June Favourites.

This month's favourites are a mix of new and old. I'm a creature of habit but I'm trying to make an effort to experiment with new products.

As always, all of this stuff is 100% vegan :)

Barry M Natural Glow Palette

I have been dying to try out Barry M since I  saw this video. I had no idea they had vegan options. Luckily, recently my parents went back home to visit family and bought me back this gem (as unfortunately, we don't have Barry M in NZ.) This cost £6-£7 from Superdrug. 
So happy was I when I got my hands on this, couldn't wait to put my face on.

Not very clear, I might do a tutorial soon.

  
I'm not one for very heavy eye make up, so I really like this palette. The pigment is nice, not super pigmented, but it is a lot better than most eyeshadow. I give it about a 8/10 for pigment. 

You can go for a heavier look than this, it's all about building the colour up.  I used the three eye colours on the right of the palette and the blush. Oh my, I love the blush. I've got very fair skin, and this colour suits it so well.

I'm really happy parents were kind enough to find this for me, I'm in love with it. 


Freefrom Double Chocolate biscuits.

For about 3 years, these have been my go to biscuit. They are $4 in countdown, in the health food aisle. 

 Vegan and gluten free, these are similar to Tim Tams or Penguin biscuits if you're in the UK, these things are amazing. 

 Sometimes gluten free food can taste of cardboard, not these. I, guiltily, can eat the whole packet. 
After something cheap to give you that chocolate fix? Just head to countdown, they work everytime. 


Natio Fizz Nail Polish 

This has been in my draw for a while, and only the last few weeks have I realised what a lovely colour it is. 
When you have short nails, it's a great colour. Very creamy pink with a beautiful  purpley/pink shimmer though it. I really like wearing this over a white tip as it make it look less harsh and more pearly. 



Leahey No Chicken Gravy

I bought this from The Cruelty Free Shop for $1. It was on special, nearing it's date. 
It had been sitting in my cupboard for a while, pretty sure it was past it''s best before when I ate it. Oh well, I've worked in the food industry for years, best before's are safe.... (hopefully)
 Friday was a wonderfully stormy evening, perfect for a roast dinner. 

To some of you this looks disgusting and weird, I know, but to me it is beautiful. A lot of gravy too. 

Back to the actual product. When I was a meat eater, I was never a huge fan of chicken gravy, I found it bland. I don't know whether it's because I don't have chicken flavoured things much, but I really like Leahey's gravy, I found it really flavourful. It's quite oniony, very similar taste to chicken crisps. I'm going to repurchase this next time I'm in the city. 


Hope you all had a good June, and I wish you a wonderful July. 

Au revoir my lovelies

Rachael xxx

Day Out to Devonport.

Yesterday the Mr and I went on a day trip to Devonport. It was a beautiful winters day, clear blue skies and little wind. The perfect day to visit the seaside village.

So we hopped on a ferry and off we went.

Arrg a pirate ship

Going on Auckland's ferries always reminds how beautiful this place is.

Once we got to Devonport we had a good look at the quaint, shops the line the main street.

So many kiddie shops, wish I knew a kid to spoil.

I can't go past a UK shop without going in.

Saloon-esque

He makes such a wonderful model

We decided to get some lunch. Alex went with Indo food and I stopped off at this place.

It's called Zest and has loads of vegan and gluten free options. It also sells skin care, candles and lots of lovely little things.

Once I had got my food, we went for a walk to the sea to enjoy it in the sun. 

I went for a winter veg and hummus wrap. Yummy

When I see a playground, I can't contain myself. We fully enjoyed mucking around for a good hour :) 

After my arms couldn't bare anymore swinging we went for another walk around the village.

It was starting to get late so I decided to take a couple more photos before it was time to head back home. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about our day out to Devonport and looking at the photos. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Au revoir my lovelies.

                                                  Rachael xxx

Sukin Review.

Hey Guys,

A couple of weeks ago I discovered Sukin and did a haul of all the goodies that I bought.

Now I've had some time to give the products a go, as promised, I'm here to review them for you.

 Facial Scrub: $13.99 NZD 125ml: 

 This is a fair bit more expensive than my normal facial scrub (St Ives apricot scrub) and there is less of it. But the product itself is really good. At first the texture felt a bit strange, (it's very milky, almost creamy,) but it leaves the skin feeling very fresh and clean. I've found that you only need a small amount to get the job done. Because this is a consent rated product, it will last a while, making it a pretty good investment.

