Hello Hello Fresh!

Dia dhuit my loveliessss…..another day another post.

Now, if you live in London, chances are you have been handed a voucher for HelloFresh at some point or left in some package you got, like me. I got my £25 off coupon card with my Glossybox. So I grabbed this chance to check this service out.

Now, in our household, all the food shopping takes place on the first week of every month. And we usually stock up on things just to avoid the hassle of schlepping to the supermarket for an onion or a potato. But it was exciting to get a box with just enough ingredients for 2 meals. And I was impressed with the pre measured ingredients and with absolutely no wastage at all. I did read some reviews saying that some items were missing off their box but I received every little ingredient even the 2 cloves of garlic!!

The recipe cards for the 3 meals were very easy to follow and if you follow it to the t you will have no issues getting it right. So a Michelin star chef you definitely don’t have to be.

Hello Fresh gives you 3 options for recipe boxes. You have your Classic box which comes in options 3 meals per week for 2 people (£39), 3 meals per week for 3 people (£49), 3 meals per week for 4 people (£59) and 5 meals per week for 2 people (£49). I selected the Classic box - 3 meals per week for 2 people which came up to £39 and with the £25 off it came up to £14, which worked out really good for me.

There’s also a vegetarian option which comes up to £36 for the 3 meals for 2 people and £59 for the 3 meals for 4 people. And a Family box which consists of 4 meals for 4 –5 people per week.

You get an option to select the days and time you will be around to receive your box, weekends included, and this is a weekly commitment if you decide to stick with it and again you can choose the days you will be able to receive your box. I ordered the Classic box and it had fish, chicken and steak in it. I couldn’t open my box till the next day but it was fresh as it had ample ice packs and Styrofoam to make sure the stuff stays fresh.

Now I’m a total food junkie and would love to think I appreciate good food. But the hubby is tougher to please. Luckily, the 3 meals that we had were all crowd pleasers and definite summer style dinners. We had the Chicken Paillard with Rosemary potatoes, rocket salad and gremolata, Chipotle Steak wedge and Coconut Poached cod with kaffir lime and noodles.

Ok so pros – very easy process, easy to read recipe cards, Quantities are spot on with no wastage, fresh produce from local farmers and butchers, you don’t have to possess culinary skills or knowledge to have a go.

Cons – some of the recipes do require you to use techniques like butterflying a chicken breast, you can choose not to but if you have never even heard of this, it might put you off a bit.

Since we already had most of the items purchased as part of our monthly shopping, there were instances where the hubby had to turn around and ask me could you not have just made this yourself with the stuff we have. Meh!He is right though…I love cooking so the meals would have been something that I would make in my kitchen anyways and bar the chipotle paste, red wine vinegar and the kaffir lime leaf, I had everything else in my kitchen. I think this would be ideal for couples on the rush or for people who despise the thought of cooking.

There’s just too much food for one person for one meal and the measurements don’t include for just one person. The follow up calls…..oh the follow up calls! And emails- it just annoyed me! Now my deal with Hello fresh was a one off try it kind of deal but I have received at least one mail every couple of weeks since then. So if you ever do try it, please don’t give out a mail address that you usually use.

I know it looks like there more cons than pro but that’s not the case the cons are just teeny tiny things compared to the convenience this will compensate for. Overall, 3.5/5

Have you used Hello Fresh yet?What are your thoughts?

Look Fantastic

Ola my darlings…and welcome to my blog. If you have been reading my previous posts you will know by now that I am a subscription box junkie. I love the whole concept of goodies selected and sent out to you in gorgeous little boxes. One of the things I want to learn from this exercise is what boxes are worth your time and what boxes are really not worth your time and effort.

In June I received my June edition of the lookfantastic beauty box (yup! It’s late and yup! I completely forgot about it) and this month I received my Birchbox August edition.

So first, the lookfantastic box. The June edition contained some high end brands to treat your skin and hair, and all in travel sizes, which will be perfect for my new Birchbag.  The best thing I liked about the LFBeauty box is that it’s not a rolling contract like the Birchbox or the Glossybox. They are one off boxes which you can purchase without committing yourself to a contract.

So the goodies, in no particular order

Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion – Sample Size of 5ml/£9.29 (RRP £65 /35ml )

Now I haven’t used any Murad products before I started using the Murad Age spot and Pigment Lightening Serum . And if the Murad Collagen is to be reviewed purely by the potential of the Lightening Serum it should be equally good or maybe better.

