Veganuary - The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies.....Oh how I love myself a cookie or five! Theres nothing better than warm, home made chocolate chip cookies so today I thought I would  the BEST vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe! These are so addictive and their so easy to make, you literally only need one bowl a wooden spoon or spatula and your ingredients (which are also pretty basic) and your good to go. 

Veganuary - Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe

It's veganuary! The perfect time to experiment with vegan recipes wouldn't you say?? I'm not actually Vegan myself but I definitely want to try and share a lot more Vegan recipes on my blog. I'm also intolerant to eggs and have given up diary for the time being because of some stomach issues, so making more vegan choices and doing more vegan baking is a no-brainer really! Today I'm sharing a yummy three layer chocolate cake filled with the BEST chocolate buttercream which is of course vegan too. 

Vegan Biscoff Cookie Sandwiches

Hey beaut's!

It's veganuary! The perfect time to bake my very first vegan recipe wouldn't you say?? I'm not actually Vegan myself but I definitely want to try/share a lot more Vegan recipes on my blog, this time around I've actually used a recipe from Cupcake Jemma as inspiration as I need to play around with my own Vegan recipes, but these cookie sandwiches turned out so well and where delicious I just had to share them! I'm actually intolerant to eggs and wanting to cut down on dairy so Vegan bakes and cakes are definitely the way forward for me from now on!

What You Will Need For the Cookies 

100g Caster Sugar

100g Light Brown Sugar 

120g Sunflower Oil or Vegetable Oil, I used Vegetable!

75g Water 

1 tsp Vanilla Extract 

300g Plain Flour 

3/4 tsp Bicarb 

1 tsp Baking Powder 

1/2 tsp Salt 

What You Will Need For The Biscoff Icing + Decoration

75g Dairy Free Spread 

75g Shortening, I Used TREX

400g Icing Sugar 

50g Biscoff Spread + Extra for Decorating
2 Large Bars Of Dark Chocolate
A Couple Of Biscoff Biscuits To Crush

How To - The Cookies
* The cookies are so easy to make but there are a few steps involved. In a bowl, whack all of your cookie ingredients in and mix until a smooth dough appears, this part literally takes seconds and no fancy mixers are needed I just used a good old wooden spoon. 
* Once everything is combined you need to cover/wrap your dough in cling film and pop it in the fridge to chill ideally overnight or for a few hours minimum.
* Once the dough has chilled roll it into small balls trying to keep them the same size, once you've rolled all the dough into balls pop them into the freezer for 10 mins, this just stops the cookies spreading out too much when their in the oven. Whilst the cookie dough is in freezer pre-heat your oven to 170 or gas mark 4. 
* Cook the cookies for around 12-13 mins or until your cookies have a turned a golden colour.

How To - Biscoff Icing
* In a large bowl, beat the dairy free spread and TREX together until it becomes pale and super whippy, then start adding the icing sugar slowly to avoid the dreaded icing sugar cloud and mix until combined. 
* Then whack in the Biscoff spread and mix well throughout the icing, as usual if the icing becomes too stiff then pop in some dairy free milk like soya or almond until you get your desired constancy. 
* Once the cookies are completely cool and the icing is mixed, match up your cookies in pairs and pipe a ring of icing all around the bottom of one cookie leaving the centre empty, then pop a blob of Biscoff spread in the centre and sandwich together with another cookie!
* Once all your cookies are sandwiched together, melt some dark chocolate and dip one end of the cookie sandwich into the chocolate and finish off by sprinkling some broken up Biscoff biscuits onto the dark chocolate, then leave to set if your patient he he!

Honestly these are divine, my boyfriend couldn't believe the icing or 'buttercream' was completely dairy free, it's so tasty! What I will say is that they are quite sickly and half of one if plenty for me but if you have a mega sweet tooth your going to love these! Vegan or not you have to give these a whirl! 

The Pro Co Vegan Skincare That Will Leave You Glowing!

Hey beaut's!

I'm hugely into skincare and looking after my skin these days, I think it's because I'm getting that bit older now and I've realised how important it is to have a good skincare routine in place. Whilst I've been perfecting my skincare routine I've been testing out a couple of The Pro Co skincare products and I've been loving the results so far! 