 Facial Moisturiser for sensitive skin- $14.99 125ml: 

Ignore my face in the bottle

 Again, a bit more expensive than the $7-$8 I pay for Simple, however it is calming to see 100% vegan written on packaging. I have found this to work really well. It's quite rich, meaning it is great for these wintery months when your skin tends to be more dry.  As for being for sensitive skin, I'm not too sure. I can't tell whether it's the toner I use before this that is reacting in a strange way, but I have found that I get a tingling in my face when I first put this on. I don't get any other irritation, just the weird tingles. 

Purifying Shampoo- $19.99 500ml: 

 This is the product I was most excited about. As good vegan haircare can be such a pain to find. My first couple of tries with this didn't go so well. At first I couldn't get it to lather, then I found when my hair dried, it was still dirty. But I persevered, and on the third try hacked it. You really have to give your head a good rub to get the bubbles going and be super thorough with rinsing. Once I had realise how to wash my hair like a proper person I found this shampoo really nice, my hair felt shinny and most importantly-clean. Also, it smells great. Citrusy with a hint of vanilia. It kind of reminds me of Lush's Happy Hippy.   I will definitely be repurchasing this.

You may have noticed that I haven't reviewed the freebies that I got. The reason being is that I haven't tried them and I'm not really too sure that I will. If I do, I will let you guys know my thoughts.

Hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful.

Au revoir my lovelies

                                                 Rachael xxx

An Evening at Hectors Restuant- Auckland City.

Hey Guys,

A little while ago, my other half and I went for a date at Hectors restaurant at The Heritage hotel in Auckland city.

Since discovering Hectors, it's become a huge favourite for dinner dates.

As much as I love quirky vegan restaurants, sometimes you just want an excuse to dress up and feel sophisticated.

 The restaurant itself is situated in The Heritage Hotel, under a canopy of palm trees and a 7 story atrium. 

 Not only does Hectors serve vegan food, but they are also is doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint. With most of its produce coming from within a 50km radius. 

Vegan and vegetarian food served here is made in a separate part of the kitchen, to ensure no cross contamination. Which gives me even more reason to love Hectors. 

 After doing what I know all vegans do when faced with a menu that has more than one option, (starring at it for a lengthy period in awe, excitement, and a childlike want for everything), I made my choice. 

 

Spinach and vegan cheese arancini's. I had never even heard of arancini until I went to Hectors, but I've fallen in love. They are on my list of things to learn how to make. 

I really like how, not only do they signify what food is vegan, but also which wines are safe. 

As great as they are, there really isn't much to them and I'm a girl that eats a lot. Oh well.... more room for pud!!!!

I am sorry but it was a while ago that we went, and Hectors have since changed their menu. Meaning I can't tell you what exactly this scrummy thing above is, but I can tell you it was OH MY GOSH YUM.

Now let’s talk money. Hectors isn't the $5 for a meal that you can get at some vegan places, but it's not going to break the bank either. You can see from the menu how much my main cost, and the dessert was about $15.

 If you ever find yourself in Auckland, please give Hectors a try, it's honestly great.

Au revoir my lovelies

Rachael xxx

Vegan Flapjacks.

Hey Guys,

One of my favourite treats to eat as a kid was flapjacks.  Fatty, buttery, and oaty. SO much goodness.

I read that they are called muesli bars or granola bars in other parts of the world. To me that is a bit strange, muesli and granola sound like health foods. Flapjacks are 100% not healthy but 100% sinful and wonderful.

Ingredients:

225gm  vegan margarine

170gm golden syrup

170gm soft brown sugar
455gm rolled oats

And as much chocolate as you want.  

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 175°c 

2. In a saucepan, on medium heat, mix butter, syrup, and brown sugar until melted. 

3. Slowly stir in oats, until completely coated in the mixture.

4. Pour mixture into greased baking tin. Press firmly.

5. Bake in oven for 20-30 or until golden. 

6. Once cooled, melt chocolate over a bain-marie.

7. Chop flapjack into any shape you want- I used a cupcake dish to bake them, and cover in the melted chocolate. 

Hope you enjoy these! Let me know if you give them a try. 

 Au revoir my lovelies

Rachael  xxx

 

Sukin Haul

Hi Guys,

Today I ended up in Farmers and with a handful of Sukin products. 

I had seen this brand before but never tried and I had no idea they were vegan until mummy bear pointed it out to me. The companies tag line is, 'skincare that doesn't cost the earth.' Relatively clever, and hoping it's true. 

All products are 100% vegan and carbon neutral.

