Brow Power - Benefit's Gimme Brow

I'm a bit fan of Benefit's brow range - they were the first brand I came across that did a range of products other than just brow pencils.

I've been using their wax and power kit for years but when browsing their website, I spotted a new product that I was dying to test out. First I needed to get my brows in a semi decent state! I'm terrible at shaping them at home so when I need a tidy up, I head to The Blink Brow Bar for a tint and shape.

There are two of these handily located in Manchester in the basement of Selfridges - one at the Trafford Centre & one in Exchange Square. It's ridiculously easy to get an appointment pretty much any day of the week and the one in the Trafford Centre is even open until 10pm.

Having got my brows threaded into shape (and a complimentary head massage which comes as standard), it was time to nip to Boots and grab myself Benefit's Gimme Brow.

Benefit describes this as "brow-volumising fibre gel". My brows aren't that bad apart from right near the nose where the hair suddenly thins out and decides to grow straight up instead of outwards like the rest of the bloody brow hair! So these are my brows after threading but before I've started using Gimme Brow and the rest of my make up.

Apologies for how terrifying my eyes look close up!

I use short motions upwards along the length of the brow, then stroke the brush tip along brow to define shape. Let it dry and then build coverage in any gaps or in my case, near the inner brow.

This is the difference between a brow that had been done and a brow that hasn't

I'm a really big fan of this as it allows you build coverage but still leaves a natural finish rather than the solid look powder and wax gave. I use the Gimme Brow in medium/dark shade which was perfect: light enough to give a natural look, but dark enough to make an impact and stand out.

Here's the finished look with the rest of my make up - as you can see they really stand out when hair is tied back. 

You can grab it either directly from the Benefit Website or at a counter. It currently retails for £17.50 which I think is a little expensive for the size of the tube you get - 3g but I'm definitely sold on it as a daytime brow definer. It does come with a little tips and tricks booklet if you're not very confident about how to do your brows.

 

Raspberry Ripple In a Bottle - Frijj Supreme Milkshake

Whilst pottering around Sainsburys today, an attractive looking bottle caught my eye in the milk section. I've always quite like the Frijji range but this new flavour looked right up my street!

Presenting..... The Frijji Supreme White Choc & Raspberry Swirl Milkshake.

I am utterly obsessed with raspberry ripple ice cream so when I find other products that resemble those flavours, I'm all over it. The drinks company Barrs do a version of Cream Soda with a Raspberry Twist which is just delicious - it can sometimes be available in Morrisons but usually has to be purchased online via Waitrose or Ocado.

The packaging on the Frijj bottle itself is beautiful - cream and raspberry marble effect on a black background with ivory and gold text. I'm a sucker for attractive packaging so I popped a couple in my basket and rushed home to try it.

It certainly didn't disappoint - creamy, not ridiculously thick and filling. It satisfied my craving for something sweet and I'll certainly be going back to stock up on more! It's essentially drinkable raspberry ripple in a bottle! What's not to like?

 I think I'm a little bit in love......hands off!

There are several other flavours in the Supreme range including Honeycomb Choc Swirl & Sticky Toffee Pudding. Unfortunately these weren't in stock at the store I visited so will be hunting them down. I've not been asked to review this product, I just had to write about it after drinking it!

They've also just brought out an Incredible range as well with other fantastic flavour combinations that I can't wait to get my hands on and you can find out more on their website or social media pages.

Follow Frijji on Twitter or Like Frijj on Facebook.

Elegant Touch Express Nails vs Broadway Impress Nails

For several years I was a devotee of the BioScuplture Gel Manicures but as daily life got more hectic and hands on, I found less time for my nails. My natural nails are always very weak, flaking and generally in crappy condition. Despite my best efforts in filing them, nail creams and strengthening polish, they refuse to behave and my varnish would never last more than 24 hours without chipping.

I decided to treat myself to some press on nails after Sali Hughes in her excellent beauty column recommended them as a top spring nail buy

"I wore these throughout fashion week and people mistook them for a very expensive hipster manicure. They stick on in seconds and stay there (they can be used over and over), looking cute but not twee." - The Guardian Weekend.

