Tag: vegan

Got No Beef in Cardiff City Centre [3]

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Since the COVID19 lockdown and social distancing rules came into place, I have locked myself away and tried to minimise my contact with the outside world. Fortunately, I’ve been able to work from home so my contact with the outside world has been minimal.

However, when I saw that Got No Beef had re-opened in line with government guidelines and were also participating in the Eat Out To Help Out scheme, I couldn’t say no!

So last week, I ventured out into the big wide world with my brother and sister to get myself some dinner and boy, oh boy… it did not disappoint!

The MVP burger with poutine tots

The restaurant has reduced the number of tables in line with the government 2 metre distance rule so capacity is restricted which is understandable. They’ve put up perspex screens and plastic barriers between tables which is great, as well as a sanitisation station at the front of the restaurant.

The menu has been revamped and there are SO MANY new options! You can tell that they have put a lot of thought and effort into what they’ve put together. It was near impossible to choose!

I went for The MVP burger and a side of Buffalo Hot CHKN wings. Descriptions can be found on the menu itself so I highly recommend taking a look at their website to read through it all.

The MVP burger (inside)

Pictured above is the inside of The MVP. With the ‘mozzarella’ disc inside on top of the burger patty, when cut in half displayed the most appetising melted ‘cheese’ ever. The burger had a drizzle of pesto across the top and marinara sauce on the base. It tasted incredible.

The poutine tots were even better and are possibly my favourite side on the menu. I will most definitely be ordering them with every meal I have there! The gravy is so flavourful and the ‘cheese’ on top just puts it over the edge.

The Buffalo Hot CHKN wings speak for themselves. The ranch sauce drizzled on top and on the side add to the dish perfectly. I personally prefer a hotter taste, but they were delicious and are perfect for those who just want a good kick on the tongue.

We made sure we left room for dessert so to finish off, we treated ourselves to Soft Serve Sundaes!

From L to R: Rocky Road, Super Strawberry and Cookie Dough

We each treated ourselves to one which you can see above and Oh. My. God… they were unreal! There were 2 flavours on tap when we went, vanilla and biscoff. We were given the option of picking a flavour or a mix of the 2… and we all went for the mixed option!

I didn’t get any pictures that showed off the 50/50 split in flavour but it ran right through the middle and it was lovely. We tried a bit of each others and I have to say that Super Strawberry was my favourite and the biscoff flavour soft serve was my favourite of the 2!

I was so full from our mains and sides that I didn’t even manage to finish my sundae but everything was fantastic and totally exceeded my expectations.

Got No Beef are a small family run business and you can see how incredibly hard they have worked to where they have gotten. From day 1, when they travelled up and down the country showcasing at vegan fairs, to present day, working their socks off to bring us amazing vegan food in Cardiff at their restaurant.

I can’t say enough good things about them, but you guys will have to taste it for yourselves! Make sure you follow them on all their social media accounts at @GotNoBeefUK to keep updated, but more importantly, pop down to the restaurant and sample their wares. You will not be disppointed!

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Freedm Street Deluxe Box [August 2020]

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I recently received my Freedm Street Deluxe Box in the post! For those of you that may not be aware, The Cruelty Free Beauty Box have recently changed their name to Freedm Street! For more details, check out their instagram posts.

Let’s move swiftly onto the contents of the box!

Again, nothing in this box disappoints! As always, there are various beauty products and snacks which I’m very much looking forward to digging into. Inside the box is:

  • Flawless Hydrating Toner (RRP £3.95)
  • Love Absolute Mulberry Milk Jelly Cleanser (RRP £24)
  • Pura Cosmetics Lip Scrub (RRP £4.99)
  • Lola Makeup Lash Extension Mascara (RRP £11.95)
  • Jorgobe Black Peel Off Mask (RRP £26)
  • UpCircle Gentle Exfoliating Soap Bar (RRP £6.99)
  • The British Crisp Co Handcooked Crisps (RRP 89p)
  • Brave Roasted Peas (RRP £1.39)
  • Beevive – The Bee Revival Kit (RRP £10.99)
  • Nourished Inner Beauty Stack Trial Box (RRP £29.99)

The contents of the box totals at £121.14 but only cost £39.95 as part of their subscription box!

I’ve yet to make a dent into yet as it only arrived this week but I’m looking forward to it already!

The Nourished vitamins appear interesting. I’m not sure how much benefit you’d be able to see with a 7 day trial but I can’t complain when it’s included as part of my subscription box! Each vitamin is individually wrapped and without opening it directly, I believe they’re gummy ones!

