Graze Box #2 | Share Box

Seeing as I love Graze very much, and had a £5 off voucher for one of their share boxes (which I wasn't planning on sharing with anyone), I decided to order one. 

The box contains 5 pouches of Graze goodies, most of which aren't available in the variety boxes. 

The selection process isn't entirely random, you get to choose 10 (or more) snacks you'd be happy to receive, and you can even let them know if there's one you really want to try, or if it's a favourite of yours. Then, they pick out 5 and post them to you! 

Caramel & Peanut Track & Field

This is definitely one of Graze's less healthy snacks. The bag was a mixture of chocolate - caramel buttons (caramel nibble style), peanuts, raisins and mini fudge pieces. 

I found this to be a bit of a strange combination, though I did like the fudge pieces. The chocolate - caramel buttons were nice, but I'd still rather have a bag of cadbury's. 

Rating - 5/10

Dark Rocky Road

This is a mixture of dark chocolate drops, dried cranberries and pecans. Though simple, I love this combination, and am constantly recreating it. This bag is perfect for all of those with a super sweet tooth. 

Rating - 10/10

Honeycomb Crunch

Honeycomb crunch is a mix of milk chocolate honeycomb, almonds and raisins. This was nice, but the honeycomb didn't have that nice crunchie-esque chewiness to it. 

Rating - 6/10

Raw Bites

This is a bag of little chunks (not making this sound particularly appealing here...) made from pumpkin, dates, honey, sesame and sunflower seeds. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that these weren't sweet, although they do have a gorgeous texture. I personally wouldn't choose to snack on these, but they're perfect for a quick energy boost after exercising.

Rating - 6/10

Pure Apple Crisps

Pure Apple Crisps are really very simple ; all that's in the bag are some dried apples coated in cinnamon! These are super sweet, and very delicious. Apple and cinnamon is always a winning combo with me, it tastes so wintery! These are perfect for snacking on, I could eat the entire bag. 

Rating -  9/10

Though I do wish the snacks available in the share box were available in the regular variety box, I don't think I'll be purchasing one of these again. To be honest, I got a bit bored with some of the snacks after trying them a couple times, and would much rather have the little packets available in the variety box. 

Have any of you tried Graze? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

-L x 

Summer 2015 Bucket List

It's now June, which means it's finally Summer! 

Here's a list of all the things I want to do this Summer : 

Pick strawberries 

Have a water fight

Read a book a week 

Go to the beach

Ride my bike 

Start a YouTube channel 

Blog more often 

Pick flowers 

Draw

Eat ice cream from an ice cream van 

Go on a swan boat 

Movie Night 

Watch a sunrise / sunset

Have a picnic

Tie Dye something 

Have a barbecue 

Get a disposable / waterproof camera 

Stargaze 

What are your plans for this Summer? Let me know in the comments below!

-L x

My 1st Graze Box

I've been meaning to order a graze box for sooo long, and since I had a voucher, I did! I've written a little review for you guys, and I have a discount code for you to get your 1st, 5th and 10th boxes free . 

The process is simple . You go online, make your account and simply eliminate any snacks you don't like . Then, they post a cute little box to you, with 4 different snacks and a booklet of nutritional information . 

Pomodoro Rustichella 

I generally don't like croutons, as they remind me a bit of stale bread . These ones had a really nice cheese taste to them, but I didn't like the texture (me + croutons = yeugh) . 

The tomato breadsticks were quite nice, but the tomato flavour wasn't particularly strong . The almonds also didn't have a strong flavour, but they were really nice! 

Rating - 5/10 

Super Carrot Cake

THIS . THIS IS THE BEST CARROT CAKE I'VE EVER TASTED . 

It was moist, slightly spicy, the raisins were sticky, the pumpkin seeds were crunchy (but not too crunchy) . Where might I buy large quantities of this perfection?

Rating - 10/10 

Rocky Road Granola Topper

This stuff tasted SO GOOD with my strawberries and cherry yoghurt . My only fault is that the fudge pieces were a bit hard . 

Rating - 8/10 

Sticky Toffee Pudding 

Again, this was phenomenal . The texture is just perfect! I would recommend heating it up for 10 seconds before eating, as it makes the cake all gooey and warms up the toffee sauce (which wasn't overly sweet ; it was just right!) 

Rating - 10/10 

Overall, I've had a great first experience with graze, and have since ordered (and devoured) another box . 

Click this link for the discount : https://www.graze.com/uk/p/LUCIAM2MU

-L x 

Top 10 Study Tips

It's that time of year again, so hopefully these tips can make exam time just a little easier . 

Create a study timetable - Set aside a period of time everyday, even if it's only 30 mins, to study, and stick to it!

Know your stuff - Search online for past papers that you can revise, and find out about the marking scheme .

Don't get distracted - De - clutter your desk or work space for a good working environment, and PUT YOUR PHONE ON AEROPLANE MODE . If you're reading this post instead of studying right now, put the phone DOWN . 

Mix it up - To prevent getting bored and distracted, only spend 15 minutes on each topic, then change to another subject . 