Nuxe Crème Prodigieux Anti Fatigue Lotion – Sample Size of 15ml/£7.88 (RRP £21 /40ml )

So a product I haven’t heard of before .But it says anti fatigue on the tube so guess I will be using this for all the damages I put my face through binge watching Orange is the New Black…..btw have you guys seen this gem of a show….if not, you might be the only ones left. Again.. a lovely addition to my travel potions.

Caudalie Radiance Serum – Sample Size of 10ml/£15  (RRP £45 /30ml )

Now this particular product I was super excited to try out and I get my excitement got the better of me. I pumped the sample size tube and it just spurted out a huge amount of lovely serum, which I had to then spread all over my face. The serum itself was very cooling and was absorbed in real quick. The serum is clinically proven to improve the appearance the dark spots and pigmentation. So will be testing this out as well. For 1/3^rd the size of the full size product, there was quite a generous amount.

Label M Protein Spray – Sample Size of 50ml/£2.65  (RRP £13.25 /250ml )
So the LabelM I have heard of but never had a chance to use .But I tried this product on and I loved it. My hair is naturally curly and when you spray this on before you blow dry your hair it kind of brings your hair under control if you get what I mean. It didn’t seem as frizzy or not as much flyaways as I would normally have. So yes, I will be definitely looking out to buy the full size product soon.

Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask  - Sample Size of 15ml/£9.60  (RRP £32 /50ml )

The first time I saw the REN brand was when I was in Debenhams. Now , I haven’t shopped in Debenhams in a while. As there was a time when Debenhams just failed to impress me at all.And it was like this place I would go to buy your secret Santa gifts and your perfumes. BUT I was amazed with the whole new look that the Debenhams in Oxford Circus has got going on and also the large number of known skincare and beauty products and some new discoveries as well. The particular Mask has a bit of a powerful citrusy scent but does do its job brightening up the skin once used.

Korres Aloe &Soapwort Shampoo  - Sample Size of  50ml/£1.80  (RRP £9 / 250ml )

So I have never heard of Korres until I got this box but from what I can see it’s a perfect travel size goody .They are a Greek Homeopathic company with all natural products in them and the concept of Aloe Vera in anything sounds good and healthy. I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet but it does smell lovely.

Overall, not bad for £15, a no strings attached deal. It’s a great way to trial beauty products from some really good and known brands and also some new discoveries.

Have you tried the lookfantastic box? What are your thoughts on the June edition? What are your favourite beauty boxes?

Birchbox-ed

Welcome back…..so this month, like with my Glossybox, I forgot to cancel my rolling contract with Birchbox. And again no reminders or emails from the company letting me know that my next month’s box will be sent out. BUT O.M.G! What a box! I just loved….L.O.V.E.D!!!!.... this month’s beauty box.

So another month another set of products…

Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo – Sample Size of 50ml/£ (RRP £13.95/250ml)

I love clarifying shampoos …anything that promises that you will be product free before you hit the bed. Currently I use the Tresemme Cleanse and Renew Deep Cleansing Shampoo which works like a dream for me. The Kebelo shampoo promises similar things so will look forward to trying this out.

Huygens Exfoliating Cream – Sample Size of 10ml/£ (RRP £19.90 / 50ml)

This is a Birchbox exclusive and something completely new for me as I have never heard of this brand before. I haven’t had a chance to use this yet but it smells lovely which ticks one of the main requirements for me in beauty products. And it’s got this nice creamy texture and not the usual pasty kind of feel. So can’t wait to try this.

Rituals Ayurveda Body Scrub – Sample Size of 70ml/£ (RRP £10 / 150ml)

So, the first rituals product that I ever used was the Rituals White Lotus and Ginkgo Biloba Miracle Hand balm. And after smelling this body scrub I see a pattern with Rituals products. They just smell heavenly and the scrub I received contains Multani clay which has exfoliating micro beads in them to brighten and soften dull skin …so in the travel bag it goes!!!

Lord & Berry Blush in Lotus – Sample Size of 2gm/£ 1.50 (RRP £18 / 24gm)

So, when I heard a blush was included in the box, I was super excited expecting to see a super cute compact blush with a mini mirror. But that dream didn’t last too long! The sample product actually comes in one of those MAC eyeshadow pans. And I’m not too confident to just leave it without the plastic packaging that it comes with. Just in case it crumbles and ruins my bag or worse my other products. The product itself is a nice soft pink which looks quiet natural against my skin tone. But I think I might be using it more of an eyeshadow than a blush.

Laura Mercier Kohl eye pencil in Black Violet - Sample Size of 0.8gm /£12.95 (RRP £17.50 /1.08 gm.)