  • Beevive Revival Kit
  • Lola Lash Extension Mascara

The other more interesting product in the box was the Beevive Bee Revival Kit! It’s a little keyring with a little vial of sugar water which can be used to save the bees when they’re in need of a little bit of energy! I love the idea behind it but whether I’ll find good use for it is a different matter.

I also love the Lola Lash Extension Mascara. I didn’t take a picture of my lashes, but I loved it. The brush is great and leaves lashes well separated without any clumps for a nice wide eyed look.

There are so many other goodies included in the box with some wonderful brands that I’m currently using such as UpCircle and Love Absolute. I’m so excited to try them all out.

With the company rebrand, I highly recommend taking another look at the website to see what new products have been added!

Naturally Kind Food: Doughnuts

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I’ve written about Naturally Kind Food in some of my previous blog posts. They are a family run vegan business making delicious baked goods in South Wales.

During the lockdown period, they have started introducing more into their repertoire which has included doughnuts.

I was lucky enough to catch a post on Facebook a few weeks ago which allowed me to buy a spare box!

As you can see, they look absolutely incredible. I can barely remember what the flavours were as I devoured them so quickly but from memory I believe they were Biscoff, Lemon & Raspberry, Cherry Bakewell and a Sugared doughnut. All of them were filled with delicious jam or curd and it was amazing.

My personal favourite was the Cherry Bakewell. I already love Cherry Bakewells, but combining it with a doughnut was absolutely ingenius.

The doughnuts were so fresh and delicious. The fillings where incredibly and the doughnuts were still soft on the inside but firm to grip on the outside. They were the perfect combination!

All the other doughnuts were fantastic too. Full of sweetness and were delightful.

I highly recommend visiting the Naturally Kind Food facebook page where you’ll find lots of information. Give them a Like to keep up to date on their products and to make sure you don’t miss out on any opportunity for some delicious vegan goodies!

You can read my other Naturally Kind Food blog posts here:

Saalt Menstrual Cup

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If you’re someone who doesn’t want to read about menstruation, then please look away now and stop reading.

For those of you who are more than happy to read about it and are also interested in changing to a more sustainable solution, keep reading!

My menstruation back story is a long one, but to summarise, I had the implant for a few years and my periods had stopped. I recently had my implant removed and my menstruation has returned to my version of normal which is very regular.

I was fed up of using disposable sanitary products. I had switched to Natracare and the products were amazing and I still rate them over any other sanitary products on the market but the menstrual cup just seemed like a sensible economic and sustainable option.

I did a little bit of research around a menstrual cup, but luckily my sisters already had their own and were able to give me all the information I required. I recommend having a quick read at articles online to find out if a menstrual cup is more suited to you.

I chose Saalt as this was the only brand I found online that were clearer on the guides on cup capacity. What I mean by this is that all the other companies simply said ‘Small’ or ‘Large’. For someone who has no idea what they’re doing, this is incredibly daunting! Saalt did this perfectly by describing capacity based on numbers of tampons and flow type.

  • Size Small: 2 to 3 tampons capacity
  • Size Regular: 3 to 4 tampons capacity

It came with a carry pouch and general and instructions on how to use the cup as well as how to sterilise it.

It’s been a few months now and I can safely say that it has been an investment worth making. I track my period using the ‘Flo’ app from the App Store and I don’t dread when I’m about to start. I simply have my cup handy and it’s never been so easy.

The first attempt was a bit of an experience. I wasn’t sure if it had done it right but I remained calm and managed it after a bit of fiddling. I found it very comfortable to wear. Since the first go, it’s been a breeze every time.

If you’re thinking about making this sustainable swap, I do recommend looking at what Saalt have to offer. They have multiple packages available and even have a ‘soft’ version for those who may find it uncomfortable. Have a browse and make sure you do your research to see if it’s a right fit for you.

Harper’s Candles August Box

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For those of you that may not know, Harper’s Candles are a vegan business that make vegan friendly scented candles. I discovered them when they were travelling for vegan events up and down the country and their scented candles stood out from anything I’d ever smelt before.

Recently, I found out they offer a subscription box! They offer different levels of subscription boxes at different prices, but I decided to opt for the regular subscription box. They are delivered every 2 months.

The regular box contains a mix of goodies as you can see from the picture above. There are different sized candles, tea lights and a wax melt.

