Dragonfly Tea | Review

Dragonfly Tea*

Everyone's (or most) favourite hot drink! Hurrah! I am an avid lover of herbal tea so I was delighted when I was sent a handful of different teas to try by the lovely people at Dragonfly Tea.

Dragonfly Tea are a family-owned, British tea company with a hundred year heritage of growing and making artisanal teas. Their longstanding relationships with growers and master tea-makers around the world has helped them source the best quality harvests from environmentally and socially responsible gardens. They personally try every new harvest to ensure that they get the taste just right.

Their entire Dragonfly Specialty range is certified by the Organic Food Federation and they are members of the Fairtrade Foundation. They never use artificial additives, preservatives or colourings and all their teas are GM-free. Their teabags are chlorine-free, their boxes and envelopes are recyclable as paper, and their used bags are biodegradable and compostable. 


Each of the teas contained 20 sachets and the rooibos contained 40 tea bags (see pic. below for what they looked like). The tea labels also have quotes on them!

(note: I have a habit of leaving herbal teabags in so my teas are probably a lot stronger that what someone else would have).

Moroccan Mint (Organic Green Tea): For me this was the one that I was most excited to try as I love green tea and spearmint. It makes a difference from the standard green tea I usually have and I think I now prefer it with a hint of spearmint!

Green Gaucho (Organic Mate Tea): I love the taste of this mate tea as it's also refreshing with the hint of lemongrass. The green tea taste isn't overpowering, so I feel if you're new to the green tea hype it would be worth trying this one first to get a taste for it!

Skinny Dragon (Organic Pu'er Tea): I was intrigued to try this as i've never tried pu'er tea before. It has quite a smooth earthy taste. The tea is darker in colour than the others however tastes just as light.

Vanilla Rooibos: This tea has a distinctive sweet smell of honey and smells almost menthol like. As the drink cools you can taste the flavours really come through. It is a sweet tea but it doesn't leave a horrible tangy taste or after taste. Very easy to drink - I think it might become one of my new favourites!


Altogether I have really enjoyed these teas by Dragonfly as they are so easy to drink and taste delicious! Its great to have a choice of different teas that all taste equally as nice.

The full Dragonfly Tea range is available from www.dragonflytea.com. It is also available at Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado, Holland & Barrett, John Lewis and independents.

Email: hello@dragonflytea.com
Facebook: /dragonflyteauk
Twitter: @dragonflytea
Instagram: /dragonflyteauk

Hello November

Taken from Tumblr

I can't believe how fast this year is going! I've had such a great 2014. I apologize for not updating as regularly as I could, but I have been mega busy. I finished University in May and then went on a long summer holiday working and traveling in North and South America (see my older blog posts for more info on those). I have currently started a new job (not exactly what I want to be doing for many years to come but it's bringing in the money for the time being :-)) and my graduation ceremony is this month. 

What have you got planned this month? 

Bootea Teatox & Eating Plan | Review

Name: Bootea 

Length: 14 days (2 weeks)

Weight lost: .4 stone (3kg)

Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

During my summer adventures I didn't exactly keep to a healthy eating plan and saw the side effects of what I was eating very fast. I gained nearly 2 stone in weight, went up a dress size and my skin was terrible. Looking back on photographs it gave me the motivation to kick-start a healthier lifestyle and diet. This is where I came across Bootea. Bootea had been recommended to me by my friend so I went out and bought the 14 day teatox from Holland and Barrett for £19.99.

Bootea is a tea detox (teatox) containing natural ingredients to help aid with weight-loss and cleansing your body. You take one Daytime detox a day and a Bedtime cleanse every other night before you go to bed.

The Bootea package contains two types of teabags, the morning/daytime detox (14 bags) and the bedtime cleanse (7 bags). The Bedtime cleanse works as a laxative so take before you go to bed as the laxative effect works approx. 8 hours after you have drank it.

Daytime Detox contents: Chinese Oolong tea, Maté leaves, Ginger root, Fennel seeds, Lemongrass, Dandelion leaf, Ginseng root, Gotu Kola leaves, Nettle leaves.

Bedtime Cleanse contents: Senna leaves, Peppermint leaves, Fenugreek seeds, Liquorice root, Burdock root, Hawthorn leaves, Valerian root, Psyllium seeds.

Review:

For me the start of the teatox was quite hard. I felt constantly hungry and also experienced a weird feeling in my stomach like cramps and not feeling 100% on the second day... possibly due to the bedtime cleanse? By the end of day 2 I wasn't sure that I wanted to carry on with this teatox as it seemed to be really affecting me. However after day 2 was over I seemed to be fine and my next bedtime cleanse didn't seem as bad. Thinking my stomach had overcome the bedtime cleanses I experienced more intense stomach pains on day 9 (same day as a bedtime cleanse). Day 10 the pains carried on all day and felt like I was being kicked in the stomach! Further to this I kept getting waves of nausea.

