Recent Reads Reviewed #11

A Summer at Sea by Katie Fforde – 3/5

I picked this up as I was attracted to the beautiful cover and a chance to try out the author for the first time. The story is set in the Western Isles of Scotland where protagonist Emily accepts a summer job as a cook assistant on a puffer boat. My personal highlight included the chapters focusing on this as I did feel some of the on land periods dragged a little. The pace of the book was a little slow, but the characters were lovely as was the overall story.

The Last Dance and Other Stories by Victoria Hislop - 4/5

This was my first experience reading anything by Victoria Hislop and I enjoyed her collection of short stories. Each showed a different side of Greek culture, and the messages were informative of life living there. The tone was quite melancholy on occasions, but I flew through this quick read. I would be interested to read more from the author.

Laughter Lines by Des O'Connor – 5/5

I came across this book in my local free charity book shop, and grabbed it as I was in the mood for something light and humorous. Des O’Connor is known for being a comedian and TV presenter in the UK. The book is in comic verse to celebrate life's little moments, and I enjoyed reading through his poetry. Naturally, they were very English and quaint which was part of the appeal for me.

Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel by Jane Costello – 5/5

Jane Costello is a fairly well-known chick lit author and she has wrote some great books such as All the Single Ladies, The Time of Our Lives and Girl on the Run to name just a few. I was pleased to have come across this particular title, and in my opinion it’s one of her best. The story develops around three friends who join a dance class at the Moonlight Hotel, and follows their dynamic as well as the romances that form along the way. If you are looking to try out the author, this one would be an excellent place to begin.

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs – 5/5

This book was a joy to read; a perfect mix of fantasy, and contemporary middle grade. Main character, Lily is half-human half-mermaid and in this second book from the series it follows her life on land. The story was written in a way that could suit a broad range of ages and I was able to read it as a standalone with ease. There was something special about this book so I would certainly recommend it! 

Have you read any these books or come across the authors? 

What are you currently reading? :-) Xx

The Snack Diaries | Part Thirteen

Pukka Blackcurrant Beauty Fruit Tea
(From Co-op, £2.00 for twenty tea bags)
I’d been wanting to try this specific tea for ages, and I picked it up after seeing it reduced in the Co-op. I wasn’t disappointed, the taste was very authentic and probably my favourite blackcurrant tea I’ve tried.

Co-op Rhubarb & Vanilla Infusion Fruit Tea
(From Co-op, £0.99 for twenty tea bags)
I often gravitate towards supermarket own brands for tea among other things. Own brand teas are always affordable and this particular product is one of my favourites. The combination of rhubarb, and the sweetness of the vanilla is perfect. I can see myself repurchasing which I don’t often do.

Aldi Pantry Carrot Cake Mix
(From Aldi, price and weight unknown)
I found this cake mix very reliable to use, as it rises well in the oven, and the carrot taste is amazing. I managed to get twelve buns and a small loaf which seems an ideal portion. The cakes were scrumptious fresh from the oven!

Harvest Moon Yogurt & Fruit Bars
(From Aldi, unknown price for six portions)
I went through a period of trying lots of healthier breakfast type bars, these ones appealed to me because of the yogurt coating however they came across a little dry unfortunately. They were rather average really.

Do you buy supermarket own brand food products? 

Do you have any snack recommendations for me? :-) Xx

Gosh BB Cream

Today I’m going to be reviewing this Gosh BB cream in Sand 1. I’ve actually purchased this product twice now and I’m excited to finally share my thoughts. I’ve always liked the brand Gosh, in my teens I was obsessed with their eye shadow pencils, and lately I’ve been getting back into their make-up. I find the quality is excellent for the price, and fortunately they are cruelty-free.

Foundation, primer and moisturizer in one. Gosh BB Cream has a natural coverage that adapts to the skin tone and furthermore leaves the skin soft and smooth. SPF 15 and cruelty-free. 

I struggle getting the right colour in base products as I have rather fair skin. I was browsing the Superdrug website one day and came across this product, the reviews were excellent and a lot of people commented saying Sand 1 is a good match for very pale skin. Sand 1 is perfect for me in the winter months, and the consistency makes it easy to blend. It gives off a very natural glow, and the look is quite flawless. There are two other shades, and when summer comes around I might go for beige 2.

It’s originally priced at £9.99 but on my second purchase I got a few pounds off in an offer which I would recommend to look out for. One tube lasts me months, so the price point is pretty okay. I like the simple, but striking packaging too. I can totally see why this product is popular, I fully recommend. Buy here.

Have you tried anything by Gosh before? 

What base products are your fav at the moment? :-) Xx

Healthier Mocha & Almond Cookies

Thanks for stopping by, today I have a baking project to share. These cookies are my own recipe, and great if you are looking for something guilt-free but still tasty. I enjoy the taste of coffee in baked goods, and with a bit of cocoa the mocha flavour is really nice.

I also added almonds as I had some left over in the cupboard. I used a recipe out of one of my baking books as a guide, but changed it quite a bit, adding my own things in such as coffee, almonds and sweetener instead of sugar. They came out pretty well, and I can see myself making something mocha inspired again. This sort of thing could be handy for putting in a lunch box or having as a snack mid-way through the day.

Let me know if you’ve been baking lately.

Do you like mocha flavour in baked goods too? :-) Xx

B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing Wipes

Hope you are all well. Today I’m going to be reviewing these B. Pure wipes I’ve been experimenting with. My all-time favourite drugstore wipes are the Boots No7 wipes as well as Johnsons pamper time wipes which have been discontinued. While writing a beauty blog, I’ve had the pleasure of trying a few natural brands too.

So far I’ve had success with the Pacifica coconut wipes, which I would recommend if you want something special. The Faith in Nature 3 in 1 facial wipes are great if you want natural on a budget. I tried Burt’s Bees wipes too, which initially were promising but I don’t think they are as natural as I first thought.

I do love the convenience of wipes when I’m unable to take off make-up properly and I’m still on the hunt for my holy-grail cruelty-free wipes. I spotted the B. Pure brand on Superdrug, and the reviews were amazing. Here I have wrote the positives and negatives I found while using them.

Positives

Very moist.

Generous size wipes.

Packaging keeps the wipes fresh.

Removes make-up well.

Cruelty-free leaping bunny logo.

Very affordable at £1.49.

Negatives

Left my skin a little tight.

Didn’t work as well with my skin as other brands I’ve tried.

Not sensitive enough for my skin.

Have you tried anything by the Superdrug B. Pure range? 

Any face wipe recommendations for me? :-) Xx