To give my skin a little TLC (which is well needed at this time of the year) I've been using The Pro Co's little trio of serums starting with their Vit C Serum, I use this little beauty twice a day after cleansing before my normal moisturiser and it leaves my skin feeling so smooth and supple, not to mention naturally radiant - I love that glow!!! The Vitamin C serum is actually formulated using a unique combination of active and natural ingredients to reduce the signs of ageing by helping reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles, age spots and dull, faded looking skin. It also improves skin firmness over time, evens out the skin tone and increases radiance, all whilst being gentle on the skin! I've really been loving this bottle of gorgeousness, it's great for no-makeup days when you want your skin to look glowy and healthy but then it's also great for makeup days too as it creates a lovely dewy base that doesnt go oily or greasy!

The Eye Rescue Serum is literally a god send for me and my tired, dark eyes! The serum has been formulated using advanced encapsulated natural ingredients and designed to help fade existing pigmentation and improve skin micro-circulation, so if your part of the dark under eye club girls and boys this one could be for you. Just like the Vitamin C Serum I use the Eye Rescue twice a day after cleansing, I simply pop one tiny drop of the serum onto my ring finger and gently pat the product around my eye area until its absorbed! Afterwards my eye area feels nourished, smooth and it does indeed help with the tired, dark appearance of my eyes!

Lastly I been trying the Retinol Serum, this is a proven anti-ageing powerhouse that delivers higher performance, deeper penetration and extended release to increase the benefits to your skin and improve multiple signs of ageing. I only use this serum once a day at night before going to bed, I massage 1-2 drop of the serum all over my face taking any excess down my neck and then in the morning my skin feels lovely, so smooth, moisturised and supple! I definitely feel like this is a product that will have amazing results over time so I'll have to do an updated review on this one later down the line, but so far so good!

If your after trying out some eco friendly beauty then The Pro Co is definitely one to try, not only are their skincare products vegan and suitable for vegetarians, but they help tackle the continuing environmental issues by creating Eco friendly packaging that contain less than 2% plastic. I also love that all of the serums have pipette style applicators, it makes the products feel and look much more luxurious and expensive in my opinion. 

All of the serums are £7.99 each however Amazon have a pretty good promotion on at the moment if you fancy a little pre-Christmas treat - I mean why not, you deserve it - youcan actually get  20% off each serum featured in this post making them just £6.39 each which is such a good, affordable price for skincare!

*AD – This post is a paid advertorial with The Pro Co and also contains gifted items, all opinions are my own!

Testing Out Vegan Haircare By Redken!

Hey beaut's!

I've always struggled with knowing what shampoo and conditioner to buy for my hair, I was always one of these gals that will literally just buy any brand of shampoo which was on offer and that was actually damaging my hair, I was also having major problems with my hair being static all the time too so my hairdresser Rachael from Serenity Thetford helped me out as always and gave me a shampoo and conditioner from Redken's new Nature + Science range to try – these are vegan hair products that are designed to combine the power of nature and the performance of Redken!

If your new to Redken or a fan already the new vegan Nature + Science range is great as you still get all of the same haircare technology and benefits of their All Soft, Color Extend and Extreme shampoo and conditioners, but with a new vegan and naturally-derived formula, this is exciting news for anyone who wants to switch to a cleaner, more natural haircare regimen, but does not want to give up the efficacy or performance of their products. The shampoos from the Nature + Science range are made with 83 percent naturally-derived ingredients while the conditioners are made with 99 percent naturally-derived ingredients. Plus, all of the products are sulfate, paraben and silicone-free and the packaging is made with recycled plastic too.

The range I always use by Redken is All Soft so I'm so happy they've created a vegan formula! The All Soft range is perfect for anyone with dry, brittle hair and honestly this  shampoo and conditioner duo leaves my hair feeling so nourished, glossy, healthy and most importantly I never get any annoying static problems anymore, thank goodness! The new formula of the shampoo still foams and lathers up beautifully and the conditioner is gorgeously creamy, both have a really nice zesty fresh scent to them too which is much appreciated!

 I also gave the Redken All Soft Mega Recovery Mask a whirl and LOVED the results! This really intrigued me because the product is actually within a foil cap which you have to pop onto your head and secure for 10 minutes once you have shampooed your hair. I hadn't tried anything like this before but honestly after using it I think it's perfect if your wanting more manageable hair and really want to restore softness and trap in some moisture, it's a little miracle worker really and makes my hair feel INCREDIBLE, likes it's been on it's very own spa day! Whilst the mask is on I like to massage my head so that the super thick formula inside works it's way all around my hair, then after 10 minutes just rinse off and voila! I really recommend this if your hair needs some serious TLC, it's such a treat!