Ok, I don’t usually experiment with colours with my kohl eyeliners except for black and blue, but this was a beautiful violet colour. I’m yet to decide on a look that will complete or work with this colour though. The shades more violet than black though so not sure about the name Black Violet. The colour itself on the skin is quiet intense and pigmented but I find it not very cooperative in the smudging department .This can work with or against you depending on the look you are going for.

Illamasqua Matte Veil - Sample Size of 3ml/£3.20 (RRP £32 / 30ml)

Ok for the actual price for the full sized product. I had to try this on just to see if the hype was worth it. And sadly, I was disappointed. I wore this under by Giorgio Armani Luminous silk foundation. For those of you who use the foundation would know that the foundation itself does have a silky texture to it and I feel it does have a, if not a full …a slightly matte like finish so it looks more natural. When applied underneath the foundation, it didn’t do much for me except for the initial dewiness.

Overall, I loved this months beauty product and thats 2 months in a row Birchbox have managed to get some really awesome goodies out to me! So definitely a 5/5 from me and did I mention about the free emoji stickers included in the box?

Have you tried this month’s Birchbox? What are your thoughts? What are your favourite beauty boxes?

Have you heard the Bzz!!!

Xin Chao my lovelies!!! I'm not making any more excuses for the lack of posts and heading straight to my post for today. Now I love my free stuff like any other normal person well duh! …and ever since I have started this blog I have just grabbed on any opportunity to build some sort of influence in the blogging world.

Recently I tried BzzAgent and honestly I can't complain. Well, so far at least! 

The whole program works on a score basis and a majority of this does require filling in surveys. The surveys you fill, the more points you get and the more freebies you get sent to review. It took me 2 weeks before I got send out my first item to review after filling in all the surveys they had for grabs and my score was only 3.5 out of 10. So it’s not like you need to be filling out hundreds of surveys before you get your first item to review. The score system is very easy to understand and once you get your item don’t forget to hook it up on all possible social media sites for more points.

I haven’t tried this out yet but it’s also possible to accumulate points and redeem the points you’ve earned for gift cards, cash back or travel miles much like your credit card rewards program.

My first BzzAgent item was the new Jacobs crackers and all 3 flavours in full size, each retails for £1.99 ...so that’s basically £5.97 worth items. Also, did I mention they were FREE!

So overall, I would definitely recommend the BzzAgent for anyone looking to get your foot into the reviewing world and earn rewards quicker. It’s definitely easy to use!! Go on...click on the bee above... to give BzzAgent a try!

Have you tried BzzAgent? What are your thoughts? Do you know of any similar reviewing platforms?

GlossyBox-ed Again!

Ni Hao my lovelies..as mentioned in my previous posts, I have missed almost a week and was at home playing mum and haven’t had a chance to update my blog .I have had one reader asking me why I haven’t updated my blog recently (getting emotional here * sniff, sniff*….Thanks Bottom!). So, I’m just going to use this time between putting baby to sleep and dinner time to cram in here as many posts as I can. Mostly it’s a push for me to get my blog going on.

Now,if I have already mentioned this in any of my previous blogs, I love my beauty boxes. I just love the concept of sample sizes and the whole idea of being able to try on items before actually buying the actual sizes. So last month I had my heart set on receiving my lookfantastic June box and was quiet surprised to get an email from GlossyBox that my beauty box for the month has been dispatched. Funny, as I don’t remember ordering them since May. So guys point to be noted, if you do do a monthly subscription with GlossyBox, it doesn’t mean that the payment ceases after the selected month, it actually keeps going till you actually cancel the membership and you do not get any reminders letting you know that you will be receiving a box. So you would need to cancel your GlossyBox membership on their site.

Ok, so I’m not a festival-kinda girl. Mostly because I like the luxuries in life, you know, like clean water, clean loos…preferably with privacy included and mostly sound sleep. So going with the festival theme, Glossy box has decided to join the bandwagon and base at least some of their items around the festival theme. It wasn’t very exciting for me and I will moan more about it further down.

So in no particular order

Kueshi Anticellulite Booster – Full size 150ml RRP£13.89

Ok, so an actual full size product. Now GlossyBox, if you ever read this….PLEASE… PLEASE…Puh-lease Can I have a…any moisturizer or even any body lotion in an actual full size rather than a cellulite cream which promises to reduce your cellulite, which I believe in as much as I believe in unicorns and leprechauns .I personally do not have cellulite and feel like this is completely wasted on me. Although I do think that creams like this help in improving the surface of your skin. Girls, if you really need to get rid of the dimples, working out would be the best option. So for anyone there who thinks this thing is “totes amazeballs !” , please do let me know and I will get this out to you absolutely free.

