Furry friend tag – I just had to!

Hi everyone

I have 2 dogs and I love every tiny piece of them so when I saw this I just had to fill it in. I hope you enjoy reading it as I really enjoyed writing it even thought it is really short. So here goes.

What is your pet’s name?

I have 2 Mollie and Bettie

What kind of pet is it and what breed?
Mollie is a golden Labrador and Bettie is a Pointer cross.

How long have you had your pet friend?

Mollie will be 8 years old in September and we have had her from when she was a few weeks old and Bettie is 1 years old and we rescued her when she was about 2 months.

How did you get your pet?

My boyfriend since pretty much our first conversation wanted a dog, specifically a golden lab and I was really not keen. However his sister got a chocolate lab one month and that little bundle of fluff fuelled my boyfriends mission to get a dog and he took me to look at puppies and that was basically it. Bettie came about because we wanted another dog and we really wanted to rescue so we went looking at a local rescue home close to where we live and saw so many dogs and then Bettie turned up and we fell in love.

How old is your pet?
Mollie is 8 nearly and Bettie just over 1 year.

What is your favourite memory with your pet?
Oh my god there are just so many, maybe the day Mollie first got up on our bed to snuggle or carrying her to bed when she was a little pup or the various stick she has brought home, basically everything. For Bettie it was probably when she fell asleep on me in the car on the way home from the rescue home.

What are some quirky things about your pets personality?
Mollie hates it when I get stressed, the tidiest change in my voice she stares at me really intensely and then starts to try and lick my mouth to stop me talking in a loud tone or a stressed tone. She does this every time and it calms me down and makes me smile every time without fail. With Bettie is that she purrs like a cat when you give her fuss, especially is she is tired

What does your relationship with your pet mean to you?

Everything!

What are some of your favourite past times with your pet?

Walkies, cuddles, fuss

What are nicknames you call your pet?

Mollie moo, Molster, Mol, Mollie Moosy

Bettie Boop, Betster, Betsie Bootsie (no idea why)

 

So that is my furry friends, hope you enjoyed reading

AKL

My cruelty free work make up

Hi everyone

Like I’m sure many of you when thinking about make up for work there is a constant and difficult decision to make, do I have an extra 15 minutes in bed or do I make an effort with my hair and make up knowing that later in the day I will appreciate this. To be honest normally sleep wins out even though I am not sure scientifically of the actual value of an extra 15 minutes at the time it feels like my life depends on it.

So because of this I have had to come up with a routine of how I do my work make up so that 1. I actually put it on, 2. it looks half decent and I don’t regret it 3. I don’t do one eye and forget the other. So here is my work make up routine.

The first thing I do once I am out of the shower is my cleansing and moisturising routine which I have detailed in other post. Once this is done I use primer, I actually have only been using primer for about 4 years which and I am not sure how I actually got through the first part of my twenties without my make up sliding straight off my face (it most likely did). Now I love it and for work I use a two different ones.

The first one is the Boots Natural Collection Hydrating and Radiance Primer. It is really thick and sticky which doesn’t sound like it would be good but is amazing at keeping my make up stuck to it all day. It is also pearly like and almost adds a highlighting affect under my make up. It really feels like it brightens up my face.

The other primer I use is much lighter and is the ELF mist primer. It is so light weight that it feel like water is being sprayed across my face however it is actually a really good primer. I wore this to work on a day when I was in the office all day sitting at my desk so I wasn’t doing anything too heavy duty but it did the trick and kept my make up on. I will have to test this on a day when I am rushing around and also a night out as I am not sure it is heavy duty enough but for a day at work I love it.

One my primer has soaked in it is over to foundation and I have been using the Collection Lasting Perfect foundation currently in the lightest shade (I think), cool ivory. I really don’t get on with foundation that have a yellowy or orangey undertone which means I often end up going for a tone lighter than my actual skin and then adding colour back in with my bronzer to stop my self looking tangoed.

The next thig I do is blot on the Natural Collection translucent loose power with a brush. I added this step in recently as I find that on my T zone it really helps keep my skin matte and non greasy. I literally shake a bit out on to the brush on dap it over my t-zone then leave it to set for a few minute and then get my big fluffy brush and wipe any excess off.

Next I go over my face with the Natural Collection powder in Neutral, this adds a very light coverage and set my foundation in areas that I haven’t used the loose powder and then again I brush off any excess with my big fluffy brush.