If your in the Norfolk area you can find these Redken products in Serenity Hair Design & Beauty, Rachael (who cuts my barnet) is the managing directer there and is full of haircare knowledge, honestly shes knows everything there is to know about hair so I really recommend booking in with her if your in the local area! Of course you can find the Redken products online too.

Have you tried any Redken hair products beaut's? What are your favourites? I'd love to know.

*This post contains gifted items, all opinions are my own.

Should I Go Vegan and Switching Up My Diet!?

Hey beaut's!

Becoming vegan or being vegan seems to be so popular these days and I must admit I hadn't even heard of the term vegan or veganism until a couple of years back, currently I'm not vegan and as far as I'm aware I'm not gluten free or dairy free either but this is all something I definitely want to look into more, mainly because this year I've had a few problems with my digestion and suffer quite badly with acid reflux! I actually take tablets everyday now for my acid reflux and it's the pain and discomfort of having acid reflux that has really made me want to think about food and what I fuel my body with! I have already made a few changes to my diet - granted their not huge changes - but hey their still changes non the less and it's really made me think about what I want to do going forward!

If you’re in the US and wondering if changing your food ways and becoming vegan would work for you and also be beneficial to your health then you’re in luck because Health Labs can really help a sister (or brother hehe) out! HealthLabs.com* offers fast, private, and affordable lab testing that can be scheduled and ordered online with your results coming back in just a couple of days, theres no need for fasting before hand either and the tests are literally administered in approximately 10 minutes or less which is fab!

 Theres a number of vegan testing panels to choose from on the HealthLabs site that cover a number of different things but the test I'm most drawn too is the 'Should I Be Vegan?' test. This is a basic vegan test that tests you for 18 meat and dairy products, this is great if you've been experiencing or suffering from on going stomach pains, sluggishness, headaches, or an overall feeling of unwellness because if it proves to be a positive result it can pin-point exactly what it is that your intolerant or allergic of! To be honest I'm really interested in the dairy side of things, it's something I've always wondered about because I've noticed I can get quite headachy after eating cheese sometimes so this is definitely something I'm looking into! The vegan tests start at $149 but the 'Should I Be Vegan?' test I'm interested in comes in at $199 but you can get that a little bit cheaper if you use my 25% off code HAY25. I think it's totally worth the price if it's going to make a dramatic improvement to your health. If your already vegan then fear not because HealthLabs also have tests you to take to check for possible nutritional deficiencies that you may have, this will help you know whether you need more or less of a specific vegan friendly food item which again will benefit your health, pretty awesome hey!

I'd love to know if your vegan and how you find it? Has it made a huge difference to your health? Or are you considering it like I am? I'd love to know!  

*This post is in collaboration with Health Labs, 

all opinions are my own.

The Skinny Bakery Review! Tasty Treats That Keep Your Waistline Happy!

Hey beaut's!

If you've read my blog for a while now you will probably know by my endless baking recipes that I have a super sweet tooth, the only problem with having a sweet tooth is that you crave everything naughty and it's never good for the ole waistline! However I was recently introduced to The Skinny Bakery and instantly I feel like all my sweet-toothed prayers have been answered... cakes, biscuits, gingerbread men.... all lower in calories...yup I'll have a lorry load please he he!

The Skinny Bakery was founded in 2013 by passionate home baker Mariella Forte! The Bakery sells guilt free, handmade treats which contain alternative healthier ingredients such as beetroot and sweet potato too quark and tofu making them a 'not so naughty treat' and they typically only contain 30-40 calories per piece! Theres so many yummy treats to choose from too, theres brownies, flapjacks, biscuits, meringue cookies and mini cake bites in so many flavours, they call the mini cake bites 'pearls' which is so cute. All of the baked treats come packaged really well, the biscuits come in little clear bags and the pearls come in grab and go style packs perfect for at home grazing or if you on the go their not too bulky and fit into your picnic basket perfectly!

The treats I received where...
Skinny Mini Gingerbread Men* £2.99 - These are the cutest little gingerbread men, you get three in a packet - each one contains just 36 calories! Their super tasty with a real ginger kick and a nice amount of sweetness, their also a dairy-free!