Essence The Gel Nail Polish – Full size RRP £1.71

I love my colors, I mean I’m one of those gals who go completely crazy seeing things organized by colors and if there’s a shade I haven’t heard of try to figure out where it belongs in the spectrum. So naturally I have a nail color in almost every color…EXCEPT for coral. Now being Asian Indian , it’s quite tricky to carry off coral be it blush, lip color even nail color, and make it look natural rather than the whole “Chucky’s bride” look. So was quiet happy with corally orangey red nail color from Essence. Most probably will try them out on my feet first rather than my fingertips. Haven’t the world suffered enough?

MONUspa Rosewood Reviving Mist – Travel size - Full size for £11.95

I do see myself using this. The actual bottle itself is one of those travel friendly sizes and the mist is quiet cooling and refreshing. I can even use to set my makeup.

Halo Facial wipes – Travel size  RRP £1.20

Who doesn’t like wipes? And this is, again, your travel friendly size with 10 in a pack. That would last me five days. Although this is not strong for removing makeup, it is good for the general face refreshing when you are sans make-up.

Glossybox Metallic Tattoos  - Full size  RRP £6.50 (What!?! Seriously?)

Ok, seriously Glossybox…get your boxes in order…I mean which 30 year old or even 20 year old will want to walk around Glastonbury with GlossyBox embossed tattoos…and that’s really cheeky of you include this as one of the full items in the box. Again, any die hard GlossyBox fans, please let me know and again absolutely free of cost.

So, not a great bigYayy from my end.Although I did get a £25 off voucher for Hello Fresh. So might try that out as well. What were your thought on the box?

Cartoon Museum

Aloha me lovelies…it’s been a while and this has been solely down to me playing single parent for a week as the hub-ster had to get out of town for work. And after a week of playing mommy, chef, nurse and still go to work, I have this new found respect for all the single parents out there. Seriously! My son is an almost 2 year old who acts like he’s on battery fluid rather than milk or any other kind of baby food, as he just tends to go on and rarely tires out. Fortunately my work places is quiet understanding about things like this and try to make things at work as manageable as possible for me. And this is something mums out there need to know more about rather than suffer in Silence. Most multinational and government offices currently support most kinds of personal situations, all you have to do is ASK! So expectant mothers, Adopters, Single Mums and dads find out what options your employer is willing to offer.

So a week later I log on to my blog page and have found out some readers in the US, France, Romania and Ukraine along with some from the good ol’ UK. Guys please do let me know how you find the blog and also some ideas to get more noise in here. But seriously, thanks for stopping by!

Well, before the week off, my friends Bee and Bottom along with their work mates decides to visit the cartoon museum and expecting some of my old cartoon classics I decide to tag along, not knowing that this is your “OLD” classics like your Beano , your Dandy you get the picture. Now these are some classics and it’s always nice to get a quick visit to Nostalgia Town especially if the ride is free. Considering how popular comic strips were and also how significant input in Britain’s satirical culture both past and present I was quiet surprised that I haven’t seen more of museums like these.

I know that the direction that the worlds heading to right now, freedom of speech is just so last century and it’s all about the “freedom to be comfortable” but I’m so old fashioned in that way and find that the freedom to express your thoughts is just so under rated. So it was refreshing to see a museum dedicated to showcase some of the more risky cartoons along with your fav old comic strips.

 Considering the range of comic strips that are out on display a change of illustrations every now and then is almost guaranteed. The evening we visited they had a little show on and the theme was Heckling Hitler World War 2 in cartoon and Comics.Heckling Hitler shows how World War II unfolded through the eyes of British cartoonists and comic artists, as throughout the war they played their part in helping to raise the morale. There was also a small piece on the Globe Dance from one of the classics ‘The Great Dictator’ starring Mr Chaplin himself. Fun fact, born four days apart, Hitler and Chaplin are actually 2 equally famous faces, and for some, namesof the 20^thcentury .One, a genocidal fascist tyrant and the other a lovable socialist clown, the words poles apart springs to mind. In the Great Dictator Chaplin plays both Adenoid Hynkel (read Adolph Hitler), dictator of the fictional country of Tomania and a Jewish Barber. The movie is all about mistaken identities and how the Barber Chaplin is mistaken for the Hynklel Chaplin. The touching scene in the movie was when Chaplin had to give a speech after the attack on the fictional country Austerlich (read Austria) and was neither Hynkel nor the Barber but a mere human being crying out “Enough is enough…let’s just embrace peace now!”. Sad, considering that nothing much has changed since the movie.