Take breaks - A rule I like to stick by is to take a 15 minute break for every hour of studying you do . Get a drink, have a snack (NOT chocolate . Think nuts, a banana, etc) do some stretches . This will help you to stay focused on your work . 

Study Support Groups - If your school offers study support groups, take them! Google won't always answer your queries . 

Handwriting - If your handwriting is verging on scribbly, make sure you brush up before an exam, so that it's eligible . 

Be prepared - Have your pencil case with everything you'll need in it ready the night before the exam, and make sure you have everything (I recently discovered I didn't have a calculator 2 days before a maths exam... oops) . 

SLEEP - Sleep is so important, and increases your level of productivity and focus hugely . So staying up into the early hours of the morning revising won't benefit you! 

Don't be so afraid - Remember, your examiner is a person too! I've cried in front of an examiner before . If you manage not to cry, you've done better than me . 

Good luck with your exams, and don't forget to leave any additional tips in the comments :) .

-L x

Current Lush Wishlist

Although Summer is approaching, this doesn't mean I can't still enjoy a good bubble bath ;) .

There are quite a few bits of bobs from Lush that I've been lusting after, or rather, Lush-ting after . 

So, here's my list of things I'd quite like from Lush :

Shock horror, I've never tried the Twilight bath bomb! This is a classic from Lush, and everyone seems to love it, so I thought I better give it a go . 

You'll probably realise this as we go through this wish list, but I adore anything rose scented . This is the Rose Jam Bubbleroon, so if it smells like roses and is going to turn my bath pink, I NEED IT .

Last time I was in a Lush store, I was only going in to ask about skin care, and I took a quick whiff of the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar . If you're a fan of Snow Fairy, this smells exactly like it! 

The Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie again, smells of roses . What else must I say?

I can never be bothered shaving my legs, and most times I'm just too lazy . Unlucky for me, this isn't really an option during the Summer . Maybe, oh maybe, if I bought D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap, I will actually bother to shave because who doesn't want strawberry scented legs?

I bought my Mum King of Skin Solid Body Butter along with a few other items for Mother's Day, and I think this is definitely her favourite . Although it's made of banana, it leaves this gorgeous white - chocolatey - almondy - goodness scent on the skin, which I love . 

The description for Celestial Facial Moisturiser is "Help troubled, dry skin become angelic -" . Already I'm sold . I haven't always had trouble with my skin, but recently the surface has become really bumpy, and my skin tone more uneven . I'm currently trying out Lush's Fresh Farmacy Cleanser which hasn't worked wonders so far . 

As I mentioned earlier, I recently went in to Lush for a skin consultation, and the lovely woman (sadly, I didn't catch her name) recommended I try the Brazened Honey Fresh Face Mask . She suggested it as she said the almonds would help with the texture of my skin, and leave it feeling smooth . For some reason I didn't pick one up . Silly me .

This sounds HEAVENLY . I always struggle to find a good lip balm ; I wasn't even impressed with Burt's Bees! Lush's Honey Trap Lip Balm has very good reviews and has a scent of white chocolate and honey, which sounds sooo good .

Like most people who use heat styling tools, I get split ends . Quite a lot, actually . While the Shine So Bright Hair Balm doesn't fix split ends, it does prevent them . I am a bit hesitant about this product though, because it has very mixed reviews . 

Helen Anderson recently did a video all about her favourite Lush products for dry hair, and she highly recommended R&B Hair Moisturiser . The reviews on the website are also very good, so I will most likely be giving this a go in the near future .

Jungle Solid Conditioner is made from bananas, avocados, shea butter, coconut oil, and much more of all that good stuff for you hair . Plus, it has a tropical scent, which sounds very appealing to me . The only downside is it again, has mixed reviews . It is only £3.50 though, so I'll probably try it out .

I think I'm going to ask for the Rosie Gift Set as part of my birthday present . Inside the beautiful packaging is Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, Amandopondo Bubble Bar, Rose Jam Bubbleroon, Tisty Tosty Bath Bomb and Rose Jam Shower Gel .

I love roses . 

I couldn't get a photo of it, as it's from Lush Kitchen, but I would love to try out Violet Nights Bath Oil, as violets are another favourite scent of mine .

Leave a comment if you'd like to see reviews of any of the products mentioned, and also let me know what you'd like to try from Lush (or if you've tried any of the products mentioned) . 

-L x 

My Top 3 Less - Known YouTubers

Thought I'd do a little mid - week post for you since I'm so lovely and generous (*cough* I have nothing better to do *cough*) .

So, like most of you reading, I love YouTube . I don't know what I find so entertaining about watching someone sit in their bedroom and talk to a camera, but clearly I'm not the only one who enjoys it .

When most people think of YouTubers, they think of big names like Pewdiepie, Zoella, Tyler Oakley, etc, so I thought I'd tell you about some of my favourite less - known YouTubers .

In no particular order...

Lilly, known on YouTube as Floralbeautiee, is a 13 year old girl from England .  Her channel (which she has run for 1 year) has a gorgeous pastel theme, and lots of beautifully edited videos .

