Friday 31 August 2018

The Pip Box August 2018 vegan beauty box review


Hello, my loves! Today, I am very excited to be bringing you another, very special vegan beauty unboxing with the Pip Box. TheVeganKind box (which I reviewed for you last time) restored my faith in subscription boxes, so I was incredibly excited to team up with the Pip Box and review their August selection of all-natural, vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. This box costs £20 with free UK delivery (although the cost is less per box if you choose a long-term subscription), and it will arrive at your door every month. The August box is the 'Energise Edit', with a focus on health, fitness and well-being. It definitely sounds promising, and I hope you enjoy!

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Sunday 26 August 2018

Jeffree Star Velour Lip Scrub in Pink Lemonade review


Hello, my jelly beans! Today, I am very excited to bring you a review of the Jeffree Star Velour lip scrub in Pink Lemonade, which is part of the 2018 Summer Collection. Whilst I know that people tend to have mixed opinions about Jeffree himself (although personally, I think the recent YouTube mini-series starring him and Shane was pretty amazing), I've always been a fan of his products as they're very reliable, unique and not overly pricey. This was actually my first time trying out a proper lip scrub of any kind - my lips are very sensitive, so I've always been a little cautious about exfoliating them! Today, I will be sharing with you my honest thoughts on this Velour lip scrub. Hope you enjoy!
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Tuesday 21 August 2018

TheVeganKind vegan beauty box review + first impressions! August edition


Hello, my loves! Today, I am very excited to talk to you about a fully vegan, fully cruelty-free beauty box by TheVeganKind. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might know that I've always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with subscription boxes. The element of surprise can be very exciting, but I've had mix luck with beauty boxes in the past where I just wouldn't use most of the products. Having said that, I cannot tell you how happy I was when I found out about TheVeganKind box. I've been trying to explore more cruelty-free products, but it can be difficult since a lot of brands aren't 100% clear on their animal testing policies. So, to have a lovely beauty box full of vegan, cruelty-free products is just so useful in terms of trying out new and different brands. TheVeganKind beauty box costs £15 +£3.15 p&p per box (although the cost is less per box if you choose an annual subscription), and it'll arrive at your door once every two months. Today, I will be showing you the August 2018 edition. Hope you enjoy!

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Monday 6 August 2018

Lumene skincare mini haul + first impressions


Hello, loves! It's been a while since I've done a skincare haul, so I'm very excited to share my finds with you today. On my search for good, cruelty-free skincare (which can be harder than you'd expect!), I've come across this brand from Finland, Lumene (not sponsored, although I wish!). They offer a wide range of cruelty-free skincare and makeup, including lots of vegan options, which is great! I went ahead and purchased a few products, and today, I'll be sharing with you my first impressions. Hope you enjoy!


Lumene Nordic Hydra Intense Hydration Moisturiser (£17.90)
This fresh, lightweight cream is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving it soft, smooth and intensely hydrated from the very first application. Contains pure Arctic spring water to promote a healthy-looking complexion.

I actually tried a sample of this a while back, and enjoyed it so much that I just had to get the full size! This is, hands down, the most refreshingly hydrating cream that I've ever used. It's easy to apply and leaves your skin feeling thoroughly moisturised, without any greasy residue. I've tried a lot of creams in the past that just wouldn't absorb very well, which would put me off moisturising in the mornings. This one, however, feels unbelievably lightweight and absorbs beautifully in just a few seconds. It genuinely makes a difference to how your skin looks and feels, and it might just become my all-time favourite, cruelty-free day moisturiser.


Lumene Sisu Deep Clean Purifying Mask (£14.95)
The purity-boosting clay-based formula is enriched with natural exfoliating particles from Nordic cranberry and pure Arctic spring water. Combined with anti-pollution technology, it helps to protect against external stressors, leaving skin smooth, fresh and naturally radiant looking. 