The last time I'd used press on nails, I was a kid but the latest range of press on manicures promised salon quality finish in a matter of minutes so I decided to put them to the test.

Elegant Touch Express Nails

These are the Empty Heart design and were purchased from Boots for £8.99. I though the design of these were fantastic - they received lots of compliments from people on Instagram to cashiers in shops and were indeed often mistaken for an expensive manicure. You simply peel off the backing and press on - the glue is quite similar to the stuff used to stick gift cards to their backing.

However I found the glue to be too thick and not very efficient. Twice nails became loose and came off within the first day of wearing them and I ended up having to buy nail glue just to get them to stay on. The thickness of the glue also means the nails don't sit entirely flush with the rest of the nail and are raised slightly at the cuticle. A few days later, I was picking off the glue with tweezers and sticking them on with normal nail glue for a better fit and longevity.

Broadway Impress Nails

The Impress Nails were much better designed - they use small squares of a thin sticky film as adhesive giving them a much more streamline and convincing appearance when applied to the nails. They didn't need any additional glue to hold them and lasted for several days before needing replacing. These also retail at £8.99 and can be purchased from Boots or Superdrug.

The Verdict

Whilst I certainly preferred how well the Impress Nail looked & how sticky they were, their range of designs are limited. There is a wide range of interesting designs on their website but I've yet to see most of these materialise in-store in the UK.

Although Express Nails also has limited instore choice, their range of designs is far more interesting and creative - there is also the option to search for and purchase further designs from their range, directly from their website http://www.eleganttouch.com/all-nails.html.

Both sets were a Short Nail design though Impress offer a Medium Length version in some designs on their website.

Embracing my mixed race curls - Kérastase Styling Boucles d'art

In typical girl fashion, I didn't grow to love my curly hair until I was older. As a child, it was a nuisance, unmanageable, tangled and went out rather than down.

Throughout my early twenties, I battered it with hair dry, straighteners, extensions and chemical treatments causing it no end of suffering. I would have continued down this route if it weren't for my hairdresser  - the fantastic Simon at James Roberts Hair & Beauty in Manchester - introducing me to the new luxury K styling range designed by Kate Moss for Kérastase. In particular, this nifty little product for curly girls - Kérastase Boucles d'art.

I was skeptical at first - many mousses claim to leave you with beautiful bouncing curls and leave them crispy and looking like limp turkey twizzlers! I also have the Brazilian Blowdry applied to my hair every 6 months to make it easier to blow dry straight so was certainly not expecting any miracles - I thought it might give it a nice loose curl effect or something similar.

The prouct is a very lightweight foam the boffins at Kérastase like to call aqua mousse - the bottle transforms the water and product within it to foam with a single pump (whatever you do, don't shake the bottle - it makes it foam inside and then it won't come out of the pump! I learnt the hard way)

Simply run a wide-toothed comb through your hair when wet, then grab your mousse and go nuts. They recommend using it liberally and I certainly went to town - it doesn't give you any of the crunchiness you get from other mousses and whilst its slightly sticky when your hair is damp, it completely blends away when dry leaving them soft, shiny and bouncy.

If you've got naturally straight hair or even wavy hair, it's not going to do amazing things for you but if you've got naturally curly hair, it's bloody fantastic. I find it gives a slightly tighter curl with a diffuser than when air dried but this is purely down to personal preference.

With a diffuser

Air Dried

The Kérastase Couture styling range can only be purchased directly from salons in the UK at around £21 - you can find your nearest stockists using The Salon Locator (though online on the US Kérastase website).

Perk!er Gluten Free Breakfast Range

I promised myself I would try to be healthier this year and part of that challenge was trying out new foods. I'm luckily not intolerant to any type of food but having spent time with people who are and who have often struggled to find delicious food that was suitable for them, when Perkier Foods got in touch via SpamellaB, I decided to "take one for the team" so to speak.

The founders of Perk!er, Ann Perkins and her partner, Steve Turner, set up the brand in 2012 after Ann was diagnosed with coeliac disease.  Frustrated by the lack of gluten-free foods available, the pair decided to launch a brand to offer tasty alternatives and bring enjoyment back to gluten free food.