I didn't think the taste of the tea was too bad, however if you're not a regular drinker of herbal tea you may find the taste over powering. My advice would be to try green tea and see how you like the taste of that first before you put yourself through two weeks of being uncomfortable drinking the Bootea. The daytime detox has a hint of lemongrass flavor and the bedtime has a subtle hint of peppermint flavor.

I don't promote this as a weight-loss teatox, but more to cleanse your body and help remove some of those bad toxins so don't be expecting miracles. These tiny teabags do not have the power to remove excess weight. On this teatox I didn't exercise (except walking to/from work) so the results are just from a cleaner/healthier diet than I would normally eat and the Bootea. Obviously with exercise you will maximize the results.

My skin didn't look any different in the first week, in fact it looked a little worse in the first week. I upped my skin routine in the second week and seemed to see a much clearer complexion however I am unsure on what caused that. Regarding my energy levels I saw an increase and seemed to have a lot more energy throughout the day.

Overall I don't think this teatox was for me. I've read many reviews on this product and people either seem to get on really well with it where as others have had a not so great experience. Even though I experienced quite a few side effects from this teatox, others who have tried it haven't had any bad side effects. I think it is just Russian roulette as to how your body will react. I really wanted to enjoy this detox however due to the side effects I didn't enjoy the two weeks I was on it. Please drink this at your own risk, only you know your body. 

Eating plan: 

Below is my two week eating plan. I tried to keep as close as I could to their own eating plan which can be found here. Personally I don't think their diet helps much with weight loss as there is cheese and carbs which you should probably avoid if you are on a strict diet. However, it did help me keep to a healthier eating pattern. 

On this eating plan you cannot eat meat as the toxins within meat is what the Bootea is trying to eradicate. 

Drinks consumed on this plan: Bootea, water, green tea, peppermint tea, sparkling water (flavoured & non-flavoured), coconut water & orange juice

Day 1

Breakfast: 2 Weetabix with 150ml of skimmed milk

Lunch: Salad (little gem lettuce, rocket, sugar drop tomatoes, cucumber, radish, spring onions) with 1 smoked mackerel and 1 wholemeal pitta with a touch of pepper

Dinner: Salmon with a chili, lime and ginger sauce served with egg noodles, steamed broccoli & asparagus
Snacks: 1 low-fat strained Greek-style Strawberry yogurt 100g

Day 2

Breakfast: 2 wholemeal pieces of toast with marmalade 
Lunch: 4 oat crackers with low-fat soft cheese and a large salad
Dinner: Tuna and sweetcorn wholewheat pasta with pesto, tomato and steamed broccoli
Snacks: 1 bowl of all-bran cereal with a cup of skimmed milk. 1 bowl of strawberries. 1 low-fat strained Greek-style Strawberry yogurt 100g

Day 3 
Breakfast: 1 bowl of strawberries
Lunch: Salad with meat-free turkey and sage Quorn (2 slices) with 1 wholemeal pitta
Dinner: Potato & wheat flour gnocchi with tomato sauce, broccoli, red onion, baby corn and mixed herbs
Snacks: 2 kiwi fruits. 2 slices of meat-free turkey and sage Quorn

Day 4

Breakfast: -
Lunch: 2 oat crackers with 0% cottage cheese and two pieces of meat-free turkey and sage Quorn
Dinner: Prawn stir-fry (with red onion, spring onion, baby corn, broccoli, red/yellow and green peppers, Chinese five-spice) and egg noodles
Snacks: Handful of almond nuts

Day 5

Breakfast: -
Lunch: Potato & wheat flour gnocchi with tomato sauce, broccoli, red onion, baby corn and mixed herbs with rocket
Dinner: 1 sweet potato with a filling of  pink salmon, 2 tbsp creme fraiche, lemon juice and black pepper with a small salad
Snacks: 2 kiwi fruits. 2 pieces of wholemeal toast with light margarine 

Day 6

Breakfast: -
Lunch: 1 wholemeal pitta with pink salon filling from day 5
Dinner: 1 small salad. 2 egg omelette with red onions, spring onions, mushrooms, carrots, sugarsnap peas, chili, milk, salt & pepper. One bowl of blueberries
Snacks: 1 bowl of Special K with semi-skimmed milk

