Glow Hub: Review

 

Glow Hub instantly attracted me with their pastel packaging, fruity scents and affordable prices, so I ordered a few items to try.

I purchased an item from each of the three ranges, which each suit different skin types, my skin is dry to normal.

Included in the three ranges are 'calm and soothe', 'purify and brighten' and 'nourish and hydrate'.

Purify and Brighten super serum £12

I like this serum as it made my skin look glowy and felt nice on the skin. It didn't do anything ground breaking to my skin but I didn't expect it to. It would be great for an everyday serum if you're looking for some extra glow and brightening.

Nourish and Hydrate serum mist £12

I was pulled in to this product as it was a mist and that seemed fun, especially to refresh your skin throughout the day. Honestly I don't this this was very hydrating and so if you have especially dry skin like me then it's not enough but it would be nice in the summer as a refreshing spritz and the peach scent is also enjoyable.

Calm and Soothe face mask stick £10

This is my favourite product of the three and I'd like to try more of their mask sticks. Something I find really annoying is when you buy a mask and it's five pounds or more and it's single use, not only does it feel wasteful but also a lot of money for one use. I think this works so well and can be used many times, it's also easy to use as you just rub it over your face using the stick then wash it off. After use my face felt especially clean and the whole experience of putting the mask on is very calming.

Overall, I think glow hub is a really cool brand. It's got innovative products and cute packaging without being crazy expensive.

baked vegetarian nachos - Recipe

These are great for lunch or dinner and you can adjust the toppings to whatever you have in the fridge to make a delicious meal. This recipe is super easy with only four steps and will take under 30 minutes to make.

Instead of using tortilla chips I use wraps which works great in this recipe but they also taste great on their own for a snack either plain or with a few dips.

The Recipe

Ingredients

I have made these multiple times using lots of different ingredients so I've listed the ingredients for the nachos pictured and then also ingredients I have also used which work well.

For the tortilla chips:

• Wraps (cut into triangles)- you can use any but I used some wholemeal seeded wraps
• fajita seasoning
• salt and pepper
• oil

For the topping:

• black beans- could also use pinto beans or red kidney beans
• sweetcorn
• quorn mince
• tomato puree 
• cheese- I used cheddar
• fajita seasoning

could also use:

• mushrooms
• peppers
• onion
• refried beans
• quorn chicken pieces

To finish:

• sour cream
• tomatoes

could also use:

• avocado
• salsa
• feta

Method

Step 1

Place the wrap triangles into a baking tray seasoned with some salt, pepper and fajita seasoning, drizzled with oil and place into the oven for around 10 minutes.

Then keep checking on them every few minutes until they are crispy and remove from the oven.

Step 2

Heat a frying pan with a drizzle of oil and place all the topping ingredients except the cheese into the pan and fry until cooked through.

Step 3

Place the topping onto the tortilla chips, sprinkle the cheese on top and then place into the oven for around 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Step 4

Add the finishing items on top and enjoy.

The Best of Cruelty Free Beauty Brands

Recently I have been attempting to only use cruelty free makeup and skincare products, I didn't realise how many brands I was using are testing on animals. From old faves which are luckily already cruelty free to new finds, as I searched for the best of cruelty free.

Starting with some brands which won't break the bank ...

NYX is one of the best cruelty free brands in the drugstore which can be hard to find as a lot of my previous favourites turned out to not be cruelty free. They have a huge range of products at such affordable prices, my current favourite products from them is the coloured eyeliners.

The Ordinary sell expensive looking skincare for a non expensive price, it can be difficult to work out what does what but there are lots of youtube videos from skincare experts explaining what should work for you. I'm currently using their hyaluronic acid which is great for dry skin and a great product to start with.

Zoeva Do you need makeup brushes? because if you do then look no further. Zoeva sell the best makeup brushes, I bought mine years ago and they're still going strong and are my most used brushes. It's best to buy the whole sets which can seem a lot but works out cheapest and means you have all the brushes you need.