Then I add in bronzer, I don’t really contour but do go some way to this with my bronzer, I add bronzer in a 3 shape across the edge of my forehead / eyes, underneath my cheek bone and then under my chin. I keep it really light as I don’t want any patchy bits or mistakes for work and want it to look natural. For bronzer I use two, the MUA bronzed perfection shimmer in Sahara Sunlight and the ELF sun kissed bronzer in Warm Tan.

Then I move to my brows and I use a trusty old faithful brow pencil from Rimmel. I am vegan and have been for about 2 and a bit years and cruelty free before that for about another 2 years so I stopped using Rimmel as they test on animal. However pencil is perfect for me and the timeframe of my cruelty free life tells you how long I have had this one pencil for and I shouldn’t even keep it for that long but I just keep going back to it (no judgement please I am trying to find another one).

Then finally for mascara I use the natural Collection water proof mascara in black and the ELF lengthening and defining mascara. I have quite blonde lashes for someone with dark brown hair so find mascara does actually make a difference.

So that is my quick and easy morning routine, I would love to know yours.

Thanks for reading

AKL

My favourite beauty bloggers

Hi everyone

My main source of inspiration when it comes to my beauty buys is beauty bloggers. There is nothing better than a personal opinion when it comes to spending your hard earned cash, you get handy tips, recommendations and potential bargains. For me I have been reading blogs quite a while now and I have a good few favourites so I have narrowed this down to my tops four that I go to for products.

1. Cruelty free kitty – This blog is an ultimate source of cruelty free products, you can find practical advice, an up to date list of product do and don’ts and a section that tells you about different county laws, how to spot fake cruelty free symbols and much more. Its also quite simple just a very pretty well written blog.

2. Through the mirror – I actually found this blog through Instagram and would certainly recommend this Instagram page, it is just so girly and pretty but I love her blog also. This is one of my favourite blogs for reviews and recommendations. It isn’t actually a cruelty free blog so you do have to know your brands but I get so much inspiration form this blog. It is also great for blogging tips!

3. Ethical bunny – this blog has a really modern look and is not just a cruelty free blog but a sustainable living blog generally. I love the photos on this blog they are really cool and fresh and it is full of recommendation and advise.

4. Laura has a blog – I love this blog as it has such a natural feel to it, it feel so genuine and like it comes from a real passion about cruelty free products and blogging itself actually. It also has things such as monthly goals and I lovely the photography.

So those are my top four beauty bloggers, I encourage you to read them. Let me know who you love to read.

Thanks for reading

AKL

My favourite vegan Cider

Hi everyone

I normally talk about vegan foods or vegan milk I haven’t talked about alcohol so I thought it was about time. My normal drink is gin or cocktails, luckily these are largely vegan with the exception of bloody Marys (Worchester source)  milks/ cream based ones and those containing egg white. I have probably missed some but it still leaves a massive list. Cider is another go to drink of mine particularly if I am eating or its a school night (work night just in case anyone reads this and is a little confused).

My recent favourite cider is the alska cider by The Swedish Cider company. I particularly like the Passion fruit apple flavour.

I really like fruity flavours as they taste just like pop so if you are someone who doesn’t like the sweet fruity alcohol then it isn’t for you but if you do they I would highly recommend this. It also comes in kiwi lime and strawberry and lime. Its not such as big a bottle for as other ciders such as Rekordelig but it is still a nice long drink.

This is so nice, it is fruity and really refreshing, it actually smells quite citrusy but the taste is so sweet. It is a bit like jolly ranches if you have ever had those sweets. It goes down really nicely but after two I feel it gets a little sweet but that might just be my personal taste. I had this with dinner (pasta) and this went very well and mixed quite well with a savoury tomato based dinner. 

So that is my review on this cider, are you a cider drinker? I would love any recommendations for vegan ciders.

Thanks for reading

AKL

How I get Vitamin B12 as a vegan

Hi everyone

Following on from my blog on where I get my protein as a vegan I thought I would do a post on where I get B12 from. Vegan B12 is a vital nutrient that helps speed up reactions in the body, if you have a deficiency in B12 then it can lead to anaemia. I really struggled at first with where I got B12 from as the most obvious source for non vegans are eggs, meat and cheese. There are very few obvious source that are vegan without purposely being made for vegans (if that makes sense) so here is where I get my vitamin B12 from.