Obviously I got rather excited and had to buy a few things to try out and tell you lot about.

I bought the three products on the left, and because I spent over $40 I got the other stuff free!!

 Facial Scrub: $13.99 NZD 125ml After finishing my apricot scrub I thought I should try a new one. All Sukin products are sulphate and paraben free, extra points there. 

Facial Moisturiser- for sensitive skin: $14.99 125ml. My skin is rather sensitive, but they do make ones for normal skin too. Looking forward to trying this. 


Purifying Shampoo: $19.99 500ml. Since my Pureology shampoo ran out I've been looking for a new one. This one is reasonably priced for vegan hair care- just hope it does the job. 

Free Gift: For spending over $40 I got a cute floral toiletry bag- can never have too many of those.  Samples of Sukin Protein Hair Treatment, Purifying Facial Masque, Hydrating Body Lotion, and Facial Moisturiser also came in the bag.



I'm really looking forward to trying all of these products, hoping I've found a great new vegan brand. 

I'll review once I've tried them.


Au revoir my lovelies. 

Rachael xx

Current Favourites- Beauty and Food.

I should have done an April favourites but we are way too into May for that to be justifiable. So here are my current favourites.

First off is foundation. 



Natio Pure Mineral Foundation 
 

Finding a good vegan foundation is nearly impossible. I've spent years trying to find a half decent one but they don't seem to exist.  Liquid ones tend to blend terribly and have little to no coverage, and powders are cakey with no staying power. 

 I was told that Natio was vegan, I was a bit skeptical as it was a non-vegan who told me. Especially as Natio is a rather big name brand, they are in almost all department stores and pharmacies here in New Zealand. 

Being the pessimist that I am, I geared myself up to be told I was misinformed when I emailed the company to ask. 

This was the response:
“Natio’s makeup and nail polish range, including our foundations are also free from animal by-products, meaning that yes, Natio foundations are vegan friendly."  

YAY!! 

 I bought this guy for $25 at Farmers. A bargain considering I had paid upwards of $80 for some foundations in my quest to find a decent vegan one. 

 

 

 

 I was so excited to try this for the first time. I wasn't expecting miracles, but I was hopeful. 

Being a mineral foundation it's not a heavy coverage. I don't have great skin so I do prefer a bit more coverage than this gives. It's very light, I definitely forget I'm wearing it. A major upside is that you don't feel like you've got a face full of make up, you look fresh and dewy.

The one I have is in the shade 'light.'  I am very pale and it can make it rather hard to find a foundation light enough for my skin but Natio's Pure Mineral Foundation is a great match. 

Overall this is a good foundation for the price and 100% the best vegan foundation I've ever come across. No doubt in  my mind that I will buy it again. 





Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum 

 

I've blogged about Pureology before  but this time it is about their Perfect 4 Platinum shampoo and conditioner. 

Although I am not blonde anymore, I was using this when I was a few weeks ago. 

Like foundation, finding vegan shampoo and conditioner can be really tricky and comes with a hefty price tag. That is one of the major down sides to this brand- it isn't cheap. 


Upsides:- They smell amazing. Very sweet and sugary. 

              - Unlike other vegan shampoos and conditioners   
                you  feel like your hair is actually clean. 

              - Not only is it vegan but it's purple shampoo.
                Meaning, it's great for blonde hair. 


I won't be buying this particular one again as I'm no longer blonde, but if you are and don't mind spending a little more on your hair, I recommend this stuff. 






 Cherub Dairy-Free Parmesan

This stuff will be mentioned in a few recipe posts. It is my new faviourte thing when it comes to vegan alternatives. 

 I know it's not great to eat processed food, sometimes I can't help it. I get cheese cravings.

Cherub dairy-free Parmesan is amazing. It lasts for ages, it smells like the real thing, tastes pretty close, and I can't get enough of it.

I bought this for $5.90 at The Cruelty Free Shop . Reasonable for alternative cheese, I reckon. Brilliant on pasta, pizza, mash....  Even my meat eater boyfriend likes it.

 If you can get your hands on this stuff, I urge you to try it.

Alpro Creamy Valina Dessert 

 

If you miss vanilla mousse, or Angel Delight type stuff, then you will adore these.

I tried these creamy desserts for the first time on a trip to the UK, 2 years ago, and loved it. I never expected to see it in New Zealand but about 3-4 months ago I spotted them in a Countdown supermarket.  

They aren't the cheapest thing going, about $6 for a pack of 4 but they are great for a treat. 

If you've tried any of these products, or have some alternatives, please let me know :)