Whoever designed this formula, was very serious about the 'deep clean' part! This mask leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean, smooth and soft. The texture is interesting as it feels more like a lotion (unlike clay or peel masks), that doesn't really harden when dried up. It exfoliates well without drying out your skin, although I'd say that it's probably more suitable for oily skin types. Also, despite how thoroughly cleansing it is, it actually feels very gentle on the skin! I'm always a little cautious about 'deep clean' face masks as they can be quite irritating, but this one feels incredibly gentle and almost soothing when applied.


Lumene Nordic Hydra Pure Arctic Miracle 3-in-1 Micellar Cleansing Water (£12.00)
The gentle freshness of water is combined with the efficient cleansing properties of micellar particles. Skin is thoroughly cleansed, and appears freshly hydrated and radiant.

I was looking for a good, vegan and cruelty-free alternative to my usual Garnier micellar water, and this one was actually amongst top-rated products on the feelunique website. The price is a little higher than what I'd expect to pay for a bottle of micellar water, but I thought it was worth a try, and I definitely wasn't disappointed! This micellar water gently melts away all your makeup without needing to rub, leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean. It's definitely as effective as the Garnier micellar water, although it does struggle a little more with waterproof mascara. The formula also feels more 'concentrated' - you need much less product per application to achieve the same results.

Overall, I am very pleased with my Lumene purchases, and will definitely be checking out more of their products in the future. Again, this post isn't sponsored in any way - I am just genuinely impressed with this brand, and wanted to share it with you, loves! It's not easy finding vegan, cruelty-free skincare products that actually work - it's sad how many brands still choose to test on animals, honestly. I've been on the lookout for good skincare and makeup alternatives, so will be sharing with you more in future posts. x

Have you tried Lumene skincare before? What skincare products have you been loving lately? 
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Wednesday 1 August 2018

Meet Cinnamon Roll, my baby hamster


Hello, my loves! Today, I want to introduce you all to someone very, very special - my little Syrian hamster, named Cinnamon Roll. We got him just over a week ago (it was an early birthday present from my partner), and I love him so much that I just couldn't wait to share with you the happy news! Cinnamon Roll is currently about 10 weeks old, and it is the cutest, fluffiest bundle of joy that I've ever seen!

A sneak peek of the current cage. :) 

Me and my boyfriend always wanted to keep a pet, and a little Syrian hamster seemed like a perfect addition to our family. We wanted to give him the most amazing home possible, so we invested in a large Living World Green Eco Habitat tank, which is 95cm wide and 49cm high, giving him lots of room to run around and explore. We also bought him lots of toys, places to hide, an exercise wheel (which I recently upgraded as the initial one ended up being too small!), food and treats. It's still work in progress, and I would like to eventually give the cage more of a theme (I'm thinking maybe a woodland or rainforest theme), but I think it's a good start. Let me know if you would like to see a more detailed hamster cage tour!



The minute I laid my eyes on this little hamster, I knew he was the one I wanted to get! He was all curled up in the corner, shy and super adorable. We've been getting to know him over the past week, but it's still early days. For now, we're just giving him space and letting him adjust to the new environment (as much as I'd love to just go ahead and give him a proper cuddle!).

So far, Cinnamon Roll seems to be adjusting very well to its new home. He's super curious and loves to explore his cage, which is so heart-warming to watch! He's still a little shy and quite easily startled, which of course is completely expected. He's made a nest and moved his toys inside one of the wooden houses, which seem to be his favourite spot to hide and rest. I've read up quite a lot on taming hamsters, and whilst they're naturally quite curious and friendly, we're being patient and taking things slow. I have yet to handle him properly, but it's okay as we just want him to fully adjust to his new home!



I hope you enjoyed this post, and please let me know if you'd like to see more updates from Cinnamon Roll's life! I am thinking of creating an Instagram page for him, and perhaps preparing some homemade hamster treats - let me know if you'd like to see a post on that! :)

What pets do you have? Please, tell me all about them! :) 
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