• Fortified cheese, yogurt, milks and cereal
• Marmite

You can see one key word here is fortified, you will find that most vegan alternatives to cheese, milk and yogurt have B12 added. My favourite cheese is the Violife block of cheese, it is just so versatile.

I choose this one as I can chop it, grate it or melt it as a block, you can see in the corner of the package it has added vitamin B12.

 

So how do I use this? Well of course in the same way as ‘normal’ cheese I have it on toast, with beans and with gravy. Amazing!

Another source of fortified B12 is yogurts. I am a big fan of yogurts for a snack at work, they are easy to carry and easy to eat. The Alpro Pasion fruit yogurt and the KoKo yogurts I just eat as a snack but the Apro plain protein yogurt I have had on cereal or with maple syrup of fruit as a breakfast in the same way you would have Greek yogurt.

Another really good source is soya milk, I often just buy the Morrisons own version and I have this on cereal, in tea or coffee and hot chocolate. In addition to milk when I fancy a treat I buy ice coffee, I love this one it is the Coffee and Soya Caramel. It taste so sweet and is like a milk shake more than a coffee. It contains B12 and is such a easy way to top up your levels.

Last but not least is a controversial source of B12 and that is marmite, the classic love or hate spread. I do like marmite, I wouldn’t say love but like enough to have on toast but if you are not keen then you could just add it to sauces for pasta, curry or chilli. It means you are getting the vitamin but without the taste you are not keen on.

So those are my sources of Vitamin B12, I would love to know your sources. Let me know if you recommend any brands.

Thanks for reading.

AKL

New vegan Garnier Ultimate Blends

Hi everyone

I found myself in a dilemma at my local supermarket earlier this week over the new vegan products from Garnier. Normally I try to stick to products from brands that are vegan and cruelty free in total not products from brands that normally are not cruelty free. Having said that does buying vegan products from non vegan brands ensure that thy make more began brands by creating demand?

I’m still not sure but I thought for once I would give it a go and so I brought the Argon oil and Almond cream vegan blend shampoo and conditioner.

I believe the whole new range is vegan but this was the only one I was 100% sure of that was in the vegan range. I also really like those two ingredients for my hair as I use them in a number of products. I wasn’t disappointed with this, it smells amazing so creamy and fresh.

The texture of the shampoo is creamy and it lathers really well, I really liked Garnier products before and this is just as thick and creamy. This one is for dry hair and although I am working really hard on maintaining my hair I would still say that it is dry. I find some shampoos seem to strip my hair and make it feel dry before the conditioner goes on whereas this one washes my hair but also is moisturising.

The conditioner is also just as lovely, it is very thick so I had to be really careful to wash it out well although that could be just me as I have a lot of hair but quit fine hair. My hair felt really soft and moisturised after using this.

Under normal circumstances I would say I really recommend this project and this actual fragrance however I am still in a quandary about the using vegan products from normally non vegan companies. Let me know your opinion on this.

Let me know what you think about the Garnier range as well if you have tried it.

Thanks for reading

AKL

30 question beauty tag

Hi everyone

It has been soooooo long since I have done a tag post so I thought why not do this one. I love talking beauty so why not. So here is my 30 question beauty tag.

Do you remember your first makeup item?
Mine would have been a lipstick given to me by my grandma, it was bright pink and im sure didn’t suit me but at the time I loved it.

2. Describe your perfect mascara, have you found one that fits your specifications?

Waterproof, smudge proof, life proof. I have such sensitive eyes and they water at any given opportunity.

3. What kind of coverage do you prefer from your foundation?

I like medium coverage so I can add concealer and powder and build up as needed depending on how my skins looks.

4. Favourite high-end makeup brand?

I think Urban Decay, its just so striking and pretty

5. What cosmetics brands have you always wanted to try but still haven’t?

I think it would Kat Von Dee, although I’m sure there are so more.

Favourite drugstore brand?

ELF, I love the skin care and the make up

7. Do you wear false eyelashes?No my eyes are too sensitive, I am thinking of having them done professionally but I’m a bit scared

8. What sort of makeup can’t you leave the house without?

Face powder, I have quite oily skin and it is really my one complex on my face. I am not too bothered about lipstick or eye shadow

 9. What is your most cherished beauty product?

My Rimmel brow pencil. Its my only non vegan product but I have had it for year and I just don’t seem to be able to replace it with a similar colour, I am on the hunt all the time though.