A few emails later and a selection of gluten free goodies were en route to Manchester for me to get stuck into. They certainly piqued the curiosity of my cats when they arrived!

 

 

The first thing you notice is how colourful, fun and exciting all the packaging looks - the gluten free options I've normally seen in the supermarkets are often in very muted colours of green and grey - hardly appealing!

The Porridge Pots

I popped these into my bag for work - their size makes them perfect if you're in a bit of a rush and need a quick breakfast on the go to get you set up for the day ahead. Made from gluten-free oats and skimmed milk powder, the pots come in Apple, Raisin & Cinnamon and Fruity Berry varieties containing natural sweetener, xylitol, whilst the Golden Syrup one contains sugar and natural flavourings.

They're really easy to make. Just fill them up to the marker line with boiling water, pop the lid back on and leave for 2 minutes. Any longer and unfortunately the consistency does become quite stodgy but this is an issues you'd find with other varieties in pots. I was expecting the Golden Syrup one to be very sweet but it was actually more of a subtle taste. The real winner here for me was the Apple Cinnamon & Raisin variety. It really bursts with flavour and I'll definitely be taking these with me on my travels.

Their size and sturdy design (especially the lids) mean they can get bumped around in your bag or suitcase without spilling everywhere, so you've always go a healthy, filling breakfast on the go. These would be great if you were staying somewhere that might not offer a gluten free breakfast option or wanted a decent breakfast on the train, plane or on the road.

 The Porridge Range

These were my favourite products from the whole selection, especially the Gingerbread & Raisin variety - I was pinching bits of the gingerbread straight out of the box! The porridge is really quick and simple to make - simply pop 4 heaped dessert spoons into a pan or microwavable bowl, pour in approx 175ml of water or milk and cook for about 2 minutes. Simples!

I'd definitely like to see more of the Gingerbread & Raisin across the other products, particularly the little pots so I can take it everywhere with me!

The Red Berry Flakes

I'm not a huge cereal eater and if I do, it's usually Weetabix with pure sugar poured on top with full fat milk! Perkier's Red Berry Flakes are made up of wholegrain flakes made from organic brown rice flour, organic buckwheat flour, freeze dried strawberry and raspberry pieces and have half the amount of sugar as the leading brand of Red Berry cereals - uh oh!

It took me a while to get into this - the first few mouthfuls tasted very bland to me. Personally, I felt it would benefit from a slightly better ratio of fruit to flake. The flavours together were really nice but there wasn't enough burst of flavour in every mouthful for me. The Perk!er guys recommend adding extra fresh fruit to the flakes - this is definitely something I'll be trying next time.

Get Creative

There are various recipes and tips on how to jazz up the Perkier range - I'm not much of a baker but I'll definitely be having a go at making the crumble and chocolate flake cakes - they look delicious and it's a perfect way for me to indulge my sweet tooth whilst still being semi-healthy!

You can find the full recipe range HERE

The range does include a Treats section for those of you with a sweet tooth as bad as mine and all their products can be found in Sainsburys, Tescos & Asda as well as other wholesalers - see all stockists.

A must have range for coeliacs, vegans, vegetarians or anyone just trying to eat healthier without compromising on taste!

Time for a cuppa - FruitBroo Review!

Recently I came across an intriguing brand via one of my fellow Black Milk lovers (known as Sharkies), called FruitBroo. A brand new range of seriously tasty juicy fruit drinks specially blended to be served hot. 100% natural with no caffeine, gluten or dairy and only 15 calories a cup! It sounded WAY too good to be true.

I’m a huge fan of Twining’s herbal teas so was curious to see how these little fellas matched up! After nipping to a local Sainsburys to grab one, I gave it a go! The contents of this little bottles is a concentrated intensely fruity syrup that you simply add hot water to create a steamy hot mug of goodness! 

Yum!

Got to at least try giving the healthy thing a shot!