First impressions, I was ecstatic. The box was a little brown parcel filled with beautifully personalised labels and amazing scents. I was like a kid at Christmas. Scented candles make me unnecessarily happy!

They all smell amazing, but my personal favourite is the Hygge wax melt. Ever since it arrived, it is always melting in my living room. It’s a gorgeous, soft, sweet smell that fills the room with subtle fragrance.

I have Karma in my office which is a really musky scent which is really nice and calming when I’m working.

I honestly couldn’t recommend these subscription boxes enough. This is only my first one but I already can’t wait for the second one in October. The scents are so lovely and they’re so different to what you normally see on the shelves.

If you’re after something different or even a special gift for someone you know, I highly recommend Harper’s Candles!

Nails Inc Polishes

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Last week, I took my gel polish off my nails and decided not to rush to reapplying. I gave my nails a break and allowed them to breathe and I really did notice a difference.

However, the nail polish lover in me couldn’t bare to see my nails without colour, so I decided to treat myself to some Nails Inc nail polishes! I thought it would be a good idea to have some non-gel polish in my back pocket for these scenarios.

  • Number Ones
  • Peachy and Perky
  • Freshly Juiced

I ordered the Number Ones which contains a mini base and top coat, Peachy and Perky which is a lipgloss and a gorgeous peach polish called ‘Real Peaches Only’ and finally the Freshly Juiced set which has 2 amazing summer polishes called ‘Not From Concentrate’ and ‘Looking Super Juicy’.

These products are labelled specifically as vegan and cruelty free on their website which I hadn’t seen before as I hadn’t bought from them in such a long time. It’s also included on their packaging now so once we go back to normality and we can shop physically, look out for the labels!

This bank holiday weekend, I tried the Freshly Juiced polishes on my fingers and toes to bring some Summer and bright colours into my day to day life!

Can I firstly say, the base coat and top coat are fantastic. Minis are a great option as I’ve historically found that polish goes thick and clumpy after a while so smaller ones are great options to help avoid waste. The base coat smells great and isn’t thick that sits oddly on the nail. The 45 second top coat is truly remarkable. My nails were touch dry so much quicker than I had anticipated and I could pretty much go about my day without any fear of ruining my nails (with the usual precautions, of course!).

The Freshly Juice polishes are bright and vibrant and I absolutely adore them. Not From Concentrate smells like oranges and Looking Super Juicy smells like watermelon! I wasn’t expecting it but it was really refreshing to not inhale chemical fume smells.

In summary, I would highly recommend Nails Inc polishes. They’re high quality and great colours, and let’s not forget well labelled. Keep an eye out for them if you’re looking for some new nail polish.

Grind Coffee

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Tom and I bought ourselves a Nespresso coffee machine a year or so ago to save myself some money on my morning Starbucks trips, and it’s really done the trick. It’s a nifty little machine so if you’re curious, you can find it here.

We’ve been habitually buying our coffee pods from our local supermarkets as they’re so accessible, but of course, terrible for the environment. I’d spent some time researching other offerings and tools such as re-usable pods that you can re-fill but the reviews were often off-putting.

Instagram ads then came and saved the day. I saw an advert for Grind coffee and started following their Instagram page. Grind are a London based coffee shop and most impressively in my opinion, offer a coffee subscription service. What this meant was that you can subscribe to their coffee to receive regular deliveries. This meant there was potential to never run out of coffee!

To start, I thought it would be sensible to try the coffee, so I bought a refillable tin of their House Blend from Amazon.

What I should mention also, is that their coffee pods are compostable which was a big factor in my decision to give them a go and make the purchase.

The Grind aesthetic is really simple and cute. The brand is so distinctive with their pink colouring and clear bold font across their packaging. The refillable tin is great. It’s got a screw cap, and when it first arrived, the tin was sealed like a can which I thought was good and keeps the coffee fresh before we could get round to it.

The coffee itself tastes fantastic. I could easily say that it’s the best coffee I’ve ever tasted. It’s incredibly smooth and not too bitter. I’m far from a coffee expert, but I thoroughly enjoy the taste of their coffee.

So I decided to take the plunge and subscribe to their coffee. You can choose a subscription that suits you, which also include decaf coffee and their Black Blend (which I haven’t tried) and you can choose how many and how regularly you want to receive your deliveries.

They are posted in letterbox friendly packaging so you don’t need to be home to accept the delivery which is incredibly handy!

As you can see from the pictures above, the aesthetic is carried through to all their products and the subscription boxes are no different.