BYBI This brand is a recent find and has quickly become a favourite. As well as having products which work well, they also use 100% natural and vegan ingredients as they strive to do better for the planet. They use glass for 70% of their packaging as it is more sustainable and for the rest of the products they use bioplastic which is derived from sugarcane. I have been loving the Buriti booster which is a lightweight oil for the daytime which you can either use on its own or add to your moisturiser. 

Here's a few to splurge on ...

Hourglass is pretty expensive so I have only tried a few products from them but the ones I have I've loved. Their products would make a great gift as the packaging is always beautiful, I use the highlighter all the time for a natural looking glow.

Pixi is my current go-to for skincare and I don't think they are hyped enough, their rose moisturiser has become my favourite and I have almost finished my second tube. They also sell really good toners, my favourites being the glow tonic and the Vitamin C tonic. 

Glossier is very hyped but in my opinion, for good reason. Their skincare and makeup has not let me down and I just adore all of the packaging. My favourite product is the milky jelly cleanser, it's great for removing makeup and is also very gentle and makes your skin particularly soft. I also need to mention futuredew as no other product I have tried gives that much glow.

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Healthier banana pancake recipe

Perfect for a weekend treat, while still being healthy-ish.

Ingredients

1 banana
1 egg
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup oat milk (or any milk you have)

oil or butter for cooking (I use coconut oil)

Toppings - you can use whatever toppings you like 
maple syrup

cinnamon

dark chocolate 

blueberries- you can mix these into the mixture or just place them on when serving 

Method
Step 1
Mash the banana then mix in the egg.

Step 2
Add in the flour and baking powder and mix together, then add the milk and mix together to form the batter.

Step 3
Pour a third of the batter into the pan and cook until bubbles form on the top and then flip the pancake.
Repeat two more times with the rest of the batter.

Step 4
Serve with maple syrup and any extra toppings.

The Easiest Shakshuka Recipe

This is super easy to make and tastes great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I love shakshuka and this is my personal spin on it. You can use whatever beans you have in the cupboard and add in any leftover veg you have in the fridge, as long as you have eggs and chopped tomatoes you can do whatever you want with it.

Ingredients- for 2

1x -Tinned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp -chili flakes
1tbsp -basil
1tsp- garlic salt
1tsp- pepper
1tbsp -maple syrup or sugar
1x- Can of Chickpeas, or butter beans, or black beans, etc  (drained)
4- eggs
Feta /or goats cheese

Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6

Step 1
Place the chopped tomatoes into a pan with the seasonings and cook until simmering for 5- 10 minutes.


Step 2
Add in the chickpeas and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.

Step 3
Take the pan off the heat and crack the eggs into the pan.

Step 4
Crumble a handful of feta and/or goats cheese into the pan.

Step 5 
Place the pan back onto the heat and place a lid on the pan until the eggs are cooked how you like (the best is runny yolks- about 3-5 mins).

Step 6
Serve and enjoy!

White Chocolate Cookies // using coconut oil

Recipe

For 12 cookies

Ingredients-

100g coconut oil (melted)

175g coconut sugar

200g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 egg

150g white chocolate (chopped)

Method-

1. Preheat the oven to 170c

2. Mix the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl

3. Mix in the egg until combined

4. Add in the dry ingredients

5. Stir in the white chocolate

6. Place the dough into 12 balls on a baking tray, leave space between them as they will expand in the oven

7. Cook for around 10 minutes, until they have browned

8. Allow to cool and then enjoy

2000's inspired outfits

I've been loving 2000's fashion, so here's a few outfits I put together inspired by the era as I try to be Mary-Kate or Ashley.
I was going to just post a few images but I decided to also do some y2k inspired edits (lol) which were actually really fun to create.



Look 1

Look 2

Look 3

Outfit Details

Look 1 

white cardigan: Nasty Gal

midi Skirt: charity shop

shoes: lilac suede air force

Look 2

tie dye top: charity shop (It was actually too big for me so I cropped it myself which is a helpful hack when buying from charity shops)

low waisted jeans: charity shop

bag: Depop

shoes: Silver glitter Adidas Superstars

sunglasses: Asos

Look 3

top: Brandy Melville

corduroy trousers: charity shop

shoes: lilac suede air force

bag: charity shop (I painted the butterflies on it)

sunglasses: Asos