I took to Twitter to express my delight at this new discovery immediately and got chatting to the FruitBroo guys. They very kindly sent a box of the entire range winging its way up to Manchester the very same day! The day they arrived, it was chucking it down – the perfect situation to settle down with a hot beverage!

The packaging is brilliant – appealing, colourful and fun, which was no surprise when I later found out FruitBroo is the brainchild of Mike Brehme, the man behind Clipper teas! The FruitBroo guys claim you can get 15 cups out of their 100ml bottle and recommend using two teaspoons full. However after testing this method in the office at work, it didn’t go down too well – there was a resounding reaction of “too weak”.

So when I gave it a bash at home, I went a little wild and simply poured it from the bottle enough to cover the bottom of the mug! I tend to like things pretty strong! The first thing you notice upon opening each bottle is the fantastic smell that hits you. It literally makes your mouth water and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. 

Apple and Ginger Spice

I’m a sucker for anything with ginger in but the ginger flavour isn’t particularly overwhelming with this mix. It’s got a very wintery scent to it but it actually tastes very sweet – the only way I can really think to describe it is Christmas in a mug!  Certainly a favourite for me and took me straight back to memories of the recent Christmas Markets in Manchester.

Elderflower and Lime

The delicateness of the elderflower gives this tea a very subtle taste and the tartness of the lime gives it a little kick to stop it from being completely bland. Personally not a fan as a hot brew but I do think, it would make an extremely pleasant cool drink in hot weather. I’ll definitely be giving it a go when if the weather perks up  - brewing it up, then leaving it to cool and adding ice and possibly a dash of sparkling water!

Honey and Lemon

This was my least favourite out of the range. Whilst you can smell the honey when opening the bottle, when transferred into tea form, it was completely overwhelmed by the lemon flavour. Unfortunately this one was definitely a thumbs down – I think I’d still prefer to make my own honey and lemon with actual ingredients instead.

Lemon and Ginger

Totally swinging the other way, this was another one of my favourites. The scent of gingerbread hit me the minute I took the lid off and I wasn't disappointed with the flavour. Warming, beautifully aromatic and tingling all my taste buds (and it seemed to help nip my cold in the bud), I've already polished off the whole bottle! Oops! (FYI, I only got 6 cups out of it but they are pretty big mugs!)

Peach, Pear and Honey

This is a really difficult one to put my finger on! The blend of flavours is very sweet, with pear probably being the most prominent but it’s quite hard to describe – a truly fruity blend! Emily, from my office, described it as 'Hubba Hubba after the flavour has gone!". Think the jury's still out on this one.....

Rhubarb, Apple and Cinnamon

I actually hate rhubarb. I don’t eat the stuff, I don’t like anything that has rhubarb flavouring and generally avoid it like the plague. So I was apprehensive of trying this particular flavour. Yet once again, I was pleasantly surprised. The apple and cinnamon flavour provides a perfect antidote and whilst it wouldn't be my first choice of flavour, I certainly didn't dislike it. It tastes a little bit like apple pie!

The Verdict

I’ve got to say my personal favourites were the Lemon and Ginger and Apple, Ginger and Spice (I clearly have some sort of ginger issues going on here!). I tend to find with fruit teas, I have to leave the tea bag in to get an intense enough flavour and it can often tip over into tasting TOO strong. Not so with these bad boys – you add as much or a little as you like and enjoy the perfect fruit brew!

The dinky little bottles mean these could make really cute little presents and they are currently retailing at £2.50 a bottle. What I’d really like to see from them in the future is a pack where you can get all the flavours together and perhaps a 250ml bottle for those of us who like them a bit stronger *wink wink*.

You can find FruitBroo in your local Sainsbury’s store in the speciality tea aisle or just order via the FruitBroo Website (free delivery if you order over 10). 

Follow Fruit Broo on Facebook/ Follow @FruitBroo on Twitter

A Fruity Explosion - The Frozen Fruit Company Review

I'll start off by saying I am NOT a fan of healthy food. 

Takeaways, sweets, chocolate, crisps, McDonalds, that's pretty much my staple diet. Every now and then, I buy fruit, eat a bit, forget about it and it goes off. So I adopt a buy now, eat now tactic! However, since I've been spending time with @SpamellaB, I've been encouraged to, well, eat a little healthier.