Day 7
Breakfast: 2 Weetabix with 150ml skimmed milk

Lunch: Weight-watchers Chicken, potato and leek soup & 1 wholemeal bread roll
Dinner: Prawn stirfry with baby corn, sugarsnap peas, red bell pepper, mushrooms, red onion, broccoli, carrots with Chinese 5 spice powder and noodles
Snacks: Nut & apple bread/cake (My mums creation*). 1 low-fat strained Greek-style Blueberry yogurt 100g

Day 8
Breakfast: -
Lunch: 1 large salad with 3 slices of meat-free turkey & sage Quorn. 2 oat crackers with low-fat cottage cheese
Dinner: 1 piece of grilled cod with tomatoes, 2 small courgettes, potatoes and sweetcorn. 1 bowl of strawberries and kiwi fruit
Snacks: 2 pieces of wholemeal toast with light margarine. A couple of slices of meat-free turkey & sage Quorn

Day 9
Breakfast: - 
Lunch: 1 large salad with half a tin of tuna
Dinner: 1 mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwich with sweet potato wedges
Snacks: Nut & apple bread/cake*

Day 10
Breakfast: 2 Weetabix with 150ml skimmed milk
Lunch: Tuna and sweetcorn wholewheat pasta with pesto, tomato, peas and steamed broccoli
Dinner: Meat-free Quorn crispy fillet with potatoes, carrots & cabbage
Snacks: Handful of toffee sweets and two jaffa cakes (Oops! work induction). Chocolate, fruit & nut mix 60g

Day 11
Breakfast: 2 wholemeal pieces of toast with 2 eggs (scrambled)
Lunch: 2 bread thins sandwich with low-fat grated cheese
Dinner: 1 large salad with tuna
Snacks: -

Day 12
Breakfast: Tiny slice of nut & apple bread/cake
Lunch: Handful of vegetables and low-fat cottage cheese
Dinner: Spicy parsnip soup with 2 pieces of wholemeal bread. 1 low-fat strained Greek-style Blueberry yogurt 100g
Snacks: Cashew nuts 60g

Day 13
Breakfast: -
Lunch: 1 large salad with tuna
Dinner: 1 tiny salad with pieces of sliced egg with a small amount of mayonnaise. 1 piece of cod with rosemary and lemon with carrots and broccoli. 1 fat-free apple and watermelon jelly 175g
Snacks: 1 slice of nut & apple bread/cake

Day 14
Breakfast: -
Lunch: 2 pieces of wholemeal toast with 2 eggs (scrambled)
Dinner: Steak stir-fry (I know i'm not meant to eat meat on this teatox but oh well...) (steak strips, carrots, celery, red onion, mushroom, red peppers, sugar snap peas and babycorn) with boiled white rice and half a weight-watchers pitta bread
Snacks: 2 oat crackers with low-fat cottage cheese

*If you would like the recipe just ask!

Have you tried the Bootea teatox or any other detox drinks? What are your thoughts on them? Let me know in the comments below! 

LUSH Shower Empties

LUSH Whoosh Shower Jelly (Left) - LUSH Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub (Right)

Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub 130g - I've never really used any Lush products until my housemate bought me a gift-set. Rub rub rub shower scrub is a shower scrub (believe it or not) and can also be used in your hair. I used this the first time as a scrub after I had shaved my legs... and well with this product being salt based it wasn't the best of ideas! Talk about it stinging! Ever since then i've kinda been put off using it as a scrub and use it as a second shampoo. The salt in it is great for washing your hair and also gives added volume. It's great for getting that 'just been at the beach' hair look. I actually quite like the smell of this product. It has a very distinct 'salty' smell and it reminds me of beaches and oceans. The consistency is quite gritty and gloopy - imagine at the beach and you have some wet sand. Overall I would definitely recommend this product.

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly 100g - There are different ways to use this product such as chilling it, freezing it or just using it straight from the pot. I used it straight from the pot but can imagine it would be great chilled! The smell of this is great - it has an amazing fruity, citrus smell. I used this for my body at first as a soap, but then read that the seaweed in it was great for your scalp, so like the shower scrub, it became another shampoo for me. The jelly once rubbed in your hair becomes a lather. I would recommend this product on just the smell alone! Its a great alternative for shower soaps.

These two Lush products I received as part of a gift set which is why they are slightly smaller than the original products. However you can buy the 100g Whoosh Shower Jelly, I just haven't seen a smaller version of the Shower Scrub unless they've sold out!
Both items lasted me quite a while and I would definitely recommend buying a friend or even treating yourself to one of their gift sets as they give you a taster of some of their great products at an affordable price.

Don't forget if you bring back 5 empty, clean full-sized pots or tubes to Lush they will give you a free face-mask!

