Why I Stopped Buying Beauty Boxes

Hi guys, 

This is in no way a bitch or a moan, its simply my thoughts and opinions on this trend. As you know, there are a million beauty boxes out there now with Look Fantastic, Birch Box and Glossy Box being the most well-known. Since their launch we have seen countless monthly offerings including ones that aren’t necessarily beauty based such as The Melt Crowd (candle subscription service), Graze (snack box), Ink Drops (stationary), Pink Parcel (period box), Lip Monthly (lip products) and The Vegan Kind (vegan products). All very good actually!. There are also some pretty cool collaborations between the queen of skincare Caroline Hirons (£175) and Cult Beauty or Anna and Lily's (sold out) colab but I am still left bemused by beauty boxes.

I used to be an avid Glossy Box subscriber but I felt I was paying for something that was just thrown together with no thought put in whatsoever. Maybe that's changed now, but I had enough after a year. At first all of the products were deluxe samples of some fantastic brands but after a few months, it all went downhill and I felt it was cheap products in tiny sample form. I then moved onto Look Fantastic, again, everything was great, their monthly offerings were more than welcome and then it went downhill. I have only ordered Birch Box once, it was ok, nothing to rave about but it made me mad that these companies were receiving thousands of subscribers per month and then downgrading the products which isn't fair. 

The thing with beauty boxes is you have to be somewhat of a gambler as you never know what will be coming each month. Sometime's they give a sneak peak which is always fun. I used to like the not knowing aspect but I was left bemused some months. I understand there are dips and troughs, this is to be expected, but the bad outweighed the good in the end which led me to cancel all of my subscriptions. I now see the odd great one from LF, GB or BB so I buy it for that month only if they offer it, but I wouldn't subscribe to them anymore. I know not all subscriptions are the same and some are better than others, especially some of the ones mentioned above, but as for beauty boxes, I think I’m done.

I do love the idea of the collaboration boxes though, but if you ain't fast your last baby, as they sell out pretty quickly. Caroline's one is still in stock but if you dont have £175 then your pretty much screwed. I know these ones can be ridiculously expensive but when you look at the products you are receiving, it works out cheaper in the long run as most of them are deluxe samples or full sized products. Don't know if I would be rushing out to spend £175 bucks on this though, could think of many more things I would buy with that kind of money.

Where do you stand with the whole Beauty Box Monthly subscription service?

Is it a waste of money?

Do you like the products each month?

Do you prefer non beauty based boxes?

Have you checked out my latest featuring Disappointing Beauty Products?
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Slimming World | What I Ate This Week

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Hi guys, 

If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed me waffling on about Slimming World this week and that’s because I finally joined my local group. I’ve never tried anything like this before and was a little apprehensive as I wasn’t sure what it was going to entail also I didn’t want to waste my time on a diet that was going to cut out my favourite foods and leave me feeling hungry. I have tried several diets in the past such as Slimfast, Cambridge Diet and Detox`s but they aren't necessarily a lifestyle change, they are more of a quick fix where the weight comes back on. I also bought The Body Coach and have really tried with it, the meals are nice but I don't like to stick to the same ingredients, I like to change my meals up which this didn't allow in the first month. This isn't to say that it doesn't work, I actually lost weight and all of my clothes were very loose after 30 days which was incredible but there were a lot of ingredients that I just don't like and I couldn't substitute them. One week with SW and I am pleased to report that I have been able to eat what I want, minus copious amounts of chocolate and crisps on the frequent movie nights we have and I haven’t felt like I am craving all the bad things.

I joined slimming world because I want to lose weight, it's really as simple as that. I am sick of hating my body. I end up falling off the wagon with healthy eating as I feel like I am depriving myself but with this, I can eat as much of all the food I crave such as fruit, fat free yoghurts, pasta, potatoes and meats and I am also allowed bread and cheese but in wholewheat or reduced fat which is fine with me. Obviously bread, cheese and cereals are limited but the thought of eating what I want in a healthier format and still lose weight is very appealing. It’s not all good news as I can’t eat what I really want which would be a diet of sweets, doughnuts, cakes and crisps but I can look for alternatives such as ice lollies, smaller bars of chocolate and low syn homemade desserts which is an added bonus.

How it works is simply by having as many free foods as you want including meat, mince under 5% fat, deli meats, fish, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, pasta and yoghurts. You then choose one Healthy Extra A (HEa) per day which includes various cheese's & milk. You also have one Healthy Extra B (HEb) per day which includes cereals & breads. There is also a section for speed foods (S) which include different fruits & vegetables which help speed up the weight loss process. As I love fruit I have just gone to Aldi and Lidl and gone wild in the fruit aisle so my fridge is bursting. I am then allowed between 5 and 15 syns per day but I have been limiting this to 10 instead. I mean if I really want a Mars Bar (11.5 syns) I will have it but I will make sure I don’t have any extra syns that day to balance it out.