The pods are only slightly more expensive than the ones you can buy so easily from the supermarket but with the added benefit of being compostable. So with the flavour being so fantastic, it just made the most sense.

After trying their coffee, I’m so pleased that I’ve decided to subscribe. It’s nice to know that we’ll be kept well in coffee!

OnePlanet Pizzas

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So… Pizza. More specifically, vegan pizza.

OnePlanet Pizza are a vegan pizza company who do frozen vegan pizzas. Who doesn’t love the convenience of a frozen pizza when you just can’t be bothered to cook. I’ve tried one before that I bought from a local vegan shop and I enjoyed it.

You can order their pizzas online via their website and the more you buy, the more you save. So I bought 5 for £5.60 each. It is quite pricey for a frozen pizza, especially compared to some of the options that are available in our supermarkets these days such as the offerings from Chicago Town and Goodfellas.

I ordered 2 meatless pizzas, 2 chick’n and sweetcorn and 1 mushroom pizza, all with wholemeal bases.

They’re a reasonable size and the minimal packaging is really good to see. Ingredients and cooking instructions are all really clear on the packaging and it’s nice to see all the toppings so clearly.

The first pizza I tried with the chick’n and sweetcorn which I enjoyed. The fake chick’n wasn’t really like chicken but it was nice to have that meat replacement, and who doesn’t love sweetcorn. The vegan cheese is the show stopper in my opinion. It melts beautifully and tastes pretty good.

The second pizza I tried was the meatless pizza. I somehow managed to forget to take anymore pictures but it was fine. My only criticism is that the onion chunks were certainly prevalent and incredibly overwhelming in parts but it was still a decent pizza. I don’t think I’d order it again.

And finally, I had the mushroom pizza which I think was my favourite. Again, no pictures, but the delicious cheese and I am a huge fan of mushrooms so it was a big contributor to my love for it.

I was a big fan of the wholemeal base, and it was nice to have the option to choose from the wholemeal or their classic white base which you wouldn’t be able to do with store bought pizzas.

Overall, the pizzas were good. I wouldn’t be rushing to buy them again any time soon due to the price, but it’s nice to see convenient offerings from a vegan company who know the market and are trying to help the world and not just jump on the vegan bandwagon!

Make Up Revolution: The Mascara Revolution

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I’m not one to switch up my make up too often as I know what I like and what gets me the look I normally like. I’ve been using the KVD Beauty Go Big Home or Go Home but at a pricey £20, I thought I’d switch it up.

I popped to my local Superdrug earlier last month where they had a 3 for 2 offer so what better opportunity to try out a new product?

Make Up Revolution are cruelty free and offer lots of vegan options so I took the plunge and spent the £8 of their Mascara Revolution.

The packaging is simple, yet appealing and bold with the rose gold and black. It’s quite a large tube. Similar to the large tube for the KVD Beauty mascara.

The brush is quite big with a curve in the middle mimicking an hourglass. I never really understood why mascara brushes were so different and what benefit they brought. I’m more of a dan of the standard shaped brushes.

The product sat a bit clumpy and thick on the brush, and with the curve in the middle, more of the product sat there. I wasn’t entirely filled with confidence when I saw it.

Left hand side with mascara on

Applying the product wasn’t an issue, even with the brush shape. And surprisingly, it applied very evenly across the lashes. It gave me a bit more volume and a little bit more length which is exactly what I wanted. My only criticism is that it did group my lashes more than I liked but for £12 less than my usual mascara, I can’t complain.

The mascara is a decent mascara for the price. Other online reviews don’t speak as positively about it as I do but I do think I’ll be sticking to my usual but it’s good to know there are other options out there.

Self Care Sundays: Issue 12

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We all know how much I love a pamper every now and then and with the sun out for the past few weeks with a few patches of rain here and there, I made sure I did the works!

After epilating my leg, lasering my moustache and doing my nails, I used the Natura sheet mask that I bought as part of my build your own box from The Cruelty Free Beauty Box. You can find a run through of the box on this blog post.

I’ve used so many Natura sheet masks in the past and they are never disappointing. They feel like a real treat and my skin always feels fantastic afterwards.

The sheets themselves are made from biodegradable bamboo so can be put in your compost bin! (I would check that your local authority can process this before doing so though).

  • During
  • After

As always, I forgot to take a before phone, so I thought I’d include the terrifying during photo. The after photo shows my lovely bright face after the mask.

I will forever recommend Natura sheet masks. They come in so many different infusions for different skin types and their benefits so make sure you have a good read before choosing the one that’s right for you.