 

10. How often do you shop for makeup? Do you pick up an item here or there or like to pick up lots all at once?

I really do just pick things up here and there often in sales or when there are discount on. I have set pieces which are my foundation, powder and mascara that I repurchase constantly but everything else is really impulse buys.

11. Do you have a ‘beauty budget’ or do you spend freely?

Spend freely – whoops

12. Do you utilise coupons, reward system and sales when you shop for cosmetics?

I use the Boots advantage card and the Superdrug loyalty card but I don’t really use coupons

13. What type of product do you buy the most of?

Face powder

14. Is there a brand you absolutely can’t stand?

MAC, its is so popular but still tests on animals

15. Do you avoid certain ingredients in cosmetics such as parabens or sulphates?

Yes I avoid parabens

16. Do you have a favourite place to shop for makeup? 

Superdrug for me – lots of cruelty free brands

17. Do you like to try different skincare products or stick to a routine?

I try and stick to a routine but then I see things I like and end up buying randomly  
18. Favourite bath and body brand?

I love LUSH so much 

9. If you could only buy from one brand, which would you choose?

ELF

20. Which brand do you think has the best packaging?I like Revolution it is just black and gold and really simple but striking 

21. Which celebrity always has great makeup?

Victoria secret angels – all of them

22. Do you belong to any online makeup communities?

No but I am looking to be

23. 5 Favourite Beauty Gurus?

Shaaanxo, Sally Jo, Ruth Crilly, Chloe Boucher and Babs beauty

24. Do you like multifunctional products like lip and cheek stains?No I have only used them once but I didn’t find it did either well

25. Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

A bit around my eyes 😦

Do you use a makeup base/primer for the eyes?

Yes just recently I use one on eye lids and one that is hydrating under my eyes.

27. How many hair products do you use on a typical day?I use aprox 3.

28. What do you apply first, foundation or concealer?

Foundation for me

29. Have you ever considered taking makeup classes?

Yes I have but my skin is so sensitive I have to be careful

30. What do you love about makeup?

I think it is artistic and just add a layer of armour to face the day. It can really cheer you up.

 

So that is my 30 questions, hope you enjoyed reading them and give the  try.

AKL

My vegan eye primers

Hi everyone

I have recently become a big fan of eye primers, I have used a face primer for so long but eye primers I’ve kind of just not bothered with too much as I don’t wear a lot of eye shadow but recently I have come across some really good one that are too good not to use.

The three I use are the ELF glitter primer, the ELF hydrating under eye primer and the Revolution focus and fix eye primer.

The first primer is the ELF glitter primer, this is for your eye lids and I brought this for the days when I am wearing a light eye shadow to add a bit of extra sparkle. I really like this it actually doesn’t show through the glitter through my eye shadow but the as a primer it is so thick and sticky that it does keep my eyeshadow on so well. I know sticky doesn’t sound like a good thing but for keeping my eyeshadow on it really is. It is non greasy and doesn’t smell strong or chemically.

The next primer is the Revolution Focus sand fix primer. This is in a sort of lip gloss pot so when you take the lid off it has a spongy tip. This is clear and it for your eye lids, it goes on really smoothly and I used this under glitter and it kept my glitter stick to my lid all night with very little fall out. The only issue I have with this is that it dries very quickly so you really have to put your eye shadow on really quickly after the primer.

The final primer is the hydrating under eye primer and it is my favourite. I am such a big fan of anything that adds hydration to my under eye. I’m not sure that it acts like a primer in some ways but almost just an extra layer of moisturiser. It is so creamy and smooth, it make my eyes brighter as it is a pale pink and does combat the drying nature of foundation and face powder.

So that is my eye primers, do you use an eye primer? What are your thought on them, do you have any recommendations?

Thanks for reading

AKL

Where I get protein from as a vegan

Hi everyone

I thought it might be useful to do some blog post on what I eat to make sure I am getting the right food types, vitamins and nutrients. I have been a vegan for a couple of years now and I have no regrets, I love trying new food and sourcing vegan treats but it does take just a little bit more thought to make sure you are getting the right mix of food as well as amazing taste.

