Brighten Your Day: Soap & Glory Radiance Boosting Mask

It's that time of year again, coursework is piling up at an alarming rate, skin isn't looking too great, and the only five a day you're getting is chocolate! So, what is the only logical solution to all of this? A face mask of course! 

But here is the dilemma. Which one do you choose? There are so many on the market at the moment and it can feel a little overwhelming, but do not fear, because this just means that you have to be smart about ingredients and what they can do for you. Because of this, I've decided to go with the Soap & Glory Radiance Boosting Mask . It boasts quite an impressive line up of ingredients, so I shall give you a quick run through of the main players and why they are so good. 

 

Key Ingredients

Vitamin C - This is essential for maintaining youthful skin and protecting it from premature ageing, which obviously, I am all about (arguably a little obsessed with at the moment ngl...)

White flower brightening complex - This comes from the combination of several white flowers such as tiger lily, chamomile flowers, peonies, lotus flowers, etc. This all work together to create a unique blend which brightens your skin to give you a naturally radiant glow, and who doesn't want that?! 

Rooibos tea extract - This helps to naturally prevent ageing through anti-oxidants, and being quite soothing to sensitive skin, which is always a bonus!

Gotu Kola extract - Another fantastic anti-ageing product to keep skin looking youthful and simply fab!

Flatterspheres™- Radiance boosters to help illuminate and brighten the skin

On To The Review! 

I followed the instructions; cleaned my face, made sure it was dry, and tied my hair back (a serious struggle when you have a fringe...)
So this is a cloth  mask which you put on your face, complete with eye, mouth, and nose hole. I was overwhelmed by the incredible smell of grapefruit when I opened the package, it was incredible.
The scent was fresh and fruity. I couldn't help but smile. The smell alone made me feel brighter and boosted, which is pretty impressive when you have two pieces of coursework due in next week! So, desperate to put it on and experience the boosting and brightening power of the mask, I unfolded it and placed it carefully upon my face.

The mask was well soaked in the formula and instantly gave your skin a hydrated feeling. I loved the cooling sensation, as though you could feel it working straight away. You get quite a lot of excess liquid in the little pouch, which was an initial nuisance, but then, not wanting to waste any of the product, I decided to rub the excess into the rest of my skin like my arms, hands, and neck! This was a brilliant plan because it became an all over luxury experience!

I left the mask on for 20 minutes as advised, and just lay down to chill out. Enjoying just being still and content. This in itself was a thing of beauty and should not be underestimated. This definitely played a role in making me feel so fantastic, just switching off completely from the world and soaking up all the goodness!

I'm going to be honest, I did not quite feel like a super model whilst wearing the mask (that came afterwards, believe me) but I haven't laughed so much in a while! This really isn't a downside though, I think that this is well and truly part of the fun of face masks. You do look a little silly, but it makes you feel blooming good about yourself overall! It is important to laugh at yourself sometimes, and realise that the world isn't just perfect pictures, and instagram filters, it is looking a bit daft and having fun whilst feeling fab!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really did love this product, from the beautiful and retro packaging, to the incredible way it makes you feel inside and out. I love the ethos behind the Soap & Glory company with their powerful stance against animal testing! So I am absolutely over the moon that their products are so brilliant. Since doing the mask, I have actually received several compliments about my skin, with people asking if I have tried something new! So now you all know my little radiance boosting secret!

These are currently £4 at Boots and are included in their 3 for 2 offer at the moment, so you could pick up a few bits as treats for your friends at Christmas (and maybe one for yourself, it is free after all!) I think that the price is really reasonable for what it is, and I think it is fab that Soap & Glory make skin care with genuine benefits affordable, and not just for the likes of mega celebrities!

Link for Soap & Glory Radiance Boosting Face Mask!

Link to Soap & Glory website! 

Discount Code: This is for 20% off when you spend £15 or more on Soap & Glory on the Boots website, so go on and treat yo self!