If you've tried any of the Lush products, what is your favourite? (if you've done a blog post on it please link as i'd love to check it out as i'm always looking for the next product to add to collection!)

LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub | Review

LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub - 25g

Until recently I was a lip exfoliator virgin. I'd never really had any problems with cracked or dry lips, but recently I noticed my lips getting chapped and flakey even though I moisturise them every day and night. I'd heard tricks about using a toothbrush to exfoliate the lips, but I wanted something a bit more practical. That's when I came across the lip scrub range from LUSH! 

LUSH offer these lip scrubs in three different flavours - Mint Julips, Bubblegum and Popcorn at a price of £5.50 for 25g. I've heard lots of reviews and praise over the bubblegum flavour, however the bright pink colour of it did put me off a little, which is why I went for the more subtle coloured 'Mint Julips'.

Mint Julips is a handmade lip scrub made out of natural ingredients, with its main ingredient being castor sugar! I use this before I go to bed and also before I apply any lip balms or colours. The castor sugar gently scrubs away any dead skin and leaves your lips feeling smooth and soft - ideal if you want to get that lipstick perfect! Not only does it leave your lips feelings amazing but it also tastes great too - yes, you can lick it off your lips afterwards! 

This product I feel, even though I have used it every day since I bought it will last me a very long time. You don't need tons of the product on your finger - a little goes a long way! Even though I can't compare it to other products as it is my first lip scrub, I feel like LUSH are onto a winner with these cute little pots of yummy lip care.

Have you tried any lip scrubs from LUSH? 

Barry M - Matte Nail Paint | Review

Barry M Matte Nail Paint MNP 2 Crush 345 (left) - Barry M Matte Nail Paint MNP 1 Espresso 331 (right)

The classic Barry M mate nail paints come in five different warm, wintery colours. The colours are 'coffee shop' colours and are a perfect compliment to most outfits and are also great for wearing at the office! I think they are subtle and really stylish. I know matte nails aren't to everyones taste, but you could always add a shiny top coat if you wanted the shade of polish but aren't so keen on a matte finish.

The examples shown have two coats of nail polish on them. Personally I think two coats are needed with this nail polish to give it that 'perfect' finished look. The matte takes full effect one the paint is fully dried.

'Crush' is a warm berry shade and I think it is perfect for the Autumn/Winter months.
'Espresso' is a simple black nail polish. I think everyone should own a good black nail polish!

You can buy the matte nail paints online or at drugstores such as Superdrug and Boots. They currently retail at £3.99 which I think is a bargain for the look and quality of the product.

What do you think of the matte nail polishes?

Tape By Steven Camden | Review + GIVEAWAY!

|| Tape by Steven Camden* || 

Product Details
Title: Tape
Author: Steven Camden
Release Date: 30th January 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Pages: 352

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Ages: Teen (12+)

Source: Received from publisher for review

Purchase Links: Amazon | Waterstones

Record a voice and it lasts forever…

In 1993, Ryan records a diary on an old tape. He talks about his mother’s death, about his dreams, about his love for a new girl at school who doesn’t even know he exists.

In 2013, Ameliah moves in with her grandmother after her parents die. There, she finds a tape in the spare room. A tape with a boy’s voice on it – a voice she can’t quite hear, but which seems to be speaking to her.

Ryan and Ameliah are connected by more than just a tape.

This is their story.

| My thoughts |

The story has two narrators - Ryan and Ameliah. I feel that the teen audience (or our previous teen self) can really relate to some characteristics shown by them both and also the scenarios they are faced with. It explores the difficult situations of growing up and also touches on more sensitive topics (such as family and death).

The outside and inside of the book are graphically and visually appealing, especially to the younger audience. Ryan and Ameliah's perspective are easily identifiable in the book making it easy for the reader to follow where they are. I think the way Ameliahs story is in present tense and Ryans is in past works very well with the story line but I found myself warming more towards Ryan because of this. Another thing that I wasn't so sure on was the way the speech was written as the author uses hyphens instead of speech marks. At first I was confused as to if they were thoughts.
Example:
Ryan looked at him
- What?
- Ask me who'll hear
Ryan shrugged his shoulders

However, this book will keep you guessing to the very end with twists and turns! 

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books, one lucky reader will win a copy of Tape by Steven Camden!

Competition is open worldwide

Rules:

• This is open to my blog readers only! Make sure you're following my blog via GFC or Bloglovin' (I will be checking!)
• Extra entry for following my Twitter
• Extra entry for liking my Facebook page

The winner will be contacted straight after the giveaway has ended. They will have 2 days to claim their prize or I reserve the right to choose another winner.

