Native Unearthed Deodorant

Probably my favourite item that I received in The Vegan Kind August box was definitely the natural deodorant from Native Unearthed.  I’ve always been sceptical of natural deodorants as I have an irrational fear of smelling bad.  I’m the kind of person that will put some on in the morning, then before I leave for work, then when I get to work, then on every break etc... So you get the picture.  I don’t want to stink.  I’ve tried going natural before using one from Lush, which unfortunately did not work in the slightest for me and left me feeling really self-conscious going about my day.  I stuck it out for about 2 weeks before packing it in, so although I was excited to find this in my box, I was also a little skeptical and rather uncertain about giving another one a try. 

The Native Unearthed stick deodorant needs to be wet before you apply it to your underarms.  There is no fragrance to this particular one, which worried me slightly as what if I do start to stink and there is no pretty smells to try and combat it?  Of course I was being ridiculous, but hey, that’s just me.  As you rub it on, a clear wet paste like solution glides over the skin – it’s hard to tell if you’re putting on too much or not enough.  I will admit that it does not give me the same clean feeling as using a spray on does when applied, however you can’t really compare a spray and solid.  I love that it doesn’t flake off as you move your arms, nor does it stain you clothing as your pulling it over your head, like most spay on deodorants do!  After applied, it’s a waiting game to see how it preforms…

I played it safe for the first few wears, applying it in the morning and only using it on days when I knew I wasn’t going to be getting up to much other than blogging and a dog walk.  When these days passed without any problems, I started applying it in the mornings before going to work – but would always use the spray on stuff when I was at work to keep me topped up.  However this last week or so, I’ve put it to the real test and have been only wearing this for all day, be it a lazy day at home, a trip to town for some shopping or an evening work out at the gym – and it’s been great!  Not once have I found myself feeling sweaty or uncomfortable as my day as gone on - nor have I began to develop a bad odour either – which of course is my main concern here!  Of course I do still sweat, however it doesn’t smell at all and it doesn’t leave me feeling damp or sticky either.  It really is a great product, and I’m so happy that I got this in with the August box.  Priced at just £6.49 RRP – it’s a total bargain or the quantity and quality of the goods, and I will definitely be repurchasing again when this one runs out.  I’ve been convinced that natural deodorants are the way forward for ethical reasons thanks to Native Unearthed, it’s by far the best natural deodorant that I’ve come across to date, and would highly recommend that you give it a try too!

What’s your favourite natural deodorant? 

Until the next one,

Simply Cook

Back in August I received an email from Simply Cook tempting me back to them with a half price box.  I had ordered myself a cook box back in April, however by the time it had arrived I had already received my results from my food intolerance test.  Each and every single recipe that was sent to me contained either garlic, chilli, ginger or meat stock – none of which I was able to use!  I gifted the box to a friend, and had accepted the fact that it just wasn’t meant to be.  Now that I’ve started introducing garlic and chilli back into my diet (I tried yeast, and it’s definitely a no go) I am now able to try out all of the lovely recipes that I had been sent out previously. 

Simply cook send you out a variety of different recipes, flavourings and spices every week, fortnight or monthly depending on your preference.  Each box costs just £8.95, which makes each meal pack just £2.23 (excluding anything you might need to pick up at the shop like veggies, chicken or pasta).  They normally do special offers on their boxes from time to time, however they offer a friend scheme for customers who are already signed up.  You can get your first box for £1 by using my name – lauren mcghee – in the promo code box, or clicking the link here https://simplycook.mention-me.com/m/ol/avm-lauren-mcghee-2

In my box I was sent a spicy vegetable stew, a Thai green curry, a spicy rice dish and a chorizo pasta dish.  Seeing as I’m vegetarian, I gifted the chorizo pasta dish to my dad, who cooked up a storm with it and told me it was amazing!  So good in fact, that mum decided to follow the same recipe guide – however adapted it completely to make it vegan.  She even made her own home made pepperoni for it!

So far I’ve made the spicy vegetable stew and the Thai green curry – both of which have been amazing!  The recipe cards come with a short and sweet shopping list for the extra bits that you’ll need to buy for each dish, you simply tear it off and take it with you to the supermarket, it’s really easy.  I made the Thai green curry dish for me and my boyfriend, and so had to prepare and cook them separately as he eats meat.  Despite this, the prep and cooking time was not hindered in the slightest, all it meant was two pans and splitting the flavourings.  Even though both dishes had half the spices it should have done, they were so strong and powerful that everything tasted simply delicious – it was really, really good!  The  whole meal only took about 30 minutes to prepare and cook, which was really surprising to me seeing as I don’t normally cook from scratch and following recipes normally means that I have to add an extra 20 minutes if not longer. 