I haven’t felt hungry at all during my first week and have felt that I have been eating more than I normally would, especially with all the added speed foods so I thought I would give you an idea of what I have been eating this week. As a side note, if I have bread and cheese in the morning then I don’t have it with any other meal during the day. I only have these items once per day with one meal or else I save them up and have a slice of toast with reduced fat cheese later on when I am feeling peckish. Also, if I have cheese then I don’t have milk or anything else in the same category as it’s just adding to my syns which I don’t want. Equally if I have cereal or bread in the morning then I won’t have anything from the HEb section.

Breakfasts

• 60g whole-wheat bread (HEb), beans, worcester sauce, deli ham and 40g reduced fat cheese (HEa) 
• Large bowl of fruit including a lot of speed foods, banana and Muller light yoghurt.
• Wheat Bick’s from Aldi (HEb), 1 tsps. sugar (1syn), 50ml semi skimmed milk (HEa)
• Omelette with 3 medium sized eggs, splash of milk (HEa), 30g reduced fat cheese (Rest of HEa), tomatoes (S), onions (S) & deli ham. 
• Smooth Toffee Muller light yoghurt with banana.

Lunches

• Pasta with tuna in brine, fat free natural yoghurt, 1/2 tbsp. Hellman’s Mayonnaise (2.5 syns) spring onions (S), mustard & garlic salt.
• 60g whole-wheat bread (HEb), beans, deli ham and 40g reduced fat cheese (HEa) 
• Large salad with a load of speed foods, deli ham, egg, 40g reduced fat cheese (HEa), pickled onions & beetroot. 
• Homemade soup with lots of speed foods.
• Pasta with ham, cucumber (S), lettuce (S), peppers (S), fat free greek yoghurt, dijon mustard, onions (S) and peas (cooked and cooled).

Dinners

• Homemade meatballs, courgetti, whole-wheat spaghetti, homemade tomato sauce with bacon and the 40g reduced fat cheese on top.
• Homemade beef burgers with homemade salsa, homemade coleslaw, salad & oven cooked sweet potato wedges with spices.
• Pasta with tuna in brine, fat free natural yoghurt, 1/2 tbsp. Hellman’s Mayonnaise (2.5 syns) spring onions (S), mustard & garlic salt.
• Fillet Steak with tomatoes (S), onions (S), balsamic vinegar and a baked potato with 40g reduced fat cheese.
• Roasted chicken breasts with herbs and spices, salad & baked sweet potato.

Snacks

• Melon & Ham
• Muller Light Yoghurts (syn free varieties only)
• Speed fruits throughout the day
• Other fruits including cherries
• Vegetables
• Low Syn ice lollies like fruit pastel ice lollies.
• Low syn chocolate bars
• Toast & cheese (if I haven't used them with any other meal)

Obviously my birthday was on Wednesday and I went for lunch but I stuck with a Butterfly Grilled Chicken, Jacket Potato & Salad but then I had 2 glasses of Red Wine ha-ha. I then went for dinner that night to Crossbasket Castle and had an extra small glass of wine with each course & 3 glasses of prosecco. Then I came home and had another bottle of Rose Wine! Safe to Wednesday was a complete write off. It was worth it though.

The day after, I woke up hangover free (don't hate me, I have my dad to thank for that one) and went straight back to the plan. This was a great day but I was craving a little bit of chocolate due to my period and then Liam suggested we have a movie night. Obviously you can't have movie night without some nibbles but I do admit I went slightly overboard. We bought packs of Revels, Fruit Pastels, Fruit Gums and 4 x Rolo Mousses. It was great but we didn't eat all of it. We left the bags 1/2 full and put them out of sight. 

Total weight loss for the week was 2lbs. I am happy about this but equally a little pissed off with myself as I really tried this week. I am putting this down to finding my feet and having a particularly bad birthday with regards to my food and drink choices. But, a loss is still a loss. I realised I was having 2 slices of 800g bread rather than the 400g loaf which meant I was adding syns without realising it. I will know better for next week.

If you would like a recipe on any of the homemade meals above just leave me a comment below with which one you would like to see and I can arrange that as most of them as syn free or low in syns. 

Have you checked out my latest featuring The Best Birthday Meal Ever?

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Scottish Scran | Crossbasket Castle Restaurant

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Hi guys

If you don’t already know, it was my 31st birthday on the 6th July and Liam decided to take me to the newly opened Michael Roux Jnr & Albert Roux restaurant within Crossbasket Castle in High Blantyre. I was actually screaming inside when he told me he booked it as a surprise as 31 isn’t a big birthday at all but considering he missed my 30^th family meal last year he said he wanted to make up for it. And boy did he make up for it.