OFF20SG 

Before

After

Squirrel Sisters - Raspberry Ripple Bar

First Impressions

 I'm going to be honest, I didn't really know much about the Squirrel Sisters before writing this review, so I made it my mission to find out a bit more. I think I should start off by saying how absolutely stunning their entire brand aesthetic is. Their website is just beautiful, such an easy and fun website to use, with tonnes of character throughout! I shouldn't really be surprised because come on guys, have you seen this packaging?! It is just perfection! The pretty design just makes me feel better about the world-I really am that sad guys...

So basically, they are two sisters who want to make healthy food fun and accessible. I really like this idea, because when you say to someone that you are vegan, they just assume all you eat is lettuce and celery! If you have read my blog, you will know that this is certainly not the case! 

They have a range of four flavours, Raspberry Ripple (the focus of today's review), Cocoa Orange, Cocoa Brownie, and Coconut Cashew. All of the bars are vegan, gluten free, a source of fibre, raw, and created with no added sugar.

Without further ado, I shall move on to the review!

On To the Review

Upon opening the pack, I was greeted by these two mini bars of raspberry ripple. They were quite small, but made for a lovely snack with a cup of tea or coffee, leaving me satisfied after munching. There was a nice subtle smell of raspberry which I enjoyed, this definitely enticed me in and I couldn't resist it any more! 

The texture was nice, soft and squidgy, and it reminded me quite a bit of a Nak'd bar, which obviously, is a very good thing! The flavour was delicious. Raspberry shone through delightfully, with the sweet natural taste being utterly delightful. This was complimented by the more earthy, nutty flavour that made up the base of the bar. This overall made for a lovely treat!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed this bar and would love to try the other flavours available! They all look and sound great, and if this one is anything to go by, then they definitely are! I absolutely love the feel of the brand though, they are a family business, they have a great message and ethos behind them, and their overall aesthetic is perfection! So I would definitely recommend picking up one to try!

Rating - 9/10

Calories - 87 per bar (there are two bars)

Buy Again? - Definitely!

Linda McCartney's Vegan Pulled Pork Burgers

First Impressions

I'm going to be honest here guys, I never really got onto the whole pulled pork thing. I was vegan when it became super popular a few years ago, so I didn't get to be part of it. Nowhere I was aware of made anything even remotely close to an alternative either, so I just gave up on every getting to experience pulled pork. That was, until now! 

The burgers are made from re hydrated textured soya and wheat protein. Alright, I'm going to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what these two things constitute, but I must say, I am intrigued by the way that they have created, what appears to be a meaty, flaked texture. 

The packaging is good. It is clear, easy to read, and the picture looks super appetising! I am a bit confused about why they don't just call them 'Vegan' burgers on the official name though, because they then make that point just underneath? Which, although only a minor issue, which probably only bothers me, I find this really quite peculiar because people who are actually vegan may not realise this and miss out on a great munching opportunity! 

Onto The Review! 

When I got these out of the box I was still a little perplexed. The burgers looked almost spiky and jagged (obviously this was due to the flaked style pieces). I liked this because it made the whole thing feel a little more fun and made it stand out from other burgers on the market currently. 

I popped it onto the tinfoil and placed it in the oven, eagerly waiting for it cook.As it cooked, it filled the house with an enticing sweet and smoky smell, and as you can imagine, it made my stomach rumble! 

The burger came out looking as though it had had a glaze put on it, like an actual BBQ! I thought that this was a really nice touch and definitely added another dimension to the flavour of the burger, as well as texture. 

The flavour was really good. It really did replicate an authentic BBQ taste as though there was a sweetness that went with the flamed flavour. I really loved this. The texture was a little strange, with the meaty pieces being quite chewy, but in small bits. They were bonded together well, so it wasn't as though it was falling apart whilst you are trying to eat it. 

Final Thoughts

I think that this is a really great concept and idea from Linda McCartney foods, because there are so many vegan burgers out there, and a lot are so boring and the same! This really tries to keep veganism mainstream, with them offering a delicious alternative to a popular meat dish.

Overall, I did enjoy this burger. The flavour was good, an odd texture, but I presume that this is similar to actual pulled pork? I'm not too sure, but it wasn't an issue and didn't stop me from enjoying this. 

Rating - 7.5/10

Calories - 150 per burger

Buy Again - Yes!