The scene played by the actor on the day was the scene where Hynkel dancing on his toes, tossing a gigantic helium inflated globe from hand to hand and gracefully cavorting through his office whilst dreaming of world domination.

Now I have to say this, the ambiance in the museum is quiet friendly and everyone’s just out there to talk to each other and sometimes even share thoughts. So if you like to visit museums with just you and your thoughts this might not be the museum for you. Along with the cartoon display, there was also a session on how to dance the foxtrot and you also get the chance to show off your "Jazz Hands!!!"...for which my friend Bee was selected a winner....so you necessarily don’t even have to be good at it.... ;) Just kidding Bee!!!

 The dance moves were taught by the same young lady who acted out the globe scene so a one trick pony she definitely is not. There was also a little drawing competition to sketch your version of a British superhero! The best sketch gets a little prize in the form of more comic books. There was a mini bar for refreshments and a gift shop to buy some little souvenirs but nothing that you wouldn’t get in any other souvenir shop.

All together, another hidden gem and worth visiting but please make sure what exhibition will be on display and also if there are any additional activities happening on the day, like the dance lessons, from their website.

http://www.cartoonmuseum.org/

Mon - Sat: 10.30 - 17.30

(inc. Bank Holidays)
Sun 12.00 - 17.30

Toy Kingdom - Harrods

Ahala. This gone weekend, I think I had a nostalgic journey through my pre-teen ages. When I was a child, there was nothing more amusing than a well organised toy store, arranged by the type of toys. And it was nice to know the child in me is pretty much still around.

In order to keep my 20 month old (I know…I know…I should start referring him as a year and half old) entertained and in a major plan to wear him out a bit?(seriously super active kid), we decided to treat him with a trip to the Harrods Toy kingdom. But it turned out to be a bigger treat for the hubby and me.

Often toy stores tend to be crammed and just too busy for my taste so I usually tend to avoid it and just order my stuff online..well I say my stuff but it’s actually for the kid…honest! But the sheer size of the place will just impress you. I have never thought of this as a place to visit while in London but it’s definitely in my list now. The colours, the different types of toys, music and the different cartoon movies playing in different corners of the floor all will definitely take you back to your precious ages!!!

Couple of years back, now 6 year old Riley Maida was all over the news, explaining her frustration on the stereotype filled marketing of children’s toys and sectioned into pinks and blues. It might be Riley’s laments that may have got Harrods to put their thinking hats back on and make a bold decision to organise the department organised by themes as opposed to gender and the divide the department into six different worlds. My son didn’t see pink or blue, he just saw toys sectioned into 2 categories, Things I can put in my mouth and Things I can’t.

The department is sectioned into 6 worlds. In the words of Harrods

- The Big Top: a fairground of circus acts and candy floss, with magicians and jugglers on stage surrounded by fancy dress costumes, doll houses, rocking horses and soft toys.

 

 

- The Candy Store: a curious chocolate counter displaying a bizarre array of chocolate fancies and flavors, alongside Papa Bubble who makes flavorsome candy concoctions to order throughout the day.

- The Enchanted Forest: fairies whisper from tree trunks, while wigwams on the forest floor house the latest collections from Sylvanian Families and Flutter Fairies, alongside arts and crafts.

- Wonderland: a colourful ‘Grand Canyon’ of Harrods’ most exclusive and jaw-dropping toys (presided over by a giant dragon) is filled with Hornby train sets, remote-controlled helicopters and Scalextric.

- The Odyssey: a gigantic space rocket crashes through the floor and a huge sun bursts through the wall in front of an Area 51-inspired space and gadget zone, complete with alien space pods and limited-edition pieces.

- The Reading Room: choose from favorite children’s stories at the rotunda of books, climb into one of the special cubby holes to hear famous voices reading extracts, have fun with electronic gaming pods and explore the world of Harry Potter.

Trust my boy to go through all 6 worlds in 3 hours and not break a sweat. As toy stores go this is definitely one I would recommend. The whole place reeks of Willy Wonka-esque styling and will definitely be appreciated by the older kids as well.

The adults had a browse through the beauty section (Me!), Food section(Me!) and the technology section (Him!). I bought some skin care products for a dear price but hopefully the results will be worth the price tag. Will be putting more details in the Beauty section soon.

Needless to say my lil boy was knackered by the end of the journey and we all had some good night’s sleep!