I’m so super impressed the simplicity, easiness and taste of the simply cook dishes that I will definitely be ordering again!  The one thing I will tell you to look out for is the ingredients list, unfortunately you can only filter out the fish dishes and not all the meat ones, so if there is a dish you really like the look of double check that it is one you can actually eat.

What's your favourite dish to cook from scratch?

 Until the next one, 

The Vegan Kind Box August

I treated myself to a Vegan Kind box in August after my mum received her one in the post – the items inside were so brill that I couldn’t help myself!  It was a massive bargain too, as everything in the box totally up over £20, and I got mine for just £8.50 with a money off voucher!  Although it wasn’t much of a surprise when it came as I knew what to expect, I was still super excited to pop open the box and tuck in.

Hippeas

These chickpea puffs were one of the items from the box that my mum raved about, so I was quite excited to try these out as I’ve seen them in the likes of Holland and Barrett and Boots in town.  They were really thick and crunchy, and although it doesn’t look like you get a lot in the bag, because they are so big it is actually a really good sized portion.  Very herby in taste, this particular flavour was not really up my street.  They were nice and really packed with flavour, but not amazing.  I’ll definitely pick up the other flavours to see what one does take my fancy, as I really liked the texture of the snacks!

Squirrel Sisters

The packaging for this snack bar was really cute, I loved the colour and the little squirrels were funky!  I wasn’t really feeling this bar, it was oddly a little sour – I think this was the fruits used to flavour.  It reminded me of a flapjack/nakd bar, kind of a mix of both.  I really liked the coconut flakes that they had mixed through, you could really taste these with every bite!  I’d maybe try out the other flavours of these bars, if I ever come across them in the shops!

Candy Kittens

By far my favourite snack from the bunch, these sweeties excited both me and my mum when she opened up her box, as she’s been filling me in on the new vegan flavour for ages!  We both loved Percy Pigs when she was veggie, however now that she’s gone completely vegan – she can no longer have them due to beeswax.  The Candy Kittens sweeties remind me of these, the texture is amazing and the taste is really nice too – not too sweet yet not so artificial.  They’ve really created a fab vegan sweetie – and I only hope that they decide to expand their vegan range further, as beef gelatine is gross and we don’t need that stuff in sweeties!  Since receiving my box I have repurchased Candy Kittens from my not so local Sainsburys, and plan to do so for the foreseeable future.

Landgarten Crunchy Choco Snack

I’ve seen these bad boys online advertised as the vegan alternative of Maltesers – as seeing as these were a favourite of mine before my diet change, I was really quite excited by this particular snack!  Although very small in size, these little crunchy choco balls hit the sweet spot perfectly without being too sickly or bitter with the dark chocolate.  I myself personally wouldn’t compare them to Maltesers, as they’re substantially crunchier and completely different in taste altogether, however I can see why they’ve been compared.  I absolutely would pick these up again as they were a really nice wee treat – I juts hope I come across them in town sometime soon!

Vegan Egg

This is one of the items I was most excited to try out, as finding something that I can make an omelette style meal or scrambled egg is what I’ve been looking into for a while now.  I recently tried out scrambled tofu which I loved, and had hoped that this would be the as good if not better than that.  Unfortunately, I just really could not stomach the texture of this, it was super slimy and just not my cup of tea at all. I had cooked it like an omelette, and then scrambled it when I realised how floppy it was.  I flavoured this with black salt and pepper, and it did taste pretty good, however the texture was just too much.  I reckon this would be better trying it in some baking good, however that’s just my opinion and I’m sure people love this just the way I cooked it!  

This box was well worth the money, and I can promise you that I will be making a repurchase again from The Vegan Kind.  I treated my mum to the September box too this month which was pretty amazing - I just can't decide if I can stretch my budget that far this month yet to get one for myself too!  Watch this space...

Until the next one,

A Cheeky Lush Haul

My lovely boyfriend treated me to a lush haul for our three year anniversary recently, so I took this as an opportunity to try out a few bits that I’ve had my eyes on for ages, as well as picking up a few staple products.

Tea Tree Toner Tab

This is a product that I’ve been buying for around a year now as I just love how good it leaves my skin feeling after each use.  After reading a lot of reviews online, I started bottling the water after each stem session and I keep it as a toner.  It makes my skin feel cleaner day and night, hence why this has become a staple product for most of my Lush trips!