Book will be shipped directly from publisher.

If the winner is international, the book may take longer to arrive

I hope you've enjoyed my first book review and hopefully I will have more giveaways in the future!

e.l.f. Cosmetic Haul | Review

For those of you who don't know about e.l.f., they are a a brand with 'high quality items at low, affordable prices'. I've heard about this brand for a while, but never got round to ordering anything until now. Luckily I was able to get quite a big discount off my items (nearly 50%!) after someone posted a code on Facebook. If you sign up to their newsletter they sometimes send promotions too!

Contouring Blush & Bronzer Cream - St. Lucia

The first thing I ordered was the contouring blush & bronzer cream in St. Lucia priced at £3.75. I'm not sure why I ordered the cream, as I was ideally looking for a powder (that'll teach me for purchasing on a whim!). They do in fact have the contouring set in a powder.

The contour colours are very creamy and pigmented. A little will go a long way with this product and I found it easy to blend. However, this product is probably a little too dark for my skin so next time I would see if there is a lighter colour.

Studio Contour Brush

I also purchased a Studio contour brush, this was priced at £3.75.

For the price I think this brush is amazing. I would even compare it to my higher priced brushes. It does its job well and has soft bristles. I will definitely be purchasing more of their brushes.

Studio Matte Lip Colour - Coral

I've heard quite a few good reviews about their matte lip colour, so I got the Studio matte lip colour in Coral which was £3.75.

The end colour of the stick looks a lot pinker than the actual product and the stick looks darker... This shade is lighter than my natural lip colour. It looks a lot darker on the pictures than it is on the lips. I would probably wear this when I wear toned down make-up. It has a nice matte finish and I will be buying more of these in different colours.

Studio Blush - Candid Coral

I've been looking for a new blush so I purchased the Studio blush in Candid Coral after reading about it in another bloggers review! This was £3.75.
This blush has quite a bit of shimmer in it. I really like the colour though and think it compliments my skin tone well.

Studio Lip Primer & Plumper

I've never really tried a lip primer or plumper before, so this caught my eye on their website. It is the Studio lip primer & plumper which was £3.75.

If you don't like cinnamon, this product will not be for you. The plumper has a very distinct cinnamon smell. It tingles your lips very slightly but I can't say I felt them getting plumper.. I was slightly disappointed with the primer as I don't think it blended well with the matte lip colour and had to wipe most of it off. It sort of looks like a concealer and has quite a thick consistency. I will probably only use this for the plumper.

Studio Makeup Mist & Set

Lastly, I ordered the Studio makeup mist & set as usually I normally spritz a bit of hairspray (anyone else do this? haha) to keep the makeup in place, but obviously this isn't meant for your face and the results can make your face feel a bit stiff. This was also £3.75.
This spray comes out quite powerful, so make sure you spray it quite far away or your face will be drenched. It sort of reminds me of one of those cooling sprays as it leaves a watery sheen over your face for a few minutes. I suppose this is healthier for my skin than the hairspray, so I will be giving this another try. I can't say I saw any changes in how my makeup looked, but being alcohol free I will be using it as a mist before application.

Altogether my order would have come to £22.50, but I got it for £12.50 with free delivery! - Bargain! I would recommend this brand if you are looking for a cheap alternative, and because it's so cheap it's good to experiment with. 

Have you tried any e.l.f. products? 

Max Factor - Glossfinity Nail Polish | Review

Max Factor Glossfinity - Candy Rose (50)

For those of you who checked out my first ever haul, I bought the Max Factor Glossfinity nail polish. This was £5.99, however drug stores such as Superdrug have these on the 3 for 2 offer.

This product claims to keep your nails looking glossy for up to 7 days and is currently available in 26 shades.

I've had this nail polish on now for 7 days and I can safely say there is still some 'gloss' there. Usually with normal nail polishes the shininess tends to fade. I can tell that over the week the gloss has diminished (around day 4-5) but it is still looking glossy compared to other nail polishes I have used.

Also i've noticed they are less chipped than normal! (I don't know if that's to do with the nail polish itself or because i've been less 'hands-on' this week...). I applied two coats of this nail polish (without any top coat) and I barely have any chips! So I am quite impressed with that. I'm sure the nails would be close to perfection if I applied a top coat. I will be sure to try it out! Out of habit I always apply two coats of nail polish, however it is quite pigmented so I think one coat would even be enough.

Altogether I would probably definitely recommend this product. It gives you a high quality finish for a fraction of the price you'd pay at a salon. 

Have you tried out the Glossfinity range by Max Factor?