I thought I would start with where I get my most used protein sources as this might be useful for vegans, veggies or even those of you who just want to cut down on meat. There are so many out there but I thought I would start with some quick and easy ones that are readily available and good for fitting around full time work or a busy lifestyle.

So my main sources of protein are:

• Meat alternatives e/g. Quorn
• Oats, Seeds and lentils
• Peas and beans
• Soya

So what do I do with them?

Meat alternatives – so there are lots of brands in the supermarket now that do meat alternative, the most well known is Quorn and they do a veggie range with products that still contain egg and milk and then a completely vegan range. This provides a really quick, easy and familiar option for dinner. My current favourite is on nachos, it isn’t the healthiest meal but then everyone deserves a treat sometimes right?!

Oats –  I have oats with chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, fruit and diary free milk every morning at work and it is such a good start to the day as not only do the oats have protein in so do the chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and soya milk. Its so quick, easy and filling.

Peas and beans – My favourite dish to make is a curry and one of the best protein forms is to make a filing curry is chickpeas. They are actually so versatile you can add them to salads, sandwiches, eat them alone of add them to most meal that you would have had for example chicken. They work so well in curries though as they really take on the flavours and spices well. Below is my  chickpea Thai red curry with plenty of vegetables and spice.

My final easy to find and use protein source is soya milk, I am really careful with my intake of soya as it is such a good source but it can be tough on your stomach if you consume too much. I use soya milk on my breakfast every morning and I often supplement it with a soya yogurt as they are so similar to diary yogurts they are a great addition to a work lunch.

So that is just some of the sources and some of the things I make with them, the options are limitless depending on the effort you want to put in and time and money you have so let me know if you enjoyed this post and if it was helpful and I can continue to do more of these with sources and examples.

Thanks for reading

AKL

Essential oils – my favourites

Hi everyone

I ‘found’ essential oils a few years ago initially as part of stress relief products. My mum gave me some rescue remedy before I had an interview once and I have been using them ever since in various different forms.

I find them a really vital part of my daily routine for bed but also in any situations that I find stressful or nerve wracking. So I thought I would share the ones I use so that if you are on the look out you might find this useful.

So lets start with bed time. I do find it quite difficult to sleep during the week as I get wrapped up in work and things play over in mind if I am worried or have a lot to do so it really important to me to have a good bed time ritual. Essential oils play a bit part on this for me. So it will come as no surprise that the main oil in my bedtime ritual is lavender.

For bedtime I have the Aveda Stress relief moisturiser, it smells amazing and I love it. It has a really rich texture and has lasted me so far since April rubbing a 50 pence piece into my arms and chest every night. I can really smell it when I get in bed and is had the added extra to make skin feel great.

One this is rubbed in I use one of two lavender products, the first one is the Botanics Lavender roller ball, this is just purely lavender and smells really strong. I tend to use this if I am not going straight to sleep and it has time to wear off while I read or watch my I Pad in bed.

The other product I use is the Aveda Chakra 4 Balancing body mist. This is a slightly light fragrance and is great if I am going straight to bed. This is amazing products and complements the body cream amazingly. I personally feel that the whole ritual of applying the products also makes me feel calmer and more relaxed.

I also use essential oils throughout the day as well if I feel stressed or just over whelmed with the situation. The one I use is the lavender roller ball, it is such a relaxing fragrance and really feels like to gives me 5 minutes to relax. I try and put it on, make a cup of tea and just breath.

The other one I use is a de stress rollerball. This contains geranium, sage and patchouli among others which are all really relaxing fragrances. This smells really nice, I couldn’t really pick out one particular fragrance but it smells fresh and not too overbearing.

The other two I use are the Botanics Aromatic roller ball and the Revitalising rollerball.

The Aromatic one is to help you calm and harmonise your mind. So not necessarily to relax you to sleep but to unwind and centre your mind and thoughts. I like this one as I often feel like my mind is going a mile a minute to try and remember everything and get everything done. It contains Ylang Ylang and Mandarin and it smells almost spicy, it is quite a deep rich smell and is almost musky.

The revitalising one is to pick you up when feeling lethargic and lacking in energy. The stand out fragrance is the lemon, it smells really fresh and clean. I tend to use this one after lunch at work just to get rid of my lunch smell and to pick me up if I don’t get chance to get out of the office.

So those are my current favourites, do you use essential oils? I would love to know what you use.

Thanks for reading

AKL