Whoosh Shower Jelly

The first shower jelly that I bought from Lush was the Nightwing one that they sell at Halloween, and ever since I’ve been obsessed with them!  They all smell incredible and although slippery when I the tub –duh, they’re jelly – they create a nice soapy (but not foamy) lather that fills the room with fragrance and leave you smelling funky fresh!  I have a Refresher jelly at my house which smells like lemons, so I picked up a citrusy Whoosh to keep at my boyfriends.

Yoga Bomb

Since declaring this bad boy as my favourite bathbomb a while ago, I really struggle not to pick up one when I’m in store.  The smell is just mesmerising, I’m actually keeping this one in my drawer at the moment until I fancy soak – so every time I open it I’m met with the sweet scent.  If you’ve not given it a go yet, you’ve got to! 

Charity Pot

This trusty little pot of cream does wonders for my skin, it a great little pick me up for when it's needing a little TLC, and the handy  little pot makes it perfect for carrying around on me when I’m at work, or for throwing in my handbag when I’m on the move.  I love the charity pot, and tend to always pick one up when I’m doing a random shop. 

Aqua Marina

It’s still early days yet, but I think this cleanser is either going to be really good for my skin, or do nothing at all.  I don’t normally go for a cream cleanser and so I'm not entirely sure what I should be expecting from this and how long it should take to notice a difference.  I can say that it’s really gentle on my sensitive skin, and leaves my face feeling really soft.  It’s an acquired smell I have to admit, however it’s super pretty to look at, which I guess it a plus!

Avo Wash

This smells incredible – it reminds me of the love heart sweeties and it smells good enough to eat!  This is one of the products that I’ve fancied for a really long time now, but always put it off as I was never sure what it was actually to be used for.  After speaking to a member of staff and doing my own research online, I discovered that this is in fact a conditioning shampoo – which a lot of people like to use as a conditioner due to it ingredients.  I’ve decided to do the same, and it’s done wonders for my hair.  It doesn’t lather like a shampoo – it reminds me very much of the Lush solid conditioner actually.  It makes my hair smell lovely for hours after it’s dried naturally, and although my hair does feel tuggy after use until I’ve given it a really good brush through when it’s wet, I’ve seen a difference in my curly locks already.  I will definitely repurchase when I run out of my block.

Trichomania

I picked this up after a friend from work told me that it was really nice on her lovely curly hair, and so I just had to give it a go too.  She’s not lying, it’s great!  This shampoo bar lathers up fabulously when I rub it though my hair, and after it’s been washed out, the shower fills with the sweet smell of coconuts.  I’m in love with this, my hair feels soft before I go to condition, and I’m just so impressed with the quality of the product.  You get a huge block of shampoo for less that £7, so I’m hoping that it’s going to keep me going for a long time yet.  My only concern is that it has become quite soft, and possibly melting a little due to the heat of the bathroom.  I will however stop storing it in there in a bid to save the block!  This is another one that I plan on repurchasing when I run out!

There we have it – I’m well pleased with my splurge in Lush this month, and think I’ve found myself a few new favourites too!

What’s your favourite product from my haul?

Until the next one,

Organic & Botanic

Back in August the lovely team at Organic & Botanic got in touch after I had shown an interest in their products.  They asked if they could send me a goodie from their range, which of course I said yes too!  I received a pot of their Orange Mandarin and Shea Butter Body Cream just a few days later, and I have to say that I am totally impressed with the quality!

I was super excited to find that the cream was actually suitable for vegans and not just cruelty free, as I am seriously looking into adapting my lifestyle to a vegan one - one day down the line!  Anyway, the fact that it's labelled as a vegan product makes it really easy to tell that it's cruelty free - which takes a whole lot of time away from looking at packaging.

I was a little bit nervous about giving the cream a go - as my skin has always been sensitive to new products due to my eczema.  However seeing as these ingredients are pretty much all natural, it is safe to say that my skin was delighted to smothered in the orangey goodness, and I didn't even have a breakout!  The body cream smells so sweet that it is seriously tempting to have a taste at times - although I've manged to restrain myself so far.  It's a really thick and creamy consistency, however it is in no way sticky once applied to the skin, nor does is leave me feeling greasy!  

What I love the most about the Organic & Botanic body cream is the way that it makes my skin feel - it's so nice!  I've been using this all over my body, but paying special attention to the dryer areas of my skin being around my elbows and my knees.  I've seen a dramatic difference in these areas, they're no longer flaky looking nor are they super rough to touch. 

It's nice when you find a product that works exactly how you expect it to, which can sometimes be hard when you have such high expectations for everything that you buy!  I would highly recommend trying out some of the Organic & Botanic range, which you can see here!  Thank you so much to the Organic & Botanic folks for giving me the opportunity to try out this product!

What’s your favourite body care product right now?

Until the next one,