Skinny Choc Orange Cookies* £2.99 -  These are basically like a Terry's chocolate orange but in biscuit form, you get five little cookies in the bag and again they are a dairy-free recipe!

Skinny Chocolate Pearls* £2.99 - A pack of five little chocolate sponges filled with a tofu-chocolate frosting, these are so moist and tasty in fact I found all of the pearls super moist and are 42 calories each. Don't forget to store these beauties in the fridge though!

Skinny Beetroot Pearls* £2.99 - A pack of beetroot sponges pipped and filled with a quark based low fat cream cheese frosting.

Double Chocolate Meringue Cookies* 2.99 - A pack of six chocolate cookies made with egg whites and dairy-free chocolate. Just like meringue's they are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, yum yum yum!

Skinny Carrot Cake Pearls* £2.99 - A pack of five carrot cake sponges made with real carrots and piped with a quark based low fat cream cheese frosting and are only 39 calories each, what's not to love.

You can shop the skinny bakery by either buying anything you fancy separately or theres some really good multi-buy deals that are pic'n'mix style and such good value. Theres also vegan and dairy-free options on the website too. If your looking for a sweet treat that isn't too naughty them I cant recommend these enough, they where all tasty, super fresh, not dry or hard and kept perfectly in the fridge for 7 days! I think my favourites would have to be the gingerbread men and the chocolate pearls, I'm a sucker anything chocolate-y and the gingerbread men just make me think of all things Christmas and Autumn he he!

You can shop The Skinny Bakery HERE.

The Body Shop 100% Cruelty-Free Vegan Makeup Brushes Review

Hey beaut's!

Not that long ago The Body Shop launched 10 brand new 100% Cruelty-Free Vegan Makeup Brushes with a range of face brushes and eye brushes to choose from, so all bases are covered. Each brush has been made with charcoal-coated, super-soft synthetic bristles and have sustainably sourced wooden handles too, making these brushes 100% friendly in every way, yay!

I've been giving four of the new brushes a whirl and my goodness I love them all so much, I had never tried any makeup brushes from the body shop before so I had no idea what to expect but I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality, they all apply the products beautifully, I've not experienced any shedding at all even when washing them, the bristles are honestly the softest bristles I've ever felt - I'm talking super super soft and the overall quality of the brushes is really good and they feel super expensive too. 

Lets kick things off with the Buffing Brush* (£14.00). I have been using this brush more or less everyday to apply my liquid foundation because the finish is just completely flawless, theres never any horrid brush stroke lines and it always blends my foundation into my skin perfectly in a matter or minutes, which is great if your in a rush but still want perfect skin. The bristles are densely packed together and hold their shape well, just like all the brushes you can use the buffing brush with creams, liquids and powders and it's a super versatile brush too and can blend in cream blush, bronzer and highlighter in a jiffy! It's most definitely a staple brush for me!

Next up is the Fan Brush* (£11.00), I only got into fan brushes last year and Ive been obsessed with them ever since, I tell ya beaut's if you haven't used a fan brush for highlighting your seriously missing out. The Body Shops Fan Brush is super soft and blends my highlighter in like a dream which I pretty much thought it would, you can also use this brush for subtly adding blush to your cheeks too, which I must admit I had never tried until now and I actually really liked it, I definitely recommend using a blush with a slight sheen to it to get the best 'glowy' effect.

Moving onto the eye brushes... Firstly I have the Flat Shader Brush* (£8.00), this little beauty has quite short, densely packed bristles perfect for creating more dramatic eyeshadow looks such as a killer smokey eye, it's shape is great for winging out and extending eyeshadow work and it can also be used to pack colour onto the lid or to smoke out eyeshadows underneath the eye too. 

Lastly I have the Double-Ended Eye Shadow Brush* (£10.00), this dual ended brush has a  slanted brush at one end, perfect for creating precise lines when doing gel liner or defined strokes when filling in my brows. The other end is a blender brush, this is such a staple brush, it blends out eyeshadow work really well and I've even used it under my eyes with concealers and really liked it too, it's such a versatile brush that takes less room up in my makeup bag because of it's dual purpose.

I'm super happy I finally go to try out some of the Body Shops makeup brushes, it's definitely given me the bug to try more from the collection that's for sure. Have you tried any of the Body Shop's makeup brushes beaut's? Which brush is your favourite? I'd love to know!