So when The Frozen Fruit Company got in touch with us on Twitter, I was determined to give it a go. However as I read through the blurb -  just made from fruit, free of additives, flavourings, chemicals, fat, refined sugar, colourings and calories - I was bloody suspicious. To me those are all the things that make food and especially desserts, tickle my taste buds.

When a box arrived up in Manchester for Pamela & I, I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it anyway. I had it in my head that it would be sour, tangy, bland and tasteless crushed up fruity yoghurt or fruit sorbet wrapped up in pretty packaging . We each took a pot of each of the three flavours, Strawgo, Orangeberry and Blackberryblue and headed home to test them out.

 You can read Pamela's review of The Frozen Fruit company from a healthy food lover's perspective of them on her blog over on - SpamellaB.com 

Check it out. 

No seriously, I mean it. 

It's an excellent read!

I'm not just saying that because I'm her friend and biased - her blog is what started our friendship in the first place.

The first thing I noticed was the package was VERY pretty. I'm a sucker for things that look luxurious and gold rimmed lids with clean labels and colourful pots appealed to me straight away. They remind me a little of the Duchys Original range.

In true junk food lover style, I scoffed a plate of fish & chips before settling down to test out the frozen fruit pots. The first thing that I noticed when browsing in the ingredients is it's literally just fruit. It's not an ice cream mix, or a sorbet mix or a frozen yoghurt - just pure fruit.

The first thing you notice when you take the lid off, is how punchy and bright the contents appear. When I knew it was just fruit, I was expecting it to look quite chunky but the reality was a smooth looking, vibrantly coloured treat. Things were off to a good start! I decided to get started with the Strawgo flavour first.

Made up of mango & strawberry, it was surprisingly sweet. I find strawberries can often be quite tart,  but the creaminess of the mango was a pleasant counterbalance and even after a night in my freezer, it was still quite pliable and didn't give me the dreadred brain freeze. I also have very sensitive teeth and normally, can only manage small mouthfuls at a time with ice cream before it hurts.

Not so with The Frozen Fruit!

It simply melted into my mouth before it had a chance to attack those dreaded nerve endings.

Next up came Orangeberry.

Tangier then the first one, the flavours didn't blend with each other rather than explode together to create an overwhelming distinctive taste. I could pratically taste the Vitamin C getting to work in my system and it rather reminded me of a Calippo ice lolly. Quite possibly my favourite - I think it would work very well with a creamy dessert like cheesecake to mix up the flavours though the Frozen Fruit guys suggest you can try having it with with granola for breakfast.

Finally, BlackberryBlue.

The Frozen Fruit guys sent us tasting cards which describe this one as their most subtle and least sweet. I love berries, particularly when they're all mixed together or those forest fruit type ranges but they were pretty spot on with their description here. For me it was the most disappointing, I could barely taste anything and for something that looks so dark and appealing, I was a little bit gutted by the lack of flavour. Thumbs down for that one unfortunately, sorry guys!

The verdict

Whilst I won't be rushing to change my eating habits any time soon (you've got your work cut out Spam!), these were definitely a surprising alternative for me and a way for me to snack on something healthy and good for me without wasting money on fruit I won't finish whilst at the same time satisfying my incessant sweet tooth. I'll definitely be stocking up on the Orangeberry one!

The 500ml tubs are pretty filling (I still have about half a pot of each left after two days of scoffing) and because they're fat, dairy and gluten free, low in calories and contribute towards your 5-a-day, they're suitable for just about anyone! Now if only I could get my hands on the little bitesize 120ml tubs, I could quite happily snack on these all day long as an alternative to all the rubbish I normally eat and tick my 5 a day box (one for breakfast, mid morning, lunch, mid-afternoon & dinner = SORTED!)

The mission is to bring them up to Manchester and get them stocked somewhere so I can constantly get my hands on them!

If you want some tips on how to jazz up your frozen fruit, check out the fantastic Creative page on their website for amazing serving suggestions. It's making my mouth water just looking at them....better head to the freezer!