I found Superdrugs Naturally Radiant collection and treated myself to the Brightening Micro Polish and the Day Cream. The day cream is great, lovely consistency and nice smooth skin after application. The 'polish' ... meh, I could feel some little scrubby balls but they were few and far between.

Essentially at this point I have spent over £26 trying to find a
cheaper version of Vasanti Rejuvenator (if I hadn't used Birchbox points) yet I can't give up, there MUST be a cheaper version out there. I checked Vasanti's description of the product and it mentions 'microcrystals exfoliant' ... so I am now on the look out for microcrystals! I will let you know if I find any.

Update #SoNotACliffHanger

Yeah! Just squeezing in my post of the week.

My journey on the Dukan hasn't been blip free. Friday wasn't good and we got a take-away with carbs BUT Saturday I was back on the Attack Phase. I'm meant to do 7 days on the attack and I'd already done 4 days by the time I had my blip .. so I will do the Attack Phase for a few more days and then start the Cruise Phase.

I'm finding the diet a bit confusing in terms of what I can and can't eat. It's basically Atkins with less fat and sugar free yogurt and drinks. I'll do a blog post about it once I get the hang of it.

I've found an amazing website for lean protein called Muscle Food. The website is for body builders/sculptors but it's great for Dukan and Atkins dieters too. I'll do a review once I put my first order in.

I also have some beauty reviews to come next week! A few grumbles and a beauty box cancellation! Oooo which one did I cancel? Find out next week! #SoNotACliffHanger

Diet update!

The Aktins Diet did not happen for me. I've tried it before and had great results but as with any diet it has to be the right time and the right place.

So today I start the Dukan Diet. I've had the book for many months but was not convinced by the diet and it's lack of certain food groups. That being said the reviews and results speak for themselves, it works. Actually all diets work, if you stick to them!

This is day one, I'm still not 100% sure of all the foods I can eat but I've completed an online calculator thingy and apparently I have to stay on the initial phase (The Attack Phase) for 6 days. For most people this would be 2-3 days but I have a fair amount to lose.

I will do regular updates and let you know how I'm getting on. Hopefully the sad face will look a lot happier in a month or two!