When we drove onto the grounds, I was taken aback at how beautiful the surroundings were, it really is quite incredible. The building itself is a 14^th century castle which was recently restored by husband and wife, Steve Timoney and Alison Reid Timoney. As well as the Albert & Michael Roux Jnr Restaurant & breathtaking surroundings, it boasts 9 en-suite bedrooms which are filled with antique furnishings and a grand ballroom perfect for weddings.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the hotel manager (I think!), he took our coats and escorted us through to the bar area where we overlooked the river behind the hotel. While we waited for our table we read over the menu, which looked incredible. We were presented with a few bar nibbles including olives, salt & vinegar cashew nuts and salted popcorn. We were then given some canapes including salted beef, smoked salmon on beetroot crisps & rhubarb with parmesan crisps. I was blown away at this point as they tasted amazing. Honestly if this was only the canapes, I could only imagine how good the meal was going to be. 

After 30 minutes, of relaxing by the waterfall display outside, we were taken through to the restaurant which overlooked the beautiful gardens in the forecourt. As we already salivated over the menu, we were quite excited and wanted to dive straight into the food. 

In total there were 7 courses which included an amuse-bouche of Chicken Liver Parfait with a Madeira Jelly & 6 dishes including dessert. Please see above for full breakdown of menu. I actually forgot to take pictures of the amuse-bouche & the first course as I zoned out and just started shovelling the delicious looking food into my mouth. What can I say, I`m a greedy person when beautiful food is presented to me. 

I opted for the wine parings with each dish and I have to say, up until now I just drank wine to drink it as I never understood its place but after tonight I will be looking into this more and more as it really added to the experience. Liam who is not a wine drinker tried some of the offerings and he loved them. After 6 courses, we were getting full. I know everyone moans about portion sizes when it comes to eating like this but honestly it’s more than you would imagine.

Chefs Taster Menu (£67 per person)

Homemade Mortadella Sausage with Asparagus & Bois Boudran Sauce

Crab Tortellini with Scallops & Lemon Dressing

Wild Smoked Salmon, Peas, Broad Beans with a Light Liquorice Consomme

Glazed Duck Breast with Salt Baked Beetroot, Celeriac Puree and a Duck Jus

Passionfruit Soufflé with Chocolate and Hazelnut Ice Cream

I am glad I made some room for the dessert as it was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten. I am not a soufflé lover, I would much rather a cake of some sort but as soon as I cut into the soufflé the most intense aroma whacked me in the face. It was really strong with Passionfruit, which is what you want when it’s the main flavour but I was not prepared for the intensity at all. It was hands down the best dessert I have ever eaten. Liam, who unlike me, hates desserts, he would rather have a starter and main whereas I am the opposite but he devoured his in a matter of seconds with all of the obligatory oohing & ahhing ha-ha. 3 days later and he is still talking about it, that’s how good it was.

Crab Tortellini with Scallops & Lemon Dressing

Wild Smoked Salmon, Peas, Broad Beans with a Light Liquorice Consomme

Glazed Duck Breast with Salt Baked Beetroot, Celeriac Puree and a Duck Jus

Passionfruit Soufflé with Chocolate and Hazelnut Ice Cream

After the meal, we were escorted through to the lounge area which was very welcoming and relaxing. We were full to the brim by this point and welcomed the comfy seats in a beautifully decorated room. We were then given coffee & petit fours along with a slice of rich chocolate cake with a Happy Birthday message & candle on it which I was not expecting. I love little touches like this when you dine out as it makes the overall experience that bit more special. 

The overall feel of the hotel/restaurant was very decadent indeed. It was very warm and inviting. It screamed high class all the way and the food was definitely the star of the show. One thing I was worried about was the service as I have never dined in a restaurant of this calibre before so I didn't know how they would act but I shouldn't have worried as both of the ladies who looked after us were an absolute joy. I was highly impressed with their knowledge of food and wine but they were just down to earth girls who made us feel comfortable and special. 

I'm not going to talk money as I feel it is a little crass, I'm sure you will have a rough idea after seeing the menu above. I understand this is a once in a lifetime experience or a once every year kind of a deal but we were celebrating a birthday and wanted to try Crossbasket Castle ever since we heard of it. We certainly don't dine like this every weekend, trust me. If you don't want to try the dinner service, they offer a Lounge Menu (items from £6.50) Afternoon Tea (from £25) and a Lunch Menu (£30) too which I will be trying out very soon as they all sound amazing. 