I love Lilly's videos, as she does a mixture of make up, fashion and lifestyle videos that are all to such a high standard, considering she has only been a YouTuber for one year, though in that time, has gained over 30,000 subscribers!

itsSophieBelle, or Sophie, is again, a girl from England . Her channel features a mixture of videos, though mainly provides outfit inspiration for her viewers .

I personally like Sophie's channel because we have very similar tastes in lots of different areas, and I always love her style . She currently has just over 5k subscribers, but she deserves so many more as the quality of her videos is wonderful .

Kate from KatesBeautyStation is a girl from England (there seems to be a theme here...) who's channel is dedicated to beauty and fashion - related videos.

Kate comes across as a really bubbly and honest person, so I feel like I can always trust her product recommendations.

Leave me a comment of who your favourite less-known YouTubers are!

-L x

A Trip to Glasgow

Welcome back to my blog! Sorry for being absent for so long, his past month has been SO busy (piano exams, essays, etc) but I finally have a post for you, and a long one at that . 

This week, I spent 4 days in Glasgow, staying with my sister, Laura . I honestly had such a great time, I wish I could've stayed longer, but she has essays to write too . Boo, university . 

When I initially arrived, we went to get something to eat (the bus journey is so long, I was starving!) at Ask Italian, and I had 'Spaghetti con le Melanzane', so basically spaghetti with aubergines .

Afterwards we went to Cineworld to see 'Cinderella' which I enjoyed more than I expected! I wasn't planning on going to see this movie, but I'm glad I did, because it was a nice lighthearted movie, and beautiful to watch, too . Plus, two of the central characters are from Downton Abbey (Rose and Daisy), so that was a bonus ;) . 

The next day, we headed to the Kelvin Grove Museum . It was so beautiful, and had so many different things to see, there's something to interest everyone! Although, some of the modern art was a bit... you know how modern art can be . 

We were also in time for the organ recital at 1pm, which was lovely . 

We then visited a few of the shops along the West End, my favourite of which was a store called 'Papyrus' . I'd never even heard of it, but it was lovely! It was similar to Paperchase, but better (if that's possible) . Afterwards we went to 'TriBeCa' for lunch . 

The food was AH-MA-ZING . My sister and I both had cheeseburgers which were sooo good, and that's coming from someone who's not a big beef - eater . 

The best part of the lunch was probably the milkshakes, though . They were called 'Blizzard Shakes', or something along those lines . I had a bounty milkshake, which was SO good, possibly even better than pistachio milkshakes . And I LOVE pistachio milkshakes (I know, I said milkshake loads) .

Finally, we went to the Botanic Gardens . Luckily, the weather brightened up just in time for us to go there (I knew it would! Am I psychic?) . 

It's honestly like a jungle inside, which means it is very warm . It had loads of beautiful statues though (pictured above is a statue of Eve) . I don't really have much else to say about it... I mean, how much can you say about plants? It was very lovely though . 

On my last two days, we did some shopping on Buchanan street, which I didn't take any pictures of, as I didn't think you'd find it particularly exciting . Although, I bought a ceramic pineapple, which I dropped (and smashed) in Forever 21 . Tragedy . 

Again, sorry for being gone so long! From now on, I should be posting every Sunday, with the occasional mid - week post . 

Leave me a comment if you'd like to see anything in particular next week! (Perhaps a haul...?) 

-L x 

Favourites | February

It seems I'm a little late in posting this, but the time has gone so quickly! I honestly can't believe it's March 7th already, where did February go? 

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourite things from this month... and now I'm thinking of the song from 'The Sound of Music' . 

My first favourite is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 03 - Hot Pepper . 

This product is A-MAZ-ING . I honestly can't give this enough praise . Recently, I was in a production of Grease, and this stayed on through singing, dancing, sweating, eating and drinking, without re-application . The only thing I didn't like about this product was that it was difficult to get off, and I was left with slightly tinted lips the day after wearing it . 

It comes in many different shades, and would be perfect for going out, it's an amazing low maintenance bright lip . 

Next, I've been loving the Collection EXTREME 24 HOUR FELT TIP LINER in 01 - Black . 

For me, this is the easiest eyeliner I've ever used . It has a relatively thin nib, though can be used to create a thicker line . It's perfect for winged eyeliner, and stays put, though is easy to wipe off . 

However, this product isn't for everyone, as the pigmentation isn't wonderful . 

Zoella's beauty range has a lovely scent, and is perfect for Spring, with "sweet vanilla and soft floral notes" . I burn the Zoella Beauty Let's Glow Fragranced Candle most days, and it leaves my bedroom smelling gorgeous! Not to mention the packaging is adorable . 

Another Zoella favourite, I've been really enjoying 'Girl Online' . 

It's not the type of novel I normally go for, but it's lighthearted and an overall nice read . 

The blurb reads : 

"Penny has a secret . Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendships, boys, her crazy family and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life . When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets Noah: a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American . Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog . But Noah has a secret too . One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever ." 

Finally, I can't stop listening to 'Noah and The Whale, The First Days of Spring' . 

I've had this album since 2009, and I listen to it every Spring, as it's just so beautiful . I adore Noah and the Whale, but this is by far my favourite album of theirs . 

What are your current favourites? Let me know in the comments below! 

-L x