I have to say, 3 days later I am still salivating thinking about this meal. Both myself and Liam keep talking about it every couple of hours and have the stupidest grins on our face as we know it was a once a year kind of a thing for us. The service was top notch, the surroundings were gorgeous and the food was the most amazing experience ever. My favourite dishes were the Crab Tortellini with Gavi di Gavi Olim Bauda 2014 Wine (£14.99) & the Passionfruit Soufflé with Berton Vineyard Metal Label Moscato Frizzante (£31 for 3 bottles) as they were both out of this world. Liam’s favourite was the Duck & Beetroot as well as the Passionfruit Soufflé. As Liam and I love to cook, we are going to attempt the crab and scallop dish at home, obviously we dont have a recipe but we will search for a similar one online and I will 100% be buying the wine to go along with it as it truly impressed me.

If you haven’t tried this place and are saving for a special occasion then I would recommend the Albert & Michael Roux Junior Restaurant. It is by far the best meal I have had the pleasure of eating and the castle was the most extraordinary way of spending my birthday with my love. I would get on it instantly as I am sure it will be in the running for a coveted Michelin Star soon so get in quickly! Also for all us beauty minded folks, Arran Aromatics supply all their bathroom supplies so you know you are going to smell like a dream while you eat but i'm sure you wont be worrying about that when you tuck into your first course.

Have you checked out my latest featuring A Rival For Lush?

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Scottish Scran | The Black Dove

The Black Dove Scallops and Stornoway black pudding with a Glayva and cream sauce 

The Black Dove beef tartare, tarragon aioli capers and toasted bread 

The Black Dove Sushi of the Day 

 Hi guys,

For my birthday meal with friends, we went along to the newly opened The Black Dove in Shawlands which is a Scottish Tapas restaurant. When we arrived we were asked to sit at the bar area until our table was ready. Being typical of Liam and I, we arrived 30 minutes early so were happy to wait and grab a drink before our friends arrived. The setup of the restaurant is lovely, it has dark interiors with a downstairs section to both drink and eat and then an upstairs area too. By 5pm, we were expecting to be seated but no-one came over to us until 5.15pm where we were told the table was ready but we had to leave by 7pm! Considering we were early, the table was booked for 5pm and we were left for 15 minutes before anyone told us to sit, I thought this was a bit rude.

We quickly realised that three people were unable to attend so one of the staff moved one of the tables and then the waitress took our drinks order. They have a delicious selection of drinks and the cocktails menu was equally impressive.

The menu did look inviting but I did expect more variety within the a la carte menu as there was a limited selection. Any of the small plates can be bulked out to be made into a main meal but none of us took up that option. Liam ordered the Sea Bass dish, he said that it was delicious but for the £18.50 price tag he would have liked a side dish rather than just fish and peas. For that price, you want to be satisfied with the meal and contemplate whether you want a dessert or not. Most restaurants in Glasgow offer the same prices, especially in the decent restaurants but you always have a full plate. We usually go to an amazing restaurant, Peters Seafood, which has amazing food for similar prices but its full meals and the flavour combos go very well together.

I ordered small plates, I started with the Scallops with Black Pudding and a Glayva & Cream Sauce, which was delicious but the sauce was a bit sickly! The scallops were very tasty and so plump and juicy. I also ordered the Beef Tartare which I had never had before but let me tell you, this was stunning. One forkful of this was like a mini flavour explosion in the mouth, it was so fresh and the textures were on point. The last dish I ordered was the Sushi of the Day which should have been called the sushi of yesterday as it was so dry and had no taste to it whatsoever. The soy sauce pot was too deep to fit the sushi into and the wasabi paste was a watered down version of its gorgeous self which I was not impressed with at all, when I get sushi I look forward to the hot wasabi paste but this variation was a disappointment. The tuna on top also didn't taste of tuna, it had been marinated in some kind of beetroot coloured sauce which then left pink marks on the rice but it just wasn't up to par. Liam`s brother commented about the sushi being dry too but apparently the prawn tempura, beef tenderloin and the mussels were gorgeous, I didn't like the look of them myself, but the rest of the group raved about them.

Both of our waiters were quite sour faced and hardly raised a smile all evening, I have worked in all different varieties of customer service and it doesn’t take much to raise a smile to paying customers. Once we finished our food we left quite quickly as we wanted to move onto a livelier atmosphere with friendlier staff so we vacated our table before the 7pm mark.

Food: 6/10

Drinks: 9/10

Service: 4/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

Would I go back? Probably not, it wasn’t to my taste at all. For scallops, mussels and beef tartare there are far more impressive restaurants in Glasgow who offer similar prices but better quality produce and more pleasant staff. 

Have you tried The Black Dove?
Where else would you recommend?

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